My first wreck

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Quatodex
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My first wreck

Post by Quatodex »

I was traveling on HWY 116 between Geurneville and Forestville and was unfamiliar with the road. It has a ton of blind corners and turns rated at 10-20MPH, there are very few spots where you can see more than 100' as the road is so curvy.
I was traveling at about 5-10MPH under the limit and 5 cars were piled up behind me so I pulled off and let them pass. Afterward a few more cars began to pile up and one was aggressively tailgating me. I saw an opportunity to allow him to pass after a long straight, the pull off was on a 90* blind corner.
Before I even had the opportunity to pull off, just as I began to slow, the driver passed me in my own lane. He pulled onto my left and then moved in to occupy the entire lane and pushed me off of the road. It was then that I noticed the concrete ended at the edge of the HWY and there was an 8" drop to the gravel below. I could not swerve into the lane to avoid the drop off as two of the cars now occupied the lane (My original line did not intersect the drop off, it was because he forced me out of my lane before the turn that I was forced into this position.)
I am a new driver and had no idea how to handle a drop and conversion to gravel at 45MPH while also stopping the bike as the forest was about 10' away from the edge of the road. I knew I was going to wreck so I turned the wheel sharply to the right to force the bike to lay down on the left side while I pulled a superman over the handlebars. The reason for bailing that way instead of a roll was the dog on my back. He rides in a backpack and loves it.
Minor scratches to the plastics and when I righted the bike and started it smoke billowed from the exhaust. I turned off the engine and restarted it moments later and the smoke was less dense and dissipated within 45 seconds. The left handlebar was bent slightly but my dealer told me it was safe and is going to bend it back into position when I have my engine overhauled.
What could I have done differently to avoid that situation? What mistakes did I make during the event as I described it.

One car did stop to check on me. I asked him to try and get the license plates of the car that forced me off but when we met at the gas station in Forestville he told me that he was unable to catch up to the guy.

Thanks for the input and have a great day.
sc00ter
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Post by sc00ter »

First off, glad you or the dog didnt get hurt! Yeah, that kind of "passing" sucks and its one of the reasons people use GoPro type cameras on rides. We are putting drive cams on both of our cars this month because of stupid drivers. Practicing stops and taking a safety class helps, but I think you handled it pretty good.
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Syd
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Post by Syd »

Glad the pooch is Ok. Why does the engine need an overhaul?
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luckyscroller788
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Post by luckyscroller788 »

Try to always make yourself as big as you can. Don't scoot in the far right of your lane, as that gives cagers the idea that they can sneak into your territory and crowd you out, like what it sounds like happened to you. Stick to the center of your lane on curvy and hilly roads. Glad you weren't hurt!
Quatodex
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Post by Quatodex »

Because it does not move fast enough for me.
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pcsguy88
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Post by pcsguy88 »

I'm really glad you two walked away unharmed. I'm in my 3rd season having yet been battle tested against the pavement and really hoping for 30 more.

I think your first mistake is being on a highway (which makes me assume 55mph) on a 125cc scooter. Of course you are going to piss off the already aholey cagers. If cars are queuing behind you, you do not belong and are raising your risks significantly. Even on my 220, I will only hop on the interstate for a few exits simply because the 65mph speed limit is at the very max of my Blur and does not feel safe for more than a mile or so. 220 on 55mph country highways is a match made in heaven and few cagers will be trying to run faster than you.

Maybe you should look at a bigger bike if touring is your thing since no matter how fast you make your Buddy, it's still physically too small for the highway.
HanShan
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Re: My first wreck

Post by HanShan »

Quatodex wrote: What could I have done differently to avoid that situation? What mistakes did I make during the event as I described it.
In my opinion you should never cower from your position in the road over a raging cager. It will usually be more dangerous becasue they will think they can pass when they should not. What that driver did was illegal and you can never 100% prevent people doing stupid things.

I used to drive a Buddy 50 on route 101 on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state sometimes. There is zero should on most of the road. It was the times I pulled to the side that proved most dangerous to me and the drivers behind me.

55 is a speed limit, not a speed minimum!
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coolrays
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Post by coolrays »

I am glad you weren't seriously hurt!
jelee
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Post by jelee »

Got in my first wreck this weekend as well. Glad you are okay!
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Dooglas
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Post by Dooglas »

Quatodex wrote:I was traveling at about 5-10MPH under the limit and 5 cars were piled up behind me so I pulled off and let them pass......
I love riding on rural roads and smaller highways. This is one of the drawbacks, however. You were riding 5-10 mph under the speed limit, and I'm sure most of the cars were traveling at 5-10 mph over the speed limit (or more). And yes, there is always a dick or two who will press you hard. There are several partial solutions. One is that a 125 Buddy may not be the best choice for this situation as others suggested. Another is that your inexperience probably meant that you were riding somewhat slower than a more experienced rider may have done. And the third is that you had evidently selected a route which was quite heavily traveled. I tend to plan rural rides on routes where the traffic is light. And, yes, when the inevitable dick in a hurry comes along, I do pull off and let him pass. One thing to always be aware of is that the shoulders of rural roads are often unfriendly - as you describe. Be careful where and when you pull off. Curves are never a good choice.
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Syd
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Post by Syd »

Quatodex wrote:Because it does not move fast enough for me.
Is there something wrong with the scoot? Just rebuilding it won't make it faster, unless it's worn out, which a 2015 probably isn't, and adding a big bore kit won't make a big difference either.

This begs the question, why were you 5-10 under listed speed?
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GoSlash27
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Post by GoSlash27 »

pcsguy88,
Maybe you should look at a bigger bike if touring is your thing since no matter how fast you make your Buddy, it's still physically too small for the highway.
I have to disagree. It really depends on the rider and what their size/ weight allows the bike to do. My GF and I rode from Cedar Rapids to Manchester and back (roughly 100 mi round trip) yesterday all highway and her little Buddy 125 had no problem keeping 60-65 mph the whole way.

I would say that you need to be able to comfortably maintain 7 mph over the speed limit with varying winds and grades. If you can't do that, you really shouldn't be there on that bike.

If you're tiny and light, a Buddy 125 will handle it. If not, *then* you need a bigger bike.

As for the rest of it, I concur with Dooglas. The cars backed up behind you present more of a hazard than the road itself. You need to keep up with the flow of traffic. Riding 5-10 under makes you conflict with traffic and every vehicle out there is bigger than you, every driver better protected. All it takes is one impatient driver with a case of road rage to put you in the hospital or worse.
If you're uncomfortable driving 5 over the posted speed limit, find an alternate route with lighter traffic. If you're incapable of driving 5 over the posted limit, get a bigger bike.
Sorry about your accident and I'm glad you're both okay,
-Slashy
HanShan
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Post by HanShan »

GoSlash27 wrote:pcsguy88,
Maybe you should look at a bigger bike if touring is your thing since no matter how fast you make your Buddy, it's still physically too small for the highway.
As for the rest of it, I concur with Dooglas. The cars backed up behind you present more of a hazard than the road itself. You need to keep up with the flow of traffic. Riding 5-10 under makes you conflict with traffic and every vehicle out there is bigger than you, every driver better protected.
-Slashy
No no no. The slower vehicle is not the "conflict". And going 5 mph below the speed LIMIT (not speed minimum) is not illegal nor is it dangerous. It is dangerous to WORRY about the people behind you and not keep your eyes on the road ahead of you.

He got in an accident becasue he was worried about the cars behind him. If he stayed in his lane and waited for a road to turn off on he would have been fine. But he risked his own safety for the "comfort" of the drivers behind him.
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GoSlash27
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Post by GoSlash27 »

HanShan,
This is not a point that I believe either of us will ever convince the other about. Yes, you have a right to be there. Yes, driving at that speed is legal.
But as the old saying goes, "honey, just 'cuz they make it in your size doesn't mean you should wear it". Being within your rights isn't the same thing as being safe.
A scooterist is safest when he/ she encounters as few cars as possible. This happens when the scooterist is travelling at the same speed. Not slower and certainly not faster.
I get where you're coming from, but I don't subscribe to it.

Best,
-Slashy
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pcsguy88
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Post by pcsguy88 »

The minimum speeds on highways here are posted at 45mph, so legally yes, you can be there. I can't ever suggest clogging up a 2 lane highway on a 200lb speed bump since it just seems dangerous to me and selfish toward others.

I had to ride my Blur 100 miles on these sorts of highways when I purchased it. It was into a 20mph wind coming from 2 o'clock and I could not safely go faster than 55mph when the limit was 65mph. I would have never done this if I did not have a big orange Jeep to follow the entire way, the highway slowed down for towns every 5-10 miles and the longest stretch that was 2 lanes was only 15 miles, so we only impeded progress for a short time since most of the trip was 4 lanes.

That was not an enjoyable ride.
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JettaKnight
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Post by JettaKnight »

HanShan wrote:No no no. The slower vehicle is not the "conflict". And going 5 mph below the speed LIMIT (not speed minimum) is not illegal nor is it dangerous. It is dangerous to WORRY about the people behind you and not keep your eyes on the road ahead of you.
Ranting about "those darn speeding whippersnappers!" isn't going to change reality - trying to go slower than traffic is dangerous for everyone.

HanShan wrote:He got in an accident because he was worried about the cars behind him. If he stayed in his lane and waited for a road to turn off on he would have been fine. But he risked his own safety for the "comfort" of the drivers behind him.
No, the accident was caused by the cager, who was emboldened because of a timid scooter rider who didn't "ride like you own the space".

As a general rule, ride in the left third of the lane.[/i]
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skully93
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Post by skully93 »

As much as it was the cager's fault, I will paraphrase my best friend and riding buddy.

"Don't be in the way. It doesn't matter that you are right, as that's just what will go on your tombstone."

In 'packs' of scoots during rallies we've been a little more daring about this. They can't get us all! But solo...I would avoid it if at all possible. Definitely own your lane, don't let others bully you.

That being said, we were all going to the speed limit on a group ride, and this still made a guy so upset that he shoved one of our riders. it was nearly a fight, and then he whipped out a large trailer hitch.

Some people are simply insane, and you never know when you'll run into them.

Glad neither your nor the bike are too beat up.
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mike932
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Post by mike932 »

Another tip. After a red light turns green or after a stop sign, cross the intersection and then pull over and let cars pass you. This is the safest time for them to pass you because they are moving slowly right after the red light or stop sign.
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