A sobering moment
Discussion
Out in the car yesterday, I passed three bikes going in the oppsite direction on a very quiet rural road. Other than noting that the middle one was a Triumph twin with VERY loud pipes, I thought nothing of it.
Today - perhaps 28 hours later - I noticed a Facebook post asking for dashcam footage for a fatal accident involving a red Triumph...
I pulled the card out of the dashcam and reviewed the footage, and there it is - bikes as described in the appeal and less than 10 minutes away (on the same road) as the collision with the van.
As a lifelong motorcyclist (1970 - present) it actually shook me quite badly to look at this.
Take care out there, peeps.
Edit to add: I have a DC coming around tomorrow to take a statement and get a copy of the footage.
Today - perhaps 28 hours later - I noticed a Facebook post asking for dashcam footage for a fatal accident involving a red Triumph...
I pulled the card out of the dashcam and reviewed the footage, and there it is - bikes as described in the appeal and less than 10 minutes away (on the same road) as the collision with the van.
As a lifelong motorcyclist (1970 - present) it actually shook me quite badly to look at this.
Take care out there, peeps.
Edit to add: I have a DC coming around tomorrow to take a statement and get a copy of the footage.
Edited by littleredrooster on Thursday 1st May 22:20
I was out once on a ride in the spring a couple of years ago during the weekday. This was week after a friend was sideswiped by a bus when on his bike. He was OK other than a bruised ego and a wrecked bike. I was riding behind him. The sound of the bike hitting the bus still haunts me to this day. The bus had crossed over onto his side of the road on a tight blind bend just as he was going around and he hit the side.
To get over this I went out on my own. Roads were quiet, was pootling down the A272 from Winchester and came across a scene that haunted me further. Police, ambulance and the sound of an Air Ambulance....A sports bike rider had been on the same road as me and I guess the car driver pulled out on him from a junction onto the main road.
I happened upon the scene about 10-20 mins after the accident. It immediately put me off and I went home.
I love this time of year as it gets warmer, stays light for longer and bikes are out, but with it comes the inevitable people who are riding rusty. And car drivers not paying attention as less bikes on the roads...
Stay safe out there. And pay attention.
To get over this I went out on my own. Roads were quiet, was pootling down the A272 from Winchester and came across a scene that haunted me further. Police, ambulance and the sound of an Air Ambulance....A sports bike rider had been on the same road as me and I guess the car driver pulled out on him from a junction onto the main road.
I happened upon the scene about 10-20 mins after the accident. It immediately put me off and I went home.
I love this time of year as it gets warmer, stays light for longer and bikes are out, but with it comes the inevitable people who are riding rusty. And car drivers not paying attention as less bikes on the roads...
Stay safe out there. And pay attention.
Semi-regular occurrence near my dad's on the border of the Dales and Lakes.
I've found that the transition from my teens, 20's to 30's and now into my 40's is tipping the risk/reward ratio the wrong way. Or atleast the acceptance of risk is going down.
That said a mate is about 6 months into a RTW trip at the moment and is somewhere the other side of Nepal as I type and I've never been more envious of a mate ever.
I've found that the transition from my teens, 20's to 30's and now into my 40's is tipping the risk/reward ratio the wrong way. Or atleast the acceptance of risk is going down.
That said a mate is about 6 months into a RTW trip at the moment and is somewhere the other side of Nepal as I type and I've never been more envious of a mate ever.
A few weeks back, we were talking to 2 older gents who had just passed their tests and decided that the best bikes for them was a KTM Super Adventure and a Superduke...
News the next day of a 60 odd year old rider with a KTM had died in a single vehicle accident.
Not sure if it was the same guy, but same age, bike and area.
He was one of the 11 biker deaths on the Scottish roads this year so far..
News the next day of a 60 odd year old rider with a KTM had died in a single vehicle accident.
Not sure if it was the same guy, but same age, bike and area.
He was one of the 11 biker deaths on the Scottish roads this year so far..
Edited by the cueball on Friday 2nd May 14:59
The above is why the more I ride, the slower I get (and the slower my bike).
I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
It's a grim reality that we're extremely vulnerable on bikes and it's another reason I don't intend on owning a sports style bike. Quite happy with my CB500X pootling along enjoying the scenery.
Makes me cringle on these biker dash cam channels when you see them screaming down road at mach 2 in a lid and a t-shirt. They make awful decisions, show no awareness of their surroundings or their own mortality, constantly whinge about "cagers" (THE most cringe worthy term ever made for car drivers and anyone using it needs a punch in the face) and somehow still come away relatively unscathed. Then you get one older chap on their bike who makes all the right moves but still draws a short straw when a van pulls out on them without warning.
Makes me cringle on these biker dash cam channels when you see them screaming down road at mach 2 in a lid and a t-shirt. They make awful decisions, show no awareness of their surroundings or their own mortality, constantly whinge about "cagers" (THE most cringe worthy term ever made for car drivers and anyone using it needs a punch in the face) and somehow still come away relatively unscathed. Then you get one older chap on their bike who makes all the right moves but still draws a short straw when a van pulls out on them without warning.
Apart from not riding for a few years when the children were young up until just over 2 years ago, I’ve ridden since age 16 in 1989 with my first bike being a Kawasaki AR50.
I just love motorbikes, the people and the whole scene. I always go to the TT and a couple of BSB rounds every year. However my job requires me to drive a lot around the country and I see some absolutely terrible driving together with people openly smoking drugs whilst behind the wheel. A recent contestant on Radio 2’s mid morning pop quiz was a female motorcycle instructor of 35 years and when asked what the difference was between then and now the inevitable terrible current driving standards came up.
Even riding a few miles yesterday to get my bike MOT’d, I remember why I just love riding motorbikes. However for me personally, I decided a couple of years ago that the risk was too much and I would give up biking.
Threads like this are very sobering and really make you think. Stay safe out there.
I just love motorbikes, the people and the whole scene. I always go to the TT and a couple of BSB rounds every year. However my job requires me to drive a lot around the country and I see some absolutely terrible driving together with people openly smoking drugs whilst behind the wheel. A recent contestant on Radio 2’s mid morning pop quiz was a female motorcycle instructor of 35 years and when asked what the difference was between then and now the inevitable terrible current driving standards came up.
Even riding a few miles yesterday to get my bike MOT’d, I remember why I just love riding motorbikes. However for me personally, I decided a couple of years ago that the risk was too much and I would give up biking.
Threads like this are very sobering and really make you think. Stay safe out there.
FNG said:
The above is why the more I ride, the slower I get (and the slower my bike).
I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
I did 250 miles to Aberystwyth and back yesterday, and my Ducati Scrambler was plenty fast enough for me. No pressure to do anything but ride at my own speed.I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
Alex Z said:
FNG said:
The above is why the more I ride, the slower I get (and the slower my bike).
I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
I did 250 miles to Aberystwyth and back yesterday, and my Ducati Scrambler was plenty fast enough for me. No pressure to do anything but ride at my own speed.I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
FNG said:
The above is why the more I ride, the slower I get (and the slower my bike).
I didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
There's a happy medium somewhereI didn't see myself getting a cruiser aged 50 but there's a lot to be said for a bike that doesn't encourage you to be "on it" all the time, that encourages you to just enjoy the journey.
I'm now normally found doing 55 or so making the most of the time between clusters of cars dribbling along at 45-50.
I agree that my speed is directly related to the bike I'm riding which is why I don't ride sports bikes on the road (I have a CBR600 for the odd track day)
On the right bikes I'm happy 70-85 most of the time, the reason I got into bikes was because of all the dawdlers getting in the way, I need a bike that can get past them easily a 90-120 bhp twin is the sweet spot for me
Just selling my 150bhp bike as it's too easy to go fast so is actually less fun
I think our roads are often just too busy to enjoy (car, bike or push bike). I was coming home in my car a couple of months ago when a driver pulled out in front of me. Dashcam shows he can’t possibly have seen the area of road I was occupying. I was in a car but had I been on a bike there would have been broken bones.
Wow I imagine that is very sobering indeed. I'm not sure if it's an algorithm thing but my facebook news feed seems to be full of motorcycle fatalaties this year.
I went out Saturday morning up to the Cat and Fiddle on my own. There was some guy there who had just come off, he was with his mate and stuck his thumb up as I slowed down with a view to help. Even that was enough to calm me down a bit. My wife did her CBT a few weeks ago and is now on a 125. When she's out I'm very anxious! I try not to be as she's had to put up with this for years from me but she's brand new and on a very slow bike where car drivers give zero respect and sit 2 feet from her rear tyre.
I try not to let the risk put me off as anything can happen to end your life. I would hate to live a very safe life only to end up with some horrible terminal illness one day.
I went out Saturday morning up to the Cat and Fiddle on my own. There was some guy there who had just come off, he was with his mate and stuck his thumb up as I slowed down with a view to help. Even that was enough to calm me down a bit. My wife did her CBT a few weeks ago and is now on a 125. When she's out I'm very anxious! I try not to be as she's had to put up with this for years from me but she's brand new and on a very slow bike where car drivers give zero respect and sit 2 feet from her rear tyre.
I try not to let the risk put me off as anything can happen to end your life. I would hate to live a very safe life only to end up with some horrible terminal illness one day.
There were lots of fatalities last year in Wales. In a Whatsapp group with biker mates and every day, someone was posting a link of another fatal. Two of the guys gave it up end of last year for a bit as real life gets in the way, risk v reward as both have young kids. I had similar a few weeks ago where a biker passed the other way, knee down, almost over the centre line. I thought that's an accident waiting to happen and sure enough a few hours later a bike of similar description had crashed a few miles on. Some of the riders who went last year were a mix of abilities and even very good ones who could handle a bike and were mostly sensible were hit by others through no fault of their own. I'm always wary filtering as I knew someone who lost a leg by a car not seeing them.
I still commute on mine on the nicer days and I'll ride for as long as I can. I did debate getting something with more go but 121bhp is enough on a light bike. I've lost weight myself so it's like a new bike again. The roads aren't what they used to be. Surfaces are bad, crap inattentive drivers, cameras everywhere. I've started running Waze when on the bike so I can get warnings of things ahead over the headset. Same with cars. I have the GR86 and the Swift and for what I need, it's enough. Swift may get replaced by a GTi to be a nicer all rounder but that's all. I'm not chasing power.
I still commute on mine on the nicer days and I'll ride for as long as I can. I did debate getting something with more go but 121bhp is enough on a light bike. I've lost weight myself so it's like a new bike again. The roads aren't what they used to be. Surfaces are bad, crap inattentive drivers, cameras everywhere. I've started running Waze when on the bike so I can get warnings of things ahead over the headset. Same with cars. I have the GR86 and the Swift and for what I need, it's enough. Swift may get replaced by a GTi to be a nicer all rounder but that's all. I'm not chasing power.
Edited by KobayashiMaru86 on Tuesday 6th May 16:18
Sobering indeed. I know you could die doing anything in life but motorcycling is a step too far on the risk scale for me. My youngest daughter has a friend whose sibling never met her Dad. My daughter and her friend are 9 years old.
He was killed on his motorbike whilst the mother was pregnant with my daughters friends' unborn sister. She of course never met her Dad but my daughter's friend remembers her Dad though she would have been less than 5 when he died.
I always feel sorry for her when she is on play dates around my house with a group of friends and she sees me and my wife as a happy family. I equally feel sad when I hear of the plans the Mum had with her late husband at their property but now, financially unachieveable, leaving the kids sharing a room as it's not big enough for a family.
He hit some muck on a country road and lost control. Tragic and what a crappy way to both go and leave your loved ones.
He was killed on his motorbike whilst the mother was pregnant with my daughters friends' unborn sister. She of course never met her Dad but my daughter's friend remembers her Dad though she would have been less than 5 when he died.
I always feel sorry for her when she is on play dates around my house with a group of friends and she sees me and my wife as a happy family. I equally feel sad when I hear of the plans the Mum had with her late husband at their property but now, financially unachieveable, leaving the kids sharing a room as it's not big enough for a family.
He hit some muck on a country road and lost control. Tragic and what a crappy way to both go and leave your loved ones.
Rob 131 Sport said:
Apart from not riding for a few years when the children were young up until just over 2 years ago, I’ve ridden since age 16 in 1989 with my first bike being a Kawasaki AR50.
I just love motorbikes, the people and the whole scene. I always go to the TT and a couple of BSB rounds every year. However my job requires me to drive a lot around the country and I see some absolutely terrible driving together with people openly smoking drugs whilst behind the wheel. A recent contestant on Radio 2’s mid morning pop quiz was a female motorcycle instructor of 35 years and when asked what the difference was between then and now the inevitable terrible current driving standards came up.
Even riding a few miles yesterday to get my bike MOT’d, I remember why I just love riding motorbikes. However for me personally, I decided a couple of years ago that the risk was too much and I would give up biking.
Threads like this are very sobering and really make you think. Stay safe out there.
It's sad that you should feel the need to give up because of those risks but understandable, we all have our own risk profile. I just love motorbikes, the people and the whole scene. I always go to the TT and a couple of BSB rounds every year. However my job requires me to drive a lot around the country and I see some absolutely terrible driving together with people openly smoking drugs whilst behind the wheel. A recent contestant on Radio 2’s mid morning pop quiz was a female motorcycle instructor of 35 years and when asked what the difference was between then and now the inevitable terrible current driving standards came up.
Even riding a few miles yesterday to get my bike MOT’d, I remember why I just love riding motorbikes. However for me personally, I decided a couple of years ago that the risk was too much and I would give up biking.
Threads like this are very sobering and really make you think. Stay safe out there.
I'm a similar age to you and mostly ride all year round for commuting. I refuse to do group rideouts anymore, because it just seems to encourage people to ride at a pace beyond which they are comfortable with.
Likewise I have a young family, so on weekends when I would previously have been out on the bike I am now being dad's taxi or we are all going for a country walk. I live near to the A4074 (Reading -> Oxford) which is a lovely biking road and has a biker destination on it (The H Cafe at Berinsfield) but the amount of dangerous riding I see on it on summer weekends is appalling.
Factor in the amount of weed smoking at the wheel - the amount I smell just on the daily commute is crazy - then it's a no from me.
Unfortunately, and this is just my observation over the last 10-15yrs, a lot of tradies in the proverbial white van are the usual early morning spliff smoker, at the wheel. If I'm filtering in traffic and smell the aroma of Mary Jane then it's almost certain that 10-15 vehicles up ahead will be a tradie in his van with a spliff on the go.
Shooter McGavin said:
It's sad that you should feel the need to give up because of those risks but understandable, we all have our own risk profile.
I'm a similar age to you and mostly ride all year round for commuting. I refuse to do group rideouts anymore, because it just seems to encourage people to ride at a pace beyond which they are comfortable with.
Likewise I have a young family, so on weekends when I would previously have been out on the bike I am now being dad's taxi or we are all going for a country walk. I live near to the A4074 (Reading -> Oxford) which is a lovely biking road and has a biker destination on it (The H Cafe at Berinsfield) but the amount of dangerous riding I see on it on summer weekends is appalling.
Factor in the amount of weed smoking at the wheel - the amount I smell just on the daily commute is crazy - then it's a no from me.
Unfortunately, and this is just my observation over the last 10-15yrs, a lot of tradies in the proverbial white van are the usual early morning spliff smoker, at the wheel. If I'm filtering in traffic and smell the aroma of Mary Jane then it's almost certain that 10-15 vehicles up ahead will be a tradie in his van with a spliff on the go.
Every morning without fail I smell it and is always the same ones. Same when filtering on the way home to the motorway roundabout. Easily 20 vehicles I pass that smell of it. I'm a similar age to you and mostly ride all year round for commuting. I refuse to do group rideouts anymore, because it just seems to encourage people to ride at a pace beyond which they are comfortable with.
Likewise I have a young family, so on weekends when I would previously have been out on the bike I am now being dad's taxi or we are all going for a country walk. I live near to the A4074 (Reading -> Oxford) which is a lovely biking road and has a biker destination on it (The H Cafe at Berinsfield) but the amount of dangerous riding I see on it on summer weekends is appalling.
Factor in the amount of weed smoking at the wheel - the amount I smell just on the daily commute is crazy - then it's a no from me.
Unfortunately, and this is just my observation over the last 10-15yrs, a lot of tradies in the proverbial white van are the usual early morning spliff smoker, at the wheel. If I'm filtering in traffic and smell the aroma of Mary Jane then it's almost certain that 10-15 vehicles up ahead will be a tradie in his van with a spliff on the go.
Thanks for sharing, it certainly does make you think. As much as we love them, the riding of bikes certainly has it's dangers.
My own experience of this is from years ago when I had a pretty bad crash on the road shortly after passing my test. Broke all sorts and still suffer a bit now but recovered for the most part.
I chalked it up to inexperience and decided the roads were too dangerous for me, so switched to trackdays. After a year I decided to start racing, so got my licence and entered a race weekend at my local track on a GSXR 750 SRAD.
When the day arrived I was full of excitement, I qualified and was soon lined up on the grid for my first race, my friends were all on the bank opposite the fast section out of a chicane to get some shots of me, didn't think anything could knock me off of the high I was riding.
Lights went out, and we were off. First lap coming out of that chicane I saw some smoke, riders taking evasive moves ahead and one guy running to the marshall post, so eased off. Red lights begin flashing, flags came out, and then I saw a bike on fire in the middle of the track with a rider led motionless 15 metres ahead of it.
After returning to the pits, my mate showed me the video which captured everything. The rider hit a downed bike in a blind area at full speed which catapulted him into a full somersault 3 metres in the air, and he'd landed face first. It was awful. We passed the video on to the stewards and organisers and then deleted it out of respect.
Everyone was quiet that evening, we all hoped for the best but no one was surprised when the news came that the rider had died, though the confirmation was still shocking. Many of his friends and family were at the track, everyone was gutted.
A few months later I had a crash of my own, fortunately not nearly as bad though I required reconstruction work on my spine. I haven't been on track since, though I couldn't give the bikes up still ride on the road, albeit with much more caution and wisdom.
Whenever someone mentions a bike crash, I still think of this immediately and can see the image as clear as day.
My own experience of this is from years ago when I had a pretty bad crash on the road shortly after passing my test. Broke all sorts and still suffer a bit now but recovered for the most part.
I chalked it up to inexperience and decided the roads were too dangerous for me, so switched to trackdays. After a year I decided to start racing, so got my licence and entered a race weekend at my local track on a GSXR 750 SRAD.
When the day arrived I was full of excitement, I qualified and was soon lined up on the grid for my first race, my friends were all on the bank opposite the fast section out of a chicane to get some shots of me, didn't think anything could knock me off of the high I was riding.
Lights went out, and we were off. First lap coming out of that chicane I saw some smoke, riders taking evasive moves ahead and one guy running to the marshall post, so eased off. Red lights begin flashing, flags came out, and then I saw a bike on fire in the middle of the track with a rider led motionless 15 metres ahead of it.
After returning to the pits, my mate showed me the video which captured everything. The rider hit a downed bike in a blind area at full speed which catapulted him into a full somersault 3 metres in the air, and he'd landed face first. It was awful. We passed the video on to the stewards and organisers and then deleted it out of respect.
Everyone was quiet that evening, we all hoped for the best but no one was surprised when the news came that the rider had died, though the confirmation was still shocking. Many of his friends and family were at the track, everyone was gutted.
A few months later I had a crash of my own, fortunately not nearly as bad though I required reconstruction work on my spine. I haven't been on track since, though I couldn't give the bikes up still ride on the road, albeit with much more caution and wisdom.
Whenever someone mentions a bike crash, I still think of this immediately and can see the image as clear as day.
Edited by Pebbles167 on Tuesday 6th May 17:15
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff