How long was it until your were in an accident?

[mark247]

I am just wondering, when you first started riding on the road, how long did it take for you to come off for the first time?

[Skunk]

Four weeks.
Next time was a year later. I was hit.
Next time was a year later. Again, I was hit.
Then again about 12 years later. But that was off road.

[ceebie13]

I am just wonder, why when you first started riding on the road, how long did it take for you the come off?


er.... if I understand you correctly, I started riding when I was 16 and had a serious whoopsie about three years later when I tee-boned a Morris Minor and went for a short fly. No bones broken amazingly. I waited another ten or more years before attempting to get my bike under a London cab! That would have made me about 29, so I've now gone another 26 years without any serious "offs".

Shit! I hope I'm not tempting fate.

[Mr Merde]

Didnt come off but was injured.

One of those great yank tanks with the rear wings pulled out in front of me perpendicular to the traffic flow, from a petrol station.

I served and caught the wing on my ribs and the bumper on my shin.

Wobbled up over the pavement and finished up on the steps of the Papakura Courthouse.

Woman driving couldnt see if the road was clear so she just pulled out anyway.

Still remember the old traffic police talking me out of pressing charges even though to this day my shinbone has a dent in it. Turned out she was engaged to one of them.

I was young (15) and thought that the police knew best, at the time.

[Steam]

Three months. But I was stupid, it was my fault, part of the learning process I suppose. I could have avoided it if I had read and practised like Buckbuck.

[Jimmy B]

First time within 2 weeks, both at fault although random U turn by the cage I slid into didnt help.

Second, about 18 months later following a Mate round a tight corner on a back road out of Paihiatua, If he can make it then....wrong...my fault.

17 years on and still a little boy waits...

[bobsmith]

Does accidently wheeling the bike and falling off backwards count??? Hmmm first month...

[Dodger]

Been riding the Bike for about 8 months or so I think, no issues.
Have been riding the scooter for about a year 1/2 no issues.

Yet...

[ManDownUnder]

As a 16 year old, 550cc bike (legally.. full licence) and a really nice corner... gentle sweeping left... down hill then up to the right... preload the shocks - corner like she's on rails and nail it!

Beautiful!

Up I go... LOVING the power of my new toy and... CONCRETE TRUCK! (http://www.smaps.co.nz/nz/new+plymouth/brooklands/tarahua+road/28/)

Angle parked, taking up 2/3 of the LH lane. Straighten up, brake and target fixate... *crunch*. Hit just behind the front wheel at about 20kph. No real damage done except the front wheel knocked out of alignment with the handlebars

Scared the shit out of me... and a good job too.

[-df-]

Road bike...never. Many close calls (mostly my fault, tyre stepping out around courners etc). Thats since 1997.
Dirt bike...hmmm, owned the damn thing for for about 2 weeks if that (shit...might have been a week) and fractured my shoulder!!

[judecatmad]

Never yet come off (2 yrs and counting..).

But dropped my bike last night and knocked someone's bike over this morning......don't know what's wrong with me at the mo! (Dropsy maybe??)

[surfer]

About two years for the first off. A few topples before hand on loose gravel at very slow speeds.

The off was a slide down a wet road when I locked up the front brake. Ended up stuck under the bike with petrol pouring all over the place and the engine chugging away. Scary. Couldn't lift myself out or switch it off as I stuffed my shoulder and arm mainly nerve damage from whiplash. Motorist stopped to pull the bike off, so they can't all be bad. Still took six months before my arm would work. All my fault, going too fast in wet conditions with a pillion on the back and didn't take into account the extra weight on the bikes performance.

The good news was that I didn't plough into the car in front that had stopped. I managed to ride to the hospital with one arm functioning duh:nono: never again, the effects of shock I guess. Pillion was ok, not a scratch on her. And I learnt leather is great for sliding down the road.

[Toaster]

I'm too scared to say I have never crashed, just because I might jinx myself, so I won't...

[The Stranger]

As a 16 year old, 550cc bike (legally.. full licence) and a really nice corner... gentle sweeping left... down hill then up to the right... preload the shocks - corner like she's on rails and nail it!

Beautiful!

Up I go... LOVING the power of my new toy and... CONCRETE TRUCK! (http://www.smaps.co.nz/nz/new+plymouth/brooklands/tarahua+road/28/)
.

Lucky you didn't damage the concrete truck, that could have been expensive for ya.

[placidfemme]

I'd been riding for just over a year before my first bin, wrote the bike off, no other vehicles involved. Second time was a few weeks back (again about a year inbetween accidents) and again no other vehicles invloved.

Sam binned on her first road ride after getting her learners. No other vehicles involved. Then she was hit from behind at a give way sign after riding for about 6 months. Then 2 months later she was hit again from behind at the same giveway sign... then about 7 months after that she wrote her bike off, no other vehicles involved.

[ManDownUnder]

Never yet come off (2 yrs and counting..).

But dropped my bike last night and knocked someone's bike over this morning......don't know what's wrong with me at the mo! (Dropsy maybe??)

Pregsie - a known cause of dropsie - and forgetsie

[MotoGirl]

...when you first started riding on the road, how long did it take for you to come off for the first time?
I started riding on the road at 17. It took me seven years for my first bin, and even then it was on the Taupo racetrack during a rider training day.

Hmm, "rider training" + "first bin" doesn't sound good! They taught me to ride fast, then I got a bit cocky :innocent: VTR's ain't made for racing :nono:

I've been exceptionally lucky on the road...

[Squeak the Rat]

I'm the least superstitious person i know. I kick black cats while walking under ladders while looking up skirts with a mirror that I just broke over a gypsy's head. But I'm still feeling a little bad about posting a poll on accidents towards the end of last year.

So my answer is yes no maybe shortly or some long time afterwards. Possibly.

[ceebie13]

Never yet come off (2 yrs and counting..).

But dropped my bike last night and knocked someone's bike over this morning......don't know what's wrong with me at the mo! (Dropsy maybe??)

Er.... does Dave know about this Jude?

[judecatmad]

Er.... does Dave know about this Jude?

NO!

(10 chars)

[Juud]

8 Years since I got my licence, no on road accidents yet. Off road, mmm, 1st time trail ride in Queenstown, yes a couple of times and it bloody well hurt! :crybaby:

[mark247]

I owned a dirt bike before i started on the road. Only owned it for about 5 months ( then sold it ) but in that time i managed to hit a tree, get stuck under it, slip off on the driveway, and a heap of other "Oh my God I am so stupid" little things. I have to say I am happy nobody saw me hit the tree, it would of looked quite pathetic i think. Oh and i managed to wheely a scooter into a parked truck once, that was just stupid again and 3 of my friends were right there. But once i actually hit the road on a bike it took about 2 months until i was knocked off at a roundabout. Cager failed to Give Way!

Speaking of Cages, a lot of people here think they are all evil, which is not true, there are a few that have no respect for motorbikes, but 99% of them are very good to riders i personally believe.

[Grub]

After about 4 months riding, I was 16 and riding a Yamaha 80 bike for my Ad Agency as their courier. Shit job, young teen riding all around greater Auckland all day on a motorbike that someone else supplied and paid all costs - somebody had to do it :)

Federal St in Auckland still had a concrete surface, a camber and it was wet. I only lightly touched the front brake - honest. Well actually, I was just pulling carefully up at an intersection when a pair of pedestrians stepped out and I had to pull up shorter.

Was almost stationary anyway, just ripped a wee hole in the knee of my (only) work trousers. Tell you something I have just realised ... and never thought of before ... that was the other side of the same intersection (Federal & Cook [Mayoral]) where I had my BIG bin vs Concrete Truck about 6 months later. My only two accidents on a road bike.

[Nitzer]

Just over 2 years for me, riding in London on a wet miserable November evening, see a pedestrian standing in the middle of the road, pulled front brake too hard and bike hit the deck with me sliding behind it. I vividly remember seeing sparks fly from the bike as it slid on the road. I wasn't badly hurt apart from a bung knee. However it taught me the valuable lesson of wearing leathers when riding.

[Macktheknife]

Had a wee off when I first started riding, learning to brake in the wet, totally my fault. Since then I have had 6 accidents in 26 years, most of them in the last 7 years. A couple were entirely my fault, a couple were just bad luck (animals), and a couple were entirely the cagers fault.
Decided to moderate my riding style somewhat as a result of the last incident, 11 1/2 months off riding and work because of a small animal in a corner at night, I reacted badly and ended up in a fence. Just goes to show that even after all the experience and practice I've had, it only takes 1 second of inattention to screw up.
I wonder if there is a lesson in that? nah couldn't be. lol.

[Motu]

Dumped my bike the first day turning into a gravel drive,repeated same the next day....it was 3 weeks before I hit my first car.I didn't have a licence at the time,but was using the bike to commute to work and night classes.

[mark247]

Man im the only person who has voted "First month, i was hit." Maybe i just had realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly bad luck.

[mark247]

Acutally hold on, i voted First 6 Months, I was Hit! but, it was in the second month :P. Still bad luck lol

[McJim]

Man im the only person who has voted "First month, i was hit." Maybe i just had realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllly bad luck.

Nope - 3 weeks after getting a bike - I have a green light for straight ahead - oncoming driver had a red light for turning to their right - they decided that a motorbike AND a red light weren't sufficient reason to stop and so took me out - still aggrieved that the following day I went into local cop shop to report this and they (while looking at the fresh cast on my leg) said it was a matter for the insurance companies - apparently driving a cage into a motorcyclist isn't as serious an offence as doing 111 in 100 zone :(

[Fryin Finn]

I fell off in front of the cop when I was doing the practical for my license.
Still passed though

[mark247]

I fell off in front of the cop when I was doing the practical for my license.
Still passed though

Was it your fault you fell off? What licence was that for? Restricted?

[Squeak the Rat]

Still aggrieved that the following day I went into local cop shop to report this and they (while looking at the fresh cast on my leg) said it was a matter for the insurance companies - apparently driving a cage into a motorcyclist isn't as serious an offence as doing 111 in 100 zone :(

Hmmmmm :sherlock:


No complainant would ever be turned away without being investigated first. If the investigation proved the complaint to be false then the likelihood is that the complainant would find themselves facing charges.

[jumma]

My one and only off so far was my own undoing. Bike bottomed out on bump on the apex of a corner and just slid out under me. After blaming the road for the week after I soon put the blame upon myself for going to quick in unfamiliar territory.
So the lesson I learnt from that was to back off a bit in unfamiliar terriorty and pay closer attention to the surface of the road ahead.

[orange dog]

At least once a year in the early days, used to use the bike as anger management which is not a good idea. Fallen off at 140km, no problem to bike or me (on-coming car stopped 2m short, yay), fallen off at 35-40km, buggered the bike, knee down to bone !
Taught a mate how to ride, he crashed his new bike (gsxr250) twice in the first day... sore mouth from laughing too hard !

Older and wiser now of course ! lol:innocent:

[SPman]

Learnt all about stopping on white lines in the wet at the Forrest Hill Roundabout (used to be a give way only), in '67

[hXc]

A year and one day before I was hit by a fat ginga bitch in a faggy li'l skyline.

[apteryx_haasti]

Nothing so far (10 months and counting) - a couple of "Oh my!" moments but no actual accidents, off or otherwise.

Here's hoping I haven't just given myself commentators curse...

[yungatart]

No comment!

[paturoa]

4 years to my first one, I got taken out by a cage.

6 years to my second one which was my fault.

... and never had one since that, so thats another mumble mumble years since (24)

[SpinFx]

8 months and I totalled my first sportster, I was drunk ( very naughty ) and ironically I was taken out by another drunk driver in a car. The bike and I were dragged 50 metres down the road, I only broke my wrist ( extremely lucky ) but the bike was totalled. That night cost me a cool 8 G ( no insurance and HP to pay. Never will I ride under the influence again !!! Learnt the hard way. Newbies take note - it just aint worth it !!

[Quartermile]

Never! :D:D:D.........uh oh :shifty: Jynxed it

[mstriumph]

First time I ever got on, I came off ............. haven't voted above though, you've no tickbox for coming off in a veggie garden 10 seconds after having got on!!!

[Grahameeboy]

Only accident was in 1985, London and was hit by a hit and run who jumped the lights..............plastic number plates rule cause it kinda broke and fell off bumper so he got nabbed.

[Grahameeboy]

No comment!

Have you suffered another injury then.............lost tongue!!

[mark247]

It seems like London is a popular place for KBers to get knocked off at.

[BAD DAD]

"First month, my fault" racing a mate , ended up in a ditch, over the handle bars then bike landed on top of me. Most of the times afterwards was getting hit by U-turning drivers or cars failing to give way. Now I usually ride defensively.

[Daffyd]

After riding about 4 months, struck a patch of diesel on a very wet road... Changed down another gear, locked up the back wheel and highsided. Slid across the road and stopped inches from a Mazda ute's front numberplate.
Bloody good job his brakes worked.
Hmmm, interesting structure, the underside of a Mazda ute!
Twisted ankle and thumb, nothing permanent.

[McJim]

Hmmmmm :sherlock:

It says in the road code that you must report an incident withing 24 hours so I dragged myself and my wife and my 2 young sons (wife had to drive - couldn't get a babysitter at short notice) to our local cop shop.

Told the old biddy behind the counter that I'd been hit by a car while on my motorbike, She asked if I had insurance, I said yes, she said well go and tell them because people are always trying to get the police to do the job of the insurance companies and rolled her eyes.

I assumed at the time that this was one of the quirks of moving to the 3rd world - found out in September what my rights really were by which time it's really too late to lay a complaint against the other driver.

All done and leaves me embittered towards the constabulary s'all.

[onearmedbandit]

My first roadbike crash was on an ageing Kawasaki Z440. I was travelling straight through a roundabout when an idiot failed to give way and entered in front of me and my friend. The driver tried to get out of the way but failed and we basically rear-ended him, both going over the bars. No injuries, bike was undamaged save for some gravel rash and broken indicator. Rode home from that one. I'd been riding bikes for about 6yrs by this stage, but only road bikes for about 2yrs.

[Ghost_Bullet]

Me second bike a Honda vlx400 steed Actually just found it for sale on tradme, same price I bought it for bake in 90's (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=89339825)
wasp flew into helmet, it was treking accross my face, and a bit to close to me eye, decided it was time to stop, hauled on the brakes, and fek, front hit the gravel on the side, and slid off, no injury's, just some scratchs to the lower pipe, and I did not get stung either.
My second on was on the first week I had bought me Guzzi Nevada 750, went into the Sockburn roundabout, and this prick did not look, pulled right accross me, me decided I did not want to hit, so front brake on... STUPID!!!!:shutup: and:shit: down I went... bloody shoulder was in pain for months, the pain was more the fact all the cars that drove around me, and no one stopped to ask, "hey you ok dude" no I ambled to the side of the road to check the damage, then road home... wounded pride and all.:mellow:

Hope the rubber remains down on the Grizz :scooter: :yes:

[Kornholio]

The first was my mates bike which I had ridden 3 times....old cunt pulling out in front of me.

Second, had my 89 Gixxer for 5 days and overcooked a corner while trying to keep up with mate...

Things caught up with me quickly anyway, havent had a bin for years since tho :D *tempts fate*

[Monsterbishi]

I'm too scared to say I have never crashed, just because I might jinx myself, so I won't...

+1 But then again I'm just about the tamest rider out there.

[xwhatsit]

I picked the first day, although really it was on the third day.

My fault entirely -- was silly enough to go on a KB ride on the third day of riding, and on the way home ran wide into an electric fence wearing a Hallenstein's jacket and no gloves (actually, my girlfriend informs me it wasn't a Hallenstein's jacket, it was in fact from somewhere else, but I'm now known to some KBers as the Hallenstein's jacket lowsider, so I suppose I can't change that now). Purely my fault, of course. Still dislike decreasing radius downhill right-hand corners -- but who doesn't?

Mostly cosmetic damage, and a couple of minor things like a bent brake pedal and smashed speedo (yay for GiJoe1313 and 5-minute araldite!), although later I took a closer look and a fork stanchion had the tiniest bend in it, which was fixed with a hydraulic press hired for $20 off some lazy and bored industrial types in Onehunga.

Photos of my bloodied hands are available somewhere on this site...

[Deviant Esq]

Haven't been off so far, but only been riding a little over a year. Happy to see that 30% have voted that they've never been off, maybe it's not quite so dire as "every rider will come off at some stage". Still, I definitely keep in mind that it could happen when I'm riding, and ride defensively when I'm around traffic.

[Pixie]

The day I got my first bike I got so excited I wee'd in my pants

[avgas]

45k corner going from waihi to Whanagamata, i tried 110....and my inexperience failed me.

[Ralph]

Over six months before I had my first accident,
See a farmer with about 5 dogs running around his ute plus 1 on the back down a back contry road,
slow down on the bike and the dog on the back of the ute jumps off and hits me with a enough force to push me off the road,
a bit of damage to both the bike and the dog, I was pretty much fine, The farmer was a good sort and paid for all the repairs no questions :niceone:

[Ralph]

45k corner going from waihi to Whanagamata, i tried 110....and my inexperience failed me.

Been there done that :doh: Farken hurt!
Not the same place of course.
Just same cause.

[ceebie13]

I fell off in front of the cop when I was doing the practical for my license.
Still passed though


Ha...thats nothing...the old UK test required you to do a satisfactory emergency stop. Still does in fact, but in those days (before radio intercoms and examiners on bikes) the examiner would step out from behind a car and put his hand up ...much as a copper would to tell you to stop.

I failed.

[judecatmad]

The day I got my first bike I got so excited I wee'd in my pants

Erm.....I don't think we're talking about THAT sort of accident... :rofl: :rofl:

[paveho]

I first started riding in 1977 and in 2005 someone in a truck swerved in front of me. To avoid going in under him I took 'evasive action' which ended up with my two week old, brand new bike, and myself, dented, scraped and bruised , lying flat on the road.

[Beemer]

I fell OVER with the bike (forgot to put a foot down when I stopped!) when I was learning to ride, but - thankfully - I have yet to have an off, either through my own stupidity or someone else's. Never come off at a track day either, and my only motorised accidents were on a dirt bike (front wheel hit a large rock and I wasn't experienced enough to stop myself from doing down) and a rally car (barrel roll at 150kph - codriver rather than driver).

I'm pretty cautious and perhaps that is what has saved me. I don't necessarily think I am a fantastic rider, it's just I don't take the risks some others take so I am less likely to crash - but it doesn't prevent some idiot from taking me out when they crash!

[qldzxr250a]

just over 12 months in, me and my baby lowsided going up one of those really nice mountain roads, found gravel on road and front slid out and ended going straight off mountain/cliff.....15m straight down, bike comes to rest on tree i came to rest on bike. my last intimate moments with bike......

[jade]

3 years 10 crashes, you do the math LOL
9 out of 10 the worst injuries ive had were a scraped knee or elbow
that other one - not a mark on me - hit a car - broken leg in 5 places, not a mark on me
they all ranged from a car pulling out on me and locking the front, to too hot into a corner to a lowside on a corner to my front wheel locking at 60k

[Drew]

I only waited a few months, and one day I was hoonin from a mates place to mine, down a gravel road, (less cops if ya go the back way ya know).

Anyway, there was a ford, (I mean a ditch for water to run through) tah was a bit vicous, so I figured I'd ride up the bank, round the back side of a tree, return to the road and carry on. Turns out, that a GSX250 is less inclined to do that kinda thing at 80k's than I'd hoped. Down I went.

It's been a downward spiral from there on I'm afraid.

[twinkle]

Interesting poll results. So in the first six months of riding the biggest danger to a motorcyclist is themself, by a big margin too.

[The Lone Rider]

Its good to see that so many people, like me, have never been in an accident. I've been in nothing on my bike or car.

[ceebie13]

Surely the length of time you've been riding comes into it.
It's OK to say, "Its good to see others like me have never had an accident" but you might have only been riding, say, five years. What about us oldies who may have had a prang in the past, but have since gone 26 years without a mishap?