Questions following a minor bump...

tsmales

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The weathers been pants lately, so I jumped at the chance of some dryish weather yesterday and went for a wee bimble with SWMBO to see some friends for a catchup.
Whilst parked in a queue of standing traffic at a level crossing the bafoon in the transit van in front of me decides that he doesn't want to wait in the queue and starts to reverse... You've guessed it, straight into me, flinging the bike to the floor, closely followed by me and SWMBO. Luckily, as we were staionary there werent any injuries, other than a bit of bruising and a stiff neck and knee. The bike I have to say seems to have come out of it very very well with a bit of scuffing to the bar end / mirror, the foot pegs and the nearside pannier (just got the boxes so thought I'd take them for a trial).

My question is...
  • What hidden damage could have been done (engine running for a minute or so with the bike on its side)?
  • Damage to the forks / wheel ?
  • And what could have I done to avoid it (feeling a bit reflective cos the suns out and I'd rather be out on the bike, rather than waiting for it to be checked over by the dealer)?
 
Forks and suspension & possibly frame, where the suspension meets the frame mounts
 
[*]And what could have I done to avoid it (feeling a bit reflective cos the suns out and I'd rather be out on the bike, rather than waiting for it to be checked over by the dealer)?
[/LIST]

Allow more space between yourself and the vehicle in front and pull up near to the centre white line, if you didn't already.
 
At such a low speed, most stuff is likely to be cosmetic. Check the steering lock stops and examine everything for cosmetic damage.

If the bars are turned while riding, the forks may have twisted in the clamps. Slacken the fasteners and pull them straight. If they go out again the same way or wont stay straight there is something bent.

The side cases can get bent. Make sure the lids close properly and there are no dents on the back from the carrier frame.
 
I was involved in the same kinda accident last summer. Bike/bags,suffered only minor scratches as well as my leg from those sharp foot pegs.
The female "Bafoon" who backed into me,had a good insurance and paid for all damages including new Jesse Luggage. I did check the steering/wheel n tire assembly and also had a Dealer inspect and write up a Professional Damage Quote.
All n all,paid well and bike has No Harm done.
 
This has happend to my mate twice now when a van (on both occassions) reversed in to him when he was stationary

You'd have thought the dopey fucker would have learnt not to pull up too close to a staionary vehicle the first time it happend :blast
 
In short stop where the van driver can see you. If you can't see the driver in the mirrors then the driver can't see you.
 
Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors. Bazinga :D
 
Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and as it always has, rock crushes scissors. Bazinga :D

Can I have some of whatever it is you're on ? :confused:
 
Unless there is a really good reason not to, I always filter to the front of the queue, blocking the way of whatever was at the front, look round, catch the drivers eye, put my hand up to say thanks and make bloody sure I don't stall it when its time to go.
 
Get back on the bike soon as and put it down to one of those things
But the best advice if you not in to filtering is keep close to the white line so that you can see the driver in his outside mirror, give at least halve cars length
 
In short stop where the van driver can see you. If you can't see the driver in the mirrors then the driver can't see you.

:thumb


In urban stuff I pretty much always ride in the offside wheel tracks of any vehicle I'm following. They see me in both their rear view and off side door mirror. If I come to stop behind something with no rear window I'll make sure I can see his off side mirror.

We're moving in this pic, but the lorry driver knows he's got a bike behind him, 'cos I can see his mirror .. :thumb2

 
:thumb


In urban stuff I pretty much always ride in the offside wheel tracks of any vehicle I'm following. They see me in both their rear view and off side door mirror. If I come to stop behind something with no rear window I'll make sure I can see his off side mirror.

We're moving in this pic, but the lorry driver knows he's got a bike behind him, 'cos I can see his mirror .. :thumb2

I'm sorry I disagree as you can see in the picture as you approach the centre island on the right you need to be in the centre of your lane its called 50/50 just in case some one steps out from ether side, you alway ride to give your self some wear to go, if you approach a junction on the left then move to the right so cars coming from that junction can see you coming or sway your bike to be noticed,
 
Over to the right makes sense to me.........

Good view of the traffic lights ahead, too - should give a bit of warning as to what the van driver is going to - ahead of time.

Al:thumb2
 
I'm sorry I disagree as you can see in the picture as you approach the centre island on the right you need to be in the centre of your lane its called 50/50 just in case some one steps out from ether side, you alway ride to give your self some wear to go, if you approach a junction on the left then move to the right so cars coming from that junction can see you coming or sway your bike to be noticed,

My spelling is bad yours is really bad. I think its horses for courses, in this pic the rider has good forward vision of the peeps on the island. Giles does it for a living, he doesnt read it in books. Rumor has it he cant read anyway.
 
:thumb


In urban stuff I pretty much always ride in the offside wheel tracks of any vehicle I'm following. They see me in both their rear view and off side door mirror. If I come to stop behind something with no rear window I'll make sure I can see his off side mirror.

We're moving in this pic, but the lorry driver knows he's got a bike behind him, 'cos I can see his mirror .. :thumb2


Agree completely. :nod

I'm sorry I disagree as you can see in the picture as you approach the centre island on the right you need to be in the centre of your lane its called 50/50 just in case some one steps out from ether side, you alway ride to give your self some wear to go, if you approach a junction on the left then move to the right so cars coming from that junction can see you coming or sway your bike to be noticed,

And I disagree with you - as you can see in the picture there is no one on the centre island or on the left of the road so to be where he is is the most sensible position - truck driver can see him and he can see the road ahead. :thumb2
 
Sorry long chatty post. :blagblah

Bike running on it's side for a minute NO problem, the problem is with the rider I'm afraid to say... BUT you can use the above to educate yourself and IF you end up on the floor again remember these wise words well words anyway...

This IS a drill I do each time I come off, remember I'm short and skinny and not a good rider by any means so when I practice slow maneuvers in the car local car parks this is what I do when I pitch over.

Firstly hit the KILL SWITCH it's there to stop this kind of thing happening, what would you have done if you had the bike in gear and the trottle was stuck open and your FAFFING ABOUT with the bike bucking about on it's side. So kill switch ASAP that's why its there in front of you right by your hand not in the middle of the dashboard as it's a time critical switch.

Secondly pull the bars straight that gives you leverage to get clear and stops your legs getting pinned. Fuck the bars and the grips your going to claim for these anyway, so pull the wheel straight and get out !!!

Thirdly IF you have a passenger get them clear, then get the hell out of the way once safe and the adrenalines kicked in breathe a few times.
Make sure your both safe AGAIN as surprises are always there and they either hurt or kill so spend a second to look around no threats then cool... Then it's get his Reg, his photo (just so I know who's driving) and then pictures of the scene pictures of other cars nearby who might have seen it and take a note of the time, date, directing and WEATHER conditions and sun positioning then and only then is it insurance time, other people will give different views BUT I trust MY way as I KNOW it WORKS. And there's not an insurance company that can dispute MY side of events when the shit hits the fan Army Trained and I alway follow the procedures I was taught. :ronno

----------------------------------

As for your riding ask yourself how did you get in to the situation (too tired, too confident, mind wondering etc), you have taken the first step as asked for others opinions and you know that you did wrong by placing yourself and your passenger in a dangerous situation, but you have done really well by taking that first step as I know others that wouldn't have and would have blamed the driver of the van solely... so kudos...

If it was me I'd have been as near to the front of the queue as possible and where SAFE, I'd give the driver next to me the knod and a smile maybe a thumbs up to his/her kids, and be ready to move when safe to do so. I like to build up some goodwill with the guy in the car comes in handy sometimes...

BUT IF... I had to be behind the van there's two points FIRSTLY the van
I'd have been far out to the right (safely) and a good deal behind with my hazards on so that I know that the drives seen me once his noticed the little guy on the huge bike I turn the hazards off and give him the knod. Anyway my thumbs not far from my horn because you just know his gonna wanna reverse or U turn IF he hasn't seen you, I edge my bets as I'm NOT a lucky fella and already have a limp. :angel

Now secondly the traffic coming from the REAR is EVEN moree danerous in my opinion so when I pull up I'm always in first gear clutch in, I'm on the rear brake tapping away (can't afford self blinking lights) thumb on the horn and looking in the rear view to make sure the guy behind me knows I'm there and is stopping. If they haven't seen me I've got time and room to get the hell out of the way, if they do see me I knod my thanks and relax until I see a car coming up behind the one thats stopped. In my 43 years I've seem hundreds of rear ends in traffic and had one when an old lady didn't stop in Monocco she just bumped me BUT that once has made me paranoid and I won't let that happen again.

Anyway that's how I do it, that's the way I PRACTICE and the way I have to force myself to remember to do it each and every time I pull up, like I said I'm NOT that great a rider but I'm a safish rider and because I plainly don't trust anyone in cars not to hit me, experience has taught me that I'm heading in the right direction and others will put in thier views and I look forward to hearing them as there might be a better way of doing things that I've missed.

Let us know if you have taken anything away for the experience and what YOU would do if you found yourself in the same traffic situation tomorrow.
 


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