Have you crashed on the road?

[bikeguy]

Several recent threads have caused me to ponder this question. I'm curious about whether current Spyder riders have ever crashed, fallen, wrecked, whatever term you may use, on the road and how this may or may not have affected their attitudes about safety. I've crashed so many times in the dirt that I wouldn't even consider that relevant but a crash on the street typically involves higher speed, is more dangerous, and may shape our attitudes about safety. I'd like to know what your experiences are.

I've occasionally ridden street bikes for over 60 years but I've ridden on the street pretty consistently for the last 38 years. In that length of time I've only crashed once at anything more than walking speed. In the late '70's I was riding a Yamaha RD350 which was a 2-stroke twin that was like the sport bike of it's day. I got into a decreasing radius right hander a little too hot and grounded a foot peg at probably 50 MPH. The resulting low side sent me sliding across the pavement and onto a gravel shoulder. I was wearing an open face Bell helmet, military surplus leather flight jacket, no gloves, dress pants (of all things), and western boots. I tore both knees out of the pants and lost a little hide but not too much, skinned the palms of my hands a little and lost a patch of skin on my left wrist where the flight jacket slid up my arm a bit. The helmet was scarred on both sides but no damage to my head, not even a headache.

Quite honestly, I was more embarrassed than anything else. I had just passed a car and, once I could see that the lady driving was not going to run over me, I didn't want to look at her. It was humiliating. Other than that, it caused two changes in my riding habits. I decided that wearing gloves would be a good idea and that jeans were much better than dress pants even if I had to change clothes at work. If armored overpants were available in the late '70's I wasn't aware of them. I still have the leather flight jacket and I'd probably still be wearing it but it doesn't fit anymore.

Now, I know that this crash, or any low side for that matter, isn't really relevant to riding a Spyder, still the fact that I experienced a crash helped to shape my attitude about safety. I wonder how many others feel the same way.

Cotton

 

[Luckyme]

I am very fortunate, and never really have had a road crash. Worst road tumble was when my son (at the time 15 years old) was riding with me. We had one of those perfect early spring days, and went for a couple hour ride. After some time on a great back road, I came upon a upward sweeping T in the road. I was on a BMW K1200LT, and simply stopped, and forgot to put my foot downpps:. Opps. We just rolled over, and laughed at myself. We both lifted the bike, got back on, looked around to see if anyone saw this, and quickly road off.

Maybe that is why I consider myself "Luckyme"

I'm more concerned all the time, because of all those idiots texting and using Smart Phones in their cages. My buddy was just rear ended on his GL1800 by a lady texting while he was sitting at a red light. He's a recent grandpa (Just 51) and he's not so sure he wants to ride again. He's an frequent rider too.

 

[CatsJ35]

I hit a deer on the spyder at 65mph, after swerving and missing the first few over the guardrails and it sold me on the safety of this thing. More stable in situations like that and as far as people in their cages it is alot more visable than a bike. The guys I ride with used to make me ride in the back until they noticed how no one ever pulls out in front of me so now I'm their "blocker" now we just need a harley trike in the back to keep the group from being rear ended

 

[Bob Denman]

Well I DID manage to T-Bone a Subaru last October... pps:
First wreck in 35 years of street riding... :gaah:
The Spyder took the shot and stayed upright; I drove it off the road with the dash lit up like an orange Chrstimas tree... :shocked:
Had I been on two wheels, I know that I'd have been over on my side in a hearbeat, so I felt that the Spyder saved my bacon! :thumbup:

 

[flybuddy]

Many years back, Yamaha XS360, front wheel problem at high speed, wound up on gravel, 4000 stitches, helmet was crushed, 8 days in hospital. Had over 200,000 miles on motorcycles at that point in my life and never had even knocked one over before that. Definitely slowed me down.

 

[Littlebadwolf]

Yup..I went 35 years riding sportsters and never had an accident or dumped it until that one fateful day where a kid in a suv slammed on his breaks while making a left turn and my leg hit his bumper at 65 MPH...the rest of my body slammed the upper area of his rear end....2 compound fractures on my left leg along with a broken ankle and knee along with some fractured ribs convinced me that I need to ride something safer...Thought my riding days were over after 17 operations until I saw the tv ad for the Spyder....Told myself this was the answer and went to the dealership to look at it....Wound up writing them a check for the Spyder and drove it home...and I've 2 years of riding it in between operations....had another that wasn't related to the accident...a double bypass last year and I'm still riding...

 

[Bob Denman]

...and I've 2 years of riding it in between operations....had another that wasn't related to the accident...a double bypass last year and I'm still riding...

We DO bounce back; don't we? :thumbup:

 

[prmurat]

Had a few broken boned while riding my H2s in the late 70' but 3 years ago while on my Norton a kid on a brand new Duc 1198 just blew a turn/double yellow line and smashed into me: compound femur and broken humerus... Hours of surgeries later with pulmonary embolism and the usual " don't know if he'll walk again" I have now an almost dead right arm and a little limp and... pain... And this is the reason for my RT!!!!

 

[d.o.spyder-rts]

I have two motorcycle accidents, neither my fault. The first was on a '93 Goldwing SE. A lady hit me towards the left rear of the Wing and it came out from underneath me. I ended up with a totalled Wing , a battered helmet and some roadrash on my left arm because I was wearing a short sleeved shirt at the time. I purchased a new '05 Wing and had it up until July of '09. I was on my way home from a ride when some ass:cus: ran a stop sign and t-boned me. I spent a week in the hospital and had a broken tib-fib in my right ankle and a rod put in my leg. My ankle took over a year to heal, but I fine now. It took about three years, but I decided it was time to get back to riding. I wasn't afraid to ride, the drive that was once so prevelant wasn't there. I am and always will be a Goldwing man. But it was time to make a decision. Yes, I can keep up two wheels now, but how about ten years from now?? Too expensive to purchase a wing and have it triked. So that's how I ended up with my 2012 RTS. Yes, I do love my spyder also. Dale

 

[bikeguy]

Very interesting replies. It looks like a crash does affect our decisions about riding and it seems like the most common change has been to go from 2 wheels to 3. If that's the case, then I'm really glad the spyder came along to get some of us back in the wind. Hope more will chime in with their experiences. Luckyme, I agree with you that cagers with cell phones are the scariest thing I see every day.

Cotton

 

[dannymax]

Gotta weigh in on this one. Yeah, went down many years ago on an XS650 chopper, hardtail, springer, etc.....very cool looking but handled like poo!
Going about 50mph on a steep downhill grand when the rear wheel locked up cause the Navy gas mask bag I carried my lunch in had wedged between the tire and fender. I don't know how far it slid before going down but it seemed like it just kept picking up speed! Oh....no front brake, had an AEE spool laced in....for coolness, right? :banghead: Anyhow, it finally got so far sideways I couldn't bring it back around, it went down and stopped dead! I didn't and flew up in the air, coming down flat on my back. Got a bunch of disc damage in the lower lumbar/sacrum area that has bothered me ever since.

That incident didn't really alter my thinking very much except to make damn sure anything strapped to the 'chicken stick' is strapped securely. :lecturef_smilie:

One other totally minor deal when the nitrous Max fell over on me last year....pinning me to the driveway! Had to yell for my wife and son to pick it off me...pps:pps:pps:

My thinking at that point was...."think I'll go look at those Spyders!!"

 

[boborgera]

The 3 times in 45 years that dumped one my bikes, All 3 were my fault, And it took years after each that i would admit it to anyone that it was my fault. Most people will go to their grave before they'll say that.nojoke

 

[schnauzermom]

Hubby's Accident

Personally, I have not had an accident in 12yrs of riding,(knock on wood), but my husband was riding north 4 lane road. He was in the inside lane, car on the outside land ahead of him decided to make a u-turn to the left in front of him. His HD Road Glide hit his front panel, he flew off the bike and over the car's hood, landed on the road on his back and slid a few feet. No broken bones!! No stitches!! Just horrible torn muscle pain all over his body and horrible dark bruising everywhere. We discussed continuing to ride and my thoughts were, if he can't or won't that would be it. Did not want to pressure him or his decision. Turns out we continued on, this summer will be our 3rd 2500 mile bike trip, he on his newer HD Road Glide, me on my new 2011 RTS SE5 Spyder. This happend summer of 2009. What he refused to do is ride into the city, Seattle, where accident happend. We keep it outside of city limits on country roads unless driving thru towns on trips.

 

[Bob Denman]

The 3 times in 45 years that dumped one my bikes, All 3 were my fault, And it took years after each that i would admit it to anyone that it was my fault. Most people will go to their grave before they'll say that.nojoke

It's always better to own up to them and try to learn from what went wrong so that it doesn't become a habit. :shocked:

 

[ARtraveler]

I am happy to say that in my 47 years of driving motorcycles, I have not had an actual crash.

Three close calls on the motorcycle. One with a Moose that jumped out in front of me, one with a deer that jumped out in front of me, and once when a truck in front of me stopped for no reason in the middle of nowhere--I missed hitting his rear end by less than a foot--and I can still feel the skid. Country road, two lanes, oncoming traffic, and no place to go.

Two hydroplaning incidents on the :spyder2: but nanny saved my bacon and I now drive a bit different in heavy rain or when I see any standing water. No incidents with cars yet. Knock wood.

 

[Barbwire]

I totaled a beautiful HD FatBoy that was lowered in approx '96 going into a sharp left curve on infamous Hwy 4 outside of Dallas/Fort Worth. I went in following a GoldWing and we took it too hot and it had a decreasing radius. The GoldWing was able to make it but my lowered feature did not help me when the pegs dug into the pavement and a truck was coming on my side of the line. I went through a barbwire fence, then air born and then slammed into a very large oak tree. I was still on the bike as I laid on my side and Care Flight gave me a ride to the nearest hospital. I was in full leathers and a full face helmet and did not have a scratch on me. I did however have a cracked vertebrate, which healed in a few weeks and I had a new FatBoy to ride. Took months to go into a left curve without puckering and I have never ridden twisties hard and fast like we used to since then. I see folks on their tanning machines with shorts, flip flops, etc., and I know they have never been down and don't think they ever will. Hence my name Barbwire! I should have been decapitated but someone had gone through the fence a week or so before me and it was loose instead of taunt as it should have been.

Years before that outside of Redding, California a deer hit a Yamaha XS 11100 I was on and the rider and I flew off over the fairing and skidded down the highway on our stomachs. Leather became suede and my full face helmet had gouges that would have been my face. I know better than to wear a half helmet and short sleeves but I am guilty of it at times.

 

[bikeguy]

I totaled a beautiful HD FatBoy that was lowered in approx '96 going into a sharp left curve on infamous Hwy 4 outside of Dallas/Fort Worth. I went in following a GoldWing and we took it too hot and it had a decreasing radius. The GoldWing was able to make it but my lowered feature did not help me when the pegs dug into the pavement and a truck was coming on my side of the line. I went through a barbwire fence, then air born and then slammed into a very large oak tree. I was still on the bike as I laid on my side and Care Flight gave me a ride to the nearest hospital. I was in full leathers and a full face helmet and did not have a scratch on me. I did however have a cracked vertebrate, which healed in a few weeks and I had a new FatBoy to ride. Took months to go into a left curve without puckering and I have never ridden twisties hard and fast like we used to since then. I see folks on their tanning machines with shorts, flip flops, etc., and I know they have never been down and don't think they ever will. Hence my name Barbwire! I should have been decapitated but someone had gone through the fence a week or so before me and it was loose instead of taunt as it should have been.

Years before that outside of Redding, California a deer hit a Yamaha XS 11100 I was on and the rider and I flew off over the fairing and skidded down the highway on our stomachs. Leather became suede and my full face helmet had gouges that would have been my face. I know better than to wear a half helmet and short sleeves but I am guilty of it at times.

Glad you had on all the gear when you got up close and personal with the barbwire fence and the oak tree. Even though you did have a cracked vertabrae, you still saved yourself a lot of pain. Road rash can really hurt. I'm not surprised that it took a while to mentally get used to leaning it back into the corners again. When I grounded the footpeg on the RD350 I was still pretty young (under 40) and it didn't seem like it bothered me but, in retrospect, I'm sure I was more cautious going into corners for sometime afterward. On the other hand, I never even considered not riding any more. After all, going down was entirely my own fault and I knew how to correct that problem. Besides that, I had survived the incident with only minor scrapes so there was no use in being too upset about it. But, like you, I see people riding essentially naked and I know they haven't been down and don't think they ever will.

One other thing. I never owned an SX11 Yamaha but I did test ride one. They were brutes. Lots and lots of torque.

Cotton

 

[vampyregirl]

pps:pps:pps: um..... yeah.....

About 6 years ago... I had NEVER ridden a motorcycle, scooter, anything on 2 wheels with a motor onboard. Bought myself a Honda Helix. Didn't even have the poor thing long enough to make the first payment!!! Went to the dead-end of my street. Was going very slow. Went to turn around to come back to my house. Hit a bunch of stones. The scooter went one way, I went the other, the damned thing ended up landing on the inside of my right knee!! :yikes::yikes: 300 lbs of OUCH!!! When I went to get up, SNAP!!!! My leg gave out!!!! Ended up tearing my ACL right in half!!! Yeah, had to have surgery to repair (replace actually) it. I have cadaver parts in my leg now!!!

That ended up being part of why I got my Spyder. My leg will never be the same, and it likes to hurt and give out every so often!! Didn't want to do that while trying to hold up my Honda Shadow!!! Yes, that means after the accident, I ended up trading in the scooter for a motorcycle!!!

What can I say???!!!! I'm a glutton for punishment!!!!

 

[Starrider]

When I was in college way back in 1969 I was going to work riding my Suzuki 500 two-stroke. No helmet, of course, still young and knew it all. This old guy decided to make a left turn into a drive way, no signal, when my foront wheel was already past his back bumper. Took the ditch,went airborne, landed in the other drive way.

Have always said the God Lord was looking out for a fool. I lucked out with road rash on my face and only needed a few stitches in my forehead plus some aches and pains. My new bride and soon to be mother of our daughter gave me the option of her or the bike. I chose her. Finally, almost forty years later, she relented and let me buy a bike. Now we both ride and she's the happy owner of a Spyder.

While I lucked out years ago I don' t want to test fate again and I learned road rash hurts. We always wear helmets.