revtothelimit - motorbike forum

This happened a couple of weeks ago. I've posted it in another group and always planned to fess up on here also, but haven't got round to it until now.

I managed to run into the back of a van and rearrange the front of the Tracer. I've discovered the headlights and fairing don't mingle well with the rear end of a 3.5 tonner:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AAWgwDAbHQsLnTsE6

Fortunately the local financial adviser lived opposite the crash site and proved adept at sweeping up the debris:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HxziuKpz9KNDYmLE8

It happened in Kingsworthy, near the end of a ride from my house in SW11 to my mother's place in Winchester. I think I must have looked away and when I looked forward again I was only a few metres from the van, which had stopped. I braked hard, with ABS cutting in etc, but I knew almost from the moment I hit the brakes that I wasn't going to make it. Crunch. Stayed on, didn't hit my head. I think I'd scrubbed off enough speed to prevent it being potentially really bad. I called the broker (Bennetts) straight away, and they arranged recovery. Got my mother to take me to her place, had lunch, then came back to meet the recovery guy. So the aftermath went smoothly.

As far as I could tell, it was only the superstructure that was damaged, albeit badly, so I'm hoping it can be repaired as it's got lots of accessories on it and the suspension is set up how I want it.

Of course I've been trying to figure out exactly what went wrong, what lessons I can draw from it, and so on. I don't have a clear memory of following the van, but I do know it was a 30 mph road, the traffic was light and it was flowing. I think I probably allowed myself to be distracted, and if the van braked sharply, eg for a side turning (and we were alongside one), while I was looking away, my following distance would have reduced quickly the point of being less than the required braking distance. It's a sobering thought that, had I been distracted for a fraction of a second more, I could have hit the van at 30 mph. The van driver said he's used his mirrors and didn't see me, and indicated, but of course didn't admit to braking sharply. But even if he had done, I suppose it would still have been my fault (and certainly my problem).

I'm physically unscathed, mentally OK apart from the lingering 'what-ifs', and maybe a bit of mild, delayed shock, and comprehensively insured. I want the bike back asap so I can ride again. Annoyingly, they haven't actually assessed the damage yet.

Any thoughts, suggestions, comparable anecdotes welcome. Thanks.

I'd want a new one myself.

But hey, you can still type! So it's a winner

Assuming the forks/wheel/frame are OK (which they should be) you'll be looking at replacing the entire top fairing and lights, along with mounting bracket. At least the bike (and you) stayed upright, which is a bonus. I wouldn't beat yourself up about it, just try and figure out the sequence of events and how you can avoid the same thing happening again.

But it's a bummer. Commiserations.

I got reversed into whilst I was at a standstill - front mudguard cracked but insurers wanted to write it off .
Glad you’re in one piece

asmethurst99 wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:51 pm I got reversed into whilst I was at a standstill - front mudguard cracked but insurers wanted to write it off .
Glad you’re in one piece

Yes, that's something I'm a bit worried about. I want the bike repaired because it has a lot of accessories that I like. I didn't fit them, apart from the Nitron shock, but I want them and don't want the faff of recreating the same setup. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've been told to expect a verdict soon.

If they agree to repair but it looks like it's going to be a long time, I'll maybe buy another bike as a stop-gap. It's not encouraging that the insurer's recorded message says parts are hard to come by...

mangocrazy wrote: Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:40 pm Assuming the forks/wheel/frame are OK (which they should be) you'll be looking at replacing the entire top fairing and lights, along with mounting bracket.

I'm pretty sure the wheel and forks went under the rear of the van and the fairing hit the rear door, which projected more. the forks didn't look damaged to me.

Glad you are ok man. It's good to be fit enough to be thinking about fixing stuff and analysing.

Bugger

Glad you're ok.

You are OK, so that is the main thing.

Everything else will T-cut out.

Very unfortunate but a very common example of what can happen when we stop looking forward for a second or two. We've all done it, don't let it knock your confidence.

Great bikes.

Glad you're ok Scootabout. As others have said - don't give yourself a hard time and don't let it effect your confidence. We all mess up - most of the time we get away with it, sometimes we don't. Have a and enjoy the sunshine.

Glad you're OK, and as everyone else has said easy done. Maybe book a few test rides in for when the forecast is nice

Glad you're okay, the lesson to learn is "look where you're going" but everyone has been distracted at some time and shit happens.

There's a good chance they'll write it off.

It only looks like front fairing damage?

If you like it, ask to buy the salvage and fix it youself

If the forks or frame are bent, maybe not.

The frame is more likely to be bent than the forks, modern forks are very strong.

Well, someone has to say it as everyone else has skirted round it.

If you hit the back of the vehicle ahead, no matter whether you were looking away for a moment, or the van ahead braked unexpectedly hard...

YOU WERE TOO CLOSE.

I know I'm stating the obvious but our following distance should be able to cope with the vehicle ahead stopping dead after hitting a brick wall.

As I constantly talk about in my FB articles, we also have to factor into our physical stopping distances the mental lag that delays our response whilst we say "whaaaaaat?" before we go for the brakes.

I'm afraid that I see far too many riders with IAM / RoSPA experience follow far too close thanks to the constant pressure to 'make progress'. I got told off for my relaxed following distances on the BikeSafe assessment too - the instructors are all put through RoSPA.

The van is a 'Vision Blocker' and that works both ways - it the van driver couldn't see you in his mirrors, you weren't in a position to see much of the road ahead.

And just in case anyone thinks I'm preaching... been there, done that. Rather embarrassing to admit that I ran into the back of another courier, who stopped at an amber light. I was expecting him to keep going. I was. Bent the forks on that one. Fortunately, those where the days when I could ride home, swap the bikes out of my old 250RS which was sitting in the back yard, and be back on circuit in an hour.

You're ok and that's the main thing. Bikes can be repaired/replaced but bodies are more complicated and precious than that.

I nearly did the same as you on my 690 Duke after it's 2nd service so about 5-6 years ago. Don't know what I was doing but obviously not paying enough attention. I think my problem was it was a road I'd ridden down a billion times before and didn't expect someone to stop to let an oncoming car through when there was enough space to not stop. I stopped with a good few feet to spare but was far to close for comfort.

I misread the thread title as 'crashed the Tractor'! Glad you're OK.

(Nearly did something similar in the car recently until the 'proximity alert' went off. (ie passenger went 'Ahem!'). Momentarily distracted by an incoming issue to the right and missing the issue rapidly evolving ahead. Fortunately the proximity alert is set to 'sensitive'.

Glad you are OK and to tell the tale.

I must confess I have had a couple of close calls lately following wheels. I think one of my reasons is that I have been lost and been too busy either listening to waze on my headphones and trying to reconcile that to the ancient gps on my bike (which picks an entirely different route).

Also once I was going too quick. Excuses aside, I do need to be more vigilant

Glad you are okay, happens in the blink of an eye.

On the above points from @The Spin Doctor it can be frustarting in certain scenarios with keeping that safe distance, in that when I often give as much room as I think is safe, the knob head behind me thinks I'm bimbling and starts to put pressure on me. And this can sometimes manifest itself into some verbals, or light flashed etc.