Why did Lawrence of Arabia crash?

**slofox** · 14th April 2009, 11:44

Originally Posted by Okey Dokey

But was he waving at the time of the crash?

Of course he was - that's why he lost control...just like he was on a Harley...

**eliot-ness** · 14th April 2009, 13:47

I heard that he braked hard at the end of a straight and was hit from behind by the low flying Bristol Bulldog biplane he had just overtaken. Probably just another urban myth though, even the planes of that era had better brakes than the bikes.

**Pogo2** · 14th April 2009, 17:15

Well I'll be buggered. Thought that only happened in the desert!

**MVnut** · 14th April 2009, 17:24

An article I have on LoA (and his Broughs) suggests he died after a crash ..."probably following a collision with a cyclist"

**Ixion** · 14th April 2009, 17:31

According to the coroner's inquest, he was riding at around 50mph (80kph) on a back road. He went over the brow of a blind hill and found two cyclists in front of him , riding quite legally and safely (the cyclists, I mean).

In swerving to avoid the cyclists he came off (probably highsided) and suffered major head injuries.

It is important to note that Lawrence was a very bad rider, by his own admission frequently rode very dangerously, and had had many previous accidents, suffering a number of broken bones and other injuries.

Nowadays, we'd call him a squid and he'd have lost his licence very quickly.

**FJRider** · 14th April 2009, 19:17

Originally Posted by Okey Dokey

But was he waving at the time of the crash?

He would have been on a BRITISH bike... they do wave... sometimes...

**SARGE** · 14th April 2009, 19:19

Originally Posted by Gubb

It was the man in the Book Depository.

with the candlestick....

**Motu** · 14th April 2009, 19:33

Originally Posted by Mikkel

You forgot the high-vis vest - the cornerstone of all safety gear

Unlikely - the hi viz vest would cover the colour matched leathers....the cornerstone of looking good in bank windows.

**NordieBoy** · 14th April 2009, 19:48

Originally Posted by eliot-ness

I heard that he braked hard at the end of a straight and was hit from behind by the low flying Bristol Bulldog biplane he had just overtaken. Probably just another urban myth though, even the planes of that era had better brakes than the bikes.

More likely a Lanz Bulldog...

**Katman** · 14th April 2009, 19:50

Originally Posted by newbould

Wikipedia reckons there was a dip in the road which hid a couple of kids on bikes, he swerved to avoid them, lost control and whammo.

See, that was his problem.

Had he been a true motorcyclist, he'd have just taken the kids out and then blamed them for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

**PirateJafa** · 14th April 2009, 19:56

Originally Posted by Katman

See, that was his problem.

Had he been a true motorcyclist, he'd have just taken the kids out and then blamed them for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

No.

If he was a true motorcyclist, he'd have been too busy posting threads about waving on internet forums to be riding his bike.