T-Boned a car this past Tues :(...

Baggh · Sep 12th, 2009, 02:15 PM

Hey all,

Well you hear about the dangers of riding these things and see the accident horrors on youtube all the time... I was in an accident that should have left me unable to write this.

The road leading to my house has a speed limit of 55. Its a 2 lane road with intermittent broken lines enabling the passing slower vehicles. Many times there are vehicles going 30~45 on this road... and I pass them everytime (at the broken line areas). Tuesday evening on my way home from work there was a vehicle in front of me doing just that... going about 30 mph. It was a larger blach pickup or SUV... I dont remember. I went to pass it and BAM... in front of the SUV was a car, that I could not see, making a left hand turn into their driveway. I was going about 40 mph... I immediately hit the front\rear brakes. I did not lock them.. perhaps I should have tried but... I didn't.

Everything seemed as if it was moving in slo-mo... yet a 1,000 mph. On my way towards the vehicle's side all I was thinking was "Here we go... this is it... you hear about accidents all the time and you're about to be in one... please let this go well.. please let this go well... please let this go well..." BAM! I slammed into the drivers door... took the door mirror off with my right forearm\shoulder (before impact I braced myself like a Running Back bulldozing thru a defensive line for a goal line touchdown).

I flew over the hood (without touching it). While in the air the slo-mo continued... I remember thinking... "So far so good... I feel no pain... please let the landing go well... please let the landing go well... please let the landing go well... " BAM... about 20 ft. later I hit the ground and felt a pain in my right side ribs... not severe but I definitely knew I landed. I rolled a tad and immediately stood up. I quickly checked myself out... waved my right arm around in circles to check my ribs and such. I figured I might see or feel a broken bone... nothing. I just had a tad of blood on my right forearm from the doors mirror... nothing that would require stitches.

Everything seemed in tact.

I took my helmet off (thank goodness I don't buy into the whole "dew rag for a helmet" thing) and walked over the the car. The right side door was uber dented in as if a giant punched it. Door mirror was dangling. Everybody was ok.

Cops\ambulances\ etc etc showed up after about 5 minutes. I didn't have to go to the hospital.. I was fine.

Today: I am doing very well... I have a small amount of brush burn (not road rash cause I landed in the persons front lawn... thank God!), the right side of my ribs where they connect to my sternum hurts pretty good but not severe... my guess is that they are strained. My left wrist hurt pretty good... once again.. strained I guess but it feels MUCH better. Thats about it. I am pretty much 100% fine... and I can't believe it.

My bike is in the Harley shop already getting repaired. Geico insurance rules... the check is already at the shop and parts are ordered. My bike will have a cool facelift of sorts. I am getting the "straight bars" put on in place of the stock "clubmans". The clubmans are cool but not great for comfort. My 1125 was all black... I am getting the flyscreen, radiator shrouds, and Air box cover plastics in Red... that should look awesome. Other various parts are getting repalced. It will be back better than ever.

Interesting note... you may remember how i stated on these forums about my not-so-good experiences at the Harley Dealer closest to me. Well... the Geico rep asked me which shop I would like the bike taken to. I stated the rubbish shop cause its closest... but i said it not-so-convincing. The Geico rep picked up on my reservations and asked what other shop I had in mind. I mentioned the shop much further away where I bought the 1125. He said... "Good.. lets take it there.. the "other" shop is very hard to work with which makes it frustrating for me and the customer." I was blown away... the shop (with the chick that knows... umm.. nothing... that stares at her monitor all confused and such) has a bad rep with all around here... its not just me.

Soooo... the horror ended as a subtle lesson. Its a tough one cause after an acident you look for lessons. Some way to prevent these things from occurring again. 2 things I can draw from this... 1. practice MUCH more patience... I will continue to pass slower vehicles when legal BUT I will not "think" I will 110% "know" the coast is clear and 2... I will ride practicing a bit more patience and try not to get soooo worked up about other drivers (you know the ones... the ones that don't use turn signals.. go super slow... etc). I am guilty of becoming frustrated with drivers with zero awareness. Getting worked up does us riders no good... it just meeses up our own concentration and awareness.

Once again... every night I thank God I'm ok... this could have been a really life altering (or life losing) experience.

btw... I will most certainly continue riding and cannot wait to get my 1125 back... practicing my new outlook of riding.

It is a luxury to be able to ride these things.

stay safe out there

glenalt · Sep 12th, 2009, 03:04 PM

I was glad that you are OK. As I read your exerience I couldn't help think, WOW! It happens so fast and yet you have time for all those thoughts. Sounds like you have learned a valuable lesson from experience. I will try and learn from you and not have to go through the same thing.

Redfish-Joe · Sep 12th, 2009, 04:32 PM

Glad things worked out for you. Man, could have been alot worse. Heal quick and ride safe

NEWHD74FAN · Sep 12th, 2009, 04:45 PM

Baggh, read your post with great interest, and remember when I first followed your exploits from the Sporty early on to your migration to the Buell and I must say that I have seen the ups and downs of your relationship with the V-Twins and your approach and I must say that you are very fortunate and certainly have a very positive take on things.

Yes, let those positive thoughts move you forward. You do not have to be an aggressive rider, just be a very "pro-active" assertive one and that thought is what sustained you during and after the encounter. We all have those moments when we get frustrated, and opt to pass that seemingly inattentive cager up front, but we must let our cooler head prevail before we execute our exposure into on coming traffic. As I have said before, the worst thing is the unexpected, I have had several people instead of doing a left turn in front of me ACTUALLY do a U-Turn and if I was not covering the rear brake and anticipating a stupid move like that, I would probably not be riding a Harley today...(happened twice when I was riding metric sport bikes).

HarryB737 · Sep 12th, 2009, 05:56 PM

Praise God you're alright !! ... Your post was very well written, I think all who read it can learn a very important lesson here. It also sounds like the right dealer has your bike. I hope you get it back soon. I look forward to some follow-up Threads soon. Take care & God Bless.

Harry B

biglew55 · Sep 12th, 2009, 07:05 PM

Glad you are alright and the gear worked for you. Sharing your experience may save someone from having to learn this one on their own, with a less fortuitious outcome. Hope your bike is ready soon.

03classic · Sep 12th, 2009, 08:22 PM

Glad you are ok.Habits are hard to break.

Hill202 · Sep 12th, 2009, 09:30 PM

Glad you're ok. The tip about patience is well received by me. I need to practice it myself.

Trek · Sep 12th, 2009, 10:16 PM

Hey Baggh,

First of all I'm glad you are not hurt any worse than you are. Second it is very wise of you to sit back and look at what you're mistakes were so as to move on from there. Patience indeed is a virtue we can ALL work on. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Jayson459 · Sep 12th, 2009, 10:29 PM

Glad you are okay Thread was an interesting read .. Only had 1 damaging accident here in 40 years riding ( knocking on wood ) Won't get into details but even though was totally not at fault still thought the scenario over a few times just so if came up again would be prepared for it .. Sounds like you have done the same .. Ride Safe

Sep 12th, 2009, 02:15 PM	#1
Baggh Warming The Wheels Ride: 2009 Buell 1125CR Join Date: May 31st, 2008 Location: Dallas TX Posts: 123	T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Hey all, Well you hear about the dangers of riding these things and see the accident horrors on youtube all the time... I was in an accident that should have left me unable to write this. The road leading to my house has a speed limit of 55. Its a 2 lane road with intermittent broken lines enabling the passing slower vehicles. Many times there are vehicles going 30~45 on this road... and I pass them everytime (at the broken line areas). Tuesday evening on my way home from work there was a vehicle in front of me doing just that... going about 30 mph. It was a larger blach pickup or SUV... I dont remember. I went to pass it and BAM... in front of the SUV was a car, that I could not see, making a left hand turn into their driveway. I was going about 40 mph... I immediately hit the front\rear brakes. I did not lock them.. perhaps I should have tried but... I didn't. Everything seemed as if it was moving in slo-mo... yet a 1,000 mph. On my way towards the vehicle's side all I was thinking was "Here we go... this is it... you hear about accidents all the time and you're about to be in one... please let this go well.. please let this go well... please let this go well..." BAM! I slammed into the drivers door... took the door mirror off with my right forearm\shoulder (before impact I braced myself like a Running Back bulldozing thru a defensive line for a goal line touchdown). I flew over the hood (without touching it). While in the air the slo-mo continued... I remember thinking... "So far so good... I feel no pain... please let the landing go well... please let the landing go well... please let the landing go well... " BAM... about 20 ft. later I hit the ground and felt a pain in my right side ribs... not severe but I definitely knew I landed. I rolled a tad and immediately stood up. I quickly checked myself out... waved my right arm around in circles to check my ribs and such. I figured I might see or feel a broken bone... nothing. I just had a tad of blood on my right forearm from the doors mirror... nothing that would require stitches. Everything seemed in tact. I took my helmet off (thank goodness I don't buy into the whole "dew rag for a helmet" thing) and walked over the the car. The right side door was uber dented in as if a giant punched it. Door mirror was dangling. Everybody was ok. Cops\ambulances\ etc etc showed up after about 5 minutes. I didn't have to go to the hospital.. I was fine. Today: I am doing very well... I have a small amount of brush burn (not road rash cause I landed in the persons front lawn... thank God!), the right side of my ribs where they connect to my sternum hurts pretty good but not severe... my guess is that they are strained. My left wrist hurt pretty good... once again.. strained I guess but it feels MUCH better. Thats about it. I am pretty much 100% fine... and I can't believe it. My bike is in the Harley shop already getting repaired. Geico insurance rules... the check is already at the shop and parts are ordered. My bike will have a cool facelift of sorts. I am getting the "straight bars" put on in place of the stock "clubmans". The clubmans are cool but not great for comfort. My 1125 was all black... I am getting the flyscreen, radiator shrouds, and Air box cover plastics in Red... that should look awesome. Other various parts are getting repalced. It will be back better than ever. Interesting note... you may remember how i stated on these forums about my not-so-good experiences at the Harley Dealer closest to me. Well... the Geico rep asked me which shop I would like the bike taken to. I stated the rubbish shop cause its closest... but i said it not-so-convincing. The Geico rep picked up on my reservations and asked what other shop I had in mind. I mentioned the shop much further away where I bought the 1125. He said... "Good.. lets take it there.. the "other" shop is very hard to work with which makes it frustrating for me and the customer." I was blown away... the shop (with the chick that knows... umm.. nothing... that stares at her monitor all confused and such) has a bad rep with all around here... its not just me. Soooo... the horror ended as a subtle lesson. Its a tough one cause after an acident you look for lessons. Some way to prevent these things from occurring again. 2 things I can draw from this... 1. practice MUCH more patience... I will continue to pass slower vehicles when legal BUT I will not "think" I will 110% "know" the coast is clear and 2... I will ride practicing a bit more patience and try not to get soooo worked up about other drivers (you know the ones... the ones that don't use turn signals.. go super slow... etc). I am guilty of becoming frustrated with drivers with zero awareness. Getting worked up does us riders no good... it just meeses up our own concentration and awareness. Once again... every night I thank God I'm ok... this could have been a really life altering (or life losing) experience. btw... I will most certainly continue riding and cannot wait to get my 1125 back... practicing my new outlook of riding. It is a luxury to be able to ride these things. stay safe out there Last edited by Hobbit; Sep 14th, 2009 at 04:46 AM.

Sep 12th, 2009, 03:04 PM	#2
glenalt Warming The Wheels Ride: 2005 Heritage Join Date: Sep 11th, 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 76 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... I was glad that you are OK. As I read your exerience I couldn't help think, WOW! It happens so fast and yet you have time for all those thoughts. Sounds like you have learned a valuable lesson from experience. I will try and learn from you and not have to go through the same thing.

Sep 12th, 2009, 04:32 PM	#3
Redfish-Joe Community Star Ride: 2008 Road Glide Join Date: Sep 2nd, 2008 Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast Posts: 462 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Glad things worked out for you. Man, could have been alot worse. Heal quick and ride safe __________________ "The protection of our rights can endure no longer than the performance of our responsibilities." John F. Kennedy

Sep 12th, 2009, 04:45 PM	#4
NEWHD74FAN Moderators Ride: 2004 Sportster XL1200RS Join Date: Aug 24th, 2008 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 3,716 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Baggh, read your post with great interest, and remember when I first followed your exploits from the Sporty early on to your migration to the Buell and I must say that I have seen the ups and downs of your relationship with the V-Twins and your approach and I must say that you are very fortunate and certainly have a very positive take on things. Yes, let those positive thoughts move you forward. You do not have to be an aggressive rider, just be a very "pro-active" assertive one and that thought is what sustained you during and after the encounter. We all have those moments when we get frustrated, and opt to pass that seemingly inattentive cager up front, but we must let our cooler head prevail before we execute our exposure into on coming traffic. As I have said before, the worst thing is the unexpected, I have had several people instead of doing a left turn in front of me ACTUALLY do a U-Turn and if I was not covering the rear brake and anticipating a stupid move like that, I would probably not be riding a Harley today...(happened twice when I was riding metric sport bikes). __________________ Please stop by the "Self Help section" for maintenance tips, diagnostic codes and much more. >>Self Help Information and Tips<<

Sep 12th, 2009, 05:56 PM	#5
HarryB737 Contributor$ Ride: Heritage 09 Softail Join Date: Jul 4th, 2009 Posts: 82 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Praise God you're alright !! ... Your post was very well written, I think all who read it can learn a very important lesson here. It also sounds like the right dealer has your bike. I hope you get it back soon. I look forward to some follow-up Threads soon. Take care & God Bless. Harry B

Sep 12th, 2009, 07:05 PM	#6
biglew55 Community Guru Ride: 2009 FLHX Join Date: Oct 1st, 2008 Location: IA Posts: 2,151 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Glad you are alright and the gear worked for you. Sharing your experience may save someone from having to learn this one on their own, with a less fortuitious outcome. Hope your bike is ready soon. __________________ "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow." - James Dean Ride it hard and ride it far!

Sep 12th, 2009, 08:22 PM	#7
03classic Community Star Ride: 2003 EG classic Join Date: Jul 7th, 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 401 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Glad you are ok.Habits are hard to break.

Sep 12th, 2009, 09:30 PM	#8
Hill202 Moderators Ride: 2009 Soft Tail Join Date: Apr 26th, 2009 Location: Peachtree City, Ga Posts: 234 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Glad you're ok. The tip about patience is well received by me. I need to practice it myself. __________________ Please stop by the "self help section" for maintenance tips,diagnostic codes and much more Self Help Information and Tips

Sep 12th, 2009, 10:16 PM	#9
Trek Play The Throttle Ride: 2009 ultra Join Date: Mar 28th, 2009 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 173 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Hey Baggh, First of all I'm glad you are not hurt any worse than you are. Second it is very wise of you to sit back and look at what you're mistakes were so as to move on from there. Patience indeed is a virtue we can ALL work on. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Sep 12th, 2009, 10:29 PM	#10
Jayson459 Contributor$ Ride: 2008 Electra Glide Standard Join Date: Oct 13th, 2008 Location: Lake City, FL Posts: 314 My Mood:	Re: T-Boned a car this past Tues :(... Glad you are okay Thread was an interesting read .. Only had 1 damaging accident here in 40 years riding ( knocking on wood ) Won't get into details but even though was totally not at fault still thought the scenario over a few times just so if came up again would be prepared for it .. Sounds like you have done the same .. Ride Safe __________________ 2008 Electra Glide, Stage 1 V&H True Duals .. 2001 Sportster XL 883>1200 Stage 1..

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