Glad to hear you're OK. That rider probably didn't realize the "Goldwings From Hell video (on the superbikes section of this forum) was actually a computer rendering. LOL
-
Hey Everyone! May's Bike of the Month challenge is now open for entries!
Clipped by a wing
The day started out great. I spent the morning dialing in the Ohlins on the back of the 748, finishing up the clutch installation, and generally waiting for the roads to dry. Finally, about 1:00 or so I headed east out of Pittsburgh, picking up PA22 and then PA286. The ride along E286 was laid back and pleasant. The weather was perfect and the traffic light. About 5 miles east of Saltsburg, I'm behind a car doing about 45-50. Out of the corner of my left eye, I spy some movement in the brush and tap the brake to bleed off 10mph or so.
Next thing I know, I'm feeling a *big* impact on my left side. That is quckly followed by the weird sight of a big black Goldwing crashing to my front and left. The rider immediately separated from the bike and is now sliding left to right, directly in front of me. What I remember most clearly is the sight of the white open face helmet sliding directly in front of my front wheel.
So now I'm not only trying so stay upright, I'm trying to avoid running over this guy's head and making a bad situation much, much worse. A bit of brake here, a bit of bar input there, and I slip between the sliding head and the sliding Wing.The Duc does not miss a beat.
I pull over to the right and slowly I piece together what has just happened. I have just been rear ended/side swiped by a Gold Wing. I look back and see the fallen rider being tended to by some stopped cars, so I take a minute to assess my situation. It quickly becomes clear that I have danced that fine line that exists between disaster and being just missed by a flying Goldwing. The left side of my bike is scraped from tail to front. The left foot peg is bent outwards at a 90 degree angle, breaking a mounting weld from the frame. In other words, had he been a little to the right this would have been much much worse. My only pain is a sore left ankle. I think his foot peg clipped my ankle bone. My Oxnar boot did it's work here, without it I'm sure I'd be in a cast, at least.
Enter the PA highway patrol. Goldwing guy fails field sobriety, but comes in under the limit after breathalyzer. He gets multiple citations for following too close, careless driving, etc. He apparently has a broken wrist and can't ride his Wing (which isn't too worse for wear). Cop asks me nicely to move the Wing off of the rode, I oblige, and I'm off for home.
Damn, motorcycling is a harsh mistress.
Tony
Next thing I know, I'm feeling a *big* impact on my left side. That is quckly followed by the weird sight of a big black Goldwing crashing to my front and left. The rider immediately separated from the bike and is now sliding left to right, directly in front of me. What I remember most clearly is the sight of the white open face helmet sliding directly in front of my front wheel.
So now I'm not only trying so stay upright, I'm trying to avoid running over this guy's head and making a bad situation much, much worse. A bit of brake here, a bit of bar input there, and I slip between the sliding head and the sliding Wing.The Duc does not miss a beat.
I pull over to the right and slowly I piece together what has just happened. I have just been rear ended/side swiped by a Gold Wing. I look back and see the fallen rider being tended to by some stopped cars, so I take a minute to assess my situation. It quickly becomes clear that I have danced that fine line that exists between disaster and being just missed by a flying Goldwing. The left side of my bike is scraped from tail to front. The left foot peg is bent outwards at a 90 degree angle, breaking a mounting weld from the frame. In other words, had he been a little to the right this would have been much much worse. My only pain is a sore left ankle. I think his foot peg clipped my ankle bone. My Oxnar boot did it's work here, without it I'm sure I'd be in a cast, at least.
Enter the PA highway patrol. Goldwing guy fails field sobriety, but comes in under the limit after breathalyzer. He gets multiple citations for following too close, careless driving, etc. He apparently has a broken wrist and can't ride his Wing (which isn't too worse for wear). Cop asks me nicely to move the Wing off of the rode, I oblige, and I'm off for home.
Damn, motorcycling is a harsh mistress.
Tony
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Glad you're ok. Hope his insurance makes good on your damages.
Did you talk to the guy at all? Had you seen him in your mirrors, or did he come whizzing up out of nowhere?
Definitely sounds like he wasn't paying any sort of attention.
Did you talk to the guy at all? Had you seen him in your mirrors, or did he come whizzing up out of nowhere?
Definitely sounds like he wasn't paying any sort of attention.
Now that's a "Goldwing from Hell" alright... glad you came out of an event which could have easily been much worse with just the slightest bit of variation. You are a lucky man, and perhaps some of your skill may have saved you!
FWIW, when in an accident with another vehicle NEVER talk to the other driver (or passengers for that matter) at the scene. Sounds anti-social I know but, It contaminates the PD's investigation interviews and can come back to haunt you in court. Glad there were no major injuries in this fiasco.PookaDog said:Glad you're ok. Hope his insurance makes good on your damages.
Did you talk to the guy at all? Had you seen him in your mirrors, or did he come whizzing up out of nowhere?
Definitely sounds like he wasn't paying any sort of attention.
bruce19
Goldwing fiasco
Glad everything turned out about as good as possible! Nice job on the rider skills, good gear and the always intangible "good luck". Hope his insurance fully takes care of you.
Drinking and biking :think: It should be a no brainer! Save it for when you get home.
There was a road rage incident around here yesterday between two cars, it caused two bikers to go down. It appears one was okay, the other in the hospital.
Take it easy ...
Glad everything turned out about as good as possible! Nice job on the rider skills, good gear and the always intangible "good luck". Hope his insurance fully takes care of you.
Drinking and biking :think: It should be a no brainer! Save it for when you get home.
There was a road rage incident around here yesterday between two cars, it caused two bikers to go down. It appears one was okay, the other in the hospital.
Take it easy ...
I enjoy reading accounts where someone exhibited skill and kept one's head cool in an emergency situation [you, not the FAT FU#K SFB on the Gold Wing].SouthsideDuc said:So now I'm not only trying so stay upright, I'm trying to avoid running over this guy's head and making a bad situation much, much worse. A bit of brake here, a bit of bar input there, and I slip between the sliding head and the sliding Wing.The Duc does not miss a beat.
My Oxnar boot did it's work here, without it I'm sure I'd be in a cast, at least.
Tony
Ditto on the boots. I have some Oxnars too.
In high school I was in a 70MPH crash and was not wearing good boots [I mean, who had money for gear]. When my bike went down, the brake lever acted like a spoon and dug out the tissue down to the bone near the top of my foot. When I looked at it, I could see the bone. It hurt like hell. Regulation boots after that.
Hoowee, your guardian angel was on the job. Sounds like I would have gone down if I had been on my BMW boxer twin. Although the cylinder did save my foot from be amputated by a telephone pole guide wire once. Accidents are weird but great job of avoiding making it worse.
Mitch, I passed by the scene Saturday morning going southbound and saw the Harley (or clone) laying in the middle of I-5 northbound. The traffic was backed up for miles. I heard the guy airlifted to Harborview was in critical condition. It's time to make road rage a federal offense in my opinion.
Mitch, I passed by the scene Saturday morning going southbound and saw the Harley (or clone) laying in the middle of I-5 northbound. The traffic was backed up for miles. I heard the guy airlifted to Harborview was in critical condition. It's time to make road rage a federal offense in my opinion.
The first step in the driver's licensing process should be to start by getting a scooter-only permit for 18 months prior to a driver's permit.
wow those boots i sold ya already came in handy huh?
Glad your ok though, good job on keeping a cool head through the whole ordeal.
Glad your ok though, good job on keeping a cool head through the whole ordeal.
Yep, those boots came in very handy. It's always better to have the gear now, rather than wishing you had it later.duey said:wow those boots i sold ya already came in handy huh?
Glad your ok though, good job on keeping a cool head through the whole ordeal.
Tony
Thanks for the kind words. Here's some pics to show how fine the line can be between happiness and tragedy. In the first pic I've circled most of the damage. Note the black smear on the tank. That is proably where a handle bar hit me. The second pic shows the force with which he hit me. This is after bending the peg back enough so I could ride home. The shift lever was initially under the frame. The peg itself is bent as well as the mount welds being broken from the frame.
Tony
Tony
Attachments
-
314.1 KB Views: 151 -
251.6 KB Views: 136
With as much force as it took to separate the bracket from the frame like that, it's mindboggling how there is so little damage elsewhere, much more to yourself... you are truly lucky!!
From what I can figure, a higway peg or engine guard probably ripped down the lower left side of the bike. Hitting first,the chain guard and swing arm, then the peg and my foot, and then the front fairing. Honestly, I'm not really sure how it all worked out.migz123 said:With as much force as it took to separate the bracket from the frame like that, it's mindboggling how there is so little damage elsewhere, much more to yourself... you are truly lucky!!
Tony
Total damage $$$?
Good to see you avoided going down... nice riding...
Good to see you avoided going down... nice riding...
Too bad you didn't have a helmet cam going, Tony. That woulda been something to see! Glad you're okay. You should probably go to church on Sunday.SouthsideDuc said:Thanks for the kind words. Here's some pics to show how fine the line can be between happiness and tragedy. In the first pic I've circled most of the damage. Note the black smear on the tank. That is proably where a handle bar hit me. The second pic shows the force with which he hit me. This is after bending the peg back enough so I could ride home. The shift lever was initially under the frame. The peg itself is bent as well as the mount welds being broken from the frame.
Tony
Damn near guaranteed that the bike is totalled with that damaged frame. My suggestion would be to buy it back (or let me buy it through you, if you don't want to) and then get a frame with a clear title and move everything over.SouthsideDuc said:Thanks for the kind words. Here's some pics to show how fine the line can be between happiness and tragedy. In the first pic I've circled most of the damage. Note the black smear on the tank. That is proably where a handle bar hit me. The second pic shows the force with which he hit me. This is after bending the peg back enough so I could ride home. The shift lever was initially under the frame. The peg itself is bent as well as the mount welds being broken from the frame.
Tony
Then take the insurance money and buy something else.
Great job in keeping this episode from becoming worse....by hitting the GW rider with your bike....or a baseball bat.
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum
A forum community dedicated to all Ducati owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, superbike racing, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Top Contributors this Month
View All
ducvet
139 Replies
Elbato
126 Replies
rennsportmotorrad
113 Replies
Recommended Communities
