I crashed today! Ahh (1 July)

[phiretrojan]

My poor brand new bike, i Crashed i have only ride 4 times, going to work which i think it was my fault, i was rushing, only rushing at 70'ks tho, which is a naughty on 50k roads, but i when to slow down to 20k for a aroundabout, saw another car, signal to go left and then he continue and then changed him mind and when right! FFS i though in my head is this is going to hurt! i didnt know what to do, and a wind was abit strong so it pushed , the best thing i could do is, continune and pray the car wasnt going to fast and hope i dont go to hosptail, or slow down really fast, and still get hit, i dnt have insurance on my bike yet too, so the best thing i did was,...... slow down fast and just tip the bike to my side, so i dont crash into the stupid car infront, poor bike is alittle mark, i didnt care about myself, only my bike,

im all good and bike still alive, the thing that pissed me off is .... alot of cars stopped but didnt even helped , i had to walk up to one and said in correct words "if there was a car crash would you get out and help, " he said " yes" then i said "why are you on your f^^^^ ass, get out and help me or is it cause im on a motorcycle," "he said yes" omg!!!!!! i just wanted to whack him one, " so all i did is take my time getting my bike off the road, damn i was mad, then a lady pulled over from the other side and helped me, my left wrist is bloody sore, =( hard to type, and im at work .. =(

im having second though about this bike, i might go for a car now, i dnt know, or is it im just scared as its my first crash, everyone has little crashs, im sure, im a bit shaken about going home today

[Macktheknife]

Sad to hear about your little off, seems like you are not really hurt which is good, three lessons come to mind here.

First, better to be late than get yourself in trouble by speeding in the wet with your skills not developed, especially around handling and braking in the wet.

Second, you need to get some mentoring and training to improve your skills and learn good habits, check the mentors list for people in your area.

Third, never trust a cager to go where they look like they will, they frequently go somewhere else at the last second.

Almost everyone has little crashes in the early part of their riding experience, don't let that bother you, learn from the incidents and make sure that it is a positive thing. Highly recommend doing Ride Right, Ride Safe course, and getting some help with your riding, makes a huge difference to confidence and skills.
Take care.
Mack

[chanceyy]

Sad to hear about your little off, seems like you are not really hurt which is good, three lessons come to mind here.

First, better to be late than get yourself in trouble by speeding in the wet with your skills not developed, especially around handling and braking in the wet.

Second, you need to get some mentoring and training to improve your skills and learn good habits, check the mentors list for people in your area.

Third, never trust a cager to go where they look like they will, they frequently go somewhere else at the last second.

Almost everyone has little crashes in the early part of their riding experience, don't let that bother you, learn from the incidents and make sure that it is a positive thing. Highly recommend doing Ride Right, Ride Safe course, and getting some help with your riding, makes a huge difference to confidence and skills.
Take care.
Mack

Ditto what he said :yes:

[gijoe1313]

Sorry to hear about your off. Glad to hear you are okay! Main thing. Macktheknife has said all the sensible things and it's not an admonition, just a gee-up to get yourself some skills and practice with more experienced mentors and people who can help you.

Don't let the experience put you off, you must have decided to ride two wheels of freedom because something inside you wanted life to be different. And riding two wheels will do that.

You did the right thing and asked for advice and got on with your situation, as for that attitude from the cagers, yep - to be expected. Don't let it colour your riding experience however!

[babyblade250rr]

Yeah sorry to hear about you accident as well im glad you are ok!! thats the main thing, i've recently come back into riding i used to ride 8 years ago then went full time into a cage, So for me this is almost like starting from the begining with the basic fundamental of bikes still intact. when i first started out (8 years ago) i came off a few times also nothing major and i had the same feeling as you "giving up or maybe i should get a car" but i did'nt i lernt from my mistakes which made me a stronger more confident rider. My actual reason for being in a cage the past 8 years was more my familly hassling me rather than my own decision. But now im older and not alot wiser hehe and jumping back on a bike is the greatest thing, Yes it's scary but life is full of frights and challenges and this is something you should not let overcome you!!!

[sidecar bob]

Dont sell the bike mate, you have just learned the lesson that will save your life & its only cost you a sore wrist, NEVER TRUST THE CAGE!!!

[Monolith NZ]

Dotn stop riding because of a crash, you will get better at riding in time. and those situations will come rarely :)

[RantyDave]

signal to go left and then he continue and then changed him mind and when right! FFS
They never give way, they're just not in striking distance yet.

Be careful, man. There's a lot more to this biking thing than driving a car and slowing down, in particular, can be a pretty fraught pastime. Wellington's roads are pretty nasty right now too so you want to be on the brakes early and gently - the front in particular likes to be gently introduced to the idea that you're going to need it soon and this gives it time to start compressing the forks, squashing some more tyre onto the road and if necessary drying off the disks too.

Much bigger following distances, mmmkay?

And try and work out where the cars will go based on where they *can* go. It's common for a car to turn without indicating, but extremely rare that they turn where there is already another car or no place to turn into.

Head up. Eyes up. Don't look at the instrumentation. Look behind you before changing lanes ... LOOK with eyes, not mirrors. Be farking careful, especially in rain and wind.

Dave

[alecks69]

ok first up that sux bro but your ok thats all that matters, im new to biking to and no how you feel i came off my old bike and bunged my knee quiet bad. The bike came off worse but sold not that long after, I had a brain storm!

I brought a car!

what a f***ing joke mate dont do it!

Cages are s**t they make you lazy and arent half the fun!

i have now returned to 2 wheels as of yesterday and even road today in the sunny(not) auckland weather.

my advice is you learn from that and dont do it again


everybody makes mistakes once or twice a idiot makes them three or four

Ride well

Alex

[Stirts]

Ohhh...warm fuzzies in the air....NOT.

Seriously tho......don't give up so easy! Pick ya bike up dust yaself off and think......Fucken arse not gonna let a little bin ruin my fun. Get back on and learn from this!

M1C

[phiretrojan]

thanks for the infomation,

of course im going to stay with my bike =) i think it was a little scare today, i and just thinking what happen, i have a pimped out performance scooter lol, and i have a few mistake with it aswell, life is not perfect and its the A$$ out there that make it not, i guess as long i have a L plate on my bike, ill just take it easy and ride at limit, - i notice the FXR150 Mirrors are usless all i can see is my elbows, and the lights on it, as i was riding home from work aat 9pm last night, in the rain i couldnt see much, what is a good bulb to get for a fxr150? thats a little better? aprt from that thanks for all the info, im feel more better and i cant wait to end work to ride again

[discotex]

of course im going to stay with my bike =)

Glad to hear you didn't wuss out. If you didn't get back on the bike you'd kick yourself in a week.

Might pay to read through this thread :)

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=52318

[ambler]

If all you got was a sore wrist and a few scratches on your bike, I'd say this was the best thing that could have happened to you starting out as a rider. Knowing about road safety and what to look out for is all very well, but it's no substitute for the real thing. No matter how alert you stay or how much you practise your moves that car park, there is no way to recreate the fear you have when you realise you are about to get off, or the embarrasment and/or anger afterwards, and the 'shaken' feeling you describe. You need a real-life experience to jolt a different part of your brain into action. Not everybody gets to learn this and then continue on their way to work. You've learned a very expensive lesson at a bargain price, and you're much better prepared for the next time a situation like this comes along.

I had a similar accident after about six months of riding. I was zooming along behind a bike courier in the left lane, when a taxi turned left in front of us from the right hand lane. As the taxi turned, he noticed us and panicked, stomping on the brake and ending up stopping right in our path. The bike courier guy had read this well, and he was able to come to a stop about 20cm from the taxi. I was not so 'with it' and slammed into the back of him, causing him to slam into the taxi, poor guy. Nobody was really hurt, but 'shaken' is definitely a good word (my bike narrowly missing a yakuza mercedes as it fell didn't help me relax either). I was talking to the bike courier guy while we were waiting for the police to arrive and I declared to him that I would not be riding bikes anymore after that, to which he replied "Bollocks!" - and then told me pretty much what I've written above. Needless to say seven years later I'm still riding.

[magicfairy]

the thing that pissed me off is .... alot of cars stopped but didnt even helped , i had to walk up to one and said in correct words "if there was a car crash would you get out and help, " he said " yes" then i said "why are you on your f^^^^ ass, get out and help me or is it cause im on a motorcycle," "he said yes" omg!!!!!!

I rear ended a car a couple of years ago on Cobham Drive - Wellington(wasn't looking in front, looked to see if anything coming and car stopped in front of me for no good reason) and my bike went down. Maybe because I was a woman but HEAPS of car drivers stopped to help me, check I was OK, help get bike off the road. Other bikers have had similar experiences, I think you were a bit unlucky with that lot.

[avgas]

Don't worry too much boss we all crash once.....some of us don't learn and have to keep doing it.
As for the mirror thing. FXR mirrors are crap - go to repco and buy some of those little dome wideview stick on mirror things and chuck them on the standard mirrors on the FXR.
Most of all remember:
Chicks DIG Scars!!!!

[Biff]

Glad to hear you didn't kill any innocent pedestrians or car passengers. Oh...and that you're ok as well.

Slow down boy - You're not bullet proof!

[babyblade250rr]

well id also like to thank everybody for their support on this topic, i think it's great advice y'all have given and kept a fellow biker on the streets.


well done team:Punk:

[ManDownUnder]

Almost everyone has little crashes in the early part of their riding experience, don't let that bother you, learn from the incidents and make sure that it is a positive thing. Highly recommend doing Ride Right, Ride Safe course, and getting some help with your riding, makes a huge difference to confidence and skills.
Take care.
Mack

I only snipped the rest because it's been quoted and requoted - with good reason


Dont sell the bike mate, you have just learned the lesson that will save your life & its only cost you a sore wrist, NEVER TRUST THE CAGE!!!

Hera hear. Trust no-one. Anything that can kill you should be treated accordingly. A rule for life in general.


Dotn stop riding because of a crash, you will get better at riding in time. and those situations will come rarely

Exactly. My last crash was... umm... 1994... I think...

I'm a good enough rider, but it is my experience that keeps me alive on a daily basis. That ability to see what's going on around me. To "read the road", and "Own the road". Get your technical skills up, and don;t push the envelope too far to start with.

You'll be sweet mate and - as I hope you've seen in here. The community is strong in here. Do us all a favour and get the mobile number of a few people willing to help, and if you find yourself in the poo at any point... ring. At the very least they'll be able to put a thread in here and the help coming at you WILL be significant.

Trust me on that one.

Happy riding...

[Kinje]

im all good and bike still alive, the thing that pissed me off is .... alot of cars stopped but didnt even helped , i had to walk up to one and said in correct words "if there was a car crash would you get out and help, " he said " yes" then i said "why are you on your f^^^^ ass, get out and help me or is it cause im on a motorcycle," "he said yes" omg!!!!!! i just wanted to whack him one, " so all i did is take my time getting my bike off the road, damn i was mad, then a lady pulled over from the other side and helped me, my left wrist is bloody sore, =( hard to type, and im at work .. =(

Sorry to hear about your bin, not a good day for you either- I crashed on the 1st too. Don't know what it is about the cage drivers? I had a few drive past me while the bike was still fallen over in the gutter, but then a nice car load of motoX riders who were coming over from Wellington stopped and checked me and bike out. They even follwed me back down the hill to Featherston.


im having second though about this bike, i might go for a car now, i dnt know, or is it im just scared as its my first crash, everyone has little crashs, im sure, im a bit shaken about going home today

It shakes you up for sure, and watching your pride and joy slide down the road is something you won't forget. Get back on the bike when you can though. Use this experience to learn from, and make sure you focus all the time. Cage drivers are all out to get you.

Ride like they have never seen you and will pull out in front of you.

Good luck getting back into it

[Nasty]

i notice the FXR150 Mirrors are usless all i can see is my elbows, and the lights on it, as i was riding home from work aat 9pm last night, in the rain i couldnt see much, what is a good bulb to get for a fxr150? thats a little better? aprt from that thanks for all the info, im feel more better and i cant wait to end work to ride again

Ok had an FXR for a year .. mirrors were real bad .. I bought bar end mirrors and my god they were great ... meant slightly more vibration in the handlebars .. but who gives a shit if you can see!!!

keep with it ... you had a scare .. but I hope it makes you realise you have to think for everyone out there not just yourself .. that is the thing with riding a bike ... :)

Check out the bar end mirrors they don't cost too much.

Kari

[buellbabe]

Not fun hitting the road eh?... Fortunately you're ok and no-one else was hurt either...
Bummer about yr bike being a bit dinged...but thats fix-able as well...
On the positive side, you have learnt an important lesson. ( well more than 1 actually)...
Most of us have learnt our lessons the same way so don't feel bad about it, sounds like you are aware of your limitations which is a good thing. :yes:

I wish you well for future biking!

[Renegade]

yip, learnt my lesson the same way after having my licence for 2 months....cars come from nowhere suddenly if you are'nt expecting it...so expect it.

still riding and loving it.

[Skyryder]

Nothing I can say that has not already been said. There's some sound advice here. Take notice of it and you'll be fine................ignore it.............at your peril.

Skyryder

[EnzoYug]

So you and your FXR survived the off? Good to hear.
Sounds like you got the best outcome in a bad situation.

I got taken out on my little FXR a few months back. Tincan pulled an illegal right straight into me and I just woke up in hospital. So you coulda done worse :)

Yes the mirrors are for shit, but the FXR has great brakes for a bike it's size (too bad the stock tyres arn't up to it) and I but you only fill up one a year.

Anyway, the FXR is a great starter bike - especially since you shouldn't be able to get it passed 130. Just take it easy, and don't worry about your nerves.

Fear will keep you alive. :D

[delusionz]

i Crashed

I have a small tip for you which saves my ass every time in the wet.

Be observant of the what type of road you're riding on as it changes alot, Handling on each are very different.

The smooth stuff: Roll off the throttle a little bit before you get on it, Very slippery in the wet and avoid downshifting on it until your revs drop below 1/3rd of your range approximately or wherever your low power is, ease your clutch, don't drop it.

The rough stuff: This is the road you use to accelerate and get up to speed, Traction isn't affected quite as much in the wet.

Painted shit and black road repair shit: Brace yourself for a possible slide, be ready to put your feet down the moment you get on it as it is the most notorious crap for triggering a slide, just as bad as oil and gasoline on the road, same applies for road covered in leaves and tree crap. - This still applies in the dry.

Potholes & manholes: If you're going too fast to safely dodge them then keep your throttle steady, do not slow down if it's too late as the impact will be greater if you're slowing down at the time you hit it. - This still applies in the dry.

[EJK]

Don't worry too much boss we all crash once....

Thats damn right. We all crash atleast once :)
Keep on riding! lol