Well it started out as a nice day. A beautiful spring day here in NJ. A day off of work. Why not take the Vulcan out for a ride.
...my nice ride lasted about 15 miles. Riding down a country type two lane road. Two cars in front of me both signaled and slowed down to make a left turn. I tapped my brakes a few times and then came to a stop behind them. Apparently the woman in the Jeep behind me didn't feel it was necessary to stop and proceeded to plow right into me!
Somehow I stayed upright after the impact and just jumped off the bike. Never went down and didn't move forward into the car in front of me. I feel extremely lucky today. The only injury is a bruise on my right knee. I think I jammed it into the gas tank.
I freaked out bad on this woman. Screaming at her so much that onlookers came over to calm me down. Drove her to tears. I feel a little bit bad (just a little) about how I reacted, but the adrenaline was pumping and she was arguing that it wasn't her fault. I was actually lectured by one of the cops later about how I shouldn't have been so hard on her because I upset her so much. Amazing! She's a little upset...I wonder if I would have upset her more if I left there in an ambulance.
Soooo...that was my day!
PLEASE be careful out there everyone!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v117/boognish/0423001423.jpg

Holy Crap from the looks of that picture, you're one lucky man. You might want to put a couple extra bucks in the collection plate this Sunday.

I'm glad you're doing well. Hope you can ride again soon.

I think you reacted just fine. Glad you were able ok enough to give her a piece of your mind. That's what counts and hopefully she'll pay a bit more attention to what's ahead of her. On a final thought = the damage to your bike just sucks. I'd like to know how the insurance works out on fixing/replacing your bike.

Glad to know that you are okay health wise.

Thanks guys. I keep looking at that thinking of other ways it might have turned out. I do feel lucky. Weird thing is though...the odometer stopped at 12,666.

I guess it's gonna be a while before I get an idea what insurance is going to do. This had to happen on a Friday. Plus I didn't have collision coverage on the bike so I have to wait on her insurance company now.

This is the second time I have had a Vulcan destroyed because of someone else's carelessness. Back in '99 I also had a '93 750 just like this one. A guy pulled out in front of me and stopped. We met briefly as I flew by (and off of) his windshield. For what that crash was, I was also extremely lucky. I did take a trip to the ER, but left the same night with just a few broken bones and some stitches where his windshield was removed from me.
After that it took me ten years to get back on a bike. Now after only having been back riding since last summer, this happens.
I am just wondering now of course....how much more do I push my luck?
I want to get right back on...but...

Wow, glad you're ok. That could've went a whole lot worse for you.

I don't know what to say about that lady...I'd have gone off on her the same, and here in MI, if a person rear-ends anybody for any reason it's always the fault of the person who does the hitting. Some silly stuff about always having to be in control of your vehicle, and paying attention, and blah-blah-blah. I wonder what super-duper outside force prevented her from maintaining control of her own vehicle, and forced her to hit you...

Anyway, I'm glad you're ok, and will be able to ride again, if you choose to.

holy ****balls that sucks

sorry i would have let her have it too

glad you are ok

Glad to see you made it out alive after seeing the bike. Yes, you did the right thing by correcting her unsafe driving. Did the LEO say anything to her or just you for saying something to her?

Yeah, he did talk to her too. I didn't hear the conversation, but according to him he told her that she was completely at fault. He says he tried to explain to her why I reacted the way I did. I don't know exactly what he told her, but he did recommend that I didn't talk to her anymore. Whatever...I just hope she learned something today...
..or just quits driving.

Looks like she wanted to ride 2up!!!

Seriosly, glad to here you're OK and X222222 on hoping she learned something, just wish is wasn't at your...I mean her insurance company's expense..

Hold on to your beloved bike, and MAKE THE INS. PAY UP AND FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (doesn't look totaled from the pic, but I could be wrong)..

:beerchug:Here's to hoping that you and your bike are back in the wind soon!!:beerchug:

And again.... WOW.. :wow: Really glad you're OK!!
I most likely woulda acted the same way to someone who had just tried to shorten my bike!!
Wish ya all the best in getting a fair settlement outta the bum deal!!

And great job on keeping control (of the bike) after the hit!! :smiley_th

Hold on to your beloved bike, and MAKE THE INS. PAY UP AND FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (doesn't look totaled from the pic, but I could be wrong)..


I don't know if it's repairable or even worth it. The rear wheel is jammed up against the frame. The wheel won't even turn without a lot of effort. Took the tow guys a while to get it on the rollback. I would have to imagine there's some damage to the frame and the drive shaft.

....but the shop I bought it from has a 2004 750 for about $3900. hmmm...maybe I'll head over there this week!

Dude, I am glad you are alive. That idiot behind you was lucky you didn't go "postal" on her behind. I hope she at least got a ticket from the LEO. This is why i couldn't be a cop....I would write so many tickets on people like her...the city coffers would overflow with money....I say get another bike soon....don't give this crap too much power. If it helps...more high visibility gear and rear lights if it makes you feel better ...these cagers need all the help they can get. (Can I add anymore ....'s in this reply?)....

Man-o-man you were lucky she didn't plow straight through you from behind. Bet she was texting or talking on her cell phone. Obviously she wasn't paying attention and she could easily have killed you, if it weren't for the grace of God. Nothing you could have said to her (or screamed at her) can in any way relieve her of any responsibility for this accident. It's totally her fault, and her fault alone.

That being said, and for everyone else's benefit, here's what I learned in my MSF basic and experienced riders courses. When we stop at a light, or stop sign, or for any other reason, keep your bike in first gear with the clutch held in and be constantly aware of what's closing in behind and around you. Have an escape route clearly marked out in your mind and be prepared to move quickly if someone seems to be getting close. It's very important to leave enough space between you and whoever is in front of you so you aren't pinned in without the ability to get around quickly. It also gives you some wiggle room if someone stops just a few inches behind you. You can move forward a bit so in case they get hit from behind they won't plow into you.

I haven't had the MSF class formally. I have, however, read the books and watched videos then went and practiced what I learned. Saved my butt and the bike more than once. However, I have found that when I give myself the "wriggle room" and inch forward to get the space. The cager behind me moves up also and closes the gap. So to combat this, when I am coming to a stop I will note the open holes (i.e. spots between cars, areas next to a curb) I know I can fit in and actually stop with distance between me and the vehicle in front. Plus, at a slight angle pointed toward the open hole. Not everyone will agree with this practice. But, it works for me. Especially where phones and inexperienced drivers are concerned.

Let my chime in with my "glad you're OK" and while it probably wasn't your finest moment (while you were chewing her out), I hope that she got a clue out of it. Cagers just don't realize (or even care to think about) what kind of damage (to both the bike and the rider) their 4000 pound behemoths can do, even at relatively low speeds. I'm sure that to her, it was just a little bump. To your poor Vulcan, it was obviously something a little more.

Hope that she learned a lesson about driving, but knowing dimwits like her, she probably only learned not to hack off a biker (not a bad lesson to learn, but not what you were going for)...

--FA

glad your ok, i just recovered from totaling my bike as well. they will not be able to fix the bike to factory unless you transplant parts from onother frame (timely and expensive) but you could custum like i am currently doing!!! it should roll once you remove the fender. i have seen some frames on ebay for pretty cheap if you want to pocket the ins money and transplant all the parts. just a few ideas. again, i am glad you are ok.

I hope I never see your situation, glad you made it.

...I have found that when I give myself the "wriggle room" and inch forward to get the space. The cager behind me moves up also and closes the gap. So to combat this, when I am coming to a stop I will note the open holes (i.e. spots between cars, areas next to a curb) I know I can fit in and actually stop with distance between me and the vehicle in front. Plus, at a slight angle pointed toward the open hole.

Good idea! Same concept, have an escape route and be ready to enter it.

Wow man, glad you are OK. As many others have said, I would have reacted the same way on that woman. In fact with my temper, I'm sure I would have had her completely balling and would have told that cop to kiss my butt about upsetting the woman that could have just killed me.

This is why I'm always watching my mirrors and keep it in gear when stopped, just in case I need to make an evasive maneuver.

You know...everyone keeps talking about their escape route and watching the mirrors and all that. I have always heard this advice and done my best to follow it. It's great advice in theory and it's also great in perfect practice, but it doesn't always work out that way.
When I saw the car two cars in front of me hit his brakes I knew we all had to slow down. I started to slow right away. Then I was watching the car directly in front of me for his brake lights. By then I was simultaneously coming to a stop and about to check my mirrors. I didn't even get a chance to look back when she plowed into me. I was aware that she was there because she had been behind me for a while. Last time I looked at her she wasn't that close. It seems like she accelerated instead of slowing down before she hit me.
Of course I have now been second-guessing myself for two days about when I could have checked the mirrors, but I'm not sure that would have changed anything

Don't get me wrong...I absolutely agree with the tactics discussed here. I follow them myself every time I ride. Unfortunately sometimes things happen so quickly that your timing is just a little bit off and things don't work out as you planned them.

I truly hope everyone here (and every rider everywhere) follows all safety advice all the time. I know I try. I guess no matter how careful you are, bad things are going to happen sometimes. You just need to increase your chances of good things happening by doing the right thing as often as you can...

...that's life.

Glad you made it out of that in one piece! Good luck with either the repair or getting a new one.

I was nailed from behind the day before Thanksgiving back in 2008.

It was broad daylight, high noon, not a cloud in the sky, perfect visibility, I was wearing my bright yellow Shoei helmet, and the guy still didn't miss me.

That episode made me a true believer in tail lamp modulators, and very bright tail lights that are as close to driver eye level as possible. I also now wear a fluorescent orange safety vest for added visibility--even in good conditions.

The moral to my story (in addition to the above): if you are slowing down to make a turn, be sure and signal your intentions. The idiot right behind you may not realize you are about to make a turn, and thus he/she may not zig when you zag.

The intent here is not to sidetrack the thread subject matter, but to supplement it by suggesting that we need to do all we reasonably can to assume responsibility for our own safety (since the nearby cagers obviously will not), in part with additional visibility measures. It's sad, but true--most cagers here in the US simply are not watching for us. What happened to me that day (on a very small scale) proves it (again)....:BLAM:

Glad you're ok man, keep us posted.

I'm really glad your alright bud, It looks like your riding my bikes twin. Seeing stuff like that really makes you think.

I hope your able to get back on your two wheels asap.

I am glad you came through this with only minor injuries. I probably would have reacted the same way you did at the scene. A 300 pound, 6' tall pi--ed off biker in her face almost guarantees tears would be shed. I read in David Hough`s book "Proficient Motorcycling" that to get attention we should use hand signals along with our signal lights. I don`t know if you had time to do this or not.

Hough`s rational was that because most people do not use hand signals, that a rider, after turning on the signal lights or flashing the brake light then sticking his arm out to the side, elbow at 90* pointing up, down or straight out to the right will draw the attention of the drivers around him. This is especially true if you have a Hi-Viz glove on. In the short time that I was able to ride, I had been using both signal lights and hand signals, and did not experience any near misses with cages. My gloves were not Hi-viz but were light colored leather, not black.

The Minnesota Safety website has a link for a hi-viz glove that fits over your leather riding gloves, to enhance your hand signals. I will try to find it, and link it here.

Add Link. http://www.bikerhiway.com/reflective-gear-tape-decals-reflective-motorcycle-riding-gloves-c-70_27.html

I agree about using arm signals. I don't do it to stop because I need my clutch hand to gear down, but in the city I usually do it to turn as traffic allows. If it's too congested though I won't - I need both hands on the bars then. (Try doing an emergency stop with one hand on the bars and you'll see what I mean.)

My theory is that (a) the movement catches motorists' attention, and (b) they are then more likely to see me as a person than as a another moving object.

You know...everyone keeps talking about their escape route and watching the mirrors and all that. I have always heard this advice and done my best to follow it. It's great advice in theory and it's also great in perfect practice, but it doesn't always work out that way.
When I saw the car two cars in front of me hit his brakes I knew we all had to slow down. I started to slow right away. Then I was watching the car directly in front of me for his brake lights. By then I was simultaneously coming to a stop and about to check my mirrors. I didn't even get a chance to look back when she plowed into me. I was aware that she was there because she had been behind me for a while. Last time I looked at her she wasn't that close. It seems like she accelerated instead of slowing down before she hit me.
Of course I have now been second-guessing myself for two days about when I could have checked the mirrors, but I'm not sure that would have changed anything

Don't get me wrong...I absolutely agree with the tactics discussed here. I follow them myself every time I ride. Unfortunately sometimes things happen so quickly that your timing is just a little bit off and things don't work out as you planned them.

I truly hope everyone here (and every rider everywhere) follows all safety advice all the time. I know I try. I guess no matter how careful you are, bad things are going to happen sometimes. You just need to increase your chances of good things happening by doing the right thing as often as you can...

...that's life.

Got to admit that even though I follow my routine of being aware of everything everywhere when riding and always having an escape route marked out, I am very much aware that accidents can still happen and are sometimes completely unavoidable even with the best situational awareness. Please remember that this woman all by herself caused the accident and it is entirely HER fault. Coulda / Shoulda / Woulda doesn't change that at all. Just thank God you're not injured badly. How about an update on your knee?

Take care my friend...

Got to admit that even though I follow my routine of being aware of everything everywhere when riding and always having an escape route marked out, I am very much aware that accidents can still happen and are sometimes completely unavoidable even with the best situational awareness. Please remember that this woman all by herself caused the accident and it is entirely HER fault. Coulda / Shoulda / Woulda doesn't change that at all. Just thank God you're not injured badly. How about an update on your knee?

Take care my friend...

Thanks for checking in on me. I am actually fine. I'm still amazed at that fact! Two days after the wreck I noticed that my whole leg (not just my knee) was bruised. It's pretty much gone now though.

Now begins the fun with my insurance company. It's been 10 days and they haven't done anything. Last Thursday I asked the guy handling the claim what was going on. He said he was STILL waiting on the police report. Today, still nothing. So I took an hour out of my work day and got the report myself. I emailed him and asked him if he got it too. He didn't. I got a call five hours later from him telling me to fax the report to him. What the hell?! Why am I doing his job for him?

It's just a delaying tactic. He and his company can't possibly be that technically challenged that they can't receive emails or police reports. You're in a bind because you have to do his job for him if you want to expedite your claim. But they are YOUR insurance company, right? This is poor customer service. What company is it? Perhaps we should all avoid them. I use gieco and they've always been fantastic. Probably could save a few bucks going elsewhere, but I've always been taken very good care of by them so I'm not interested in changing insurance companies.

Glad to hear your leg is better. I'm sure you were hit harder than you realized because of the bruising. Your adrenaline rush must really have been intense. I'm sure the woman who hit you has had some time to think about what damage she's done and what COULD have happened if not for the grace of God. Hopefully by this time a great deal of remorse has set in and she'll be more careful (for a couple of weeks at least!)

My sister is a claims adjuster...they try to find fault even when it wasn't your fault. The slightest amount is negotiated between the two adjusters. Keep all the evidence ..such as photos..etc....even though its totally her fault....insurance companies are scum.

So I got the info yesterday from the woman's insurance company. They decided that the bike was a total loss. In addition to other damages, the frame was bent. The amount they are going to pay me is $2048 plus sales tax for a total of $2191. Not bad for a 1993, but it's still less than I paid for it a year ago. Plus I did some repairs and put a new battery in it two months ago. I faxed receipts for that stuff, but it doesn't sound like I'm gonna get anything for it.
What really sucks is that I don't have a bike now, and I could really use the money they are giving me for other things right now. I can't go out and get a new bike right away.
This stupid woman who can't pay attention while driving has now ruined my summer.

Look at it this way, it could have been worse. At least you walked away from it.

I have learned to go to the impound yard and grab everything I can out of the vehicle, see if you can find out where it is and grab what you can off it.

If you think the insurance company is undercharging you for replacing your bike, plus the pain and suffering you underwent (although it's not serious, it's worth something), plus whatever time you lost from work, etc. then you have to tell them.

If you just fax in rcpts, it may not be enough. Make sure your rep knows what you want and why you want it. If your rep can't deliver it, ask them if you are entitled to a lawyer to pursue your claim against this other woman/her insurance company.

Neither your rep nor the woman's have any real incentive to help you out, when you think about it. But they're also not the responsible parties. YOU can always sue HER directly. Sometimes your insurance company is required to help you out with that.

Squeaky wheel, my friend.

Hey man, I am glad your ok, that pic looks gruesome! Yeah i would have gone AWOL on the bit-Ch. And would have made sure the cop gave her a big fat ticket. As for the whole insurance and 'fault' thing, here in Minnesota, we have 'no-fault' law or something, it basically states, that its at least 10% your fault for just being there. So if you're stopped at a red light, and you get rear-ended, well its somewhat your fault for just being there!! How f'n stupid!! That's whats insurance if for, to cover crap like that and they are gonna tell you its your fault for just being there!!

Yeah that price, the $21??, isnt enough!! They should completely cover the bike, i would demand more!! Or SUE!! They can always go into somebook or whatever and say, "hey this is what your bike is worth", but thats bullsh!t, that's not what its WORTH TO YOU!! And your life was in danger in this accident!! My bike is a 2001 vn750, and if it was me, i would demand them buy/replace it with the same year, or 1 year older/newer but nothing too older.

And how does that work, if they total it out, can't you still keep it??? or strip it of everything, motor, tank, forks, etc...??
I am not sure how that works.
I had a buddy buy a special edition Yamaha 2004 R6 (red, n black, n chrome) crotch rocket, he got it from CrashedToys.com in 2007. and he got a great deal on it, $3200, and the retail new was like $7k. It had busted plastics, headlight, blinkers, and stuff. He put about $500 into fixing it, got cheap used plastics from ebay, so here he had $3700 or so into it. After about 4 months, he dropped it in the parking lot, he cracked the plastics up, busted one blinker, and dented the clutch cover, he called up his insurance, they came over, took pictures and etc.. and because it already had a cleared salvaged title or whatever, they made him this offer "we can total the bike out and give you $4200 for it, or we can write you a check to fix it for $2300. He took the $2300. He used like $300 of it to fix it up again (god bless ebay), and used the rest to buy a jetski!! So he actually came out on top by dropping the bike, go FIGURE!! Stupid Rockets and their expensive plastics! That's what it is, the plastics, they figure the cost for new plastics is like over $1grand or more...

Anyway, i wish you the best of luck, and hope you get back on two wheels soon!

I would tell them you feel the compensation (for the bike, inconvenience, pain, etc.) isn't enough, that you think $xxxx is a more reasonable figure, and if they don't agree you will contact an attorney. Many companies are willing to increase their initial (lowball) offer when faced with the cost of defending a lawsuit. It's cheaper for them in the long run, and they are always looking at the bottom line.

I would have ripped her head off (verbally). First thing to do is GET A LAWYER-NOW--RIGHT NOW You should get at least a $50,000 settlement out of this.. You were almost killed, and it is clear it was 100% her fault. Do not try to deal with her insurance company on your own, they will rip you off big time. I have my attorney's information in my wallet, and if I am ever involved in an accident, I want them in on it from the very beginning. If the accident was their fault, I want the legal paperwork filed that day. Jerry.

Jerry's right about getting an attorney to do the dealing with the insurance company. They're masters at ripping you off. Heck, they even rip off the clients who buy their insurance. Even more so with non-clients (like yourself) who are trying to collect.