Crashes due to mechanical failure?

**Shaun** · 10th October 2010, 08:22

Sure have, My Isle of man crash was due to a steering damper breaking

**simpy1** · 11th October 2010, 08:21

I had a throttle jam open....on a Honda Trail 90 heheh. It was also on a deserted and perfectly straight country road. I had plenty of time to try all the options before eventually turning off the ignition and walking it back home.

**Grubber** · 11th October 2010, 11:35

Originally Posted by Jantar

One due to a blowout on an overladen bike, so I guess that one is almost rider error.

One freak crash due to mechanical failure. The spring that holds the side stand up broke and the side stand came down (this was 1974). I discovered it the hard way when I went to lean into a left hand corner and ended up laying the bike down. Of course modern bikes will kill the engine if this happens, so not likely on a modern bike.

Then 1976, I had the rear hub split on a GT750 waterbucket. That tossed me off in a big way, and Suzuki did replace the hub under warranty. The rest of the damage was an insurance claim.

Mechanical failure that can cause a crash is very rare on modern bikes, but can still happen.

I had the same thing happen on Yamaha XS 750 i had when in Aussie.
Stopped on the side of the road to do a couple of repairs (very common for this bike) and then took off home once fixed. First right hander was no worries but the slight left hander was a bit of a catastrophe to be honest. Bounced on the side stand once, took a moment to figure out what just happened, the next moment was heading for the rear end of a car going opposite way. BANG. All over in a second. Bike to wreckers, me to hospital, car to panel shop, end of story.

**DEATH_INC.** · 11th October 2010, 11:41

Not me, but I saw a guy go straight off a corner at taupo when his front brake lever fell off....

**Str8 Jacket** · 11th October 2010, 11:43

I recently had my race bike seize at a testday and it spat me off, I was lucky to walk away with a dislocated toe and scraped up leathers. I have had many others seizures (no, really) that I have saved with grabbing the clutch in time!

The few accidents I had when I started riding where caused by a mechanical failure in my brain.

**gazmascelle** · 11th October 2010, 11:55

a mate of mine once went off the road and down a 2 metre slope/ditch/hole due to headlight failure with police following about 20 seconds behind lol. Went back and picked up the bike the next day

**mashman** · 11th October 2010, 12:08

I blew the top off a piston on a ZXR400 (several years ago)... but she kept on goin, covering the insidfe lane in oil and blue smoke... didn't throw me off though (just as well at 125mph, yes yes, bad me)

I know of 2 people who have had rear linkage failure in NZ over the last 2 - 3 years...

**Deano** · 11th October 2010, 12:42

I took an ER185 to a bike shop as it wasn't running quite right. When I got it back the muppet had stuffed the choke and it was very hard to start from cold. I had to try crash starting it down my street at the bottom of a hill.

I had the throttle open trying to crash start it and when it kicked in it kicked in big time and spat me off into a parked car.

**Pixie** · 13th October 2010, 08:25

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

Has anyone here had a crash due to a mechanical failure on the bike? For example, a break lever snapping, tire blowout, foot peg breaking etc.

I would expect a break lever to snap.

You know...the name 'n all

**avgas** · 13th October 2010, 08:40

5 x I took off with disc lock on.
One of those times was a wheel-stand that ended abruptly on touchdown.

but I don't think you mean that type of mechanical failure.

**quickbuck** · 13th October 2010, 09:19

Crash due to mechanical failure?
Yup, last Saturday.
Binned the Ninja 250R at Manfeild because the tyres didn't have enough mechanical grip on the white paint......

Well, actually another one was a certain other bike i know of had a 20 year old hose to the oil cooler split, and spill oil onto the rear tyre and resulted in a crash in Splash.

Conversely, i have seen a CBR Superbike rider save the bike in the same situation when the crank case split.

As for a road going situation, yes it is all possible, but you will almost always find there was a human factor leading up to the mechanical failure in the first place.

One example I can think of is a 1988 Ninja 250 I took out for a ride, and then it almost killed me when it spat oil all over the rear tyre.
Reason was because the sump was full of fuel. They do this when the vacuume tap in the tank fails, along with leaking float jets....
So where is the human factor you ask?
Who should have checked the oil level before the ride???? Yes, My Fault.

**onearmedbandit** · 13th October 2010, 09:33

Originally Posted by Big Dave

The air intake grill on the front of this Ducati fell off, got sucked into the fuel system and jammed it flat out - He was about 6 months on crutches.

Wow, did it affect his clutch, brakes, kill switch and ignition too?

This one freaks me out a bit, although it didn't happen to me, rather my brothers mate back in the 80's. Coming home on his Katana at night at about 140km/h round a bend in the country, when his headlight failed. He tried to remember the road (it was cloudy so not much natural light) and make it around but hit shingle on the side of the road and down he went.

I figure if that's going to happen, there's fuck all I can do about it.