Ouch to the skoot, ouch to you. I hope you're ok.n2tattoos wrote:went down this morning. lady took a last minute left in front of me, skidded for about 10 feet. hit the side rear of the van, flew off to the side. missing some skin on the elbow and got lower back strain. doc gave me a nice supply of muscle relaxant.
poor Pamplona is probably totaled. mechanic says bent frame can be fixed, but insurance companies usually total it. hoping to get a new scoot (maybe an upgrade to a shiny, new Blackjack?).
Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]
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- Asburyjer
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While SEE is the acronym to help you as a rider avoid accidents it doesn't mean if you have one you're in error. Get out there and ride a while, you'll see all the vigilance in the WORLD isn't gonna keep cagers from doing really stupid junk in your way. If you're LUCKY you'll avoid an accident for a while but the odds are against you on two wheels.hal1 wrote:Have to chime in. I'm a new rider, and just started the MSF course. I am amazed to see the number of people who state that it was not rider error, yet give reasons such as cager turn in my way, slick road, hit bump, got cut off, and even "car ran red light"
Don't all of these fall under the category of S E E - Search, Evaluate, Execute. Not to pi$$ anyone off, but the situations listed, as well as other, DO seem to fall under the category of Rider Error
- Kaos
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jijifer wrote:While SEE is the acronym to help you as a rider avoid accidents it doesn't mean if you have one you're in error. Get out there and ride a while, you'll see all the vigilance in the WORLD isn't gonna keep cagers from doing really stupid junk in your way. If you're LUCKY you'll avoid an accident for a while but the odds are against you on two wheels.hal1 wrote:Have to chime in. I'm a new rider, and just started the MSF course. I am amazed to see the number of people who state that it was not rider error, yet give reasons such as cager turn in my way, slick road, hit bump, got cut off, and even "car ran red light"
Don't all of these fall under the category of S E E - Search, Evaluate, Execute. Not to pi$$ anyone off, but the situations listed, as well as other, DO seem to fall under the category of Rider Error

- Skootz Kabootz
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Dang n2Tatoos! So sorry to hear this! Damn cager! Hope the muscle relaxants are doing their thing well enough. Rest up. Heal up. Be vigilant with your insurance company and make sure you get fair replacement value. I'll look forward to going for another ride together when you've got your shiny new scooter!n2tattoos wrote:went down this morning. lady took a last minute left in front of me, skidded for about 10 feet. hit the side rear of the van, flew off to the side. missing some skin on the elbow and got lower back strain. doc gave me a nice supply of muscle relaxant.
poor Pamplona is probably totaled. mechanic says bent frame can be fixed, but insurance companies usually total it. hoping to get a new scoot (maybe an upgrade to a shiny, new Blackjack?).
- ericalm
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Awww, crap. Sorry to hear about this. Glad you're not more seriously hurt, though. Hopefully you'll be able to Buddy up again.n2tattoos wrote:went down this morning. lady took a last minute left in front of me, skidded for about 10 feet. hit the side rear of the van, flew off to the side. missing some skin on the elbow and got lower back strain. doc gave me a nice supply of muscle relaxant.
poor Pamplona is probably totaled. mechanic says bent frame can be fixed, but insurance companies usually total it. hoping to get a new scoot (maybe an upgrade to a shiny, new Blackjack?).
I think that's something worth discussing—shouldn't piss anyone off.hal1 wrote:Have to chime in. I'm a new rider, and just started the MSF course. I am amazed to see the number of people who state that it was not rider error, yet give reasons such as cager turn in my way, slick road, hit bump, got cut off, and even "car ran red light"
Don't all of these fall under the category of S E E - Search, Evaluate, Execute. Not to pi$$ anyone off, but the situations listed, as well as other, DO seem to fall under the category of Rider Error

I do occasionally read crash reports and think that sometimes people don't really know what constitutes rider error (or don't want to admit it). However, if a car turns in front of you and there's no room to stop or swerve out of the way, you're either going to hit it, pull a stoppie and fly off or go down. Sure, there may be instances when a rider breaks too hard, breaks and swerves, etc., contributing to the crash or its outcome but the crash would still be due to the fact that someone turned in front of the scoot without warning. The driver is clearly at fault. We can't count every time a scooterist doesn't execute the perfect scooter-saving maneuver under these circumstances as rider error.
In fact, even if such a crash is imminently avoidable through less than superhuman evasive maneuvers, it's still not rider error. For instance: A car doesn't signal but starts pulling into your lane and you don't brake or swerve because you have the right of way (an example used in Proficient Motorcycling) or you think the driver will see you. Though there was plenty of time and room to react when this started happening, the driver continues into the lane and hits you. This doesn't really constitute rider error in the sense we're talking about here. It's just bad judgment on your part. Yes, the driver is at fault, but you could have saved yourself a lot of grief by just avoiding it. (This situation happens all the time!)
"Rider error" in the statistical sense and probably what they're referring to in the MSF is usually reserved for when the rider causes the crash, encounters a common situation which results in a crash, and most single-vehicle crashes. This includes taking a turn too quickly and not being able to compensate (a very common cause of crashes for overconfident experienced riders) and crashes caused by riding beyond your skill level.
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in my case, i actually made eye contact with the driver (at least i thought i did). i let off the throttle because i "sensed" something wasn't right. sure enough, she started the turn. luckily, i already had my hands on the brakes, so i was able to react pretty quickly. it would have been worse for me if i had still been going the speed limit (30mph).
the worst part? she didn't even apologize.
the worst part? she didn't even apologize.

- Asburyjer
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I think that's the line I remember most about my motorcycle manual, "Never assume that just because you've made eye contact with the oncoming driver that they have actually "seen" you."n2tattoos wrote:in my case, i actually made eye contact with the driver (at least i thought i did).
Now that's just rude.the worst part? she didn't even apologize.
- Kaos
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Hey at least she stopped. The SUV that clipped me never even slowed down.n2tattoos wrote:in my case, i actually made eye contact with the driver (at least i thought i did). i let off the throttle because i "sensed" something wasn't right. sure enough, she started the turn. luckily, i already had my hands on the brakes, so i was able to react pretty quickly. it would have been worse for me if i had still been going the speed limit (30mph).
the worst part? she didn't even apologize.
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An apology could be considered an admission of guilt. The driver's probably done this before and learned their lesson.n2tattoos wrote:in my case, i actually made eye contact with the driver (at least i thought i did). i let off the throttle because i "sensed" something wasn't right. sure enough, she started the turn. luckily, i already had my hands on the brakes, so i was able to react pretty quickly. it would have been worse for me if i had still been going the speed limit (30mph).
the worst part? she didn't even apologize.
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Totally. MSF is a good idea for any motor driven cycle regardless of cc's. I like Skootz Kabootz footer: it's only fun if you live to talk about it. MSF is all about teaching how to live to talk about it.hal1 wrote:Thanks jijifer. Even though it's "just" a scooter, I feel the info i'll get from the MSF riders Course will be invaluable.
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check has been cut, order has been placed! by this time next week, I should be sitting on a new Blackjack!n2tattoos wrote:went down this morning. lady took a last minute left in front of me, skidded for about 10 feet. hit the side rear of the van, flew off to the side. missing some skin on the elbow and got lower back strain. doc gave me a nice supply of muscle relaxant.
poor Pamplona is probably totaled. mechanic says bent frame can be fixed, but insurance companies usually total it. hoping to get a new scoot (maybe an upgrade to a shiny, new Blackjack?).
Motorsports (thanks Steve!) was kind enough to purchase the wrecked scoot, allowing me to use the old accessories and use the insurance $ to upgrade.
i know it's only been 3 weeks, but damn, i missed scooting. i noticed i stopped making trips i would normally make on the scoot cuz using a car seemed like too much trouble.
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Who's crashed?
Congrats n2tatoos! Those BlackJacks are nice! My orange 2009 Buddy 125 is still in the shop, waiting for them to look at it and tell me whether it's totalled or not. New BlackJack...hmmm, something to think about!
I'm a little luckier than you in that I was able to find a lightly used 2008 Buddy 125 (80 miles on it) and got back to scooting within 4 days. I've put about 250 miles on it since Tuesday and am ready for the first oil change!

I'm a little luckier than you in that I was able to find a lightly used 2008 Buddy 125 (80 miles on it) and got back to scooting within 4 days. I've put about 250 miles on it since Tuesday and am ready for the first oil change!

Past bikes: 08' Genuine Buddy 125, '07 Yamaha Majesty 400, '07 Piaggio MP3 250, '08 Piaggio MP3 500, '08 Aprilia Scarabeo 500
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
Current bikes: Two '09 Genuine Buddy 125's
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- enzomatic
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1. creme 125
2. It was due to rider error, I was riding in wet conditions and braked over a metal grating.
3. Next time I will do more to avoid metal gratings
4. I was wearing boots, jeans, FF helmet and a tour master jacket.
5. The alignment of the buddy was off and the headlight fell out.
6. $190ish for everything
7. I have about 2 years experience and I'm fully licensed
8. I've never done the MSF course
9. It was my scooter
10. I was going 10-15mph
11. How far was the rider from home? 82.8miles
I was on my way to the sf scooter girl's rally on saturday, left santa cruz for SF at about 8am. When I spilled it was just after 10am and we were going down Market st. It has a lot of metal gratings on the road for the BART or MUNI trains or something. I was in formation with another rider, they braked off the grate, I instinctively squeezed gently on my front brake, it was very very wet out and I slipped and low sided. Mark at CC rider towing (highly recommended) in SF picked up my scoot and took it to Barry's shop, SF Scooter Centre (also highly recommended). The tow was free because Mark was sponsoring the rally with free tows, Barry was able to get my scooter back in running in a few hours, I missed the morning ride but not the night ride.
2. It was due to rider error, I was riding in wet conditions and braked over a metal grating.
3. Next time I will do more to avoid metal gratings
4. I was wearing boots, jeans, FF helmet and a tour master jacket.
5. The alignment of the buddy was off and the headlight fell out.
6. $190ish for everything
7. I have about 2 years experience and I'm fully licensed
8. I've never done the MSF course
9. It was my scooter
10. I was going 10-15mph
11. How far was the rider from home? 82.8miles
I was on my way to the sf scooter girl's rally on saturday, left santa cruz for SF at about 8am. When I spilled it was just after 10am and we were going down Market st. It has a lot of metal gratings on the road for the BART or MUNI trains or something. I was in formation with another rider, they braked off the grate, I instinctively squeezed gently on my front brake, it was very very wet out and I slipped and low sided. Mark at CC rider towing (highly recommended) in SF picked up my scoot and took it to Barry's shop, SF Scooter Centre (also highly recommended). The tow was free because Mark was sponsoring the rally with free tows, Barry was able to get my scooter back in running in a few hours, I missed the morning ride but not the night ride.
Looking for ppl to ride with in LA.
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They already had a cream top cover in stock (they have a huge stock!!! even still have cupini short windscreens), If they didn't I was about to put a friends slightly scratched black jack top cover in, I'm pretty sure that makes me faster.jijifer wrote:Aw Enzo- bummer. Glad it didn't ruin the rally for you. That's the fastest turn around I ever heard! I have a 2009 and it took 2 weeks to get my top cover in stock! Cream buddies are so rare!
happy to hear you're ok!
The one problem is that i guess my speedo wasn't attached completely and stopped working on the ride home, fortunately i didn't need it, my scoot has only three speeds... Fast, stopped, and hill.
Looking for ppl to ride with in LA.
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Tell me about it. One night on a bike ride with my family my sister's bf was ran into a curb doing about 15, flipped over his handlebars onto the sidewalk coming down the 9th avenue hill.KRUSTYburger wrote:I know how it goes wrecking a bicycle, I had
the worst ever and still have the scars to prove it. Pedal power can be pretty serious.
We use to leave my house, head downtown on scenic then cruise for awhile and head back. about 20-30 mile ride. So much fun.
EDIT: Sorry for the off topicness (Making up words is fun)
- KRUSTYburger
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My wreck I was just pedalling REALLY fast, standing up and putting all my weight on the pedals to get faster... then my chain came loose. Sincecmac wrote:Tell me about it. One night on a bike ride with my family my sister's bf was ran into a curb doing about 15, flipped over his handlebars onto the sidewalk coming down the 9th avenue hill.KRUSTYburger wrote:I know how it goes wrecking a bicycle, I had the worst ever and still have the scars to prove it. Pedal power can be pretty serious.
We use to leave my house, head downtown on scenic then cruise for awhile and head back. about 20-30 mile ride. So much fun.
EDIT: Sorry for the off topicness (Making up words is fun)
there was no longer any pressure to push against, my foot shot down and slid off the pedal which made me lose balance and slide across the
ground for quite a ways. When I got up I almost fainted so I sat down and my sister who I was riding with (luckily) called my mom who came
to pick me up in the van. Upon standing to get in I passed out. Then I regained consciousness as they helped me into the vehicle.
On the way home I was fully conscious, but my vision faded out to white and I couldn't see anything for about 3 minutes and I was freaking out, I
thought I might have brain damage or something. Then it faded back in and I could see normal. Then the fun part came: washing the dirt & gravel
out of my elbow & leg! That was the worst. Not to mention a good month of not being able to bend my knee because the scab would tear my skin.
Good times.

- ericalm
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Enzo, sorry to hear you went down but glad all turned out okay. Pretty cool that the rally had the tow service offered and support ready to go!enzomatic wrote:They already had a cream top cover in stock (they have a huge stock!!! even still have cupini short windscreens), If they didn't I was about to put a friends slightly scratched black jack top cover in, I'm pretty sure that makes me faster.jijifer wrote:Aw Enzo- bummer. Glad it didn't ruin the rally for you. That's the fastest turn around I ever heard! I have a 2009 and it took 2 weeks to get my top cover in stock! Cream buddies are so rare!
happy to hear you're ok!
The one problem is that i guess my speedo wasn't attached completely and stopped working on the ride home, fortunately i didn't need it, my scoot has only three speeds... Fast, stopped, and hill.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
- pugbuddy
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Gads, Krusty! What a tale of pain! You were passing out and didn't go to the hospital?
Then again, when I was little I ran head first into a concrete block my brother was carrying (turned a corner doing "the bull rush") and ended up bleeding profusely from my forehead. My parents rushed me to the hospital and the doctor looked at me, put a band-aid on my forehead, and told us all to go home.
So I guess toughing it out is not a bad thing. But you were passing out....
Then again, when I was little I ran head first into a concrete block my brother was carrying (turned a corner doing "the bull rush") and ended up bleeding profusely from my forehead. My parents rushed me to the hospital and the doctor looked at me, put a band-aid on my forehead, and told us all to go home.
So I guess toughing it out is not a bad thing. But you were passing out....

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This happened before I got my Buddy 50, and I'm so glad it did, b/c it's really made me more cautious - although it really is exhausting how cautious you have to be ALL THE TIME on a scoot!
1. some chinese POS 50 cc, red
2. rider error on a steep wet driveway, 7 am - I was just starting it, gave it too much throttle, panicked and hit the front brakes too hard, and went right down.
3. I could easily have avoided it by walking it to the bottom of the drive and starting it on the flat part. Also by not hitting the front brake so hard.
4. I banged my left knee and elbow pretty hard: softball-sized swelling, road rash, technicolor bruising. I wasn't wearing any protective clothing except a half helmet, but the visor on it kept me from scraping the nose off my face.
5. Mirror and turn signal knocked off, scrapes all down the left side. But it was still running when i picked it up, and started right back up after I got bandaged up. Other than that, it truly was a POS.
6. My friend fixed the turn signal and mirror with a little epoxy.
7. About 3 mos experience at that point. 2 years riding now.
8. No haven't taken the course - would like to tho.
9. yes.
10. about 5 mph.
11. in my own freakin driveway!!!
Anyway - thanks so much for the thread - it is so informative and interesting, in a rubbernecking kind of way
1. some chinese POS 50 cc, red
2. rider error on a steep wet driveway, 7 am - I was just starting it, gave it too much throttle, panicked and hit the front brakes too hard, and went right down.
3. I could easily have avoided it by walking it to the bottom of the drive and starting it on the flat part. Also by not hitting the front brake so hard.
4. I banged my left knee and elbow pretty hard: softball-sized swelling, road rash, technicolor bruising. I wasn't wearing any protective clothing except a half helmet, but the visor on it kept me from scraping the nose off my face.
5. Mirror and turn signal knocked off, scrapes all down the left side. But it was still running when i picked it up, and started right back up after I got bandaged up. Other than that, it truly was a POS.
6. My friend fixed the turn signal and mirror with a little epoxy.
7. About 3 mos experience at that point. 2 years riding now.
8. No haven't taken the course - would like to tho.
9. yes.
10. about 5 mph.
11. in my own freakin driveway!!!
Anyway - thanks so much for the thread - it is so informative and interesting, in a rubbernecking kind of way

- moniraq
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1. Buddy Blackjack 150
2. Rider error? Yep. Time? About 6:15pm
3. Yep. Pay better attention.
4. Rider injured? Yep. See below. What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? I'm a bad rider. Shorts, sleeveless T. But I was wearing a helmet and goggles! Saved my noggin.
5. Minimal damage. I took all the damage.
6. Cost of repairs was less that $50.
7. Over 5 years on motorcycles, 3rd year on scoot. M-license.
8. Yep but quite a while ago.
9. Yep.
10. About 30-35 mph.
11. Less than 2 miles.
Had just bought my Blackjack the day before. (My previous Buddy was an Italia) and decided to join a group ride the following day. We were about 5 minutes into the ride and turned down a pretty low traffic road (thank goodness). I had already avoided several potholes and saw a big one up ahead. Swerved left to avoid it and caught another one I hadn't seen. Dumped and rolled. Hard. Road rash, bruised lung, bruised pancreas, 7 broken ribs. Taken to hospital in ambulance and was there for 6 days on a lot of pain killers.
Luckily, damage to Buddy was very minimal. As for my damage, road rash healed with a few scars. I'd guess my ribs are about 75% healed now. I missed a whole summer of riding. I've already ridden a couple of short rides and will gradually work my way back to the longer rides.
2. Rider error? Yep. Time? About 6:15pm
3. Yep. Pay better attention.
4. Rider injured? Yep. See below. What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? I'm a bad rider. Shorts, sleeveless T. But I was wearing a helmet and goggles! Saved my noggin.
5. Minimal damage. I took all the damage.
6. Cost of repairs was less that $50.
7. Over 5 years on motorcycles, 3rd year on scoot. M-license.
8. Yep but quite a while ago.
9. Yep.
10. About 30-35 mph.
11. Less than 2 miles.
Had just bought my Blackjack the day before. (My previous Buddy was an Italia) and decided to join a group ride the following day. We were about 5 minutes into the ride and turned down a pretty low traffic road (thank goodness). I had already avoided several potholes and saw a big one up ahead. Swerved left to avoid it and caught another one I hadn't seen. Dumped and rolled. Hard. Road rash, bruised lung, bruised pancreas, 7 broken ribs. Taken to hospital in ambulance and was there for 6 days on a lot of pain killers.
Luckily, damage to Buddy was very minimal. As for my damage, road rash healed with a few scars. I'd guess my ribs are about 75% healed now. I missed a whole summer of riding. I've already ridden a couple of short rides and will gradually work my way back to the longer rides.
- moniraq
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The bitch is that the next day when my friends went to pick my bike up (a nearby business locked my scoot up for the night), they couldn't find the spot I had dumped because the city had already filled the potholes up!!! One little crash and all of a sudden, they're fixed!laxer wrote:WOW, from a pothole no less, I wish they would take better care of the roads. Heal up and feel better.
- laxer
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That's it! "What potholes?" We pay our damn taxes (well, I'm assuming here, but I'm pretty sure that most drivers do), so fix the damn roads BEFORE I nearly kill myself on them. Again, hope you're feeling better, there's nothing worse than being banged up, achy, and bed ridden.moniraq wrote:The bitch is that the next day when my friends went to pick my bike up (a nearby business locked my scoot up for the night), they couldn't find the spot I had dumped because the city had already filled the potholes up!!! One little crash and all of a sudden, they're fixed!laxer wrote:WOW, from a pothole no less, I wish they would take better care of the roads. Heal up and feel better.
- KRUSTYburger
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- fantumx420
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fantumx420 wrote:yep, the lady is 100% at fault. when the cop was taking our statements, she tried to blame me by saying i was going too fast. the cop just laughed and said, "it doesn't matter how fast he was going, you have to wait until it's safe to turn."Asburyjer wrote:I am new to the 2 wheel world so please excuse my ignorance. Is the person that cut you off at fault and is their insurance covering it? I am curious since they did not actually hit you.n2tattoos wrote:lady took a last minute left in front of me, skidded for about 10 feet.
i got a lot of resistance from her insurance, but they are reimbursing my deductible.
- fantumx420
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Glad to know your ok. That's good that they are taking care of it. I am planning on purchasing a Buddy soon. I have very little riding experience and haven't thought about who's at fault issues for collisions like yours. I have been thinking about postpoing my purchase to be able to afford a motorcycle safety course first.n2tattoos wrote:yep, the lady is 100% at fault. when the cop was taking our statements, she tried to blame me by saying i was going too fast. the cop just laughed and said, "it doesn't matter how fast he was going, you have to wait until it's safe to turn."
i got a lot of resistance from her insurance, but they are reimbursing my deductible.
- laxer
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This may be a good idea. I didn't take the course and put down my scoot about a month into owning it. You really have to be the defensive driver because people don't pay enough attention to see you. Scooterists are like ghosts: we are invisible to other motorists and they don't believe that we actually exist.fantumx420 wrote:Glad to know your ok. That's good that they are taking care of it. I am planning on purchasing a Buddy soon. I have very little riding experience and haven't thought about who's at fault issues for collisions like yours. I have been thinking about postpoing my purchase to be able to afford a motorcycle safety course first.n2tattoos wrote:yep, the lady is 100% at fault. when the cop was taking our statements, she tried to blame me by saying i was going too fast. the cop just laughed and said, "it doesn't matter how fast he was going, you have to wait until it's safe to turn."
i got a lot of resistance from her insurance, but they are reimbursing my deductible.
Edit--You could always purchase the Buddy and practice up in empty parking lots and the like while you save up to take the course. The more experience you have in the saddle, the better. Besides, who wants to wait that long to buy a new toy?

Last edited by laxer on Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Asburyjer
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- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:27 pm
- Location: Central Kentucky (I-75 Corridor)
I'm so glad you weren't more seriously hurt and thrilled to hear that you're healing. Although I hated to hear that the day after you bought your Blackjack you wrecked..total downer.moniraq wrote: Luckily, damage to Buddy was very minimal. As for my damage, road rash healed with a few scars. I'd guess my ribs are about 75% healed now. I missed a whole summer of riding. I've already ridden a couple of short rides and will gradually work my way back to the longer rides.
- moniraq
- Member
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:09 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Tx
Am feeling much better, thank you. I'm really itching to break in my Blackjack so I can open up that throttle and really see what I bought!!Asburyjer wrote:I'm so glad you weren't more seriously hurt and thrilled to hear that you're healing. Although I hated to hear that the day after you bought your Blackjack you wrecked..total downer.moniraq wrote: Luckily, damage to Buddy was very minimal. As for my damage, road rash healed with a few scars. I'd guess my ribs are about 75% healed now. I missed a whole summer of riding. I've already ridden a couple of short rides and will gradually work my way back to the longer rides.
- moniraq
- Member
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:09 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Tx
Forgot to say in the last post, thanks for the healing wishes. I really am feeling better most of the time and now that I can actually sleep in a bed (I slept sitting up on a futon and finally on a recliner for almost 3 months) I am almost human again.laxer wrote:That's it! "What potholes?" We pay our damn taxes (well, I'm assuming here, but I'm pretty sure that most drivers do), so fix the damn roads BEFORE I nearly kill myself on them. Again, hope you're feeling better, there's nothing worse than being banged up, achy, and bed ridden.moniraq wrote:The bitch is that the next day when my friends went to pick my bike up (a nearby business locked my scoot up for the night), they couldn't find the spot I had dumped because the city had already filled the potholes up!!! One little crash and all of a sudden, they're fixed!laxer wrote:WOW, from a pothole no less, I wish they would take better care of the roads. Heal up and feel better.
As for the pothole, I did contact a lawyer to ask about the potholes and the city's responsibilities and he told me that even if I had other people vouch that they were there, there was no real evidence (he actually asked me if I had a chance to take pictures of them after the accident) of their depth, a lawsuit would be pretty useless. Oh well...live and learn.
- Tanuki
- Member
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:32 pm
- Location: Seattle
Scooterless in Seattle
One day in July I was on my way to work.
I stopped at a red light in a four way intersection.
The light went from red to green and the cars in front of me went ahead through it. I saw an SUV approaching the intersection and slowing down for the red light, so I went ahead and pulled out. The SUV driver, who had been slowing down to stop, ran the light and hit me. I flew/rolled 30 feet, with my beloved scooter coming to a stop about ten feet from me.
Several witnesses expressed amazement that I was not dead. I was wearing a Corrazo jacket and jeans, with a pair of regular tennis shoes. My injuries were two broken toes, some road rash, bruising, and some soft tissue injuries to my back. I was wearing a brand new crash helmet - and it didn't even hit the pavement, it doesn't have a scratch on it! I realize that I am very lucky.
I managed to get my scooter home (the accident was fairly close to my house), but after taking the body panels off it was obvious that the bike is totaled. The crank case is broken off of the frame, and the frame itself is bent about four inches out of alignment. The shock absorber is also bent, and although the engine runs, there is nothing to hold it to the frame. My beloved buddy is dead, and my heart is broken.
The driver who hit me never even came over to see if I was OK . She just parked on the other side of the road and waited for the police and ambulance to arrive - the police officer had to get her information for me. She had no insurance, and I cannot afford to replace my scooter AND pay off my medical bills.
That scooter was not my secondary mode of transportation - it was my ONLY mode of transportation. I know I'm lucky not to be crippled, or worse, from the collision - but all I can think about is how much I loved my scooter and how much I miss riding.
I stopped at a red light in a four way intersection.
The light went from red to green and the cars in front of me went ahead through it. I saw an SUV approaching the intersection and slowing down for the red light, so I went ahead and pulled out. The SUV driver, who had been slowing down to stop, ran the light and hit me. I flew/rolled 30 feet, with my beloved scooter coming to a stop about ten feet from me.
Several witnesses expressed amazement that I was not dead. I was wearing a Corrazo jacket and jeans, with a pair of regular tennis shoes. My injuries were two broken toes, some road rash, bruising, and some soft tissue injuries to my back. I was wearing a brand new crash helmet - and it didn't even hit the pavement, it doesn't have a scratch on it! I realize that I am very lucky.
I managed to get my scooter home (the accident was fairly close to my house), but after taking the body panels off it was obvious that the bike is totaled. The crank case is broken off of the frame, and the frame itself is bent about four inches out of alignment. The shock absorber is also bent, and although the engine runs, there is nothing to hold it to the frame. My beloved buddy is dead, and my heart is broken.
The driver who hit me never even came over to see if I was OK . She just parked on the other side of the road and waited for the police and ambulance to arrive - the police officer had to get her information for me. She had no insurance, and I cannot afford to replace my scooter AND pay off my medical bills.
That scooter was not my secondary mode of transportation - it was my ONLY mode of transportation. I know I'm lucky not to be crippled, or worse, from the collision - but all I can think about is how much I loved my scooter and how much I miss riding.
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- Member
- Posts: 1450
- Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:18 pm
- Location: San Diego
wah. total bummer. Heal fastmoniraq wrote:1. Buddy Blackjack 150
2. Rider error? Yep. Time? About 6:15pm
3. Yep. Pay better attention.
4. Rider injured? Yep. See below. What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? I'm a bad rider. Shorts, sleeveless T. But I was wearing a helmet and goggles! Saved my noggin.
5. Minimal damage. I took all the damage.
6. Cost of repairs was less that $50.
7. Over 5 years on motorcycles, 3rd year on scoot. M-license.
8. Yep but quite a while ago.
9. Yep.
10. About 30-35 mph.
11. Less than 2 miles.
Had just bought my Blackjack the day before. (My previous Buddy was an Italia) and decided to join a group ride the following day. We were about 5 minutes into the ride and turned down a pretty low traffic road (thank goodness). I had already avoided several potholes and saw a big one up ahead. Swerved left to avoid it and caught another one I hadn't seen. Dumped and rolled. Hard. Road rash, bruised lung, bruised pancreas, 7 broken ribs. Taken to hospital in ambulance and was there for 6 days on a lot of pain killers.
Luckily, damage to Buddy was very minimal. As for my damage, road rash healed with a few scars. I'd guess my ribs are about 75% healed now. I missed a whole summer of riding. I've already ridden a couple of short rides and will gradually work my way back to the longer rides.
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- Member
- Posts: 1450
- Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:18 pm
- Location: San Diego
Re: Scooterless in Seattle
Oh man. were you insured? in SD they make us have "uninsured insurance" for this very reason. This is my worst nightmare. Getting totaled and not having THEIR insurance cover THEIR mistakes.Tanuki wrote: The driver who hit me never even came over to see if I was OK . She just parked on the other side of the road and waited for the police and ambulance to arrive - the police officer had to get her information for me. She had no insurance, and I cannot afford to replace my scooter AND pay off my medical bills.
That scooter was not my secondary mode of transportation - it was my ONLY mode of transportation. I know I'm lucky not to be crippled, or worse, from the collision - but all I can think about is how much I loved my scooter and how much I miss riding.
So sorry. I hope this works out better than you think it will at this point.