Crashes/offs

[Nooj]

Only two so far.

1. Not long after passing my DAS I failed to get round a corner, saw a car coming, panic-braked and shot off the road resulting in a broken back. Burst T-12 vertebra from going over the bars, flying down a bank and landing on my arse. Was only doing about 50mph, but had been taught NOT to counter-steer by my instructor, so couldn't corner properly >

2. Later that year I got knocked off when filtering round a gridlocked roundabout which suddenly cleared as I was trying to exit it, got bounced off the side of a car that suddenly appeared next to me.

[oliciv]

Knocked off my VFR last year filtering in to Bath. Car pulled out in front of me, I braked, the rider behind me didn't. Both bikes went down.

His insurance admitted liability and the bike was repaired.

3 weeks after picking it up, fully repaired, from Chippenham Motorcycles, a van driver thought his sat nav was more important than looking at me or giving way on the roundabout on Bradley Road and County Way in Trowbridge. Bike written off, and my first ride in an ambulance.

[Jon_W]

Two major offs.

Lovely sunny day coming down the wye valley on the way home from a SOC meet in Ludlow. Pitched the Sv into a LH corner hit some gravel and ended up in the bank on the opposite side of the road. Bike lost it's crash bung and seriously damaged one fairing panel. Got home with the bike jammed in one gear.... and set to repairing it. Took 6 months for Dream Machine to get the panel (they made originally) correct.

About 5 years ago. Left work at 6pm in in the dark, accelerated up to 30 and suddenly saw a labrador infront of me. Hit it straight up the rear, went down. I was fine (bar a sore left ankle where the bike landed on me), the bike sustained a broken mudguard, indicator, lever, headlight and switches. The owners admitted responcibility at once, but a witness called the police. She turned out to be an off duty copper who duely made her report, both myself and the dog owner agreed wit her, but the copper still insisted on breathalysing me, seeing my lisence and accusing me of speeding!! Lacking evidence he let me go with a "go careful".
The owner of the dog was gret. She gave me some money for the repairs, but the dog who had just been rescued from a puppy farm (was a breeding animal) and was on the way to the vet, had to be put down due to a broken pelvis.

[Trev]

Here's my admissions of guilt, no one to blame but myself and the way I used to ride. Thankfully I've matured somewhat and not had the misfortune of someone else causing me an 'off'
Ignoring the numerous green laning and proddy racing spills (a couple worth mentioning) and 'minor' moped mayhem drops this is the pick:
a) rounding a blind bend on a country lane I knew well, attempting to retain every last mph I'd buiilt up on my AP50, a car pulled out in front of me from a farm track. Thought I'd saved it by swerving, missing the car and bumping along the verge until front wheel dropped into a drainage ditch and I hurtled over the bars. Poor lady driver was in tears thinking I was seriously injured as doubled up in pain moaning - just pride, moped and gonads damaged ;D Didn't take much to get the bike back together but my Dad did make me write to lady to apologise - he was right!
b) hooning along with my mate on the back coming home from work one night I overtook a long line of cars but couldn't make the bend at about 70mph as pegs dug in due to extra weight (+ dodgy X7 handling and my lack of restraint). We leapt of a high bank, me and mate flew about 60 yards and down into a very high gorse thicket. Thankfully the gorse cushioned our (very hard) landing but plenty of cuts, scratches, bruises and blood. Bike flew another 50 yards and smashed down onto the connecting road, absolutely trashed. Had to ride my mum's C70 to work for a month, two up while X7 rebuilt including frame striaghtened - saved some on fuel though to put towards repairs
c) proddy racing racing X7's & LC's I had a few get offs, best was a huge slide in the rain through the muddy outfield, back went out at about 80pmh and bike and I seemed to slide forwever. I was wearing borrowed leathers and took ages to get the mud off 'em
d) always tried to have a road bike and a trailee and at same time as a LC's I had a trusty DT175MX. I 'mastered' the art of getting the front up in second then keeping it up as I went through the gears. Inevitably I overcooked it when showing off outside a pub to a packed beer garden of bikers - bike flipped at about 40, I did a quick prayer to Mecca and seemed to leap up almost as soon as my knees and hands had touched the ground. Bike teetered down the road before veering away from the line of parked cars and into the local village hall. Brand new pair of Levi's and motocross gloves trashed not to mention matching scabby knees and a bill for the village hall front door - wot a nob
e) fast forward 20 years with only a few mild green lane drops and my nephew got his first 'crosser a KX65. Uncle Trev offered to show him how to ride off road, another show wheely in a field of long grass, as the front came down just had time to see the hidden stump before I was over the bars, landed on my head and bent my neck so bad I swear I hit my nose on my chest - bloody painful and still have the dodgy neck to this day. Nephew is now on a 250 and I'm not allowed near it
f) one of the most painful was also my slowest and not even an 'off'. Hadn't had my Gixer11 long before I got it fully serviced and carbs set up properly. It had always ran rich and consequently could be ridden away with only minimal warming up, after the service I flipped the choke off after 20 seconds or so, it setteeld down to a decent tickover but as I pulled out of the bike store drive, up a slight incline, it stalled. I instinctively stuck my leg out and pushed the beast up from almost on the deck, felt a huge 'pop' in my thigh as I did so. Rode home the few miles in agony and when I stopped couldn't lift my leg from the peg. Hospital visit revealed very badly torn hamstrings (something I never achieved in 20 years of footie) and meant a week of being driven to work - bloody killer K
Hope they raised a chuckle and caution some against riding like a prat, I did learn in the end

[mick_benson]

I've has some very close calls, been hit by a car but stayed on, ended up on a dirt track after taking a turn way to fast but again stayed on and last week with mud on road ended up over the pavment and grass verge but still stayed on, not bad for 20 years ;D ;D

[SupeRDel]

Here's my admissions of guilt, no one to blame but myself ---------Hope they raised a chuckle and caution some against riding like a prat, I did learn in the end

Yes it did and I would like to use it in the Aircooled RD club mag.

Got any old pictures from the story day??

[Tobias5571]

Well i have a Not to bad history considering

My first crash was when i was young and was on my moped! got hit by a car doing 70mph in a 30!!!!!! as i pulled out from a junction, ghostied the bike so was standing on 2 feet ducked and put my arms around my head as her front bumper hit me.
I flew quite a way down the road my right for-arm bone popped out my elbow and a broke my left leg. her car was totalled and snapped every engine mount except 1, so engine was sat on floor! later found out she was my grandperants next door neighber lol!

Second was on SV in warminster in wet, had a low mph spill on a roundabout.

The last one was 8th October 2011 going to warminster from westbury, was going a little to fast over the brow of a hill because i was so comfertable wit the road. knowing the front wheel would lift i was quite happy to keep the power on! All was going well untill i hit some **** and back wheel unsteadied... So in fight or flight i decided on flight! jumped off the bike and landed on my 2 feet flat went straight to knees then face straight on the floor. thats all i really remeber. was told i got up and walked 20 metres to a verge, took jacket and helmet off and was in and out of consiosness till ambulance came! i ended up a little beaten but all ok. Right ankel broken, left heel broken, left knee broken and the part between the bridge of your nose and your skull had a fracture or somthing........ was walking after 2 weeks so all is ok.

I definitly "Learned my lesson" of becoming tooooo familiar with roads.


(needs to be updated alot but i will try in next few days) http://www.svrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150969

[Wes]

Going into a roundabout looking for a bit of a scratch and got one literally paint spilled on the road which had now dried provided less than required levels of grip and i lowsided, luckily i stayed with the bike until near enough the stop, ground off my ankle slider and the leathers went through to the armour on my forearm, but i was ok. Took a bit longer to get the bike back in one piece than i would have liked, but i got there in the end, complete with crash bungs now fitted.