How many riders have never been down

[gixermike]

11 years, Never been down on road, couple of times messing about on dirt. I go by the 'assume you're dead till told otherwise' in event of an accident...kind of concentrates the mind on not dying.

I Don't start to think small spills don't matter (I don't include the learner falling over doing u-turns etc in this as an accident..), you can't predict when small ones become big ones (30kmh spill + small, 30kmh spill+cliff / post / oncoming traffic = huge), you shouldn't let yourself accept that crashing is inevitable...I don't think telling learners it's inevitable is a good idea, puts them in the wrong mindset from the off, and it won't change till they have fallen off. It's a self fulfilling prophecy. I've avoided replying to anything about learners and faired bikes (sorry, it's not to put anyone down, thats why I didn't mention it before).

All groups act like this, it's the nature of peer pressure. it can make you do some stupid things, and some good things. If the group says collectively 'your gonna crash, it's no biggy' guess what, they'll expect to crash, and if they expect it they'll do it.(they get to a corner too hot, and think 'oops, here's the crash I've been wating for')....if the group changes to 'you won't be falling off,theres no need to...and thats not acceptable to the group' then peer pressure will work positively to get them to pay more attention and learn. Beleive me....it doesn't slow you down any....we still crack 140MPH (yep that was miles) every sunday morning on the road.

Tell yourself you are not going to crash each time you get on the bike, make it a habit and commit to it......, so when you go into a corner too hot etc, you just crank over and get on with it....not run off the road coz part of your brain that should be steering is actually still telling you your gonna crash.

Attitude is everything:-
'believe you can, believe you can't either way you're right'
Someone famous, can't remember who though!

I got this approach from the American / uk Cave and technical diving groups.

May sound like bollox...but it works a treat.

Mike

[orangeback]

Tell yourself you are not going to crash each time you get on the bike, make it a habit and commit to it......, so when you go into a corner too hot etc, you just crank over and get on with it....not run off the road coz part of your brain that should be steering is actually still telling you your gonna crash.

Attitude is everything:-
'believe you can, believe you can't either way you're right'
Someone famous, can't remember who though!

I got this approach from the American / uk Cave and technical diving groups.

May sound like bollox...but it works a treat.

Mike

Im not try to scare anybody but make people aware that it happens to anybody at any time , you cant control all suituations
"but look at your profile picture (gixermike) " carnage

[orangeback]

I dont go down, you just end up with hair in ya teeth.

you dont get hair in you teeth when your going down on 9 year olds,
Called in in the weekend, but it must have been your boys b-day so kept going.
do recal you having a date with the tarmack in Timaru not so long ago

[T.I.E]

about 20yrs riding for me. started when i was 10 on the back roads and farms. only had 1 serious bin. and thats all i will have.
my thought is if i have an accident, it's my fault. bascially i should have seen it coming.
i know there are idiot drivers out there and can't trust any of them. even when they are pulled over to the side.
i was riding down a loose metal road helmet t shirt jeans and boots, hot day.
came around a left hand corner, and there was the sheep. freaked locked the front of the bike up at about 60kph and gravel rash on my arms like you would not believe. the sore part was the ride home blood dripping everywhere. what a clean up job. and with the wind blowing into my cuts it stung like hell.

[T.I.E]

"but look at your profile picture (gixermike) " carnage

great picture but i see 3 bikes and only 2 riders.

[Squeak the Rat]

You won't get a reply from [most of] the people who have never crashed a bike because they will be afraid of jinxing themselves....

Personally the "every rider will go down" argument is about as relevant to bikes as cars. Most people who I hear say this are either people who have crashed or who ride close to the edge.

I've crashed one but not the other.... [rests hand inside front of trousers]

[Fishy]

You won't get a reply from [most of] the people who have never crashed a bike because they will be afraid of jinxing themselves....

Personally the "every rider will go down" argument is about as relevant to bikes as cars. Most people who I hear say this are either people who have crashed or who ride close to the edge.

I've crashed one but not the other.... [rests hand inside front of trousers]

Off topic I know....but nice signature mate. Blonde and 2 big lumps?

[Squeak the Rat]

Off topic I know....but nice signature mate. Blonde and 2 big lumps?

Ahaaa, wait and see..... (I put the answer up occassionally but it seems to offend some people )

[beyond]

Had my share off offs, particularly when I was young. Always had a bit of a fetish for riding faster and harder than one should.

My first was overtaking three cars in a 50kmh zone heading into a 100kmh, when I was 18. Doing about 130kmh around the outside, the lead car turned right without indicating, I tried turning with it but whacked it side on. Wrote the bike off, dislocated my foot and bad bruising all over.

Second, trying to take a roundabout at some ridiculous speed to beat a previous record. Nearly broke the record but when nearly around, peg already down but the bars decided to touch down as well. Multiple 360's, cosmetic damage and major riding gear damage.

Third, 140kmh two up, wet Friday night, 50kmh residential area. Still 18 and invincible. Car pulls out, it's ok, going to miss it but hit the unlit trailer it was towing, still doing 140kmh. Wrote off the bike, the trailer and an Austin A40 waiting to pull out. Broke collar bone, two bones in my foot, lacerations needing stitching, brother in hospital for a year while they save his leg.

Fourth, showing off a year later with my sister on the back, at the seaside.
Power up the bike, take a left turn but hit the large culvert bump in the road, go airborne, clear the rocks on the beach, land in the sand next to a couple of old ladies having a picnic. No damage, damage to pride and quick getaway before we get invited for tea and scones by said to white ghosts.

Fifth, recently on the 14. Riding hard, hit patch of sand on a fast corner, safest move was to straighten immediately as the rear was trying to overtake the front. Bleed off a lot of speed under heavy braking, hit the gravel, then grass, go to lay her down but hit a slight bank. Winded, no damage, back on the road.

Sixth, recently on the 14. My own dum fault. Scanning the scenery for a split second at high speed, come over the rise as I get my eyes back on the road, thinking the road goes straight ahad, but was a hard right hander. Brake hard, bleed off heaps off speed, toss her into the corner hard, ride the edge of the seal nearly all the way around, still too hot, into the gravel, long slide into shallow drain, blackberry bushes, grass. Bike goes down hard on my right knee. No pian (yet) Pick her up, quick check, jump on, fire her up, power out of the drain and back onto the road. Slight cosmetic damage only. A & E monday morning. No breaks, but bruised knee joint and arm.

I've had my share, no more thanks.

[Fishy]

I've never come off or broken a single bone.

could be a tui add!.

[beyond]

I've never come off or broken a single bone.

could be a tui add!.

YEAH, RIGHT!!!!!

[Fishy]

YEAH, RIGHT!!!!!

Yeah honest.... I was born covered in scars

[beyond]

Yeah honest.... I was born covered in scars

That I can believe, but you don't pop into the world with enough steel inside ya, to get the airport alarms screaming.

[Fishy]

That I can believe, but you don't pop into the world with enough steel inside ya, to get the airport alarms screaming.

Ah bugger, ya got me

[terbang]

Ive had a few over the years with the most recent being 2 up (Mrs T) on the bandit and just overcooked it a bit on a RH corner, but not too bad if nothing were to go wrong and then (murphys law) loose metal saw us in the ditch with a few scrapes and in the market for new bars, levers and a tank.
Tend to think that it is a function of our human nature (to experiment and improve) to have at least one off in our lives.