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[smkymtnboy]

  How long you been riding and how many times you been down? trying to see what the odds are so i can be ready. thought this might be interesting to see likely causes if enough riders comment about what caused them to go down. after all there are a lot of people from all locations who visit this site. maybe some conclusions can be reached to help all of us to keep upright. let us know if  is involved!

[Chains]

Been riding for 50 years, went down once real bad alcohol related at the tender age of 18,  262 stitches.  I do not recommend drinking and driving.

[JCZ]

Been riding all my life and been down three times on the street (dirt doesn't count).  All three times in the past fifteen years or so. 

The first time, a three lane freeway and bumper to bumper traffic.  I was in the fast lane doing about 35 mph.  The two lanes to my right were totally stopped (it's normal in Calif. on a Friday afternoon).  All of a sudden a lady pulled from the next lane right in front of me......I locked em up and nearly made it to a complete stop at her back bumper when the high side flipped me to the ground.  Bruised and banged up but I rode it home.

Second time....doing approx. 50 mph down a four lane road with a turn lane in the middle (five lanes) a car came out of a driveway on my right and drove right into my front end, just missing my leg.  Broken coller bone from the ape hangers as I flew over his car.....went home from the hospital the same night.

Third time.....during rush hour in San Francisco.  The witnessess said I was going with the flow of traffic (although I had been lane splitting and weaving in and out as the two lanes of traffic would allow) I slammed right into the righ rear of a van.  Two months in the hospital, ten surgeries later, a very long time in a wheelchair, etc. I now have titanium in my right jaw, right upper arm, right hip (all three pieces are titanium) and right leg just below my knee.   No, I didn't get cited on this (or any others) although I feel like this one was preventable and therefore, my fault!  Riding a motorcycle will give you a false sense of security when riding to the left or right rear of the vehicle in front of you......especially at slow speed (25-30 mph).  The truth of the matter is.....your reaction time (even if you do see the danger the fraction of a second it happens) is the same, no matter what speed you're going.  Especially on a bike.......leave yourself plenty of space between you and the car in front or be damn sure you have an out at all times.

[dlaws01]

Riding since 16, 51 now. Been down once on the street in CA but the worst I got hurt was climbing hills on dirt bikes.

[kraut]

been riding 5 years as a youth and 12 more years lately. Went down twice. 11 years ago when I found sand on a 180 degrees exit ramp, no real harm done, except some scratches on my leathers. Second time 9 years ago in rush hour as a car driver didn't look back before changing lanes, no real harm again, just a bent engine guard. But add up some 20 or so near misses, 50 % for debris on roads (a real problem in Eastern Europe, oil, sand and the like all over the roads) an 50 % for uncaring car drivers (u-turning, changing lanes, drifting in turns).

[SEgle]

Riding for 20 years, never down (touch wood).

Though fractured 12 bones in foot last year in the dirt. "remember kiddies allways wear good boots"

[Gank]

Been riding since I was 18... today I am 50.

I have never gone down on a bike... the wife... well thats a different story

[willyB]

Been riding on the street for 20 + years and my scooters have only touch the ground twice. Once I dropped it in a driveway doing zero. (Good thing, too much drinking). An the othre time I dropped it doing zero because I put my right foot in a 10" deep pothole.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, knocked on wood, lift my feet while going over railroad tracks and any other thing I can think to do. But the most important thing to do is to remember to ride like nobody even knows you're there.

[mjb765]

Been riding on the street for 20 + years and my scooters have only touch the ground twice. Once I dropped it in a driveway doing zero. (Good thing, too much drinking). An the othre time I dropped it doing zero because I put my right foot in a 10" deep pothole.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, knocked on wood, lift my feet while going over railroad tracks and any other thing I can think to do. But the most important thing to do is to remember to ride like nobody even knows you're there.

That was the problem the one and only time in 25 years that I have been down. Lady changed lanes right into me and pushed me towards the left..anyway long story short, handlebars hit the guy next me and locked and I went down--30mph. Lucky it was just a few scapes and bruises and the bike rode home. The bike still had the stock exhaust on it and I am convinced if I had put louder mufflers on it she would have at least heard me next to her.

[JCZ]

That was the problem the one and only time in 25 years that I have been down. Lady changed lanes right into me and pushed me towards the left..anyway long story short, handlebars hit the guy next me and locked and I went down--30mph. Lucky it was just a few scapes and bruises and the bike rode home. The bike still had the stock exhaust on it and I am convinced if I had put louder mufflers on it she would have at least heard me next to her.

Nope......we checked.  Besides being blind, she's deaf also.

[rbaker]

Riding since 1957...54 years. Down 3 times and all were not alcohol related, just freak accidents.

1966: went over a bump in road, passenger thought she might fall off so she grabbed my right arm (instead of squeezing legs together) this caused a wheelie and then down we went. Off work 3 months due to Tachometer drive going through right ankle.
 
1976: Hollywood freeway, the wind blew swarm of bees into the fast lane, put my head down below the sleeping bag on my handlebars and was looking at the white line to my left so I could slow and stop in a straight line as I pulled off the freeway, then the bees went into the next lane and into the station wagon that swerved and rear ended me. I stayed on the 74 FX until they stopped. Rear of bike stuck inside his grill. Bike totaled, no injuries.

2004: Riding in mountains going into curve with Highway sign saying " Caution rock slide area " and they were right, dodged all of them except the very last, football sized one, it bent both rims as I hit it and went over it. the innertube in the front rim did not blow, but I was on my way over the handlebars and I grabbed the gas tank with my feet and got it stopped.  New rims and new shorts.


Ride Safe Always.

Richard

 
 

[Keats]

Riding on and off last 30+ years

went down once hard

Head on a cage that made a left turn in front of me.

No time to even hit the brakes. (I was doing about 50 and accelerating)

put me over the car and her head went through the windshield.

The only thing that saved my life (other than my helmet) was the fact that I did not hit anything stationary (front wheel planted in the grill and the bike turned into a trebuchet and I cleared the car), just bounced down the road 100'.

A lessor speed may have killed me....

I did not think I would ever stop.

road rash was the worst, pebbles embedded in my back and you do not want to know how they handle that issue!

[ice6900]

rode for 7 or so years from the age of 15years, no accidents that I can remember..

took a break to raise a family, got back riding about the age of 38, am 52now, 2 accidents so far,
1) riding up hill coming around a bend (at about 30mph) which had a blind left hand side road with an angled mirror for the vehicles exiting to SEE vehicles coming up the hill, a car pulled out of the side road, my front wheel hit the cars front wheel, I somersaulted over my handle bars did a perfect 360° head over heals, flew over the car completely and landed on my feet running up the the hill, turned round swearing my ass off at the s.o.b, ....only damaged an indicator glass on my bike.

2) on the French Paege motorway, I had been speeding a tad but decided to pull into the slower lane between traffic, as I was just about completing this manouver I suddenly realialised that the car in front for no apparent reason was breaking heavily (he was an old sucker, fell asleep I think and woke up again), I had no-where to go as there was armco on the nearside with no hard shoulder, I braked as hard as i could but the back wheel locked up, its was a slow motion moment I am gonna hit him, no Im not, I am gonna hit him, no Im not....... well my front wheel hit the rear fender every so lightly (which he didnt even feel) because of the angle of my bike and the momentum of 90kmh we went down, I was riding along the motorway lying down on the side of my bike which was on its side sliding along, the bike bucked I was thrown in front of it and was sliding along in front of the bike until we both came to rest, the people in the car behind me were also breaking hard and managed to stop safely with out running me or the bike over, the front passenger of the car commented that I had no chance of avoiding the accident, they also didnt know why the car in front had braked so suddenly and so hard. Apparently I got up walked back to my bike and kicked it, to the amusement of the people in the car behind. My right wrist and my left ankle were a bit sore, but cus of the adrenalin didnt give me to much cause for concern. With some help I tried to get the Dyna Low-rider upright, when I straighted the front forks a fountain of petrol started to flow out forwards, I turned the forks back which stemmed the flow, put the bike on its side stand, realised that a fastening bolt from the detachable screen had pierced the tank, I found a stick from a small tree about the correct diameter, somebody straightened the handle bar and I rammed in the twig into the whole in the tank, leak sorted.  An ambulance and police arrived, they wanted to take me to hospital but I wasnt having it. I was limping abit by now, my gloves and the elbow of my winter riding jacket was worn through the protectors and my elbow had a lil road rash. My Harley boots with a buckle on the side were also worn through but I thought i only had mild burns on the inside ankle. I could still move my wrist but it was sore. I wanted to ride my bike home (only 800km) and catch my ferry, but the Police wouldnt allow it cus of the damaged tank and the gear change pedal had snapped off. They called a breakdown truck, I was given a Hire car from the insurance company to complete my journey home, I could leave the car at the ferry terminal. The following morning when I arrived at the home ferry port I was taken by friends to the accident and emergency dept, xrayed, I had a broken wrist, but had driven a gear shift car 800km.

[MY2NDCVO]

Been riding Motorcross since I was 9yrs old, never been without a Harley since I was 17, been down plenty of times in the Dirt.
Now 50,
Never Been Down in the street, some close calls though over the yrs.

[jamnflhxse2]

I have been riding since I was 14 I am now 41 I have only been down once on the street (Black Ice) on the way to the toy's for tot's! $11,000 in damage to my old 2002 Ultra. Not a scratch on me!