Your Close Call..............

.....Here's an idea : Truthful stories about your closest call while riding. No accidents, only that time when you
missed that tree by a half inch, or the old fart in a cage who blew by in a blind trance, perhaps a deer that decided to
jump out and scare you and disappear into the woods......maybe a deep pothole you avoided in a panic, or perfectly.
.....Here's mine : Colorado, on a moonlit night, summertime, open range country. Let's say about 70 mph, a free
individual ( me ), on a Slash Two R 60, coming over a rise, cresting the hill, to witness a herd of cattle crossing the
road right in front of me......big ones, moving slow.......I had time to scream " I'm Dead !! ", then shut my eyes for
impact. Nothing happened, I think only a few seconds went by........my eyes opened, I slowed down.....shaking....
bike idling.......I stopped.........there's the moon, the night, the stars..........me and my bike......" Am I dead ? "
.....No, I'm not dead. But that's what happened, it's true, perhaps somebody up there likes me. Often at night I wake up
and replay this time in my mind, it took place in 1966.....how big of a space did those cows leave for me to slide
through at 70 mph ?? That's my close call.......you have one ??

Last week I was just riding along, doing the typical 10 over limit, when the light ahead turned yellow. I gave it some gas, and made it through the intersection before the light turned red. WHEW!!! That was close!

Young fawn runs in front of me at at about 50mph. Missed it by inches and my eyes were as big as that little deer's. I was on the front and rear binders incredibly hard but didn't lock up or go down. This was in a busy neighborhood so the little guy took me by surprise.

Scott in Shoreview
'79 Suzuki GS550

Going through a roundabout and a car approaching the entrance didn't yield. I hit the brakes and of course happened to be on top of white painted arrow so the rear wheel locked up and the bike got a little wild. The car ended up clearing only by a few inches and I was able to straighten the bike out. Caught up to the dude and he was as shook up as I was. I think we both had a lesson in being more careful.

Out riding my old '73 sportster down a busy parkway and one of the riser bolts fell out. Bike felt extra squirrely, and when I looked down I noticed the handlebars were turning independently of the forks. I really felt like I was about to become a speed-bump. Pulled in the clutch and coasted (yay rake and trail!) to the side of the road. I found the bolt wedged behind the headlight.


Same crappy sporty, frame broke under the seat (no fat jokes) and the seat bolt cut the rear tire in half lenghtwise. One bead popped off and the bike did a floppy sideways kinda thing. I was only doing about 30 or so, with passenger, and ended up on someones grass. To add insult to injury I had rolled through dog poo. Smelled it the entire push home.


On the panhead on a major highway, putting along in the right lane, As I was passing an entrance ramp I hear tires lock up at my 5 o'clock. Turn to see a honda crv (?) right next to me. I could of reached out and touched his headlight. I guess he came flying up the ramp and ran out of road before he could pass me.


Similar thing happened on the V-Strom on a round-a-bout. Volvo SUV damn near rear ended me flying around the circle.




Maybe I should take up stamp collecting. lol

I have had two that are similar.

1.tooling along at 55mph, going around a fairly sharp left corner, a maroon jeep cherokee came around and was in 3/4 of my lane. I was at a 1/2 lean in the left of the lane, I had very little time to lean fully right from a half lean left, then fully left from fully right to keep from running into the trees on the other side of the road. I felt the breeze from the cherokee's mirror on my left shoulder.
There was a light about a mile down the road, I don't remember in between. I was so shaken I pulled over at the light to take a breather and thank the lord that I was still alive. That one really got to me. I'm sure the cherokee driver had no idea that they had almost killed someone, I imagine they were texting or looking at the radio.

2. moseying by at 35 mph in a fairly sharp right hand curve, leaned to the right in the right hand side of the lane. I rode my moto instead of driving. A ford F150 came around the corner in half of my lane. It wasn't as close as the cherokee, but startled me. No time for evasive maneuvers but luckily I didn't need to. Had I been driving the truck, there would have been no way out, I would have more than likely died in a head on collision...

Riding a ZX6 in the Blue Ridge mountains, following a logging truck for miles on end, getting antsy to get around it so I can enjoy the wonderful curvy roads. Finally get an opening (I THOUGHT) and made my pass. Just as I am pulling even with the fuel tank on the semi the road dives back right, and I meet a Honda minvan! I can only line up on the center line and hope like hell it works. The van swooshes by on my left while I hug as close to the truck as I can. I lived, obviously, and got on around the truck. Of course I pulled over a few miles up to try to regain my composure. Scared the bejeebus out of me!

First time on the dragon I was negotiating one of the 318 curves at around maybe 30 mph, when I started to panic that I was going to run off the road! Some semblance of sanity took over and I thought "Target fixation". It seemed to take a lot of courage to rip my eyes from the scene of the crash and look through the turn, but I did it and made the curve.

I took this girl for a ride on my first bike, a kz440. We were first in line at the light to turn left, and she wasn't paying attention. The light turned green, she started to fall backward, and grabbed my shoulders. both my hands came off the bars, which is probably what saved us. If one of them had stayed on, I surely would have yanked the bars and "laid 'er down." As it was, when my hands came off the throttle snapped shut and I was able to regain control.

I was on my second bike, a '95 Ninja 600, waiting to make a left hand turn. I was upset and when the light turned I gave it more throttle than I should have, coupled with a slick spot on the pavement and the backend washed out. Reflexively, I put my left foot down to catch myself only to realize it's not a good thing to do on a motorcycle. Yes I saved it, but my foot and keg kicked back and I got a burn from the muffler.

Got of of class one day and decided to take a different route home, rather than driving by the highschool while the kids were getting out. I didn't want an accident, you see. We3ll I was sitting in traffic when I get rearended by what I think was a Ford Taurus. It's a close call because that morning I had decided to drive the cage rather than the bike.

A while back on my scooter, I was navigating out of the grocery store parking lot with a 12-case in between my ankles (the bag ingeniously hooked to the hooks behind the dash and under the seat, like a hammock between my legs). Coming up to a turn to go around a row of parked cages, a lovely, large SUV was taking a very immodest curve, leaving little room between it and the parked ones. I leaned hard to starboard, and felt like I went straight sideways; the center-stand scraped hard, and I took the sharpest right 90º I've ever felt that thing do. I had a lot more faith in the scoot's grip after that, and consequently began to have a lot more fun on it.
I stopped and flung my hands up in the "what the fuck" gesture, they replied with a guilt wave and kept going.

One that was my fault, I goosed it on wet grass on the front lawn - fishtailed the rear, bounced off a tree root, skipped to the sidewalk suddenly gaining amazing traction, which zipped me off the ramp into the street.. stopped at the sign for a sec to check for bricks in my pants, and rode off like nothin happened

First, very recent. I was tooling down a four lane road in the right hand lane commuting to work in the early morning gloom. I was keeping my eyes on the side streets and fast food joints (that are open for breakfast) as I passed by. I saw a car at the stop sign attempting to leave Bojangles. She waited and waited....until I was directly lined up with her and hit the gas scurrying across both lanes to the left turn lane. She never saw me, even with high viz gear and ugly yellow side cases. I nearly sucked the seat up my.....well, lets just say my hemorrhoid was sore all day. I could have taken a bite out of her biscuit she was so close.

Second, from 20 years ago. I was riding up Flagstaff mountain in Boulder, Co at lunch. One of the Captains that I worked for (former USAF sergeant myself) and I decided to go for a ride to clear out the cranium. Well, as I was flying up, as quick as a '82 Yamaha 650 Maxim was capable of, I came around a tight right hander to find a delivery van barreling down the mountain in my lane. I had no choice, and little time to think, I yanked it into his lane to pass him. Just as I did so, I found a car that would have been tailgating the truck, if they were in the same lane. I yanked it back into my lane as hard as I dared. I had ducked under the trucks mirror and nearly sideswiped the care as well. When I got to the top of the mountain I took a long seizure break. I have never been that scared before or since.

Lots of 'em, but here's my closest call that didn't end in a wreck.

I was doing my normal 30 minute commute in the morning on the highway. It was a cool, wet morning. I'm in the left lane passing a coal truck while going around a left hand highway sweeper. He doesn't see me and quickly moves into my lane to get ahead of the car behind me. I barely manage to swerve into the tiny left shoulder. When I crossed the wet painted line, my rear tire lost traction for a second and I started sliding toward the truck. Fortunately, it regained traction a microsecond later, but it felt like an eternity. I was now riding in the left shoulder with a coal truck in my lane and a car close behind him (though he did rapidly slow down and give me room). I was riding the 250, so speeding out of the situation wasn't an option. I couldn't chop the throttle or brake because I was in a turn and didn't want to screw up my narrow line. I eased off the throttle until the truck was ahead of me. I then layed on the horn and gave him a long one finger wave. I was then stuck behind this asshole that just had to move quickly into the left lane for several miles as he meandered past the right lane traffic. I was red with anger. I wanted to pull the driver out and beat him unconscious. Of course, I didn't do anything except give him another one finger wave as I passed him (and wished a flat tire on him).

Doing about 43 in a 35 on a 5 lane road (2 lanes each way and a center turning lane) with a slight left bend. I'm in the left lane and the dips*** in the right lane that I'm about to pass pulls a sudden radical U-turn out of nowhere - no slowing, no brakes, no indication whatsoever of what he's about to do - just cranks the wheel hard left right across my path of travel. Fortunately I was looking right at him at the time (not looking down the road or checking my six) and I had just enough time to brake hard and swerve a little - missing his rear bumper by about a foot. If I'd hit him it would've been a very big and very painful Superman flight over his car, possibly fatal.

I was on my way to the ferry. It was close enough that a guy behind me about 20 yards in a black Lexus made a point of tracking me down on the ferry and telling me that I should be sure to go to church the next weekend. I'm sure that when he saw it unfold in front of him that he was certain that I was a goner.

Riding along on my 76 goldwing I pull up to a stop light as I take off I noticed a clunking as i go through the gears.So I cut my trip short and head toward the house.5 min later rear wheel locks up tighter than dicks hat band i slide about 150ft down the street and was able to get it into the right lane that was thankfully closed for construction never laid it down but the rear tire had a bald spot about the size of a grapefruit.When i finally got it home I tore into it and found the universal joint had exploded and jammed the drive shaft.

Riding down a road about half a mile from home after an early evening ride... Vehicles parked on the other side of the road and a car approaching. 30mph speed limit which I am obeying. General UK rule/law is I have right of way as obstruction is on other drivers side of road so I don't slow to give way.... Stupid assumption No1

Just as I am about to get level with the first parked car I realise the other driver is not slowing. I hit the brakes seriously hard (Had the front wheel skipping. It was on the edge of it's abilities). I stop about level with the first parked car. She's still coming at me and at the last second she see's me and slips between me and the last parked car... I assume either she wasn't paying attention or the old lady can't see past the end of her bonnet... Stupid assumption No2.

I get home and realise that was my fault... Firstly, never ever assume right of way. Secondly, she didn't see me because I had the sun going down directly behind me... You just can't be seen when you are chasing your shadow.

Too many serious close-calls.

Check out the Commuting thread if you're serious about wanting to read other people's stories. What happens to recreational motorcyclists pales in comparison to those who ride the very next day after said "close call' just to experience another of the same.

Picture this .... Cingoli, Italy, May 2011.

A hazy Sunday morning trying to get through the little hillside town to the Italian Sidecar Motocross GP circuit. Came to an extremely tight, ridiculously steep, blind, right hand, uphill hairpin. Get round in 1st only to find a little Fiat 500 that couldn't make it up the hill rolling back down towards me. :eek1

To this day I'm still not sure what happened but it included a lot of revs, a lot of clutch and a mighty swerve. Seemed to happen very slow and in a much more controlled manner than was happening in my head.

Instinctively stood up after rounding the Fiat and looked over my shoulder to see the car come to a halt across the bend and the locals at the cafe on the other side of the road applauding and laughing. Felt good.

Done the Cattle thing… And the Yellow light, deer, roundabout, loose bars, broken frame, lane encroachments, target fixation, parking lot antics, wet grass, u-turner (hwy 2 going up Stevens pass… I took the front and made slight contact. Road away instead of facing the murder charges had I stopped)

Haven’t yet experienced the log truck pass, shoulder pull, SS leg burn, getting pissed at coal truck driver (if you get pissed off when you ride YOU are doing it wrong) final drive lock-up, unoccupied rolling cage,
But I’m still young. (sort of)

I'd say that getting pissed at a truck trying to kill me and then getting stuck behind his slow ass for miles isn't as bad as running from murder charges...

Trying to make the point of riding away happy is a better option than raging and reacting or riding while "red with anger" which is what you stated you did. It should be avoided because it changes your focus and gives the next asshole a better chance of taking you out.

Truck trying to kill you.

"Red"

Not too many lately, last one was a car coming from a side street, missed him by inches. Counter steer, instead of brake, saved the day. Tractor coming towards me, turned right in front of me, bit of luck there, bloke driving the tractor did the right thing by stepping on the gas, not brake, that would have been a bad one, i was 'moving' along. Funniest one must be a wild pig i nearly collected years ago. I was on my third or fourth try up this steep, rocky hill, blasting it up on a 500xc, as i got to the top, the front wheel well up, pig darted from the bushes, i think the wheel was over him for a moment, had a good laugh about that one later. I might have mentioned that caper in another thread, cant remember them all