Alright, here’s the deal,

Let’s hear your most painful damaged bike story. Have you ever had a bike stolen, crashed, borrowed, run over etc. If so lets hear the story and even see pictures if you got em. To sweeten the pot, on June 5th, 2009 I am going to pick the best story and/or photo and give away a free Rack with Big Horn kit (see photo below) for storing your detachable accessories. I may not be able to help you with your damaged ride, but I can help you protect a few of your accessories.

Jason
ThunderCreekCustoms.com
866-535-7667

 

When I was 16 (I am 60 now) I had a Honda 305 Scrambler, I just left work on it and was riding down a main street in my city at approximately 35 mph when a taxi turned in front of me. I hit the taxi in the right rear wheel forcing me forward on the bike and flipping me over the top of my motorcycle and over the rear of the taxi. Flying through the air I was thinking about the loss of my bike. As I continued to flip over I finally landed on my feet running. The accident totaled my bike, bent the rear axle of the taxi, and sent me to the hospital where I sat for over three hours before I was seen by a doctor. All this time my parents were wondering where I was, and they found out only by watching 6:00 pm watching the news. After being examined and x-rayed I was released by the hospital with the diagnosis that I had bruised my abdomen when I went forward and hit the handlebars. Within a week my parents had allowed me to get another scrambler to replace the first one. I have been motorcycling ever since. Sorry I do not have any pictures as it occurred many moons ago.

 

I believe it was around '87 or '88. Being without a bike for a few years (early eighties activities included getting married, buying our first home, and starting our family), I decided it was time.
Bought a new Honda VFR and proceded to rip up some streets.

Took a part time job which allowd me to ride the new bike around town picking up donations made to some marketing phone call racket. Finished up the days work and headed for home.

One mile away from home, I was traveling down the right lane, which was clear of traffic, with the left lane being backed up due to a red left turn light up ahead. Guess I was doing around 35 or 40mph. I'm really not sure.

You guessed it, someone traveling in the other direction turned left cutting thru my left lane and pop'd out right in front of me.
I grabbed a handfull of front brake and locked up both front and rear. The front wheel turned left on me (it's amazing how much can go thru your mind in an instant) and all I could think of was that I did NOT want to lay the bike down and slide into the car.
I jerked the wheel straight, rode her into the front right tire of the
Ashole and jumped from my pegs as we hit which sent me flying thru the air completely over the car without ever touching it.

Tucked and Rolled on the other side waiting for my forward motion to slow down enough to stand up. Tried coming out of the roll,,,, ooops not slow enough yet, kept rolling.
Ended up maybe 50, 60 feet from the impact.

One funny thing. The first person to get to me informed me he was an EMT. I thought, Damn! That was quick. Turns out he was off duty and in the car behind me.
After some 'on duty' EMTs looked me over, I was fine, not a scratch on my helmet, and I rode home with the tow truck driver hauling my now worthless NEW bike. I had just gotten the Lic plate that same day.

Moral of the story... some cagers are Asholes !!

 

Last summer, when I was first thinking about buying a bike, a guy at work let me take his electra out during my lunch. First time I had rode a harley. before leaving the lot he laughed as he said, "if you wreck it you might as well just take it on to the dealer." Not wanting to wreck it I was being very cautious. As I got to my apt complex I went around my building so that I could swing into a spot infront of my place. approaching the spot I had in mind, I noticed a spot closer to the door. Going only 10 mph I grabbed the front while hitting the rear slightly. Unfortunatly there is this one puddle that will sit all summer long and algea will grow in it. Well I happened to hit that puddle. Front tire locked immediatly. Before I could even let go the front cocked to the side and the front of the bike just jetted to the left. I stuck my leg out to try and stop the fall but I couldnt get the footing, the bike fell to its side and rubbed on the crash bars. Being under 200lbs at the time it took every muscle in my body to prop it back up and back it in to my new spot. I didnt know what to do. I ran up to my apt and at this point am obviously in no shape to be eating. I felt like puking. I couldnt sit still as I paced back and forth in my kitchen. I drank a glass of water and just went back out and got on. I rode to a DQ, choked a sandwich down, and decided I just had to go back and confess. As I returned to work I parked the bike and slowly, walked back to the door with knees shaking. Sure enough right as I walked through the door he says "well?" I said "I love it but, I dropped it." he just chuckled thinking I was messing with him. I put on the most serious face I could and said "no, I'm serious." Pure shock fell over his face, as he walked toward the door. I had already looked it over and from what I could tell, the only things needing replaced were the floor boards and crash bars. Tho he was still upset, he seemed very calm and collected. Then just as we turn to walk back inside he says, "aww ****..." There right on the side is a huge dent in the tank. I never even looked at the tank cause I knew it didnt get that close to the ground. Right about then my right knee started to pound. Apparently the tank landed right on my knee and my knee did the damage. I was mortified. I'd NEVER felt this bad about anything in my life. I kept apologizing over and over. I told him how I felt terrible that he had put his trust in me and I had let him down. It really killed me cause I really look upto this guy and I just felt like I failed him completly. Anyway the adjuster came a few days later, $2100 worth of damage. I covered the deductable and after waiting a couple months for a new tank, she was better than before. While in the shop he had new cams put in and a 2" drop in the rear. We still joke about it, saying things like "hey who was that idiot that wrecked your bike?"

He did ask me after I had calmed down, "other than that, what did you think."

I just said "other than that, it was awesome."

I was hooked. Even when I rode it right after I wrecked it, it was like complete freedom. Anyway less than a year later I bought my train and couldnt be happier.

 

well my road name is lucky until last November and now it is real lucky.
when I was 17 I has a suzuki 90 and I was stopped at a light and the 15 year old girl who borrowed mom's car thought my tail lamp was reflection of the red light on the wet street and decided to run that light as no one was around. I was hit from behind when I was stopped and the car was going 55 mph. the seat popped open and I went past the street light and landed on the hood of the car that hit me. my hair embedded in the helmet against her windshield. she then hit the brakes and I slid off the hood and across the road. I had no bruises or cuts or scrapes but I did have that after death thing happen.

11 years later I got a Honda goldwing interstate. I only had it 3 weeks and the x wife wanted a coke from the store. I lived in the country so the ride was a few miles. I got the coke and was returning when the fog rolled in. there was a flashing light intersection with red on 2 sides and yellow on the other 2. my side was yellow. I slowed to 45 and when I got 10 ft from the intersection the car that was stopped on the red side pulled out. I went through my windshield and bent the handle bar with my knee. I went over the car as I jumped up at the point of impact. I landed on my hip and helmet. They took me to the hospital where they cut off my cloths and could not find any injury. I had to call a taxis to get home and the X wife was upset because I came home wearing a sheet and did not bring her a coke.

I bought a new goldwing 3 weeks later. I kept it 2 years until a 75 year old lady rear ended me when I was stopped. she was doing 75. I lost the laced up boots and the helmet and went through the air for about 250 ft. I rolled on the ground. the ambulance took me to the hospital and I had a bruised ankle. a month later my son was born so I stopped riding for 23 years.

Last November I was on my way to a chapter ride when a deer ran into my path. I hit the throttle as I though "if I am going down so is he".
I was doing about 40 mph when the deer hit my leg and I heard a loud pop. the deer spun around and the bike wobbled but stayed up. my leg hurt like hell. I continued to the chapter ride and rode the 300 miles and then went to the hospital. I figured if it was broke there was no reason to miss the ride too. It was only bruised.
so they changed my road name to Very Lucky.

 

When I was in the Navy, my wilder days, I bought a Ninja 600. Rode it for a couple months and decided to get my motorcycle endorsement. A friend of mine wanted to get his too so he fallowed me in his truck. We both passed but he then realized he did not have any money and I only had enough for me. So I rode to the bank with him following me. I took a curve way to fast, when my back tire hit the grass and slid out, I let go. My friend rounded the curve behind me just in time to see me and the bike going head over heals in mid air. I did not have a scratch on me, but the bike was smashed up pretty good. It landed on a stump on the tank. I did not replace the bike untill last year. That was 15 years ago.

 

nevermind

 

I purchased a brand new 2009 Nightrain from Mike's Famous HD in Delaware. I went to pick it up with a 24' moving truck because I was PCSing (moving military bases) from east coast to west. I had taken very special care to leave room for the new bike (old bike was in there as well).

So I get to Mike's Famous and take delivery with 11 miles showing on the odometer. They take my picture and I ride my new bike around to the truck. I drop the ramp and begin to ride it up when something went horribly wrong.

A small police car chase came off the exit ramp and into Mike's parking lot. The officer got the vehicle pulled over and backup was coming and the driver was being put in handcuffs...and that's when it happened. The BRAND NEW bike fell off of the left side of the ramp and landed almost on top of itself on the left side.

So, within the first 120 seconds of ownership I caused $3,500 in damages. Let me tell you, there is no greater feeling in the world than having a non functioning brand new HD sitting in your garage (sarcasm).

 

Came back from Iraq and the first thing I did was fly to Arizona to meet some of my buddies out there for a week of living in the hot hot sun and renting a Harley. The day prior, I finished my safety course and got my license. After a few hundred miles the first day, I told them all, I will have a Harley by the end of the week. It was the best feeling, the feeling of freedom I was searching for and what I promised to myself after coming home from 13 months in combat, a failed engagement during that time, that I would find something I could enjoy almost daily and live life to the fullest without sweating the minor things.

I purchased a brand new 2007 Softail Night Train by the end of the week. I waited two days until it was SAT to go pick it up as I did not want to ride alone for the first time on my new bike so my buddy could come with me. I rode sissy with my buddy, who is around 5'7 and I'm 6'4 so it must have looked like he was carrying a gorilla on his Softail Standard.

I never even test drove the bike. I have drove his around and new it was going to be around the same feel and didnt even want to bother. As we pulled out, felt good, different than his but not by much. Rode over 50 miles backroads home. Went to my fathers picnic, pulled up on the winding gravel road, into the park area, little grass and mud. Was extremely careful and parked. Made it there fine. Not a scratch or dent. I was proud. Never thought in my life I would be able to afford a Harley Davidson. Something I have thought about for a long time. I used to wear Harley clothes and chain wallet in high school, thinking I was a bad ***. Now I have an Night Train, the darkest, scariest HD out there fit in with my style perfectly.

After a few hours, we drove from the park to my buddy's house. About 5 miles away. We pulled into his driveway, looked at both bikes, my buddy envious of the six speeds, the fatter tire and the blacked out engine. His wife came out and loved it. After about 10 minutes, he had to head out somewhere, so I took decided to go to my mothers house to show her my purchase.

I pulled out of the driveway, being careful as it was my dream bike, going about 10 mph through his complex. Not a sole around. People must have been out at picnics that day, as the neighborhood was quiet. Heading towards the exit of the complex is a stop sign, which enters the main road. I was going to take a right. Traffic from the left comes down a little hill, so in car, its a little difficult to see if traffic is coming over the hill, about 75 meters away from the stop sign.

I concentrated on going forward and didnt notice any cars coming from the left. I was prepared to just not come to a 100% complete stop, because the stop sign is a slight angle that falls to the right. So I would be leaning towards the right if I came to a complete stop. I did not want to put all this weight on me stopping and trying to hold the weight and then try to pull out.

As I slowed down to around 5 mph to just simply roll through the stop sign, a car came up over the little hill, in which I didnt see, and had to hit the brakes. As I hit the brakes, exactly what I didnt want to happen, happened. The bike fell to the right because of the slight angle of the road that veers to the right, the bike started to fall rapidly with me struggling to keep the 700lbs of the bike from hitting the ground. The engine went dead. The driver of the vehicle just gazed out the window like he was witnessing a car accident. I made contact and I believe I said "oh snap" or some other term. That is why I realized, the bike was basically leaning on my leg, the pipes heating up my leg and that I could no longer keep it up, nor lift it from this angle.

I had to let her down. I placed her down gently. Leaving a big scratch on my brand new pipes. Part of my boots smudged on it. I stood back and couldnt believe it. My brand new bike. The second my buddy leaves, I dropped it! I was so embarrassed. As I lifted the bike up, from how I remembered from the MSF course, the bike wouldnt start. I knew it was in an error mode. Turned the bike off, and kick her back up and it started. I sat for a minute because my heart was racing, first from almost getting hit, second from dropping the bike on my leg, third from dropping my damn bike and scratching the pipe and fourth, just being embarrassed and not wanting to tell my buddy, or anyone else that I dropped my bike the first day!

I since then replaced the pipes, but I still have only told 2 people that it happened. My buddy still doesnt know. That will make a drinking story one day. The following day I saw him and he took the bike for a ride, got off the bike and was like, "you didnt drop it did you" and I was "no why", he said "something must have hit your pipe or someting, its all scratched."

Not as bad as someone getting hit or hitting something, but still, made me feel like crap owning the bike for a few hours.

 

Here is one for you:

My dad is who gave me the riding bug…the hog fever if you will…for years we have ridden together. And my dad was always very generous in letting me borrow one of his bikes when I was over to visit him. In Jan 2006 I had just bought my first Softail, which I drove everywhere and anywhere.

Summer 2008, me living in NYC, my dad comes over from Europe, our plan was to go to Milwaukee for the 105th. We had both been there 5 years earlier and were looking for a repeat. Plus we had made wonderful friends there last time and took this opportunity to see them again.

Long story short, work got in the way a little and so my dad took my bike and drove it from NYC to Milwaukee. My dad is a very experienced long distance rider, having taken 4 week trips around the USA, Australia, and Europe. I flew into Milwaukee to meet him there and then would fly back, while he would take a detour south (like really south) and come up the Blue Ridge Skyline drive to NYC.

(Side note: we have passes to ride the parade which was amazing)

Well, my dad made his way back to NYC via big detour and got all to Roanoke, VA. The next day his plan was to finish the Skyline and then head via Interstate back to my place. It was Friday, I was back at work already, eagerly (and jealously) awaiting the return of my bike and dad. At noon, out to lunch with colleges I get a call from the PA at the Roanoke Memorial Hospital, informing me that my dad had an accident and was in the ICU station.

Again to shorten the story, I raced (well flew) done to see my dad (and the bike). My dad was in bad shape, broke both upper arms right under the shoulder, needed to shoulder replacements. (He is doing fine and has recovered splendidly, and has since (7months later) started riding again, thanks to an amazing doc and hospital).

The bike, well my poor little bike, was not in such a good shape. The Lindby engine guards probable saved my dads ***. The rest of the bike did not fair so well though. After shaking off my dad – we believe he lost control on some gravel in a corner of the Skyline – and sliding alone the road for a few hundred feet, it promptly embedded itself into the wooden rail guard of the road. I went to see my bike the day after I arrived and had seen my dad. Everything that could be bent was ..well…bent. The only thing that looked intact was the main frame and engine. The Lindby bars left a nice dent and scratch in the tarmac, and the rest of the bike left an good imprint in the wooden rail.

All in all it ends well, as mentioned my dad is back in the saddle, the bike, well insurance covered it, the dealer in Roanoke bought the wreck as is (sorry was not going to trust that the frame might not have a tweek or crack) and with that I have in the meantime replaced my beloved first Softail with a spanking brand new 2009 Heritage softail classic.

(Will attach pics soon…am at work at the moment)