My brother got the hammer-dunk.

MaxwellEdison · 10-24-2007, 9:32 PM

This actually happened a few weeks ago, just been busy with all sorts of stuff. On Sunday Sept 30 my brother and I were riding here in Utah, him in front of me about 15-20 on the left side of the lane, me on the right. He was on his 05 1300 VTX and me on my 919, both traveling the speed limit (posted 50) when we were just about to cross an intersection when a Chevy Suburban JUMPED the median in the left turn lane of opposite direction of travel to make a U-Turn. He didn't make it, my brother and I both locked up our brakes (Police report said my brother had 57 feet of skid marks while mine were 80 feet

). Luckily for my brother he managed to get the bike sideways and made impact on the right rear quarter panel of the 'burban, breaking his left femur (thigh bone) and destroying his bike. I narrowly missed. The guy driving the 'burban could have NEVER made that U-Turn, road's not wide enough, and it wasn't even his truck. My brother was life-flighted to a local hospital where he had to stay in the ICU for 4 days. Why can't people just be patient?

Maholli · 10-24-2007, 9:48 PM

Really glad you and your brother made it out ok.. Nobody is patient on the roads now a days... Its pretty sad... People seem to not really care about other people on the road ways or there just so busy doing 10 things at once.. Over the last 10 years I really have noticed this slowly turn to just impatient people that are just trying to get somewhere in a hurry without any disregard to there surroundings.. I bet that suburban didn't even look your way or he just thought Im a big truck and your 2 little bikes that will bounce off this truck so Im going to go ahead and pull this U-turn in front of ya.. But anyways good luck getting your bikes back on the road too...

Mogolf · 10-24-2007, 10:18 PM

Man what a BUMMER....Sorry to hear that about your brother, but it's good to hear you're both still here. Hope he has a speedy recovery. I'm getting back into street riding after a 15 year hiatus and it definitely seems more tricky out there from what I remember. Like Maholi said, other people trying to multi-task (and not very well) makes our task more dangerous for sure. Between Blacberry's, iPods, text-messaging and all the other tech-gizmos as well as just more cars on the road, it seems we as riders are certainly more at risk in traffic these days.

ducati2v · 10-24-2007, 10:29 PM

I totally know what you're saying - being from Utah also I've seen many a jack**s trying to do the same thing. I wish people would just wait their turn! They think that just because they see a (tiny) gap in traffic they can go and you must yield to them just because! I'm glad you guys didn't have any worse happen to you.

sheepofblue · 10-24-2007, 10:36 PM

Hope your brother gets better soon and glad you are OK (other than nerves and care for your brother). Hope your brother cashes in big for the guys stupid and can afford some time off work and 10 bikes

MaxwellEdison · 10-24-2007, 11:24 PM

Yeah he hired a lawyer, and missed 3 weeks worth of work (paid with vacation and sick time luckily). He's hoping to make enough off the lawsuit to have a mighty fine down-payment on a new Road King (I know, what a betrayer). I also forgot to mention he now has a steel rod that runs almost the entire length of his Femur for the rest of his days, or until his body rejects it.

Surffrog · 10-29-2007, 2:44 AM

Sorry to hear about this. Having just gone through recovery to get back on my bike, I know how your brother must be feeling. It's deeply frustrating and depressing. Did the idiot have anything to say for himself or was he stunned into silence?
I think any cager found guilty of this sort of behaviour should be made to watch a several hour long video of accidents caused by cager negligence. You never know, it might just get through to some of them. In fact, I think that should be part of drivers Ed. It might save a few lives!
I wish your bro a speedy recovery, no matter what he wants to ride next.