wind and broken bones

[Str8 Jacket]

Subsequent trips have been interesting and repeated but I have learnt these lessons:

1. Make sure your suspension is sorted out. Soft suss was a principle reason my bike lost shape, and has done so on many ocassion. Im just lazy.
2. Keep the power on. Keep your momentum up. Dont tip over too far.
3. Watch riders/trees/dust on the road infront of you.
4. Dont look where you think you are going to crash. Look through the corner keep the power on a bit (downhill stuff).
5. Dont slow down...its hard to tip a bike over that is going at a reasonable pace.

Someone correct me if I have led Wendy astray.

I think that you hit the nail on the head, so to speak. These are all things that I have had to learn, and im glad I did cause Ive avoided a few more accidents by doing these things. The looking where you WANT to go is one of the most important things to remember and you'll be surprised how much it actually helps!
The other thing to remember, especially when riding around town is to treat every other road user like they are out to get you, be alert at whats going on around you...

[Ixion]

Clearly you have never ridden with me and skels in a takas hurricane

I should have clarified. I meant actually being blown off. I've encountered quite a few beginners who made the classic mistake of grabbing the brakes when they get hit by a gust. Almost always an off.

My point was that even if the wind gust is frightening , if you just ride it out you'll almost always be fine.

I think Ms Str8_jacket is the only person I've heard of to be literally blown off the road.

[surfchick]

i turn myself into a mouse so that if i blow anywhere i blow into the nooks and crannies on my bike

also it's no just yourself to think about in the wind. i had a nasty run-in with a double bed base and accompanying matress lollaping down two lanes of the north western motorway towards me last year. lads driving didn't coun't on our staunch westerlies coupled with the 100kph they were driving at.... grrr

[denill]

Now....what I recently learned (after 35 years on and off riding) was to get my body off the side to windward but keep the bike upright. This works on the big ol' Gixxer with it's fairings & weight AND on my lad's little 250 Spada (naked & fairly light). The bodyweight to windward provides the same resistance to being blown off the road BUT does not upset the trim when a sheltered spot comes upon you. Altogether more predictable & stable. Try it - I think you will be amazed.

Yes, excellent advice. And it helps too to conciously push the shoulder into the wind. It is also important to be aware when emerging from a shetered section and be prepared for the buffet - before it happens. Don't get too disheartened. If you have an off and live to tell the tale - you wil have learnt something (hopefully). Think that's what they call 'experience'.

[Jonty]

I should have clarified. I meant actually being blown off. I've encountered quite a few beginners who made the classic mistake of grabbing the brakes when they get hit by a gust. Almost always an off.

My point was that even if the wind gust is frightening , if you just ride it out you'll almost always be fine.

I think Ms Str8_jacket is the only person I've heard of to be literally blown off the road.

Point taken, however, the gust Skels and I got caught in was the biggest gust I have ever experienced (after I picked myself up I could hardly stand up in the wind), my front wheel was close to being lifted of the ground!! That said I made the mistake of watching the person on front of me (who didn't quite make the courner either )

[bugjuice]

none so far *touches his wood*

hope you heal up quick and that the bin didn't put you off!

[BarBender]

I used to ride motorcross and stopped riding after I had two bins on one day. First one was on a jump where I got tagged by another rider and subsequently landed front wheel first from 12 feet in the air. Result = Concusion, broken arm and a neck injury that bothers me to this day...Second bin was as a pillion on the way to the doctors 30 mins after the first...The guy taking me decided to chop down, I wasnt holding on and next thing you know my upper leg was between the tire and the rear guard and I got dragged about 30 ft up the road. The old man curtailed all further two wheel activity...and being 14 and with very little confidence I was more than happy to oblige.

I'm 40 this year and have only just got back onto a bike. I am having a bloody good time but I am having to re-learn everything again. Especially riding in traffic. Needless to say I have already dropped my bike twice in the 6 weeks I have had it!

All the best with the healing both emotionally and physically Wendy - I am sure you'll be back out there...

[Macktheknife]

Hi Wendy, welcome to the madness of KB.
I have been riding over 25 years and had about 10 bins in that time, most of which were learner mistakes in the first couple of years and a couple of off road bins, recently had a couple of more serious bins, (broken collar bone at present) but always learned something from the experiences. Keep a positive attitude to learning from it and you will be ok, sounds like you have some good instincts developing. you are a learner and most learners make silly mistakes at first, sometimes painful ones.
Practice with others as much as possible, learn from anyone available and take all the courses you can find, usually learn something from them even if it seems like you've heard it all before.
Good luck with your riding and keep it up

[Two Smoker]

Geez... i seem to be the most experienced with crashing... and i havnt been riding that long...

Anyway, Skelstars advice is great... Other things that cause you to crash:

-Getting Cocky ("I am so good it will be sweet if i do this speed")
-Being unaware of your surroundings
-Being unaware of what could be around the corner

As for me, ive had a few crashes on the road, all of them by myself and generally from being cocky and not being aware of what could be around the corner...

The rest have been whilst road racing, where if you dont crash at least a little bit, you are obviously not going hard enough...

Worst crash, coming off at turn 6 at 200kmh in the wet at Pukekohe. Surgeon estimates 12-24 months before i will be 100% back to normal...

So to some it up, be careful, but dont be a safety freak or you will never have fun... Also take your riding in small steps, who cares how long it takes you to learn, as long as your learning...

[Hitcher]

I had my second significant off on Boxing Day. I broke my right clavicle and my ST. My fault completely. I wasn't concentrating on the job at hand. The clavicle healed itself about six weeks ago. I am still waiting on the inept dodderers to complete the repairs on the ST. I could write a book. Maybe I should?

[Ixion]

But, you have got your new helmet, right? So that's a consolation , right?

Y'reckon it'll be fixed for Easter ?

[Hitcher]

Y'reckon it'll be fixed for Easter ?

Don't push it, sunshine...

[zeocen]

There are riders on here who have been riding for 10,20,30,40 years and never crashed , and many more who have only one crash in that time.

But crashes at this early stage of your rding experience DO NOT mean you are a "bad rider". What they mean is that you are a learner rider. Which you already know, right.

I agree with this post. Sometimes shit's gonna happen that no one can help but many times if you're not being a dickhead on your bike you have no reason to crash(but, like I said, there are circumstances).

The only reason I got into riding with confidence that I could do it and live is because my old man has been riding for 30 years and has crashed once in all those years. And that was due to him being cocky and trying to go around a roundabout when he was late for work one morning on his first bike :P

Pretty crappy input by me, but yeah, just thought I'd give my 2c on the whole "you're going to crash" thing. Not if I can help it!

[Ivan]

When I ride my RGV150 aroundit getshit hard by the wind so what I do is if the wind is hitting the right hand side of the bike I tend to put the knee out into the wind so theair bubble around the bike catcheson my knee andhelps tip it over just keep doing it but dont ride close to the centre line because a trucks can knock your knee off hope this helps

Ivan

P.S

we all have our crashes under braking I have done that before not on the road but at race meetings slamming the front brakes on to hard causing the front end to skid and usally turn the wheel and then its bye bye bike one helpful bit of advice is dont hold onto the bike once this happens relax your hands and if the bike grabs good but once you fell it falling over let go and then try not to move anything cause thats how you brake bones I know I flipped my brothers BMX and landed on the collar bone it bloody hurt like crazy 5 minutes later because you dont fell it all

[Sketchy_Racer]

Ivan NO ONE could understand that.

Go back to school you monkey