Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge VERY Scary!!!!

Went on rather long trip on Thursday with wife and kids, I was on FROG (Green '05 TBA), and wifey was on the Honda 650, and we had both our 13 y/o son, and 7 y/o daughter, riding on back respectively. All went very well as we rode up to Vogel State Park in North Georgia to find some cool water to get in. After 10 hours on our bikes, we were almost home, approaching the square in Marietta around 1030 at night, as I was following behind my 7 y/o daughter and her mom, a black Mercedes darts out from the right, and just missed them by about 4 feet. My heart sank, as I just knew it was all over. From behind, it looked imminent. I laid on the horn and gave him the finger. My wife said "I seen him", but 3 seconds earlier, it would have ended in tragedy. From this point forward, I will not subject my children to this potential hazardous circumstance again. They are WAY too precious to even consider exposing them to this high risk situation. I thought to myself at the time of the incident, Man I am out of my mind!!!! Promised myself this would not happen again.

I'm glad no permanent damage took place; it is unfortunate that goof-balls everywhere make our lifestyle more dangerous than it should be. When I ride, my head is almost like a lighthouse beacon! I suppose if anything good could come of this incident, perhaps when your kids are old enough to ride, they will reflect on this event and be more careful drivers and/or riders.

I hope you don't mean you are not ever taking the kids riding again. Are you ever going riding again? We take that risk avery time we mount up, and always have.

Don't let somebody else's stupidity dictate how you live your life from now on.

Wear the gear, watch for those not watching for you, and have faith! We all have a good scare every now and then, and when our own kids are involved, it can really shake us up. How do the kids feel about riding again - or NOT?

Doc....Were they talking on a cell phone in that car? We had an H-D rider killed here this week, 17yr old in her daddy's car , talking on a cell makes, illegal left hand turn from the right lane of a 4-lane street... ran "over" the big hog.... we need to join our local ABATE's and push for cell phone banning in a motorvehicle or at the very least require a hands free apparatous... they just passed that in Oklahoma and we are now working on that in Arkansas too ...... The danger is not limited to scoots...lady in one of those Mini-Coopers got it recently by a guy in a large sedan...same scenario...talking on a cell....it is a cancer that needs to be cut out.

Scary indeed Doc.

Just my 2 cents, but even if I was a qualified motorcycle stunt rider I would think twice about putting young kids on the back of the bike. I even ride more cautiously with the wife on board.

The way people drive these days... in a word - CARELESS! - you have little control over some numbskull yakking on a cell phone, drinking coffee and changing CDs while reading the paper blowing through a red light in a leviathan SUV. The consequences could be disastrous.

Just my 2 cents!
Ride safe everyone.

Cell phones are banned here in N.Y. state, but it doesn,t stop young girls or older women from using them AND running over bikers. I see a lot of men pulled over and talking but i guess the younger females cant be bothered. I brought this up in a thread about "trends" and the majority of these "ACCIDENTS" are caused by females between 17 and 25. Completely outragious!!!

No Blackwind, I will continue to ride, but the trips we make with the children will be far less distances....I know the distances have nothing to do with it, but the frequency in which we take the kids will be far less....If my daughter and wife had been killed that night, I would be in an institute for the rest of my life for sure....

One thing I miss is the OL not riding with me. We have a 14 and 12 year old. She will not get on my bike because does not want to orphan the children (guess I am a rather spirited rider). But that is her business. I do take the kids out on the bike. My son enjoys bike night and I take him, until I see some GXR running down main streep doing a wheelie at 50mph and my son is standing there with his mouth open. How do you splain idjets. Doc... you know what the STATS say, most accidents happen close to home. Just stay away from home. Follow your instinct.

No doubt about it.

I want my kids to ride their own, but would never be able to forgive myself if anything ever happened to one of them while riding on two wheels.

It's such a shame that the "motorcycle awareness" issue is so low profile in our society - at least here in the States. Bikes or no bikes, everyone seems to agree that the cell phone users are a problem. Personally, I don't think some people would be any more attentive even if they were talking "hands free" on their phones. Some people, (and we all know who they are), just aren't capable of doing two things at once - certainly not capable of driving a motor vehicle and carrying on a conversation at the same time. Some can't even do that with a passenger in their own car, let alone a cell phone!

I'll support anything and anybody that wants to get the "Motorcycle Awareness" issue out there in front of the public more.

And I will support any measure to limit and restrict cell phone use on the road, too, even though I talk and drive occasionally. I don't get in the car (or truck) to call somebody on my cell phone. My conversations are usually pretty short, to the point, abrupt even. And that has nothing to do with keeping my phone bill down - that's irrelevant.

Mark, First off, I am glad everyone is safe and sound.My daughter will be seven in July. I personally can't imagine riding with her on the back. Not only because I don't trust other drivers, but also because I don't trust my own self enough. I only have a single seat on my bike for this reason... I don't want any passengers on my bike. Newt told me once, a rider has to know and ride within his limitations. We were discussing the use of helmets at the time, but it seems to apply to all aspects of riding. I have only been back riding for around three years and I am still not comfortable with the passenger aspect. Luckily, my ladyfriend doesn't want to ride on back yet either... maybe one day, just not now. I drive around Marietta alot going to her house and it seems really busy. Not as busy as the drive down 285 to 75 to the loop I drive to get to her house, but when you start dealing with crowded conditions and traffic lights... it can get hairy. Now saying all that, nothing relaxes me more than riding.... imagine that... ride safe... Gordon

to live life in itself is a risk, shall we all just lock our children in a safe room someplace and never let them out in the name of safety???? i was rideing my children and my grandchildren around on my bikes when they were all in diapers. to this day they are all not afraid of to many things. they all love rollercoasters, my oldest daughter has jumped from planes and has bungeed, my youngest daughter rides a h.d. (#@%**) but i cant hold that against her hahahahahaha and loves white water rafting!!! they have no fear!!!! even the 5yr old grandaughter is showing signs of being fearless hahahahahahahha

granted, i have never been one to spend much time on city streets with any of them with me, just getting away and returning. but i always head for the county a.s.a.p. when any of them are with me.

You beat me to it Stone. Plenty of cell phone laws out there, but how's that old saying go? Rules are meant to be broken? Something along those lines... THAT is the problem. You can make any law you want, but enforcing it, and having people fallow it, is a different story. Also, just like choosing to wear a helmet, or whatever, people think they "have a right to because it's a free country" for so many things.... I know a guy who STOPPED wearing a seat belt when they put the law in place in MA. Just cause "nobody's gonna tell me what to do..." Silly.

My two cents,

I rode for over twenty years and had two really close calls during that time. Guy ran me off the road at 60 mph thank god I was in eastern CO. and it was all flat and I was able to ride her out and got her down to 20 before we went down, I was still shaking for week after and for months afterward it effected my riding. Gave it up twenty years ago (just about the same time I got married) and just this June bought a new 06 America.

Every time I pass someone sticking their nose out on a side street I give them a little wave (like thanks for waiting for me and giving me a break)do not know if it helps, but maybe they will begin thinking we are not all drug crazed morons.

The other thing I do is review my rides and think about what I could have done better in that situation and challege myself when riding by asking what would I do if this guy cuts over, pulls out without looking ect.

I really believe being a bike rider makes you a much better driver I always look for bikes when I'm driving and always give them a wide berth.

My love for riding has always outweighed my fear of getting hurt or killed. Well this is my two cents.

P.S. Hope this passes and you can use the experience to your advantage.

Big Poppy

Poppy, I also try to acknowledge drivers at side streets whenever possible for not running me over.

Just today a car started out of a side street as if to pull out directly in front of us. He had not seen us. I had to lock up the brakes for a few feet. Fortunately there was no harm done. The Speedmaster seems to respond well to rear wheel lock-ups, maintaining a straight line.

Curiously, when he did pull out behind us he stayed w-a-y back. Maybe, just maybe, HE learned a lesson he won't forget soon.

Mark, thank goodness everyone is safe. I cannot even imagine. Happy Father's Day.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan, same to ya....I had a good one!

Ten years ago, I worked for a large textile leasing company (G&K Services), and got to start up a new Super Route here in Houston. They purchased me a new Freightliner diesel truck - a BIG delivery truck, not an 18-wheeler, but as big a truck as you'll see that's not an 18 wheeler - I can't remember how long or GVWR or such - it's been too long.

But I suddenly saw every 18 wheeler and every other kind of big truck or van out on the road and found myself a lot more conscious of them and what I could do to be more courteous towards them. Even when in my own pickup - it is a very good feeling to give a trucker a break - like blocking for him at an intersection when you see his right blinker on, but he's in the left lane. Like recognizing he is trying to make a left turn in front of you but needs a break in traffic to pull it off - especially on a two lane. I would stop well back of the intersection and give him plenty of room to make his turn, blocking others behind me that would have never recognized his need. I still do this, of course, but the point to be taken is the awareness level that came with me driving a bigger truck, too. Always made me feel good to help a trucker out.

I realize we as bikers don't need that kind of help on the road - we just need to be seen. That would often be enough. Could be the difference in tragedy or a non-event. Our awareness level towards others has certainly been elevated, but how are we going to get everyone else's attention?