To the almost roadkill biker today

[Ophbalance]

Ya'll might recall my last rant about the intersection I use to get on I40 every morning from about a month back? This time, I got there and it was green. Except... well, people are just plain stupid, but this guy takes the cake.

As I approach the intersection (with my signal on) the opposing lane (which has a flashing yellow signal) of vehicles decides to turn across me in an attempt to save 30 seconds of their time. Not one, not two, but THREE people pulled this on me today. And I was within 50 yards of the light. The last in line? Dude on a Harley cruiser of some kind. That one almost lost his life, because I didn't stop my turn onto the ramp, seeing as I have the right of way here. I get the fact that you feel more protected in a car, but on a bike??? Really?? I swear, I see less common sense out of folks on I40 than I care to admit.

[lxmike]

Originally Posted by Ophbalance

Ya'll might recall my last rant about the intersection I use to get on I40 every morning from about a month back? This time, I got there and it was green. Except... well, people are just plain stupid, but this guy takes the cake.

As I approach the intersection (with my signal on) the opposing lane (which has a flashing yellow signal) of vehicles decides to turn across me in an attempt to save 30 seconds of their time. Not one, not two, but THREE people pulled this on me today. And I was within 50 yards of the light. The last in line? Dude on a Harley cruiser of some kind. That one almost lost his life, because I didn't stop my turn onto the ramp, seeing as I have the right of way here. I get the fact that you feel more protected in a car, but on a bike??? Really?? I swear, I see less common sense out of folks on I40 than I care to admit.

Didn't you hear his loud Drag Pipes that most Harleys have?? :roll eyes:


My last left turn coming home is at an underpass and most times whenever a bike (harley with pipes) cruises on through they have to either clutch it and gas it and wind it out a bit to hear that expensive exhaust.

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

Ha ha ! I remember driving in Kentucky on a road that went thru a tunnel. It may have been an Interstate because there were two lanes going each direction. A guy on a Harley ( not "some cruiser" , but a Harley) just had to pull in the clutch and rev it just as he passed me in the middle of the tunnel. He was so darned proud of his agricultural racket. Well , my horn on that car was pretty loud, also. And he got to "enjoy" that sound at close range.
In all fairness to the Harley riders here , many,many MANY other motorcycles get loud aftermarket exhaust systems, some put on the new bike by the dealer. Many sportbikes are driven in an RPM range that makes too much noise even with stock exhaust. And lastly , the quietest (large) motorcycle I ever heard was a Harley with stock exhaust(yes,a few of them do exist).

[southerncannuck]

At least the sport bikes can make speed along with the noise, and the noise goes away very fast.

[ALS]

One of my employees was telling us last week her son (less than a month out of the Navy) wrecked his bike in the Armstrong tunnel here in Pittsburgh. The oddity of this tunnel is about half way through it has a 45 degree curve. Well he was flying on his crotch rocket and lost it on the curve. His older brother made a point that he wear his helmet and leather jacket before he left the house. If he hadn't listened to his brother he wouldn't have gotten so lucky. From what his mom told us, he was speeding through the tunnel and lost it on the curve the tires hit the curb and slingshoted him off the bike causing him to slide along the wall until gravity took over and he then slid along the ground to a stop.

He got a brush burn on his shoulder where the his motorcycle leathers saved him from a much worse ending and a sprained ankle. Not a mark on his helmet and all that was damaged on the bike was a broken mirror.

[phoebeisis]

ALS-
I doubt he was speeding- probably just plain lost control trying to dodge something.Higher speeds would mean more damage to rider bike-he was riding pretty slowly!
Many many many inexperience motorcycle riders buy waaaaaay too much motorcycle.
When I started riding the most powerful bikes-1000cc- made about 70 RWHP( Suzuki 1100 made 80 rwhp).

When I was first interested in motorcycles"Big Bikes" Triumph Bonneville- made less the 50 rwhp-actual top speed maybe 115 mph top speed(yeah I know about the Bonneville claim-not s stock motor-no chance).

Now a run of the mill 600cc makes 105 rwhp- 425 lbs wet!!
-Hiccup- twist the throttle accidently in a curve-and you lose control-any speed-if you aren't an adept rider.

Yeah these are "killer" bikes-despite perhaps having traction control??? Guessing they do now???
Charlie