Author Topic: Saw a rider go down at high speed today (Read 2352 times)

IndyFour · « **on:** June 10, 2011, 01:56:51 PM »

I was in my car heading home via I70 West towards downtown Indy this afternoon. I noticed a rider on one of those large scooter-type bikes cooking along in the left lane doing 70mph or so as I merged onto I70. I began to catch up to her. She had merged to the right a lane or two and was in front of my maybe 8-10 car lengths....when all the sudden began a major tank-slapper. Not sure if she hit something or grabbed the brake too hard or what. Her bike went one way and she rolled coming to rest face down in the middle of the interstate. The people around her (me included) saw this all unfold and stopped, avoiding hitting her. Several people got out and ran towards her while she got up on her own and limped to the side of the highway. Luckily she was in one piece....bloody forehead, but she was wearing a 3/4 helmet which I'm sure saved her from much worse injury.

I've never seen anyone go down like that going highway speed....kind of has me freaked out at the moment. I'm sure those big scooters are not as stable as a highway bike because of the smaller wheels and all, but this just seemed to happen instantaneously. Thank goodness she was o.k.

flybox1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2011, 02:03:16 PM »

good on 'ya for stopping to help.

JosepyK · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2011, 03:43:43 PM »

I'm surprised we don't get more of those out here. I don't know if it's supposed to be a speed control, but fast lanes here are bouncy, like peaks on the ocean.. I don't like driving a car on them none-the-less a bike.

tramp · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2011, 05:28:58 PM »

alot of people riding have no motorcycle endorsement

kpier883 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2011, 05:43:54 PM »

Maybe a flat?

Checking tire pressure before a ride is important.

Ride safe!

dave500 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2011, 11:54:10 PM »

without trying to sound harsh most scooter riders dont know #$%* when it comes to bikes or handling or saftey or manners or #$%* and appear to picture themselves in some sort of scooter paradise anywhere they ride,hope she was ok and again good on you for stopping to help.

74cb750 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2011, 05:24:44 AM »

ditto on the kudos for stopping to help. many don't

I would never trust a scooter at high speeds, those small tires scare me.

Gordon · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2011, 07:00:59 AM »

When he said "large scooter-type bike" I was thinking more along the lines of a Silverwing that was meant for highway use, not an actual scooter.

tango911 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2011, 07:13:44 AM »

i dont ride the highway unless im all geared up. I had a frnd 3 years ago die on his way to work, i pulled up on him just after his accident from a lunch break. No pulse, didnt even recognize him till i pulled his wallet. OMG my work friend. He hit a speed limit sign, the pole part, went right thru his helmet and smashed his face in.

good job watching her and stopping. Obviously you knew something could potentially happen. Im sure you and us as well will be more cautious riders because of it.

IndyFour · « **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2011, 07:47:52 AM »

Yeah, I agree....I don't even go around the block without my helmet and armored jacket on....just feel naked without it.

It was a Silver Wing or one of those type/size bikes. She wasn't riding erratically or anything of that sort.....just cruising along when the wobble began. That's the part that freaks me out. One minute she was fine, next she was face down on the highway. If it was someone riding irresponsibly, I could say "dumb ass shouldn't have been doing that"....but not in this case. She must have hit something in the road or hit an expansion joint in the highway surface. The tires on those bikes are just so small....that had to have been a major contributor to the situation. I'll never get on one of those machines after seeing how it went out of control. Besides...they are just dumb looking.

She appeared to be in relatively good shape when I left, so that's a good thing. As fast as she was going and with it being on the interstate during afternoon rush, it could have been much worse.

Greggo · « **Reply #10 on:** June 11, 2011, 10:18:57 AM »

Quote from: IndyFour on June 11, 2011, 07:47:52 AM

If it was someone riding irresponsibly, I could say "dumb ass shouldn't have been doing that"....but not in this case.

I'd say this is a pretty good example of that. Dumbass shouldn't have been riding a scooter at freeway speeds...

greenjeans · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2011, 09:26:16 AM »

No way I'd ride one of those scooters on a highway. The steering on those just look way too straight-up and down - not enough trail.
Thank goodness she wasn't killed.

Operator · « **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2011, 09:50:57 AM »

I don't think it really matters what or where she was riding. A rider went down. Let's be happy someone was there to help pick her back up, and hope that someone would do the same for us if it ever happened, knock on wood.

Skunk Stripe · « **Reply #13 on:** June 14, 2011, 05:19:37 AM »

I think the important thing we need to take from this is to be careful and help others in accidents. I do not see how the bike caused it. If the silverwing is for sale in the US, it means that it sells well enough to warrant importing. As we do not hear about slews of people crashing on silverwings, I just don't see how it is dangerous. People crash on other bikes, even CBs.

Greggo · « **Reply #14 on:** June 14, 2011, 05:47:33 AM »

Quote from: greenjeans on June 13, 2011, 09:26:16 AM

No way I'd ride one of those scooters on a highway. The steering on those just look way too straight-up and down - not enough trail.
Thank goodness she wasn't killed.

Quote from: Skunk Stripe on June 14, 2011, 05:19:37 AM

I think the important thing we need to take from this is to be careful and help others in accidents. I do not see how the bike caused it. If the silverwing is for sale in the US, it means that it sells well enough to warrant importing. As we do not hear about slews of people crashing on silverwings, I just don't see how it is dangerous. People crash on other bikes, even CBs.

You guys are both correct. I shouldn't have been so cynical in my post by branding her 'dumbass'. I never want to see any rider go down, especially in a serious accident.

Skunk Stripe · « **Reply #15 on:** June 14, 2011, 01:31:59 PM »

Greggo, it was not really aimed at you but at the flawed analysis about why these full size scooters are unsafe. Maybe some need to look at the silverwing and burghman scooters. It is a full sized bike easily capable of interstate speeds. People ride them every bit as successfully as any other bike.
If there were some sort of gross error in the design of the scooter, it would not be on the road or still being sold.

bikerbart · « **Reply #16 on:** June 14, 2011, 03:41:01 PM »

back in 87 I had a brand new Honda elite 250 scooter,fast as hell for a scooter,took it on the highway once,tractor trailer went by and I was practically sucked into it.Never again,It may be fast enough but those small wheels are dangerous.

Skunk Stripe · « **Reply #17 on:** June 14, 2011, 09:11:30 PM »

And how did that have to do with the wheels? I would suspect something more to do with either low weight, body design, or a combo of both.
On my 750, I can still feel the suction from a semi if I am too close. I can even feel it in small cars.

MCRider · « **Reply #18 on:** June 14, 2011, 09:23:13 PM »

Maxi-Scooters like the SilverWing, Burgman, Majestic, are perfectly capable for Interstate duty. Dial up some You-Tube videos of the Burgman 650 and you'll see some striking performance. We have a Burgman 400 and my wife a capable experienced rider, has no problem staying with me on the FJR on highway outings. They mostly have 14,15 and now 16" front wheels. The Honda Interceptor had 16s.

As to the accident, tank slappers can be brutal and nearly instantaneous. They'll throw you down on the ground so hard and so fast...

In that circumstance, she likely hit a hole, bottomed out the suspension inducing the tank slapper. There is no recovery. having been the victim of same on my Hawk, with full size wheels.

Correct me if I'm wrong Chris, but that stretch of I70 is a 55mph limit, tho traffic pushes hard. If I were on our Burgman thru there, as much as I am comfortable on it, I'd keep to the right and keep the speed down, and stay very defensive, not aggressive.

Flying J · « **Reply #19 on:** June 14, 2011, 11:08:18 PM »

I can't ride a scooter. Feels weird with my feet in front of me. The hardest part about riding a scooter.........is convincing your friends your not gay

Operator · « **Reply #20 on:** June 15, 2011, 05:28:49 AM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on June 14, 2011, 11:08:18 PM

I can't ride a scooter. Feels weird with my feet in front of me. The hardest part about riding a scooter.........is convincing your friends your not gay

Where I am in New Brunswick, you can get your scooter license at 14 years old, needless to say, there are a billion of them running around here. My wife and very soon, my son are both scooter riders. (BTW neither needs to convince anyone they are not gay)

I believe it creates better drivers. By the time they get their car license at 16 they have spent up to 2 years on the road, exposed to traffic and the dangers that cars can pose to a scooter or any 2 wheeled vehicle for that matter. It creates an awareness of scoots and such that drivers usually don't have, making it safer for all of us.

MCRider · « **Reply #21 on:** June 15, 2011, 06:13:45 AM »

Quote from: ffjmoore on June 14, 2011, 11:08:18 PM

I can't ride a scooter. Feels weird with my feet in front of me. The hardest part about riding a scooter.........is convincing your friends your not gay

I see your smiley face...

One of the best things about getting old(er) is that one just doesn't care what another thinks. That leaves the path open for new experiences. The Maxi-Scooter is a completely different animal from a sub-400cc scooter. They are comfortable, quick, lots of storage space, more protection from the weather than many touring bikes. With the shiftless transmission, perhaps ahead of conventional motorcycles (dare i say, I can the protest, its got to have a 20th century bash box or its not a motorcycle).

I'm done.

IndyFour · « **Reply #22 on:** June 15, 2011, 01:26:00 PM »

Quote from: MCRider on June 14, 2011, 09:23:13 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong Chris, but that stretch of I70 is a 55mph limit, tho traffic pushes hard. If I were on our Burgman thru there, as much as I am comfortable on it, I'd keep to the right and keep the speed down, and stay very defensive, not aggressive.

You are correct...speed limit there is 55. It's very likely that she hit a pothole (there seem to be more and more of them on the interstate these days around here). that section of I70 is also grooved concrete, which I'm sure didn't help any.

Didn't intent to create a debate about the safety/validity of these types of bikes. There seem to be plenty of them around on the highway. It just happened to be what she was riding and I'm sure the same thing could have happened on any two-wheeled machine. Seeing the whole thing unfold before me was quite shocking/disturbing and my post was just my way of debriefing.

When I got home from witnessing this I didn't utter a word about it to my sig-other as I didn't want to hear the whole "you'll get killed on that thing" speech again that I've heard a thousand times. I haven't been out riding since this happend.....really only because I've been out of town, though. You better believe I'll be just that much more observant of what's around me on the road now when I'm out for a ride.

Lesson: Ride/drive defensively and be prepared for anything at any time.

Flying J · « **Reply #23 on:** June 15, 2011, 01:51:15 PM »

I agree, riding defensive and staying alert are a must. Im a fireman and i have gone to my share of motorcycle accidents. Id say 50% of them are the riders fault and a good handfull of the other 50% could have been prevented if the rider was more aware and heads up. The rest, well, you cant do much when grandma turns in front of you in her Cadillac.

Stay safe

Duperts · « **Reply #24 on:** June 23, 2011, 09:36:04 AM »

Well it could have been a big bike and still happend. Depends on the circumstances but im sure as you have all been told countless times. Motorbikes are dangerous. And unfortunately, #$%* happens sometimes, but she was lucky enough to see the next lot of #$%*

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Author Topic: Saw a rider go down at high speed today (Read 2352 times)