The most stupid thing you have done (while riding)

[Tonka]

Went to blip coming up to a 45km/h corner and pulled too much front brake and front end went....slid across the road and thankfully nothing coming in oppposite direction. If that wasnt bad enough, what made it worse was it was my mates bike...a very expenisive lesson

[FruitLooPs]

Follow too close to a car prepping to overtake, looked away turned back and was heading straight for a stopped car at 70km/hr, swerved round him - straight into the path of an oncoming tiptop truck went between the two by the slimmest of margins packing my dac's, hit the drivers wingmirror on the way thru amidst a blaring of truck and car horn..

All the usual, dropped into 1st by accident stalled. Kickstarted in first, changed down instead of up after switching bike to race pattern dropped it from a standstill in a slow and steady fashion a couple times i'm sure too..

That or cut someone off and take them out at levels raceway, first time out on track in a highlighter newbie bib. Felt about 2inches tall after that, especially since I managed to preserve myself.

[bert_is_evil]

I sneezed inside my helmet with the visor down. Messy.

[rainman]

Ah, that would be today. Splitting slowly into work down the northern, dry road, happy monday morning commute, maybe not paying as much attention as I shoulda been when a car in the left lane just in front of me breaks quickly across to the gap in the right, no indicators or anything. Oh Shit moment, go into emergency stop mode but for some dumb reason lay into the back brake more than the front. Lost traction on the back wheel, bike cut out, and I almost shed enough k's to miss - just gave him a bit of rubber loving on the back bumper. Mercifully didn't slide sideways that much. Kept the bike upright, no damage but to my underwear, and we both pulled over, checked the vehicles out and decided not to make anything of it.

Lessons I learned:
1. Concentrate extra hard on the first work day back after the school hols - the cagers are out of practice.
1a. Watch out for Mondays - I'm obviously out of practice!
2. When the traffic is just about stationary and you go past a truck on the right there will 90% of the time be a gap in front of it that someone may just want to get into. They may be in a hurry.
3. Watch the indicators and the wheels of the cars, for when the indicators aren't there.
4. Use the damn front brake!!! What was I thinking?
5. Slow down even more... I was doing about 40 at the time.
Oh, and thank $deity that it wasn't wet.

Felt a little nervous on the way home, which I'm thinking is probably A Good Thing.

[steveb64]

The stupidest mistake I ever made was back in the days when I was a learner. I was riding in a 70km/h zone following a truck which put it's indicators on to turn left, but then started moving towards the right as though it was going to turn into a side street. Assuming the driver had hit the wrong indicator I dropped a gear and flew past the truck on the lefthand side. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw the cab of the truck heading straight at me. I don't think it missed by much.

Another stupid thing was forgetting to put the lead back on after changing the spark plug on the GS500. By the time I'd realised my mistake the ignition coil was burnt out. Turned out to be a $200 spark plug change.

Had one of those near truck misses too... not at 70 k's tho... On my old GSX1100 (Yoshi kitted, CR smoothbores, 18" spokes)...

I'd been out for a ride (over the back of the Wairarapa) with some mates who had just finished racing the NZ national series - on GSXR1100's and FZR1000's, we'd stopped for a smoko break at the top of the Rimutakas, on the way home, got going again - and I peeled off to head for my abode - over Haywards, then Pahatanui inlet towards Porirua, still in full speed mode. Came rocketing out of a corner, into the next one which was blind onto a straight - to discover a 5 ton flatdeck truck just pulling out to do a U-turn in front of me (well, near the end of the short straight) - problem was, I was doing somewhere around 160 - 180 kph. I grabbed a huge handful of front brake (could feel the muscles in my arm rip!), the poor old 1100 was bucking, front tyre squealing, and I wasn't going to stop. Not even close. And the road went left after the truck which gave me no visibility for going 'round the outside. At this point, the only option left was to jump just before I hit the back of the truck, and hope I skidded to a halt on the deck, before I hit the cab (Yeah - right). Then I saw it - the light! Down the left side of the truck, as the left corner of the cab just cleared the bank that sloped right down to the road. So - off the brakes - haul the bike hard left, straighten up, and rocket through the gap - riding where there should have been a ditch! And I mean rocket - I was still doing over 100k's when I came out past the front of the truck, and to this day - I can't remember actually going past it. Brain censor cut in - TOO SCARY! Hauled things up back on the road - turned around and gave the truck driver the fingers - and a couple of other rude gestures - then decided that _I_ was a dumbfuck for going so fast in a relatively built up area (well, it was a 100k zone, but...), clicked back into gear and rode off. Much slower. Still shitting myself. It was years before I could even think about that one without getting a huge adrenaline rush...

[Sully60]

I was dying to post in this earlier but I didn't so here I go:

Back in the days when Number One and I were still courting we both commuted from the UH to the big smoke. She on her RG150 and me on my CG125. So one Friday night after work I trundle down to my ladies new work to attend the end of week drinks. She was proud of her man and wanted to introduce me to her colleagues and extol my virtues.

I remember that year as it always seems to be raining, this night was no different. I arrive at the entrance to the car park and the automatic gate opens to reveal the car park and a not insignificant crowd of people huddled around smoking and of course my girl.

Not one to be shy and retiring and needing only my own encouragement to perform (like a seal) I decide to bust out one of my super long broadsides (that I had spent some time perfecting) for the gratification of the adoring crowd.

Well ok myself.


So I set of into the car park as fast as my trusty little aircooled pushrod single would propel me. I ascend the ramp on to the roof level car park and hook second gear just after the crest, third soon after. Man and machine are now at the heady pace of forty kilometres an hour and things are ready to start my slide.

This particular CG had been modified to use CB200 wheels and brakes so getting the rear wheel locked was never a problem and so far things were going to plan. With the rear wheel now completely locked and starting to come around just nicely I glance over at the crowd and they seem ambivalent, feckers!

Now I had calculated the distance to the end of the car park and had everything set up to arrive at the very end just in front of the crowd at ninety degrees to my pre slide trajectory, sounds easy enough doesn't it? Open space, wet tarmac, an audience, my lady this was going to look cool!

Right up until the moment the wet tarmac turned to wet Butynol roofing membrane!

The nicely controlled drifting slide instantly turned into the most shameful slide of my life, on my arse following the bike that only a millisecond ago I was aboard. Feck the bike is now on its side and I swear we are both speeding up on the totally friction free Butynol.

I hadn't calculated what was required to get the bike and myself stopped from this situation so I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't even a passenger anymore, more like two bodies on a diverging path awaiting a catastrophic impact.

The moment comes and I watch my trusty steed plough straight into the wall of the third floor as I brace myself for impending thud. I slide into the fence on my side, the impact wasn't too bad but I was sore enough to require a good hard rub before I move any further. I stumble to my feet as quickly as possible, it's damage assessment/control time. I get the bike back on it's wheels without thought and then wave to the crowd, I'm sure they couldn't see my hand through the bright red glare radiating from my cheeks

My lady checks to see if I'm ok and quickly shrinks away into the crowd also embarrassed. I assess the bike to find only a broken clutch lever and the forks slightly twisted.

We were actually quite popular at that particular gathering, we’d provided the call centre drones (sorry luv) with a good conversation topic and provided myself with a lesson about traction qualities of Butynol.

[NC]

Back in the day...*shudder*

When I was about 20 and I thought I was "death proof" so to speak. Me and a mate had been hooning around all night on our bikes on a un-named drug. So full of confidence on a wet road we went out to bethals beach. I was gasing it ( I think around about 125kms) down this "straight" and someone had removed the 25kmh corner sign. So basicly I ended up highsiding the bike into some bushes down a steep embankment, while I was flying through the air and landed in some vines down from the bike, landing on my feet.
While this was all going on, my mate was watching all this happen and lowsided his bike.

I strained my back pulling the bike up the hill, which was covered in bush matter.
And my mate had to ride home in second gear..

[Wiki Drifter]

Somewhere on SH1 near Turangi I was recklessly over taking a Tui camper van, who was driving very close to the centre line. I ended up in the opposite lane and missing an on coming car by a few cm, a collision at my speed at the time would have been fatal. I was disappointed that life did not flash before my eyes, just that anus clinching 'oh shit..' feeling.

And there was the time in Picton I was told to lead the way in front of 2 dozen cars onto the ferry. Started the engine and stalled 4 times before I noticed I had my side stand down.

[Deano]

You guys have got nothing on me and Jimbo.

We both thought we could keep up with Cycosis on the road.

Jimbo learn't the hard way on Piecock hill, me on the road to Castlepoint.

At least I got past him.......for all of 20 seconds before I biffed it.

We got owned.

[carver]

Post here the most stupid mistake you have made while riding your bike....


I have rode into a mcdonalds car park, going about 40km while looking at my watch, before realising what i was doing

I just missed a reversing car

riding so pissed i couldn't see where i was going on nice CBR 600!

loosing my license instantly for speeding

crashing on a straight piece of road

just to name a few...

[carver]

oh yeah, riding through hamilton 2 weeks ago at night with sidewinder and gazza in our underwear, helmets, gloves, and race boots

[CB ARGH]

Uhh well yesterday I sat the Basic Skills Handling test. I had never ridden a road bike before, just off road. Now, what is the difference? A horn, indicators, mirrors etc. Not used to any of those.

I sit the test, and instead of flicking the indicator button, I smash down the horn giving it a nice hoot, and to put icing on the cake... the button stuck down for a second or two till I hit it again to bring it back into place. I felt like a complete dickhead, the instructor just laughed his ass off.

Still passed with just one point for stalling the engine once (You want to score NO points... points ARE BAD!)

Erm... my bad for the massive 5 month bump too XD

[saltydog]

Mabuk(drunk) on arak (rice wine), hot exhaust on right inside calf. Big fucking sore blister the size of a baseball.
Once, only once...

[munterk6]

About 10 years ago I did a runner from the law from Omarama to Mt Cook turn off, 38kms and reaching speeds of 260kmh. Pretty fuckin stupid considering I was a gnats hair from being wiped out by an oncoming car whilst passing at that speed!
Lets just say, the Judge was NOT impressed. $1800 in fines and 9 mths disqualified. The cop chasing said she was doing 210kmh( in a 91 Commodore!) and could not stay with me, she was pulling off some pretty dangerous passes!
Death is so close when riding at speeds like that under the pressure of a cop after you, and when you are NOT familiar with the judgement that is required at that speed one small mistake can easily be final.
Me, I wanna live to ride another day.

[BIHB@0610]

Mabuk(drunk) on arak (rice wine), hot exhaust on right inside calf. Big fucking sore blister the size of a baseball.
Once, only once...

hehe! Back in the late 80s a friend of mine and I were dating two guys from Rotovegas. We pillioned them from Hastings to Vegas - her with her calf resting on the exhaust pipe for a considerable distance (I think she might even have been wearing shorts). She still has a huge brown mark on her leg ....... tells people it's a birth mark ....