Guest citimoto Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 not sure why i feel the urge to write about this but I suppose its cathartic. I was following my wife and daughter on the way to a 5 year olds birthday party when a very large and very silver mercedes decided to cut my day short. My wife said she heard a horrifying noise of colliding metal and looked in her rearview and didnt see me anymore. The guy in the cage decided to take a left turn across my lane. About halfway through the turn he saw me braking hard and just froze (looking right in my eyes). I ended up going into a skid which I held for a while before lowsiding into his passenger side. My mini fairing is trashed, tank is trashed, tail is trashed. My beautiful rosso puro cylinder guards (which i was just bragging about) are ground to nubs. My Mistral pipes look like someone took a belt sander to them and my brake lever and foot brake lever ended up embedded in the tail. The accident also managed to cleanly snip wiring going to the spark. Luckily I was not hurt badly but I think i broke my big toe. My alpinestar jacket took all the blow in the shoulder armor and forearm armor although it is close to worn through. For some reason my helmet doesnt have a scratch on it. I have a feeling in the morning I will feel like I was hit by a truck (well, at least a very large flagship mercedes). Of course my wife is completely freaked out and doesnt want me to ride again. to add insult to injury I ended up having to push the guzzi a couple of blocks in the rain to a friends house as a tow truck shafted me. I will ride again but my days of commuting in town are probably over. Dual sport rides and track days may be it for me. The thing that gets me is the guy acted as if it was my fault as he told the police that he looked up during his turn and saw me skidding towards him. He felt that someone making a left turn across another lane has the right of way. His response to the police was that "I saw him skidding and figured he would stop". He also admitted to not seeing me because of the shady road (my headlights where on high and I have loud cans). I have been riding quite a while but have never had a run in with another vehicle. Frankly, it scared the shit out of me and having young kids makes me feel guiltybut bikes are a true passion of mine. My wife says she wants to throw up thinking about the noise and what could have happened. Im lucky I was wearing good leathers. When I finally got home i Passed a group of Harley guys wearing tank tops and shorts and beanie helmets. Its as if they have no idea of the inherent risks. I know its a personal choice but know matter how uncomfortable riding gear is it DOES work. I started out on a nice ride and was left a half hour later consoling my wife and holding a brake lever and a brake pedal in my hand. Things could have ended much worse. You guys be careful. Hopfully my Guzzi isnt thoroughly trashed but it doesnt look good. Ill keep you guys posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd haven Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Citimoto, Sorry for the bad news. In the silver lining dept, better an S-class Benz than a 20 year old Ford pickup. Insurance isnormally much better. Heal well, and take some time to consider ytour future riding options. All the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest citimoto Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Todd, i feel bad. It was a bike I bought from you and Mike and it was beautifully set up. Citimoto,Sorry for the bad news. In the silver lining dept, better an S-class Benz than a 20 year old Ford pickup. Insurance isnormally much better. Heal well, and take some time to consider ytour future riding options. All the best 89800[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauchemin Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Sorry to hear about your incident. I'm glad you were wearing all your gear. Road rash is no fun. I was cut off about 18 months ago and ended up sliding down the road. I was foolishly not wearing my leather pants and ended up with a damaged knee and some road rash. I bought a 1-piece Aerostich suit soon afterwards so that I would no longer have an excuse to wear only a jacket. That accident cured me of riding without all my gear. My knee is still not 100%, but at least I'm running again. I know what you mean about having young kids and riding motorcycles. I feel guilty about it regularly. On the other hand, we can't wrap ourselves in cotton wool - all types of weird accidents or health emergencies can happen no matter how careful we are. Once motorcycling is in your blood, it is hard to get it out. Get well soon! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G. Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Sorry to hear about the bad luck. Get back on the horse if bucked off, it's the only way. Ciao, Steve G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaing Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Sorry about the bad news, and glad it was not worse. This has been a bad couple months for people crashing bikes. All we can do is play it safe, and even then sh^t happens. There are thousands of people out there with cataracts, limited brain cells, cell phones, hot coffee, distractions, and vanity that keeps them from wearing eye glasses. I don't like mixing it with traffic. But even the open road has coyote and deer <_>I hope that foot heals well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonio carroccio Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 I hope you can win it. Is your insurance all-risk? Damn Merc-riders!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike wilson Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Glad to hear you are OK. You can alway buy another bike. As for the hysteria; it's normal, let it ride for a time. Later, you can point out to your folks that this guy would have gone through you if you had been on foot (in America? - Har!) and you would have been much more seriously injured. You were prepared and on the ball and that saved you from a worse outcome. That matters more than the vehicle you were using. mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldini Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Sorry to hearwhat happened. Best of luck for getting things sorted. KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossoct Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Citimoto, Sorry to hear about your misfortune,Hope you heal quicky! Damn cars!! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard100t Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Sorry to hear about your accident. Dont be too surprised that the guy claimed he didnt see you. I think thats the number one excuse drivers use when they hit a bike. If its his fault I'd get a lawyer & sue him for the physical & emotional distress this has caused you & especially your wife. You deserve to be compensated for your injuries due to his gross negligence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikkanen Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Sorry to hear about your accident. Dont be too surprised that the guy claimed he didnt see you. I think thats the number one excuse drivers use when they hit a bike. If its his fault I'd get a lawyer & sue him for the physical & emotional distress this has caused you & especially your wife. You deserve to be compensated for your injuries due to his gross negligence. 89828[/snapback] How right you are! Damned cagers..... Citimoto: Get well soon and I do hope that the insurance company is looking your way. All the best to you and your family. BR Søren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangeokie Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 not sure why i feel the urge to write about this but I suppose its cathartic. . . .89799[/snapback] citi, I'm glad you posted this. I use these episodes as a training tool for my own well being out there on the open road. I would love to see a forum on here specifically devoted to riding safety and a place where anyone could share their experiences with the group. A great learning tool. That said, I would like to comment on a few things you mentioned. 1. A lawyer once advised me to never tell an insurance adjuster that you are not injured. When the adjuster calls, they are tape recording your conversation. They will try to get you to say you are not injured, or to admit your injuries are minor. The lawyer told me the adjuster, regardless of how friendly they sound, is not your friend. His job is to limit his company's liability to the lowest amount possible. That siad, he advised that you should answer any questions about your physical condition saying you are seeing your personal physician and the extent of your injuries have not yet been determined. He said one should never "settle" on personal injury liability until one is satisfied with the physical damage settlement of their auto or motorcycle. Of course, never claim to have an injury if it is not so. That could be considered insurance fraud. However, he advised one should hold over their head the possibility of injury liability until the time one is satisfied with the property damage settlement. 2. I never felt comfortable continuing to ride once I got married and had children. I gave it up until just a few years ago when my children were grown and self sufficient. I am a strong believer in motorcyclists with children insuring themselves to the best of their ability. That usually means a miniumum of $500,000 life inusrance, a very good disability policy in case you become unable to work, and another $500,000 in uninsured motorist coverage. This will go a long ways toward taking care of your wife and children in the case of a catastrophic accident. 3. You mentioned your Rossopuro cylider guards were ground to the nub. Did they protect your cylinder heads? 4. Keep us posted on events as they unfold. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtucker Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Ugh... terrible story! Did the cop laugh when he tried to blame it on you? BTW, I'm also curious how your Rossopuro sliders worked out, and what (if any) head damage you sustained. Are the sliders replaceable? Glad to hear that you personally made it through OK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v50man Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Citi -- Had to do a lot of highway commuting over the last week. In ATL, that means you'd BETTER be going at least 80 mph -- prolly closer to 90. Have felt quite vulnerable -- but even more exhilarated (even as the Jap Inline 4s pass me doing 125+). If you can, get back on a bike as soon as practicably possible. If not, I think we'll all understand. Hope you heal up quickly. v50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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