Author Topic: Wife wants to ride - Part II (Read 2074 times)

Trevor from Warragul · « **on:** June 19, 2009, 10:53:01 PM »

Well, I've been taking my wife out for quite a few riding lessons & she was progressing really well, then...

...we were coming home from the RSPCA (got kitty litter & a scratchy pole for our new kitten). We were in our big white Holden Commodore family sedan. It was late afternoon, the sun was almost setting. We were on a suburban main road. A small green SUV did a sudden U-turn 50 feet in front of us. Due to the fact that I drive like an old man, plus years of motorcycling experience, I slowed quickly & avoided her. The young guy on the 150cc Italjet scooter going the other way wasn't so lucky.

Damn, that sight is gonna stay with me for years. He hit the back wheel. I don't think he had time to brake. If it was a sedan, he might've flown over the back, but this thing was like hitting a brick wall (I HATE SUV's!). We pulled over just behind the SUV. Driver was a 30-something fat Canadian woman. Scooter was on top of the rider. His left leg went off at the wrong angle, compound fractures. He was dazed, incoherent, but alive. Cheap full-face helmet, but it worked. Good armored jacket. But damn, his legs...

The paramedics got there real quick. Gee, those guys are freaking awesome! When I saw the cops pull in I walked up & made sure to give MY version of events. A dumbass lazy driver pulling a stupid U-turn when she shouldn't have. She lived real close by, so I'm guessing she missed her driveway & didn't want to go back around the block. She said she saw the scooter "but he must've been going faster than I thought".

So, my wife is kinda freaked. Her immediate reaction was "Sell my bike!". She's calming down now. I said "It's good to have that vision in your head if you're going to ride, it makes you more aware of the stupid things car drivers can do". I also explained that an experienced rider probably wouldn't have hit her. As I say to my bicycle riding kids "Remember, it's nothing personal, but they are all trying to kill you!".

Maybe she'll get back on the bike in a couple of weeks. I don't want her to give up, I was kinda looking forward to riding together.

Trevor

Hush · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2009, 11:16:37 PM »

Hey mate, good story..my partner rides a scooter during the summer and reverts to the family Falcon during winter.
We have rebuilt a Suzuki GSX400 for her and come next spring we hope to be riding together.
One thing I insist on is that all riders should ride with their lights on, it makes you 100x more visible to tintop drivers who are too lazy to crank their fat necks around to see behind them.
Good gear, a serviced bike, light on....and just treat every other road user like an idiot, works for me.
Good luck with your lady and her new found bike terror, she probably has more chance of being bitten by a shark.

ev0lve · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2009, 11:50:06 PM »

Man, reading the forums lately I'm starting to reconsider riding

This guy's video keeps giving me nightmares. His buddy wipes out in front of him and he ends up high-siding it into the ditch on the side of the road. Granted I'm pretty sure he's new and he's ALL over the rear brake in a turn at speed... No blood, no broken bones but it's a little gut wrenching. More so I think because it's a helmet cam and he's not show boating at all.

Glad no one got killed in your case. Send her to the MSF where she'll get real comfortable with her brakes and how to make the damn thing stop... and you're right on about the "they're trying to kill you" thing. Mostly because it's true. MSF will drill that deep into her head as well along with planning her escape strategy all the time.

She'll be back on if she's got the bug.

Now I have to go knock on wood and sacrifice some chickens or something. Haven't had a get off at speed... ever. Kind of like to keep it that way. A little training, a little luck and a ton of paranoia works pretty well I think.

tramp · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2009, 02:54:37 AM »

not alot you can say about the accident
it's part of the life of a rider
live with the chance of being hit or don't ride

74cb750 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2009, 05:54:23 AM »

I think most of us on here have either had close calls or seen/been in accidents like the one described. That could be why we're still here, we know what it's like.

Hope the rider makes it ok.

mystic_1 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2009, 06:00:58 AM »

I'm sorry this happened and hope the person involved recovers quickly and fully, but in a way I'm glad your wife got to see this. Many people only consider the fun aspects of riding and never seriously consider the possible negative consequences. If a person can see something like this and still decide to ride, you know they'll be taking it very seriously indeed.

That said, I agree with others who say that proper training and reflexes will help you avoid most accidents which are avoidable.

mystic_1

Spanner 1 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2009, 08:44:02 PM »

It's great having a significant other who also rides...mine has a CB650 Nighthawk, but I worry about her riding it all the time !! She's a focused and safe rider and much faster than me . The closest we got to a smash was 100 yards from our house..2 young guys in a van looked, saw her, came out anyway, stopped in the middle of the road ( the worst part ), fully blocking her path, just unbelievable ! An amazing flick right and left got her around the van, phew ! I read somewhere that when drivers see a single headlight or a narrow form when they look r. or l. at junction, it doesn't register in their brain like a much wider car front and the impulse is to go ahead and come out.....it's a matter of numbers...thousands more cars on the road daily compared to bikes...especially at the start of the bike 'season' the most dangerous time as car drivers are not 'conditioned' to bikes on the road.

medic09 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 20, 2009, 11:28:19 PM »

Okay, y'all, don't shoot me for spoiling the party. My wife rides, is now on her second bike (and has ridden two of my bikes), and in a few hours we leave for a week long trip on two bikes.

NOW, I have told my wife many times there is nothing morally compelling about riding a motorbike. I prefer it. I do it when a car would be more comfortable. But if she doesn't feel reasonably secure on her bike, she shouldn't ride. If she just doesn't like it, she shouldn't ride. If she can't have enough confidence to be safe, with a dose of caution keeping her aware, she shouldn't ride.

Nothing wrong with not riding. Nothing at all. A nervous rider is a danger to themselves and others, and riding is already riskier than driving a car.

There, I said it. Give her time to absorb all the angles on this. Let her choose what she will. And be kind to her about it.

Hush · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2009, 01:40:56 AM »

Good thoughts Medico, I actually feel less safe with my partner riding her horrid pink plastic Chinese scooter!
No power to get out of trouble, wheelbarrow wheels that refuse to corner etc.
I guess us cavemen just still hang onto the notion that the "little woman" should stay near the camp fire and cook/have babies ha ha go you cromangons.

74cb750 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 21, 2009, 05:22:24 AM »

My wife says she wants to try riding again,
1st bike I bought her, a fully restored pristine Kawasaki S3 was not good enough
as it didn't have electric start and sounded funny!

Thinking of putting another cb550 on the road for her, but....it's kinda big for a
starter bike, non?

Gordon · « **Reply #10 on:** June 21, 2009, 08:02:24 AM »

Quote from: 74cb750 on June 21, 2009, 05:22:24 AM

Thinking of putting another cb550 on the road for her, but....it's kinda big for a
starter bike, non?

I think it's a good size for someone learning to ride as long as their legs are long enough. I taught two of my friends on my 550 (one girl, one guy), and they both thought it was very easy to ride.

Hush · « **Reply #11 on:** June 21, 2009, 11:47:50 AM »

That little GSX400 I bought for my partner is as light as a bicycle but can eat my 650 over a quarter mile easy, I've just got to figure out how to lower it at the rear a bit more for her short Hobbit legs to reach the ground at intersections.

clarkjh · « **Reply #12 on:** June 21, 2009, 12:21:58 PM »

Quote from: Hush on June 21, 2009, 11:47:50 AM

I've just got to figure out how to lower it at the rear a bit more for her short Hobbit legs to reach the ground at intersections.

Hush
I know that feeling, I think the wife would love being able to ride on her own sometimes but the 550 is way too high. Both of her feet are 2 inchs from the ground. She can tippy toe when on the GL1100, but thats not the best "learner" bike.
James

74cb750 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 21, 2009, 05:58:22 PM »

Well, I DO have a smaller bike, KZ300 I think, but it needs so much work
and again the exhaust is loud (this is something she doesn't like) $:-\$

Joe Mig · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:13:54 PM »

Yea my wife wanted to ride too so I had her take a three day course and she got her licence and she has been riding since, a little over one year now. Today we were on our way to the beach on the pkwy Me in front , My wife middle and my friend at the back door. I lost sight of them so I pulled off to the side and after about two minuets I called my friend. So he says Dee went down but she is okay . I'm off to the seen and as luck has is a ambulance was rite behind her. So she was a little cleaned up with a splint on.
After X-ray the Doc told us her collar bone is broken and I know her ego is broken as well and not to mention road rash.
To sum it up I blame it on two things . First thing It was brought to my attention that I was to controlling so I changed my ways about 8 months before she got her licence . If I had my way she would have never been riding. She would only be on the back of the bike with me piloting.
Second thing I think it was rider inexperience and it would have never happened to some on like me who has been riding since I'm 8 years old.
Thank God she is okay it could have been worse. Joe Mig

mystic_1 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:18:31 PM »

Glad to hear her injuries were minor. Hope she mends quickly. Once thing for sure, she's a more experienced rider now!

What was the exact cause of the accident?

How's the bike?

mystic_1

seaweb11 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:23:16 PM »

If you lost sight of her, perhaps she was over riding to keep up?
I usually let the more inexperienced rider take the lead and make the pace. Just saying........I'm glad the injury was not serious.

Joe Mig · « **Reply #17 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:39:03 PM »

Quote from: mystic_1 on July 06, 2009, 05:18:31 PM

Glad to hear her injuries were minor. Hope she mends quickly. Once thing for sure, she's a more experienced rider now!

What was the exact cause of the accident?

How's the bike?

mystic_1

It was around a big sweeping turn after a fork two lanes turn into four and she was middle left doing around 35 to 40 in traffic and I think she was in 4th gear and should have been in 3rd at that point . It seems like she started to drift into the left lane and hit the marbles and started to brake front and rear . She has been around this turn other times but I think she was going slower then usual. It's a 50 MPH turn easily .
The bike is my 99 Road star she likes it better then the 77 CB 750 F that I was on. The bike can be fixed it seems that the crash bars and saddle bags saved her leg and the bike. Minor damage that can be fixed ,windshield ,saddlebag , marker light crash bar so on.

andy750 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:40:46 PM »

Quote from: seaweb11 on July 06, 2009, 05:23:16 PM

If you lost sight of her, perhaps she was over riding to keep up?
I usually let the more inexperienced rider take the lead and make the pace. Just saying........I'm glad the injury was not serious.

+1

Joe Mig · « **Reply #19 on:** July 06, 2009, 05:45:04 PM »

Quote from: seaweb11 on July 06, 2009, 05:23:16 PM

If you lost sight of her, perhaps she was over riding to keep up?
I usually let the more inexperienced rider take the lead and make the pace. Just saying........I'm glad the injury was not serious.

Na she was behind me and my friend behind her I just lost her and I thought they got cought up in traffic so I just went on slow for about 1/2 a mile..
But I asked her the same thing she swears somthing pulled the bike to the left but when I went back and looked the road seemed fine.

Spanner 1 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 06, 2009, 09:25:31 PM »

Thank God my partner was riding way before I met her, so I have no influence....!

Achmed · « **Reply #21 on:** July 06, 2009, 09:55:13 PM »

At least she's smiling! Hope she gets back on the road. But if she doesn't want to I would understand.

News:

Author Topic: Wife wants to ride - Part II (Read 2074 times)