View Poll Results: A poll
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THE ACCIDENT POLL THREAD
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 313
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
I stunt so obviously I dropped the sportbike. But I've also been rearended sitting at a red light on my sportbike. Remember, always stay on that yellow line and have a plan of escape at all times and always look in your mirrors at lights.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 9,208
Likes: 374
From: Central Illinois, Between I-80 and I-74
I figured I might as well vote since I knew I was going to go ahead and find out why someone resurrected a 4 year old thread.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 19,982
Likes: 6,111
From: Florida
Been ridin' since '72;owned over 50 bikes;18 of them Harleys, and have never been down except once when I was a passenger.,tryin' to teach my THEN GF how to ride her Honda. Few scrapes for me,2 week hospital stay for her. And the end of her riding career, Before it even began.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: Big Sky Country
Been down twice in 18 yrs. I guess I'm lucky, I used to ride with a group that had the philosophy that if we didn't lose a rider a month we weren't riding hard enough! Ahhhh the young bullet proof crotch rocket days!
As for me going down once I was run off the road and tried to dodge a fire hydrant, the nut on the side caught my left knee and it left me sitting on the ground watching the riderless 900 daytona continue straight till it lost momentum and fell over. Dmg to me = skin graph on my knee and no playing hockey for a few months. Dmg to bike = a few scratches
The 2nd was very early on a cold frosty French morning on cold tires I went into a traffic circle and the throttle stuck rear lost traction and I lowsided. Dmg to me = sore shoulder, got the day off. Dmg to bike = the death of a 1200 Daytona.
As for me going down once I was run off the road and tried to dodge a fire hydrant, the nut on the side caught my left knee and it left me sitting on the ground watching the riderless 900 daytona continue straight till it lost momentum and fell over. Dmg to me = skin graph on my knee and no playing hockey for a few months. Dmg to bike = a few scratches
The 2nd was very early on a cold frosty French morning on cold tires I went into a traffic circle and the throttle stuck rear lost traction and I lowsided. Dmg to me = sore shoulder, got the day off. Dmg to bike = the death of a 1200 Daytona.
Last edited by Broncs; Sep 5, 2011 at 04:53 PM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
I started riding in 1956. I am on the down hill slide to 71. I have not even had a close call and I ride a lot.
When I started riding I found out that you are not invisible like some think. Your are a target that everyone is looking to hit.
I developed defensive driving tactics before any one talked about defensive driving. I slow down before intersections that I have the right away and check it the cross traffic is going to stop.
I cover the brake and clutch when someone is backing out their driveway.
I will never follow a vehicle ahead of me closer than the distance that I can easily stop if they make the sudden stop that I expect that they will. Sure someone may pull in between but I just back off some more. No big deal.
Like a small plane pilot I am looking for the evasive exit area should the need arise particularly when there are stopped cars at a light or stop sign.
Again I leave room behind them and to the right or left that would allow me to escape should a car from the rear not stop.
My total driving of all vehicles has exceeded the 1.7 million mile mark. There is a UPS driver with over 5 million accident free miles.
The quality of drivers has went down over the years. Teenagers just do not seem to understand what can happen. This is in spite of the increased training that they have had. When I was young and you could reach the pedals you could drive. But there was only a fraction of the cars on the road combined with much lower average miles per year than today.
When I started riding I found out that you are not invisible like some think. Your are a target that everyone is looking to hit.
I developed defensive driving tactics before any one talked about defensive driving. I slow down before intersections that I have the right away and check it the cross traffic is going to stop.
I cover the brake and clutch when someone is backing out their driveway.
I will never follow a vehicle ahead of me closer than the distance that I can easily stop if they make the sudden stop that I expect that they will. Sure someone may pull in between but I just back off some more. No big deal.
Like a small plane pilot I am looking for the evasive exit area should the need arise particularly when there are stopped cars at a light or stop sign.
Again I leave room behind them and to the right or left that would allow me to escape should a car from the rear not stop.
My total driving of all vehicles has exceeded the 1.7 million mile mark. There is a UPS driver with over 5 million accident free miles.
The quality of drivers has went down over the years. Teenagers just do not seem to understand what can happen. This is in spite of the increased training that they have had. When I was young and you could reach the pedals you could drive. But there was only a fraction of the cars on the road combined with much lower average miles per year than today.
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Advanced
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 55
Likes: 16
From: Reading, PA
Five years ago on the softail I was stopped behind a car at a stop sign. The car ahead of me pulls out and I stop at the stop sign. I am looking to my left as that side had the right-of-way, and there was a car in the distance. As I am looking at that distant car, I decide I can go so I pull out, but the car ahead of my at the stop sign STOPPED 100 feet from the stop sign to turn left into a garage, and he had to wait for a car coming from the other direction.
So I am pulling out in first gear and I am accelerating. I turn my head forward and I am RIGHT on the corner bumper of that stopped car. I go head over heels over my handle bars and I end up in a ditch. No ****, mom said some day they would find me in a ditch after getting in an accident on my bike.
Sore back, spasms and probably cracked ribs. I did not call 911. Got the tow truck pronto, took care of insurance, and got home. Did not want to be in the newspaper.
$4500 later, the bike is as good as new, but I was NOT excited to drive it. I was so close to selling and looking for a new hobby. My confidence came back and I learned to NEVER take your eyes off of WHERE you are going.
Fender and tank damage:
Handle bar damage:
So I am pulling out in first gear and I am accelerating. I turn my head forward and I am RIGHT on the corner bumper of that stopped car. I go head over heels over my handle bars and I end up in a ditch. No ****, mom said some day they would find me in a ditch after getting in an accident on my bike.
Sore back, spasms and probably cracked ribs. I did not call 911. Got the tow truck pronto, took care of insurance, and got home. Did not want to be in the newspaper.
$4500 later, the bike is as good as new, but I was NOT excited to drive it. I was so close to selling and looking for a new hobby. My confidence came back and I learned to NEVER take your eyes off of WHERE you are going.
Fender and tank damage:
Handle bar damage:
