how long have you been riding and have you ever had a serious crash(es)?

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by agypsy

hmmm...interesting stat. in your case it seems luck is on your side or maybe you got it all out of the way...

like ralf said, "all depends on how you ride as well...". but there is the "being at the wrong place at the wrong time" as well.

I never considered it luck, if you have to work to achieve it.

[agypsy]

Originally Posted by Yeskino

I never considered it luck, if you have to work to achieve it.

very true indeed!

[R111S]

We all have an apointment with Death that will not be missed. I choose to LIVE while my body still breathes. To me that means not having a dull-boring-predictable life. Motorcycling is just one aspect of avoiding the dull-boring-predictable life...obviously there are many other options. Even the dull-boring-predictable life ends in Death...pityful...and very dull.

[tomn]

A few nasty back country and on-piste skiing accidents nearly killed myself from back country ski accident with hypothermia and a dead ankle, nearly killed my ex and myself climbing ice in Sierra, I let loose a boulder that hit my ex below me tied-in with me leading. Bicycle accidents all "operator error",
A motorbike accident shortly after I got back on after 25 years, ironically I had David Hough's book in luggage just picked up that day -this was a classic "on coming traffic left turning" and me T-boning. I saw myself somersaulting and my 600lb GS also somersaulting right behind me in the air.
More of issue with me is that I dont forget any of close encounters and I get more paranoid defensive, I get disturbed when my personal safety space being violated.
I dont seem to get back into the same saddle after a few miles ever. I need to be driving a tank!

[throttlemeister]

Originally Posted by agypsy

hmmm...interesting stat. in your case it seems luck is on your side or maybe you got it all out of the way...

like ralf said, "all depends on how you ride as well...". but there is the "being at the wrong place at the wrong time" as well.

I'd like to think it is all skill. But, everybody needs a little luck once in a while. Then again, with the right skills you can force luck your way.

[peter f]

Originally Posted by agypsy

hello folks,

since i got into my accident a couple of days ago (see my post "went down yesterday...") i've been wondering how many other experienced rider's have had a motorcycle accident. i've been riding for 25 years and this is my first serious crash and part of me thinks it was bound to happen at some point. there have been some really close calls though. i've known many people who've had some bad crashes and when i've told people that i've never been in one, i think to myself, will i be able to cheat it forever?

what are the stats for experienced riders going down?
what are the odds? are they against us?
do you think it's inevitable?

so please share your experience and knowledge or opinions which would be really appreciated. when was your first crash and how long had you been riding when it happened. or maybe you haven't ever had a crash. i'm not talking about racing or track days, i'm talking about the street.

thanks

1. Years doing this "silly" business 32 (on 998s "sort" of bikes).
2. Riding is potentially a Lethal activity...but let the good times roll.
3. Odds are against us...but nobody lives for ever.
4. Crashes are inevitable...but what's wrong with some titanium "add-ons"?
5. Learn to manage/master fear...if you don't feel fear don't ride.

Some advises : (1) never ride when in a hurry, (2) when in a hurry don't ride, (3) don't ride when in a hurry.

[Chris Canning]

39 years,10 of which was offroad raceing,yea i've had my trips on the floor both offroad and on, i consider it bad luck to talk about e'm.

Over the years i've had no end of 30 somthings asking me to teach e'm how to ride a bike,i've refused point blank,on what basis they ask,i ride a bike on gut instinct it's what i learned as a teenager,every mile i've ridden every experience i've had all came to use when i nearly met my maker 8 years ago crossing Spain,i managed to cram all of that experience into a tenth of a second,and thats why i'm here today,but then no one every said this bikeing thing was going to easy.

[on2wheels52]

Have been street riding since the early 70's (there were a few dry years) and had the bike end up on its side maybe half a dozen times. Never ended up in the ditch, no broken bones, a few minor sprains and cuts, always rode the thing home.
Accidents in your first 10000 miles shouldn't count against you (like your first marriage). It takes a while to develop your 'instincts' about what's about to happen in front of you.
I will admit to riding 'slower' than I did twenty years ago.
Jim

[bykemike]

35 years on bikes..all types and disciplines. Many crashes, three with injuries but very, very lucky in all. Everything still works, sorta. Worst pain was the typical KTM 2-stroke into a tree broken collar bone.

From reading these posts it appears that 3-4 is the average for a lifetime biker.

Mike

[tim22]

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

...Accidents in your first 10000 miles shouldn't count against you (like your first marriage)...
Jim

Hey "on2." Your first marriage shouldn't count against you? Whew! Thanks! That's a load of my shoulders. That gives me an idea...I think I'll start a new post...

Tim

[hjr1100s]

18 years riding, say 300.000 km's all season riding. Dropped it a few times at low speed in snow or icy roads. Low sided it once on a patch of oil at low speed. Never any physical damage to me and never totalled a bike or damaged it such that I couldn't continue the journey.

Guess I'm too cautious (not to confuse with 'slow'), but it keeps me alive.

HJ

[roger albert]

I've been lucky with no major crashes, and only one very very minor one (same day I got my license) when a car pulled out in front of me. I had time to brake and Tboned him at about 3mph. Cracked the little handlebar fairing on my spiffy gs400. Bruised my knee. I've been really lucky, but have only been doing this 20 years, so my time is no doubt coming. So far though, I've had all my accidents in the workshop. Good luck healing up and don't feel too badly. You must know at least one version of the old saw: "There are two types of riders; Those who have crashed, and those who will"

[roger albert]

p.s. That's just talking street, and isn't counting my limited dirt riding, where I've crashed a bunch, and pretty fair amount of track riding, where I've crashed a moderate number of times.

The first time ever on the track came after a year of riding heavily on the track, and then one year of actually racing. I prided myself on never having crashed, and how I'd even stayed upright while lapping a motard in the rain during an endurance race when very few others managed the same. Next time out I got mine. On a more treacherous track during an afternoon of rainy sprints, I went from zero to FOUR (4) crashes. Put me right back in my place (one where everything was sore, even if nothing was broken)

[bill pierce]

I have been riding since 1971, on the street since 74.

I have had 3 major crashes.

1. Hit a deer @ about 45mph. It was dark and he jumped into the road so fast I barely had time to react. Extensive damage to the bike. Not a scratch on me.

2. Same bike and road 2 years later. A guy pulling a plow with a tractor did a left in front of me. Extensive damage to the bike. No broken bones, but sore for days.

3. High sided my bike on some loose gravel @ about 50 mph. Extensive damage to the bike. Broken collar bone. I guess my bones will break after all I picked the bike up (500 lbs) out of the ditch and road it home.

No crashes since 94.

[bradzdotcom]

oops...this isn't the thread for me.
i doubt i could be accurate on crashes within a fudge factor of 50...maybe more.

....gonna back out the door nice and slow and close it quietly....

...just remember boys & girls: everyone ALWAYS crash on dirt...it's just sometimes covered over with asphalt to seal in the nutrients...

[Steve Carlton]

HEY YOU!

Get back in here...

[agypsy]

Originally Posted by hjr1100s

18 years riding, say 300.000 km's all season riding. Dropped it a few times at low speed in snow or icy roads. Low sided it once on a patch of oil at low speed. Never any physical damage to me and never totalled a bike or damaged it such that I couldn't continue the journey.
Guess I'm too cautious (not to confuse with 'slow'), but it keeps me alive.
HJ

that's amazing HJ. dont know what "too cautious" would be but it's better than risking your life.

Originally Posted by roger albert

I've been lucky with no major crashes, and only one very very minor one (same day I got my license) when a car pulled out in front of me. I had time to brake and Tboned him at about 3mph. Cracked the little handlebar fairing on my spiffy gs400. Bruised my knee. I've been really lucky, but have only been doing this 20 years, so my time is no doubt coming. So far though, I've had all my accidents in the workshop. Good luck healing up and don't feel too badly. You must know at least one version of the old saw: "There are two types of riders; Those who have crashed, and those who will"

hey roger, this is amazing to me as well. and interesting you say "my time is coming". i didn't want to admit it (to myself) before i crashed, but i was thinking the same. i thought it was bad luck to think it, like it would happen by willing it, but it was always there in my subconscious. and it's quite humbling to experience the force of bailing off a bike at 50mph. had i tumbled on the asphalt instead of the grass, it would have been twice as bad, no doubt. now crashing on the track is a different story...

[Jeff Williams]

Originally Posted by Chris Canning

39 years,10 of which was offroad raceing,yea i've had my trips on the floor both offroad and on, i consider it bad luck to talk about e'm.

Over the years i've had no end of 30 somthings asking me to teach e'm how to ride a bike,i've refused point blank,on what basis they ask,i ride a bike on gut instinct it's what i learned as a teenager,every mile i've ridden every experience i've had all came to use when i nearly met my maker 8 years ago crossing Spain,i managed to cram all of that experience into a tenth of a second,and thats why i'm here today,but then no one every said this bikeing thing was going to easy.

I remember visiting the Midland Maffia in the UK and Blacking out for a couple of days Say Hi to the boys for me. British superbike looks good this year, are you going to help John with the Duc effort this year?
jeff

[bradzdotcom]

sorry steve.
for me, the "ever had a serious crash?" question is a lot like the time we proudly taunted some nascar guys with "oh yea, well have you ever put a rental car in a hotel swimming pool?"
to which the response was an expertly dead-panned: "which hotel?"

or the road-racer that crashed 4 times in friday practice. top-dog team manager guy stomps over, is irritated, wants to know "How many bikes are you planning to total today?" to which road race guy calmly and quietly says "I dunno, how many did you bring?"

[agypsy]

thanks everybody for sharing. you guys have been riding a long time! i think it's a good topic and i'm realizing something as well. there's some people who've had "serious" crashes with major injuries and then some people with "serious" crashes but managed only slight injuries. i feel a bit like i've discovered a side of this sport/hobby that has to be eventually learned but can't be learned without experiencing it. i'm not looking forward to the next one