Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:50 pm

Glad to hear that you are okay.

What you describe sounds like diesel/oil collected on the road surface since the last rain and floated up on top of the rainwater, making an impossibly slick surface for you to brake on.

Regardless, I'm glad you were wearing your gear and didn't get badly hurt.

rfman81 · Post by **rfman81** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:32 pm

jrsjr wrote:
jrsjr wrote:Glad to hear that you are okay.

What you describe sounds like diesel/oil collected on the road surface since the last rain and floated up on top of the rainwater, making an impossibly slick surface for you to brake on.

Regardless, I'm glad you were wearing your gear and didn't get badly hurt.

Thanks man, yeah it may have been oil on the road or maybe the gear oil got over filled and it has been bleeding off on the rear rim, with the rain it started to run on the tire. I just went home and checked and noticed some spots where the gear oil/water mix running down into the tread. Guys don't over fill the gear oil the overflow puts it out onto your rim.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:35 pm

Wow, sorry to hear about the crash(es) but glad you're okay. Thanks for posting, because there are some good lessons in there for others!

2wheelNsanity · Post by **2wheelNsanity** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:09 pm

I guess I will fill this out from my stupid crash two weeks ago. No need to send condolences.
1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy 170i. Green.
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Yes, 8:20am.
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? Yes. Not attempted the turn at that high of a speed.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Yes, undetermined (no medical insurance) Full-face Helmet, t-shirt and jeans.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Superficial scratches and handlebars out of alignment.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? about $200 for body panels, but I haven't been able to find them in green yet.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? 9 months (6000miles). Yes.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? No
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? 35
11. How far was the rider from home? 18 miles

In short, I attempted a high speed (thats the stupid part) right hand turn and noticed oil in my line so I took a wider line, as I looked up I noticed an oncoming truck and had to try to cut the turn tighter than I wanted and the front wheel hit the centerline paint and went out from under me.

anthony · Post by **anthony** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:37 pm

Sadly, I'm the newest member to the "Who's crashed?" club.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color?
170i, Oxford green

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
3:30pm Partial rider error- I was trying to make a turn over streetcar tracks in the lane I was in. The streetcar tracks are what caused the wreck, but I was trying to turn quickly because the car behind me was following very closely, and I wanted to get out of their way. So I didn't execute the turn at enough of an angle because I was more focused on doing it quickly than safely, and the wheel caught in the tracks and I went down.

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
Yes. I will put my safety first, beyond insignificant factors like someone else's impatience.

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Yup. Road rash on both knees, my arm, and where my leg meets my foot. Wearing a helmet, gloves, and jeans, but no other protection.

5. What was the damage to the scooter?
Yup. Forks are now bent, right brake lever is askew, and some scuff marks on the body of the scooter

6. Cost of repairs, if any? Not sure yet.

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
Have the endorsement, took the safety course, but only started riding this Spring.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? The Oregon equivalent w/ Team Oregon.

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yup.

10. How fast was the rider going? At the turn, probably only 15mph or so.

11. How far was the rider from home? About 3 miles.

Post by **jrsjr** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:51 pm

Ouch! Sorry to hear that you crashed. Glad to hear that you weren't hurt any worse. I hope they can revive your scooter w/out a lot of trouble.

Streetcar tracks are always problematical. I hate 'em.

OklaforniaGirl · Post by **OklaforniaGirl** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:37 am

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy 125. Tangerine.
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Yes, 5:00 p.m.
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? Yes. Next time, I'll make sure not to make a last second decision to turn, and not hit the brakes while I'm turning.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Yes, I busted a blood vessel in my left thigh and suffered a laceration on my chin; I was wearing jeans and boots. No helmet that time.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? A few scratches, and broke the chrome colored plastic headlamp piece.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? Probably fairly cheap; I have yet to price out the part.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? It was my second day ever to ride a scooter; did not have my "M" endorsement on my license yet.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Not yet. (Signed up prior for the earliest available class on 8/18 and 19).
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes.
10. How fast was the rider going? 10 mph.
11. How far was the rider from home? 1 mile.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:45 am

I hate it when this thread bubbles back up. Sorry to hear about both of your crashes.

Anthony - did that happen today? If so, I can understand why you weren't wearing a jacket. It's certainly an un-Portland-like day at 100+ degrees. I hope you're able to get the scoot sorted out one way or another. Don't be surprised if they call it totaled with that amount of damage. I try to avoid getting anywhere near the streetcar tracks. They really are a hazard for anyone one two wheels.

Pflower001 · Post by **Pflower001** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:15 am

Oklafornia girl, i had to replace that part a couple pf weeks ago. Got it online at scooterlounge online. I think it cost $19.99 and i changed it myself in less than a minute. Sorry for your crash

Mutt the Hoople · Post by **Mutt the Hoople** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:24 am

I'm so sorry for both of you. Glad that neither of you were hurt any worse though. The car following too close; that's such an awkward position to be put in to. I was riding on Hampton Ave... A busy four lane street with a posted 30-35 MPH speed limit but people just drive like maniacs on that road. I try to avoid it and if I do need to use it I do so at times that are less busy. Anyway I had just gone to my bank on Hampton and decided to check out Record Exchange to see if they had any DVDs I wanted. I signalled for a left hand turn with plenty of notice for anyone behind me, I had the turn arrow so I slowed a bit to make the turn, turned off my signal and turned it on so I could turn into the lot and this huge Ram truck was already on my ass honking... I felt his radiator heat. Did not even try to make the turn and just turned off the signal and went straight to the next stop to turn around. The creep turned around and followed me onto the side street yelling and screaming at me. He probably sped up to at least 50 on a 25MPH residential street to do that. His truck blocked me in and he continued to verbally abuse me. I told him I had my phone and was calling 911 to report him. I asked him why he thought it was necessary to follow anyone that close, and did he not realize that on a street that is mostly businesses that people are going to regularly signal, slow down, and turn, and that he shouldn't follow that close. He decided to shut up and drive off. If I had tried to make that turn into the parking lot I would have likely fallen over too and possibly run over as well. I have not been scootering very long either, but in the time that I have, I think it's the jerks who follow way to closely that scare me the most. The potential to have exactly what happened to you is so real. Hope your scooter is okay, but if it's not it can be replaced... You can't.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:25 am

sry for everyone who has gone down lately. hope all turns out well, and you ride safe once more

anthony · Post by **anthony** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 7:56 pm

pdxrita wrote:I hate it when this thread bubbles back up. Sorry to hear about both of your crashes.

Anthony - did that happen today? If so, I can understand why you weren't wearing a jacket. It's certainly an un-Portland-like day at 100+ degrees. I hope you're able to get the scoot sorted out one way or another. Don't be surprised if they call it totaled with that amount of damage. I try to avoid getting anywhere near the streetcar tracks. They really are a hazard for anyone one two wheels.

Yeah, it was Saturday, and I don't know if I would've been able to bear much more than a t-shirt considering it being 100 degrees or so.

I would doubt they'd call it totaled though. The scooter actually looked remarkably unscathed, and I guess I don't totally know if the forks were bent. I just guessed that because when I tried to put it back into alignment by putting the wheel between my legs and twisting the steering column hard, I couldn't get it to budge at all. That said, it was right after the accident and I was still pretty shaken, so who knows. And I know the brake lever is a really easy fix too, from what I've read on these forums.

And yeah, I hate the streetcar tracks. I've somehow successfully avoided crashing my bike on them, so I'm surprised my scooter, with much bigger wheels, could be taken down by them. Even so, I've mostly tried to avoid them, but crossing over these was the only way to get to my destination, so I didn't have a choice. I just should've executed the turn more safely.

Uncle Groucho · Post by **Uncle Groucho** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:16 am

Man, and I was so close to making it a full year into this....

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy Italia 50 cc.

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Most likely. Right around 7:45 PM following a rain shower in downtown Decatur.

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? Possibly; it had stopped raining about 10 minutes before, so there was probably a lot of oil/grease/water still on the pavement. It was a pretty nasty S curve (near a cemetery of all places!) and cars are always having to slow down when entering/leaving the area. 2715 miles on my scoot and I thought the tread was sufficient on both tires. Was I going too fast? I didn't think so going into it, but be it oil or driver error, I left the road. Next time I'll wait an hour before getting on the road and go 10 miles slower than everyone else.

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? A welt/road rash about the size of a golf ball on my right forearm where I made contact with the road. Full gear was on and definitely kept a bad situation from getting worse.

5. What was the damage to the scooter? Headlight bezel cracked; knob on right brake grip got ground down half an inch but still intact. Mirrors were knocked out of whack and windshield needed tightening. So far everything else looks okay.

6. Cost of repairs, if any? Cost of a bezel with possible headlight mounting. New jacket as well.

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? 11 months experience. Yes, I have my license.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes.

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes.

10. How fast was the rider going? 20 mph.

11. How far was the rider from home? 4 miles.

Someone was looking out for me; no on-coming cars in either direction. Definitely was a situation where I was on the ground before I realized my scoot wasn't sticking to the road. The gear performed admirably and two cars stopped in quick succession to ask if I was okay. I'm walking and talking, but my arm is going to sting like a mutha for a few days. My wife is a little upset and I think she's going to ask that I not ride if the chance of rain exceeds 1%. I'll be back on the scoot this week though if my arm is up to it.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:56 am

Sorry to hear that Uncle Groucho. I'm glad you're mostly okay and that the damage to your scooter was minimal. For your brake handle, I'd suggest dipping the end in some Plastidip. I did mine like that and it looks like it was meant to be that way. Do both sides so they match. As for your tires, I doubt that it was a lack of tread that caused your slide, given the low miles you have on them. It's more likely that there was some oil or something in that area that you had the misfortune to ride over while in a turn. If you've got the stomach for it, you might want to return to the scene of the crime and look for something like that, just to answer the WTF question. I hope you and your scooter are healed and back on the road soon!

Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:56 am

Uncle Groucho wrote:The gear performed admirably...

Sorry to hear that you crashed, but I'm glad your gear did its job!

P.S. Decatur is my old stomping grounds. I grew up just down Clairmont across North Decatur.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:14 am

"I was on the ground before I realized my scoot wasn't sticking to the road..." Ain't that the way it always happens! A millisecond at best.

Glad you are OK Uncle Groucho. Sounds like a similar spill/slip to mine. One thought, you might want to double check your steering/alignment just to be sure. Mine got knocked out of whack a little when I low sided.

Heal up quickly.

Mutt the Hoople · Post by **Mutt the Hoople** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:23 am

Wow. Glad you are okay and that it was not any worse. I havent seen anyone mention this product for road rash but has anyone tried New Skin? It comes in a box of separately sealed packets and each one has an approx. 3"x4" gel-like patch that you can cut to fit and reseal what is left over. I used it when I got scraped up by a couple of nasty roller blading accidents. It is very soothing and hydrating and I think it makes the skin heal better.
Really glad you weren't to hurt. Every time I see this thread pop to the top I hold my breath. Most threads are fun... This one always makes me queasy.

Uncle Groucho · Post by **Uncle Groucho** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:56 pm

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone. I like to think that I'm some grizzled piece of leather who's going to brush off a little tumble and proclaim that it'll take more than that to get rid of me; but the extent of my eloquence after my spill when someone asked if I was okay was to answer "I fell down" like Brick Tamland...

That patch of road is actually out of my normal routine but is heavily traveled in downtown Decatur; odds are any leftover oil slicks have been added to with the morning rush. I have to take responsibility for the fact I was going too fast and take my medicine.

Definitely will have the shop check out my steering/alignment over the week. Bogie seems to have held up okay on the way home, but I was mostly concentrating on *not* falling over again.

Scooterworks doesn't seem to have half the things I need; ScooterLounge seems to have everything for about $42.

I will say that Neosporin Wound Cleanser lies when they say "No Sting!" on the bottle.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:45 pm

Wow, lots of minor add ons for the summer.

Thankfully no one is seriously hurt and not bikes totally destroyed!

So, we've additionally learned that we need to slow down, take turns at reasonable speed, and be careful after storms.

All sounds very reasonable to me. I always try to remember that 'pride cometh before a fall" and breaking my face/arm on my bicycle when I was a kid.

I believe I was reciting a line from Top Gun right before I totally ate it. Every time that I want to get really confident in my riding, I dial it back just a little.

Be safe everyone, and remember, we learn from our mistakes, might as well learn from everyone else's too.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:35 pm

pdxrita wrote: As for your tires, I doubt that it was a lack of tread that caused your slide, given the low miles you have on them.

Actually, I want to take this back. It very well could have been your tires that were the cause of this crash, but probably not for lack of tread. If you've got the Prima Whitewalls on there, dump those suckers if you're going to ride in the rain. I tried a Prima on my Italia. It was great in warm, dry weather. But as soon as it got even a little bit wet and cold, it got really slick. I slipped a couple of times while doing pretty conservative corner manouvers. I dumped it before it could dump me. The Prima's are terrible in the rain.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:39 pm

Uncle Groucho wrote:That patch of road is actually out of my normal routine but is heavily traveled in downtown Decatur; odds are any leftover oil slicks have been added to with the morning rush. I have to take responsibility for the fact I was going too fast and take my medicine.

Glad you are okay and I'm impressed that you have such a realistic view of what went wrong and what you can do about it. As you say, in the end, only the rider is responsible for determining the condition of the road and reacting appropriately (i.e. it isn't the road's fault

).

cmccann · Post by **cmccann** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:32 pm

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? 150, blue
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? No! About five pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? no. my throttle stuck and I could not slow down, much as I tried. I was in a lagrge parking lot and had to turn, knowing I wouldn't make it.
4. Was the rider injured? yes. I shattered my elbow and it required surgery.
5. What was the damage to the Buddy? minor, but it won't start (nothing new - I've had problems with that since Inbought it three years ago)
6. Cost of repairs, if any? I can't find anyone who will work on it.
7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neiher? I have a license.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? about 20 mph
11. How far was the rider from home? 3 miles

persephonelily · Post by **persephonelily** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:18 pm

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? 50, white
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Yes; 11:30AM
3. Could the crash have been avoided? possibly. If I had chosen to back out into oncoming traffic instead of trying to turn so tight to get out of the spot.
4. Was the rider injured? nope. just a little bruise on my arm.
5. What was the damage to the Buddy? Yes. a scuff/scrape in the front panel from rubbing against the car bumper.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? I fixed the scuff with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser; might go over it with something else just to keep the scratches from getting worse. I haven't heard from the owner of the car yet if I will be paying to fix the tail light I busted.
7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? permit.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? less than 5mph
11. How far was the rider from home? 1-2 miles

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:32 pm

cmccann wrote:1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? 150, blue
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? No! About five pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? no. my throttle stuck and I could not slow down, much as I tried. I was in a lagrge parking lot and had to turn, knowing I wouldn't make it.

If it happens again turn off the ignition switch, Grounding out the coil should stop the engine.

double-o-soul · Post by **double-o-soul** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:02 am

1. 05 atomic fireball stella 150cc
2. rider error, late night
3. could have been avoided, should slow down on hills that obstruct the roadway ahead
4. micro fractures to the ribs, bruising on elbow and should. Helmet without a scratch
5. drastically bent front fork, scuffs on the cowl
6. $100 for a used front fork assembly
7. 5 months riding with motorcycle permit
8. no
9. yes
10. 25/30 mph
11. 2 miles

double-o-soul · Post by **double-o-soul** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:05 am

JohnKiniston wrote:
cmccann wrote:1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? 150, blue
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? No! About five pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? no. my throttle stuck and I could not slow down, much as I tried. I was in a lagrge parking lot and had to turn, knowing I wouldn't make it.
If it happens again turn off the ignition switch, Grounding out the coil should stop the engine.

I've actually had situations where the bike would continue to rev in neutral with the ignition turned off, and blipping the throttle was the onyl thing that woudl make it calm down...
that being said, I think a stuck throttle that won't die even when the key is turned off can be slowed down by squeezing the clutch and braking???

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:17 am

Unfortunately, the Buddy 150 doesn't have a clutch.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:19 am

michelle_7728 wrote:Unfortunately, the Buddy 150 doesn't have a clutch.

so thats why it shifts funny!

i was wondering what that was....

JohnKiniston · Post by **JohnKiniston** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 3:38 pm

double-o-soul wrote: I've actually had situations where the bike would continue to rev in neutral with the ignition turned off, and blipping the throttle was the onyl thing that woudl make it calm down...
that being said, I think a stuck throttle that won't die even when the key is turned off can be slowed down by squeezing the clutch and braking???

That's usually an indication of an Air leak, Your bike is running super lean. If that's happening the best thing to do is shift into 4th and declutch carefully to stall out the motor.

double-o-soul · Post by **double-o-soul** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 4:44 am

yea jon, that problem is no more. it was part of an old problem where a bad ignition coil waire connection was causing what seemed like an over rich condition. i then proceeded trying to tune it leaner and leaner, which obviously woudlnt help a spark plug misfiring from a bad wire... anyway, that problem is now history.

oh and sorry for forgettign which forum i was in LOL, i thought i was still in the stella subsection.

Tack One. · Post by **Tack One.** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:19 pm

yar, so I went down on my 2011 stella 4t on friday. it's the slate blue model.

2. coming around a blind turn in the curb lane there was somebody jay walking, and I had only a second to react. hit the breaks hard...mid day.

3. not really. I could perhaps have hit the brakes more slowly to avoid the skid, but that's debatable.

4. a few bumps and scrapes, nothing major and I didn't hit the jay walker

5. scooter is scraped bad and dented along the right side. replacing the cowels and having a big dent in the body floor banged out.

6. about 550 canadian

7. I have a license, but I've only had it since the spring.

8. I've taken a motorcycle training course yes. they told us not to clamp down on the breaks hard, especially while turning. that's easier said than done at 55 km/hr while you're about to hit somebody.

ericalm wrote:
ericalm wrote:1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? Color?
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
3. Could the crash have been avoided?
4. Was the rider injured?
5. What was the damage to the Buddy?
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neiher?
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:03 pm

Sorry to hear about the crash! Glad you're okay.

Tack One. wrote:I've taken a motorcycle training course yes. they told us not to clamp down on the breaks hard, especially while turning. that's easier said than done at 55 km/hr while you're about to hit somebody.

Yeah, exactly. The general rule is "pick one, swerve or break." I have to admit, it is trickier on the Stella than some others because it's all too easy to stomp on the rear brake, lock it and lose traction/control. That's taken me down once.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:16 pm

Ouch!

Glad you're OK, and very glad you didn't cream the pedestrian. I'd say they deserve it, but it's so hard to hear scoots compared to other things sometimes, people just don't pay attention.

persephonelily · Post by **persephonelily** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:46 am

My crash is resulting in some pain-in-the-*ss back and forth with the owner of the car I hit. She's demanding twice what 4 mechanics and an auto-parts store are quoting me for the repair. I don't think she realizes that I took pics of the damage and that we used to have the exact same make, model and year as her car. I'm willing to pay for the repair, but I'm not willing to pay for her to have a steak dinner and a night out on top of it.

Uncle Groucho · Post by **Uncle Groucho** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:13 pm

persephonelily wrote:My crash is resulting in some pain-in-the-*ss back and forth with the owner of the car I hit. She's demanding twice what 4 mechanics and an auto-parts store are quoting me for the repair. I don't think she realizes that I took pics of the damage and that we used to have the exact same make, model and year as her car. I'm willing to pay for the repair, but I'm not willing to pay for her to have a steak dinner and a night out on top of it.

Wasn't it just a bumper? How bad could it have been if you just got grazed slightly and now she's wanting a whole new car.

*shakes head* Sometimes you get the feeling people don't give a damn that someone could have been killed and just want blood.

persephonelily · Post by **persephonelily** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 6:56 pm

Yep. Not a scratch on the bumper. A broken tail light lens (not even the damned bulb). The 6 mechanics I have surveyed said it was a $25-40 part and 10 minutes worth of labor. Sigh.

heyitsomid · Post by **heyitsomid** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:26 am

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? 150 Front Maxxis and back Heidenau tires
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Not sure
3. Could the crash have been avoided? Maybe, not sure though.
4. Was the rider injured? A scratch, no blood but stings haha.
5. What was the damage to the Buddy? Barely, two small scratches. I’m actually really happy about how the bike faired.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? My brother wants to plastidip it. Otherwise I’d consider buying a new panel if it bothered potential buyers if and when I sell.
7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? license
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? 0-2mph
11. How far was the rider from home? 6miles just leaving my uncles though.
I was leaving my uncle’s parking garage tonight and as I was making the right a fast moving Benz surprised me a little. Either way it didn’t effect what I would have normally done any other night. As per usual I leaned the bike to turn (nothing crazy) pulled the throttle a bit and within a fraction of a second I was on the floor. It happened so quickly. Still on the floor the Mercedes just drives buy, kinda close too and continues driving stopping only 30 yards down and then moving on once I get up. I checked the bike for mechanical damages or anything which thankfully there were none, then the cosmetic ones which were luckily very very minimal. I’m so happy nothing serious happened here. That being said I’m in a bit of shell shock. I took the drive home very very conservatively. I can’t help but think what if that happened on the PCH where I spend the bulk of my riding instead of some residential street. I don’t know why it happened either, sand, oil? I’ve taken much more aggressive turns with no problems at all, were the tires cold? I have no clue, these things just happen I guess.

Post by **jrsjr** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:45 am

heyitsomid wrote:I was leaving my uncle’s parking garage tonight and as I was making the right a fast moving Benz surprised me a little. Either way it didn’t effect what I would have normally done any other night. As per usual I leaned the bike to turn (nothing crazy) pulled the throttle a bit and within a fraction of a second I was on the floor. It happened so quickly.

First and foremost, I'm glad you weren't hurt. Also glad your Buddy came through w/out any expensive damage.

heyitsomid wrote: I don’t know why it happened either, sand, oil?

It sure sounds like one of those to me. This spot where you turned, was it on an incline where cars/trucks have to accelerate hard from a stop? Trucks, especially, tend to leak a little oil when they pull away from a stop on an uphill incline. It could also be a fluke thing where a little sand somehow got spilled. I emphasize the "little" because it really doesn't take much.

The contact patch of the Buddy's rear tire is, what, about 6.5 to 7 square inches? Approximately 3.75 inches long by 1.87 inches wide. For comparison, I cut out a piece of card stock that size and photographed it next to a dollar bill. It's no exaggeration to say that your life literally depends on two patches of rubber about that size. Think about how often you run over a little oily (or sandy) spot on the road that size or bigger. It's no big deal unless you happen to be accelerating, decelerating, or turning, then it can be problematic, especially if your front contact patch happens to be on the slippery spot.

This explains a lot, doesn't it? (He said on page 28 of the Who's Crashed? thread)

Again, glad you weren't hurt and your Buddy wasn't damaged. It's a good idea to be constantly reading the road surface looking for signs of oil or sand or whatever, but it's not always easy to spot, especially at night.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Mon Aug 27, 2012 10:43 am

heyitsomid wrote:.....these things just happen I guess.

true in many cases. no use over thinking what you cannot figure out. once ready you'll be back on. don't know if you've ever gone down before, but i went down similarly just over a year ago and it made me sort of gun shy for a bit. i am sure it will pass for you

glad you're ok and watch out in those turns!

heyitsomid · Post by **heyitsomid** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:08 pm

jrsjr:
Totally amazing that its all possible at all. At the MSF course the teacher related traction to points. Driving straight in dry conditions is a 100 pts, turning puts you down to 70 and water puts you down even more. I would also include now that I think the whole thing over that when you're just starting you have less traction because your square footage per time is less than when you're moving. In other words when you lay down your gas turn and have a concrete surface with sand or oil or both you can pretty much guarantee a fall because the wheel will just spin out. Even on fast turns I feel the back tire skid a bit but it just moves to an area of the road that inherently has more traction.

JHscoot:
I'm definitely gun shy now. I'll get over it eventually but its good to remind oneself how quickly these things occur and reaction time becomes nill. :/

Po · Post by Po » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:03 pm

I "crashed" yesterday, but I'm hesitant to call it a crash since I was still in my parking lot, going very slow, with no other drivers around. It was my first day ever riding in the rain and I had just finished a 20 mile ride in heavy rain and heavy traffic without any problems. Leaving my work parking lot which has just been resurfaced and was as slick as ice, I made a left turn down an aisle and all of a sudden I'm laying on my side.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color?
Buddy 125, Orange
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
Totally rider error. Late afternoon.
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
Yes. Be much more careful on slick surfaces, maybe turn slower or walk the scooter till I hit a more suitable surface.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Bruised ribs, wrist, and ego. Jacket, gloves, full-helmet, boots.
5. What was the damage to the scooter?
Bent LH Mirror
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
$30 or so to replace the mirror.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
Interesting question. I owned a few dirt bikes as a 10-14 yr old, then no riding till this July (so a 20 year dry spell). No specific endorsement for motorcycle.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
No but I plan to when time permits.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes
10. How fast was the rider going?
3-5 mph
11. How far was the rider from home?
3 miles

easy · Post by **easy** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:35 pm

Glad you ok for the most part. Sounds like the oil off the new asphalt, heavy rain already washed cleaned off old pavement

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:25 pm

So....I found an oil spill at a stop sign the hard way two nights ago. I was braking into a stop sign (like you do), minding my own business when all of the sudden my front wheel got all squirrely and I was up most of the way over the handlebars and tipping over on the left side. I had to put my hands down but i was going so slow that it didn't really hurt all that bad. When I got back to my house and looked at the damage in the light, I was suprised to find that there were little to no visible scratches or damage other than my brake lever being totally snapped. Easy fix. Could have been worse. I consider myself a fairly fortunate dude.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy 125. Black.
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? No. 11:15pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? Maybe? I guess I could not hit any oil patches.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? No injuries. I had on a jacket, gloves, jeans, hi-top chuck taylors, helmet.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Snapped my left brake handle in two.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? None. The break was really clean so I was able to JB Weld it back together and get on my merry way the next day.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? 6 months 8,000 miles. Permit.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? No
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? approx 5mph
11. How far was the rider from home? .5 miles

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:32 pm

chas,

Good to hear you survived the ordeal relatively unscathed.
Your scooter too!

But, PLEASE, replace that brake lever.
I know that JB can perform miracles but using it to patch a safety item, such as a brake lever, back together is, at best, unwise.
It will fail.....someday, somewhere, and, when you need it not to fail the most.....like an emergency stop.

That is all,

Rob

persephonelily · Post by **persephonelily** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:58 pm

Guy blew a stop sign and I ended up dumping the bike and skidding on my front about 20 feet. If I hadn't dropped her, I would have hit him broadside.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy 50. White.
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? No. 6:45pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? I managed to avoid actually hitting the guy, so I guess yes? Nothing; I think my reaction saved my ass.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Yes. Sprained knee, road rash on the elbows and knees. I was wearing 3/4 helmet with face shield down (saved my face), sweatshirt, jeans & boots.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Busted up the right side pretty good; brake handle, turn indicator, big crack in the housing and took a chunk out of the headlight rim. Cracks and scuffs all down the side.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? Just under $1400
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? 3 months, 2500 miles, motorcycle license.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? approx 25mph
11. How far was the rider from home? Less than .5 mile

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:32 pm

Robbie wrote:chas,

Good to hear you survived the ordeal relatively unscathed.
Your scooter too!

But, PLEASE, replace that brake lever.
I know that JB can perform miracles but using it to patch a safety item, such as a brake lever, back together is, at best, unwise.
It will fail.....someday, somewhere, and, when you need it not to fail the most.....like an emergency stop.

That is all,

Rob

Thanks Rob, I am ordering the new lever and some other things on Friday (read: payday) first thing in the morning. I agree with you 100% and I do NOT want to learn that mistake the hard way.

In the meantime, I am using my patched up lever very.....gingerly.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:27 pm

A wise decision chas.

I was hoping you would read and respond.

Be careful out there.

Rob

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:04 am

i wish everyone above better luck next time out

quen047 · Post by **quen047** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:34 am

I am the latest to join this esteemed group

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Stella 150. Color? Dijon Yellow.

2. Was the crash due to rider error? Oh yes. What time of day did it occur? about 4pm.

3. Could the crash have been avoided? Yes- I was following too closely, and a car made a snap decision to stop before it turned right. Dropped the bike on its left side at maybe 10-15 mph. Also, I may not have used the rear brake at all. What will you do differently next time? Not follow so close, concentrate on using the brakes at the same time.

4. Was the rider injured? No. What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Full face helmet, jeans and armored Corzano jacket- had to replace the helmet, but it did its job. Jacket also has minor scratches, but I'm fine.

5. What was the damage to the scooter? Luckily, almost none- paint chip on front fender and scrapes on the spare tire cover. The bike landed on its cowl, but I have chrome cowl guards and they did their job (they are of course slightly scratched).

6. Cost of repairs, if any? Going to spent $50 for touch up paint from a place that my dealer recommended.

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Been riding motorcycles on and off for years, but this was first scooter I have ever owned. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? Yes.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes
10. How fast was the rider going? About 10-15 mph I think.
11. How far was the rider from home? Only a few blocks.

Post by **jrsjr** » Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:50 am

persephonelily wrote:Guy blew a stop sign and I ended up dumping the bike and skidding on my front about 20 feet. If I hadn't dropped her, I would have hit him broadside.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy 50. White.
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? No. 6:45pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? I managed to avoid actually hitting the guy, so I guess yes? Nothing; I think my reaction saved my ass.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Yes. Sprained knee, road rash on the elbows and knees. I was wearing 3/4 helmet with face shield down (saved my face), sweatshirt, jeans & boots.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Busted up the right side pretty good; brake handle, turn indicator, big crack in the housing and took a chunk out of the headlight rim. Cracks and scuffs all down the side.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? Just under $1400
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? 3 months, 2500 miles, motorcycle license.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? approx 25mph
11. How far was the rider from home? Less than .5 mile

Ow! Sorry to hear you went down again. Glad to hear that your helmet did its job, though, and you just got scuffed up otherwise. Drivers who blow stop signs are our kryptonite, there's no doubt about it.

Modern Buddy

Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

Crashed on my second day...

Crashed due to mechanical problem

Re: Crashed due to mechanical problem

Re: Crashed due to mechanical problem

Re: Crashed due to mechanical problem

Re: Who's Crashed?

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