Finally happened

[taxfree4]

Was out riding my 2013 F6B last week. Broad daylight and I'm sitting at a stoplight behind 6 cars when BLAM, a car hits me from behind. The bikes rear end goes left and the front goes right, and I'm sliding down the road on the right side for about 15 feet. Got banged up on my left leg where the footpeg hit me and my right shoulder got stretched trying to keep the bike from going down.
I have a Wig Wag brake light and a Federal Signal LED Flasher on the back so people can see me. Didn't do any good with this 83 year old woman driving home from visiting her husband in the nursing home.
Witnesses say that she was doing 20 MPH when she hit me. The bike had its left rear saddlebag destroyed and the battery cover busted up. The bike is laying on its right side when the cops ask if I want a flatbed to haul it. I ask them to stand it up to see what else is damaged. We were all amazed to see the right side didn't even have a scratch, even after sliding down the road on the crash bars. The crash bars are scratched of course but nothing else touched the ground. AMAZING!
Anyway, the bike started up without any trouble and even all the rear lights and signals still worked. I had some bungee cords, so I gathered up the saddlebag parts and lid and bungeed them on the bike. Actually road it home. Dropped the bike at the dealers a couple of day later to see what the damage is.
Now I am waiting to see if the frame or swing arm is bent. If it is, the dealer said it would be a total loss. I really love this bike and am hoping that the only damage is tupperware.
I am very lucky to be able to walk away from this accident but I'm hoping my bike is just as lucky. I only have 24,000 miles on her.
Will let you know how this ends.......

I know the feeling, personally, thankfully because of the beefiness of this bike it took a lot of the brunt of the impact. At least you were able to ride it home. Typical defense of the driver that hit you in the rear is "He cut in front of me at the last minute" but hopefully she will have some integrity. Hope all works out and they can patch up your baby and as long as you are OK.

[OlyF6B]

Hope you're OK. I was "slightly" rear-ended in a parking lot -- with the young man's car only moving about 5 mph -- and the "hit" caused a Meniscus Tear of right knee... requiring surgery and almost a year of recovery so I could walk w/o pain or limp. The fixing of the bike only took a couple of weeks... it is stout indeed. Our bodies not so much... please get checked out thoroughly!

[VStarRider]

Glad you are ok. My MC accident involved an elderly driver as well, though not entirely his fault. Get better soon.

[Ewreck]

Riding in a perfect environment is still a coin flip in today’s 30 second attention span world. Glad to hear you drove away from it. Most aren’t so lucky.

[VStarRider]

I watch MCRider videos and he gave some interesting advice when waiting at a stoplight with traffic approaching from behind. He says to leave the bike in 1st, pull up to vehicle in front of you at an angle that provides an escape route to the shoulder or to the left. Positioning yourself this way also increases the bike's visibility. I have been doing this since I heard this advice in one of his videos.

[Radical Taz]

Glad you are ok.
This is just another example for the need of DL retesting after a certain age.

[taxfree4]

I watch MCRider videos and he gave some interesting advice when waiting at a stoplight with traffic approaching from behind. He says to leave the bike in 1st, pull up to vehicle in front of you at an angle that provides an escape route to the shoulder or to the left. Positioning yourself this way also increases the bike's visibility. I have been doing this since I heard this advice in one of his videos.

That may be to your detriment, the vehicle stopped in front of you, and the front of your bike, actually acts as a crunch zone, like in my case. Angling to either side may push you, when hit from behind, into traffic pulling up to that light on either side, or in my case, an HOV lane which would have crushed me.

[VStarRider]

That may be to your detriment, the vehicle stopped in front of you, and the front of your bike, actually acts as a crunch zone, like in my case. Angling to either side may push you, when hit from behind, into traffic pulling up to that light on either side, or in my case, an HOV lane which would have crushed me.

Point taken. I always point the bike towards the shoulder. I have to be careful because too much of an angle to the car in front of me results in being unable to use the mirrors to monitor traffic coming up from behind. I do remember watching your accident video on YouTube.

[grendl]

I watch MCRider videos and he gave some interesting advice when waiting at a stoplight with traffic approaching from behind. He says to leave the bike in 1st, pull up to vehicle in front of you at an angle that provides an escape route to the shoulder or to the left. Positioning yourself this way also increases the bike's visibility. I have been doing this since I heard this advice in one of his videos.

I have done this practice for quite a few years now.I stay to one side of the lane or other,first gear and watching until a car or two is stopped behind me. It saved me from being rear ended as I spotted the truck coming in too fast while I was stopped behind cars at a red light. Caught him just in time to be able to scoot between the cars. He hit the car that was in front of me.Drunk got out saying how sorry he was. I decided it best I just leave ..Be careful out there and I'm glad you are not too badly hurt and hope your bike can be repaired or replaced easily..

[DarkKnt]

I have a mod that initially flashes the brake light a few times upon applying the brakes. I've gotten in the habit of applying the brakes off and on repeatedly if I'm sitting still in traffic. I figure the repeated flashing may stand out to an otherwise brain dead commuter coming up behind me... just habit now.