Near miss!

You might as well have said “Would you have their job having to face criminal activity everyday” :roll_eyes: x10

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I used to be a member of the Kent Advanced Motorcyclists Group, I passed the IAM Test, Car and Bike, and became an observer, helping others to ride safely. I have had accidents and always thought afterwards how they could have been avoided. The experiences led me to modify my riding, I moved to Bavaria after retiring, quiet roads and beautiful scenery. The usual attractions - mountain passes - scare me!!! I recently did an ADAC better riding course and said I would love to be able to ride like some of those I see on the passes. The instructor asked how old I was, when I told him, he replied, ‘You’re alive; some of them probably won’t make it.’ That gave me food for thought but I wish I could ride those passes better…

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What’s the saying.?
There are ‘old’ soldiers, and ‘bold’ soldiers…
But no ‘old bold’ soldiers.

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Too true! I have ridden the Stelvio once as well as many other well known ones. I love riding the Grossglockner which is actually quite easg

Currently in France and yesterday for 3 hours of riding, 3 cars were seen on the way out, only 5 on the way back. Glorious. Roads were totally silent and it looks like Cheshire but with much twistier roads. That was D roads, I avoid the N’s.

I drove the Stelvio (sadly). If you like that, then try the Tirana (Albania) to Pristina (Kosovo) old mountain road. Hours of 123-321-123-321 hair pin, hair pin hair pin over the top, down the other side!

Not done it on a bike, I’d love to. But I have done it in an Audi TT and I got sick of the gear changes :rofl:

The continent seems full of lovely roads.
I’d recommend the Route Napoleon and Route de Grand Alps with a stopover in Castellane.
Luuurvly…



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Ah! Route Napolean. My first trip on my Guzzi back in 1981. I remember being chased by a group of Germans on BMWs. The leader seemed particularly keen to catch me. Two up with camping gear, I rode like a demon through the mountain bends, shear lunacy. The Germans never caught me but I think it said more about the benefit of the V twin cylinders and the lack of clearance of the boxer twins.
40 years later Im going around the Stelvio putting my feet down. Doh!

I liked the Grossglockner with its cobbled Edelweißspitze but watchout for the Marmots.

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Terrifying. Glad you made it. I was in exactly that position on the 6th August 2021. The difference being I ended up in a coma for a week, in HDU for three months and then confined to bed a further two months before being in a wheelchair for six weeks. I suffered brain damage along with a broken spine, shattered pelvis, 11 broken ribs and nearly lost my left hand. That’s in addition to the multiple punctures to a lung, torn bladder and damaged spleen. I am disabled now but have managed to get back riding again. The one downside is I have the most terrible rage when I witness something like you just described. I am resigned to the fact that one day I will wind up in serious trouble as a result. :worried:




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Glad your up and about :slightly_smiling_face:

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A terrifying but terrific tale…
Fantastic to see you back in the saddle, well done to you :+1:
Continue to ride like they’re out to get ya folks.
Assume nothing other than they’re assuming the road is theirs.
And treat em all like they’re all blind fcukwits using a phone or driving under influence… (worryingly so many are.!)
And if you can, get on a BikeSafe or similar course, irrespective of how long you’ve been at it, a recalibration is always worthwhile.
But… don’t stop enjoying it, as the more you ride the better your riding becomes… (honestly… I’m only going for another ride to improve my skills.!).

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Have decided to do my advanced motorcycle training after over 40 accident free years. The one I had after 42 years was very nearly my last ride ever. I always saw myself as an incredibly safe and consistent rider. It didn’t help that day lol.

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Tomorrow it’s the 45th anniversary of my first solo motorcycle ride on my own bike, a Simson S50B1…
(I’d previously ridden r’kids Z650 Kawasaki illegally down the back lanes.!).
Sh!t where did the time go.!

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Get a camera and report it to the police if anything like this happens, if you’re lucky you’ll get a copper who can be ar@@d and the offender might just get prosecuted, hopefully for dangerous rather than WDCAA

I got done by a camera for speeding 38 in a 30 three weeks ago last time was 47 years ago - all I did was not observing the speed sign on my left as I was looking at a car coming from my right O well just waiting to see if it is the guillotine, fine and points added or speed awareness course (hopefully).

I drive (car) from Scarborough to Middlesbrough twice a week. Every single day some idiot with a death wish astounds me. The standard of driving is at an all time low. I love my bike but the odds are narrowed now.

I can only agree. After more than 44 years driving & riding, my observation is that driving standards have never been lower. Every day the number of idiots & lunatics astounds me; aggressive driving, lack of observation, stupid risk taking, it’s worse now than ever. I’d recommend any motorcyclist to take bikesafe & some advanced rider training. It’s no guarantee that you’ll never be involved in an accident but it does help to improve the odds in your favour.

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Idiots in cars and in vans driving as fast as they can to catch the back the traffic queue ahead or driving within 2 metres at 55 mph because they want to do 60. Yes that is normal these days. Riding my V7 through a three mile villiage at 29 in a 30 limit with a large van so close I can feel the heat of it’s engine and wishing I had a rear facing camera … actually it overtook me and sped off at about 50mph and I’m thinking “that’s why speed cameras get get installed”. Should I spend upwards of £300 for a 2 camera unit and if so is that one for each bike(4) . Helmet mounted cameras have only a short battery life.
Someone I know ( no names no writs) uses footage from his helmet cam to report phone users. In three years he has prompted over 150 prosecutions and double that number of warning letters. Every day he sees a couple of dozen drivers using their phones, texting of looking at videos. Is it stupidity, selfishness or just an ever increasing sense of entitlement that provides the justification for the behaviour once ridiculed by Keneth Grahame’s Mr. Toad. Ride safe everyone. They are not all out to get you, but they will if they can.

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I am looking at replacing my helmet camera and found this on eBay click here

Not sure I would fit the display screen on my bike though!

Had the same experience this week, a white sprinter delivery van on my tail with the driver gesturing to me to speed up! In order to avoid the situation escalating I pulled over into a side road as the van roars past disappearing into the distance.
This was 60mph limit assigned to a country road that was about a mile long before entering the next village being a 30mph limit of course.
This is the second time this year where I felt it safer to yield and turn into a side road.

Then the other day following a small panel van in traffic, the smell of cannabis pouring out of the van was obvious to say the least. Again, this is not the first time that I have witnessed this.
As usual not a Policeman or Police patrol car insight!!!

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