[TerribleTabo]

I was riding home late last night & had a spill. A car cut into my lane & made an abrupt stop so I slammed on the brakes. I kept sliding into a rough patch & started tank slapping until I went down. I felt an impact hit my head after I went down. I think a car tire must have knocked into my head when I fell because a lady came out of a BMW checking to see if I was ok afterwards, lucky I was wearing full helmet. I'm trying to analyze what happened this morning & I think I must have hit oil & kept sliding into a very bumpy patch that threw my front end into a tank slapper. My clutch lever broke into 2 pieces and got a dent in my tank from the handlebar. Oh well, looks like I'll be contacting Nate @ Frosty Finishes again. Not really sure what I would do differently in the future.

 

[wouldrichest]

They have advance MSF courses thatyou bring your own bike!

I was leaving work one day bobbing through the parking lot. The parking lot sloped down in the direction I was riding and a as I approached the T-intersection to take a right out of the lot I was looking left up another approach to the intersection (it was a V type intersection leading to a T intersection, if that makes sense). I had seen a car coming down the first approach to the T intersection and wanted to make sure he stopped, because a lot of time they don

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[cicii]

-Brief recap of the crash:
I was on a big charity ride, about 400m from my destination on a tarmac curving road through the bush. We had been riding for about 1hr30min. i was loving the corners that were being thrown at me feeling pretty confident. I caught up to an L plater at the who was doing about 60km in an 80- zone so i decided to overtake in (crossing double lines). the next thing i saw was a slopping right hander which was sharper than i had hoped. I leaned into it, applied the brakes but my turning curve was too wide. i applied more front brake and that was it. the bike slipped out from underneath me and i ended up in the bush doing about 60km/hr. I hit a mound of dirt and a big bush and the bike and me flipped over. i opened my eyes and i was lying on my back. i ended up with a gash in my left shin and a banged up right knee. I have proper riding pants but they need to be worn with boots otherwise the skin on my ankle is exposed. I went to the store the day before to buy boots and they didnt have my size. so i wore jeans and normal shoes. other than than i had me helmet, riding jacket and riding gloves.

-What you did right. stayed under the speed limit. wore what other gear i had

-What you did wrong. Everything else.
- i didnt give myself enough time to buy the shoes therefore not wearing the pants.
- I was too confident towards the end of the ride
- i crossed double lines
- i applied too much front brake
- i didnt scan the road ahead too much because i was concentrating an passing the learner.
- riding on a unfamiliar road i shouldve sat further back watching how others take corners, under estimating the learners ability to ride. being cautious and number one priority.
I am very lucky to be alive after doing so many things wrong. theres that whole mind set of "getting back on the horse" i really want to because i really do enjoy working on my monster and riding. I rarely do long rides, that was my third ride that was over 1hr. so its inexperience of long rides and that road.

-Thoughts on how it might have been avoided.
- for starters the right gear
- sitting back in the pack on an unfamiliar road (allows for scanning and copying the technique of riders ahead)
- not crossing double lines
- not getting confident

Alot of you will shake your head at this message and so you should. I already have these points tattooed on my brain but writing this out helps even more. i hope to learn from my mistakes but if others read this and it makes a difference then thats just a whole lot better.

i also copped a negiligent driving fine and lost points after the cops were called by the ambos

 

[infresig]

M696 ABS -- First Crash

I laid the bike down for the first time tonight. Exactly 460 miles on the odometer and about 470 miles in terms of my total time spent on motorcycles. Was checking my mirror at the same time as pulling into the open right lane from the middle lane at a red stop light. Saw an SUV taxi pulling into the same lane and pulled back toward the middle of the center lane--too slow and the bike tipped over to the left. Crashed at zero miles per hour. Immediately got up and tried to pick the bike up. Saw but didn't register that the rear wheel was still spinning and the bike started to do a semi-circle as I picked it up. Fortunately, the engine cut out once the clutch came out fully and I was able to pick it up and move it to the side of the road.

- What I did right:

Wore helmet, gloves, boots and leather jacket. No damage that I can see to any of my gear. Checked my mirror before changing into the right lane, and so avoided a potential collision with the oncoming SUV. Took the time to check the bike for damage before getting back on the road.

- What I did wrong:

Was not focused on what I was doing and, consequently, dropped the bike in a situation that could have been avoided by simply putting my foot down earlier. Started to cross into the right lane as I was checking the mirror--a motorbike is not a car and the mirror needs to be checked before (not during) a lane change maneuver. Did not cut off the engine as the first step--attempted to pick up the bike with the rear wheel spinning. Also, was tired from a long week at work and ignored it. Did not wear leg protection beyond jeans.

- Thoughts on how it might have been avoided:

Pay attention at all times. It comes down to not losing focus because the margin of error, as it is often said, is very slim on a motorbike and there are no trivial actions. This is the first time I have laid down a motorbike and in some ways I am relieved that I've gotten it over with (and can no longer fantasize that I will be among the few beginners never to lay one down).

Finally, a question to the board members. What damage should I look for? I examined the bike closely and, other than scratches on the shifter, clutch lever, bar ends and frame slider, I can see no other damage. The mirror was bent toward center slightly, but that has been corrected. I plan to take the bike to the dealer this weekend to have it looked at, but I am very curious as to how there is not more damage. No blinkers snapped; no scratches anywhere else (including the tank). The shifter is scratched, but appears to function normally. The battery (?) seems to be in vulnerable position in the lower left hand corner of the bike (and feels looser than I expected). Basically, what are the typical contact points, and consequently, the areas to look for damage, in a zero MPH tip over? Should I be worried about damage to the front disc brake?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bernadette418]

I am a newbie....hardly anytime at all on the bike and decided I wanted to try a side street. So I started Bike, (M696) pulled in the clutch...put in first..checked mirrors, quick head turn and let out clutch, thought I'd hit friction zone..did not...lost balance..fell off bike. So Analysis: what did I do right...checked mirrors, head turn..what did I do wrong...was too early, too eager, too nervous, too inexperienced and didn't wait to "feel" friction...thoughts on how it might be avoided...get more comfortable, be alert, not first thing in the morning...and really get familiar with the feel of the friction zone....haven't been on the bike since...

 

[nixon]

worst crash is when you just buy the bike

This is my first monster and Ducati and I am a young guy so you could imagine the giant smile on my face. that is stilll there.

I was coming home from the dealership with my red 696. I had fresh tires an it was raining. I got home in one piece, in my garage parking, i have multiple floors so I figured i would just troll up and down the floor. I did so carefuly as the tires were slippery. My gf came in and she was constantly telling me to be careful, i eventually became tense and scared. and on any bike fear and tension is lethal. So i was doing a U turn and suddenlyi felt like i was going to fast I pumped the front breaks hard. and in that moment the bike loves to go to the ground. I was not moving at all.


The bike crashed I jumped off. Lucky for me the design saved the gastank and only the break lever smashed into pieces.

WHAT I DID WRONG: allow my girlfriend to make me nervous and pumping the breaks too hard.

What I did right: didnt ride fast or take risks and I bought new cool levers that are awsome.

 

[BrooklynB&R]

I guess there is a lot of gain from this. I was making a slow left hand turn and I was turning I throttled on accidentally, panicked, braked, and through me right off the thing. Fortunately, I didn't hit anything or anyone, however everyone just looked right at me and continued on like nothing happened. Right now I have a swollen knee from landing on it, twisted ankle, and a bruised left ring finger nail. All it all, I'm fine but I would've much better off it I had purchased better gear.

Gear I was wearing:

- HELMET:

Icon Alliance SS -- Definitely did it's job. All scratched up on the left side where I landed. All I can say that the full-face helmet is the only way to go. Anything less is not worth it.

- UPPER BODY:

Vanson Comet -- Scuffed on the left shoulder where I landed, no seams broken. Glad I spent the money on it.

Force Field Action Shirt -- This thing probably saved my shoulder from getting hurt. I highly recommend that people get this on top of what they're wearing underneath. Again, I'm VERY glad I spent the money on it.

Now, here's all the bad stuff:

- GLOVES: Icon Pursuit -- Didn't really do anything. It in fact ripped at the seam where my finger is currently bruised. I believe the clutch lever and/or the handle may have landed on it when I fell. Not to mention the dye from the glove had been coming off.

- BOOTS: Icon 'something' -- Nothing really happened to the boot. It is scratched up, but it didn't stop my left foot from twisting. I have an extremely swollen ankle right now because of this. I spent $90 on the boots ages ago when I was learning how to ride. I wish I got something that stopped my ankle from twisting.

- PANTS: Levi's 501 -- Nothing ripped, but it didn't really absorb the impact of my fall so my knee hurts. Very minor scrapes and my knee area is swollen. Could've been a lot worse here, I know this.

Things I've learned/observed:

- AGATT. Make sure to spend every single penny on everything you wear. The things I spent money on did it's job and went beyond expectations. Things I decided to spend on a little less on didn't do a damn thing.

- I believe I was sitting too far back on the seat so when I was turning the handlebars, it caused my right hand to twist on the throttle. I panic, jump on the brakes and next thing I know flip off, do a tumble, and screw everything up.

 

[dle.cool.chips]

WHAT I DID WRONG: allow my girlfriend to make me nervous and pumping the breaks too hard.

lol. hope you have better riding experiences since.

 

[Smelt]

Hi guys -

Interesting thread, learning from each others mishaps. I like it.

Crash Recap:
I had my first low-side the other night. Truth be told, it was probably too cold to be riding the 796, but it was the first rain-free day we've had in weeks. So, I rode the Duc to work. End of the day, I was leaving the parking lot, and we have a downward sloping drive out into the main street. As I made the turn, I simply lost traction and down I went. Probably not going more than 15 mph. Luckily no oncoming cars. Phew. Some traffic behind me...couple of co-workers stopped to help me out. I rolled, hit my head and knee (the knee taking the worst of it - diagnosed as a deep bone bruise). Bike came out relatively unscathed. A broken mirror, bent shift lever and scraped pipes (guess I'll have to buy some aftermarkets ).

What I did right:
I had the right gear on: Shoei full-faced helmet (now with a horrible scratch on it), Joe Rocket armored jacket, good boots and gloves. Oh and as a side note: If anyone is looking for a good backpack for riding, try the Timbuk2 packs. I had that sucker on (with a laptop inside!) and not a lick of damage to it. Even my coffee mug which sits in an outer pocket was okay.

What I did wrong:
Left work too late - weather changed during the course of the day and it got precipitously colder by the time I left for home. I should have paid more attention and took into account the conditions before I got on my bike. The tires were cold and the tarmac was even colder. As it was, I was tired and I just wanted to get home. I got mentally lazy. I didn't grab a bunch of throttle, but perhaps I was too aggressive with my lean as I turned.

Oh and even though I had *mostly* good gear on, I was only wearing jeans. If I had some good riding pants I probably wouldn't have gotten that annoying bone bruise.

Anyway, this was my first crash (not counting dirt bike crashes) after many years of riding so I'm fairly lucky it wasn't serious. To be honest, I was more concerned with my bike, waving off my coworkers and telling them to go check on it first. LOL.

Hope this helps. Cold weather+cold tires = bruised knees

 

[Alex C]

I went down 18 days ago on my way home from work. What sucks is i don't remember a thing from about 20-25 minutes before the accident up to being rolled into the ER. Luckily an off-duty officer happened to see me go down so i was able to get an idea as to what had happened.

Crash Recap:
Going along at normal speed, 30-35mph with no cars or obstructions in front of me, my back tire begins to wash out. Looking at my tire now i can clearly see the dirt track on my tread wobbling back and forth(if that makes sense). Next i apparently grab a fistful of brake because over the bars i went. Pretty much stayed on my left side as the right half of my body is absolutely fine. Broken collarbone, four fractured ribs, road rashed knee and top of the foot with two staples each, and a nice concussion for a week.

What i did right:
My Nolan Ducati helmet did it's job as i landed on my head first. Slid on my face shield for a small bit and my helmet is through but my head is absolutely fine. My PowerTrip grand national gloves also did extremely well as the sliders on the palms did exactly that and kept my hands off the asphalt.

What i did wrong:
Not enough gear. I was wearing a sweater, denim jeans and Nike low tops. I have a feeling the armor in a jacket would have at least helped on impact. Luckily i have only minor scrapes on my arm but busted ribs and clavicle is no fun either. I'm sure my knee would have been fine with proper riding pants. And i'd probably be able to walk around a little better right now had i been wearing proper boots.

What i learned:
ATGATT. ATGATT. ATGATT! I'm already shopping around, looking at my options. I won't be riding to work again until i have all the proper gear. Also, never grab a fistful of front brake(duh). I only wish i knew what caused the wash out in the first place.

Luckily my bike came through extremely well with only the left side touching down. Zero damage to the paint, just a busted bar end cap, mirror, clutch peg and front peg. The clutch lever has a small scrape and the exhaust can has an inch long scrape but it's not noticeable. Not too shabby for a bike with zero crash protection installed.

 

[Bully]

Not my crash, but a friend's from which I learned. Track day, novice group. Experienced street rider on his first track day. Rider was riding very aggressively and instructor told him to slow down entering turns. Rider came out of straight into turn one, braking hard, downshifting. Rear tire locked up, ran out of straight road, high-side, ER trip. Luckily no broken bones, just a few bruises and a concussion. Bike is scarred up but no major damage.

What he did right: Gear (required by track).

What he did wrong: Broke too late, downshifted at high speed. Engine braking from high-speed downshift caused rear lock-up. Rode too aggressively for his skill level. Didn't heed instructor's direction to slow down.

Lessons: Complete braking before downshifting to avoid engine braking at high speeds - applies to street and track. (Probably a no-brainer for the experienced - not me.) Obey track instructors. There is a reason they are instructors. Listening to them will help improve your skills and safety for all. Although it didn't contribute to this crash, avoid rear brake unless stopped, emergency or wheelie.

 

[krafty]

A little background on me. I had been riding since I was 8 or 9 years old when I got my first bike, a Yamaha YZ80. I continued to ride different bikes throughout my 20's. I will be 38 next month. This crash happened on a Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

-Brief recap of the crash

It was extremely hot that day and I wasn't going on any highways, so I wasn't going to wear my helmet, just jeans and a tshirt. I head out to the garage and start getting ready, but at the last second I decide grab my helmet anyways (best decision I ever made). I head out and have maybe gone 3 miles or so and just made a right turn, I'm behind a mini van going kinda slow, it's a 35 MPH road and he was prolly doing 30-35MPH. This time I make another decision (prolly one of the worse I ever made) I go to over take the mini van on a double yellow and a curve and when I get around him and back in the lane something doesn't feel right, and here is where it all went horribly wrong. I really don't know happened 100%, but this is what I remember. Everything started to go into slow motion, but I still could not recover. I felt was I thought was a back wheel wobble and realized I was not going to make the turn and I think I just headed for the grass hoping to cushion my fall. Once I made that decision, everything went back to normal speed and I went flying over the bars, but not before getting my foot caught under the gear shift. That's really all I remember of the crash it self, once it was over I tried to pick up myself and walk it off, and realized I was int the street, not the grass. I hobbled over the grass and laid down, I did even know where my bike was nor, was I in any condition to move it. The paramedics came and cut me out of my jeans and my 1 shoe that remained on my body. There I lay on the side of the street completely naked. Yes, naked. I went commando under my jeans. After a day in the ER I was able to go home. I cracked a few ribs, ripped apart the ligaments in my left ankle, broke my right shoulder so severely you could see a 1/4 inch gap in the bone on the x-rays. I also beat up my knee pretty badly and got wicked road road on my left elbow, knee and shin. A few days later after I came out of the opiate pain killer fog and I saw the 2 inch wide bruise across my entire forehead from my helmet when my head slammed into the ground. I still don't remember actually hitting my head, or landing in the street for that matter. I would have surely been dead if I didn't change my mind at the last second and wear my helmet. I was in a wheelchair for a few weeks and had to sleep in a chair in my living room because I couldn't lay on my back. I also had several months of healing and rehab before I was back to normal. It was 10+ years before I got on a motorcycle again, which was last month when I bought my Monster. The Ninja sat in my parents garage for years, until I sold it for a mere 500$ It had less then 2500 miles on it.

-What you did right

Came to my senses and put on my helmet before I left. Not much else.

-What you did wrong

Where to begin?

I had no protective gear besides my helmet.
I was passing on a curve and double yellow line.
I felt too comfortable and wasn't thinking ahead.
More then likely target fixation.
I'm sure there is more that I just can't remember.

-Thoughts on how it might have been avoided

If I didn't stop and go back and get my helmet, I prolly would have been in front of the mini van in the first place. J/K

First, I shouldn't have been passing on a curve or double yellow line and I definitely need more practice for emergency type situations. Having a jacket, protective pants and boots would have prolly saved my body from quite a bit of the damage it took. I really didn't even think about it back then and since I bought my Monster I have been wearing just a leather jacket w/ jeans, and my helmet of course. After reading through this thread I have ordered a armored Icon textile jacket and currently researching pants and boots!

 

[Cool Ron]

-Brief recap of the crash
Following 2X 848, 1X 1098, and a Honda something on group ride. I had never ridden this route, but everyone else had experience on it. We were in a downhill S (left then right) and I decided to brake using engine braking (going from 3rd to 2nd and about 40ish mph I think). The back tire became unglued and a little squirrelly and then i committed a cardinal sin and focused on the outside wall of dirt and I didn't use enough front brake. I then rolled up and broadsided said outside wall of dirt. I got lucky, front right turn signal a little wobbly, right mirror needs to be retightened, plastis adjuster screw in front brake lever probably needed to be replaced, ripped and ditry jeans, and some dirt on the bike in places it shouldn't be. This happened in the beginning / middle of the ride out. After shaking out the dirt, readjusting the front brake, and regaining my shook confidence I finished the ride and ran with the leaders.

-What you did right
1. Had on my PPE.
2. Didn't totally panic.

-What you did wrong
1. Turn off my DTC.
2. Tried to brake using engine braking.
3. Formed my death stare when I realized the back tire became unglued.

-Thoughts on how it might have been avoided
1. Avoid using engine braking.
2. Leave the DTC on.
3. Ride the route slow the 1st time.
4. Attack the curve at a slower speed.
5. Attack the curve at a better angle.
6. Attack the curve in the correct gear.

 

[Dayze]

45MPH 2 lane twisty.
came into a descending apex turn too hot. low sided after running of out room and hitting the junk on the white line. bike down a reveen. ER trip; cracked rib and broken hand.
except the ambulance guys, upon arriving, cut off my shirt (after I told them to get bent if they thought they were going to cut off my leather), and layed me down..............directly in poison ivy. Awesome.

What I did Right:
-Continued to try to make the turn, leaning hard and tryin to accelerate it around.
-Reognized I wasn't going to make it; and made sure I lowsided instead of target fixating.
-Relaxed and rolled as much as I could.

What I did wrong:
-Too hot into the left hander
-Not knowledgable enough of the turns on the road and ran into the descreasing radial turn
-Laid down in Poison Ivy

 

[BigGreenMat]

Well I just put my Ducati Monster 750 down for the first time. I am sure it won't be the last.

Recap: I was in the city just waiting for a light. The light turns green and I accelerate normally. When I say normally I mean that my acceleration wasn't higher than normal on bike, but is quite fast compared to a lot of cars. Some pedestrians apparently walk out in the middle of the street. The 2nd car in front of me apparently stops for them. The car in front of me doesn't brake at all and just rams into the back of the stopped car, creating a pretty instantaneous stop in front of me while I am in the middle of acceleration. I hear a big bang and react a bit too hard on the brakes. Pretty sure my tail went a bit out to the left and I turn too hard into it. Top side over the left of the bike. On the plus side I avoided hitting the cars or getting hit by cars. On the bad side I feel like I could have played it out much better, but I was honestly surprised.

I broke the front left turn signal and the button for the horn. I put a good sized dent in my tank from where my bars hit into it. Bars are ever so slightly bent. As for me, I got a small scrape on my knee and bruise on my hip.

What I did Right:
1. Was wearing appropriate clothing and protection. Really the only thing I could have done better was have some riding pants on.
2. Avoided more serious crash

What I did Wrong:
1. Hit brakes too hard in reaction.
2. Been more aware of cars beyond immediately in front of me.
3. Give more space before accelerating?

 

[aluetjen]

This one's a couple of years ago and from the track. It was a guided introduction to the track with an instructor in front.

Recap: it started to rain and got a bit chilly. Already didn't feel great in the previous lap and did tell the instructor about that with the answer "yeah, you'll be fine we take it easy". Next lap, I chopped the throttle in a totally harmless corner even without any significant leaning. That was enough to take off. Even though the crash was at about 70mph, neither me nor my bike took bad damage. I actually started to ride again that same day when it was dry again.

What I did right:
1. Practice on a track.
2. Made that experience under "safe" conditions.

What I did wrong:
1. Kept riding, even though I didn't feel comfortable. Should have told the instructor that I simply pass. Same goes for any kind of group ride for me now.
2. Chopping the throttle as a panic reaction can become a disaster, more so in the rain.

 

[Cool Ron]

-Brief recap of the crash: Ouch! This is going to hurt. I'm cruisining in rush hour traffic on 95 north of Baltimore in MD. I'm actually in the slow lanes, but I was making good progress. I'm scanning ahead and cursing under my breath about the volume of vehicles. I look down and traffic has come to a standstill. I tried to grab as much brakes as I can, but it is not enough. Crash! I hit hard enough to almost go over handle bar. I'm sure the rear tire came up.

Slight abrasion on front finder. Broken front brake lever. Fuel tank shifted, not sure what's broken. Rear brake pedal bent. Rar end mirror mangled and unusable. And finally, scrape on passenger peg.

-What you did right: I had all my gear on. I was not going excessively fast.

-What you did wrong: I was focusing on the traffic ahead and not the traffic in front of me. I did not have an exit strategy.

-Thoughts on how it might have been avoided: When in traffic, always focus on the car in front of you. Work on that exit strategy.

 

[Tjdennis1511]

Broken ribs hurt like hell

 

[VinhQuang]

Recap:

I was on an on ramp entering the highway in traffic. I only needed to go one exit, so I was a little impatient. I notice the truck in front of me is looking in his rear view mirror a lot. I assume he is checking out my duc . Annoyed with the traffic I decide to go around the outside of traffic (on the shoulder). I've seen countless bikes do this before including many CHP bikes. As I'm passing this truck he lunges out at me like he's trying to kill me. It was so fast and sudden I barely had time to realize it was happening. I manage to move right and catch his bumper on my rearset and bounce into the embankment. Amazingly I never lay the bike down. However, my rearset is broken (somehow my leg and foot survive). The guy tells me he almost hit the car in front of him and had to pull out to avoid it. I'm not sure I believe this now. Two CHP bikers arrive and are extremely helpful (honestly, these guys are the best). They help me get my bike towed to the shop.

Right:

I was wearing a helmet and jacket. I kept my balance and didn't go flying into the bushes and trees on the side of the road.

Wrong:

Passing on the right. Passing on the shoulder. Being Impatient.

How to avoid:

Simple, don't pass on the on ramp and never drive on the shoulder. I generally avoid the highway, but I've learned to never split lanes when cars are converging or when there is sudden traffic.

 

[geo41e]

I'll put my 2c in

Bike: 2013 Harley Davidson 883 Iron

-Brief recap of the crash
turning right on a round about after a stationary position.
half of the road i was on was under construction and the other half was fine.
taking the corner wide for the round about, my front fell into the reworked road - height difference around 7cm.
ended up lowsiding

-What you did right
took the turn wide for the round about

-What you did wrong
should of ridden onto the gravel section and not be afraid, and attack the height difference more aggressively to prevent front tyre from wobbling and falling

-Thoughts on how it might have been avoided
not rush and assess the road condition and not worry about other drivers.