IWN2RYD
New member
My wife and I had been out put-putting around... Came to a rather busy Intersection... This intersection is one of those, what I like to call, "Ticket producers" In other words the yellow is about half of what the mass majority of yellow lights are in the cycle. Cops love it. Officers hate it.
Now keep in mind the part of the intersection this ryder I am speaking about is in a two lane only left turn section... I would say holds no less than 30 autos at a time.
As we ryde we always spot the Motorcycles for one reason or another. There is just something about two wheeled bikes that are so attractive to us...
Anyway, my wife and I come up to this intersection and have to stop for a red light. I see this (What I am guessing at that moment) is a Electra Glide or a Street Glide heading our way. As I am debating (Looking for the chrome bars around the trunks, it is how I try and decipher them) I see this rider accelerate and this causes the bike to go towards the center of the road (Towards the lines). I wonder.. Hmmm.. Inexperience or mechanical issue?
Now remember what I said about the length pf this yellow light (reeeeeeeally short)... Just about the time he gets his bike under control, I bet the yellow turns red.
I am watching this all unfold... He hits hes rear brake only, I think to myself... I remember making that mistake as I all of the sudden flashback to one to many road rash tests... He skids no less than 70', sees he is about to hit the side of the car that is also racing the light to his immediate right... At that same second he leans to the left side of his bike and hits his front brakes... They lock up and he gets body slammed to his right, slides towards the car on his right.....................
Now for those soft-hearted folks... Keep reading... The car did miss him. And only because of his angels... The driver was as much in the wrong as the ryder.
I say this because as he hit the ground, our light was green to go...
Ok... So back to this... He slid about 12-16'. Top of his head, shoulder and arm all getting driven into the ground form the bikes momentum. He was still on the bike partially.
He did not move once stopped. Laid there without any movement. Probably knocked out.
As soon as I saw the front tire turn sharp right and begin the inevitable swan dive to the pavement I was placing our RT flashers on and unplugging the headset. My old first responder instincts kicked in...
Everyone but that red light runner stayed put. I mean everyone. No cars moved, no persons came to this mans help but me... Kind of disappointed me to be honest...
As I reach the man he comes to and starts to move again. I ask if he was all right, and knew where he was. He said yes in Kent.
As these two questions came out one other older gentleman came up to us. We all three gathered up this HD and got them both out of the intersection.
By this time my wife (In the passenger seat) was getting a honk from behind, but the lights changed to red. Cars started to flow as it had before hand.
I speak with the ryder for about a moment. I can clearly see he is still unsure of any injury. I saw no blood other than the standard badge of honor gifted to us from the road... I can see any further questioning from a perfect stranger is only going to embarrass him further so I decide to leave and let him figure out what his adrenalin is hiding from him.
We left him right in front of a RightAid and a Wallgreens. He seemed like a very pleasant man. I think he must have just gotten this bike out for the first time this year, borrowed a friends, or just bought it. Because it was clear he was not familiar with the signal timings and the manners of this bike at that particular moment. That of course is not to say the only three mistakes he ever made on his bike was right then either. Been there done that...
To be brutally honest. I will be shocked if he does not have a concussion and or a broken collarbone. He was literally slammed to the ground at about 12-15mph with the weight of the bike driving him in... So my wife and I prayed for him and appreciated the reminder we just received...
ray:ray:ray:
I almost forgot... The rest of the ride home we spoke about this woman we came across at a store today, that bashed us for having a Can Am instead of buying a real trike made by HD. Rather rude lady... And found comfort in knowing we purchased what best fits our needs without having to "Follow" blindly those kinds of attitudes. All while knowing had we made the same mistake on the Spyder that this poor man made today, we would have only been embarrassed for a cycle of the light, instead of the longer pain this man will go through.
Thank you Can Am!
Now keep in mind the part of the intersection this ryder I am speaking about is in a two lane only left turn section... I would say holds no less than 30 autos at a time.
As we ryde we always spot the Motorcycles for one reason or another. There is just something about two wheeled bikes that are so attractive to us...
Anyway, my wife and I come up to this intersection and have to stop for a red light. I see this (What I am guessing at that moment) is a Electra Glide or a Street Glide heading our way. As I am debating (Looking for the chrome bars around the trunks, it is how I try and decipher them) I see this rider accelerate and this causes the bike to go towards the center of the road (Towards the lines). I wonder.. Hmmm.. Inexperience or mechanical issue?
Now remember what I said about the length pf this yellow light (reeeeeeeally short)... Just about the time he gets his bike under control, I bet the yellow turns red.
I am watching this all unfold... He hits hes rear brake only, I think to myself... I remember making that mistake as I all of the sudden flashback to one to many road rash tests... He skids no less than 70', sees he is about to hit the side of the car that is also racing the light to his immediate right... At that same second he leans to the left side of his bike and hits his front brakes... They lock up and he gets body slammed to his right, slides towards the car on his right.....................
Now for those soft-hearted folks... Keep reading... The car did miss him. And only because of his angels... The driver was as much in the wrong as the ryder.
I say this because as he hit the ground, our light was green to go...
Ok... So back to this... He slid about 12-16'. Top of his head, shoulder and arm all getting driven into the ground form the bikes momentum. He was still on the bike partially.
He did not move once stopped. Laid there without any movement. Probably knocked out.
As soon as I saw the front tire turn sharp right and begin the inevitable swan dive to the pavement I was placing our RT flashers on and unplugging the headset. My old first responder instincts kicked in...
Everyone but that red light runner stayed put. I mean everyone. No cars moved, no persons came to this mans help but me... Kind of disappointed me to be honest...
As I reach the man he comes to and starts to move again. I ask if he was all right, and knew where he was. He said yes in Kent.
As these two questions came out one other older gentleman came up to us. We all three gathered up this HD and got them both out of the intersection.
By this time my wife (In the passenger seat) was getting a honk from behind, but the lights changed to red. Cars started to flow as it had before hand.
I speak with the ryder for about a moment. I can clearly see he is still unsure of any injury. I saw no blood other than the standard badge of honor gifted to us from the road... I can see any further questioning from a perfect stranger is only going to embarrass him further so I decide to leave and let him figure out what his adrenalin is hiding from him.
We left him right in front of a RightAid and a Wallgreens. He seemed like a very pleasant man. I think he must have just gotten this bike out for the first time this year, borrowed a friends, or just bought it. Because it was clear he was not familiar with the signal timings and the manners of this bike at that particular moment. That of course is not to say the only three mistakes he ever made on his bike was right then either. Been there done that...
To be brutally honest. I will be shocked if he does not have a concussion and or a broken collarbone. He was literally slammed to the ground at about 12-15mph with the weight of the bike driving him in... So my wife and I prayed for him and appreciated the reminder we just received...
ray:ray:ray:I almost forgot... The rest of the ride home we spoke about this woman we came across at a store today, that bashed us for having a Can Am instead of buying a real trike made by HD. Rather rude lady... And found comfort in knowing we purchased what best fits our needs without having to "Follow" blindly those kinds of attitudes. All while knowing had we made the same mistake on the Spyder that this poor man made today, we would have only been embarrassed for a cycle of the light, instead of the longer pain this man will go through.
Thank you Can Am!
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