which one are you?

[sombo]

I know we've all heard the saying "there are two types of bikers: those that have been down, and those that are going to be down." Well tonight I joined the down club.

It was my own stupidity and I think what got hurt the most was my pride on being a smart, safe rider. Was following my friend in his mustang and we were in the left hand lane of a 3 land one way road. We needed to get over to the right to make the right hand turn where this street empties out on to another road. There was a truck in the next lane over, up ahead was an s-curve then the light.

My friend sped up to get over in front of the truck before the curve and all was good. I tried to follow fully in the idea of cutting the turn tight by going into the next lane. I started to do that but felt that the truck was just too close and let up on the lean a little. I realized then (too late) that I was now going to be going too fast for the turn. I tried to straighten up and brake hard but it wasn't enough. I hit the curb and dumped into the grass/dirt on the outside of the turn.

The truck stopped and had like 6 guys in it that all said they ride too and checked up on me to make sure I was alright. Luckily the only damage to my baby that I can find is a spot on the front fender and a minor readjustment to the gearshift lever. The only damage I took was a slight bruise to the inside of my right knee, minor abrasion on my left elbow in the pattern of my jacket liner (not even 3 weeks old that jacket), and minor bruising and small abrasion on my left thigh where the rest of my keys (house, mailbox, car) were. The only marks I can find on my gear are a couple minor dirt sports on the white part of my jacket, other then that, no other damage.

I mostly felt like a fool cause I knew better, I've been on that turn hundreds of times. That and just the fact of putting my sweet baby down.

So which category do you fit in? Feel free to share stories, even if you've posted it elsewhere.

[Dano]

About 4 years ago on my previous bike. Combination of too fast into corner and spots of gravel in the bend tried to avoid them and ended up tucking the front wheel, lowsided slid under a metal guardrail. Bike had front end damage. Cost me appx $1500.00 to repair myself. Lesson learned: take it a little easier on unfamilliar roads, if it is a awsome corner you can just turn around and run the section of road again and again if you want. I did learn alot more about the bike because I repaired it 100 percent myself, sourced all the parts used on ebay and various forums.

[CC Cowboy]

Is this a sexual question?

[Snake]

Yes I have been down.

[Apex]

My body has hit the pavement at speed on a motorcycle.

[CC Cowboy]

The only thing better than crashing is posting about it.

[Snake]

^^^ Crashing is never good but hopefully some of us can learn a lesson from the mistakes of others.

[Snake]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

The only thing better than crashing is posting about it.

I'll bet you think there should be a sub-forum for crashes.

[utahninja]

I don't like to vote "going to be down" as I intend to avoid this from happening. I believe there is a slight chance of never going down on a bike.

The PO of my bike did drop her around a corner when she hit some gravel on the road, so maybe she wont want to take another drop with me.

[Daeldren]

U turn on a tight road, back wheel hit some sand and low-sided. Nothing major other than a bruised leg and ego. Of course I had a few low speed drops when I was first learning to ride as well.

Had plenty of scares locking up the rear end or taking decreasing radius turns too fast but always managed to make it out fine in the end.

[rockNroll]

Neither choice applies to me

[Samer]

Never dropped my bike, but I did drop the MSF bike my second day of the riding course a while back. I had never ridden prior to that. Does that count? I was practicing the hard stopping at a cone and I was riding a Buell Blast. So it had decent acceleration relative to the other 125 bikes, it had rained earlier and I was grabbing the front brake kind of hard. The front tire locked up and I went down pretty much at a stand still. No biggie, picked it up and moved on.

As to the idea that everyone will go down. In my opinion, it is an absurd statement. Also, it is a bad attitude. The only purpose I see it serving is making someone who recently went down feel better about it. Ride safe and may you never go down. Peace.

[adri99an]

I'm surprised CC hasnt ripped into you....

I've been down and have been a better rider since....

People who think they aren't going to lay down their bike or not get into some kind of problem whether it's your fault or a cagers fault are just fooling themselves.........it can happen...it will happen...at any time...when you least expect it...when you think it won't happen....when you think it can't happen to you.....the best we could do is be prepared

Glad to hear you are okay!

[Verus Cidere]

I've been down. Good learning experience. Hoping the next time is as uneventful as the first. One fairing crack, a sore shoulder, and a broken bolt on an aftermarket mirror. I'm riding more carefully and less stupidly based on that.

[sombo]

Originally Posted by Samer

Never dropped my bike, but I did drop the MSF bike my second day of the riding course a while back. I had never ridden prior to that. Does that count? I was practicing the hard stopping at a cone and I was riding a Buell Blast. So it had decent acceleration relative to the other 125 bikes, it had rained earlier and I was grabbing the front brake kind of hard. The front tire locked up and I went down pretty much at a stand still. No biggie, picked it up and moved on.

As to the idea that everyone will go down. In my opinion, it is an absurd statement. Also, it is a bad attitude. The only purpose I see it serving is making someone who recently went down feel better about it. Ride safe and may you never go down. Peace.

Yah, that counts.

I used to feel that way right up till last night. Even in MSF they warned us that at some point you WILL go down. I didn't want to believe them either and rode defensively all the time with the idea that I could be that exception. But a majority of riders do end up going down at some point and for most it's not their fault. You could be driving totally safe and have some unseen debris like gravel or sand in the road cause you to go down. Some idiot driver could cause you to go down in some way. A mechanical failure suddenly making itself known causing a loss of control. Any number of factors out of your control can pop up at any time.

The main idea is that the world around you is not under your control and to keep as safe as possible. Always use gear, always ride like everyone is out to get you, never ride distracted, and keep vigilant. Do all that and you lower you chances of going down, but as I said, not everything is under your control when you ride.

But if this idea is in anyway offensive to others then you can have alex lock this or even delete it if you wish, it won't hurt my feelings.

[CRXTrek]

I stopped at the end of my sidewalk and put my foot down on a wet water meter cover.
Slow motion drop on the right side, does this count?

[Samer]

Originally Posted by sombo

Yah, that counts.

I used to feel that way right up till last night. Even in MSF they warned us that at some point you WILL go down. I didn't want to believe them either and rode defensively all the time with the idea that I could be that exception. But a majority of riders do end up going down at some point and for most it's not their fault. You could be driving totally safe and have some unseen debris like gravel or sand in the road cause you to go down. Some idiot driver could cause you to go down in some way. A mechanical failure suddenly making itself known causing a loss of control. Any number of factors out of your control can pop up at any time.

The main idea is that the world around you is not under your control and to keep as safe as possible. Always use gear, always ride like everyone is out to get you, never ride distracted, and keep vigilant. Do all that and you lower you chances of going down, but as I said, not everything is under your control when you ride.

But if this idea is in anyway offensive to others then you can have alex lock this or even delete it if you wish, it won't hurt my feelings.

Since you quoted me, I want to just clarify. At least for me, I'm not offended at all by it. I just don't agree with it. One of my closest friends is in the opposite political party as me. It's okay to have different opinions so no worries! It is hard to convey emotions on the internet. I used the word 'absurd' and maybe that was too strong. My apologies. I think we are actually in agreement anyway. You mentioned that most riders go down. Now, I guess because I'm a scientist I'd like to see if there have been studies done, but you're probably correct that it is more than 50%. However, I was being very technical in saying I'm certain it isn't literally 100%. The main thing I think we all agree on is that we should ride defensively, actively trying to limit the risks that we can control, still knowing that there are many factors outside our control that could still make us go down. Hence ATGATT. Cheers.

[joyinc]

I've gone down three times thankfully none on my ninja... and i like to think that all things happen in 3's, so that must mean that I am done dropping bikes

The first was in the class i took... we were on honda titans and EVERYONE was stalling out on those, even the experienced group. Well, I stalled while trying to turn left from a stop, and couldnt balance the bike when it chug'd forward.

The second time was on my little cbr125... i was having a day where i thought i was finally used to riding, ready to upgrade cause i was the best rider in the world kinda day... basically getting way ahead of myself... I turned too fast going into my driveway and almost hit the house, when i compensated, I fell over. I dont care what they say about women dropping bikes and getting lots of help... that wasnt the case for me! lots of people looked and kept going as i was struggling to lift my bike up. I had to go for help cause i couldnt do it. (this is why i'll never buy a really heavy bike!)

Third time... i was on the back of my ex's gsxr750... he pulls over and says i'm riding home. I had no troubles riding his bike ever, but i just dont do passengers. but i thought why not... he talked me into it. He's a skilled rider, but not so much a skilled passenger. As soon as he hopped on it felt like he was dancing back there. As soon as he said 'how the hell do you sit back here?' we went over. luckily he caught most of the bike (as did my leg) and there were no scratches whatsoever.

After that he practically forced me to get back on, knowing i'd never do that again if I didnt right then... and we actually made it home... I know I should have had better control, but he certainly learned to sit still after that.

It's funny, later after we split he was thinking about selling the bike to me, i said i didnt want it cause it'd been dropped

Personally I like the fact that I've dropped a bike. I'm not as scared when I ride anymore.

[2010zxrwolf]

While I don't agree with the "been down" or "going to be down" options. I do believe that 99% of riders do have a fall. Personally I've only had one fall, and it trying to stop at an intersection when my pistons seized on my brakes. Thankfully it was on my old zx2r 250c and easy to have fixed, and there was only minor damage to the bike. But I started riding with the understanding that there is all likelyhood that I will come off, and that it is something to work to avoid, but also to accept as a reality. That is the mindset of everyone I personally ride with and know. It works, and it keeps you from feeling too frustrated/upset with yourself in the event that you do go down. It would be like driving a car, but saying you will never scratch it. These things happen. Work to stop them and be prepared. If we never crashed we wouldn't need gear.

Sorry for the rant.. topic close to my heart..

[Sound Wave]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

The only thing better than crashing is posting about it.

or to elaborate a bit more, BEING ABLE to post about it.

sombo, sorry to hear you crashed your bike, but glad to hear it wasn't serious.

[Dano]

To all the riders that say there is a chance that they will never be down, I agree that there is a chance. But the more confidence you get the faster you go the lower the chance will be, its human nature to push the envelope a little bit more everytime you ride. I was one of you before I went down and said I wouldn't go down and guess what I did. Good luck.

[Talonne]

1x due to gravel alleyway, 1x due to a tilted surface and not being about to reach the ground properly on one side. Both times I was going about 0 mph. :P

[Mista Bob]

7 crashes here.

[Apex]

3 for me.

1 - '97 GS500: turned in on cold tires. Was going steady until I hit a rock. Back tire slid out and I hit the ground.
2 - Suzuki GZ250: MSF Course. Was doing a turn, then brake. I got on the brakes too soon and hard, hit the ground
3 - '07 Ninja 250 - Cold tires, leaned too far, pushed out the front.

[JeffM]

Yep.

[Hadyn]

Haven't been down, then again it's only been about a week. Best I can do is be prepared for a crash and then try as hard as I possibly can to avoid one.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Xoulrath]

Hi everyone, this is my first post to the site, though I have been lurking for a bit over a month since I got my 250 and someone from beginnerbikers.org pointed me in this site's direction. So I'm just gonna jump in and share my "drop" story which happened this past Saturday (May 8th).

Originally Posted by sombo

But a majority of riders do end up going down at some point and for most it's not their fault. You could be driving totally safe and have some unseen debris like gravel or sand in the road cause you to go down. Some idiot driver could cause you to go down in some way. A mechanical failure suddenly making itself known causing a loss of control. Any number of factors out of your control can pop up at any time.

As pointed out by sombo, anyone at any time could drop his/her bike, no matter how careful he/she is, simply because of circumstances out of anyone's control. As for me, I was just practicing Figure 8's while waiting for a friend in a bank parking lot. I tried to get a particular one as tight as possible, full well knowing I might be turning too tight. I wasn't worried because I decided since I was practicing, if I got too tight and felt the bike tip, I would just put my foot down. Well, I started to get too tight, decided to put my right foot down, and unfortunately the heel of my boot got caught up in the rear set just enough that I had to pull away from the bike with my leg to free my boot. This upset my right hand which yanked the bar full lock to the right and the bike just dropped. Thank goodness for frame sliders.

[tntremainiac]

Every 32 years...
like clockwork!

Didn't like it the first time, and it didn't improve with age.

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Samer

As to the idea that everyone will go down. In my opinion, it is an absurd statement. Also, it is a bad attitude. The only purpose I see it serving is making someone who recently went down feel better about it. Ride safe and may you never go down. Peace.

I doubt you'll find many people who've ridden 20+ years who would call this "common knowledge" absurd.

Fair warning is not bad attitude. The purpose is to remind new and old riders alike that your first/next fall is just around that corner. It's not to make people feel better, but to remind them to ride better, or at least that is how I see it.

Is it statistically accurate?...hard to say. Some people quit riding before they "go down," but then they become "non-riders."

I didn't fall for the first 100,000 miles, but eventually, I did fall. I've also seen several people drop the bike the first time they got on...twice on one of my bikes.

[alex.s]

well i've crashed my bike, but i haven't been down personally. hit a rock in the road (bending the rim), then a bush on the side (pulling off the muffler and scratching up the fairings)... so the bike was definitely crashed, but never on its side.

[adri99an]

Originally Posted by Jerry

I doubt you'll find many people who've ridden 20+ years who would call this "common knowledge" absurd.

Fair warning is not bad attitude. The purpose is to remind new and old riders alike that your first/next fall is just around that corner. It's not to make people feel better, but to remind them to ride better, or at least that is how I see it.

Is it statistically accurate?...hard to say. Some people quit riding before they "go down," but then they become "non-riders."

I didn't fall for the first 100,000 miles, but eventually, I did fall. I've also seen several people drop the bike the first time they got on...twice on one of my bikes.

Jerry you are right on....I rode 3 600s for 5 years.....never a crash....never a drop ....nada......I've been riding my ninjette for 2 years now and when you least expect it....boom.

People who think they will never go down when riding are so full of SH*T because IT will happen and if people think it won't--good luck. I road with a guy a few months back who does many track days and has tons of bikes and is well versed in riding and boom---he went down.....I wasn't shocked because things happen when you riding.

I used to say, "I'm not gearing up because I'm not planning on crashing today." Crashing just happens as **** happens....it is not something you can control....there are too many x factors out there....the only fool is the one that fools himself.

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Is this a sexual question?

Oh I just LOL'd.....

In any case, I was about to vote that I've never been down (on a bike)...but then I remembered that i crashed at the rider training course

I learned the value of knee pads (for motorcycle use) that day.

Oh and is it fair to lump "crashes" with "drops" into the statement "been down"? Or am i opening a whole new can of worms here?

[BlueTyke]

Dropped 2 times, both reinforced my theory that everone is out to get me and it is best I look out for myself to make sure I am able to post about the ride I just experienced

[komohana]

been down... a couple of times, and yep, i walked away with a bit of learning under the belt...but lemme tell ya...them lessons can be costly and freaking painful. i used to think a rider who believes they'll never crash is a crash waiting to happen, but that was just my 'been there done that' perspective distorting my view. in hindsight i could have avoided my intimate dance with the pavement in both situations.

thinking you won't crash isn't as effective as riding so you don't.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by komohana

thinking you won't crash isn't as effective as riding so you don't.

why not do both?

[komohana]

Originally Posted by kkim

why not do both?

that'll werk

[karlosdajackal]

Bikes don't crash people do. Some of the "not my fault" crashes are really the riders fault they just don't want to take responsibility for it. Cars are the same people have to crash them. Let me ask you a question and give you scenario....

Q: What does a green traffic light mean
A: .................................................

The scenario is your driving a car, you see a green light you go and you get t-boned as you move forward, so its the other drivers fault for running a red light, right? Well not totally, if you think it is you probably answered green = go which is why you think its 100% the guy who hits you fault. Well your wrong, green means go if the way is clear, people who understand this difference don't floor it when the light goes green, they look then they go, in the last 10 years its stopped me being t-boned more than a few times. A few years back a lady in the lane beside me moved off at a green, then she slowed down when she saw I wasn't moving, literally a half second later a car fly's through her lane with smoke pouring of its locked up wheels. I've seen many more incidents like that over the year. Its not luck that I've never been directly in the firing line.

The attitude "you have crashed, or will crash" in my opinion is share by 2 group, group A is those who have crashed, group B is those that think they can ride but really have quite low skill levels. I know this site swears by the MSF and while its better than nothing its not really all that when it comes to really life road skills and traffic situations, if you think as a rider, i'll do the MSF and then i'm ready for a life of biking . Anyway even if it was perfect there's is only so much info the human brain can absorb in a few days, I'd imagine a lot of the non-practical stuff gets forgot. Anyway how many times have we heard people say "I was told do this at the MSF" and they where told something else entirely.

Also you find a lot of crashes on U.S. forums are blamed on "gravel" on U.K. forums they are blamed on diesel. Lets just leave aside the fact its the riders fault if they could not see something on the road and did not give themselves enough margin for error to avoid the unexpected. If you ride with a "the road here around this turn was fine last week, sure it will be grand now, even though I can't see it" attitude you will be caught out some day.

However, research has been done in the UK on most motorbike crashes. Most are single vehicle incidents, no other cars/bikes/trucks. In most of these accidents the road surface is perfectly fine. Even when its not the surface was not the problem it was the poor reactions of the rider that caused the crash.

So I'm in the have not crashed and plan not to group. Sure it could happen, if I had the attitude of the typical first bike kid who does the MSF, then invests in thousands on mods (and incidentally $0 on riding skills) then heads for the twisties or plays chicken with traffic situations when they still have not leaned the bike more than 20 degrees without feeling scared well sure, they are going to be in the "will crash soon" group.

I am strongly opposed to this idea "have crashed or will crash or will give up motorbikes before you crash" nothing but a jumped up excuse/pre-excuse. You can quote me on that if the day comes that I "go down on gravel" cause it will be my fault for not seeing it and reacting correctly and riding too close to the limits for the conditions.

[kkim]

Great post, Karl.

I crash a lot... on my dirt bikes. But, the reason I'm so enjoying the dirt bikes is that you can explore your limits by pushing your personal envelope. Surprise!!! Once you find and exceed those limits, you crash.

With dirt bikes, the constantly, radically changing terrain and surfaces forces one to become tuned in to the ever changing environment and consequently, makes you a very involved and engaged rider. So yeah, I crash a lot trying to explore where that edge between control and no control lives.

Consequently, these core rider skills carry over to riding a street bike and helps me to understand the street/road surroundings and remained focused at the task at hand... riding the street bike enjoyably and far from that edge of no control.

However, if you continually look for that edge while riding a street bike, don't be surprised when one day you find and exceed it.

If you do crave that edge on a street bike, it's time to take it to the track... for your safety and those around you in public.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by kkim

Great post, Karl.

I crash a lot... on my dirt bikes. But, the reason I'm so enjoying the dirt bikes is that you can explore your limits by pushing your personal envelope. Surprise!!! Once you find and exceed those limits, you crash.

With dirt bikes, the constantly, radically changing terrain and surfaces forces one to become tuned in to the ever changing environment and consequently, makes you a very involved and engaged rider. So yeah, I crash a lot trying to explore where that edge between control and no control lives.

Consequently, these core rider skills carry over to riding a street bike and helps me to understand the street/road surroundings and remained focused at the task at hand... riding the street bike enjoyably and far from that edge of no control.

However, if you look for that edge while riding a street bike, don't be surprised when one day you find and exceed it.

If you do crave that edge on a street bike, it's time to take it to the track... for your safety and those around you in public.

Amen! Riding a dirt bike makes you twice the street rider.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Amen! Riding a dirt bike makes you twice the street rider.

well, it at least let's you know your limits twice as fast. I find myself on the ground way too much for my liking.

It has made me a better rider on the ninja, for sure.