Who on here has laid down a motorcycle?

There are two kinds of riders. Those who have wrecked and those who will wreck. That said I have wrecked, been scratched up and watched my bike flipping end over end in front of me as I slid to a stop.

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I have, it sucked.

Walked away with a popped eardrum and sore as hell but no scratches or roadrash, I ALWAYS ride with head to toe protection. My Bieffe helmet saved my life twice.
 
There are two kinds of riders. Those who have wrecked and those who will wreck. That said I have wrecked, been scratched up and watched my bike flipping end over end in front of my as I slide to a stop.

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Come on man, don't give me the voodoo!

The only time I've laid a bike down it wasn't even moving, so I guess that doesn't count.

I still have a BMW 1150RT and a Victory Hammer. But I'm in my late 40s. I have a baby daughter. And I just hardly ride at all anymore. The sentiment in your post plays a big part in that. I don't want to tempt fate. Then again, I really don't have any friends who ride and that takes a lot of the fun out of going up Mt. Palomar and cruising around.

And while I don't slow down to look at accidents, some of the more spectacular stories that show up in this thread better include pictures!
 
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Im gonna avoid motorcycles like the plague.

My good buddy's wife won't let him get one because she's an ER nurse. She says they call them "murdercycles".

If I'm being honest, if I hadn't gotten my MC license as a teen way back in the 80s, I have to wonder if I would do it today later in life with all sorts of responsibilities and better understanding of man's fragile mortality.

It could be kind of like downhill skiing -- if you don't learn as a young person when you think you're invincible I imagine it is pretty terrifying.
 
I have only had one serious argument with my wife of 32 years. A year after the last laydown I remarked I wanted to get another bike. She screamed for 2 hours. I will give you the short version without the cuss words.
"I don't care if you kill yourself you dumb SOB but I will be good and GD-ed if I am going to push you around in a wheel chair the rest of your life. So I haven't mentioned it since.

I had been riding for 40 years and both of my boys had cycle dealerships.
Laid down ya I have laid down a few.
Please wear your leathers and a helmet and remember you arms and legs are your bumpers and fenders on a bike.
 
I have, at 50 mph. It wasn't that fast, but it still hurt for a few days. It absolutely destroyed the bike, and the girl on the back got a few weeks of gravel in her feet. I was always taught to wear protection: Helmet, hands, feet. I took it a step further and always wore a heavy race jacket and usually Kevlar reinforced jeans. I was fine, just sore. The adage is true; it isn't if you go down, but when. I still wouldn't trade the joy of riding for the promise of security. 'Murica.
 
I laid down mine doing stupid shit when I was 20, just some road rash on my arms and a few bumps and bruises. Digging gravel out of your arms and cleaning with alcohol hurts but my pride was hurt worse lol

I watched a guy with a girl on back doing wheelies and came over backwards about 75mph. Came up to them and she wasn't too bad of shape but the guy's ass looked like ground hamburger and the bone on the side of his ankle was ground down. He was pretty rough looking.
 
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I got knocked off a Kawasaki in Japan by a pedestrian. It was by the beach and some French dude was crossing the crosswalk when the lights were red. I wasnt going too fast but he saw me, hesitated, panicked and then went forward, Baaaam . He was being a fucking douche about the whole thing, the Japanese cops gave him a citation.

Second one was a little more serious, outside the rear gate at Camp Pendleton was heading home. I felt the strap of my helmet slapping the side of my helmet. Stopped and cinched it up. A few miles down, I stopped at a red light, got rear ended by a drunk lady. Sent me flying flipping forward in the air, not sure how far away I landed. I did not break any bones, but was road rashed pretty good . Cracked my helmet though, man I was blessed. I had a leather jacket on, but not zipped, it rode up and my back was like freddy krueger's face(well maybe not that bad, but was not fun).

One thing about riding a bike is it makes you a defensive driver. You do not take anything for granted, SIPDE all the way.
 
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I have only had one serious argument with my wife of 32 years. A year after the last laydown I remarked I wanted to get another bike. She screamed for 2 hours. I will give you the short version without the cuss words.
"I don't care if you kill yourself you dumb SOB but I will be good and GD-ed if I am going to push you around in a wheel chair the rest of your life. So I haven't mentioned it since.

I had been riding for 40 years and both of my boys had cycle dealerships.
Laid down ya I have laid down a few.
Please wear your leathers and a helmet and remember you arms and legs are your bumpers and fenders on a bike.

I think I woulda gone out and bought one the next day.

Ive only crashed twice so far. Minor knee injury the first time and minor road rash the second. Ive had a BUNCHA close calls!
 
Of course I had on riding gear today when I laid mine down (pants and T-shirt). Always wear a full face helment without exception. I will probably ride it to work in the morning if I can bend my right knee. I tried to post pics but can't seem to make my phone want to help me out. I have a hole under my right knee cap that I can stick my thumb in and various road rash all over my body. Stopped and bought a fifth of Jim Beam pain medication on the way home so I could stand to wash everything with soap and peroxide.
 
In 1975 I was hauling down the hiway in phoenix az about 65mph in the far left lane rush hour just started some ass lost a ladder in the right lane a jerk in a caddy swerved to miss it to the left across three lanes and clipped my front tire he hit the guard rail and jumped it and hit a oncomming car I went down with the bike and slid like it was almost forever the car behind me was skidding toward me and at one point I put my hand on the bumper to keep from going under it and was still on the bike I ended up with a road burn on the inside of my left knee and on the inside of my left elbow a few other cars collided and no one was hurt very bad, was the last time I owned a bike. The bike was totaled the left side was ground off from sliding.
 
I ride between 25 and 35 k per year, yep laid down many a bike, many broke bones, about 20 in all, only 2 from road crashes and not that bad either, dirt riding took a toll on my body that is now coming back to haunt me big time (50 next month), legs, ankles, fingers, shoulder, ribs , many ribs, a toe, although the ribs are not a prob today, the fingers shoulder, ankles and leg breaks get more painful every year. I wish the gear available today was available back in the 70's and 80's. but then again I probably wouldn't have worn it anyway, not "cool" enough for me and my Converse all star riding sneakers.
 
I high-sided on some kitty litter some asshole threw down over an oil spill. Not before taking the handlebar to the liver and some minor internal bleeding along with the obvious road rash. This is my side above my hip, it was about 4-5 weeks after when the blood started finally coming to the surface

8229_197409888274_3464846_n.jpg
 
Laid down dirtbikes plenty. One time on the dirtbike was the only time in my life (even born at home) that I have been to a hospital. Had to get my face stitched up even with me wearing a helmet. The other time I hit a deer doing about 65 mph. Luckily I was on a straight away and skidded to a stop. I had leathers on but not boots, and either broke or severely sprained my ankle. My buddy measured from the chink in the pavement from where my bike first hit to the oil stains (pavement ground through my valve cover) where my bike stopped to be 130 feet up a slight grade. I couldn't walk on my right foot for 2 months. My trig teacher wouldn't let me make up the test from the 1 day of school that I missed.
 
It will happen. When I was a kid I had to lay one down due to fucked up brakes to avoid barbed wire fence on both sides of a driveway and across the road. Out in the country where i grew up next to a little road with only 10 cars a day. I was just trying to get slowed down and not have a big wreck...Unfortunately, an old boy in a 60's Chevy pickup was driving home from work, into the sun, at that exact moment.

Bike stuck between front axles of the truck, and it and the truck ground to a stop in about 40 yards. I came out the back at about 20 yards way fucked up. No helmet. Tennis shoes, jeans, and t shirt that were simply shredded. Not much skin left on my arms, shoulders, face, one leg chopped up pretty good, collapsed lung, skull fracture...Nothing but God in heaven and dumb luck kept me from being dead or worse. Never have had the desire to ride street bikes as an adult. Folks that ride and I tell that story to, don't want to hear the details.
 
Who on here has laid down a motorcycle?

There's no such thing as 'laying down' a motorcycle.

On the street, 'Layin' 'er down' is a euphemism for a low side crash due to too much back brake, grabbing the front brake, or insufficient maneuvering.

I have crashed many a bike, on the track and otherwise. Lowest speed: 25 mph. Highest speed: An estimated 130 mph. Most of them were my fault.

But I have never "had to" lay down a motorcycle.
 
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Road raced from 1987 to last year. I've been thrown off the highside, low sided, knocked down, ran over... Some get offs are easy. Others stink. Racing makes it pretty easy as the environment is kind of sterile. Grandma won't turn left in front of you, and the sixteen year old girl won't try to move out of the way of the intersection with you under her car. Gravel...yeah, been there on a little street bike accident before I started racing.

Being prepared with better apparel is always good. Being aware of what's around, where you might escape to, and trying to assume strange scenario's of the morons around you is good for survival.
 
Just laid mine down this afternoon. Hurts like hell. Gravel is not the friend of the motorcycle enthusiast.

Yup, kind of a bummer EDIT - yikes, just read how much damage you got - hopefully you'll heal up soon. Leather and Arai = my two best friends

Crash - YouTube

The aftermath (yes, it was a stock setup - the front fairing got ripped off entirely and broke the stay):
992954_380561372047740_1610223838_n.jpg


When I used to ride on the street I would go out in my racing suit sometimes. Loved the looks I got from the city drivers.
 
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I high-sided on some kitty litter some asshole threw down over an oil spill. Not before taking the handlebar to the liver and some minor internal bleeding along with the obvious road rash. This is my side above my hip, it was about 4-5 weeks after when the blood started finally coming to the surface

Problem sounds like he didn't do any cleaning besides throwing down the kitty litter, but that's exactly what you want to do for starters - i'd take running over kitty litter vs running over oil-slicked asphalt any day of the week.
 
YES, which time? been riding for 39 years, been pretty lucky, always healed up well. Lots of mysterious aches and pains these days, don't know if it is from crashing motorcycles or falling off cliffs, and various other clumsy shit I've done since birth.
 
As mentioned by several others...Dirtbikes more than i'd like to mention. On and off the track. But fortunately never on any of my road bikes. I would only ride them for a few months and get bored with them. So maybe my number will come up on the next street bike. Hopefully not though.
glad to hear you are among the living. Ride safe.
 
Skin Bacon is a rite of passage for the motorcyclist. There are "Before bacon scars" and "After Bacon scars" riders. The before riders are characterized by flip-flops, shorts, muscle shirts and DOT-approved head bandannas along with a lot of HP per CC of engine. The "After" riders (those who survive) ride happily for the rest of their lives in boots, sturdy pants and protective jackets. There are old motorcyclists. There are bold motorcyclists. But not so many old bold motorcyclists!

But don't discourage the 'before' riders too much. There is a shortage of good kidney's and liver's available. We need more organ donors and, hey, Darwinism works!

And, yes, laid down many times. All, fortunately, at low speeds. Most recently in 2009 when the front clincher tire of my '27 JD let go, wrapped around the front forks and dropped me in an intersection. Fortunately, I had felt it start to go and hauled the speed down from 35 to about 10 when it locked up. Gauntlet gloves, a heavy canvas jacket, tall boots and a good helmet and I walked away without so much as a scratch. My first lesson was laying down my Honda on the way home from getting my motorcycle permit in 1981... Just a mile from home. Stupid is as stupid does. I spent a summer picking rocks out of my palm and forearm for that one.

Cheers,

Sirhr

PS: Grey, glad you are ok and nothing was serious. Hurt pride may be a bit costly, but it happens to the best of us.
 
Totaled my bike back in 2005.
Ran off the road and the bike pitched me at about 60mph. Sheared my right shoulder blade off and tore all the hide off my right forearm. Other than that, I was fine. My head hit so hard that it split the shell on my helmet down the middle. Where I'm from, everyone wants a Harley / Harley clone. Folks made fun of me for wearing a full-face helmet on my bike. Glad I had a full-face helmet because the last several yards (after I flipped a few times) were spent sliding on my face. If I had been wearing a "turtle shell" I wouldn't have a chin anymore.

It sucked.
 
Been riding since 69 after I saw easyrider had to have a bike. Worst crash was in 89 left a christmas party and hit a car head on when my front tire went flat, put my right knee ( ball part) in about 30 pieces. Still riding but believe in safety and comfort now with safety first. Lots of idiots on the road today compaired to 20 30 years ago. But it is still the only way to see this great country of ours.
 
Been riding since I was 12, got sponsored to road/drag/motocross race for a few years (Kawasaki and Yamaha) and I've met the ground rapidly more times than I care to remember. The worst I got hurt was on a bike when I was t-boned by a cage, and some of the most fun I've ever had has been on a bike. Racing any format is a blast.
Motorcycles have taken me places I'd never have known about, introduced me to new friends everywhere I've lived, and sometimes 'ride therapy' has been what kept me sane. I've had great times on bikes, I've had some that made me laugh out loud into my helmet because just riding them was so damn much fun. I've had little bikes, still have two XR250Rs, and big bikes, up to 1205cc (race bike) and my KTM 990 that would go 100mph on dirt roads. I've been clocked at 151mph on a dark night, and the worst dirt accident I ever had was at zero mph.
Riding a bike, you're outdoors. You smell fresh cut grass, the temperature changes going past an orchard with the sprinklers on, and you pay more attention to the weather overall.
Are they dangerous? Can be. ATTGATT, All The Gear All The Time. Full face helmet, boots/gloves, armored jacket, kevlar jeans. As I get older I'd rather sweat than bleed.
Keep your stories about your buddy who died, seen that- right in front of me. Don't want to hear about the guy you know who lost a leg or broke every bone in his body, whatever. Don't want to hear about the time you wrecked horribly, unless there's a lesson to impart. BTDT, got the scars. I'm going to ride, and have fun, as long as I'm able. I accept the risks. I'll be riding until they have to lift me on/off, then I'll buy a sidehack and find a pilot.


1911fan
 
hate to say it, but yeah, twice. First time was my fault, second time I said screw it, sold it and got into dirt bikes. That was about 35 years ago. Went from a hog, to a 250, then quads (with the kids) and now a crawler. Last weekend was spent crawling the Rubicon. It's been a good run.
 
First time I laid down a motorcycle I ended up hitting about a dozen of those concrete bumps they used to use for lane dividers. The big ones that looked like they were molded in an old ford hubcap. Three hours in a hot bath to soothe the pain.

Second time put me in the hospital for a month with a nearly severed leg, broken pelvis, and more bruises than an apple that had been used in a baseball game. Took a year before I could walk unaided.

After I healed I decided that street bikes were too dangerous so I bought an XR500 Honda dirt bike. From there it was several crashes where I either fell down a mountain side or watched the bike fly over my head while climbing a hill or two. At least on the dirt I wasn't hurt so bad that I couldn't be cured by a few tequila shots that night and back on the beast the next day.

Yeah, you might say I've "been there, done that". Damn it was fun :)
 
Crash - YouTube

The aftermath (yes, it was a stock setup - the front fairing got ripped off entirely and broke the stay):
R6's usually are helped a whole bunch by having the fork tubes dropped in the triple clamps. Looks like yours are 6-10mm above the clamp. We actually ran ours below the triple clamps, and, often, one of the racing modifications is to have some internal work and add a new cap that is longer...so the tubes can be adjusted more. Would probably keep the bike from pushing at full lean...and then sending you off the track for a yard sale.

What track? Vid's too short for me to recognize?
 
While driving in the city, had a dumb broad in oncoming traffic turn left infront of myself, and a cager in the left lane. She head-on/T-boned me (45 degree angle) and this was near the end of July. (some years ago) I got out of the hospital in the beginning of November, and through constant rehab/physio I was able to start learning how to walk again the following February. I was 35 at the time. My left arm WASN'T broken, though along with everything else, my pelvis was broking in 4 places. You can imagine what things have been like since.

I was wearing leathers, and protection. I'd say that I came out scratch free, EXCEPT for the huge amount of "zippers" and "traintracks" (what I call the scars of stitches) from being cut open and put back together again.

I was a career tradesman before hand, as well as a full-time student of the sciences at University.

And then my life was changed for me, by a dumb-assed 18 y/o girl in oncoming traffic, who simply wasn't paying attention nor had any regard for anyone else on the road. That cager that was beside me in the left lane, he swerved left into oncoming traffic to avoid her, and she plowed right into me. I have that "video replay" in my head.... of the fender, then the hood, then the windshield, then the "flying through the air, with the greatest of ease....." and then the landing/rolling. And then the laying in the pool of gasoline from my (1.5 mile 'ago' fill-up) and the smoking passenger in her car asking me if there was anything she could do for me.

Graham was right,,, and we don't consciously 'lay things down'. But believe me here, when I tell you that there are things that I wish I could forget. Alas, my memory has worked for shit ever since. But that, I would pay to forget that.

Do I still love riding though? Absolutely. On the highway though. Cagers are idiots. Blind idiots.
 
I never had an accident on the street but came way too close too many times while being a stupid punk kid back in the day. I got off the street and then went road racing '86 - '06. "laid 'er down" more than plenty of times (a lot) but only a couple times intentionally. I think anyone considering riding on the street should spend a year or two actively riding a dirt bike to learn the fundamentals of bike handling before putting the big chips down on the street.
 
Been there, done that! Was making a turn and some douche nozel had spilled sand on the road. Went down fast! Got a little road rash on elbow and knee. Luckily no paint scraped, I had just custom painted it earlier that year. Skin heals paint don't! lol.... From then on full leathers no matter how hot it is.
 
Riding a 1000cc ironhead Sportster. July 2 09. Asshole trucker made an illegal left turn across 3 lanes into my path. I had 70 feet to stop from 50mph. lost left arm above elbow and right leg nearly to the hip along with massive internal injuries. Spent 3 months in a coma and almost a year in a hospital bed. Sell your bike.
 
I tboned a car on the interstate in rush hour traffic on my ultra classic. I was going south the car was going west to east i broke my back other than that not a scratch the bike didn't fair so good. progressive put $9000.00 in it fixing it. I still have it and still riding.
 
on the road from 1968_ never car-driving licensed_ motorcycles only_ sooner or later, quite normal to fall down, and I've fallen too, of course_ twice HARD, ever by my fault _ I've risked less jumpin'from the plane_ I will keep my rigid 900 ironhead and my guns until I can, having been lucky enough, until now, to afford to let others playin'golf,etc._ no chances if/when you're REALLY out of luck, anyway_
 
I think I woulda gone out and bought one the next day.

Ive only crashed twice so far. Minor knee injury the first time and minor road rash the second. Ive had a BUNCHA close calls!

I don't think you will stay married 32 years at that rate. If you are not married then you can speak as a macho man. What older more experienced fellows may tell you is that if your wife tells you not to do something and you do it anyway - you will have to listen to her saying "Well I told you so" if everything goes south on you. This is worse than a broken wrist, road rash, or any other physical pain. I would rather have no Christmas presents than have to admit my wife was right when she reminds me she had warned me not to do that stuff I do.
 
Sirs,
Since forever I've had someone sayin' that I was too much younger to ...until someone will says that I'm too much older to...etc._
(WTF, on the '70s, we not-smokers were out-to-date, now we smokers are wrong...)

beside that, depending from the local laws, someone other can and will ENFORCE me ( not"advise"me ) to wear something about my hobbies, or enforce laws and other smart safety-tricks to stop them__
Nothing to do with machism : it's entirely another matter !

I've suffered less stupid impositions when I was in my parachutist unit than as civvy, before and after_
I can only say, in my harsher tones, to all of them, to go to hell _
 
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First one was the cars fault. Dumbass jumped out from a side road in lunch hour traffic. His excuse was a cab was turning onto his road and thought he was going to side swipe him. I almost made it around the car. Both arms from the wrist to elbow looked like they had a fresh coat of asphalt applied. The driver jumped out and tried to lift my bike. Of course he dropped it. Then I noticed some pain from the bike bouncing off of his bumper with my leg between it and the frame. Almost put my foot though a woman's corvette for joining in and telling me to calm down after this idiot almost killed me. The nurses were very gentle and nice until they heard I was in a bike wreck. Then they turned me over to the last of the east Germany weight lifters to clean out the road rash. I couldn't tell if it was the scrubbing water or I pissed myself while she cleaned me up. A very good buddy drove it to the dealership while I went to the ER.

The next one the dumbass was the one on the throttle. Same bike as the first wreck. About 11:00pm I decided to take a quick ride down the service road before calling it a night. This is right along I55. I headed south towards the local 1/4 mile a short trip south of my home town. Before I had gotten a mile south it started to rain those sparse large drops. I shut it down turned around and let her rip back towards town. As I entered the s turn leading into town I checked my speed at 90-100 to cruise up to the stop sign at the end of the "s". I leaned into the first part the rain had lubricated the dust/road grime. The bike jumped sideways to the rough edge of the road. I knew I couldn't keep this lean on the bike on that surface. There is a small field between the service road and the south bound merge. I thought I could shut it down in this field and keep it upright. As my headlight dropped leaving the road I saw the fence and the telephone pole. A state fence can stop a bike from 90+ to zero in 18 inches or less. How I didn't get the cheese cutter effect is anyone's guess. I still can't remember the last 50 foot. After extracting myself from a upside down cluster on the fence I walked up to the local GoMart. By the time I made it back out to the bike there were several people from the highway looking for "the dead guy". I walked away from this one but the bike was toast.
BTW I still ride but now it is on a street glide.