Bike got thrashed tonight....

[Monty]

OK, I'll start off with the nitty gritty and then I'm gonna rant....

I got off shift tonight at midnight.....It's absolutely beautiful here tonight so I figure there isn't any way I'm riding straight home.  So I buzz around town on the busa, enjoying the night air and empty streets...wow it couldn't have been nicer out.

So I decide I should head for home, around 1am I'm heading (for you Denver riders) east on Lincoln ave crossing I-25 in lane number 1 (inside lane for you non-coppers). I cross over I-25 at about 50mph (in a 45 zone) and this chick in a cage pulls up next to me....

she's in the middle lane paying attention to sh*t....and starts crowding me on the line.  I have her on the right and a large median on the left.  Keep in mind we're the only two godd*mned vehicles on the road...wtf!? I back off the gas and shift towards the middle of my lane.  Just as I look over to see where the hell she is I look back and I'm 10 feet off this major hole in the concrete.  I know the hole is there.....I ride by it every day and avoid it but no way tonight.  Dumbass continues to hold her line and I get just enough time to get my butt out of the saddle before I stick the bus straight in it.  It was a wicked impact, but I keep her rubber side down and pull off the road as dipsh*t tools on down the road completely oblivious.....I'm so fricking tired of the way people drive and how completely damn ignorant they are....there is no way this should've happened on a deserted road...maybe unavoidable in rush hour, but damn, the road was freakin empty and she has to scoot her dumb a*s right up into me!

Whew!.....ok,

My tire is lookin shot, my front wheel is bent and my fairings are rashed to hell underneath the bike where the body of it impacted the concrete.  Something flew off the left side of my scoot right after impact, but I can't tell what in the dark...hopefully road debris or something....I can't tell any further damage until daylight tomorrow.....

Anyone have a stock front wheel they want to sell for an 03?

When I'm back on duty tomorrow I'm going to go shoot digital pics of the whole and the scene for you guys, as well as the bike. The worst thing is, I wonder how many other scooters have been smoked by this hole in the road....It's deceptive since it's like 3 feet long but only about 8-10inches wide, just enough to get bike tires into....and man she sneaks up on you in the dark....

Ok, I'm done, just had to get it off my chest.  

Monty

 

[BigBSBusa]

She wasn't talking on a cellphone was she? I know it's not funny, but that does seem impossible that she would not have seen/heard you on such an empty road! The good thing is you are able to tell us about it! Sounds like you did a great job just keeping her RSD! Sorry about the front wheel and hope the rest of the damage isn't too bad! Let us know!

 

[Bugsy]

Damn driver

 

[badassbusa]

monty, check your PM, i have parts. really sorry to hear that bro, i know you just got that bike too.

 

[bacharles]

Hey Monty, first of all I would like to say that I'm glad you're O.K. Secondly, the driver is a fuggin ignoramous. And lastly, a hole that size should have been barricaded by the city. I would definitely check into seeing what the city has to say about this. I mean a hole that size could wreak havoc with just about any vehicle. I would think that the city is in some way liable. Just a thought.


Brian

 

[VaBusa]

I always assume the worst about the cagers around me...they prove their worth to drive when they don't come over in my lane or try to take me out by pulling out on me...sounds like you found one of them...with so much EMPTY space all around you, I just can't believe she didn't know you were there...

As for the crater in the road...any chance that the city can be held liable for damages? Might be a stupid question, but really, they should be fixing things like this as they occur...if you've seen it for a while, I'd say DOT has dropped the ball on making the roads safe for EVERYONE...doesn't matter if you knew it was there or not...at night, the rules change and you never should have had to even worry about a hole like that...

Good luck getting the front fixed...glad you're okay and didn't go down...

 

[POR15 dist]

I would get the bill to fix it and take it to the DOT with pics of the spot. I used to drive different cars that I had to work(1970 road runner, 1970 GTX, 1970 super bee, and a coronet 500 conv) and I would park them sideways in the back part of the parking lot. You would not believe the number of people that would park right next to them! people are just amazingly stupid sometimes. I kinda wish that people like my granparents were our age now. They just seem to be more considerate than people are now.

 

[briXXer]

good ur ok... cagers can be so stupid with their heads up their asses sometimes, well most of the time.. but why not get away from them? u have the power accelerate up in front of her, i never stay beside or anywhere close to a cager if i can avoid it.

and semi's NEVER hang out beside one.. being a truckdriver and have blown tires. imagine a recap coming off at speed and hitting u on a bike?



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[ridercoach]

Ditto briXXer, if its only you two on the whole road, why not either slow down and let her pass or accelerate past her and get in front, especially when you knew there was a hole coming up. You need your space cushion bro.

Besides that I'm glad to hear your all right, a bike can be fixed. Good luck on getting it all fixed up.



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[Iced]

Glad you're ok! I'd be using my horn for days at that cager

If she was creeping slowly over, i'd be booting her door with a steeltoe... ok, sorry... got cranky for a moment.

 

[monsterspeedfreak]

Oh man.....that sucks dude.......fricken cagers

 

[him]

man that's sucks azz. I get ran off the road and cut off all the time and the usual suspect is often an elder person. Seeing how bad others drive in cars just makes us better car drivers

 

[Revlis]

Another word or two from an advice nazi... Sorry Sorry...

Late at night out on the roads, NO ONE I mean NOBODY gets their cage within my "Dipsh!t FREE ZONE" I aggressively maintain my space all around "Especially when it's Drunk time" I don't care if it means I am riding at 80MPH or at 40 MPH, if I can keep a good 1/4 mile empty in front and behind and clear lanes side to side, then I do it.

My reaction? (Cause I am such a fuggin apple polisher here...) I would have been gone, she would have never gotten the opportunity to screw me, the second she pulls up or starts closing in, I use the power and agility to be outta there.

I miss Colorado, but I do not miss the sometimes cavernous pot-holes out there. But Frost Heaves? Oh those can be exciting...

Glad your intact, I dunno how well it would work but you might have a case against the city or the State if there was nothing indication problems ahead. Which reminds me, hows T-Rex coming along? Been awhile since I have been out there. Most of my family lives in Parker BTW and I gre up in Boulder. So I am familiar with the area... Or at least how the area used to be...

 

[Monty]

Ditto briXXer, if its only you two on the whole road, why not either slow down and let her pass or accelerate past her and get in front, especially when you knew there was a hole coming up. You need your space cushion bro.

Yeah, that was the game plan originally....to get away from her.  The first time I picked her up she had her front headlight about equal to my footpegs and was starting to crowd onto the lane divider. I got off the gas, moved left, looked to see where she was, looked back and hit the hole.

From the time I first noticed her to impact I would guess was less than 5 seconds.  I was up last night replaying it in my head and I'm thinking she came off the interstate and drifted wide in her turn from the offramp, which is why I didn't pick her up in my mirror coming up from behind me.

The really crappy thing is the hole.  It isn't a big ole round momma pot hole, it's a concrete seem that's breaking apart and is really narrow, just wide enough to let bike tires in, but also about 6-8 inches deep and a couple feet long.  Unfortunately its right in the middle of the right tire track of the lane. I still can't believe I stuck her straight in there...literally a couple inches either way and I would've rolled over it.



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[Monty]

Another word or two from an advice nazi...  Sorry Sorry...

Late at night out on the roads, NO ONE  I mean NOBODY gets their cage within my "Dipsh!t FREE ZONE"  I aggressively maintain my space all around "Especially when it's Drunk time"  I don't care if it means I am riding at 80MPH or at 40 MPH, if I can keep a good 1/4 mile empty in front and behind and clear lanes side to side, then I do it.  

My reaction? (Cause I am such a fuggin apple polisher here...)   I would have been gone, she would have never gotten the opportunity to screw me, the second she pulls up or starts closing in, I use the power and agility to be outta there.

I miss Colorado, but I do not miss the sometimes cavernous pot-holes out there.  But Frost Heaves?  Oh those can be exciting...  

Glad your intact, I dunno how well it would work but you might have a case against the city or the State if there was nothing indication problems ahead.   Which reminds me, hows T-Rex coming along?  Been awhile since I have been out there.  Most of my family lives in Parker BTW and I gre up in Boulder.  So I am familiar with the area...  Or at least how the area used to be...

Hey Rev,

Nothing wrong with being an advice nazi....we all need it. Normally I woulda been long gone like you said but I didn't even really get the chance.  I'm sure I'll second guess myself for a long time to come on this, and I'm eager to get back over there and look at the intersection in the light to try to figure out what he hell.....

As for T-Rex....it sucks big ones, but they're really humping...light rail stations and bridges are in on the west side of the highway all the way down to Park Meadows Mall and a lot of the bridges over the highway have been replaced near downtown.  It's definately a cluster though....

 

[Revlis]

Another word or two from an advice nazi...  Sorry Sorry...

Late at night out on the roads, NO ONE  I mean NOBODY gets their cage within my "Dipsh!t FREE ZONE"  I aggressively maintain my space all around "Especially when it's Drunk time"  I don't care if it means I am riding at 80MPH or at 40 MPH, if I can keep a good 1/4 mile empty in front and behind and clear lanes side to side, then I do it.  

My reaction? (Cause I am such a fuggin apple polisher here...)   I would have been gone, she would have never gotten the opportunity to screw me, the second she pulls up or starts closing in, I use the power and agility to be outta there.

I miss Colorado, but I do not miss the sometimes cavernous pot-holes out there.  But Frost Heaves?  Oh those can be exciting...  

Glad your intact, I dunno how well it would work but you might have a case against the city or the State if there was nothing indication problems ahead.   Which reminds me, hows T-Rex coming along?  Been awhile since I have been out there.  Most of my family lives in Parker BTW and I gre up in Boulder.  So I am familiar with the area...  Or at least how the area used to be...

Hey Rev,

Nothing wrong with being an advice nazi....we all need it. Normally I woulda been long gone like you said but I didn't even really get the chance.  I'm sure I'll second guess myself for a long time to come on this, and I'm eager to get back over there and look at the intersection in the light to try to figure out what he hell.....

As for T-Rex....it sucks big ones, but they're really humping...light rail stations and bridges are in on the west side of the highway all the way down to Park Meadows Mall and a lot of the bridges over the highway have been replaced near downtown.  It's definately a cluster though....

I gotcha now man, in regards to your position and her appearance, yeah not a lot of time to react... Sux... Glad you kept it on the rubber though.

T-Rex... Man Oh Man I knew that was going to be an ugly mutha. Hopefully they got some real forward looking planning done before they started that thing and it wont have to be re-done for a good while.

Man I wish I was in Colorado right now, it's getting WAY unpleasant down here allready and riding out there in the heat just sux... I miss getting off work in the summer and runnin up into the hills for a good couple hours enjoying the nice day...

Later

 

[justintime2]

Definitely sounds like the city has some responsibility on this one.

 

[gcal]

that sucks

 

[Monty]

OK, took pics yesterday...just thought I'd throw them up for those who are interested.

Took the bike to the stealership for a damage estimate, won't hear back until next week.  Fortunately, after looking at her in the daylight, she doesn't look as bad as she did at 1am after it happened.

Front wheel is bent and cracked. Only other visible damage is cosmetic and underneath the bike, no biggie to me. Hopefully there isn't other mechanical damage my limited skills didn't detect.

First pic:

 

[Monty]

My favorite pic, the rear undercowl right behind the front fairings. Couldn't get a pic of the rest of the rock which is sticking out the top side of the cowl.