Has anyone ever come off a motorbike?

Question

Has anyone ever come off a motorbike and what was the experience like? I know I came off a bicycle at about 20mph as my brakes would not work down this hill and I had to spend a night in hospital to get stitched up. Also if you can remember how many mph were you doing if you came off a motorbike as they go a lot faster than bicycles?

Answer 1

I go to the track frequently, and have crashed a few times. My hardest crash was at 155 in 2008. The bike and I went end-over-end. Fortunately, I was thrown over ten feet into the air, so I didn't land until I was over grass--I never touched the pavement. I slid and rolled for about 200 feet, stopping about ten feet from the tire wall. The hospital took 38 X-rays of everything from the waist up, but found no fractures, although I had several square FEET of bruises. I was too sore to ride any bike at all for about two weeks, and couldn't ride any bike with a sporting riding position for at least two months.

That bike became a "track-only" bike at that point, since all street equipment (headlight, instruments, horn, tail light, 3 of the turn-signals) was ripped off. The first (of many) impact was so strong that the battery was ripped out of the bike, with its terminals still attached to the bike. A two-inch wide, foot-long strip was ripped out of the rear rim. Both ends of a removable swing-arm brace were still in place but a six-inch long middle section was missing. My leathers cost a little over $100 to repair, and aren't quite as nice-looking as they were before.

The only permanent damage is that I have not ben able to replace my "track day T-shirt". The paramedics cut it off me in the ambulance. It had printed on the front of it, "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Then it's hilarious".

Answer 2

I have come off my motorbikes 3 times, last one of which was 2 days before last Xmas. I was coming home from work on a dual carriageways when upon overtaking a car at about 65 mph, I found snow on my overtaking lane. I lost control, hit the central reservation and became detached from my bike. I was fine and would have walked away, were it not for a following van which did not see me, despite wearing a hi-vis vest, and run me over, breaking about 12 bones from my pelvis down. All I remember was a massive hit and thinking how painful that was. The next 3 weeks were a blur, which I cannot remember, and I am still struggling now, 10 months after.

As people have said in previous replies, be careful. Always act as if you are the target. Car (cage) drivers do not see you and will not see you. When you can anticipate their actions is when you are developing as a rider and stand a better chance of surviving. Car driver have far too many distractions to deal with (radio, sat-navs, screaming children, and dare I say it, the damn MOBILE PHONE or BLACKBERRY).

Answer 3

I can't count the number of times I have come off a bike. The first was at about 80 mph on a race track in 1968. Fortunately I only slid a short way on pavement before coming onto the grass. Everything went into slow motion as I slid; it seemed like it would go on forever. I had a pretty big hole ground into the hip of my leathers. In order to race the next day, I had to borrow some leather pants that were way too big for me. I have come off a couple times at moderate speeds on the street, and innumerable times on dirt bikes.

Answer 4

I came off a motorbike at 30MPH, I'd gone to get a Chinese meal for the family, including sticky ribs and noodles, I was driving down a long wide road, there was a car in the middle of the road that looked as if it was about to turn right but wasn't moving despite there not being any oncoming traffic.



It still hadn't moved by the time I got to it and it didn't have it's indicator/hazards on so I overtook it, and of course only then did he turn so I impacted with the car and did a rather impressive double somersault before landing on the road.



As I came around, there was 3 women laid out on the road next to me and people laughing, turned out some of those who'd been the first to run out out their houses to help me had been met with the sight of the sticky ribs and red (blood coloured liquid) leaking from my jacket and promptly fainted, the first aider who opened my jacket reassured the others the ribs weren't mine hence the laughter!



I've a car now, a dam site safer.

Answer 5

I came off on some black ice. I was accelerating out of a right hander, up a hill. The back end just spun out and low-sided me at about 30-40mph. Luckily I was unijured other than a bit of a sore ankle. The experience to me was actually a bit of a rush, the sudden loss of control with sparks and sliding. I kind of enjoyed it but won't be doing it again any time soon.

Answer 6

I only had one serious accident, and that was back in 1971. I was on my way back to college after a weekend at home. A woman made a left turn in front of me (in your country it would be a right turn--across the oncoming lanes). She didn't see me. I hit the rear quarter panel of her car and flew over the car like Superman. I landed on my face. Broke three teeth, and a small bone in my foot. I got caps, walked with a cane for a few weeks. (I was going about 35 mph). At my parents insistence I gave up riding, but a few years later I bought another bike, then a bigger one, then an even bigger one. In 30 years I haven't had another serious accident.



The accident taught me to be paranoid of 'cagers'. They very often don't see me, so it's MY job to stay out of THEIR way. Once I learned this lesson I've been safe (knock wood). Riding on the highway, I will often see a driver look into the next lane, look RIGHT AT ME, then pull into my lane. He was looking for a car and a motorcycle didn't register on his brain. Motorcyclists are more aware of what's going on around them than car drivers.



My (2) motorcycles are my primary transportation these days. I do about 10,000-15,000 miles a year on them. (Luckily I live in California where I can ride all year, and where it rains only seldom).



I have had a few small 'spills', the last one being about a year ago. I was on a mountain road, a Sunday ride. A sportbike came up behind me and I pulled over to let him by. I pulled onto a little patch of grass,and when my wheels hit the grass they lost traction and the brakes locked up. I did a 'highside' at about 10 mph, and it threw me about 4 or 5 feet. Neither I nor the bike was hurt, but i was sore for a day or two. You'd think the sportibke guy would stop to see if I was okay but no, he just sped on.

Answer 7

Yes, and it ain't no fun. But if you are going to be a rider, it can happen, and often will. Ride cool, be seen, do not take chances, WATCH, act like you are as big as any truck on the road so that cage drivers will/can see you, but ALWAYS be prepared to act like a motorcycle when one does not. Obey traffic laws, DO NOT DRINK. The safest speed is just faster than ambient traffic, so you slowly overtake them, not them you. Watch intersections. Read the pavement, look for oil.wet, rough spots which may cause trouble, if you have to apply brakes or accelerate in that area. Motorcycle riding requires at least 125% of your attention.



Tomcotexas.

Answer 8

I went down at 70 plus MPH on my bike, Ended up sliding and grinding on the shoulder of the road in gravel. I have spent 3 days in the hospital have gravel cut out of my body and to this day I still have some gravel in me and Im 49 this happen when I was 17.

Answer 9

Many, many years back on R69/2- Easter Holiday traffic on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. ER tech said later I was cussing in 2 or so languages about a Buick getting into my lane- can't remember details at all, doc said short term trauma amnesia is common. 8 days in hospital, head stitched , broken ribs, broken collar bone, various scrapes and burns. Got a ticket in jacket pocket from police- something about being in a personal injury incident- that was kind of hard to argue against. Outlaw picked up cycle, waited for trailer transport and decided to see if engine was hurt, kicked it over and started right up so he twisted handlebars straight and pulled out bent fender, rode it to garage. Little shafty was loaner bike rest of season until I got out of shoulder plaster and could reach throttle again. Lessons learned- watch for cars, don't mix Jack Daniels, Richards Wild Irish Rose and holiday traffic.

Answer 10

most people who ride will say at sometime they have fallen off . one time i was going down the road and someone decided to do a u turn . i did not have anywhere to go i had not got enough time to break so i hit him luckily for me i was travelling fast enough to be catapulted right over the car but i still broke 1 finger and that finger was important to my work i had to go to work but i was not doing such a skilled job therefore i did not earn as much money for about 6 weeks until i could work my finger again . i suppose i was lucky some people come off and spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair

Answer 11

Came off at 45 mph ish once and no damage to me and only a little to the bike. All down to wearing the right gear - leather with armour and a good crash helmet.

Answer 12

I've come off my dirt bike a heap of times, it happens fast enough, that you don't realize what has happened until your laying on the ground with a motorbike on you, I have never been seriously injured, but it gives you a bit of a fright when you do come off.

Answer 13

I have 'dropped' bikes a number of times, all of these either stationery or less than 5mph fortunately.



Now its all the gear all the time.



However, I have come off bicycles at higher speeds, tarmac burns and road grit hurts!

Answer 14

55 mph and I got t-boned by some jackass driving without a license...luckily I only hit the ground and stopped, no injuries except a bruised knee & scratches...the bike got totally f'cked

R.I.P, my dear Aprilia RS 125 <3