i hit the road for the first time yesterday, (from 20kph) WHATS IT LIKE AT 100KPH

[Kickaha]

Back protectors have saved countless lives since made compulsory while racing, I wear one now when riding on the street.

I went down the track at Ruapuna,landed on my back and slid,and didn't even feel a thing,wouldn't be without a back protector,I even wear it on trailrides

[Coldkiwi]

hitting the gravel probably hurts the same amount from a given hieght at most speeds so long as you're well armoured. the pain induced by sliding is pretty much proportional to the speed/thickness of your gear!

ohh... the short answer to your query is 'oh FU__!!'

[fzr400rr]

I've had a few stacks at 50k's and fastest at 75kph. It sucks, especially as I'm a cyclist & on a road (bi)cycle - when we're racing we only have a 0.1mm layer of lycra on. You get messed up bad.
Fortunatley I've never laid over a real bike.
A bit off topic, but info all the same....

[Slim]

a friend travelling with us up old Motueka Valley Rd (I think that is the name of road) hit an unmarked gravel spot at about 100km/hr through an easy left ...

Unmarked? Think about talking to the insurers about doing the council responsible!


I've come off a couple of times at 100kph+, thankfully wearing the right gear, and come away with a couple of friction burns and wrenched muscles but nothing more.

And I can vouch for the ankle armour in Alpinestar boots after being t-boned by a sport car and coming away with only bad wrenching/twisting/swelling/bruising.

Best advice: Buy the best gear you can afford & upgrade it when you can. Your skin, after all, is your biggest organ.

[Marmoot]

Now, have u ever heard about the story of pillions getting swept off the bike and fall off backwards? Just *whoossh* and the pillion's gone.

Yeah, that's true....but have u ever known anybody personally?

My girlfriend did.... ....not that it's funny, but it's kinda rare, ya know...
Man, that wrecked a whole AGV XVent helmet, a spidi waterproof jacket, and a Spidi NT pants.....totally. Nothing hurt except for a few cuts and a broken thumb so the armor did their job well.

P.S.
Disclaimer: I wasn't the rider

P.P.S.
moral of the story? Get a decent gear. It'll be worth it when the time comes.

[Holy Roller]

In a slide that you don't hit anything in,your leathers or the lack of them will make a big difference.But if you hit something hard you will hurt no matter what you wear.

Also the older one gets the longer it takes to recover. I do not recommend hitting head on into a car. The bonnet and guards take some of the impact ,makes a nice body sized dent , but it is the ribs that hurt for weeks, hurts to breath, hurts to laugh, can't lift a knife or fork to eat with, can't lie flat on a bed, one has to sleep in a lazy boy.
To fall off and just slide down the road can be "fun" not looking to repeat it anytime soon though. But it hurts when you go back to the bike and pick it up and see all the damage knowing that this is going to cost you. One is lucky if you get to ride the bike home.

[Holy Roller]

Now, have u ever heard about the story of pillions getting swept off the bike and fall off backwards? Just *whoossh* and the pillion's gone.

Yeah, that's true....but have u ever known anybody personally?

My mate had a CB900 way back in 1980, he and his girlfriend were leaving from a party on the bike... he took off front wheel slightly off the ground whoossh his girl was left behind sitting on the ground. That caused a lot of mirth that day.

[Shawn]

How come, so many guys here fell off doing 120 and all they got were some war scratches, may be a broken toe mostly. In my case I was doing 120 close to greenlane exit, all off a sudden I find myself airborne, landing on my left shoulder, resulting a dislocated shoulder, 1000 bruises and a HUGE cut on the knee. Went straight to the emergency room My fault I was wearing Jeans, hence the huge cute on the knee. I did have leather Jacket so that saved my upper body . Many cuts on both hands since no gloves. It’s been 1 and ½ month and I still have problem making some upward movements with my left shoulder. IT SUCKS.

P.S. Got back on bike after 3 weeks though, after spending painful $1200.00 on it. So yeap, my first accident definitely taught me some lessons!!!...ya right!!!

[ManDownUnder]

at the risk of going I think this is one of the situations that really distinguishes bikes from cages.

Bike riders tend to be a lot more alert and aware of their surroundings ... it's hard to fall off a cage after all (and it tends to hurt on a bike... even for the little stuff like this example).

Make 'em all ride bikes for 2 years is what I say!

Anyhoo - back on topic, gravel isn't good, and leather is the best defence against it. Go get some, or some propeer bike jeans and you'll be glad you did should this ever happen again... at 20 or 100.

Good luck!