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[16HD117]

Last Saturday a few of my friends who went to Maggie Valley NC were heading home east bound on I-40.  They were in a construction zone where the road was being repaved.  One lane had been paved, the other ground down waiting on new asphalt.  The new asphalt was about four inches higher than the old.  There were several signs warning not to change lanes.  Mike, who was leading the group, was on a Boss Hoss.  They were running about 70 on the old asphalt and came up on a slow car.  Mike decided to pass.  Bob, who was directly behind Mike, said that Mikes front tire crossed the lane with no problem, but, the rear (which is a car tire) hung on the new asphalt.  This got the bike side ways and Mike high sided.  This section of I-40 has a concrete barrier as the median and is a steep down hill grade.  Bob said Mike and the bike both were tumbling down the interstate with the bike only a few feet behind Mike.  Mike and the bike hit the barrier several times with the bike almost going over the five foot barrier.

Mike was wearing jeans, a light jacket, a non DOT helmet and no gloves.  Believe it or not, his only injuries was road rash to his hands and upper body along with two black eyes and a few small cuts to his face! 

The bike didn't do as well.  Totalled.  Bob said as the bike tumbled, there was a steady trail of parts flying off!  It even ripped the foot peg bosses out of the frame.

There was another larger group of bikes that stopped and cleared the bike and all the loose parts out of the traffic lanes.

The moral of the story is if the sign says "stay in your lame"  STAY IN YOUR LANE!       

[FNGw/08SERK]

Last Friday a few of my friends who went to Maggie Valley NC were heading home east bound on I-40.  They were in a construction zone where the road was being repaved.  One lane had been paved, the other ground down waiting on new asphalt.  The new asphalt was about four inches higher than the old.  There were several signs warning not to change lanes.  Mike, who was leading the group, was on a Boss Hoss.  They were running about 70 on the old asphalt and came up on a slow car.  Mike decided to pass.  Bob, who was directly behind Mike, said that Mikes front tire crossed the lane with no problem, but, the rear (which is a car tire) hung on the new asphalt.  This got the bike side ways and Mike high sided.  This section of I-40 has a concrete barrier as the median and is a steep down hill grade.  Bob said Mike and the bike both were tumbling down the interstate with the bike only a few feet behind Mike.  Mike and the bike hit the barrier several times with the bike almost going over the five foot barrier.

Mike was wearing jeans, a light jacket, a non DOT helmet and no gloves.  Believe it or not, his only injuries was road rash to his hands and upper body along with two black eyes and a few small cuts to his face! 

The bike didn't do as well.  Totalled.  Bob said as the bike tumbled, there was a steady trail of parts flying off!  It even ripped the foot peg bosses out of the frame.

There was another larger group of bikes that stopped and cleared the bike and all the loose parts out of the traffic lanes.

The moral of the story is if the sign says "stay in your lame"  STAY IN YOUR LANE!       

Holy crap. Glad Mike is O.K. Thanks for the lesson 

Howie

[07 CVO]

Now I guess you have to actually follow the sign, and they aren't just suggestions.

[Fired00d]

Tommy,
Sorry to hear of this, but glad Mike came out w/limited injuries. Thanks for the reminder.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[megavolt17]

Wow, amazing the injuries were not much worse.  Must have a guardian angel, or a lot of luck.

A similar issue (although much slower) can happen inside a covered bridge.  I took a 90 degree right turn with a passenger into a beautiful covered bridge.  It was 1 lane so I stayed in the center.  About half way through my eyes adjusted so I could see that in the center I was on wood running across the bridge.  It was uneven and seemed a bit rotted in places (I could see light out the bottom of the bridge in places). The areas where a car tire would have been was at least 4 inches higher with lumber running lengthwise to the bridge.   I had about 14 inches in the center and a certain spill if I drifted to either side.  I came back a different route.

[Screamin]

Guess some will never learn that construction zones are very dangerous places. Loose rocks, holes, equipment, people, fast cars, slow trucks, all things that can eff you up. That's one place I make sure I've got lots of space between me and the other traffic. Glad your bud's hide is mostly intact.

[SBB]

This will probably not be a popular response but it's the way I see it in this situation.

Here's part of Tommy's post,

but, the rear (which is a car tire) hung on the new asphalt.

I agree with everyone that construction zones are dangerous but also think we sometimes have to hold ourselves responsible when things happen. The guy was riding a custom bike with a car tire on the rear. A big tire that will not climb a step up in pavement. Big tires handle different than regular bike tires and you have to allow for it. Yes it was a construction zone but I think rider inexperience also contributed to what happened. A round tire will roll up on a rise like that but a square tire will fight it. It's all in knowing what you have and using it accordingly.
For example,
A batwing dresser can go 140 MPH but you better be ready for a wild ride if there's any wind. (Ask Hubbard)
A dresser can be used as a dual sport bike but imagine picking that thing up in the mud.
My F350 4 door is a bear to park in a regular parking space so I allow for it and park away from others.

It's all in knowing what you have and what the limitations are.
I allow for possible difficult riding conditions when on the Frontier (difficult for a 280 rear tire) and all is well.
I'm sorry the guy had the accident but IMHO operator error or lack of experience was more the cause than just being in a "construction zone"


SBB

 

[J-Carr]

Ya know, I'm glad he's Ok too, but I have to say some patience is required to survive riding a motorcycle.  Even if he got over safely, the rest of the group following woulda been forced to try to make it around to stay together.  I like to get my move on as much as the next guy, but ya just gotta relax a bit sometimes.  Wait til there's a good shoulder to use or something.

Two years ago, MD 40 near Baltimore they had paved a lane at a time and you had no choice but to go up and down over the 4 inch curb they left behind otherwise you couldn't get on and off the dang road.  Only way to do it was to slow down and move as far away from it as posible and turn sharp to hit it as straight as possible.

Ride Safe,
J-Carr

[Hugh Janis]

Ya know, I'm glad he's Ok too, but I have to say some patience is required to survive riding a motorcycle.  Even if he got over safely, the rest of the group following woulda been forced to try to make it around to stay together.  I like to get my move on as much as the next guy, but ya just gotta relax a bit sometimes.  Wait til there's a good shoulder to use or something.

Two years ago, MD 40 near Baltimore they had paved a lane at a time and you had no choice but to go up and down over the 4 inch curb they left behind otherwise you couldn't get on and off the dang road.  Only way to do it was to slow down and move as far away from it as posible and turn sharp to hit it as straight as possible.

Ride Safe,
J-Carr

Very wise.  One must consider the others when leading a group ride.  That lane should have been blocked off with cones if the lanes were that uneven.

[Seegarsmkr]

I often think about passing when I get behind a slllloooooowwwwww moving cage, but then I think WHO CARES I am on a beautiful bike enjoying the ride, weather etc and then wait til it is safe WAY safe to pull the trigger.  There are too many blind spots around here that could get you hurt in a big way.

Seegarz

[Hugh Janis]

I often think about passing when I get behind a slllloooooowwwwww moving cage, but then I think WHO CARES I am on a beautiful bike enjoying the ride, weather etc and then wait til it is safe WAY safe to pull the trigger.  There are too many blind spots around here that could get you hurt in a big way.

Seegarz

Yup, and all you do is get there quicker and shorten the ride.

[Gone Fishin']

Guess some will never learn that construction zones are very dangerous places. Loose rocks, holes, equipment, people, fast cars, slow trucks, all things that can eff you up. That's one place I make sure I've got lots of space between me and the other traffic. Glad your bud's hide is mostly intact.

I fully agree. Just last year I was riding in Montana, near Missoula, on a road leading to the the Interstate. The asphalt on both roads was approximately 3 inches different. When I joined the Interstate I had to struggle to keep the bike up. With both surfaces being almost black, it was very difficult to spot any difference. So be warned!
And: I am totally surprised that the rider on the Boss Hoss had no other injuries. That is like a second birthday! Good for him.

Ride safely,
Louis

[FLYNDYNA]

Glad to hear he got out with minimal injuries, sorry about the loss of the bike though...hope the insurance covers it! Excellent point about obeying signage...here endeth the lesson!

Flyndyna

[Capo]

Thank the Lord for those Angels. I absolutely believe in them! Very glad to hear he is well as we all know you can buy another bike. Good reminder, especially given the road construction here in WA is never ending. The ABATE group actually introduced legislation specific to required Motorcycle warning signs for situations as this.
Ride Safe!