Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

slusher5 · Post by **slusher5** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:24 pm

i've started flashing my brake lights past couple months, makes me feel safer

I've come to the conclusion that you have to trust everyones driving ability and hope they don't rear end you, even though most of them are not competent ...

pulling to the front of lights is the best option IMO.. I rarely do it though cause my bike is not fast enough to escape the jealous cagers

peabody99 · Post by **peabody99** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:01 am

I think that is a great idea (flashing brake light). As I am slowing I swear I spend more time watching my mirror for possible rear ends as anywhere else and flash if I think someone is not paying attention.

One disturbing discovery I have only recently made is Buddy's are really hard to see at night, esp if it is raining. Obviously when I ride my buddy I have no idea about my own viability but as a rider, I have had a hard time seeing them here in SD (there are a ton of Buds here and I only moved last year so this is a new discovery). I think the lights are dim, and profile narrow. I swear the times I have squinted most and asked myself is that a scooter or a bicycle, it has ended up being a buddy (or the rare honda cub) if it is a scooter. If I am riding at night anywhere but well lit city streets I take the vespa which has a blinding headlight and strong taillight, or (gasp,) the cage. I am looking into florescent tape for our helmets, scoots and maybe even jackets.

rkcoker · Post by **rkcoker** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:10 am

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Buddy 125. Color?Red
2. Was the crash due to rider error? Yes. What time of day did it occur? 2pm February 17, 2011
3. Could the crash have been avoided? Yes. What will you do differently next time? Don't panic
4. Was the rider injured? Yes, broken right arm

What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Helmet and boots and leather gloves
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Scratched on right side
6. Cost of repairs, if any? Paint and sundry , <$100
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? 2 weeks at time of accident. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? Not at the time
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Not until October 2011
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes
10. How fast was the rider going? Making a left turn at less than 10 mph
11. How far was the rider from home? About 5 miles

I was very lucky, I hit the ground with my helmet first. I was making a slow left hand turn at an intersection. It was about 7-10 days after snowstorm and there was was small quantities of sand and pea gravel in the road. I hit some and the tires felt like they slipped and I panicked.

Hit the right side curb and flew over the scooter. Hit the helmet then my arm, broke it near the shoulder joint. My arm hurt until September before I could think about getting back on. Since then done the MSF course, my license and have been riding more.

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:18 am

Here's how to install the $4.95 brake light modulator from superbrightleds.com: viewtopic.php?t=17944

Lil Buddy offers a prewired/connectored version: topic18271.html

Really helps the nighttime visibility.

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:37 am

rkcoker wrote:I was very lucky, I hit the ground with my helmet first. I was making a slow left hand turn at an intersection. It was about 7-10 days after snowstorm and there was was small quantities of sand and pea gravel in the road. I hit some and the tires felt like they slipped and I panicked. Hit the right side curb and flew over the scooter. Hit the helmet then my arm, broke it near the shoulder joint. My arm hurt until September before I could think about getting back on. Since then done the MSF course, my license and have been riding more.

Wow—don't often hear people say they're glad they landed on their head!

Glad you're healed and riding again.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 4:22 am

rkcoker wrote:Hit the helmet then my arm, broke it near the shoulder joint. My arm hurt until September...

Ouch!!!

Glad you're back in the saddle after that. I hate sanded roads.

rkcoker · Post by **rkcoker** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:21 am

ericalm wrote:
rkcoker wrote:I was very lucky, I hit the ground with my helmet first. I was making a slow left hand turn at an intersection. It was about 7-10 days after snowstorm and there was was small quantities of sand and pea gravel in the road. I hit some and the tires felt like they slipped and I panicked. Hit the right side curb and flew over the scooter. Hit the helmet then my arm, broke it near the shoulder joint. My arm hurt until September before I could think about getting back on. Since then done the MSF course, my license and have been riding more.
Wow—don't often hear people say they're glad they landed on their head!

Glad you're healed and riding again.

Didn't mean that I was glad I landed on my head. I meant I was glad I was wearing my helmet because of the point of impact. I would have had serious problems or death.

monkeykat · Post by **monkeykat** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 9:03 pm

I can now add myself to the "has crashed" party

I went for a nice morning ride--it was sunny and 57, how could I resist a leisurely ride? My Stella is also sensitive to sitting in the garage for more than a week, so I have to take it out for rides just to keep it happy.

At the end of my ride, I made the right turn onto my street to be surprised by someone pulling backwards out of their driveway. Their driveway is really close to the corner of the block. I panicked, braked--unfortunately my wheels weren't fully out of the turn yet (although I tried to straighten up first!) I went over the handle bars as the bike slid onto its side. I landed a feet away from my bike and a few feet from the side of the car that was backing out.

I stayed on the ground for a moment, to gather my thoughts. I sat up, looked for the car, and realized she had pulled up to the stop sign and had the window down, asking if I was OK. She didn't seem interested in stopping. The first thing I said was, "You aren't going to get out of the car?"

OK, a response like that isn't like me, but I was really rattled. My boyfriend was at home a few houses down and heard it happen--and he came running out of the house in his socks. Lots of other people stopped, and I told the woman it was clearly no one's fault. She didn't speak much English and kept saying, "I have to work. I go to work now."

My bike is a little scratched up and the handlebars definitely need realigned. I'll have to wait until Tuesday to see if anything else is wrong. My gear was excellent at protecting me, but my pants didn't resist the road...I have some pretty intense road rash (and 1 pair of ripped up, bloody pants). Emotionally, it stings a little more. My bike has had so many little issues that I was excited for a time span where I wasn't bothering the shop (just got its 3rd carb 3 weeks ago!). But, they are really good to the bike when it's there, so I know it's for the best.

Anyway, WOW--it really shook me up. And when I review it in my head, I realize it was just really, really bad timing. If I had been on my bicycle, the outcome might have been similar.

Sigh. Happy New Year.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:21 pm

monkeykat wrote:...when I review it in my head, I realize it was just really, really bad timing. If I had been on my bicycle, the outcome might have been similar.

Except, if you'd been on your bicycle, you probably wouldn't have been wearing all that protective gear that kept you from getting hurt. So you might say that it was really, really good timing.

Either way, I'm really glad to hear you weren't hurt.

Happy New Year!

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:46 am

monkeykat wrote:I told the woman it was clearly no one's fault. She didn't speak much English and kept saying, "I have to work. I go to work now."

Sorry you scratched up your ride and glad to hear that you weren't more badly hurt. Now, I know this is the part you don't want to hear - but, it really was not "no one's fault". You reacted poorly to an unexpected situation and lost control of your scooter. Not to say that hasn't happened to many of us, but the right thing to do is learn from the accident and react differently next time - not just shrug it off as bad luck.

monkeykat · Post by **monkeykat** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:43 am

Oh, believe me, Dooglas, I've been beating myself up about this one. By "no one's fault" I mean that there wasn't any egregious wrongdoing on anyone's part. I went back to the scene this afternoon to see out what I could have done differently. The driveway was a car's length from the corner, in which there was parked (still) a minivan.

When I replay it in my head, I consider that if I hadn't hit the brakes so hard, things might have been different--I might have stopped in time and escaped scratches, or I would have slammed into the side of the car. Perhaps I could have swerved? Or maybe swerving would have ended up with the car backing into me. I will never know.

So yes, each event does teach us a little about riding. Being in an accident is a totally new experience for me--I'm in my mid-30's, never been the driver in a car accident, got doored by a car on my bike once about 8 years back.

Because I have to get out of my "I shoud've" downward spiral, I will just say this: road rash stings.

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:40 pm

So it was my turn.

Tuesday morning, on my way into work. It was 33 degrees out, and I promised myself that I would ride this winter as long as it was above freezing. Plus, I was itching to try my new heated glove liners. Unfortunately it had snowed a bit the night before, but it had all melted completely. A few roads were still a little damp, but not much.

I was a couple miles from my house. I was on one of those damp roads. I was riding a bit too fast (first mistake), and didn't expect the cars ahead of me to come to such a quick stop. I braked, with the front brake only (second mistake), and it locked the tire. At this point, I was too close to the minivan in front of me to correct the situation when the back started fishtailing. If I had room, I could have pulled myself out of it (I've done it before), but I would have had to slam into the back of the minivan, which wouldn't have been any better.

So, down I went, on my right side. I hopped right back up to my feet, faster than the police officer overseeing the construction on the other side of the street could even get to me.

My first thought was to get the scooter out of the road. Unfortunately it was still running, and it almost ran away from me as I grabbed it by the throttle. In that little struggle, it ended up falling (lightly) back down onto the other side. That is when I turned the ignition, picked it up, and wheeled it onto the side of the road.

At this point, I wasn't feeling any pain, other than a mild headache, but I knew I would feel more later.

The only damage I saw on the scooter was some scratching on the metal portion at the bottom. Maybe a few more little scratches here and there, but nothing else. I road it home after that just fine.

My leather coat is ruined. Under the right sleeve, the leather is torn, not just on the seam. I may take it to a tailor and see if it is repairable, but it was only a $150 jacket from Burlington Coat Factory anyway.

The only apparent damage to my helmet is scratching on the right side of the visor. I couldn't even see the scratching while wearing it. I know everyone says to replace a helmet after any impact, but I really don't think it was impacted, so I am just replacing the visor ($20).

My gloves are 98% fine. The armored section of the heel of the glove has the fabric over the armor torn a bit. Still plenty usable.

My jeans... well, they have a little more character now.

As for me, like I said, I felt fine right after. By the time I got home though, I had pain in my clavical, so I went to the emergency room to get an x-ray in case of a hairline fracture. There was no fracture. I also had to lie a bit to the hospital to keep them from reporting it as a "motor vehicle accident" and just bill it to my regular medical insurance. I basically just kept saying "The state doesn't require insurance on small scooters", which isn't technically a lie, but I let them think that I had one of those small scooters, and therefore didn't have insurance on it.

I really didn't want to let an x-ray just in case screw over my scooter *and* car insurance rates for the next 5 years.

So, at this point, 2 days later, I am sore all over. All my upper body muscles are stiff, and the right shoulder is still weak. I probably pulled a tendon or ligament or something. My right knee has a little road rash, plus a couple other small spots on my hip and my shin (no idea how I got it there). My left leg has an invisible bruise on the upper shin.

Overall, I am pretty good, and I've recognized a weakness in my riding style that I will correct in the future (once my shoulder is healed enough in a week or two to start riding again).

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:45 pm

Glad you're OK!

I've had a few 'oh, shit!' moments myself that have tempered what I do on a road a lot. Mostly riding and thinking everything is dry, when in reality some of the side streets keep ice on them for a week at times.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:48 pm

Glad you came out of it without anything more serious. I have to say, I have gone down 3 times in 50 years of riding motorcycles and scooters. One of those 3 times was in the winter in Boston with the temperature at about 33 degrees and some light snow the night before. The roads were mostly all clear but I managed to find one small patch where tire compression had turned a bit of snow into ice. Down I went and for the last 45 years I have never again ridden at 33 degrees with the remnants of a light snow on the ground. So we learn

.

DanielPerrin · Post by **DanielPerrin** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 5:59 am

ed85379 wrote:So it was my turn.

Plus, I was itching to try my new heated glove liners.

I braked, with the front brake only (second mistake), and it locked the tire.

I'm glad that you are mostly OK. How did the heated glove liners do?

Thanks also for the reminder about using both brakes. Front brakes do most of the braking anyway, and my front brake is a lot stronger than the rear, so I've been getting into a habit of mostly using the front brake. I'll focus more on balancing both brakes.

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:04 am

DanielPerrin wrote:
ed85379 wrote:So it was my turn.

Plus, I was itching to try my new heated glove liners.

I braked, with the front brake only (second mistake), and it locked the tire.
I'm glad that you are mostly OK. How did the heated glove liners do?

Thanks also for the reminder about using both brakes. Front brakes do most of the braking anyway, and my front brake is a lot stronger than the rear, so I've been getting into a habit of mostly using the front brake. I'll focus more on balancing both brakes.

Unfortunately I was too soon into my ride to the gloves to get a proper test. I went down just before the high-speed section when my hands would've frozen normally. So far, my hands were perfectly comfortable, not cold at all.

I think my front brake might be a little too tight actually. I may have to get that adjusted.

Scooterboi · Post by **Scooterboi** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 6:15 pm

Dooglas wrote:Glad you came out of it without anything more serious. I have to say, I have gone down 3 times in 50 years of riding motorcycles and scooters. One of those 3 times was in the winter in Boston with the temperature at about 33 degrees and some light snow the night before. The roads were mostly all clear but I managed to find one small patch where tire compression had turned a bit of snow into ice. Down I went and for the last 45 years I have never again ridden at 33 degrees with the remnants of a light snow on the ground. So we learn .

+1 Watch out for those shadows!

BootScootin'FireFighter · Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:04 pm

late to read the post, but glad your ok Ed

michelle_7728 · Post by **michelle_7728** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:04 am

I'm sorry to hear about your mishap, Ed. I'm glad you are okay and your BlackJack fared so well!

My crash a couple years ago was in light rain as well, and I ended up about like you physically...light roadrash and bone bruise as well...though it sounds like your Buddy fared better than mine did (mine needed lots of parts replaced, including the handlbars).

Hopefully you are back to normal now, as I see this happened several days ago.

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:20 am

michelle_7728 wrote:I'm sorry to hear about your mishap, Ed. I'm glad you are okay and your BlackJack fared so well!

My crash a couple years ago was in light rain as well, and I ended up about like you physically...light roadrash and bone bruise as well...though it sounds like your Buddy fared better than mine did (mine needed lots of parts replaced, including the handlbars).

Hopefully you are back to normal now, as I see this happened several days ago.

A few days later, when I took another look at the scooter, I saw the actual damage. The chrome crashbar did its job. All of the impact/scratching was on that. That accessory was definitely worth it.

As for me, my shoulder got better and better, every day... until it stopped. Now I am still sore in the morning, I can't sleep on my right side (well, I could ignore the soreness, but I am worried I would hurt it more), and I still can't bend it certain ways without a little pain. I think if it is still like this in another week, 4 weeks after the accident, I'll check in with a physical therapist. I don't want this to become something permanent if I can help it.

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 1:09 am

ed85379 wrote: As for me, my shoulder got better and better, every day... until it stopped. Now I am still sore in the morning, I can't sleep on my right side (well, I could ignore the soreness, but I am worried I would hurt it more), and I still can't bend it certain ways without a little pain. I think if it is still like this in another week, 4 weeks after the accident, I'll check in with a physical therapist. I don't want this to become something permanent if I can help it.

Sorry to hear about your crash, ed! I just now read about it.

As for the shoulder, if you can get to a PT, do it! In my crash I had a pretty rough shoulder injury (sprained AC joint) and it felt just as you describe. I had a really good PT and went for a few months. My crash was 6 months ago and the shoulder just continued to have some pain for about 4 months even WITH the PT. I'm sure it would have been much worse or permanent without that.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 1:21 am

jmazza wrote:
ed85379 wrote: As for me, my shoulder got better and better, every day... until it stopped. Now I am still sore in the morning, I can't sleep on my right side (well, I could ignore the soreness, but I am worried I would hurt it more), and I still can't bend it certain ways without a little pain. I think if it is still like this in another week, 4 weeks after the accident, I'll check in with a physical therapist. I don't want this to become something permanent if I can help it.
Sorry to hear about your crash, ed! I just now read about it.

As for the shoulder, if you can get to a PT, do it! In my crash I had a pretty rough shoulder injury (sprained AC joint) and it felt just as you describe. I had a really good PT and went for a few months. My crash was 6 months ago and the shoulder just continued to have some pain for about 4 months even WITH the PT. I'm sure it would have been much worse or permanent without that.

+1 That was my experience, too. Shoulder injuries hurt and, at least in my case, it took a PT pro to push me to rehab it in the right way at the right rate, not pushing so hard that I injured it further, but pushing through a certain level of pain that just goes with the territory.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:25 am

jrsjr wrote:
jmazza wrote:
ed85379 wrote: As for me, my shoulder got better and better, every day... until it stopped. Now I am still sore in the morning, I can't sleep on my right side (well, I could ignore the soreness, but I am worried I would hurt it more), and I still can't bend it certain ways without a little pain. I think if it is still like this in another week, 4 weeks after the accident, I'll check in with a physical therapist. I don't want this to become something permanent if I can help it.
Sorry to hear about your crash, ed! I just now read about it.

As for the shoulder, if you can get to a PT, do it! In my crash I had a pretty rough shoulder injury (sprained AC joint) and it felt just as you describe. I had a really good PT and went for a few months. My crash was 6 months ago and the shoulder just continued to have some pain for about 4 months even WITH the PT. I'm sure it would have been much worse or permanent without that.
+1 That was my experience, too. Shoulder injuries hurt and, at least in my case, it took a PT pro to push me to rehab it in the right way at the right rate, not pushing so hard that I injured it further, but pushing through a certain level of pain that just goes with the territory.

Uh, yeah. 6 weeks PT for a shoulder injury here.

I became acutely and painfully aware of how all the muscles in my back, neck, chest, torso and arm are connected to the shoulder. Frickin' hurts.

iMoses · Post by **iMoses** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:10 pm

peabody99 wrote:I think that is a great idea (flashing brake light). As I am slowing I swear I spend more time watching my mirror for possible rear ends as anywhere else and flash if I think someone is not paying attention.

One disturbing discovery I have only recently made is Buddy's are really hard to see at night, esp if it is raining. Obviously when I ride my buddy I have no idea about my own viability but as a rider, I have had a hard time seeing them here in SD (there are a ton of Buds here and I only moved last year so this is a new discovery). I think the lights are dim, and profile narrow. I swear the times I have squinted most and asked myself is that a scooter or a bicycle, it has ended up being a buddy (or the rare honda cub) if it is a scooter. If I am riding at night anywhere but well lit city streets I take the vespa which has a blinding headlight and strong taillight, or (gasp,) the cage. I am looking into florescent tape for our helmets, scoots and maybe even jackets.

I put reflective tape on my helmet and scoots to make myself as visible as possible at night. I also do the flash my brakes thing when I have someone behind me. But especially while approaching a turn and right before I am turning.

BevoLJ · Post by **BevoLJ** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:20 pm

ericalm wrote:1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter 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? What will you do differently next time?
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
5. What was the damage to the scooter?
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
10. How fast was the rider going?
11. How far was the rider from home?

Well very embarrassing story on my crash, but I tell anyway. lol.

This was my first time to ever ride it, or anything. I had the new Buddy delivered to my house about 30 mins before. This was my first time to ever start it. I started it at the end of my driveway facing the street. On the other side of the street my neighbor has a big rock wall along the street. I started the Buddy and tried to turn but the bike felt like it was tipping and I went straight into the wall across the street. It was my first ride, and not a good start. But I have since gotten very good and always push the bike to the street and then start it not facing the wall. I live in Austin where it is very hilly so my driveway is steep and winding. I am still to nervous to drive my scooter out of my driveway, because of the crash. (3 months ago)

1. Buddy 125. Red

2. Was my fault, and around 8 PM

3. Very easily. Not ride into walls.

4. Big scratch on my knee, and hands. No gloves. I had on jeans and leather jacket and helmet. My pants were all torn up, and reduced to rags. =(

5. The brake got messed up, and I broke a little part of the plastic by the right side of the front wheel. Also chipped a bit out of my helmet (thank god I had it on!) and had to get a new helmet.

6. $80 for buddy, and $300 for a nice new helmet (got a really nice fancy one). =)

7. Zero. First time to ever start it, or any type of scooter or anything like it.

8. The following week I did. lol. But to little to late.

9. Yes

10. 5 MPH? I have no idea. I was just starting and was going to turn, but it felt weird so went into to the wall instead. Not fast.

11. End of my driveway.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:46 pm

Sorry about the first-day crash, Bevo. Glad to hear it was as minor as it sounds.

I'd be willing to bet on two things:
1. You watched that wall all the way until you hit it.
2. You learned about target fixation in your MSF class!

Also glad it didn't sour you on riding.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 11:35 pm

Hi, BevoLJ! Maybe it's hard to balance with the horns sticking out of your helmet?

Thanks for posting this. MANY people go down within their first couple of weeks and dropping on the first ride isn't uncommon. They're usually people who, like you, have little experience. I'm kind of shocked it didn't happen to me when I first started. (Seasoned motorcycle riders who haven't been on an automatic sometimes also do this because they crank the heck out of the throttle.)

One of the most common things is running into a curb, divider or wall, pretty much the same way you did. In some ways you're lucky—I've seen a lot of scooters in the back of my dealer's shop with bent forks and frames from this type of crash.

Glad you took the MSF course. Hopefully, your confidence will build over time. It's more gradual for some, which isn't a bad thing as long as you have patience.

BevoLJ · Post by **BevoLJ** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:37 am

Thank y'all. Now I don't feel quite so embarrassed. Have to learn some how! hehe

ericalm wrote:Hi, BevoLJ! Maybe it's hard to balance with the horns sticking out of your helmet?

Lol!

I wonder if I can make this work on my new Buddy?

At least I wouldn't have to worry about not getting noticed in traffic.

Scooterboi · Post by **Scooterboi** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:19 pm

I had to LOL when I read your story. I had a similar experience though not as dramatic. Just surprised the heck out of me when I twisted the throttle for the first time - Luckily I was facing open road.

Buddy 125s - gotta love that quick acelleration. (If you're ready for it)

)

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:09 pm

Syd wrote:Sorry about the first-day crash, Bevo. Glad to hear it was as minor as it sounds.

I'd be willing to bet on two things:
1. You watched that wall all the way until you hit it.
2. You learned about target fixation in your MSF class!

Also glad it didn't sour you on riding.

There's something about a wall that's just irresistable...

Seriously, BevoLJ, glad you're all right. There's definitely a bootstrapping process involved in starting to ride. I crashed the first time I rode a minibike and the first time I rode a motorcycle (and a third more painful time a couple weeks after I bought that same bike

). Once you get the hang of it, then you really have to be careful that you don't get overconfident and crash again.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:49 pm

jrsjr wrote:
Syd wrote:Sorry about the first-day crash, Bevo. Glad to hear it was as minor as it sounds.

I'd be willing to bet on two things:
1. You watched that wall all the way until you hit it.
2. You learned about target fixation in your MSF class!

Also glad it didn't sour you on riding.
There's something about a wall that's just irresistable...

Seriously, BevoLJ, glad you're all right. There's definitely a bootstrapping process involved in starting to ride. I crashed the first time I rode a minibike and the first time I rode a motorcycle (and a third more painful time a couple weeks after I bought that same bike ). Once you get the hang of it, then you really have to be careful that you don't get overconfident and crash again.

That picture falls somewhere between pain and hilarity, like the bike really didn't want to be ridden by that guy, so it puled right out from underneath him.

SoCalScooter · Post by **SoCalScooter** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:40 pm

BevoLJ wrote:

I wonder if I can make this work on my new Buddy?

At least I wouldn't have to worry about not getting noticed in traffic.

I could definitely see a set of longhorns fixed to a front rack! They might make lane splitting a little difficult, but hey, to each his own!

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:58 am

SoCalScooter wrote:I could definitely see a set of longhorns fixed to a front rack! They might make lane splitting a little difficult, but hey, to each his own!

No lane splitting in TX! Not a worry.

Lotrat · Post by **Lotrat** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:58 am

I've only gone down once on the street. Back in the late 80's my buddy had a RX50. It was my first time on a bike and I took a turn way too fast and lowsided it. Ripped up my arm and knee. I ran out and bought a XS650 a few weeks later. Lots of close calls, but haven't been down on the streets since.

The dirt is another story. It's not "if", but "when" you go down. It's gonna happen. Last time I went down in the dirt was pretty funny. I was out with my 2 kids and my little brother. It was at the end of a long day and my son just bogged and killed his motor. I was going over to help him out and was going down a little hill and my front brake line kinked due to poor routing through the handle bar guards. The front wheel locked when I hit the brakes and threw me off the bike. I rolled down the rest of the hill and onto the main trail. Before I could get up, a ranger pulled up and asked if I was alright. I looked over at my group and they are all having a great laugh at my fall. I just started laughing and said I was fine. He looked at me like I was an idiot and shook his head. The bike was new to me and it took me awhile to figure out what the heck happened. You gotta know your machine that's for sure.

Poursuivant · Post by **Poursuivant** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 7:40 pm

1. Buddy 50 Italia
2. According to the laws of my state and both insurance companies, no.
3. Yea and no. A lady opened her car door and hooked my shoulder and passenger footrest. I had no time to react. I was launched over the bars into the rear of the car in front of me.
4. Just bruises and a couple of broken ribs. Helmet.
5. Very minor body panel scratches, but it didn't look like it had been in an accident.
6. ~$1200
7. Approx. 2 years of trouble-free riding. No motorcycle license needed for 50cc.
8. No.
9. Yes.
10. 12-15 mph?
11. 2.5 miles.

It all worked out in the end. The Buddy was bought by someone who didn't care about the scratches, just that it still ran perfectly. I got offered a settlement by the other insurance company which paid for a Vespa GTV 250.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:50 pm

Glad to hear you weren't hurt worse and that the insurance settlement worked out okay. Now about trusting cage drivers to not open their driver side door right beside you............

Mutt the Hoople · Post by **Mutt the Hoople** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:04 pm

Reading all of this has really opened my eyes. I have a Buddy lil' International Pamplona 50cc. I got it for in-town errands. But on my first two days of real riding I had two very close calls, which immediately prompted me to get signed up for the MSF class. Pure luck and not skill (maybe a bit of common sense) kept me out of getting injured. I did have protective gear on. One of the deciding facters in choosing a Buddy over a Vespa, after I did the research and found that either one was a sound choice, was if I went with the Buddy, I could easily afford to get the quality protective gear I needed with the money I saved.

Anyway, my first real day of riding I was at a busy intersection on a four lane road. I was stopped at the line, in the right hand lane. A large SUV came speeding almost hitting me then switched lanes at the last minute and stopped short. When the light turned green I was in no hurry to be right next to him and so I waited for him to pull away first. There was one person behind me and they waited as well, they did not honk or anything. Good thing as the SUV driver looked right at me eye to eye and made a right hand turn from the left lane and sped off... Over the limit. I saw him again later down the road and he ran a Honda Gold Wing into the curb. That rider was okay, I am assuming that that rider had a lot of experience considering what he was riding. The SUV driver obviously has issues and likes using his vehicle in a manner that looked pretty homicidal to me. I went up to the Honda rider to see if he/she was okay, and he was. He had not dropped the bike and be DID get the drivers license plate and was in the process of reporting him. But had that been me I would have never had a chance. With something that quick and deliberate I would have not had the experience to make a proper avoidance movement and I would have been toast. The experienced rider still hit the curb but at least he knew how to do it.

My notion of well, I only have a little 50cc for short commutes and errands and it does not got that fast and a motorcycle course is nice but it seems a bit of an overkill as I will likely never ride an actual motor cycle.... That notion is dead in the water. Signed up for the course, got the book and will be very careful about how I go about riding.

It was pure luck and nothing but that I did not get hurt that day. Yikes, what an eye opener.

All that said I am happy with my Buddy and am looking forward to years of safe riding.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:51 pm

Good stories all!

I turned too tight into a gas station on the Zuma with poorly inflated tires (hence the station...). I lowsided going @ 5mph, scuffed up my other leg. No major injury, minor scuffs on the bike and slightly bent brake lever. No big whoop.

Overall the MSF course is great. It's not just the mechanics of the bike itself, but how to ride on 2 wheels and what to watch out for. It did convince me that the 150cc was the route to go for a lot of my stuff, though the zuma still treats me right.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:47 pm

Mutt the Hoople wrote:My notion of well, I only have a little 50cc for short commutes and errands and it does not got that fast and a motorcycle course is nice but it seems a bit of an overkill as I will likely never ride an actual motor cycle.... That notion is dead in the water. Signed up for the course, got the book and will be very careful about how I go about riding.

Very good to hear.

As I often tell people, the two crashes that sent me to the ER were both at under 35mph and could just as easily have happened on a 50cc. I'd have suffered much worse injuries if not for my gear, as well.

I've always maintained that the best way to convince people of the importance of training and gear is through stories like this. But nothing drives the point home like some serious close calls or experiencing a minor crash. (Not that I wish those on anyone.)

BootScootin'FireFighter · Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:06 pm

skully93 wrote:I turned too tight into a gas station on the Zuma with poorly inflated tires...

We've gone from near freezing to low 80s in less then a week here in the Mid Atlantic. Everyone remember to check your pressures more often and top off as needed!

That's Mr. Rhythms safety tip of the day.

Stormswift · Post by **Stormswift** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:15 pm

First thing I got when I started riding for real is inflator (portable) and the 1st thing I check in the spring is the tire pressure. Next purchase is tire repair kit. Just in case.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:38 pm

Well, now I add my crash.

Yesterday I lowsided to avoid colliding with an SUV that shot out of the alley.

I was going 10mph or less, and armored from the waist up.

Me: scraped knee, hole in jeans, scuff on helmet. Minor confidence downer but not really.

Scoot: Mangled cowls around the headlight, headlight misaligned, minor scrapes.

Cowl protectors took the edge off so it was overall just a 'bummer'.

Alb brajn · Post by **Alb brajn** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:17 pm

Well I went down for the first time on Thursday. I had just pulled into the alley behind my house where there is always a lot of water but I've never had any problems. But this time my back tire just slipped out from under me and I went down. Luckly my buddy got almost no damage and I am only sore from the landing. I landed on my elbow and the jacket I bought one week ago saved me there.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:36 pm

Glad you're ok Alb Brajn! One time down and you love your gear in a whole new way huh?

My first (and only) time down I was uninjured too, though from the sounds of it my scooter fared worse that yours. I have always considered it the best learning experience of my riding life because thanks to it happening I understand just how quickly going down happens when it does—pretty much over before you know it's started. Really a best case scenario for an accident—being able to walk away from the incident having learned something valuable.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 8:27 pm

Those 'pride' falls are the worst. No damage, but self-doubt. Bah!

Glad you're OK!

quick update on mine: Insurance had me go get a new helmet, and gave me $450 to buy new plastics and a brake lever/mirror. I don't think I'll do all of it, since the non-major stuff is just small battle damage that seems sort of 'inevitable' anyway.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:47 pm

Skootz Kabootz wrote: I have always considered it the best learning experience of my riding life because thanks to it happening I understand just how quickly going down happens when it does—pretty much over before you know it's started.

It's the basic physics of the situation that gets you. When you fall, the vertical component of your velocity is governed by Newton's equation with an acceleration (due to gravity) of 32 feet per second/per second. The seat of a Buddy is 30.25 inches from the pavement. So the equation is as follows:

30.25 inches/12 inches per foot = 1/2 * 32 feet/second/second * t^2

Solving for t gives -

t = 0.40 seconds

So, when you fall from the Buddy's seat, you have about 4/10ths of a second before you hit the pavement. That's not a lot of time. Add to that the fact that you don't expect to crash (the Cannonball riders are another story), so it takes you a moment to process that something is happening. By the time you get your mind wrapped around it, your 4/10ths of a second are over (Unless you are Andy Warhol, of course, then you get 15 minutes, but that's a whole other thread

).

Cutebluescoot · Post by **Cutebluescoot** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:30 am

1. 125 Blue Buddy
2. 3pm. Sleeve got caught on accelerator, laid it down to keep from smashing into the scooterist in front of me.
3. If I wasn't a dumbass

4. Twisted ankle, scraped elbow
5. Scratched head lamp, handlebar.
6. All cosmetic
7. M1 license
8. No
9. She's all mine
10. >5mph
11. 1-2 miles

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:34 am

Sorry to here that, coolbluescoot. Heal up well, and see you on the road!

Well on your scooter, that is. Not lying in it

Better rides ahead!

Mutt the Hoople · Post by **Mutt the Hoople** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:21 am

What a first post... Sorry to read about your misshap, but glad you're okay.
And welcome to the forum. I only came here recently myself, but it's a great group of people.

Dracolibris · Post by **Dracolibris** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:45 am

Oh, I've crashed. It's kind of a long story. But here are the lessons I learned and try to follow for myself (and of course, these are more of guidelines than rules). Every rider is different...

Don't jinx yourself!
I have vivid recall of teasing my friends, all of whom were crashing at our place that night, about wearing so much protection. I had been riding for six years at that point and told them "You're just planning for failure, like signing a pre-nup on your marriage day!" The next day, I crashed in a parking lot at 5mph and broke my rib. The road rash scars still give me trouble sometimes.

Road Rash Sucks
No matter how hot it is, wear some sort of protection, like a long sleeve shirt maybe?
Seriously, road rash sucks. See above. I got mine going very slowly in a parking lot. The worst of it was on my right forearm, where I landed. I still get weird itchy hives there.

Eye Protection
I love my helmet. I know others don't wear them, and that's cool, and I respect that. But for me, I am legally blind in one eye since birth and it really shook me up when I realized I would have to retire my beloved matching helmet after my super-slow speed accident because all the damage to it (from sliding across the parking lot) was over my GOOD eye. If a little rock had gotten shoved in there just right, I would be blind. Yeeps. Not to mention, I am totally terrified of a bee going butt first into my eye. Is that just me??? Ewww.

Modern Buddy

Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

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