Any Near-Death experiences?

[lavid2002]

I can read statistics all day long, but has anyone here had a near death experience? Or has anyone here lost a friend or someone they knew to a motorcycle accident? Im curious....

[GreezMunky]

*jumps up and down waving my hands* I have so many stories about different people.. Then my own experiences. I've actually lost count of the times I've had cars try to merge into my same lane with me, pull out in front of me, almost rear end me (actually one of them did).. Motorcycling is dangerous, but for some, the risks are worth it.

[Broom]

Originally Posted by GreezMunky

*jumps up and down waving my hands* I have so many stories about different people.. Then my own experiences. I've actually lost count of the times I've had cars try to merge into my same lane with me, pull out in front of me, almost rear end me (actually one of them did).. Motorcycling is dangerous, but for some, the risks are worth it.

this is why i stopped riding on the street. i realized the risk out weighed the benefits.

i've had one friend become permanently brain damaged after crashing his bike (no one is sure what happened exactly since he was the sweeper of the group and always rode really safe), and i have another close friend who is paralyzed from the chest down after a car pulled out in front of him.

[GreezMunky]

Sorry to hear that Broom.. It's rough seeing friends get hurt that way.

[komohana]

i've seen my share certainly:

there was this navy kid who bought the last 2 stroke street bike (yamaha kenny roberts replica..rz/rd 350?) you could get. (1980's) met him on the way home at the gas station. he said he had some track time...road racing school..i invited him on a benefit run. that day i took him on some back roads and when he almost died twice i realized he was a noob. 2 weeks later, while running away from the cops with a 5th of jack daniel's in his jacket, he whacked this bridge and killed himself.

on another run, i was 4th from the front on the inside, staggered, when i noticed this pick up truck taking his turn wide, drifting into our lane and colliding with a harley rider just in front of me. i'll NEVER forget the sound of that. he went flying one way..i ended up grabbing front brake till i caught up to his bent and twisted ride and got launched over the handle bars. with no time to spare, i tumbled, got up and ran off the road cuz there was 40 other metal monsters coming! he survived w/permanent partial back farkles.

there's more...but ya get the idea...

[CC Cowboy]

Yep

[08_250R]

In 97 my friends and I were all at the lake after a day of hiking. I had a bad feeling and asked where Russ was, I was told he went on his cycle that way. For some reason I took off after him. I found him three corners later I barely seen the skid mark off the road. His rear locked up on his 89 Ex500 and he tried to go into the ditch to make a softer landing. He ended up hitting an entrance for a field. When I found him he was 30' from the road, gurgling blood. he punctured a lung, broke his back in three places, broke his neck in four places, and was in a coma for over a month. He wanted to dry his hair and never put his helmet on. He always wore it.. It sucked to leave to get help, but I had to. If I was 5 minutes later he would not have made it, lucky a EMT was at the beach when I went back to yell for a 911 call.

[Techno250]

All this makes me wonder a little if I really want a bike. Scares the crap outta me to think of being in an accident like the ones described here. But then, I think about the joy of riding, the pleasure of working on the bike, and that fear is pushed aside a little.

Originally Posted by Broom

this is why i stopped riding on the street. i realized the risk out weighed the benefits.

Funny, we watch NASCAR for the crashes, but bikes on the track are safer than on the street. Maybe that's a false distinction on my part. How many cages get into deadly or near-deadly accidents every day?

Screw it. I'm getting wings. It's the safest way to travel!

[08_250R]

We'll if it makes you feel any better he now has a CBR600RR. He hit his head so hard he cant remember a thing, so he has no fear...

[ARF07]

Originally Posted by Techno250

All this makes me wonder a little if I really want a bike. Scares the crap outta me to think of being in an accident like the ones described here. But then, I think about the joy of riding, the pleasure of working on the bike, and that fear is pushed aside a little.



Funny, we watch NASCAR for the crashes, but bikes on the track are safer than on the street. Maybe that's a false distinction on my part. How many cages get into deadly or near-deadly accidents every day?

Screw it. I'm getting wings. It's the safest way to travel!

IMO it's good to have a healthy fear (maybe a bad word to use) of riding. When you start feeling like you're invincible is when you're increasing you're risk of getting seriously hurt. There will always be risk, but there are things you can do to minimize that risk.

[BlueTyke]

Me personally my 'crashes' have been falling over at stops or going less than 10mph while trying to stop because of a cager.

A friend though... I know two riders who have died, their stories similiar to above. I remember them for who they were and not how they died. The sad thing is I lost them both while living in MD and they ride in CA so there was nothing I could do.

Another friend, roomate really, crashed and lived but was a mess. It was late at night early morning really when he was heading home. (No alcohol btw) He was parallel to some Light Rail tracks. He was going at a decent speed but nothing to extreme, there were two other riders with him. All of a sudden he was hard on the breaks. A guy had jumped out into the road in front of him. He was breaking and swerving to miss him. The bike went down, flung him, flipped and continued. (it apparently hit the guy but not hard enough to do him perminant damage. My friend though ended up being flung and crumpled on the light rail tracks.

Gear he had on: Helmet, gloves, jeans, shoes, and luckily a protection vest (like the back protector things but it is formed into a vest.)

His damages as I know them, broken legs, some internal bleeding, road rash, cuts bruses, the worst part is... although they didn't know what caused it specifically.. he litterally got torn a new butt hole... He had to have a calostomy bag put in while it healed. This was three years ago. He is fully recovered and only has a slight limp.

[Realirony]

I've only been riding since Jan of this year, but I've been trying to be safe, I follow cars by a large distance because I have a tail-gating problem while in my cage >.> I have had cars pull out in front of me and just stare at me like its my fault. Just the other week I was making a cut through the mall parking garage to get back towards my apartment and what I assume was some mall employee (the mall was closed at the time) came speeding down the garage ramp and I had to swerve to miss her from mowing me over. She slammed on brakes and gave me a few choice words about how I shouldnt have my little bike in a parking garage...

As far as other people I know having hardships, one of my co-workers was leaving a university where his son went to school at, he had rode his Shadow down there for the weekend to visit his kid. On the way back from the university he had to take US-264 a major highway between Raleigh and Greenville. He was following the flow of traffic at the speed limit of 70 mph. He was riding into the sun so he allowed a good amount of distance between him and other cars. The car he was following made an emergency swerve to miss a car that was broken down half on the road and half on the curb. MY co-worker didnt see what was in front of this car he was following til it swerved and by then it was too late for him. He put on the front brakes and hit the front end of the car sticking out going about 60mph he was thrown more than 20' or so (he was wearing full gear) but he broke both legs, his back, one arm, knocked a few teeth out and is paralyzed from the neck down now. It's strange to see him the way he is now after he used to play ball with me for all these years but he seems to still have a strong outlook on life.

I'm just hoping that I never have to make split decision moves on my bike (although I know I will have to eventually). I've had only 2 close calls where I actually felt my heart stop and adrenaline pump through me. But it's just part of being on the street. Just gotta be smart and look out for the crazies I suppose >.<

[Broom]

Originally Posted by Techno250

bikes on the track are safer than on the street. Maybe that's a false distinction on my part.

its way safer on the track. when i first started riding i thought doing a track day or something was crazy, but then i got ahold of a mini bike (ysr50) and started racing.

i've been riding for about 6 years, and racing for about 5 years. i've known/seen people get mangled and even die on the street and track, but the numbers are far greater and there is much more carnage for the street riders i know. that says a lot considering most of the people i know now are all track junkies and rarely (if ever) ride on the street.

[Rawr]

i wrecked on the interstate going 70...lost control after hitting some bad pavement....layed it down....not badly hurt...some cuts and scrapes...i remember my head hitting the ground....it sounded terrible....ive ridden twice since then (it was 3 weeks ago) and ive been pretty damn scared...i tense up at every bump and weird road feeling....i have it in my head that the bike is just going to suddenly fall out from under me....its lost its stable feeling...but i dont plan to quit...i just gotta ride some more and get my confidence back

[speedgsx98]

Well guys again...must put my I'm an experienced rider badge on and share my wisdom after 16 years of motorcycling on the street, being known as the stoppie king of my group of friends/aquaintances. And being pretty good at wheelies to riding them for nearly a mile long sometimes. Former motorcycle mechanic, motorcycle shop manager, salesman at big 4 japanese dealership, and working in the aftermarket parts supplier segment of the industry.

I actually got a 250 NInja to reign in the tendencies listed above. I believe more accidents are the riders fault than the cars. Knowing you're at a disadvantage, it's your responsibility to go slow, and look around for potential hazards.

I.E. You're going 60 in a 45mph zone, not too bad right? We'll in a car, no...but on a bike, you've seriously compromised your ability to slow or panic stop safely, or even give you time to make a decision.

I like to say that 90% or more of motorcycle accidents are rider error. Typically going to fast. Yes, there are the other 10%!!! I know. But most people, almost all that I know or have heard of that got torqued have been driving too fast relative to the posted speed limit. So, that's that. And yes, I have stories too. But basically, over the years, you learn where it's smart to go fast, and where it's dumb. I'll shorten it for you.

Dumb: Anywhere you are unfamiliar with the road riding on a motorcycle, forget about your experience on that road in your car. You will notice things about the road that you never noticed in your car that are potential hazards.

Dumb: Anywhere around other cars. Basically, when you're a car looking to pull out onto a street with a 45mph limit, you're not assuming there's a guy on a motorcycle going 90 just out of your view.

Basically, SLOW DOWN! Be Ultra cautious. Sunday mornings, when the roads are dead, get up early and go for a rip! That's the best time!

[komohana]

jon, i'm with ya 100%
THEE best, and most safest place to hone your speed skills is on the track, for all the obvious reasons. if there was a local track on kauai, man i'd be all over that sucker...there are just SO many variables that are not under our control on the streets, that i'd have to agree with speedgsx in that the onus of safe road riding falls upon the person at the bars & on the pegs.
..and as moronic as it may sound, i also learned that there IS a time and place to ride 'faster than the average bear'.

but beware if you're not on the track...

that so called "time and place" can vanish in an instant, and what happens next will depend on your where you've placed yourself the moment your track turns back into a public road.

[capt_bugaloo]

Originally Posted by Techno250

All this makes me wonder a little if I really want a bike.

If it's any consolation, think about how many people you know who have been hurt in a car, and compare to how many have been hurt on a motorcycle. I realize its a bit of an unfair comparison, but I bet you know a lot more folks injured in car crashes than on a moto.

Funny how we all know people hurt or killed in car crashes, yet no one hesitates to drive in a car. Then you get a motorcycle, and immediately the same folks will start lecturing you on how dangerous motorcycles are.

If someone really wants to be safe, he/she should just stay home and watch TV....

[lavid2002]

just curious, Statistics are getting old I wanted to ask you guys.

[Broom]

Originally Posted by komohana

there are just SO many variables that are not under our control on the streets, that i'd have to agree with speedgsx in that the onus of safe road riding falls upon the person at the bars & on the pegs.
..and as moronic as it may sound, i also learned that there IS a time and place to ride 'faster than the average bear'.

which is exactly why i found the fun/risk ratio to be unsatisfactory after i found out what i could do on the track and how dangerous it was on the street

i still enjoy commuting and stuff every now and then, but i ride pretty conservatively. that gets pretty boring, and boring+unsafe just isn't any fun. plus i got a kid to haul around half the time anyways.

[Mista Bob]

Oddly enough... Despite what everyone tells me about bikes.
I've found riding a motorcycle to be safer then being off one so far.

All near death experiences and various other dangerous situations have all happened while either walking or in a car.
Riding a bike has been somewhat uneventful for me, had people cut me off and what not, sure.
But nothing that I wasn't prepared for.

So yeah, walking and those cage things are dangerous.
I say we ban them and make riding motorcycles mandatory.

[Sailariel]

Had a few near death experiences in Vietnam--when we were in firefights and such. Been riding motorcycles for 50 years and can`t recall ever having one. I know that I am in a minority--I do NOT consider motorcycles as being dangerous. Today`s machines are well engineered, have superb brakes, and have tyres that are first rate. If one uses his/her intelligence, there is no reason, in my view, to believe that the motorcycle of today is less safe than an automobile. The engineers at Kawasaki, Honda, and Harley Davidson are not asleep at the wheel. In this country (USA) motorcycles are viewed primarily as a recreation thing and a sport. Elsewhere in this world, they are essential transportation. It all depends at how you, the rider, sees things. I have treated my bikes as transportation with the added benifit of enjoyment for 50 years. I have never crashed on a motorcycle or in a cage. It is all about concentration and not allowing things around you to distract you. You may think that this stance makes for boring driving--quite to the contrary--concentrating on the "perfect line" in a turn and smoothness in throttle control, at least to me, beats the hell out of listening to an I-Pod or talking on a cell phone. I have never been good at multi-tasking--It` a generational thing.

[komohana]

i feel ya alex...it's not the motorcycle in and of itself that's the danger.

if i felt/thought or sincerely believed motorcycles in and of itself are the superior death trap that alot of non-riders believe them to be, i wouldn't be who i am today.

[Mista Bob]

I actually feel safer on a bike then in a car.
Or at least I feel more comfortable, which translates to feeling safer.
And I know very well the dangers of riding, so I'm not just oblivious or anything.

[wyckedflesh]

500+K miles on 2 wheels... 1 not at fault, solo bike accident (unexplainable mechanical failure) It has taken me 4 years to get enough control of my right hand to feel comfortable navigating traffic again.

200+K miles on 4 wheels...3 not at fault injury accidents-1 being a fatality accident, the other two requiring the Jaws of Life.

I have picked up (present for their accidents) 3 friends from the roads, 2 of them were their faults, the 3rd was from a drunk driver.

I have aided 3 maybe 4 unknowns in accidents.

I have had to go to the coroners office for someone I taught to ride, paid for her MSF course, sold her first bike to her...

The 3 car accidents are the only things that have TRULY scared the living shite out of me. Hell, on my bike accident I was yelling at the kid to leave my helmet alone, "You can't breath man, I gotta get it off you!" "You dumb a$$, if I can't breath then how come I am yelling at you!"

[Kolya1981]

Definitely feel safer on the bike in many cases. If you are practicing good riding habits then you are instantly more aware of your surroundings and what other people are doing. There are numerous occasions that I can think of that being on a bike allowed me to save my own butt. Just Friday I had a 5 deer bolt right out in front of me, in my truck or Mustang I would be eating venison for dinner. Which is all fine and dandy except for the massive damage it would have caused to the vehicle. But on the bike I was able to pull a safety stop in a much shorter distance then possible with a car and avoided hitting any of them.

As with anything there is a risk. And its best not to dwell on the risk, because if you are focusing on the possible injuries you are not fully focusing on riding. Best thing to do is gear up, ride safe, and enjoy the ride!

[capt_bugaloo]

Originally Posted by wyckedflesh

Hell, on my bike accident I was yelling at the kid to leave my helmet alone, "You can't breath man, I gotta get it off you!" "You dumb a$$, if I can't breath then how come I am yelling at you!"

Incredible. You'd think someone would actually take a couple of seconds to look and see if you're breathing before they try yanking your helmet off your head...