Did your accident change you and how so?

[canonelan2]

Maybe you've read what happened to me yesterday and I'm curious how you felt about motorcycles after an accident you had.

I consider my accident minor. I'm bruised a bit but the gear did what it was supposed to do. I feel deflated though.

I have no doubt I will get on the bike again and enjoy myself after it's all fixed up and I will always keep in the back of my mind how fast things can go from fun and enjoying the day to down on the ground watching your bike spark as metal hits the road all the while hoping the car behind you has enough sense to stop and not run you down.

You guys are still on this forum which tells me even if you did have an accident, you still got on again and continued to ride afterwards.

Did it change your enjoyment level?

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again?

What are you more cautious about now?

Any other words of wisdom?

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share.

Thanks,

Craig

[old dad]

Did it change your enjoyment level? No

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again? Yes

What are you more cautious about now? Knowing when to ride or not.

Any other words of wisdom? Improve your skills.

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share. One


I practice low speed skills regularly.

[GPSchmidt]

Did it change your enjoyment level? At times. They refer to it a PSD. It's real.

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again? Not really. I had a driver pull out unexpectedly in front of me a few yards before impact. I had no time to react. T boned her front end at 45mph.

What are you more cautious about now? I watch intersections just a closely as I did prior to the accident, but usually I'm off the throttle and ready to brake.

Any other words of wisdom? Wear the best gear you can afford.

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share. One in 31 years of riding.

[bluedad]

Did it change your enjoyment level?
No

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again?
Yes

What are you more cautious about now?
Do not hang in a vehicle's blind zone.

Any other words of wisdom?
Improve your skills; keep riding

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share.
One

[barncat]

Did it change your enjoyment level? Absolutely not!

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again? I hit a deer, so the unpredictable level was HUGE.

What are you more cautious about now? I scan the road bed a little harder

Any other words of wisdom? It's a DEMON that you and only you must face. If you find yourself "second guessing", you may not be ready.

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share. One

I hit a deer 8/18/2012 at 11am. I was running 60mph on a US hwy. I saw her jump the ditch, but I was in a bad spot. I pushed around her once, she reversed course, I pushed again, she doubled-back. By then the gap had closed and the deal was sealed. I clipped her with my bars. I went into a "death wobble" I tried to power and brake out of it. I had the "life flash in your eyes" moment, and then let go of the bike as it went down. I could not beat the Oscillation, and had to pike a time to leave the bike. I low-sided it and broke 5 bones in my left leg, and suffered road rash. The bike and I lived to tell the tale! It's an awesome story and I am glad I am here to tell it. It's a badge of honor(of sorts)

Every now and again I get flashbacks though, and they spook me. I have a Wife and 4 kids, and I can remember what I saw when I thought I was punching out. I am a realist though, and have a pretty tough constitution. I love a challenge, and the bigger the threat the harder I fight.

Last week i became strong enough to be able to support the bike, first thing I did Friday was go pick up the Shadow.
I know there are people that have had much worse, and I'm not playing it down. Just remember this is your cross to bear. Either beat it, or it will own you.

[SuperiorKolours]

Originally Posted by canonelan2

Maybe you've read what happened to me yesterday and I'm curious how you felt about motorcycles after an accident you had.

I consider my accident minor. I'm bruised a bit but the gear did what it was supposed to do. I feel deflated though.

I have no doubt I will get on the bike again and enjoy myself after it's all fixed up and I will always keep in the back of my mind how fast things can go from fun and enjoying the day to down on the ground watching your bike spark as metal hits the road all the while hoping the car behind you has enough sense to stop and not run you down.

You guys are still on this forum which tells me even if you did have an accident, you still got on again and continued to ride afterwards.

Did it change your enjoyment level?

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again?

What are you more cautious about now?

Any other words of wisdom?

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share.

Thanks,

Craig

Yes it changed me, I have road rash scars now. Other than that, no.

[PA Dave]

Let me lead off with a reminder that I only recently returned to riding after a quarter of a century away, and all my accident experience is nearly 30 years old....

Did it change your enjoyment level? Absolutely not.

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again? I didn't think so, but after taking the safety course, yes. I learned that hard braking is critical, and since saddling up again, I've practiced hard stops once a week, and needed it already.

What are you more cautious about now? Much more aware of what potential moves the vehicles around me might make. Especially aware of what's going on behind me, particularly sitting at a light. (That is because of being rear-ended in my truck...not a cycle accident, but a traffic accident.)

Any other words of wisdom? I'm still gathering wisdom, not giving it. I will offer this...Having the Right of Way makes you no less dead.

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share. I always say two, but there was a third (actually, the first).

My worst accident was a classic case of a car making a left hand turn as I arrived at the intersection. There were no vehicles in front of me as I approached and the car stopped and sat long enough to stack up three cars behind him, so he had to see me or else he was just sitting in the road waiting for nothing in particular before making a turn. At I arrive, he turned. I T-boned his station wagon and flew over it. My bike was totaled. I have no doubt that had I been practiced in hard stops, the accident would have been much less serious. All I got was a few stitches and a black eye.

My last accident was in town, low speed, and they were narrowing up traffic into one lane for construction. The car in front of me straddled a puddle of oil or antifreeze (not sure which, but it was a real puddle). I saw it and then was sliding down Queen Street with my foot under the bike. No serious damage, a little road rash because my leather jacket was strapped on the back seat of the bike, and my pride stinging. If I had allowed the proper following distance, I could easily have avoided that one.

My dirty secret accident was my first. I was trying adjust something on the bike and I would take it out around the block to see if it was right yet, then come back into the garage and tweak it bit more. I pulled in at one point, shut her down, put the kickstand down and stepped off...actually, I stepped into a small patch of oil and my foot slid forward, I fell on the gas tank while holding the grips and the whole bike rolled forward. The stand folded up and the bike fell over with me on it, like the guy in the raincoat riding the tricycle on Laugh-In (Gen X on up will have to Google that one). As luck would have it, my sissy bar came down on my dad's charcoal grill, making it into a nice V shape. It kept the bike from landing on my leg and me from whacking my head on the garage wall. I learned to watch where you step with dismounting. I attribute this accident to being a klutz.

[mblosch]

No accidents in my 35 years of riding.

Improve your skills. Don't get complacent, and don't ride above your comfort zone.

[joe in calif]

Did it change your enjoyment level?
For a while YES,

Did you learn something from it that would prevent the same exact accident from happening again?
YES, be more aware of the people trying to pass you
What are you more cautious about now?
people riding behind me and their intended moves

Any other words of wisdom?
They are out to get you, ride defensively

Lastly, I'm also curious how many accidents you've had if you're willing to share.
I had 2, one way back in the early 70's that was my fault, I was following to close and the car slammed on his brakes to make a left turn and I ran into the rear of his car. And the last one was in May of 2008. A guy and his wife on a Harley dresser was going to pass me, I was in a group of 6 bikes, we were in Utah on highway 12, we all pulled over to the far right so they could pass, he gave the Harley all it had, he was doing about 75 when he was at the rear of my Gold Wing, he decided he couldn't pass because there was a small left hand turn in the road, he hit the brakes, locked up the rear wheel and slid sideways into the rear of my 2 month old Gold Wing it knocked my bike down on the left side, the Gold Wing has great crash bars and it slid a long wag on the bars and God and I was able to keep me from losing it, he and his wife on the other hand flew off the Harley, it flipped about 4 times, landed on top of his wife, they were both really messed up. The guy riding behind me saw it all happen and to this day doesn't know how I kept my bike from flipping. ( I know, thank the LORD)

[Hondaguy]

No accidents in 35 years. My first will be my last ride one way or another.

I don't know mine or my bike's limits and don't care to find them anytime soon.

I believe I will be the cause of any get off. I believe as a rider i should be able to anticipate and avoid other's mistakes but not my own. I found out a few days ago how absent minded I could be and it scared me a lot.