Close Encounter of the Highway Crash Kind

[Larry S]

I have an Ace 100B that is my daily rider. I also have a pick um up that gets about 16 mpg, so for running around town I ride the Ace whenever I can.

I was returning from Home Depot with a new power cord for my Skilsaw (don't ask), when an elderly lady made an illegal right turn in front of me. I locked up the brakes and put the bike into a perfectly controlled two wheel slide. (Kenny Roberts would have been proud). I tagged her rear bumper just hard enough to make the handlebars twitch.

If I hadn't slid, I would have hit her in the rear door or quarter panel. The funny thing is, I didn't think, I just reacted. Maybe that's what comes from 55 years of dirt and highway riding.

When I made eye contact with the driver, she was horrified. I dropped a couple of gears and went on my way. If it had been a young person driving the car, I probably would have given the one finger salute to let them know what I thought of their driving skills.

Like they say on the cop show, "Be safe out there".

Larry S

[michael_perrett]

It would be nice to know of a front fork (with disc brake) conversion for the 100/125 hodaka. Something off a newer bike that would make it much safer for the Hodaka rider on the public roads. There may be more Hodaka riders out on the public roads than one may be aware of.

Mike Perrett

[Bullfrog]

Larry!

Glad to hear you are OK!

My last experience of the sort you describe happened in the 1970's. Situation was very much the same . . . EXCEPT . . . the car was stopped to cross the street in front of me. The driver of the car made eye contact with me and started to cross anyway. Being young and inexperienced, I kept going - thinking the driver was just going to inch across and go behind me. NOPE. The driver was virtually shell-shocked when my Kenny Roberts style sideways slide ended with a shoulder-block on the side of the VW bus. She was looking for other cars, and purely, simply, absolutely did not "see" me on my motorcycle! ie. "No cars coming. Good to go."

I became a much better defensive driver/rider after that - thank goodness, 'cuz I surely contributed to that accident by assuming way too many things about the other driver. Ennywayee, no injuries and only a skinned up end of the throttle grip. Whew!

Ed

[Dale]

Yes, glad that it ended well for you Larry. I think the bottom line is "trust nobody"!
Dale

[hodakamax]

They are definitely out to get you. That sliding thing is a good thing to know about even if we don't use it on the street every day. Dirt riding certainly helps to improve our riding skills everywhere. Street riders should also consider riding classes such as Pridmore's riding schools where you can learn the limits of yourself and your bike. I learned something every time! Be safe---

Maxie

[MTRob]

I guys and gals. Just thought i'd tell you a story about what happened in the mountains of Glacier National Park in Montana back 1975. Me and about 4 Friends of mine decided to go to the park and ride are bikes over the most beautiful park in America. Being from Cut Bank, Mt its about a 100 mile ride from Cut Bank going over Logan Pass ( 12000) Feet. Back then I was riding my Honda Vmax 1100 and my friends about the same size bikes. We went over the pass (beautiful) went to West Glacier the end of the park and started to return the same way home. After a great 1/2 day ride we were back at the start of the park (east side) Called St Marys. Stopped had a few beers and decided to head home. Its about a 10 mile drive straight up the highway to the top, Around 8000 feet up, plus once you leave St Marys your on Indian Reservation. We all headed up that pass which was a really good highway at about 90 to 100 miles an hour to get to the top. We finally reached the top with had a great turn off and we stopped to check out the view. After sitting there for around 10 minutes a Reservation Indian Police man pulled in to the turn off, lights flashing and told use we were speeding going up the pass and was going to give us a ticket for speeding. Since we all lived in Cut Bank just off the reservation we new the they had no authorize over the white man on the reservation, only the Montana Highway Patrol. We being young and dumb with that young attitude we told him you can't give us a ticket, He said he could hold us until a MT Highway patrol came. ( That could take a day before they got there) we said good buy to him heading back down the other side with wild corners and long straights to Cut Bank. We hauled ass back to Cut Bank thinking a Patrol man would be waiting for us as we entered town. No Cops waiting.
But since those old days the reservation and our state now give the Reservation Police control. Boy was that the good old days. Fast bikes with a state that really had no speed limit. A little history back in the 70''s
MTRob