Taking A Fall

Had a fall last night, I blame the whiskey.

 

3. Whiskey

 

Came off three times:

First time, when still a learner and I was filtering on the outside of static traffic, when one knobhead decided to suddenly turn right into a no entry side street, I dropped the bike and slide on my arse and had to push myself off the side of his car to prevent myself going under his wheels

Second time, going past a parked bus, and some twat ran out from behind the bus straight in front of me, I thankfully avoided the twat, but ended up on the pavement with the bike on top of me

Third time, going around a bend at hardly any speed in a town center and didn't see a diesel spill right on the bend

The first two you learn to expect and avoid, and the third you can also learn to see/avoid but always can be an unexpected hazzard.

 

My off in the early 80's two up on a MZ250 [yes I know] taking my younger Brother to college bike has drum brakes front and rear traveling along when a Transit van pulls out right in front, two choices as I could not stop in time

1/ hit van as not being able to stop
2/ drop bike
I chose to drop the bike me and our kid rolled off into the verge but was safe, damaged foot pegs on bike hammered straight with a piece of metal nearby and continued onto the college

once home changed underpants.

 

Well that would get the sidecar wheel airborne if nothing else did

 

I was given what I believe are two good bits of advice when I was learning:

Always try to get eye contact with other drivers who are on entry to a roundabout, or adjoining roads.

Try not to panic, look for an escape route, and remember that you are only about two feet wide on a bike and there is usually somewhere to go.

I have found both helpful.

 

Sorry this turned into a Stephen King novel.

I totaled my 2005 Kawasaki Nomad in 2007. It almost cost me my right hand but after 3 surgeries, wearing an external fixator for 6 weeks, and months of rehab It's about 90% good, thank God.

It was a sunny hot day in Texas and the road was in great condition. Traffic was not very heavy and I was in great shape for riding. I was wearing a mesh, armored jacket, khakis, and hiking boots along with mesh gloves and a FF helmet.

Legally, my fault. I was cruising at 70-ish and began to slow to take a 50 mph exit when 2 cars in front of me (according to witnesses) a woman driving an SUV decided that 50 mph off ramp would be a good place to stop.

All I saw was the pickup in front of me light up his breaks and start sliding. I got on the binders but I was not stopping in time to keep from hitting the pickup, so I gripped a little tighter on the front break. This lightened the back of the bike too much, I guess, because it started to fishtail -a bigger swing each time.

I managed to miss the truck by getting the bike to swerve right of it, but on about the fourth oscillation I took a huge high side. I didn't hit anything but the asphalt, but my bike eventually bounced over me, the front tire hitting my helmet (it left a cool black mark), and I rolled or slid to a stop in the middle of the road.

I thought my arm was broken, but it was much worse -my wrist was destroyed and the six little bones in it were scattered all over my hand and forearm (still under my skin).

The contributing factor (besides the dumbass that decided to stop on an off ramp) was me being too close to the pickup in front of me. No excuses, I just failed to keep a safe distance -I usually apply the 5 second rule believing the 3 second rule may work for cars, but not for me on my bike.

That helmet saved my life. Here's the kicker; when it was hot I'd usually wear the half helmet (just so I could ride onto the military installation where I worked), but that day I chose the FF and I don't know why -I call it divine intervention, you can call it what you like. Anyway, the asphalt almost destroyed the helmet, but the helmet saved my head and face.

Oh, yeah. I wouldn't advise wearing khakis when you ride.

 

No cell phone incidents, but a guy in a Jeep Grand Cherokee ran a stop sign because he was busy trying to get a smoke lit with two hands right in front of me. Unlucky for him I wasn't on my bike, but driving an F-250 Power Stroke pulling a 15,000 pound fifth wheel at 35 mph. Man, I punted that Cherokee 30 yards. Thankfully the geezer wasn't hurt and his insurance paid the minor damage to my truck.

 

Going into a down hill, slow to 15mph, off camber turn there was some diesel mid way thru... No time to react, luckily. I was on the street watching the bike do a barrel roll that would have been a nasty high side had I tried to save it.

 

on my 50, following the school bus at 25mph, girlfriend and mates on the bus back seat looking at me 'cus I was the first with a bike.
Soooooo cool.....
Bus slows down and I thought it was to let me overtake.....
So, I pull out to see a horsebox van coming the other way besides the bus....
Queue one scrape and ejection out the back of the bus.
Bus stops and I was lying on the floor, behind the bus with all my mates laughing at me hysterically when I looked up at the rear window.
To be fair, the horsebox driver knew my dad and chucked the bike in the back of it and dropped me off at home.
If it's you out there, THANKS!!!!!

 

My most ridiculous fall was outside a girls bike group disco (this is way back in the eighties by the way) where I was so pissed I got on one side and fell straight off the other - in front of about 20 young ladies insult was then added to injury when the throttle cable stuck open, couldnt pull the clutch in (old meridian Triumph T100) and crashed into a roundabout
They were fun days

 

Done the same thing Dawsy. I never usually use steering lock when group riding, but we stopped in a small town for a break and everyone disappeared in all directions, so keyed lock on.
Gradient was tall and we all parallel parked at 40’. As we ride off, all was good until I went to excelerate and realised I was going to hit the guys forward. Steep left drop, so laid the bike to the right. New bar ends and half round boards saved damage except for brake lever and my pride.Picked up, unlocked and going again before too many saw what happened

 

Coming across country from a week at my mates in Pickering; just gone past Garsdale Head (towards Sedbergh) on the road by the river. Late at night, two up, pissing it down, the lights on my 250rs struggling to highlight anything more than a few yards... I hit what I thought was just another puddle on the exit of a slight right hander. The front goes light and washy and I try to stand it upright to recover, but being on a corner, I quickly ran out of room and the front hit the grass verge. This was a short downhill type of verge ending in a 1’ high wall... well it’s one foot high on the road side, it’s about 8’ down into the river bed on the other, the bike low sided on the grass and flipped me and my girlfriend off. I stayed on the road side of the wall, she went over into the river bed. As soon as I stopped, I jumped up and over the wall into river bed... helped her up and she was ok if a little more damp (miraculously- probably something to do with wearing most of the clothes she’d taken to my mates) I had broken my collar bone... could have been so much worse!

edit- we went back to the place soon after, morbid curiosity and all, there was a large paint spillage on the corner that I hadn’t seen in all the rain. This was back in the 80’s, so we told the equivalent of the highways agency... but I don’t think it was sorted for a couple of years.

 

First crash was coming home late at night, in November. Cold night. Left turn to my side street at normal brisk speed. Hit some dark ice while leaned over. The bike was on the ground so fast I didn't quite notice, until I saw sparks from the crash bar. Let it go and slid around on my butt into a parked car. Wrecked the clutch lever, bent bars, and foot peg. Still running when I got to it. Walked it home. I was pretty young, but my shoulder gave me trouble for months. Ruined the Bell helmet, bomber jacket and jeans. 74' Triumph Tiger. Put it back together and got back on.

 

First off was a diesel spillage I didn’t see, luckily at not a great speed. I had a few bruises and was okay. R1 had a scrapped bar end, bent brake lever and a scuff on the fairing, exhaust and engine casing.

Second one was last year in Scotland. Hit a small deer that ran out from the hillside. Concussion, broken right hand and wrist and some very slight internal bleeding. 1299 Panigale was written off. Was another lucky off all in all.