hobots pea gravel trick.

I took a few days off to enjoy the unseasonably warm Illinois weather and to ride the Commando. All went well until I was on my way home today. I was running on a two lane highway with cars running right up my behind and I needed to turn off on a side road. I did the old right hand signal and noticed the car behind me was not slowing so I got slowed down enough to where I thought I could make a faster than normal exit, but when I looked at the road I realized there was 3-4" of pea gravel on the turn. We know where this is going. At any rate we all know where this is going. Figure about a grand in damage to the bike, but already stole parts off the other bike I bought that isn't together. Biggest is the stainless front fender and the toga pea shooters. I have no idea how I landed on both knees, but I can assure anyone the knees are pretty sensitive to impact.

I did the old right hand signal and noticed the car behind me was not slowing

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I would venture to say less than half of today's drivers would know what a hand signal means. They might interpret as being offensive. You'd probably have better luck texting them of your intention to turn. Something to consider if you run with no signal lights.

JimC said:

I did the old right hand signal and noticed the car behind me was not slowing

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I would venture to say less than half of today's drivers would know what a hand signal means. They might interpret as being offensive. You'd probably have better luck texting them of your intention to turn. Something to consider if you run with no signal lights.

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Ack! Sorry about your off, Tim.

Yep, they don't have any clue what the RH turn signal means, and it may confuse the issue more than if you didn't signal. Your story actually sums up TWO crashes I've had on my streetbike:

The first was a d*ckwad who decided to change lanes as we both were pulling into the Holland tunnel - I was in the LH lane, he in the right. There is a double line and crossing is absolutely forbidden. But, he liked my lane better, and I slid right into his driver's door as I tried to brake. I wasted both my knees so bad I passed out on the pavement. They are still messed up almost 3 years later.

The other was another d*ckwad who didn't know what the rh turn hand signal meant, came right up behind my rh side as I slowed, and I turned into his car, not seeing him coming up next to me. In this one, my footpeg took a 5' long horizontal gouge out of his door/quarter panel of his beautiful Lexus as we collided. I stayed upright, fortunately. He got out of the car screaming at me that I was making odd gestures with my hands and that I was screwing around. I chased him around his car until the cops came. They gave him a summons, and I was "allowed" to leave.

Both of these occurred during my 3.2 mile commute from my home to my shop.

It's safer on the track.

I am convinced everyone thinks the right hand signal is gesturing "up yours". At any rate a few weeks of cuts and bruises and a rashed bike are nothing compared to what could have happened. I am more upset that this little stunt has cost me a few setbacks. So the turn signals I bought and never got installed will get installed this week.

Thanks for the sick honor Tim, more proof to L.A.F. as in Life Ain't Fair and then ya die. The first time I learned about going from hi way to turn into gravel covered drive I didn't see THE Gravel part till already committed, then reflexly decided against even trying to finish turning for instant low side, instead faced my reality like a man -so full upright rode straight off the edge over 4 ft tall culvert - thinking positive thoughts while air borne that if I landed just so I could ride it out- till I smashed in a tumble in boggy bottom. My mistake was not slowing up enough because I was worried about Wes following me on wet drum brake and thought I was going to pinch him off tpo short, turned out he was alert to the wet and fine.

Sometimes I get an angry driver that rushes up on me while just tooling along, but no where to let pass and no sides to road way, so I pick up pace some, but will not be forced into impossible turns so - told my riding ego to fuck off a long time ago- so fly past my turn till I can get away from them and return to carry on under my terms.

I don't just stick out an arm, I point and wave at my intentions and if no response switch to plan b to avoid upsets. From my P!! days when mothers with children on board began trying to run the evil biker off the road with a gleam in their eyes, [ Easy Rider still a sensation], and I'm wearing back pack with books strapped on seat, I then began to treat every car as weapons aimed at me.

It sucks big time but got to face facts, if ya ride bad fates await us all.
They likely just drove on either oblivious or scared you'd kill em it they stopped.
LAF about it with rest of us as you discover hidden damage in bike and yourself.

Kenny city life scared me so bad I gave up cycles for 25 yrs and had to migrate before even considering it again. Its got its own hazards too I found out. But main reason to ping back it the damaged knees are not the reason they ain't totally fine.
I've smashed mine apart just hanging by flesh and horrible angles last decade and by doing nothing to them but focusing on the brain stem/cord - did not suffer much on recovery and healed up better than before. Ping me if parts decay till you'd accept MD's wanting to poison or cut on ya.

Tim, hope you get some zing out replaying the sensations and flash of forks snatching out as the chaos hits. I can now tell people -
Oh Crap, I pulled a Timmy again : )

In the two days I took off work and rode, I nearly got run over in the city with a lady on a cell phone merging into my lane and in the same day had a farmer pull out in front of me in a fast sweeping turn. Then today I had the off. Weird how things happen in groups and then everything goes good for awhile. Imagine I'll be more sore in the morning, but as always will heal up. After I realized I hadn't broken both knee caps I thought Steve is gonna love this one. :lol:

Yeah man Tim, got me on edge of seat, but mostly wondering about my own decision to ride again. There are other things in life of course, but what else in our reach to thumb our nose at fate while having a blast? Bad ass reverse trike with cage around pilot and power plant, still a cage.

Its said things come in 3's, and I have my clinical Rule of 3, reactions 3 sec, 30 sec, 3 min. 3 days, 3wks, 3 months, 3 years, 3 decades... later. Expect 3rd day as peak of inflammation, similar to heavy work out of unused areas. Impacts like yours set my bikes back at at least 3 seasons to pay for and make time for. That is if nothing else more vital goes wrong 3x's first. Trixie only lost a total engine over $1500 in parts and processing but took 3 yrs to get to her just now.

I'm not teasing about the neck decay getting you in the end, not the local stuff.
If not for my neck protocols I'd been killed at least 3x's already and would not have been able to even think of riding d/t pain numbness and weakness prior
decade.

So what ya going to buy first, something to numb ya out or a bike part?

Glad you're safe man. Lots of people aren't so lucky

britbike, sorry to hear about this... I think the old Jack Brickhouse consolation: "it coulda been worse" applies here. My guess is the okole puka (thats hawaiian for asshole) who was following so close, did not even stop to ask if they could help.... just a guess.

over the years I've had a few scrapes with cars, only one really bad; all those drivers said they didn't see me, like it was my fault!

With no turn signals on my bike, I have added a couple small items to make it all more visible. On the front, I fit these LEDs that I'm sure make the scooter stand out in traffic, but as they're LEDs they do nothing to light up the road at night.



I'm also running an LED brake light that strobes as I brake. Though its illegal, a number of local cops have seen it and remained oblivious... no surprise there, hehehe.

Good luck, heal fast. Try some extra vitamin C, it can work wonders without side effects.

Sorry to hear about the incident. It hurts just thinking about landing on my knees.

I have to agree that no one seems to understand hand signals any more. I recently picked up an old school Ford Model A Tudor hot rod with a flattie in it, and no turn indicators. I've tried driving it with hand signals, but they are ignored. It's bad enough that I'm looking for some indicator lights to install that don't ruin the looks.

My first Commandos were back when they didn't come with turn indicators, but I eventually added them to my street bike, as much as I hated to. That was back in the early '70s, and even then people ignored the hand signals.

Ken

I stole enough parts off the other commando to put this one back together and since I felt pretty decent this morning went for a test ride. All seems in order except cosmetics, but I have all winter to replace and beat up parts.

Yea! Tim, I'm very impressed how much a Cdo can crash and still either ride away or fast easy stuff to switch out. Check your stem stop may be cracked bent or gone like all mine now on 3 cycles I used to ride and crash.

I've sorta gotten into similar too hot to take Gravel turns, as felt so fine till leaned a bit - with spikes of pain in my groin - I found going bizerk on throttle could get bike going both tires sideways to the road edge and take enough lean to miss going over- leaving impression to my bone marrow ^never ever^ get that fast into loose turns - >>> unless already in rear rooster tailing spin up!!. Later on race track then out here found out it works identical on pavement - just way higher speed and power to ski tarmac w/o the wide swings of normal crossed up stances you can keep accelerating in, just slung further out - a luxury most race tracts provide but not here.

It don't work out very well unless planned ahead - so would not of helped me in your forced into splat on a normal slung rubber baby bugger on ringing rigid modern. I fast learn how much a bike can take, so I'd likely had to drop it as I bailed off to lower injury from bike on me or no control how I'd impact something else. Takes too many crashes to develop that sense so hope you never get it or need to again.

At '04 INOA rally one of the best lookers custom special was on a ride and over did at sweeper to tumble to trash down the slope. It was maybe a few months finished. Ride it you risk it. Rider beat up but recoverable easier than Cdo.

oops wrong thread