Pete rear ended a car...

...after returning from a 340km round trip to Mengyin. A very exciting ride but a disappointing ending.

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I didn't do the Chinese thing - leaving my bike as it landed until the police arrive - but i did take a few snaps before moving it out of the road.

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I'd left the wife's place at 07:20 and arrived outside my house at 09:30 but I was peckish and decided to go to Mcdonalds for a McMuffin first. The McMuffin was lovely and I was feeling euphoric after having such a good long ride. That feeling, combined with the deadly feeling of safety from almost arriving home combined caused me to relax, enough so that I let my guard down and failed to notice the woman in-front of me abruptly hit her brakes. I slammed mine on - too late -, went over on my left-side and then ground my way along the road for a meter or two before slamming into the car's rear fender.

It was my fault, I guess, for not leaving a big enough gap, riding too fast, not paying enough attention and for being foreign. Still, after the police had arrived and everyone was waiting for a ultimatum to be issued we just agreed to go our seperate ways. I rode 1km down the road to the Yamaha repair shop with handle bars almost wrapped around my fuel-tank and she drove off with a little dent in the back of her vehicle.

Although I felt confident with my new licence in my pocket, nobody even asked to see it! I knew my insurance had recently expired and was wondering what would become of that. I think I overheard her telling her friend that her insurance had expired too, but she didn't think that I understood that. I thought it was best to ride away while I still could and just pay for my own damages. Had the police discovered that we were both uninsured then the same thing would have happened anyway + a possible punishment for us both for not renewing them in-time.

I'll need:
- a new set of gauges: there is nothing left of my old one now.
- a new handlebar: it's bend back more than a chopper's handlebar now.
- a new set of forks: they're visibly bent and I could feel the vibrations riding at 30kph back to the repair shop
- a new attitude toward riding: I've made this kind of mistake before but with lesser consequences. I need to shape up.

Just a bit of broken plastic and bent metal. If you are OK and you know why you crashed and how to prevent or reduce the chances of this happening again, there really is nothing to worry about.

I guess Fred and I are running level on the collision meter right now.

Hey Pete, glad to see that you're ok, that's the most important !
Connected just today to the forum for another matter and saw your thread. I hope the repairs will be ok and that the parts will not be too long to arrive !

I still hope to see you on your bike in a few weeks in Shandong ! ;-)

You bet I'll be ready!
I'm going to order my parts from Taobao (faster and cheaper).
I'll be keeping a close eye on your ride report.

All the best!

Very good mate, I'll try to keep the YBR250 running until Shandong, but man it's not easy, she's taking a beating on the Chinese roads !

Good luck for you, and most important : be safe !

Glad to see your alright.That is the main thing.I guess all that safety gear you bought paid off.

I can't see "and for being foreign" being your fault you did the right thing and was legal.

Wow Mcdonalds wish I could have a big mac large meal.

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Originally Posted by bigdamo

Glad to see your alright.That is the main thing.I guess all that safety gear you bought paid off.

I can't see "and for being foreign" being your fault" you did the right thing and was legal.

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I agree, it didn't really apply but I was trying to relate to #38 of ZMC888's post "Defensive Riding in China (what to look for)"

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Originally Posted by soberpete

I agree, it didn't really apply but I was trying to relate to #38 of ZMC888's post "Defensive Riding in China (what to look for)"

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Ah just read it you put the curse on yourself.Should have said touch wood afterwards while touching your head.Curse gone.

"38. is it illegal to be a foreigner?"It ain't illegal to be foreigner if everything is by the book (which you were well pretty much)which as we all know the book can be interpreted by different people in different ways.

Your cool forget about it.

When I was young and growing up in L.A., Asian drivers were supposed to be avoided at all costs. It seems like in China it's the other way around! All kidding aside--gld to read that the only hurt was the bike and some pride...

That would be pretty accurate in my books, although it should be added that Asian drivers should avoid themselves at all costs too.

Not hurt badly but I did loose a square inch of skin on my elbow (where the mesh armour scraped along the road) and I have two huge bruises on my left leg. I will be walking around school with a limp for a few days but it's only a flesh wound!

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Originally Posted by soberpete

Asian drivers should avoid themselves at all costs too.

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That's so unfair! Japanese drivers can be pretty good! :lol8:

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Originally Posted by soberpete

That would be pretty accurate in my books, although it should be added that Asian drivers should avoid themselves at all costs too.

Not hurt badly but I did loose a square inch of skin on my elbow (where the mesh armour scraped along the road) and I have two huge bruises on my left leg. I will be walking around school with a limp for a few days but it's only a flesh wound!

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The powers that be at school will not be impressed best tell them you did it walking down the street and fell over.:naughty:

Good one, bigdamo :clap: I do think embellishing an injury as being caused from a barfight between you and 6 large dudes is a good excuse, too...

In all seriousness, like I mentioned, it is good to read that you are more injured in ego than flesh. Is the bike rideable?

Sort of rideable now but once I slip in a new handle-bar and straighten up the front forks it will be almost back to normal.
The new display (Rev + Speedometer) will cost about 800rmb and will take a week or so to get here, then it'll be as good as new minus the scratches.

Glad you're OK! Being affectionate is cool but I guess better not try hugging cars...

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Originally Posted by DipStick

Glad you're OK! Being affectionate is cool but I guess better not try hugging cars...

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Indeed; especially moving ones!

Good news and praise to the YBR 250:
As I said before, I was able to ride the bike away from the crash even though it wasn't that comfortable. It's a tough bike.
I finally went to get it fixed up this afternoon and I'm very glad to say that after some very simple repairs it's running as well as it ever has. I gave it a good 15km ride around the city this afternoon, getting it up to about 100kph without any vibrations or ominous sounds... so far.

Mechanic friends helped me take the handlebar of and bend it back into shape. I was looking to buy a new one but after they fixed the old one I felt pretty damn happy with it. Can't really see any difference from before.
The clutch lever was in shape but the brake lever wasn't. They tried to bend it back into shape and then re-installed it but during the ride home I just wasn't happy with the feel of it so I swapped it for one of the spares I keep in the house.

All in all, the only thing that I have replaced is the brake lever.
I have a new forward display on the way; it should arrive on Sunday before the holiday hits. Until then I'm riding with only a key and a headlight in-front of me and to be honest it feels pretty great!:riding:
No speedo, tacho, clock, fuel gauge, indicators or odometer. It's like going without a mobile phone. Sacrifice of comforts for the feeling of freedom.

P.s. I thought that the forks were going to need work but I can barely notice any part of them that looks bent and it's still a very comfortable ride. I'll keep riding it and see what happens.

The scratches are visible but only aesthetic. I'll take some photos later and stick the up here.

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Originally Posted by soberpete

P.s. I thought that the forks were going to need work but I can barely notice any part of them that looks bent and it's still a very comfortable ride. I'll keep riding it and see what happens.

The scratches are visible but only aesthetic. I'll take some photos later and stick the up here.

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I'd drop the forks down a bit in the triple clamps and run your finger along them to feel for any irregularities.

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Originally Posted by soberpete

The scratches are visible but only aesthetic. I'll take some photos later and stick the up here.

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Getting a bike painted here is fairly cheap, I just got a bike repainted completely for 600. Awesome job and cannot see any of the rather severe scratches it had on the tank. Also replaced all the stickers. Just make sure you stick to the original colour for when you get the bike inspected next time.