Having seen a few LBers post recently about their offs, inevitably as a result of a cagers inattention or negligence it was with a little trepidation that I set off yesterday for my 10 day tour of Scotland.
Well today it seems my number was up. Cruising up the A73 towards Lanark. Flat straight stretch of road. Little white van in front other lane clear for miles. Indicate and pull out to overtake. Just passed the drivers side door when WHAM! He turns right without indicating.
Hits me side on. My leg is ablaze with pain. Thinking feck that hurt and just waiting now for body and bike to meet tarmac.
Miracuously I keep it upright. The only damage is crash bung sheared off with some of the fairing. Missing foot peg and bent gear shifter. Oh, and a missing toe slidr off my boot.
Thank God for the crash bungs and decent gear.
Scary to thin that a secod or two later and I would have been perfectly placed to T bone him at about 60 mph!!
As it is I had a lucky escape without significant injury (as far as I can tell - still walking. Just a bit of discomfort in my foot).
Take care out there people. As carefully and as safely as you might ride, you can’t account for all the idiots out there on 4 wheels, wearing blinkers.
Yep, he stopped and held his hands up to it. He seemed almost more relieved I hadn’t hit the deck than I was.
Though, as the police said, its all well and good him admitting liability, it’ll be a different story when his imsurance company gets the claim.
Reckons because there was a side road I could be partly liable. We’ll see.
Nothing that money can’t fix and hopefully can get the honda dealer in Glasgow to sort me out a new footpeg etc Monday morning so I can carry on with my tour.
I’m only in day 2 out of 10!!
My abiding memory of it all is the ass puckering moment just after the impact when the only thing going through my mind was ‘How much is this going to hurt when I hit the deck?’
On blame, if you overtook at or on approach to a junction you have breached a clear instruction in the Highway Code not to do that and will likely be held partially to blame.
Glad you are ok but it’s the same old thing… whether or not they are indicating you’ve got to ‘think’! Any potential right turn a car is going to turn, if they don’t then all’s well and good, don’t do an overtake if there is a right hand turn…in most cases it means you either stay on and make a safe over take after or you hit the deck.
Don’t take it the wrong way but there’s been alot of accidents posted on here of the same thing. The rule is, don’t overtake when there’s a turning on the right…simple.
Seems G was on the same wave length, I just took my time replying lol
In hindsight I completely agree and am prepared to take it on the chin and learn from it.
I was going to say that in my defence I hadn’t seen that there was a junction there,
butt I should have been and not made the overtake and I accept that not seeing the junction is, in itself, a mistake on my part.
I’m grateful that I’m in a position to have my faults pointed out and to learn from them with only my pride hurt.
The irony is that I’m due to start my IAM course when I get back.
I agree with Ang re side streets on the right…and in fact, I fear side streets on the left now too!
So pleased that you werent more hurt - I hope you are okay tomorrow.
The roads in Scotland are fun but there are a lot less bikers and so people are less likely to “think bike”…although they are less likely to cause you problems than London drivers as they generally have licences and insurance.
Hopefully as the police came and he admitted to turning right without indicating or looking, you will be found not to be fully at fault. Fingers crossed.
Take care you!
Anita
Blooming heck your a lucky guy, glad to see your still here with us.
Ang is right, you should never overtake if there is a junction ahead as you never know if the vehicle in front is gonna turn into it or someone coming out of it. Always wait till you’ve passed the junction.
I also have to say I was thinking the same as Giuliano and Ange but by the sounds of things you already knew that so lesson learned I guess!
Good to hear you got off lightly and the only thing damaged was bike and pride, stay safe and enjoy the rest of your trip, don’t let it dent your confidence too much.
