Faceplant on my commute this morning (pics)

where did this crash happen in MA?? looks fimiliar. I'm glad you're ok and didn't settle with the guy for cash.

Maguire road, near Hanscom AFB in Lexington, MA.

I took the Vee apart last night. I think I'm just gonna schlep it to the dealer. There's too many missing pop-rivets and brackets and stuff for me to try to button it all back together myself... I'll be making a half dozen runs to the dealer for parts and it's not worth my time.

Good decision.
Had my parked BMWLT rearended, knocked over and punted about 10 ft by a Firetruck while I was stopped to assisit at an accident scene.
Just scratches and broken taillight assembly ended up at $8000 :eek1:eek1
Let the dealer make it like new again no matter how long it takes.

I have a set of flashing led lights on my bikes. They have saved my butt many times. They do NOT see my bike but the flashing lights stops them.
I can say that at least nine times people were either going to pull out from a light/stop sign or make that dreaded left hand turn and stopped "quickly" once they saw flashing green. You can see my bike at least a quarter mile away.
People, on the NY Thruway can see me coming behind them when they are texting. I had a NY state patrol cop stop me and ask me where I got them. He wanted a pair for his girlfriend...and himself!
I would NOT have a bike without them...period!!!

Glad you're okay.

I have a Stebel air horn on my 'Strom. It doesn't get used a lot, but it's loud enough to wake the dead. I always warn the techs when I take it for annual inspection.

Do you have a link or video?

Ha... I wouldn't warn the techs... I'd just hook up a hidden camera

Looks more like it was installed that way. It looks straight, if mounted kinda off-center. If it was due to hit, the bull bar would have fallen off.

Hope you checked on legality of the flashing lights, those might be illegal, even though they are green because they can be mis-interpreted.

FYI: Checked and they are illegal: Art 9; sec 381: "

3. Except as hereinafter provided, only a white or yellow light shall be displayed upon a motorcycle so as to be visible from a point directly in front of the vehicle. Any color light, except blue, may be displayed, so as to be visible from a point directly in front of the vehicle, on a police vehicle or on a motorcycle operated by a sheriff or regular deputy sheriff when engaged in the performance of duty as a police officer. Any color light, including blue, may be displayed, so as to be visible from a point directly in front of the vehicle, on a motorcycle operated by a chief or assistant chief of a fire department, a county or deputy county fire coordinator, or a county or assistant county fire marshal. A blue light may be displayed upon a motorcycle, so as to be visible from a point directly in front of the vehicle, when operated by an active volunteer member of a fire department or company duly authorized as hereinafter provided, and while such vehicle is in use for fire or other emergency service. No volunteer fireman shall be permitted to display a blue light upon a motorcycle as hereinbefore provided except while actually enroute to the scene of a fire or other emergency requiring his services and unless he shall be an active volunteer member of a fire department or company and shall have been authorized in writing to so display a blue light by the chief of the fire department or company of which he is a member, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time by the chief who issued the same, or his successor in office."</pre>

glad you're OK.

I thought those photos rang a bell. I used to know that area quite well back when I was stationed at Hanscom 25 years ago.

Damn I'm old.

Not paying attention, exactly! These idiots will pull out in front of a semi truck that they didn't see. Why? Cause they didn't even look. Of course you don't a motorcycle coming when you DON'T LOOK!

Often the citation is sent on the mail to the offending driver after the investigating officer completes his vacation...errr...investigation.

Strom frames usually don't bend; they're cast aluminum. If they crack they're ruined. Of course the forks, rear steel subframe, etc., can bend. Do look for a cracked weld or other crack in the frame.

I had a Stebel Nautilus horn but prefer the pair of Fiamm Freeway Blaster horns (also labeled as NAPA), a low tone on one side and a high tone on the other side. Always use a relay when powering stronger horns. Here's more from webbikeworld:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-horns/motorcycle-horn-comparison.htm
I'm not sure how to wire them up, but wiring the horns and the flash-to-pass together would be great!

I learned early on as a driver to always watch another driver's eyes... if they don't make eye contact with you they haven't seen you. I slow down until I'm sure I've been seen... and I often flash my high beams in these situations to catch their attention.

There's a Signal Dynamics AYN license frame/flasher and a headlight flasher sitting on my desk, to go on my FJR before the weekend.

Not to be disagreeable but this is the worst thing you can do when riding a motorcycle IMHO. "Watching the driver's eyes" is exactly what got me T-boned two years ago, and what put my friend in the hospital for nearly 6 months back in 2005. Just because you think a driver is looking "right into my eyes" does not mean that he/she has actually seen you, they could be looking right through you to the cars behind you, to the pretty girl walking down the street or just day dreaming about their next hot fudge sundae.

The guy that T-boned was looking directly at me, I swore we were having "a moment" and yet as I lay on the ground screaming like a broken child I heard him say to the police "I never even saw him." This despite my huge ass red motorcycle with aux lights, my bright yellow Nolan helmet and my dayglow yellow Darien jacket.

Never "look into their eyes" and try to discern their intentions.. watch their wheels and make sure they arent moving. IMHO YMMV

the wheels are the only thing you can trust. And even then, be prepared for them to suddenly start moving. I never trust a driver's eyes, head, turn signals..nothing.

I agree with this. The only benefit that looking at their eyes has it that there are some situations where there is a pole or some other obstruction between you and them so looking at where their eyes would be if it wasn't for the obstruction tells you that they definitely have not seen you, rather than they have had the opportunity to see you, but you still don't know one way or the other. I like wheel movement.

Garnering their attention:
1. Skene Design front running lights. These LEDs are I believe legal everywhere and seem to "flicker." I'm just one of many who believe they are an advantage in making my bike more conspicuous.
2. SMIDSY swerves: If the guy is looking to his left at all (even if just for cars,) a couple of these as you approach the intersection SHOULD get his attention in a way a normal path might not.
3. Loud horn: have one but hate to use it, and wouldn't rely on it. When my focus is on braking, my left thumb has trouble finding it rather than the turn signal or high beam switch.
4. "Eye contact" is, as noted by many, bullshit. If I can even SEE their eyes, it is too late to do anything useful.

The OP did several things "right:" brightly colored bike, white helmet, slow speed. Whether adding any or all of the first three "tricks" would have kept that red truck driver anchored is pure speculation. There ARE people who can make a left turn into a fire truck with sirens and flashing lights - but not many.

We do what feels right to reduce the odds.

Don't even trust the wheels. Trust nothing!

I've had more than a few people over the years, be looking steadily left (or right), left (or right) turn signal blinking, wheels turned left (or right), creeping forward, creeping forward, and *bam*! suddenly gas the bejeezus out of the car, whipping the wheel around, and go the opposite direction like they were suddenly possessed by Mario Andretti, and their very lives depended on turning the other way.

They're like f***ing Deer, who stand at the side of the road for the entire length of time it takes to approach them, semi trailers and other cars going by like nothing, and then when you get to the point of no return, suddenly act like OMG! Aiiieee!!! Danger! and aim precisely for you dead centre, with a jump velocity enviable of a Barrett .50 round.

Not to pile on... but I'm going to pile on. Flashing the high-beam is a mistake. MANY people consider this permission to go ahead. I think it is a regional thing but in many places, flashing your lights at an intersection is meant to communicate "I am ceeding the right of way to you. You are free to move into the intersection since I will yield to you." It means something completely different when you come up behind a person and flash them (get the hell out of my way you left lane hog). It means something completely different when done to an approaching car traveling at speed (there is a cop/accident/herd of deer in the road so you need to slow down).

I'd sure be following up on this to make sure this guy gets a citation. If he was so desparate to try to avoid the police, he's hiding something.

Agree here... I'd never flash the highbeam in MA. I might flick it on and leave it (often I ride with it on during the daytime), but definitely not flash it.

Also, for all of you who are saying "look at the wheels"... I saw his wheels moving from a distance as he was creeping... that's why I rolled off the throttle. He stopped. Fortunately I didn't accelerate and kept my brake and horn covered, but his stopping did cause me to cease my deceleration.

Even though his wheels stopped moving, he still went when I was 15 feet away from him...