“My crashes on two wheels”…

[Neil955i]

OK at the Great Stig’s request, I’ll kick this one off with mine.

I’ve had two significant two offs, both I'd like to think wouldn't happen now with the knowledge accrued the hard way in the decades since!  Both of them were high speed, at 50-ish first time and 60+ second and thanks to good kit (#ATGATT) I got up and walked away with bruising only.  #1 I was sideswiped by a Beemer 7 series on a multi-lane road (Aston Expressway) coming out of Birmingham  where I failed to spot him merging from a slip road (on ramp) and slipping into my bit of road thinking it was a gap!  Damn near totalled my FJ1200, but his insurance paid everything sweet as a nut.

The second still rankles as it did write off my beloved ZX-7R (Green & Purple) race replica.  Fast bend at night just after a junction which I later discovered often had lorries from a unit just down the junction road dumping diesel on the road after over filling their tanks.  I must have touched a patch whilst leant over and then it's sky ground sky ground repeating.  That was the only fault claim I have ever made against my insurance in 50+ years of motorcycling.  Embarrassing as I was an Advanced Riding Trainer at the time!

[Neil955i]

Memory fades after time! Just recalled a third at age 16 (my first crash!) when I ran my BSA Bantam into the back of a car owing to my inattention. Was able to kick the bike straight, but my right knee needed the attention of an A&E (ER) surgeon to stitch it up!

Went back to the bike and rode it a further 100 miles to Weston-super-Mare our holiday destination for the week.  It was 1968 and my riding buddy on that occasion was on a 2-cylinder 100cc Yamaha I recall.  He emigrated to Canada and we still email one another!

[Neil955i]

Memory fades after time! Just recalled a third at age 16 (my first crash!) when I ran my BSA Bantam into the back of a car owing to my inattention. Was able to kick the bike straight, but my right knee needed the attention of an A&E (ER) surgeon to stitch it up!

Went back to the bike and rode it a further 100 miles to Weston-super-Mare our holiday destination for the week.  It was 1968 and my riding buddy on that occasion was on a 2-cylinder 100cc Yamaha I recall.  He emigrated to Canada and we still email one another!

I sent this as a link to my Canadian buddy as a memory jogger and got this back:

Yes of course. As clear as if it was yesterday, strange that. Some things stay with you and others drift away.
I can however still remember Veronica Scott. What a pretty girl. Way too far to chase a piece of tail, Chepstow, Mon
Heading to UK on 1st Sept for just over 5 weeks. 3 weeks on a narrowboat east of Brum, plus some time at Alan Bradbury’s. It’s his golden WA in Sept.
my goodness, we’re all old now
All the best
Rob

Veronica was a lass we met in Weston!  Looks like a meet up in person (with Rob) might be on the cards…

[Iahawk]

old friends and good memories...priceless

[Neil955i]

Can’t argue with that Hawk.

[Stig / Major Tom]

My first off on two wheels was as a passenger. 1967.
Bud and I decided to paint our rented house in Pasadena Calif.
Why we were in the San Gabriel mts I don't recall.
I had 2 one gal cans of paint on each thigh riding on the back of our Honda motorcycle (no idea the engine size)
Desert boots, Levi cords, no shirt.

Afterwards..he said the oncoming car was on our side of the center line. He rode off the right shoulder and we, and 4 lidless gallons of white paint, bounced down the cliff.
I was scraped up pretty good, and covered in paint....as we limped home in traffic.

2nd off. 1968. Massachusetts.
My new Honda and I went down to avoid an oncoming old fellow who turned left across my lane in town. I collected up my broken turn pod and mirror, and followed him into the parking lot for a chat. I was wearing  helmet.

Stig

[Neil955i]

2nd off. 1968. Massachusetts.
My new Honda and I went down to avoid an oncoming old fellow who turned left across my lane in town. I collected up my broken turn pod and mirror, and followed him into the parking lot for a chat. I was wearing  helmet.

Stig

That second one’s a classic cause of accidents, known here as a SMIDSY or “sorry mate, I didn’t see you”!  Lucky it was at low Town speeds Stig, I lost a good friend to one of these 30-odd years ago when he T-boned a car at 60 which turned across him. Turned out this old boy had Altzheimer’s and 20 minutes afterwards couldn’t even remember he’d been in an accident!

[Stig / Major Tom]

That second one’s a classic cause of accidents, known here as a SMIDSY or “sorry mate, I didn’t see you”!  Lucky it was at low Town speeds Stig, I lost a good friend to one of these 30-odd years ago when he T-boned a car at 60 which turned across him. Turned out this old boy had Altzheimer’s and 20 minutes afterwards couldn’t even remember he’d been in an accident!

When we were kids visiting my grandparents in Ohio, we got word to go look for an older boy's motorcycle.  He was in hospital. His left leg was in the back seat of a woman's car. But his motorcycle was missing.
We found it rows deep in the corn field near where the lady turned across his path.
Her insurance bought him a house, 2 new handicap modified autos and paid off his parents house. 10 yrs later he was a mess.

Stig

[Neil955i]

Yeah I guess something like that would mess with your head!

[CROSSBOLT]

I was not going to join this because it would show how stupid I have been but the "leg in the backseat of the woman's car" needs something to offset the trajedy.

My first motorcycle, the 250 Honda Hawk was bought in Japan when my ship was in Yokosuka. It was delivered to the head of the pier and half the ship was at the rail to watch my prize lifted aboard our WWII cargo ship. I was 19 in 1960 and bullet proof! I elected for my first solo, pilot-in-command, motorcycle ride to make it from the head of the pier to #3 hatch. Now, this was a floating pier, made from riveted steel plates so there were lap joints running the length of about 600 feet. Yes, I tried to cross at a small angle a lap up joint and went down. Told ya I was bullet proof! Skinned an elbow, and bounced/bruised pretty hard and suffered more of ego and a bent handlebar. Laughs and scorn from above and all over!

Second down was the same bike three years and many miles later a different lesson learned about tire wear. Back tire was worn square and lost traction in a wet corner. There were a couple of over corrections which scrubbed what little speed of turn entry there was and we fell over. At barely moving there was no damage to either machine or rider except ego. 1963, remember that.

Third down was 2008, I think on the Yager. After three motorcycles, 60000+ miles and a nearly perfect MSF score with a 150 scooter, I low sided the Yager in a slow turn to rescue a turtle on the highway north of Eureka Springs, AR. Full lock, goosing the throttle to stay in the turn and trail throttle to tighten the turn, got too slow and down we went! Just a little reminder that 1. Never was bullet proof and 2. Experience is no guarantee! 60K miles is really not that far and 40 years of not riding is not that rusty especially after putting a couple thousand miles on 50 cc scoots!

Vigilence and knowing it CAN happen and God's Grace...