What lessons have you learned from crashing?

[JohnnyBravo]

that guy never did post the pic of when he wheelied into the side of his garage
Do it through a big window like in the movies yo!!!

[LoneRonin]

lean, lean and lean harder!!

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by LoneRonin

lean, lean and lean harder!!

sounds like marquez' philosophy, lean until the tires aren't on the ground then lean more to put them back on the ground

[LoneRonin]

Originally Posted by Sirref

sounds like marquez' philosophy, lean until the tires aren't on the ground then lean more to put them back on the ground

lol I do want this helmet...





The other day I took an on ramp hard...had an "Oh **** the guardrail moment"...then it was "Oh ****...I never knew I could lean that much"

[Sirref]

I want several of the rossi helmets personally, those designs so sick

[JohnnyBravo]

I learned that going straight off the road isn't the same as the runoff on a track... Ya might wind up in a pond

[ally99]

I learned to listen to that there gut. I also learned that even with loads of experience, idiotic moments can sneak in there and remind us we're still human.

I learned I can break.

I learned one split second of lack of focus can be traumatic.

All of this I thought I had already learned, but I learned that apparently I hadn't.

[APEmike]

lesson learned: less throttle, more clutch, keep 2 fingers on clutch, 2 on the bar.
Price of lesson: $3,849.72, 6 weeks down time from fractured arm, fractured ego.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by APEmike

lesson learned: less throttle, more clutch, keep 2 fingers on clutch, 2 on the bar.
Price of lesson: $3,849.72, 6 weeks down time from fractured arm, fractured ego.

what did you do? loop it?

[csmith12]

Michael

[alex.s]

jeez, hope you didn't get run over at the start.

[APEmike]

@alex.s I really wish I had a story that cool! Just one of those aforementioned lapses in concentration. I was just taking off a little quickly from a stop sign, a block away from my destination (home) and my hand was not as smooth as it should have been.

I know how I hurt my arm, landed slightly off from flat on my back and put pressure on it. I was wearing my Joe Rocket jacket but armor wont save stuff from too much weight on it. Now, how my right big toe got fractured as well, I dont think I will ever know... I was wearing my heavy leather/steel toe high top tactical work boots. I landed on my back, not my feet. And my feet were the last things to leave the bike.

Surprisingly, my butt didnt start to hurt untill 2 weeks later when I got the estimate from the dealer... Coincidence?

[cbinker]

Lessons from crashing:

Dont blame the bike or pavement, find out what i did wrong.

[csmith12]

You will never forget the sound. The scraping sound is deafening.

[cbinker]

what if you are already deaf?

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by cbinker

what if you are already deaf?

Been there, seen that this year too. The deaf riders rail just the same.

[Sirref]

Originally Posted by cbinker

what if you are already deaf?

You still feel the vibrations, you'll never forget that.


source: I have mild hearing loss that was worse as a kid and predicted to be worse so I have met multiple deaf people and chatted with them about their experiences to understand it better, typically by using a pad and paper because signing is difficult as hell.

[cbinker]

hearing has never been my strong suit, i remember more of the sudden slowing rate of speed and sometimes the sense of floating.

[alex.s]

that low rumble thudding, a medium pitched sound that might be cardboard tearing, with a slightly higher pitched cardboard dragging sound, and this sheering tire sound like someone is dragging their tennies on the hardwood. with a high pitched grinding screech and lots of little ticks and plunks.


you never forget that sound.

[APEmike]

Wow, I actually played that whole thing out in my head just now...

[catseye]

how very, very fleeting life can be, how you happen to randomly land will determine recovering or never recovering, and dying from a wreck isn't the worst thing that can happen to you. And somehow, for some reason, we'll tempt fate again, because [insert meme here].....

[backinthesaddleagain]

I learned cold tire crashes can happen at low speeds.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Road crew trimming trees disturbed a large nest just before I road through. Me and wildlife don't get along very well. I have been attached by the following; wasps, owls (3 different times, wow right?!?!?!?), dogs and large turtle (whole other thread on this).

Oddly enough, I have scuba dived with sharks without incident. Go Figure

Seems I am not the only one with terrible luck in KY...

Link to original page on YouTube.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Seems I am not the only one with terrible luck in KY...

Link to original page on YouTube.

Who knew you had to water your chickens!

[CC Cowboy]

Most of my crashes have happened in the garage. Sometimes I can take two bikes out at a time. I just dropped my Harris, pulling it out on the rear stand it fell off the stand when I hit the ridge between the garage and driveway. Only broke the clutch lever, but still!

[asellus]

I learned that applying the front brake while turning over sand on near-bald tires is a bad plan.

Oh, to be young again. Fortunately now I'm more (less?) sane and don't run into new things blindly, such as riding!

[Misti]

Originally Posted by LoneRonin

lean, lean and lean harder!!

Well, sometimes this works but I think there are better techniques to learn or focus on than lean and lean harder. What about proper steering techniques, quick turning and body position that help get you around the corner safely? What about avoiding mistakes that cause you to feel like you have to lean harder?

What is the most common mistake that riders make that cause them to have to add lean angle mid corner or lean harder in order to not run wide?

Originally Posted by cbinker

Lessons from crashing:

Dont blame the bike or pavement, find out what i did wrong.

Absolutely. Figure out what you did wrong.

[akima]

Originally Posted by asellus

I learned that applying the front brake while turning over sand on near-bald tires is a bad plan.

I burst out laughing when I read that, thanks

Really: I don't think people need to learn that anymore than they need to learn not to dive head first, blind, into open manholes in the street.

Some possible things someone could learn from a situation like the one you described would be to constantly observe the condition of the street and to keep their speed below that which is required to safely ride the observable road. Also: that it's generally better to react and adjust before a potential dangerous situation arises to avoid it, than it is to wait until an actual dangerous situation occurs and react then.

[Ralgha]

Originally Posted by akima

Really: I don't think people need to learn that anymore than they need to learn not to dive head first, blind, into open manholes in the street..

Link to original page on YouTube.

[akima]

OK. I take it back.

[Finesse]

1) buy an arai
2) never go commando in case they have to cut your pants off
3) carry your health insurance card with you
4) don't attempt to remove mx boots if you suspect a broken leg or you could literally pull your leg apart

[CC Cowboy]

It doesn't really hurt until you get old. Then all those mishaps come back with a vengeance.

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by caps

dont follow so closely... they WILL brake check a bike... even on a highway

Tailgating on a motorcycle is as stupid a "lane splitting". I don't care what bike you ride, a car can stop in a shorter distance than a bike.

Bill

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Ram Jet

Tailgating on a motorcycle is as stupid a "lane splitting". I don't care what bike you ride, a car can stop in a shorter distance than a bike.

Bill

However; if it's a VW Beetle you can ride right over it, or a Prius, you can ride right through it.

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

However; if it's a VW Beetle you can ride right over it, or a Prius, you can ride right through it.

Dang! Good point Will!

Bill

[CaliGrrl]

Lane splitting is actually safer in stop-and-crawl traffic than being in the lanes where cars are likely to crush you. Splitting, most traffic is relatively stable and the bike is safely in the middle. You watch for cars changing, but once traffic stops people don't change as much. Plus, they're stopped so they can't just jump over. They have to plan it at least a little, which gives time to see them.

[Ram Jet]

Originally Posted by CaliGrrl

Lane splitting is actually safer in stop-and-crawl traffic than being in the lanes where cars are likely to crush you. Splitting, most traffic is relatively stable and the bike is safely in the middle. You watch for cars changing, but once traffic stops people don't change as much. Plus, they're stopped so they can't just jump over. They have to plan it at least a little, which gives time to see them.

I was just waiting for a comment from a So. Cal. biker. Lane splitters are also likely to pass on the right on a freeway. Another really stupid thing to do on a bike or automobile. I nearly creamed a biker a couple of years ago. If I'm not driving with my hair on fire I poop along at the speed limit. If I'm holding up traffic I pull to the right lane. One day I'm pooping along the freeway and decide to occupy the lane to the right of me. I look to my right to make sure nobody's in my blind spot - it's cool, I'm clear. I put my right signal on and begin to pull to the right. I looked over my shoulder as I began my turn and and bingo, there's some $$$hole probably cranking 80 M.P.H about to pass me on the right. If I hadn't looked at the last minute he would have been having lunch with the Lord.

I'll keep you in my prayers hot rod.

Bill

[allanoue]

Originally Posted by Ram Jet

I was just waiting for a comment from a So. Cal. biker. Lane splitters are also likely to pass on the right on a freeway. Another really stupid thing to do on a bike or automobile. I nearly creamed a biker a couple of years ago. If I'm not driving with my hair on fire I poop along at the speed limit. If I'm holding up traffic I pull to the right lane. One day I'm pooping along the freeway and decide to occupy the lane to the right of me. I look to my right to make sure nobody's in my blind spot - it's cool, I'm clear. I put my right signal on and begin to pull to the right. I looked over my shoulder as I began my turn and and bingo, there's some $$$hole probably cranking 80 M.P.H about to pass me on the right. If I hadn't looked at the last minute he would have been having lunch with the Lord.

I'll keep you in my prayers hot rod.

Bill

You need to reread that post. Strawman arguments mean nothing.
There is a reason cop's split in Cali, it is safer. Know your stats. Most of the world allows splitting because it is safer.
One caveat: where splitting is not legal, some people will try to take the law into their own hands and cut into you. Attempted manslaughter is a bigger no-no than splitting and why I do not split in PA.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by Finesse

2) never go commando in case they have to cut your pants off

bwahaha! Facetious, or actual life experience?

[CaliGrrl]

I don't know that lane-splitters are more likely to pass on the right. Everybody passes everywhere here; I'm not sure I'd notice right-side passing more than anything else.

My splitting is done sanely, 10-20 mph faster than traffic, and generally only when traffic is moving very slowly. You can do splitting sanely, or you can do it like a nut. Choices. Like most things.