Want to share your crash stories?

[Molly]

There are supposed to be two kinds of bikers: Those who've been down, and those who are going down. Hopefully that's not true but since people often like to share their war stories maybe there'd be something to learn from others' experiences? Anyway, here's mine:

In April ’07 I was riding through Christchurch city centre early on a Sunday morning. I’d just been to Vic’s for my usual pre-ride fry-up. On a dual carriageway section I noticed a cop car up ahead had stopped a boy-racer-style BMW. I moved out to pass but as I did the boy racer decided he wasn’t hanging around whilst the cop checked his details and nailed a hard u-turn straight into me (I never did find out if it was deliberate).

My foot and lower left leg took the impact before the bike went off left and I landed on the grassed centre section to the right. From behind me I could hear the BMW rev up and speed off. The cop gave me a quick look then went after him. The circus ensued and I was carted off to hospital with my metatarsal sticking out of my foot (never known pain like it… split my Caterpillar boots in half). The boy racer was caught a few streets away and eventually got fourteen months in prison (he had a long line of previous convictions). My foot was pinned and plastered, and I spent seven weeks off work.

So, be careful when passing cars in the process of being checked by cops...

Anybody else got a war story they want to share?

[AllanB]

There are supposed to be two kinds of bikers: Those who've been down, and those who are going down.

Well this one time at band camp there was this girl who played a flute and she stuck it ...........

[Molly]

Groan.... Never even saw that. Doh!

[JimO]

many years ago on a 50k street a car did a uturn in front of me so instead of following him i nailed the old kawasaki Z1R and went past him heading towards warp speed when he turned down a side street, i hit him in the back door and supermanned over the car, no injuries to me, he had no licence and i was speeding so we decided to call it quits and both left before the cops arrived, the main damage to the bike was bent forks

[White trash]

November 28, 1998.

Riding my then new fuel injected SRAD to HAmilton from Welly with a couple of mates. STraight up state highway one, as fast as Caseys FZR250 would go, the whole way.

13 kays south of Tokoroa, after the long passing lanes out of the forest, there's a corner which is NOW signposted at 65 kays.

Me and Johann had been pegging the GSXR and his Bandit all the way up the passing lanes and were side by side approaching the turn. Traveling at around 220. He shut it down at about 150 meters before the turn and slowed, I wondered "Why the fuck is he doing that" and pitched the GSXR on it's ear with the throttle shut. Just as I closed the throttle, there's a slight crest in the road mid turn. Just enough to lighten the rear end. Instantly the bike turned sideways then gripped, launching me off in what must have been the most spectacular highside of all time.

I hit the roadside wire fence on the full, going through it backwards and head first. A strain of number eight wire cut a quater of an inch into the back of my brand new, Jamie Whitham replica Bell, strangely snapping just as it made it through the fiberglass shell and saving me from decapitation. Both my boots and gloves were torn off as I went through smashing my wrist and both feet.

I thought I'd died, I've never been so fucking scared in my whole life. The cop that interviewed me asked how fast I was going, at the time I couldn't remember and was off my face on Morphine so I told him "About 110 I think" He looked at me like I had two heads. I went to check out the scene a few months later when I was out of hospital and now know why he looked at me like that.

The bike went end for end along the roadside for over 80 meters, only stopping when it shunted a half tonne boulder at the farm houses gate a foot north.

It was about six months before I could walk properly and I still can't run.

So, how many times does 220 go into 65?

[mikeey01]

White trash, Dam lucky to get away with that one.
What's the saying, "Never ride faster than your angel can fly"? he must have been hanging on to ya for dear life.
Nice read all the same.

Okay, here goes..

Head on with a ute, gravel road rounding a sharp corner. He was on the wrong side of the road! broke big toe.

Hit a sheep dog on the open road, no chance to see it as it just ran out in front of me. peter pan over the bars.. slide down road... all I can say is thank god for leathers! After at least a 30 metre slide, I finally stopped, got up and wondered what the Fark had just happened... turned out the farmer who let the dog out saw it all! Honda heap of shit gone.

An Old man did a U-turn in front of me, he was looking behind him for cars and just planted it.. He didn't see me coming towards him head on! lesson learnt here, if ya don't see the whites of their eyes, they ain't seen ya! Katana gone

Sitting at a red light on Victoria Street west in Auckland out front of TVNZ facing vic park market (Nelson street end) ... again another ute hit me head on.. He was pissed to bits and ran a red light, straight into me. Bike bits all over the show / road, (closed for over an hour for the clean up) me and the bike ended up closer to the other traffic lights city side (Hobson st) I was 16 metres from those traffic lights.. estimated impact speed the cops reckon was in excess of 75kph..
The impact sent me to la la land... I woke briefly as he was trying to lift me up saying quick lets get out of here.. to which the TVNZ security guard came running out and cleaned him up I woke up in the ambo again as it was backing into the hospital.
It's almost easier to write what wasn't broken.. Lets just say all limbs broken, some ribs (Jae I know how ya feel dude) Ducati gone
Mr Thomson from Drury cranes, was the drunk and all I can say is be worried, be very worried!

This one though was my fault. On a trail bike and trying to be a crusty demon.. collar bone / ribs!

[thepom]

Just been in this fabulous country three months when I,m taken out by an asian opening his door on colombo street in chch,bmw written off and I was tossed into the parked car in front,breaking ribs and thumb,asian trying to pull me out of the middle of the road screaming in pain,guy in the ute calling the ambulance cos the asian could,nt speak english....guy in the ute holding my broken hand till ambulance came and to top it all the asian gets a ticket but insurance refuses to pay out till I take them to court.....beer and wine bought fot the ute guy who runs a paint shop in town.Still love this place...14
months ago knocked off my blackbird by a pom arsehole architect in his red porsche and two ops on my knee and will never run again.......still loving it ha ha

[Insanity_rules]

Wow there have been some spectacular crashes here so I'll tell you a dumb one................

Riding south of Stokes Valley (Welly) on the Hutt Rd headed for the wingate round about not going overly fast but quick. Turned into the round about and the cage on my left looked at me and then planted it foward into my path. To this day I can't fathom how the stupid bitch in the cage thought she was going to clear me but there you go. I thought shit hit the commodore or the round about, thinking about it I should have hit her car as when I came to rest she planted it north as fast as she could go. She had watched the chaos she caused and ran.

Lots of road rash but nothing broken thank god. Bike hit a garden so only minor damage. No one stopped at all.

[Harvd]

1 Month into my first bike i went too hot into a corner and target fixated upon the edge of the road, beyond which was a 1.5 m drop then big fuck off rocks submerged in 50cm of sea water... so i straightened the bike up and went straight over the drop, did a front flip while in the air, landed in the water flat on my back. the fact i landed flat probably stopped me from being hurt as it broke my fall onto the rocks below slightly. munted the bike, fixed it now and it only died of salt eating in recently.

stood up soaking wet, (july=cold water) and just started swearing, it seemed to be my way of dealing with shock, the people that heard me crash seemed puzzled by it however. afterwards the deep bruising on my back and shoulder came into play and i was sore for maybe a week but was still amazed that was all it came to.

Target Fixation sucks

[FROSTY:Me]

I'd just got me a brand new 83/84 Xj900 and was doing the meet the GF's parents thing.
After a polite quiet afternoon I rolled down the driveway to head home.
Stopped to check road was clear and fell over on my side--bike on top of me. Id stopped over a drain.
Riding into town down on a suburban street. Lady turning left along side me and another turning right -me going straight ahead. Right turn lady turned 2.0m in front of me. I stood up on the pegs and did an almost perfect summersault over the top of her car. Heels of both boots ripped of in the impact but otherwise i was fine.
the bike just crumpled the side of the car and left a bike shaped ding in the car.After car driver hurled abuse at me the police came and charged her with careless use.

[popa griffin]

My driveway, foot somehow stuck on peg, toppled over on my side

Little scratches, smashed indicator and broken clutch lever. Epic lulz followed.

[TimeOut]

Many moons ago, cage puts right blinker on then turns left into me.
Cager gets out herling abus(sp) and blame till I pointed out his blinker was still on
No real damage done.

[Blackshear]

Roundabout, 10k's, lowsided on my shitty kenda's
Broke clutch lever, scratched mah tank and scratched mah boots!

[Macontour]

Trying to wheely my GA5(old Kawa 100) up the drive at home. Slipped off the back and crashed on the lawn. Oh how the neighbour laughed.

A fair number of slides off on wet roads etc with little damage except for some lost skin. A big slide off in Freemans bay, Auckland on some roadworks gravel. Badly sprained ankle and loss of skin. Was picked up and helped by two gay guys who lived close. This was back in the late 70s very early 80s when being gay was frowned upon. They were both quite camp and when one was putting iodone on my grazed ankle the other was going on in a very camp fashion" ooooh that will hurt" and so on.

They were really kind to look after me and I guess they opened my eyes to that alternative lifestyle. I still think of them when I pass through there and wonder how they are.

Biggest accident was running up back of a car at night in the rain. car was sitting at green traffic lights with no lights on, a drunk driver at the wheel and I had just had to push start my bike so my visor and glasses were misted up. Ran straight into back of car and flew over roof landing on road in front of car. Driver punched me in the head before I had taken my helmet off!!!!

car and bike written off, I had a sore wrist and got done for careless but the judge seemed to appreciate the fact that I represented myself and had a good reference from my Boss and could actually string a sentence together so I just got a minimal fine.

A few of my mates have had pretty bad ones though requiring lengthy hospital stays.

[Taz]

November 28, 1998.

Riding my then new fuel injected SRAD to HAmilton from Welly with a couple of mates. STraight up state highway one, as fast as Caseys FZR250 would go, the whole way.

13 kays south of Tokoroa, after the long passing lanes out of the forest, there's a corner which is NOW signposted at 65 kays.

Me and Johann had been pegging the GSXR and his Bandit all the way up the passing lanes and were side by side approaching the turn. Traveling at around 220. ....................................

Thats just stoooopid dude.