He won't be coming home again

[Matt. K]

Liverpool, this morning Jan, Thur 6th.
For members who ride bikes...take care over the holiday period.
http://www.pbase.com/matt_k/image/38319687

[birddog114]

Poor soul

[W00DY]

As I am about to get my bike license I won't show this to my wife.

Unfortunatly this can & does happen.

[birddog114]

As I am about to get my bike license I won't show this to my wife.

Unfortunatly this can & does happen.

You better invest $$$ in lenses and coming back home everyday to see your lovely wife and children.

[W00DY]

As I am about to get my bike license I won't show this to my wife.

Unfortunatly this can & does happen.

You better invest $$$ in lenses and coming back home everyday to see your lovely wife and children.

Now you sound like me wife (well except for the invest in lenses part).

let's not get into this right now though

[Glen]

Very sad, Matt. One is always at risk on a bike (said by one who has not used his Ducati since being married )

[sirhc55]

Any loss of life is sad and that is why I am thankfull (after many scrapes) that I am still around.

I must admit that since I am no longer fully capable of driving a car (my last car was a bright yellow SLK230) I am far more relaxed and thankful that I do not have to face the growing danger that is apparent on the road - I recommend Alvin Toflers book ”Future Shock” - it won’t get better!!!!!

Chris

[coolpix]

My wife is against me getting a bike and guess that is one of the reasons why. Poor fellow

[Hlop]

Bike on the ground doesn't mean someone's dead ...

I've been 3 times on the ground myself and still alive (keep fingers crossed)

[onimod]

Any loss of life is sad and that is why I am thankfull (after many scrapes) that I am still around.

I must admit that since I am no longer fully capable of driving a car (my last car was a bright yellow SLK230) I am far more relaxed and thankful that I do not have to face the growing danger that is apparent on the road - I recommend Alvin Toflers book ”Future Shock” - it won’t get better!!!!!

Chris

it's been a while since I've read it - the copy I've got has fallen apart. Must get another one.

[MattC]

I wonder what happened there. I hope he was OK.

Motorcyclists generally are not safe on city streets. For every time a motorcyclist has a major accident there must be hundreds of near misses. This is one of the reasons I quit riding on city streets.

There are only two types of motorcyclist that are reasonably safe on the road. The Harley rider with the black open face, long beard and evil snear - and the rider of those white BMW's with blue/white checks and red/blue lights. Everyone else seems to be fair game.

Matt

[Greg B]

Aren't we already living in the Future that Toffler predicted would be tricky?

[Matt. K]

The Police were blocking all the roads and the scene was marked out with police tape. The ambulance had long gone. There was a white car with the front right side smashed in and no tow vehicles in sight. My guess....they were waiting for the Coroner. (Did I spell that right?)

[atencati]

With all the parts lying in such prximity, looks like an impact not a lay down. It's not a matter of if, rather when. The risk of riding.

Glen! Sell me your Duc!!!!! wait, which model is it?

Andy

[tasadam]

My 2 cents on bikes.
I ride. I have a lot of fun riding. And I know from experience AND common sense that I am the only one that can keep it safe for me when I ride - because no other bugger will.
I always, as I ride, look. If there is another vehicle, I assume he hasn't seen me.
(And if I'm in Melbourne and that other vehicle is a taxi, I can assume I don't even exist because he WILL (and did) do a u-turn in front of me. It was wet and there were tram tracks, but because I was ready I was able to keep myself safe.)
If there is a driveway, I assume something might come out of it until I can see for sure it won't. If there's a crest, there could be a cow standing in the middle of the road just over it. If there's this fantastic sweeper (long corner for the non-riders) I can't be sure it won't be wet / greasy / loose gravel / broken truck half way round. Whole lot of possibilities for whole lot of scenarios. But I have built strategies into my riding to cope with them.
I'm no perfect rider. But I do know how to TRY and keep it safe. In reality, if someone is hellbent on taking me down there will be little I can do about it. But I can try.
Techniques for safer riding I have learnt from experience, practice, and two advanced rider courses (expensive, but worth it). These techniques I have built into my riding, which is why I still enjoy it.
Riding in cities is dangerous enough, most accidents occur at intersections, chances are some other bugger didn't see the rider or was going too quick. Gotta really have the eyes open for that sort of thing.

Accidents occur through the fault of the rider sometimes. Recently someone died in Tasmania because he was going flat maggot down a long straight when a Kombie van pulled out -slammed into it, the bike was embedded in the van, the rider passed through the van and landed another 30 metres up the road before skidding some distance more. Too quick, estimated 270kph. Ouch.
I'm actually glad I wasn't there with my camera...

Oh, and I'm lucky - my wife LOVES it on the back of the bike. Sorry to all you out there that aren't as fortunate on that score. Actually met her at a bike course back in '96.

As I say, my 2 cents (maybe 5 - I waffle a bit)
Adam.

[brembo]

Always a sad sight seeing a wreck from a fellow rider. Accidents are bad, raw bitumen hurts, but it's a risk you take for what you love doing.

[Glen]

Andy,
Its an 851, handy for longer rides than a 916/996/999 for comfort, though they look great. Also good if you are tall. If I don't sell it I would like to keep it in the house as a sculpture, but my wife is even less keen on that. Can't imagine why, looks great with its red fairings and white wheels

[brembo]

Glen, she'll love it if you give it it's own place, proudly standing next to the TV in the lounge room.

[Glen]

That is exactly what I wanted Brembo, there was a restuarant in Surry Hills, Senso Unico (one way), which had a Duke mounted on a stand, front wheel on the ground, back in the air, like a big stoppie, looked great. For some reason my wife is not as keen as I am on this idea. Then again, for eight years the house I now live in had nothing in it except 1 fridge full of beer, 1 pool table, 2 derelict sofas and about 5 bikes

[Nnnnsic]

I personally want a bike... but I should probably get my license before doing that...

[GMan]

...So be careful. Wear te right gear.

If you want to ride FAST, then take it to the race track. That is what I do.

Twice a year we do track days.

I'm an old fart. Been riding since I was 10. It's not a mid-life-crisis, it's a whole life crisis

I may be old and slow...but I'm in front!

http://gwfweb.com/cycles/040712/gwfrace2.jpg

[Glen]

I think the license is a good idea, or at least muck around on some dirt bikes

[goodrich62]

All I can say is OUCH
I've picked a lot of graval out off my arms and legs. Hopefully that is all he's doing there can be a lot worse I hope " He woun't be comming home " was a supusition

[Werewolf]

I gave up riding in the mid -80s after a VOLVO sent me flyin' over my handlebars outside Dapto Leagues Club! Landed on my head but the helmut saved my skull.

Miss my scooters though






Both pics taken in 1981 with an el cheapo Haminex instamatic from Kmart!

[darb]

thats my mate after an accident .. well, 6 months after. Still has no skull cap (thats just skin and hair resting on his brain.) He wears a reinforced hat most of the time ... he will be getting a titanium skullcap when infections die down.

he broke just about every possible thing you can break, testicles were ripped off in teh accident (and reattached in marathon surgery.) broke legs, arms, shoulders, head, collarbones, verterbrae, induced coma for 2 months ... brain swell and fluid leaks through the nose etc (fixed in surgery months later.) ... the list goes on and on.

They did put his own skull cap back on but it died and became infected so theyre giving him a titanium skullcap.

his best mate died (they were both on the bike.) A speeding driver pulled out infront of them at the very last moment, no chance to evade.

[birddog114]

It's scary!!!!!! and a good lesson, perhaps I'm an old man now.
When I was young (18YO)I flew the fighter jet, dive bomb, make very low pass to release bomb or dump rockets, and sawing AA trace flew pass, Got hit, RTB, swapped Aircraft and gone back to AO.
without any hestitation, but now, I'm totally difference.

[skippy]

thats my mate after an accident .. well, 6 months after. Still has no skull cap (thats just skin and hair resting on his brain.) He wears a reinforced hat most of the time ... he will be getting a titanium skullcap when infections die down.

he broke just about every possible thing you can break, testicles were ripped off in teh accident (and reattached in marathon surgery.) broke legs, arms, shoulders, head, collarbones, verterbrae, induced coma for 2 months ... brain swell and fluid leaks through the nose etc (fixed in surgery months later.) ... the list goes on and on.

They did put his own skull cap back on but it died and became infected so theyre giving him a titanium skullcap.

his best mate died (they were both on the bike.) A speeding driver pulled out infront of them at the very last moment, no chance to evade.

Jeez Darb, that's horrific. Makes my skippy intersect (hence the name) on the run down to the MotoGP seem incredibly minor. Enough of a hit to break a lot of plastic, the handlebar and fracture my knee, but I kept it upright somehow so that was about it. Seriously lucky.
bike pics - bandwidth warning - they're big

Still waiting on parts for the bike, so I haven't ridden since Oct 14. Even went to a dealer and sat on one to remember what it felt like...

[BBJ]

Well i ride bikes and have 2 of them, a Honda and a BMW, I am a bit of a rev head and always have been, but as i drive trucks you soon learn to watch cars so now when i am out on 1 of my bikes i always keep an eye on cars even if i am not at the corner and there is traffic there i will slow down. Anyhow you can get run over crossing the road so yeh enjoy life while we can.
Even some of my Ulysses old farts are not afraid to up the adrenilin now and then.
Cheers
John
BBJ

[darb]

yeah i wasnt knocking it BBJ ... i throw myself down the sides of steep mountains with a board or ski's strapped to myself quite often, id have more chance getting cained doing that than on a motorbike ...