Worst scare in a long time.

[etcswjoe]

Came within a hair of getting flattened today, I was sitting at a stop sign about a cars length behind a a tractor trailer that I had been behind him for a couple miles and we were stopped so I was completely taken by surprise when he started backing up in a hurry. I laid on the horn and was backing up as fast as my feet would let me while trying to get the bike oriented so I could get out of the way and just when I was about to abandon the bike and let it get crunched he finally saw me. I stopped the bike and started up to his cab and was going to lay into him when I saw the look on his face and realized it scared him almost as bad as me when he finally saw me. He apologized and said he never heard my air horns I have two. I am still pretty shook up and the only thing I could think I should have done was stop further back, I tried to make sure I could see his mirrors but I guess the way he was turned at the stop sign he was just at the wrong angle. I guess the lesson learned would be always expect the unexpected.

[Cougar]

So Glad it all turned out for the good , now take a deep breath :-)

 

forgot to ask why do you think he was backing up?

Edited March 8, 2013 by Cougar

[muffinman]

Glad you are ok

I always try to go around big trucks if I can just because they cant see us like they can a cage

Jeff

[SilvrT]

Similar happened to me a few years back but the tractor had no trailer .... my fault tho as I was too close and in the middle.

 

Lesson learned: make sure they can see you in their mirrors.

[friesman]

thanks for sharing this so the rest of us might be able to avoid a similar or worse incident. I am glad youre ok!

 

Brian

[dallio]

that is a good thing to know. some trailers have a sign on them that if you cant see the mirrors the driver cant see you. glad you didn't get hurt.

[Snaggletooth]

Glad you dodged the bullet on that one. It's a tough spot to be in rather the tractor is pulling a trailer or not.

 

I was in the trucking industry for 26 years and as rider it gave me more awareness of the "being seen" issue. When in stop and go traffic behind tractor/trailer rigs, step vans, or smaller trailers when the vehicle stopped I would place myself directly in line with the drivers side mirror with the high beams on and far enough back to have an escape route. I've had a few times where trucks have rolled back where I had to jump the bike forward to move beside them rather than end up under them.

 

When I was teaching safety during orientation classes the subject of motorcycle awareness was always discussed. The owner of the company thought it was a waste of time and it didn't need to be done. One day I parked my Gold Wing in his personal and well marked parking spot. I was in my office when he came charging in and started blasting me about parking there. "I almost ran over your *&%$ motorcycle.............!!" and it hit him. He hadn't looked. Never heard another word about the time I spent on the subject in classes. That time may have saved him some insurance claims.

 

That famous "NO ZONE" is a whole lot bigger when you're on a bike.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Snaggletooth

[BigLenny]

Ya know? This is just a thought. But, why haven't big rigs progressed to installing backup cameras on their trailers like so many of the new vehicles have on them nowadays?

 

Maybe they have but I just haven't noticed them. As common as they are today on regular vehicles, it's amazing the government hasn't mandated them on tractor tarilers.

[Mike G in SC]

Like already said, thanks for posting,,, so next time I pull behind a rig at a stop,,,, I'll keep it in mind.

 

Also, I think Shout helps get stains out of your jeans and I use it on my bike too.

[Snaggletooth]

Ya know? This is just a thought. But, why haven't big rigs progressed to installing backup cameras on their trailers like so many of the new vehicles have on them nowadays?

 

Maybe they have but I just haven't noticed them. As common as they are today on regular vehicles, it's amazing the government hasn't mandated them on tractor tarilers.

 

Quite a few companies have tried them. Some are doing it now.

 

Ever notice the back of a UPS van? Pretty much a field of view for backing up to a dock or something very close to the rear door. Not such a long range view for traffic behind them.

 

Most had problems with electrical power issues through the trailers wiring. The wireless system images were iffy at best.

 

The biggest problem was the same as cars, only worse. Keeping the lens clean. All the muck on the road and the top of the trailer blows right over the back of the trailer.

 

Then ask a truckline how they feel about adding another expense to the operation. Most will try to run over you.

[etcswjoe]

Thanks for all the replies definitely will think about the person being able to see me now regardless if I am stopped or not and I need to rethink my air horns since he said he did not hear them.

[dacheedah]

I always stop where I can look into their mirrors, even cars, scarey

[XV1100SE]

Thanks for posting about this. Will definitely keep it in mind when pulling up behind someone. Leaving yourself in a position in the lane so the driver can see you also gives you room to escape if someone coming up behind you doesn't realized traffic is stopped.

[Eck]

Sure glad your ok Joe..

Now you can relax and digest those things you could have / should have done.

Like you siad, may staying back a little farther for safety..or what ever you feel could have helped you stay safe.

It takes a scare to wake us all up once in a while as to the dangers out there, including the unexpected as you said , and to be continuously on the alert for danger.

I normally pull to the left (center of the lane), where I can see the driver in his mirror, (and they can see me), or I once in a while pull way to the right where I have a way out. However, I do not like the right side though for many idiots try to turn right at every corner and they will ride on the berm so they dont have to wait for the traffic to clear..

[Brake Pad]

Scares can change the way you ride., Mine sit in my closet, and when I get on my Bike. I say a little prayer, that my ride be filled with no dumb cagers, and no stupid darting animals

[CaptainJoe]

Glad your ok...

 

The reverse on these bikes suck...LOL

[sendaro_99]

I am new to this and not sure if this is the correct place to address my tire issues. I run the Dunlop 404's and mount and balance all my own tires. I have gotten as few as 5000 miles on rear and never more than 8000. I ride on a lot of old stone and chip roads and was wondering if the Elete III's preform better ..Was told the Dunlop Elete III's would be a better choice. I was also told they don't make the elete III's for the RSV and don't find the right cross over but, have read that some of you ride these. Any help would be appreciated. Seems some 404's ride out much better than others and was looking for some help. thanks.

"Grumpy"=

[Road Rider]

To me, the lesson is: always try to give yourself an escape route. Stakes are too high

to bet on the other guy, professional driver or not, seeing you. Thanks for sharing that with us.

[Mike G in SC]

Joe,

I see you got a lot of advise on this.

 

Well, the best advise is what your mom said when you were first headed to school,,,,

WEAR CLEAN UNDERWEAR!

[Silverado6x6]

As a concrete mixer operator AND a motorcycle rider I will say this and I honestly hope it gets into most riders, your air horns are useless, seriously.

There is so much noise from driving a mixer truck that at any job site its imperative that hand signals ONLY are used, we do NOT have cameras, and many people who do have them may not be using them anymore, they fail and the economy urges for more important issues than repairing them

 

Just stay THE HECK AWAY from big rigs, you will ruin a drivers life permanently and I even knew of a guy who later committed suicide after literally driving over a biker, smashed him flat.

 

And high beams at a drivers mirror is dangerous, blinds the driver, but now he can just drive into somebody else and not the one behind him because all he sees is spots in his eyes.

 

High beams coming and going pisses off people, and as both a truck driver and a rider I see the ignorance more on the riders side than the commercial driver who often have millions of miles behind them. Bright lights are NOT the answer, being in position to escape or avoiding a bad position is better.

 

Go ahead and flame on, my rig of my day job is bigger, its my sustenance, think I am going to stop driving because some biker just wet his undies? No way Jose, just give us room and later on a weekend we will be giving each other two finger waves because we also ride.

 

Being a motorcyclist is NOT just an advanced bicycle rider who thinks they are special and has impunity. Being a smart rider you can visualize what the other people see, they will turn their head away or close their eyes to bright lights, when they hear loud pipes or air horns their Bose Sound System will just auto cancel it out. Times are a changing.

[Woody]

Joe glad it worked out for you. as asked before did you figure out why he was backing up? thanks for sharing gives me something else to think about.

[Greekdog]

Joe,

I see you got a lot of advise on this.

 

Well, the best advise is what your mom said when you were first headed to school,,,,

WEAR CLEAN UNDERWEAR!

 

What good will that do...by the time it's all over they're soiled anyway...

[Phoneman1981]

Thanks for sharing. It is a reminder for us all to create an escape route.

[Flyinfool]

Glad your ok...

 

The reverse on these bikes suck...LOL

 

But I bet a good shot of adrenalin makes it work better, or as least faster.

 

.......... I need to rethink my air horns since he said he did not hear them.

 

I have already been rethinking mine, I have a Bad Boy horn on each side of he bike facing forward, not cowled under anything. At Dons MD I was only a few bike lengths behind another bike and he could not hear my air horns while I was trying to get his attention.

[Galapagos]

I have come too close to getting creamed twice. Good you were not hurt.