Poll: Offs...
Total Members Polled: 147
Discussion
I've attached a poll to this where you can vote multiple times, but I'm not 100% convinced I've done it in a way that actually makes sense...
I am interested in feedback from actual, real-life motorcyclists about the frequency of accidents and offs. I'm also interested in what kinds of accidents are more/less frequent. I've often heard it said that "everybody falls off at some point" but I'm not sure if there's any real truth in it.
Info and/or stories (particularly stories of the "never had an off) kind!) welcome.
Just one bad accident sticks in my mind - rode into the side of a pickup truck pulling out of a farm entrance whilst travelling at considerable speed. How I’m still here to tell the tale is a mystery to me, worst part was I was on holiday in the Isle of Man and I spent a week of my annual summer holiday in Nobles hospital being screwed back together. My bike at the time ended up in two pieces according to the police, the electronic speedo was stuck at 92mph.
I ride a lot of green lanes - it's unusual not to come off on a ride - it is also unusual to get hurt as we all wear all the gear
On the road I've never dropped a bike - but I have on my gravel drive when pulling off a centre stand or something silly like that
Close shaves - one idiot pulling out of his drive on a country lane and loads of cars / vans cutting the corner on country roads.
Memorably a bin lorry who was straddling the white line on a lane to cut the corner, did it to me both on the trip out and the return an hour later ! That's where I was glad of the IAM / Bike Safe Course, if I'd been on the racing line I'd have hit it
On the road I've never dropped a bike - but I have on my gravel drive when pulling off a centre stand or something silly like that
Close shaves - one idiot pulling out of his drive on a country lane and loads of cars / vans cutting the corner on country roads.
Memorably a bin lorry who was straddling the white line on a lane to cut the corner, did it to me both on the trip out and the return an hour later ! That's where I was glad of the IAM / Bike Safe Course, if I'd been on the racing line I'd have hit it
Worst crash - into a bin lorry that turned across me (1 night in hospital with concussion, they were about to discharge me but I kept asking stupid questions like "why am I here?" so decided to keep me in for monitoring).
Several other minor crashes on my 125 mainly due to s
t tyres, poor conditions and aggressive teenage riding style. Also dropped bikes several times normally when trying to get them out my shed 
Several other minor crashes on my 125 mainly due to s
t tyres, poor conditions and aggressive teenage riding style. Also dropped bikes several times normally when trying to get them out my shed 1. Lost the rear & the bike slid out from under me. No injuries apart from bruising.
The funny thing was time dilation - I slid for what felt like ages, and tried to stand up while still moving. Oops.
2. On holidays - went for a quick blat up to a lookout to watch the sunset and ran out of road on the way back down. Stupidly was only wearing hiking boots (because it was only a 10 minute trip) and smashed my ankle into a rock and broke it. Oops again.
If I'd been wearing my proper boots I'd have been fine.
The funny thing was time dilation - I slid for what felt like ages, and tried to stand up while still moving. Oops.
2. On holidays - went for a quick blat up to a lookout to watch the sunset and ran out of road on the way back down. Stupidly was only wearing hiking boots (because it was only a 10 minute trip) and smashed my ankle into a rock and broke it. Oops again.
If I'd been wearing my proper boots I'd have been fine.
Only one significant on road incident - I got my rear tyre clipped a few years back by someone who drove through a very blatant red light a few minutes out from where I was working at the time. I was only doing around 20 in a 30 as it was VERY wet, fallen leaves, and a cold winter morning, but the clip sent the bike spinning with me pinned underneath. Bike had broken indicators front and rear right, right foot peg bent, exhausts scratched, but otherwise OK. Bastage drove off as if nothing had happened leaving me to pick myself and a Harley off the road. I felt sore all day at work, bruising started quite quickly, at lunch I taped up indicators and hammered the peg vaguely straight. Had a very sore ride home that evening and felt a bit stiff, went to the doctors the following day as my entire right side was black, turns out I'd broken 4 ribs, partially dislocated my shoulder, and fractured an ankle.
Off road, just the one significant one - When i was about 6 or 7 I had a bad accident on my PW80 that broke my leg in mulitple places - ended up with a walking stick for just under 2 years which made primary school an interesting experience!
Otherwise I've had a couple of sphincter puckering moments over the years of commuting; generally during summer rather than winter.
Off road, just the one significant one - When i was about 6 or 7 I had a bad accident on my PW80 that broke my leg in mulitple places - ended up with a walking stick for just under 2 years which made primary school an interesting experience!
Otherwise I've had a couple of sphincter puckering moments over the years of commuting; generally during summer rather than winter.
First was shortly after I passed my test. Came up to a staggered X roads. As approached the junction could see nothing coming left or right, so dodn't stop, just rolled out into the junction at about 10-15mph and started accellerating off up the road. At the same time, a transit got to the opposing junction about 20 yards further up, looked to his right, before I was even at the junction, looked left, saw nothing pulled out into the side of my now passing bike.
Poor guy was really shaken. We loaded my broken bike in the back of his van, he took me home, and *I* had to make hot sweet tea to calm him down. I'd called work to advise I would be in work that morning. They did a MID check and called me back, while he was trying to remember who he was insured with. It was a bit surreal for him, for me to tell him who he was insured with, and asking him to report the collision whilst still in my flat, from my phone, so the claim wouldn't be delayed.
Second, just hit by a young driver just changing lanes ns to os, coming up to traffic lights without using his mirrors. Got sent sliding a few yards down the road under the bike. Whilst still lying in the road, he leapt out, apologising. Said it was his first accident, and he didn't know what to do! Given I work in claims, I was fully able to inform him. I ensured he took all the photos of the debris field, damage to his bike, to ensure there would be no disputes.
Third, riding down a long country lane, only doing 50 or so in a 60, as it was late after a long day in the office. In the distance is an oncoming vehicle. Then about 100 yards away, it becomes 2 oncoming vehicles, filling the road (both larger people carrier types). Thats when I took up off-road motorcycling for the first time, on my little SV, to avoid a head on. Just felt the touch of Death's scythe, as I left the road, with the oncoming vehicle just brushing past me. I felt the wind, if not an actual impact. There were plenty of witnesses, the 2 idiots had been road raging each other for a couple of miles, and just not concentrating. One guy desperate to get past, and so got to a stretch of straight road and booted it past the other. NO one got the plates, and so a claim to the MIB.
I am a slow, safe sensible rider (probably due to what I do for a living), but its sometimes impossible to avoid a collision, if someone is so close, and does somethign so stupid.
Poor guy was really shaken. We loaded my broken bike in the back of his van, he took me home, and *I* had to make hot sweet tea to calm him down. I'd called work to advise I would be in work that morning. They did a MID check and called me back, while he was trying to remember who he was insured with. It was a bit surreal for him, for me to tell him who he was insured with, and asking him to report the collision whilst still in my flat, from my phone, so the claim wouldn't be delayed.
Second, just hit by a young driver just changing lanes ns to os, coming up to traffic lights without using his mirrors. Got sent sliding a few yards down the road under the bike. Whilst still lying in the road, he leapt out, apologising. Said it was his first accident, and he didn't know what to do! Given I work in claims, I was fully able to inform him. I ensured he took all the photos of the debris field, damage to his bike, to ensure there would be no disputes.
Third, riding down a long country lane, only doing 50 or so in a 60, as it was late after a long day in the office. In the distance is an oncoming vehicle. Then about 100 yards away, it becomes 2 oncoming vehicles, filling the road (both larger people carrier types). Thats when I took up off-road motorcycling for the first time, on my little SV, to avoid a head on. Just felt the touch of Death's scythe, as I left the road, with the oncoming vehicle just brushing past me. I felt the wind, if not an actual impact. There were plenty of witnesses, the 2 idiots had been road raging each other for a couple of miles, and just not concentrating. One guy desperate to get past, and so got to a stretch of straight road and booted it past the other. NO one got the plates, and so a claim to the MIB.
I am a slow, safe sensible rider (probably due to what I do for a living), but its sometimes impossible to avoid a collision, if someone is so close, and does somethign so stupid.
I've not had many, a couple of slide off's on the road when my ambition outweighed my ability when I had L plates (34 years ago), one medium sized off at a trackday and I've dropped a bike twice in the last 7 years, I have a knackered ankle after the first accident I had and suffer badly with arthritis in it now, which is annoying.
A couple of minor slides on the road due to diesel . Its very surreal with earplugs in, all very civilised to the point you think holy st this is a hell of a lean angle. The next few days hurt for some reason but I rode back home.
One big accident knocked me out and broke a few bones into the side of a car turning left with left indicator on then decided to pull a you turn. His left indicator was still on when the police arrived .
It was on tv back in around 1996-1998 on some NTL tv channel called speed, Derbyshire police had there film crew on board. I still have the video somewhere in the loft of the aftermath and me shouting is "Anybody Hurt"
The driver eventually got prosecuted for careless driving.
My memory is still st and took a good year to get back to any normality. All this before the begging fraudulent accident claim culture. I got my bike paid for and £2700 in damages 
t this is a hell of a lean angle. The next few days hurt for some reason but I rode back home. One big accident knocked me out and broke a few bones into the side of a car turning left with left indicator on then decided to pull a you turn. His left indicator was still on when the police arrived .
It was on tv back in around 1996-1998 on some NTL tv channel called speed, Derbyshire police had there film crew on board. I still have the video somewhere in the loft of the aftermath and me shouting is "Anybody Hurt"
The driver eventually got prosecuted for careless driving.
My memory is still s
t and took a good year to get back to any normality. All this before the begging fraudulent accident claim culture. I got my bike paid for and £2700 in damages Most of my "incidents" took place in my late teens and early 20s when I was obviously invincible.
I got a physics lesson on my moped in 1975 on a corner a damp service road and discovered visors get scratched when they slide under a parked car's front number plate.
And a year later I found out there was a limit to how quickly I could (or maybe couldn't) go around a roundabout outside a pub packed with people outside - still I gave them a laugh! Lucky my bike had crash bars, because it needed them.
Then in 1978 I discovered that doing a "stoppy" was best done with the bike in a straight line. But my RD250 wasn't when I decided to find out how good a front disc brake was. Which didn't end very well, but luckily it was a quiet road with no spectators!
My last event was in 1982 when I dropped my Z650C2 using too much front brake on a loose surface.
So maybe I got the hang of things!
I got a physics lesson on my moped in 1975 on a corner a damp service road and discovered visors get scratched when they slide under a parked car's front number plate.
And a year later I found out there was a limit to how quickly I could (or maybe couldn't) go around a roundabout outside a pub packed with people outside - still I gave them a laugh! Lucky my bike had crash bars, because it needed them.
Then in 1978 I discovered that doing a "stoppy" was best done with the bike in a straight line. But my RD250 wasn't when I decided to find out how good a front disc brake was. Which didn't end very well, but luckily it was a quiet road with no spectators!
My last event was in 1982 when I dropped my Z650C2 using too much front brake on a loose surface.
So maybe I got the hang of things!
Back in the days of yore I rode my Fizzy back from a party while under the influence of various things. Raining, pitch black, st tyres, & only the rear brake had any function. I think I locked up the back wheel going round a sharp right hander & vaguely remember seeing sparks come off the handlebar. I staggered out of bed the following morning to find the bar end ground down, but absolutely no other damage to the bike, me, or my clothes. I think my 'safety' kit comprised of normal jeans, tennis shoes, an ancient rain coat, ski gloves & a third hand Griffin lid which was way too big for my bonce. How I got away with it I have no idea.....
t tyres, & only the rear brake had any function. I think I locked up the back wheel going round a sharp right hander & vaguely remember seeing sparks come off the handlebar. I staggered out of bed the following morning to find the bar end ground down, but absolutely no other damage to the bike, me, or my clothes. I think my 'safety' kit comprised of normal jeans, tennis shoes, an ancient rain coat, ski gloves & a third hand Griffin lid which was way too big for my bonce. How I got away with it I have no idea.....Biker 1 said:
Back in the days of yore I rode my Fizzy back from a party while under the influence of various things. Raining, pitch black, st tyres, & only the rear brake had any function. I think I locked up the back wheel going round a sharp right hander & vaguely remember seeing sparks come off the handlebar. I staggered out of bed the following morning to find the bar end ground down, but absolutely no other damage to the bike, me, or my clothes. I think my 'safety' kit comprised of normal jeans, tennis shoes, an ancient rain coat, ski gloves & a third hand Griffin lid which was way too big for my bonce. How I got away with it I have no idea.....
I lost count of the amount of times I came off my Fizzy t tyres, & only the rear brake had any function. I think I locked up the back wheel going round a sharp right hander & vaguely remember seeing sparks come off the handlebar. I staggered out of bed the following morning to find the bar end ground down, but absolutely no other damage to the bike, me, or my clothes. I think my 'safety' kit comprised of normal jeans, tennis shoes, an ancient rain coat, ski gloves & a third hand Griffin lid which was way too big for my bonce. How I got away with it I have no idea.....The worst injuries I ever sustained from riding a motorbike involved no crash at all, didn't even drop the bike!
Lost the front end braking on a greasy road... from about 5-10 mph. Caught it the first time but then ran out of space, in hindsight I should have just kept it straight and bumped in to the car in front rather than trying to stop and dropping the bike when the front locked again and went sideways.
Lots.... but mostly on track trackdays and racing, some me being optimistic, but most getting caught up in the aftermath of someone else's accident.
Couple of road accidents, big one when I first started riding cracked a few vertebrae in my neck, last one was 2012 got taken out by a woman with a car full of screaming kids, punted me off into a wall, wrote the bike off and I ended up with both legs broken and 3 compressed spinal fractures.... lots of recovery/physio and a 18 month legal battle to eventually win the case.
Couple of road accidents, big one when I first started riding cracked a few vertebrae in my neck, last one was 2012 got taken out by a woman with a car full of screaming kids, punted me off into a wall, wrote the bike off and I ended up with both legs broken and 3 compressed spinal fractures.... lots of recovery/physio and a 18 month legal battle to eventually win the case.
I split my biking life into 2 categories:
1) 1997 - 2000 Fizzy, RD125, RG125. Had various spills on all of these. The worst being on the Fizzy, I had been go karting with mates and when we came out it had been snowing all afternoon. We only had 7-8 miles to ride but I was behind an HGV on a dual carriageway, looked over my shoulder to see if it was clear to overtake in which time the lorry had stopped and I piled straight into the back of him. 16 year old idiocy being far too close to him, but I managed to walk away unscathed although the bike required a new frame! I also stuffed my RD125 trying to get my knee down for a college video
2) 2007 - Current. Took my DAS in 07 and had various bikes but managed to keep them all shiny side up (touchwood of course!) I don't do big miles anymore and only ride in the wet if I'm caught out. Can say I've been lucky on occasion doing the usual coming into a bend too hot and ending up wide into the opposite lane, but it's a rare occasion these days.
1) 1997 - 2000 Fizzy, RD125, RG125. Had various spills on all of these. The worst being on the Fizzy, I had been go karting with mates and when we came out it had been snowing all afternoon. We only had 7-8 miles to ride but I was behind an HGV on a dual carriageway, looked over my shoulder to see if it was clear to overtake in which time the lorry had stopped and I piled straight into the back of him. 16 year old idiocy being far too close to him, but I managed to walk away unscathed although the bike required a new frame! I also stuffed my RD125 trying to get my knee down for a college video
2) 2007 - Current. Took my DAS in 07 and had various bikes but managed to keep them all shiny side up (touchwood of course!) I don't do big miles anymore and only ride in the wet if I'm caught out. Can say I've been lucky on occasion doing the usual coming into a bend too hot and ending up wide into the opposite lane, but it's a rare occasion these days.
Passed my test two months ago, had my first scare within 5 minutes of being out on my own when a van pulled out on me. Swift application of the brakes saw me come to no harm. Got home, had to lean forward, whilst on the bike, to open the shed door, reached a little too far and lost my footing, bike fell on top of my leg. Minor bruising and a broken footpeg.
I done more damage to myself picking the bike afterwards when I strained my back trying to lift it back up. (I now have a healthy understanding of how much 200 kgs is! )
I done more damage to myself picking the bike afterwards when I strained my back trying to lift it back up. (I now have a healthy understanding of how much 200 kgs is! )
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