Hit and Run

I was woundering how many other moped riders had stories of crashes to tell. Here is mine.

I was in an accident on my moped yesterday. A thoughtless 4-weeler pulled out of an intercetion and ended up in front of me. I ran into it. The first thing I did was to see if I was alright. I was alive so I quickly turned off my moped's gass and hit the kill switch. I looked over to the car I hit and the car imediatly drove away. I was left to hobble back to my dorm with my now damaged moped. There I filled out a police report and then went to the health center. Lucky for me I only had a "fore foot sprang." However, the front fork of my moped it bent so I'll have to fix it. I didn't mind the sprang, I am just worried about getting my moped all fixed up again.

RE: Hit and Run

You were so lucky to escape with just a sprain. Too bad about the moped damage, though. I'd be heartbroken if anything happened to mine - its my favorite toy! I'm in the lucky position of having the only moped in town, and people seem to be amused by the whole thing. They tend to slow down and pass me cautiously - I think to get a better look! Bikers laugh at me, kids on bicycles race me down the street, and the little ones next door are fascinated!

RE: Hit and Run

Reeperette /

This is why Ree carries a length of battle chain - most four wheelers will not stick around after hitting you if they see you get back up.

At the very least, you can cost them a windshield and make them easy to identify as they spin tire away from the scene, at best they will stop and make an issue of it, and still be doing so when the cops arrive.

(not to mention the personal satisfaction possible in that situation...)

One thing to really watch out for is the shove-over or bumpNrun attack.

This is when a four wheeler either -

A - decides to deliberately sideswipe you and take off.

or

B - keeps forcing you over till you hit a fence, wall or curb.

In either case, as soon as you see it coming, jam the brakes and get a plate number before turning off to hide, use your vehicles lower ground pressure and smaller size to best advantage in doing so.

Also nasty is the rear-end push, when some damnedable fourwheeler decides you should run the yellow light cause he's in a hurry, and pogos yer cargo rack, usually causing you to dump the 'ped on it's side...such folks almost invariably exit the vehicle with hostilities in mind as soon as you get back up, and the safest course is to drag your 'ped out of thier path before they run it over.

(My preference is to take out thier headlights and then do that, but not reccommended for legal and safety reasons...)

All in all, your best bet when nailed by a car on a 'ped is to stay down, till the cops get there, most folks run as soon as you get up, as long as you stay down they usually won't bolt, due to the legal difference between 'leaving the scene' and 'vehicular homicide', etc.

I would reccommend using common sense and a good knowledge of the law, and preparation beforehand, so you know how to handle it in advance.

(and wear a helmet, law or no law.)

Supposedly the law protects you, but I've had enough cops laugh in my face to prefer dealing with it personally and immediately, and most insurance companies will refuse even mandatory legal obligations (such as PIP coverage) to you, and there isn't really much you can do about it save complain to your states insurance commissioner (who will also laugh you off), and hope for the best.

FYI - PIP doesn't cover motorcycles, but it considers bicyclists pedestrians, and according to your manual, your vehicle is a "Motorized Bicycle" making you legally entitled to PIP coverage, usually about $2500.00 no-fault, in many states.

But again,...just try collecting it - good luck.

My preferred methods aren't niceNfluffy legal, but they work - you are however, on your own if you should attempt to use them - you have been warned.

Ree

RE: Hit and Run

Jon Lewis /

A few weeks ago I was on me way to work when I entered a 4 way intersection. I did not have a stop sign but the street perpendiculer (sp) to me did, so I preceded strait through. Some jerk on the other road neglected the stopsign that he had, and proceded through at the same time I did resulting in a colition. He hit my fork resulting in the demolition of my front-end, but amazingly, as I lay in the intersection my engine was still running. Perhaps the most amazing part is I did not have a scratch on me. The cell phone in my pocket was still working, my helmet was without a mark, and even my sweatshirt was not at all ripped. The guy ran out of his car thinking he had killed me, appologizing, saying he'd pay for any damage inflicted. Luckely it was a company car so I ended up getting over $700 for a moped that only cost $350 to begin with.

P.S. sorry for the spelling

Jon

RE: Hit and Run

Simon King /

I haven't been hit, but last week I slid on some dirt and wiped out the worst that I have yet on my moped. My fault since I was on the sidewalk (large college sidewalk, sort of a "walking campus" type of situation - but i still wasn't too happy with it. I put a dent in my headlight, bent up a pedal, and knocked my carburetor loose - but after fixing those it runs just fine - so the only real damage to me. A few scraps and scabs, not too bad.

The thing I was noticing though is that the moped has a sort of built in method to protect itself. When i skid sideways the pedal hit first, bending it. This protected the side panels and engine from getting hurt at all. Bending a pedal back sure beats scraped up paint.

RE: Hit and Run

Reeperette /

One other defense, Simon...most of the DelLorto carbs have a gadget that will cut off the fuel supply as soon as the bike tilts over past a certain angle...which came in damn handy one night my throttle cable and engine switch froze in position on the way to work...

(it was a long ride, in rain that became frozen sleet, and it froze the controls on me)

After jamming the brakes and soft-dumping the bike, the engine shut off almost immediately for lack of fuel, thank you Tomos, for that safety foresight.

Ree

RE: Hit and Run

Three months ago I was hit by a car. In Holland (where I live) moped laws state that a moped must drive as much to the right side of the road as possible, and so I did. Some 4-wheeled yuppie decided to go drive on the left side of me and then turn right. He hit my 1974 Honda SS50 right on the engine and scooped me. The falling onto the ground part did the most damage, the forks were bent, the gastank was scratched and a whole lot of other things. Luckily I was wearing my leather motorjacket (cause it looks cool on that bike), leather gloves and a helmet so I didn't have a scratch. The guy claimed he didn't see me (so he didn't look in front of him when he came up from behind, and he never looked into the turn he was making). He had a good insurance so I got $850 for the damage. Now my oldtimer is rebuilt and I refuse to drive on the right side of the road, I'm driving right in the middle so those blind yuppies can't drive beside me.

RE: Hit and Run

That is funny..... you call them Yuppies just like we do!... Only I usually cal them dumb Yuppies!

RE: Hit and Run

I didn't want to swear as much as I normally do, I don't want to offend anyone here.

And yes, he was dumb!

RE: Hit and Run

i always drive in the center of the lane, if you don't you aren't treated with any respect, and you have to fear for your life everytime a cars slithers past you. about a month ago i was broadsided by a car which through me into the side of a house. my peddle arm was bent, and eventually my pedal fell off because it was stripped out. also, my kill switch broke. i am fine though.

RE: Hit and Run

I'm interested to know if riding in the middle of the lane is safer...

Johann

ventes@altavista.com

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