Follow Along: 600rr to California

Dr.Manhattan said:
I was going to ask you since you did such a decent trek on a number of decent roads how bad the drivers were in comparison to ours. I guess this pretty much sums up an answer though. Ain't nothing like driving on the Death Valley Parkway or the treacherous 401. Glad you made it home safe though mate.
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Drivers were very well mannered outside of the city. I was pretty happy to see a line of cars and trucks in the right lane, keeping the left lane open last night in Illinois. If you get back into the city, its just like driving in Toronto. Slightly better though.

In California, when I was approaching the red light, a lot of cars would move out of the way for you to get up front. I didnt lane split much just because I wasnt comfortable with riding between the cars moving at variable speeds. Although there was once on the highway where there was a left lane bandit holding up the 2 lanes...the 2 cars that were traveling at the same speed in front of me (both behind the left lane bandit) made room for me to split through but I was hesitant and didnt do it because you're really not supposed to at those speeds. But a few minutes later, I got frustrated and split between the 2 cars since they were basically inviting me to. I returned the favour by signaling the left lane bandit to move over to the right which she promptly did.

When I got back into Ontario, the first car I saw was camping in the left lane with no other car in sight...figures.
 
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Metastable said:
Welcome back dude!

You went for a trip.... you got an adventure. :D
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I got wayy more than I bargained for on this trip. Whether it was good or bad. Had a lot of bad luck turn into something good as well.
 
djez said:
Welcome back Toronto, I need info from your trip for my trip out west before August this year.Ill treat you for PHO :)
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Sounds like a plan :D
 
Wheelieboy said:
Will do! I have a lot of it written down, I just havent published it yet.
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That's the whole reason I started my blog. I found myself with years and years of photos, and I was starting to forget the details over the winter.

Thanks for bringing us along on your trip, it really was quite the adventure at times.
 
Wheelieboy said:
So anyways, the story is...

I was on an offramp to a connecting highway which split into the 2 different directions (East/West?). I was going left and the person in front was going right...so I thought. He changed his mind last minute as I was alongside his quarter panel. He nudged my arm forward so the bike started leaning right and I was fighting to keep it straight. When my arm slipped off his quarter panel, the handlebars went in the opposite direction really fast and I ended up highsiding, going through the chevron, and landed in a pile of mud. A cop was pretty much 2 minutes behind and helped me up. He was a city cop so it wasnt his jurisdiction so called for the county cops. They county cops came and I told them not to write an accident report because Ontario screws you over with hit and runs so he just recorded it as a citizen assist instead of a motor vehicle accident.

I ended up duct taping my busted mirror to my handlebar and went on my way.
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I assumed if the cop was on your side and wrote it as if you were hit and the other vehicle ran the insurance would automatically give you a no fault accident. I've had a friend in the same situation (in cars) on the highway when someone hit them and they veered off the highway. Insurance sided with them even when there was no other party to blame. Maybe someone on the board who works in the insurance industry can confirm this.

btw was the 12k km on the stock seat or did you opt for a more comfortable seat?
 
Generally in a hit and run situation, with no witnesses and no "other driver", the cops are bound to write it up as a single vehicle accident. Basically he'd have been written up as if he "left roadway in unsafe manner". Cop did him a favour writing it up the way he did.....still sucks though. Too bad nobody else on the freeway pulled over to witness.

Glad you were okay!!
 
Welcome back and great job posting all the pictures/video's! Your trip was truly an epic adventure and thanks for sharing it!
 
omnivore said:
Generally in a hit and run situation, with no witnesses and no "other driver", the cops are bound to write it up as a single vehicle accident. Basically he'd have been written up as if he "left roadway in unsafe manner". Cop did him a favour writing it up the way he did.....still sucks though. Too bad nobody else on the freeway pulled over to witness.

Glad you were okay!!
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ah ok. I wonder if his Contour caught the accident and then that should be enough for the insurance companies.
 
omnivore said:
Generally in a hit and run situation, with no witnesses and no "other driver", the cops are bound to write it up as a single vehicle accident. Basically he'd have been written up as if he "left roadway in unsafe manner". Cop did him a favour writing it up the way he did.....still sucks though. Too bad nobody else on the freeway pulled over to witness.

Glad you were okay!!
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I'm glad I did a lot of research on this topic over the years. After all my expenses, I did NOT want to have an at fault accident on my record.
 
Just spent the past hour reading through this thread, great road trip, and great blog. Trust me on this, the trips that suck while you're doing them end up being the most memorable. Things are just boring if everything goes to plan. For instance, I remember very clearly getting my car stuck up some deserted goat path in West Virginia and spending all day trying to get a tow truck to get it out, including the first one almost crashing, there was also the time my clutch blew up on the Cherohala Skyway and the local hillbilly mechanic jerry rigged a couple clutch plates to get me on the road.

I did a very similar route last year (http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforu...would-you-go&p=1410637&viewfull=1#post1410637) and stopped at many of the same places, except I didn't have time to go west of Colorado/New Mexico. On my ride, the winds across South Dakota were absolutely terrible as well, makes me wonder if there is ever a time when it's not windy. I remember dreading everytime I would pass a tractor trailer as the gust of wind would near tear me off the bike.

Once again, great job.

Edit: As for the tickets, I personally wouldn't worry too much about them as long as they're not from Michigan or New York. I have accumulated many many speeding tickets across the eastern states that I have never paid and never heard a squeek about, including getting two tickets in a one month span in New Hampshire followed by a suspended license letter from New Hampshire, now I just stay out of New Hampshire, and take it easy in the states that I've received a ticket in. Just don't speed too much as some states consider it reckless driving, similar to our 50km.h over, for instance I was kindly informed in Virgina that 25mph over is considered reckless driving and includes a nice trip to the local jail, I was doing 23mph if I remember right.
 
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Wheelieboy said:
It was on my stock cardboard seat
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Would you do it again on that seat? Would you mod anything on your bike for the next one?

What worked, what didn't with your equipment. clothing etc?

@regder - Nice Ride Report! Thanks for sharing.
 
Awesome Trip. Thanks for taking the time and posting pictures and telling stories
i had fun following your trip!
Cant wait to do it myself
 
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