An idle insult just got me thinking. And reminiscing How many have you had, exclusing those teen 'we all crash every week' ones. Other than a 6 year or so gap in my early twenties, I have been riding since 12 and passed my test at 25 (45 now). Since 1994 I have done 5-10k leisure miles pa, and 50k commuting for two years mid 90's. Road - only one, 3 weeks after I bought my SPS and managed to stop before the hedge but then dropped it..only broke a lever and a little paint marking though. Have dropped a few stationary (always bad camber) but not accidents or caused by riding Track - before I raced in 2009 I did 7 or so trackdays and never went off track once, not even grass or gravel tracking 2009 - first time out on Silverstone on my new DD bike, at the first Td of the new layout, 2nd session crashed (it was running mud across the track everywhere and over 20 crashesin the morning, no wets just road tyres) 2008 - 2nd race at Edwinas, Mallory, punched by shoulder out the back in a last lap lunge, hospital followed as did 3 months of physio 2008 - getting some tuition from Mike Dawson I piled into Paddock hill and tucked the front flat out (no brakes needed). He said he admired my ability to commit to fast turns... 2009 no racing, some track action not once off circuit 2010 - full season no crashes (that I can remember...) at mid pack and bckmarker pace 2011 - Cadwell Park chasing the lead, mechanical brake failure at Park Corner. I had won th first race and threw away a 10 second lead in this one, then won the next one the following day, eventho I culdnt actually see straght as I was heavily concussed (dont remember the crash sill) 2011 - Anglesey qualifying pushing too hard on new rear in the damp lost at the last turn, poor camber and patchy track. I fancied pole that day and was told my pace was there or thereabouts... 2012 - Brands hairpin chasing 2nd with 4 of us battling, last lap, it was me or the backmarker so washed front on the brakes rather than knock him off. Mental race that one. 4 abreast plus another 3 backmarkers into Druids just didnt go...couple of holes in elbow and knees but nothing to stop the next race 2012 - Anglesey chasing the lead again, Peel corner casued a bit of damage and 6 minths before I could ride a bike again. 2013 - Cartagena chasing the fast guys, tucked front using mis-matched slicks and too much Casey-kerb 2014 - Brands first test day cold tyre lost rear through Graham Hill, broken arm meant no riding for quite some time again.... So in 20 plus years of post-pubescent riding, say 150k miles, one on the road minor. 10 years of trackdays two. 3 years of over about 25 race weekends and 75 races, 5. Seems faster I got, closer I got to the front, more I pushed and less I worried. Although I had never busted a bone until I began racing...:Asshat: And I leaned from every one of them.... Not that bad really, considering
From the '70's to 1990 - loads, mostly involving an excess of enthusiasm over talent, none bad. 1990 - big'un, hospital, operations, evil physiotherapists, two years with walking sticks. 1990-present - None.
knocked an old fella down once riding through paisley, stepped out between two cars. and lots of not to serous low sides.
Poor obs. (Saving Andy the effort of posting). I've crashed several times on the road and once only on track. I sort of wish I had done it the other way around.
it's not one of those threads where it;s cool to post a like is it? almost didnt post, bit superstitious me. touching wood.
Lots at 16 and 17 (1980 & 81) mainly on a 250LC - same garden twice in an hour on my parents housing estate, a slow speed get off on my Z1000 at 18 and none since - many close calls, very lucky.
4 on a 1962 Norton 650ss up to 1973, only 1 I remember having an amusing side. Don't ask why but I remember riding to work wearing clogs on my feet and this bike in front of me went down on a low speed sharp left hander to be followed 30 seconds later by me. Before I picked myself up this pedestrian had a screaming fit because she thought the clog bouncing down the road was my foot ! Since then a stationary drop at a T junction after a long day at Brands on my ST4s. I have no wish to fall off any more so tend to ride more conservatively or if you prefer, staid. Andy
A few off's; claim to fame was Gerrards on the 748. I kept taking the bend in 4th, but it had no grunt left to pull me through the bend... so my mate said "start taking it in 5th" so I did... each lap going a little faster until the inevitable happened... front tucked biggest tumble i've ever had; still can't believe I broke no bones... Never bought shite "cheap' tyres again. Reckon I was doing about 110 (2/3 throttle - no speedo) Only time been in hospital was after coming off on the A5 at about 30 mph. nuff said... I have totally shit myself on three occasions; but that had nothing to do with motorbikes... just too much beer, curry and over confident farting...
1986 1st day of owning a bike i crashed on the local bike instructors lawn after he offered to help me get the hang of pulling away as i was stuck at the junction outside his house for ages! also in 1st week got knocked off by hit and run driver. 1987 tried racing, during open practice (all capacities of bike out at same time) got ran off track by a gsxr1100 cos he was an arse and didn't want me in the way! - gave up racing. 1990 went racing again on bigger bike, at some point I lowsided and destroyed fairing. couldn't afford another one so did rest of races without it. - gave up racing. 1992 aquaplaned on big puddle going into a roundabout, broke arm/shoulder on edge of kerb. 1994 hit sunken hole in road - sued council 1996 hit pissed pedestrian that came straight out of pub into road at night. broke collarbone. 1998 hit pothole on local roundabout while "surfing" 2000 hit from behind while stopped at roundabout. 2010 u-turned into (in no u-turn zone) - managed to stop but he kept going and knocked me off. 2013 brought off roader, crashed regularly on nice soft mud. pheasant ran into front wheel while on hard clay, bike landed on leg and broke knee...I didn't know that at the time so rode home! 2014 went racing again. crashed at Rockingham during 3hr endurance race. Told marshalls i was ok and got back on and got to pits. rested for 40mins then went out for my 30 min stint. Later discovered had fractured rib. - we came 3rd in class though!
Well started riding in 1981 at 16, first accident was at 19yrs old, hit n run, comatose for 3 days, don't actually remember much about the accident but was shoved in to a concrete lamp post head first, Put me off riding for a very long time, I did attempt to ride again the following year after my accident, but after about 8 weeks on the road nerves got the better of me, tried again following year and then a year after that but still to nervous, so I packed in the road nonsense at 22 and just did off roading. At 35 I decided to try again and bought a little Ninja 400 and only rode it here n there never putting much mileage on it, about 2004 is when I started getting out more and as I got used to it I fell in love again with the thrills of riding. I stepped up to a Ducati 750ss as was miffed at my mates leaving me when filtering, on the 400 I would go to open up forgetting I was in 6th no power down shift look up and my mates were long gone on their 1ltrs. The 750ss was a blessing as I didn't have to worry so much about down shifting open her up and off we went. 6mths later found me trading her in for a 749 yum yum, a year later bough a KTM Duke 2 as I fancied something a bit super moto ish to play with too. Got knocked off KTM, I was not speeding some twat pulled out of a side turning straight in to my path, broken bones in foot and soft tissue damage in both knee's (nerve endings and muscle) which have never healed completely and I am constantly reminded of in the cold and damp hence a fair weather rider these days. Safe riding you lot and roll on spring.
Told it before, maybe that was on Ducatisti though ... Rode through a puddle on the A29 on my XJ900F. I could easily see the white lines on the road surface, the water was crystal clear so I slowed down to about 30mph or thereabouts - I mean, it had to be less than two inches deep. Right? The standing water was actually deep enough to come up to the axles and 30mph was way too fast. The water came up in a wave between the front wheel and the engine block, up through the little half fairing, between the instrument panel and the tank, up between the chin guard of my helmet and my face, and basically flooded the inside of my crash helmet. I was spluttering like crazy, trying to slow down, negotiating a slight left-hand bend and at the same time trying to work out why, whilst riding my bike, my lungs were filling with water. The XJ didn't miss a beat throughout. I reckon my 999 would have fireballed in the presence of so much water or maybe collapsed into a black hole. It hates moisture. It was one of the weirdest experiences I've had on a bike.
