almost got hit !!

I was riding my FJR to my brother's to go to a car show over the weekend in Orlando. I'm on I-4 Eastbound and traffic moves at 65-70 in a 55-50 area there. A helmetless, grey-haired guy on a sportbike comes up from behind and I pick my pace up and start moving thru the light traffic. He makes no attempt to pass me, and I signal my lane changes. A Karmann-Ghia convertible enters traffic and runs almost flat-out, lane changing and moving thru traffic, I follow at a generous 1/8 mile distance, sportbike still keeping pace with me.

I signal and move to the far left lane, passing a black Trans-Am and I was going at least 10 MPH faster than him when he guns it, and he must've had 400 horsepower because he passed me in the same lane - him up against the wall and me in the right wheel track!! I was still drifting left from the lane change so we got closer as he went around - quick, then he immediately cut across 4 lanes of traffic and went for the exit - the sportbike guy was right on the guy's bumper, hitting his rev-limiter in protest.

Oddly, my only reaction was a slight steering correction to the right and backing off the throttle. How close?? It seemed like his right quarter panel went under my left grip - we're talking inches.

Lesson learned?? Expect the unexpected??

On a lighter note - let's look at my brother's new Street Rod !!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1926-For ... v4exp=true

 

TtR,

Sounds Scary!...Glad you're alright.

Gary

 

Jeez, that was a close call!

I'm glad you didn't get hurt. There's nothing more you could do with this kind of bu$$head on the road, even if you ride very carefully, they would make s$$t happens

 

Yup, almost everyone here has a story of one time or another. Glad you are here to tell about it.

I TRY to always ride with the assumption the no one sees me or even has any clue that there might be a bike anywhere even remotely nearby.

Dave

 

Hogfiddles wrote:

I TRY to always ride with the assumption the no one sees me or even has any clue that there might be a bike anywhere even remotely nearby.

Dave[/quote]

True; however, the unfortunate thing for a lot of motorcyclist is there are people that will see us and "intentionally" try to make us have a accident. It's sad.

Gary

 

I haven't come across THAT yet...............

Dave

 

It was a 3rd gen. Firebird - very clean, and I've had these since 1988, so I'm familiar with what they can do. It's like a light-weight Corvette with handling problems. I've barked the tires at 95 MPH going into drive.

But really, I didn't scare this guy - I didn't make him spill his coffee, I saw him and he saw me before this happened. He went after me.

This is the kind of incident that makes people stop riding motorcycles.
I ride on.

 

HF,

I haven't had a incident where I thought someone was trying to make me have a accident but when people ride my rear wheel and I ramp up 10mph over the speed limit in a 40mph zone to put some space between us and they stay right there it kinda' makes me wonder. Doesn't happen very often, but when it does...hmmmmmmm. I just pull over and let them go on by.

Gary

 

That's what I do, too. Let them go kill someone else.

Dave

 

you sure it wasn't a woman just being a woman driver?

 

No woman drives an "80's T/A with the power to hit 100 MPH in a few seconds. And keep it straight. This whole scene coulda turned into a disaster at any moment.

 

God gave us "middle fingers" for a reason

 

I've never had anyone intentionally try and hit me, but distracted drivers is another story. So are drunk drivers and one of those did hit me once and then sped away-coward. I ride every time as if everyone is sleeping while driving because half of them are!

I wouldn't advise flipping off someone in a vehicle that weighs 10 times what you do-better to avoid than piss-off.

Glad you avoided that one brother. Stay safe.

 

I pulled up next to a guy that ran me out of my lane and kicked his door. I'm not sorry.

 

Intentionally driving at a motorcyclist sounds like attempted murder to me.

If a car drove towards a cop and intentionally tried to hit them, they shoot with deadly force. It has happened to a very good friend's son.

Anyway, get license plate numbers, and report them. If we don't, nobody will know this happened except for us, and we're just an internet forum.

Motorcycle riding is not a crime, and assault against riders is a felony.

 

The real "takeaway" from all of this is that TIME was obviously aware of what was going on around him, using his mirrors, riding correctly and he still nearly got clipped by completely unpredictable, irrational behavior.

And from what I can tell, "situational awareness" is what kept this one from turning deadly.

A good lesson for the rest of us.

 

Agreed.