Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

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Mutt the Hoople
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

Well, rats. I went down today. And it HURTS


1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Buddy 50cc Pamplona
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Mmmm... I got passed on the wrong, (right), side and then the driver, (on a cell phone) cut me off. I was getting ready to make a left hand turn and swerved, hit loose gravel and down I went. About 6:00pm.
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? I'm not sure what I would do differently. I was watching, and I avoided getting hit. Had it not been for the gravel I would have been fine I think. Not really sure. Always room for improvement.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Bruised knees, bruised right breast, road rash on right elbow. Three quarter copter helmet, heavy jeans, boots, gloves, and no armored jacket. Oh duh. I had a heavy khaki jacket but I had the sleeves rolled up... Oh duh again. Had I been wearing one of my armored jackets I think I would have been fine because I had heavy jeans on and I didn't even tear them.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? A couple very minor scrapes.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? None. Nothing I can't buff out.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? A year and a half. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? Yes. License.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes.
10. How fast was the rider going? Maybe 20mph.
11. How far was the rider from home? About four blocks.

I was lucky. I went away from the car. I was able to turn the scooter off and get it up again. I got the breath knocked out of me but I really consider myself to be very lucky. The driver drove off. I got his license. I wondered how I would handle it if I ever fell. I did okay. I rode it straight to the drug store to get first aid stuff. And margarita mix. I didn't cry, and vegan more surprising, I didn't swear!!!
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Post by ericalm »

Mutt the Hoople wrote: The driver drove off. I got his license. I wondered how I would handle it if I ever fell. I did okay. I rode it straight to the drug store to get first aid stuff. And margarita mix. I didn't cry, and vegan more surprising, I didn't swear!!!
Lots of crashes being reported here, among my friends, in the Facebook groups, elsewhere. Glad you walked away with only minor wounds!

The driver leaving, ugh. My road rage is flaring up just thinking about it!
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Mutt the Hoople
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

I noticed that too... Too many crashes lately. Too many people trying to drive while using their cell phones. It seems like practically everyone is doing something with their phone while driving these days. But I still feel lucky, considering. I know I am gonna really hurt tomorrow though.
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Post by ericalm »

These are seasonal spikes in crash reports in the Spring/early summer and in the early Fall. Not that those have anything to do with the crashes I've heard about lately. :(
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Post by jrsjr »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:....I rode it straight to the drug store to get first aid stuff. And margarita mix. I didn't cry, and vegan more surprising, I didn't swear!!!
Not only did you not cry, but you somehow kept your cool and your sense of humor. That's saying something! 8) Sorry you crashed, though. Hope you're all healed up and riding with a giant smile again very soon.
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Post by Dooglas »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:Well, rats. I went down today. And it HURTS
Nuts, Mutt. Sorry to hear about your spill. I'm glad to hear you weren't banged up worse. And I'll bet you're glad it wasn't your GTV :wink: .
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Post by OldGuy »

Sorry to hear it Mutt, but really glad you are okay.

Around my area, fall is especially bad as school is back in session and there are a lot of young ignorant parents driving kids to/from school and such, and too many high-schoolers with fresh licenses and first cars. Its dangerous out there right now!
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

I WOULD have been crying had it been my GTV. Luckily, the Buddy only got some very miner scrapes. I still feel bad but I can buff most of it out. My elbow now feels like it is on fire, and my legs are really bruised. But I feel really lucky. I faceplanted the pavement... Only wearing a copter helmet but the visor took the hit. Just ordered an Arai full face a few days ago. The scooter came out from under me so quickly that I didn't have time to react... Just wham, on the ground. No slow motion feeling, none of that.

So... This morning I took my dogs to the dog park. I went to pick up Fred's poop and I look down and there was a four leaf clover... Just like that. It's still in my leash bag LOL. Guess it did it's job.
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Post by LunaP »

I'm glad you are alright, Mutt! Jerk drivers.
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

Thanks Luna... Me too. I'm really glad it's wasn't any worse. I'm trying to glean any insight on what to do in that kind of situation. Other than wear the jacket ... I'm bit sure I could have avoided it. I'm just not sure.
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Post by JHScoot »

sorry to hear about this, mutt. the ground hurts :(

hope you heal fast and well and don't get illegally passed by drivers when you get back on the scoot
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Post by Wolfhound »

You got his license, did you report it to the police?? Glad you did not get hurt worse.
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

I did. So did a couple of people that saw the accident. I'm glad it wasn't worse too.... But just woke up and my shoulder is really sore. I can hardly lift my arm. Took some aspirin and putting an ice pack on it. And luckily... I have a massage therapist in my building. She can do deep tissue massage. She got a pair of my earring last week and instead of taking money, I traded for two massages... What great timing :D
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Post by KABarash »

Wow Liz, glad to hear you weren't badly hurt.
Yep, like you said the whole situation may have been avoidable, your injuries could have been lessened, but that's why they're called 'Accidents' not 'Intentionals'

Incidents on the roads these days seem to be increasing, whether it be from distracted driving or just inattentiveness or a complete lack of regard by the offending driver towards everybody else on the road we all have to remember to be vigilant in regards to our own safety.......
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Post by TVB »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:Too many people trying to drive while using their cell phones. It seems like practically everyone is doing something with their phone while driving these days.
Yesterday I passed a bicyclist poking at his phone, and riding in the middle of the (only) lane. :fp: I passed him slowly enough to ask if he was trying to get hit (but not slowly enough to wait for a response).
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Re: Got stuck in a pothole and I fell off my bike.

Post by Syd »

sfchorus wrote:I can't believe I did that!

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color?
Buddy 125, white
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
Well, it was a surface hazard that this rider didn’t see in time, so does that count as rider error?
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
Yes, that could have been avoided. I was practicing splitting lanes and was focused on the cars on either side of me, instead of on the road right in front of me. Maybe I need to be more conservative when trying to learn a new scootering skill?
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Bruised ego and right knee. No road rash. Wearing ff helmet, gloves, armor jacket, boots, and thermals under my work pants. I think the thermals went a long way in preventing road rash.
5. What was the damage to the scooter?
None that I could discern, except the right mirror is lose on its stalk.
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
Prolly nothing.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
Four months of riding experience. I have an M1 license.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
Yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes
10. How fast was the rider going?
I was in heavy traffic so slow, like, 10-15 mph, if that.
11. How far was the rider from home?
3 miles.

I was riding home on a new route, learning to split lanes in slow, heavy traffic. I was just starting to accelerate when all of a sudden, my bike stopped moving (I remember wondering what I was doing wrong – I wasn’t even engine braking) as I hit that four inch deep pothole. Although my bike had stopped moving, my body was still in motion, which, I think, is why I found myself diving into the pavement, thinking the following thoughts:
1. I can’t believe I’m actually going to fall.
2. I’m glad I have a ff helmet. Let’s see if it works.
3. I’m glad I have all this gear on. Let’s see if it works.
4. I hope this fall isn’t too bad.
Then I was on the street realizing that I wasn’t physically hurt. I got up, picked up my bike (this was a struggle because the wheel was still caught in that big pothole) and walked it to the sidewalk. A nice man helped me. I stayed on the sidewalk for a few minutes, then rode home. I stopped for gas and a Quick Pick on the way (but today isn’t my lucky day, just in case you can’t tell).
Happy to be physically safe. Happy to get that first accident over with. I will continue to ride my bike and be ever more vigilant about what’s in front of me.
Sorry you went down, sfchorus, but glad it wasn't worse. If you were filtering, how did you miss all the cars (did you) ?
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Post by sfchorus »

Well...I don't think I missed all the cars - it was more like they managed to miss me.

The cars were all going pretty slowly from a stop. Now that I think about it, we had to have been going slower than I originally thought - 3-5 mph - not 10-15 mph (which is what I said before). The cars on either side of me had already pulled forward (I was trying to move with them when I got stuck in the pothole), the cars behind were just starting to move slowly, and since I fell off the bike right in front of them, they didn't have a hard time stopping for me.

I hope that explanation made sense to you :-) [/i]
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Grrrr

Post by claygone »

So I crashed last week coming home from work. Sadly the insurance says it is totaled.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? 2013 Blur 220i
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? To much front break :-( 5:20pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? Grab less front break and watch traffic more carefully.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Full Face helmet, armored jacket, and gloves. Just a skinned knee.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Bent handle bars, broken light, lots of damage to the fairings. October got beat up :-(
6. Cost of repairs, if any? None, insurance totaled out.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? A year. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? Yes. License.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes.
10. How fast was the rider going? Maybe 15 mph.
11. How far was the rider from home? 2 miles
Last edited by claygone on Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by RoadRambler »

Oh, sorry to hear about "October" !! (Great name, BTW) Hope you are okay -- you didn't mention injury and hope you weren't hurt!
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Post by claygone »

RoadRambler wrote:Oh, sorry to hear about "October" !! (Great name, BTW) Hope you are okay -- you didn't mention injury and hope you weren't hurt!
Thanks!. I was lucky I just skinned my knee. I normally where armored pants, because I am a ATGATT guy, but I was feeling lazy my after job moved 5 miles from my house.
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Re: Grrrr

Post by jrsjr »

claygone wrote:So I crashed last week coming home from work. Sadly the insurance says it is totaled.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? 2013 Blur 220i
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? To much front break :-( 5:20pm
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? Grap less front break and watch traffic more carefully.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Full Face helmet, armored jacket, and gloves. Just a skinned knee.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Bent handle bars, broken light, lots of damage to the fairings. October got beat up :-(
6. Cost of repairs, if any? None, insurance totaled out.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? A year. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? Yes. License.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yes.
10. How fast was the rider going? Maybe 15 mph.
11. How far was the rider from home? 2 miles
Glad to hear that you got away with just a skinned knee. I'm guessing that your riding gear did its job, so good on you for wearing it. On the other hand, I'm sooooo sorry to hear that "October" is totaled. I hope that you will be rolling around soon on "October II."
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Im now on the list

Post by uklemond »

After two years of scooting around Boston on my 170i, i finally hit the deck.
Not my fault and damage minimal but still worthy of going on the list. Heading in to work, only a half mile away and a cab shot passed me in an aggressive manner, cut me up and screamed out. Get a F**cking Harley you Pussy. He then shot off. I turned right at the next intersection and he was there in the left lane, I was in the right. That changed in the blink of an eye. He shot to the right and slammed on his brakes. I slammed on mine too, but hit a slippy patch and the bike went from underneath me. He got out and told me it was my fault, i asked how he came to that conclusion. He responded. Well if you call the police im going to tell them i was indicating and picking up a fare and you were driving aggressively. I never hit his car and the damage to me was minimal. No witnesses. I took a pic of the cab and drove on. Been angry all day :)

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Mocha Buddy 170i
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
No it was a deliberate aggressive move by the cab cadger at 8am this morning
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
I dont think i could have avoided this incident as i was aimed at by the driver.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
No injury - Bikers jacket and pants a tad scuffed up though
5. What was the damage to the scooter?
Minimal Damage. Rim around healamp scraped down, and wing mirror snapped of. Maybe a few other scrapes
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
No idea yet but not to expect more than a couple of hundred if i repair it all. Might just go for the replacement mirror
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
15 years experience only 2 in the USA though. Full bikers license
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
I have done the UK equivalent called CBT
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
YES
10. How fast was the rider going? About 10 bmph
11. How far was the rider from home? 38 miles from home but less than a mile to the office
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Post by walke2jd »

You just let him get away with that? I would have called the cops. If nothing else, he would have record of being aggressive towards scooters and the cops will believe the scooterists in future issues.
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Post by Dooglas »

walke2jd wrote:You just let him get away with that? I would have called the cops.
I'm with you on this one. I would call the Boston cops and tell them my story, then I would call the taxicab licensing office and do the same, and then call his cab company and do the same again. It might stick this time, and even if it doesn't - a guy who would do something like that once will do it again.
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Post by Wolfhound »

I agree.
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

I agree with the above. That guy was using his cab as a weapon. A possibly lethal weapon. He really needs to be reported.
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Post by ericalm »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:I agree with the above. That guy was using his cab as a weapon. A possibly lethal weapon. He really needs to be reported.
Not sure about MA, but in CA, that's a felony.
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Post by uklemond »

Dooglas wrote:
walke2jd wrote:You just let him get away with that? I would have called the cops.
I'm with you on this one. I would call the Boston cops and tell them my story, then I would call the taxicab licensing office and do the same, and then call his cab company and do the same again. It might stick this time, and even if it doesn't - a guy who would do something like that once will do it again.
At the time i was in some discomfort and rather flustered. I did however reflect on the situation throughout the day and finally called the police. They told me to come into the station to file a report, so i did. When i got there though they told me that i am suppose to call the hackney carriage to file the report and thus had to wait for them to be open the next day. I called and they told me im suppose to file a report at the police station.

Oh the neverending bull crap of its not my job ensues. Should have called 911, but when he was blatantly telling me he was going to lie about how it happened i felt there was nothing i could do. Have ordered a helmet cam now and once that arrives im going to make sure i record all events as and when they happen.

Lesson learnt. Moving on :)
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

You know.... Just ordered a GoPro myself. I was just going to say it might be a really good idea. I actually got mine to use as part of an art project I am working on BUT... After what happened to you and to me... And to me almost again two days ago,yeah... Great idea.

Damn. It feels like open season for scooters. I was riding home from the grocery store and could see my building. I was going straight, had a green light, and this woman came flying up the street and made a left hand turn right in front of me. No time for anything but she was glint way too fast and missed me. She was FLYING down a 20mph road. No signal. When I saw her i thought she was going straight. She wasn't even in the area when my light turned green and I started to proceed. She had to be doing at the very least 50mph. And of course, she screamed at me as she made her turn, and shook her fist at me. Just wow. I was already really watching cars after my fall. What the heck is wrong with people. She was going so fast she whacked the curb on the other side. I was fully geared that day but had she hit me, I am sure it would not have mattered. I would have been nothing but a squished spot on the pavement. I sort of think that a lot of people these days just aren't very nice. Period. I see them trying to cut in front of emergency vehicles all of the time and forcing fire trucks and ambulances to go around THEM. Sheesh.
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Post by charlie55 »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:You know.... Just ordered a GoPro myself. I was just going to say it might be a really good idea. I actually got mine to use as part of an art project I am working on BUT... After what happened to you and to me... And to me almost again two days ago,yeah... Great idea.

Damn. It feels like open season for scooters. I was riding home from the grocery store and could see my building. I was going straight, had a green light, and this woman came flying up the street and made a left hand turn right in front of me. No time for anything but she was glint way too fast and missed me. She was FLYING down a 20mph road. No signal. When I saw her i thought she was going straight. She wasn't even in the area when my light turned green and I started to proceed. She had to be doing at the very least 50mph. And of course, she screamed at me as she made her turn, and shook her fist at me. Just wow. I was already really watching cars after my fall. What the heck is wrong with people. She was going so fast she whacked the curb on the other side. I was fully geared that day but had she hit me, I am sure it would not have mattered. I would have been nothing but a squished spot on the pavement. I sort of think that a lot of people these days just aren't very nice. Period. I see them trying to cut in front of emergency vehicles all of the time and forcing fire trucks and ambulances to go around THEM. Sheesh.
Damn! Just happened to me yesterday riding home from work. I heard a siren behind me, checked the mirror and saw an ambulance about 10 cars back, all lit up, full bore on the noisemakers. So, I signalled right and pulled to the curb. What happens? The cars between the ambulance and me just raced forward to grab the "precious" 10 feet of pavement that I had freed up and then stacked up at a red light. End result, the ambulance had to cross over into the oncoming lane to get through, and I was "pinned' against the curb until the backlog cleared.

We have the same problem with idiots not stopping for school busses while they're either picking up or dropping off kids. Red lights flashing, stop sign out, and these morons just fly right past without even slowing down. Back when my older daughter took ths bus, the driver devised her own solution to the problem - phone camera and a paintball gun. If you passed this lady's bus illegally, you got tagged, photo'd and reported to the cops. Don't know about the legality of it, but the cops never gave her any grief and it did seem to work
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Post by BeefSupreme »

FYI If anyone is looking for a good action cam to document their rides, Contour Cameras recently went out of business. All of their cameras and accessories are on clearance now. Best buy has cameras for over $100 off. I picked up $100 worth of mounts and accessories for mine last week for $20. I'm guessing other retailers are clearing them out too but bestbuy is the only place I know of for sure that is. Their pricing online doesn't reflect their clearance prices though.
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Post by ericalm »

A lot of people have discussed the GoPro idea. While it may work for documenting incidents, I think some mistakenly believe that wearing one will somehow help prevent crashes by making drivers more vigilant. I just don't see how that would work. The reason they hit bikes most of the time is that the don't see us. Other crashes result from driving while distracted or behaviors and attitudes that won't change because you're wearing a camera.

It did come in handy on a ride recently when a Range Rover pulled into the middle of our group, almost ran a scoot off the road, then swerved across double yellows to get around us — at night. When our group sweeper got into it with the driver, the Rover backed off when the sweeper said, "See this? I have the whole thing on camera!"
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

I hate to say this but action cameras are of more use after the fact. No, it won't keep idiot drivers in line BUT, in the case of an accident or incident, at least you have some kind of proof to back you up. Rather than being left in the position of the previous poster with the aggressive cab driver saying "your word against mine". Better to avoid those numbskulls, but sometimes you just can't. I have to say that I continue to be astounded by just how nasty some drivers can be.
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by Rob »

MNBuddy wrote:
ericalm wrote:1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? Color?
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
3. Could the crash have been avoided?
4. Was the rider injured?
5. What was the damage to the Buddy?
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neiher?
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
10. How fast was the rider going?
11. How far was the rider from home?
My wife crashed her Buddy.

1. Pink 125.
2. Yes, 3 pm
3. Yes
4. Minor injury to her finger (tendon damage)
5. None
6. None
7. Rider had motorcycle permit (has since obtained Motorcycle endorsement)
8. Not at the time
9. Yes
10. Less than 10 mph
11. 1,000 feet

She was reluctantly wearing a helmet at the time. When she felt her head hit the ground she lost her reluctance. She was very lucky as she landed on grass and was going pretty slow.

Good lesson learned without serious physical harm.
What I'm starting to learn from all of this is how much bodily harm can occur from low speed accidents.

Rob
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by ericalm »

Rob wrote:What I'm starting to learn from all of this is how much bodily harm can occur from low speed accidents.
I think this is something many of us learn over time… in some unfortunate cases, the hard way. When I started riding, I was one of those who thought I didn't need as much gear, etc., partially because of lower speeds, partially because of just being in denial.

I've since been to the ER twice for crashes at under 30mph. Sigh. And you can bet the second time I was wearing much more and better gear and it saved me from serious injury.

The denial factor is strong.
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craftynerd
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by craftynerd »

ericalm wrote:
Rob wrote:What I'm starting to learn from all of this is how much bodily harm can occur from low speed accidents.
I think this is something many of us learn over time… in some unfortunate cases, the hard way. When I started riding, I was one of those who thought I didn't need as much gear, etc., partially because of lower speeds, partially because of just being in denial.

I've since been to the ER twice for crashes at under 30mph. Sigh. And you can bet the second time I was wearing much more and better gear and it saved me from serious injury.

The denial factor is strong.
As someone who got seriously banged up in a low-speed accident about a year and a half ago, I can definitely support that. Long story short: Put a cellphone mount on my old Honda Metro so I could use it as a GPS, the phone-holding part of the damn mount fell off in my lap and startled me (I think - I'm still missing about a 3-hour chunk of that morning), and I swerved and got really friendly with the pavement. I was doing maybe 25 mph - and ended up with the following:
  • a rather unpleasant concussion
  • bruised ribs
  • dislocated right thumb
  • fractured left cheekbone
  • two black eyes, one was swollen shut for three days
  • nasty road rash on the left side of my face, my elbow, my right knee, and the back of both hands
Scooter had barely a few scratches - my husband joked that I protected the scooter with my face, haha. But yes - just because you're going slowly doesn't mean you can't get really, really hurt.
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by ericalm »

craftynerd wrote:
  • a rather unpleasant concussion
  • bruised ribs
  • dislocated right thumb
  • fractured left cheekbone
  • two black eyes, one was swollen shut for three days
  • nasty road rash on the left side of my face, my elbow, my right knee, and the back of both hands
It pains me just to read this list!
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Post by skully93 »

ow....

That's what I tell people that say "why are you wearing so much gear on a SCOOTER?!"
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Post by JHScoot »

heal up well, everyone :helmet:
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

JHScoot wrote:heal up well, everyone :helmet:
Yeah. No kidding. Like Honey Badger... Pavement doesn't care. Doesn't care if you are on a bicycle, a Harley, or a scooter. Tell my elbow that looked like hamburger that it was only a fall from a scooter. Ouch.
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by Mutt the Hoople »

ericalm wrote:
craftynerd wrote:
  • a rather unpleasant concussion
  • bruised ribs
  • dislocated right thumb
  • fractured left cheekbone
  • two black eyes, one was swollen shut for three days
  • nasty road rash on the left side of my face, my elbow, my right knee, and the back of both hands
It pains me just to read this list!
Oh dang. Get better crafftynerd. Sorry to hear about that.
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by craftynerd »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:
ericalm wrote:
craftynerd wrote:
  • a rather unpleasant concussion
  • bruised ribs
  • dislocated right thumb
  • fractured left cheekbone
  • two black eyes, one was swollen shut for three days
  • nasty road rash on the left side of my face, my elbow, my right knee, and the back of both hands
It pains me just to read this list!
Oh dang. Get better crafftynerd. Sorry to hear about that.
Oh, this was about a year and a half ago - just adding my two cents to the "low speed accidents" thing. However, I do still have a black and blue mark on my nose that's never going to go away, and my thumb still gets cranky at times. This is why I loaded myself with gear for my long ride yesterday!
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Post by JHScoot »

Mutt the Hoople wrote:
JHScoot wrote:heal up well, everyone :helmet:
Yeah. No kidding. Like Honey Badger... Pavement doesn't care. Doesn't care if you are on a bicycle, a Harley, or a scooter. Tell my elbow that looked like hamburger that it was only a fall from a scooter. Ouch.
the ground is very unforgiving. i had a lower speed fall a couple years back and was off the scooter for six weeks due to a badly bruised and sprained throttle hand. my knees were spared road rash as was most of the rest of me, but the bruising and swelling was prominent. i remember knees and elbows swollen and sore for a couple weeks, at least. and its not like the pain and discomfort goes away all at once. it creeps up over days and weeks and creeps down the same :(

elbow and hamburger is never good if used in the same sentence :cry:
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Re: Who's Crashed?

Post by tortoise »

Rob wrote:What I'm starting to learn from all of this is how much bodily harm can occur from low speed accidents.
Also . . although knee protection is inexpensive, just can't fix denial!
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Post by CapnK »

Never wanted to post my own report in this thread, but - here it is:

1. What was crashed?
SYM Wolf Classic 150.

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
Rider experience was likely a contributing factor, in that with more experience I may have been able to do something differently, to avoid crashing. Approx. 10:30AM, 10/13/13 <- Hmm, just noticed the date... :headache:

3. Could the crash have been avoided?
Possibly. Probably - see above. I struck an approx 4' length of tow strap w/4 overhand knots tied in it & coiled up, lying in road directly on my preferred line for taking an uphill left turn. From a short distance away, strap appeared to be flat, unrecognizable as being what it was, it appeared to most likely be a dead snake. Not positive exactly what happened, but my best guess based on marks on pavement and such is that one of the knots popped the front tire up an inch or two in the air, when it came down approx 1' away on still-damp mountain road, it immediately went sideways and bike literally nose-dived into the road. Post-impact, bike slid for approx 15-20' before leaving road surface and digging into dirt/gravel shoulder and stopping. I stayed more or less on the bike throughout. Talking later in the day, friends of mine on Harleys approx 3-5 miles ahead reported hitting the same obstruction; one observed the tow strap making the rear tire of the Harley just ahead of his jump 2-3" to the side on hitting the strap.

4. Was the rider injured?
Yes. Left hand swollen, pinky joint sore, bruising evident on palm and around fingers next day. 2-3 minor scrapes on leg. Skin over inside of left knee swollen and imitating a water balloon; during accident knee pad of armored pants rotated away from bike allowing some part of bike to dig into side of knee area. Left foot bruised and swollen. Facial injury avoided by use of modular helmet; impact of visor on road observed during crash.

5. What was the damage to the Wolf?
Crack in battery cover/side panel, clutch lever broken but operable, tach/speedo mount bent, speedo exterior scraped and broken, headlight ring scraped, turn signal cover cracked, foot beg bent slightly.

6. Cost of repairs, if any?
TBD.

7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neiher?
Permit. At time of accident, I had approx 1500 miles of riding experience on this bike.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
No. It is something I have wanted to do, & would like to do it even more now. I would also like to take a course in "How To Crash Your Motorcycle In Order To Avoid Injury". :)

9. Was the rider the Wolf's owner?
Yes.

10. How fast was the rider going?
Approx 30-35 mph, best guess. Possibly a little faster. Road is posted 55mph. Very, very glad I wasn't going that fast!

11. How far was the rider from home?
Approx. 375 miles from actual home; approx 65 miles from hotel where ride started. Post accident, Wolf was ridden ~5 miles to next town to report to friends what happened, and then the route was ridden in reverse on the same roads in order to return to hotel, as that was the shortest route option available.

-----

On avoiding the crash: Could I have swerved to avoid the strap? At the time, I do not recall seeing that as an option - it was directly on the line I had already committed to in order to round the corner at the speed I was traveling, and the road surface was still damp from overnight dew. I believe that I was doing pretty good overall at riding; by the time of the crash that morning I had already negotiated 276 of the 290 curves on this road, which is known by the name "The Rattlesnake" just as there is a similar road on the other side of the Smokey Mtn Nat'l Park which is well known as the "Tail of the Dragon". During the 2 days prior I had ridden 350+ miles to get there, encountering several hundred curves in that distance, including 2 lane mountain roads and a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway while riding with my Harley friends.

I did not want to go down due to a sudden change in speed or direction while cornering, as I have read that that is the most common cause of single-bike accidents. So though I did consider it, I did not feel comfortable braking or changing course given the conditions. I did roll off the throttle a little bit, because I also (wrongly) assumed that the "thing" ahead of me was flat, as it appeared - in my mind I figured it was a dead snake - and had it been, I do not think I would have wiped out. Yet it happened so fast that it seemed as if a giant hand had come from out of the sky and slapped me to the pavement before I even had an inkling of what was going on.

During the impact, my helmet struck the road in such a manner that had I been wearing a non-face-covering helmet, I most certainly would have gone to, and likely still be, in the hospital. The tip of the chin guard and the small knob for opening/closing the chin vent have been abraded away, and there are multiple scratches diagonally down and across the visor from upper right to lower left on the right side. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have suffered only the minor injuries I have at the present time, and give full credit to the fact that I was "ATG" when this crash happened.

The big takeaway I have from this is "Don't run over things" (which I already knew not to do & generally don't, but which I also at the time didn't feel as if I had any other option), the second is "Go slower in difficult/new/strange situations", the third is that I want to install crash bars on the Wolf :) - I might not have this injury by my knee if the bike would have been held up just a few more inches from the ground.

Last, to add insult to injury - quite literally, you'll see ;) - when I finally got back on the bike and headed to town to let my buddies know what was up, due to my injuries I was riding *very* slowly. I saw cars backing up behind me, and as this was a 2 lane twisty road, I wanted to let them by. I waved one truck around me, and then turned into the next roadside pull-out less maybe a mile away from the first crash. Unpaved, it was surfaced with large (up to say 3-4" diameter) gravel/rocks. Only a few feet into it, my front wheel dug to the left, my weak(injured) side, and so, not having the strength or reactions at the time to counter it, I went down *again*. LOL, what a dumbass! I was only going maybe 5mph at the time, and perhaps due to the pain I was already in, didn't feel a thing except for frustration and perhaps a bit of rage at myself for making such a stupid mistake. This one was ***ALL*** rider error. No additional harm came to bike or rider, and after a few minutes when all the cars had gone, I continued on my way. Eventually, after a long, slow ride back punctuated by many rest stops, I made it back to the hotel about 4-5 hours later.
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. - M. Twain
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Post by jrsjr »

First, of course, let me say that I' glad you weren't hurt any worse. Second, let me say that you did a great job on your write up! Any of our newer riders could learn a lot about the realities of riding from reading that. Third, I don't think you did much wrong and you did a whole lot right. The only thought I have to add to your write up is about the following:
CapnK wrote:On avoiding the crash: Could I have swerved to avoid the strap? At the time, I do not recall seeing that as an option - it was directly on the line I had already committed to in order to round the corner at the speed I was traveling, and the road surface was still damp from overnight dew.


My temptation is to suggest that it's always better to have a little left in hand, unless you are on a racetrack. However, from your description of the thing you hit, I don't think you could have missed it unless you were just poking along. So I don't think you committed a foul except that you encountered one of the hazards of riding hard in dicey conditions and you had the bad luck to hit that thing just wrong.
CapnK wrote:...and so, not having the strength or reactions at the time to counter it, I went down *again*.
This is way more common than you think. I did that myself in a gravel parking lot. I fell twice in the same stupid lot! :oops: It's easy to fall again when you are shaking and rattled and your hands are beaten up. Again, no foul. And, again, thanks for the excellent write-up. I hope you and your bike are back to 100% soon.
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Post by JHScoot »

heal up well, CapnK. sry 'bout the misshap

dumb tow straps popping up all over our roads!!
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Post by Mutt the Hoople »

Oh... Hell. I did it again. Sort of. But I really DID it, if ya know what I mean.

About 11:00am last Tuesday. Going to the bank... Again. On Arsenal... AGAIN.
But....
Almost to the bank and it began to rain. I was at a stop sign. Stopped. Safely stopped. Not moving. My left foot slipped and I toppled over. Plop. Just like that. The scooter started to go but there were bystanders and they caught it. Still went over, but it seems fine but for a maybe vent mirror and a scratch on the top case.
As for me... Damn. I faceplanted and trashed my full face helmet. Zero miles per hour and get I slammed into the ground. It gets better... Not really. I broke my left wrist in three places. Need surgery and pins. Gads. Hurts like hell too.
Chipped my knee cap, and twisted my right foot. From standing, my foot slipping, and slamming to the ground at zero MPH.
No words to quite describe the absolute stupidity I feel. :oops: :roll: :oops: :roll: :oops:
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Re: Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

Post by Mcanaves »

ericalm wrote: 1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color?
Buddy 125 2009 Red

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
No; 12AM

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
No; Crash was almost unavoidable

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Minor scratches/bruising; Helmet

5. What was the damage to the scooter?
Brake handle snapped, minor paint damage, front wheel cover cracked in half

6. Cost of repairs, if any?
Not sure yet

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have?
Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
1 month; motorcycle license

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
Yes

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes

10. How fast was the rider going?
Not moving

11. How far was the rider from home?
Two blocks

[EDIT: Many questions have been altered or added since the initial post, so some of the subsequent posts may not have answers to all of them.]
[EDIT: Questions updated on 2/13/11]
Was waiting at a red light to turn left, guy coming from my left makes his own left turn on a green towards the direction I came from and instead of turning into his lane, goes directly into my turning lane and hits me head on. Minor damage to Buddy, and almost no damage to me, so quite thankful. Just a scary experience because I saw it coming and all I could do was try to jump half off my bike and angle it to protect him from hitting me (and hit the horn).
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Re: Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

Post by Mutt the Hoople »

Mcanaves wrote:
ericalm wrote: 1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color?
Buddy 125 2009 Red

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
No; 12AM

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
No; Crash was almost unavoidable

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Minor scratches/bruising; Helmet

5. What was the damage to the scooter?
Brake handle snapped, minor paint damage, front wheel cover cracked in half

6. Cost of repairs, if any?
Not sure yet

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have?
Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
1 month; motorcycle license

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
Yes

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes

10. How fast was the rider going?
Not moving

11. How far was the rider from home?
Two blocks

[EDIT: Many questions have been altered or added since the initial post, so some of the subsequent posts may not have answers to all of them.]
[EDIT: Questions updated on 2/13/11]
Was waiting at a red light to turn left, guy coming from my left makes his own left turn on a green towards the direction I came from and instead of turning into his lane, goes directly into my turning lane and hits me head on. Minor damage to Buddy, and almost no damage to me, so quite thankful. Just a scary experience because I saw it coming and all I could do was try to jump half off my bike and angle it to protect him from hitting me (and hit the horn).
Wow. You were LUCKY. Yikes. Glad you are okay.
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