Lessons to be learned - timely reminder.

[Volvi]

Taken from the ORG:

Gatoracer, better known as Gator or to me and others as Jay, was headed to MrBuells house yesterday in Phoenix and never made it.

edit: here is what his wife wrote on another forum. sounds like misjudgement and poor timing played a bigger role in Jays death.thanks for the update Ed.


Hey everyone. I've seen some posts asking what happened yesterday, so I thought I'd put the information out there for everyone. I hope reading this will make y'all think twice about some decisions while you are out there riding.

Jay had been out riding all morning, scrubbing in the front tire . I don't think I've seen him that excited about something since the day he brought the Busa home from the dealership.

We exchanged some text messages around 12:50, where he commented on what a great ride he was having, how much he had missed riding since the bike had been down for the rebuild, and how Spars = Therapy.

What I understand from the investigating officer who showed up at the house is this:

Jay was heading south on 51st Ave near Beardsley. He was behind a truck that was hauling a boat in the far right lane. Just as he swung out to pass the truck, a woman pulled out of a side street and into Jay's lane. They couldn't see each other because of the truck/boat combo.

The officer said they could see where he laid on the brakes, and they assume from witness accounts (I think it was witness accounts... I was a bit shell shocked during that part) that he was doing 70-75mph.

He lowsided the bike and separated from it. Unfortunately, he was sliding at such a high rate of speed that he made contact with the back of the car of the woman who had pulled out in front of him; and he died at the scene.

PLEASE everyone... take a lesson from this. Jay was driving in a 45mph zone and let the fact that he was impatient to get where he was going (and the fact that he COULD accelerate that quickly) interfere with his normally safe riding practices.

he joined sh.org in 2002. he and I spoke several times during his decision to move from Fl to Phoenix. we shared many meals, cocktails and stories. he was a very avid motorcyclist. he was a biker in the truest sense of the word. he was good people. he will be missed by all that knew him.

God Speed my brother...

http://www.suzukihayabusa.org/forum/inde...c=115359.0

[DjPete]

fact of the matter is that we are all that close all the time whether in car or bike, but more risk of course on the bike.
all you can do is ride as safe as you can.
sounds like this guy was a safe rider but made a bad call as we all have done at some stage...when youre numbers up...

[mybb]

On the way back from Jindy I accelerated, the car I was headed towards with an older couple must have been frightened by my approach and whacked on the brakes.. It was a moment that could have went either way. The heavy breaking had my back wheel all over the place. Between the speeding up and the extreme breaking was only a matter of seconds! It would have been my stupid fault but how easy is it to make such decisions! We all have those moments when we pull out to pass a car, accelerate because its exciting. We are one silly choice made by ourselves or someone else from ending up the same way.

[Madmax]

We get pretty used to the power the Bus makes, I came as near as get the f*** out a couple of days ago, left me pretty shaken, it just happened so quickly, I was coming out of the big roundabout outside Russell Offices, with an XR8 with all the gear on my right in the roundabout, he started getting into it, spinning back tyres and and coming into my lane.  I think he was just showing off. Lots of juice in the Ford, no doubt. I have this Motherfucker sliding towards me, I powered on pretty agressively to get out of his way, and just get the f*** away from him, slipped her into 3rd then 4th, showed him a clean pair of heels, me now heading around 200kys or a bit more I suppose, clear right lane approaching the bridge, two cars in the left lane, when cunthooks in the 4 x wheel drive (the back car of the 2 in the left lane) just side stepped into the right lane and right into my path.  They are doing 60-80 odd. All I could see was the back of this white f*&^ing 4 x wheel drive getting very close very quickly. "Oh f*** this is it!!" Ray - those Brake Techs paid for themselves there and then. Had the front tyre chirping at me, the back wheel all loose on the road, I was f****d I thought.  Our speeds equaled with my front wheel less than 2 metres between us. I was then able to flick the bike between cunthooks and the car to his left. It just happens that fast.  Poor riding on my part to have had over 200kph in an 80 zone with 2 cars in front of me, no excuse. Needless to say my girl gave me a serve when I told her that night. I deserved it. Long time since I came that close to my maker.  Glad to still be here.


Max:ausflag::ausflag:

[mybb]

lol.. I think its funny that you even know the guys name "cunthooks"

[Madmax]

He has a heap of brothers and sisters out there Azza, Cunthooks and Cunthooks brothers and Cunthooks sisters, they're usually the sheilas driving the family Volvo (I hear Pan wont let his girl drive the Volvo - unless she rings him and tells him she's going on the road first, he then has time to get the fark off the road:lol:)

They are out there and they are NOT looking for you in their mirrors or side windows!:devil:


Max:ausflag:busa::ausflag:

[mybb]

I find most look, then drive into you. I had one family come out from a side street and enter a main road i was riding on. They looked at me.. I was on my own, no cars around, as plain as day, looking right at them, they looked straight at me and then pulled out straight in front of me.

The classic was when i first got the new busa. Also encouraged the gf to get her L's.. because of that she was keen to get on the back of the bike and experience all that was out there. Im riding down a road with car parks in the middle, woman goes from left lane, across the right lane (which i was in) and half into the car park. I was expecting it so had already slowed and prepared for the complete stop. As I rolled towards her, she was in the middle of the road chatting away to her friend. I stopped with my front tyre mm's from her car door. She still hadnt noticed, was still talking to her friend.. I reved the bike quite hard while looking straight at her.. I could have knocked on her window if i reached forward.. I think at that point she wet herself and started with the thousand apologies. I just shook my head, let her pull in and road off. It was my gf's first such experience.. she didnt take it so lightly and I could almost be sure that she used the name "cunthooks" as well.. so perhaps this woman was related.

[DjPete]

Max, with all respect would you have expected the 4wd to see you and react in time if you were doing that speed?
Anyway, yep close call alright.

I know I've mentioned this before but I just don't go quick anymore except if I'm out of range of most cars and cops.
It ain't worth it.
I still have fun but in the right places.
Of course I realise that you were avoiding the ute Max...but it all honesty you prob could have got out of his way without doing 200k lol
I'm with ya wife on this one...!

[Madmax]

Hey DJ,
         I am in full self confession mode here bloke.  I was absolutely in the wrong, if cunthooks had actually looked in his mirror before his lane change (no indicator at all) He would have seen me 300 metres behind him, no worries,  There would have been no way he could have anticipated that I could be closing on him as fast as I was. He got no waving fist, shaking head or anything of those, I was too busy beating up on myself for putting both of us in that situation.  That makes three of us in my girls group!


Max - Member of "Fucknuckles anonymous"
:ausflag:busa::ausflag:

[mybb]

youve all gone soft. admit to nothing

[DjPete]

Hey DJ,
         I am in full self confession mode here bloke.  I was absolutely in the wrong, if cunthooks had actually looked in his mirror before his lane change (no indicator at all) He would have seen me 300 metres behind him, no worries,  There would have been no way he could have anticipated that I could be closing on him as fast as I was. He got no waving fist, shaking head or anything of those, I was too busy beating up on myself for putting both of us in that situation.  That makes three of us in my girls group!


Max - Member of "Fucknuckles anonymous"
:ausflag:busa::ausflag:

Fair enuff Max.
It doesn't take much to be in trouble.
Shut up Mybb.
:

[copperjosh]

Still haven't gotten into a serious situation yet, but I know how damn hard it is not to use the power of the busa when your stuck around cagers. I think commuting everyday on your bike is a good way to experience heaps of different situations. I know Max uses his bike virtually everyday and the man can RIDE.

To be honest though, fanging it hard away from cars has saved me from possibly tight situations on many occasions. I can attest to the frustration of when a 'high-power' (in their mind) car tries to give you a go and just becomes a pain in the ass. When your betting on the possibility that they might lose control, you want to get away from them!

One thing I will note though, I think most of us busa riders are fairly adept people to be riding such a fast bike and from my experience the only times I get into trouble nowadays is usually due to a lapse in concentration rather than skill (still constantly learning though). I remember reading an article by Jeremy Clarkson once that talked about "lack of concentration kills, NOT speed." Does have a point there.

Max gets my thumbs up though, he has taught me so much so far about riding, attitude in general. Much credit.

Oh and I can launch really hard now, so next time we drag should be interesting :-)

[kawasuki]

Max glad your still alive to buy more bits off me old mate, and as I have said and will keep saying GOOD brakes are good better brakes make the difference.

[Heidi1]

It does us all good to get a fright from time to time, I'm just glad you are around to tell us about it!

[Madmax]

Hey Josh,
I'll give you that $5 later mate, very kind words, Heidi, my heart was in my mouth, scared the shit out of me, so it must have been good for me, Ray - those f*&^ing brakes saved my skin! Nothing more, nothing less! Thinking about down time due to damage, injuries etc. $2k wouldn't even touch it. The Brake techs have it every time.
The learning in this matter came very simply to "slow down in traffic, speeds in excess of warp 5 can end very quickly!"


Max - :ausflag:busa::ausflag: