Formation Riding

[varmint]

Multi-motorycle wreck on I-5 south of Portland

06:50 PM PDT on Friday, September 18, 2009
KGW. com & NWCN.com Staff


Sky 8
20 motorcycles were involved in a crash on I-5.
WILSONVILLE -- At least 10 motorcycles in a group of 26 motorcycles crashed on I-5 northbound about 2 miles south of Wilsonville Friday afternoon, according to the Oregon State Police. The crash also involved two passenger vehicles.

Apparently the group of motorcyclists were following a passenger vehicle when traffic ahead began slowing. The car and motorcyclists all tried to slow but collided with one another. A vehicle in the middle northbound lane was reportedly struck by one of the motorcycles.

Two of the motorcyclists were reported to be critically injured and transported by Life Flight.

At least eight others were also hurt and transported by ground ambulance to area hospitals, according to Oregon State Police. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue reported that one Lifeflight helicopter has been dispatched.

They are members of the Brother Speed motorcycle club, said Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings.

All northbound lanes were closed until 4 p.m., where traffic was backed up 5 miles. Southbound lanes were also very slow.

http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_091809ORN-motorcycle-wreck-KS.192a36754.html

[Guest24]

Looks like a Harley parade. Figures. I heard of this happening before right here on the back roads of Georgia. For the most part sport bike riders shy away for parade type riding. I think we tend to be more comfortable in small packs 5 or less and in those small groups we like folks of similar skill level.. Close side-by-side or very close staggered riding doesn't allow those in the pack to look in the distance enough see oncomming problems.

[bradzdotcom]

amazing how so many people can simultaneously NOT pay attention.
i could see maybe 1 or 2 getting caught out in a coma....but "at least 10" hit the ground?
sounds more like bowling for dollars than riding for fun.

[cageyar]

The only thing worse than a Harley parade is a Gold Wing parade.
One year, on our way to Montreal for the F1 GP, my wife and I are carving up RT. 30 through the Adirondack's at a pretty good clip and we run into the back of a 100 Gold Wing rider parade doing 25 MPH, side by side.
Twisty road, no place to pass, can't see how many there are so we had to start weaving though them. We're trying to be polite about it but they're beeping horns, yelling. Finally, after getting to the front, here's the leader riding his bike with his right hand and holding a full size American flag on a 5 foot flag pole in his left hand and shoulder. Geez! I like the flag as much as anybody, but come on.
About 10 miles ahead, I needed gas-you never saw a faster gas stop-didn't want to get stuck behind the herd again.

[TandemGeek]

Hmmm.... According-effect crash behind the first two riders: can you say "reaction time / following too closely"? If memory serves, when motorcycle clubs travel in a pack there is rarely any buffer space between the bikes... a recipe for disaster if a sudden stop begins at the front of the pack because there's not enough time for the trailing riders to (a) recognize the threat, (b) take action and (b) actually come to a stop before hitting the bike ahead.

In these situations the closest-following bikes are the ones who have the best chance of 'seeing' what's happening and having enough reaction time to take evasive actions. However, every following rider has less information and less time to react, hence the according effect of accidents. You can see it in reverse at every stop light as you see the tightly packed line of parked cars string out... see, react and then action follows.

You can also see the same thing play itself out in professional bike races where helicopter shots will show how the tightly packed bicycles are always decimated when anything happens that upsets the flow up ahead.

Of course, then there's irony... from the same article cited above:

The bikers were heading north to take part in the Portland chapter's annual birthday bash and a weekend demolition derby, according to one law enforcement official.

[geothepencil]

How about a 50 scooter + Cushman group ride ? It was a good use of the road and quite a collection of crusty characters, perhaps even more so than our membership here. Of course some of them even had tuned pipes.

geo

[varmint]

i've seen patch wearing types in formation at 80-90mph. riding so close their ape hangers are almost touching. any sort of problem and the reaction time/reflexes of a coked up meerkat won't save you. always amazed that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.

[pwillikers]

[Guest24]

Originally Posted by TandemGeek

...You can also see the same thing play itself out in professional bike races where helicopter shots will show how the tightly packed bicycles are always decimated when anything happens that upsets the flow up ahead.

Of course, then there's irony... from the same article cited above:

That's exactly what happend to Hopper in WSBK. He winds up getting his head run over.

[1100s nut]

Its cool man!! No, not really...its stupid. If you try to avoid something you take out your friends. I also call it a self-induced rolling traffic jam. Its just bad a$$ dude. ha ha

Lane

[PFFOG]

I prefer a 3 second minimum between riders, if running spirited, 5 seconds is better.

And you have to remember using rear brake only on 1000 lbs of bike and rider, it probably was not reaction time, but just plain physics. A car hitting the brakes hard with 4 wheels planted will stop in 1/2 the distance the milti-segment bus.

[SergioK]

Someone posted a third person perspective of this crash several years ago... can't find the original...

[R111S]

2 critically injured in I-5 motorcycle pileup are Idaho men

11:07 AM PDT on Saturday, September 19, 2009

By MICHAEL ROLLINS, Kgw.com

WILSONVILLE -- Oregon State Police identified two men critically injured in a massive pileup of motorcycles as Herbert Sinclair of Heyburn, Idaho and David Bowyer of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

The two men, ages unavailable, were in a group of about 26 motorcycles headed north on Interstate 5 south of Wilsonville, in a column formation in the left lane. Traffic came to a stop. The two lead bikes were able to avoid an SUV in front, but the remainder of the group crashed either into that vehicle or into each other, police said.

They are members of the Brother Speed motorcycle club, said Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings. They were enroute to Portland for a club event.

On the Brother Speed website, it's self-described as "a club that is serious about brotherhood, respect, riding fast and building Choppers." The Portland chapter was chartered in 1970.

Sinclair and Bowyer, were taken to Portland-area trauma hospital by Lifeflight. Eight others were also hurt, according to Oregon State Police. Injuries included shoulder and hip damage and broken bones. All were taken to from the wreck by ambulance. Two others were treated at the scene and refused an ambulance ride.

Watch videos of Brother Speed rides on their website.

"When we arrived on scene," said Capt. Mike Towner of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, "it was ordered mayhem. There were almost two dozen motorcycles scattered across the freeway, and firefighters from Aurora and Canby providing medical care to injured bikers, as non-injured bikers tried to assist."

At 4:30 p.m., traffic was backed up five miles in northbound lanes but one lane was finally opened. By 6 p.m., all lanes were reopened. Travel information is available at tripcheck.com.

[johnvalls]

the story gets better -- I rode yesterday w/ a small group, including a cop who was down there;
the "gang" (apparently a well known harley gang, go figure!) was cruising up I5, using al 3 lanes, not letting anyone around or through. Finally a lady in a SUV (of course, right? never a sedan, sports car, etc) finally getup the cojones to pass up the gutter & get in front of the group when she gave them a massive break check !! Apparently, the Gang hadn't read their riding manual in a while and weren't covering their brakes all too well.
And boy did they suffer for it. Luckily, cops nor the harley guys got up off the pavement in time to track down the elusive SUV...

[bradzdotcom]

i think i've met her.

[tim22]

Originally Posted by R111S

...On the Brother Speed website, it's self-described as "a club that is serious about brotherhood, respect, riding fast and building Choppers." The Portland chapter was chartered in 1970...

What the heck, I'll pile on...

I don't think "Choppers" and "riding fast" are a very good mix. Can you imagine stuffing one of those things into a corner or braking hard? I guess that's where I draw the line--you're taking a chance just riding a motorcycle in the first place, then you worsen your odds by chopping that thing out and raising the handlebars.

Guess I sound like an old lady, but when I see guys on those things I wonder how they can avoid anything sudden.

[cageyar]

Originally Posted by tim22

Can you imagine stuffing one of those things into a corner or braking hard?

No because it's not possible. The problem is, they can't imagine it so they try.

Originally Posted by tim22

.....when I see guys on those things I wonder how they can avoid anything sudden.

They can't-that's why the above statement by them is.....ridiculous

[chewie]

Originally Posted by SergioK

Someone posted a third person perspective of this crash several years ago... can't find the original...

yikes, do I see a couple of people knocked out there? not good!

what 's with the rider that keeps going over on the left there? were they the pillion that suddenly became the rider?? it doesn't look like they know how to stop the bike, almost like the throttle is jammed - weird!

[TandemGeek]

Originally Posted by johnvalls

Luckily, cops nor the harley guys got up off the pavement in time to track down the elusive SUV...

Just doing some due-diligence here... looking for facts not holding court.

Photo strip here or below: http://www.salem-news.com/gphotos/1253391367.jpg

Were there two SUVs where one SUV got in front of another one and did the alleged brake-check before leaving the scene? I only ask becasue there's clearly a grey Toyota 4Runner sitting in this photo series and that has appeared in others with rear-end damage right at the head of all the skid marks... in fact, in one photo (perhaps it was video) there was still a bike stuck up under the rear bumper and it appears as though the driver was sitting in the 4Runner with the driver's side door open. There was also a report of a 2nd SUV having been involved that was along side the bikes when the accident occurred and that was hit in the side.

Also, as for the "choppers", I'm not seeing the sterotypical 'biker-bikes' in most of the photos. Lots of of the bigger baggers and 'Glides'.... but no ape hangers or choppers that jump right out at me.



Again, not saying... just saying.

[PFFOG]

But, lots of rear tire skid marks............