growweblaar
Race Dog
No-one seriously injured, but still spectacular...
Every morning, on my daily commute, I have to stop at this junction. The light phases are quite long, so inevitably all the bikes filter through and end up congregated at the front. This specific morning there were about 6 bikes, roughly in two rows of three. I was there first so had the middle position in the front row (talk about a front row seat!).
A guy on an old banged-up MZ pushed in to my left. The other guy arrived - with much fanfare and attitude - on a shiny black KTM 640 and stopped on my right. There was a big sportsbike to the right of him.
I recognized the situation immediately, since it happens every now and then at this same spot: lots of bikes flying away into not-so-lots of road space. The junction has 5 roads leading out of it and the road "straight ahead" is not quite straight ahead, but at a +- 30 deg righthand angle, with a traffic island where it starts to bend - you have to cross the junction and then bank around the traffic island before you can accelerate down the long straight. The first guy 'round the island gets the straight to himself.
Engines are revved, clutch fingers poised, eyes straight ahead - you'd swear you were at the GP! The light goes GREEN. I decide to hang back, and accelerate slowly. The MZ and KTM shoot away. KTM banks, slips.. KA BAAAM!! Rider goes lo-side. MZ tries to swerve but, having a following distance of about 50cm, goes straight into the KTM. Rider goes over.
I have to swerve dramatically to miss the MZ, but made it. The last thing I remember was the grimace on the MZ rider's face as he was about to hit the deck.
Fortunately, no-one seriously injured (but a few bruised ego's, no less).
The next morning I tried to see if there was something on the road that could have caused the slip. Coudn't see any loose gravel, only a (not overly large) metal drain cover, but it wasn't wet, so no apparent reason...? Perhaps the rider was inexperienced and banked too much at low speed? Who knows.
Anyway, just thought you guys might find this interesting.
Every morning, on my daily commute, I have to stop at this junction. The light phases are quite long, so inevitably all the bikes filter through and end up congregated at the front. This specific morning there were about 6 bikes, roughly in two rows of three. I was there first so had the middle position in the front row (talk about a front row seat!).
A guy on an old banged-up MZ pushed in to my left. The other guy arrived - with much fanfare and attitude - on a shiny black KTM 640 and stopped on my right. There was a big sportsbike to the right of him.
I recognized the situation immediately, since it happens every now and then at this same spot: lots of bikes flying away into not-so-lots of road space. The junction has 5 roads leading out of it and the road "straight ahead" is not quite straight ahead, but at a +- 30 deg righthand angle, with a traffic island where it starts to bend - you have to cross the junction and then bank around the traffic island before you can accelerate down the long straight. The first guy 'round the island gets the straight to himself.
Engines are revved, clutch fingers poised, eyes straight ahead - you'd swear you were at the GP! The light goes GREEN. I decide to hang back, and accelerate slowly. The MZ and KTM shoot away. KTM banks, slips.. KA BAAAM!! Rider goes lo-side. MZ tries to swerve but, having a following distance of about 50cm, goes straight into the KTM. Rider goes over.
I have to swerve dramatically to miss the MZ, but made it. The last thing I remember was the grimace on the MZ rider's face as he was about to hit the deck.
Fortunately, no-one seriously injured (but a few bruised ego's, no less).
The next morning I tried to see if there was something on the road that could have caused the slip. Coudn't see any loose gravel, only a (not overly large) metal drain cover, but it wasn't wet, so no apparent reason...? Perhaps the rider was inexperienced and banked too much at low speed? Who knows.
Anyway, just thought you guys might find this interesting.
