RSS Thursday Thirteen #1: 13 motorcycle mishaps that I’ve had
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- My first ever “accident”: I was practicing on a quiet private road, stopped, and felt the bike start to slip from under me. Rather than get trapped, I figured I would step off the bike out of the way. Instead, I tripped over my own two feet and fell head-first down a ditch where I gibbered with laughter for some considerable time afterwards.
- Dismounting is apparently dangerous. While doing so I burnt my leg on the tail pipe and had to have a dressing.
1996
- Eventually I grew up and started to take lessons. Very early on, I failed to steer and crashed into the curb opposite. This was in a small English town on Saturday at lunchtime. There was an Audience. I fell flat on my face–this is why I always wear a full face helmet–suffered bruises and a scrape, and bent the bike’s forks. I also got on again, rode it back, switched bikes, and continued my lesson.
- I dropped the second 125 at an intersection. The clutch broke. I then did my first ever bump start. My teacher started calling me Terminator.
- Again while stationary, I dropped Katie, my 535 Virago, once. Neither bike nor rider sustained any harm beyond surprise.
1998
- While on a ride out to Morgan Hill, it rained just enough to make things slick. I had the very interesting experience of not realizing I was in second gear, revving the engine too hard, and having my rear tire attempt to pass my front. Eventually, I fell over. Whee.
2004
- I cannot remember a single accident in the years between 1998 and 2004. In March 2004, I set out solo to Santa Cruz just before my birthday. I hit fog on Highway 1 and was tailgated by an idiot who could not understand that I was blinded by the condensation on my glasses and visor (not to mention the shades; it had been sunny before). I made a hasty turn into a state beach to escape, skidded in gravel, and fell over. Arnie, my Virago 1000, lost a mirror. Some guys came running from their picnic in the mist and picked my bike up again.
I ate a banana. Things are always better after bananas.
2005
- I went to see a man about a bike. I did a test ride. The test ride was unpleasant (the tires were underinflated) and I was about to say “no” when I dropped the bike. It was the first time Beastie’s left foot peg ever flipped me the bird.
I bought the bike.
- We were going camping and on the way out was a very steep uphill switchback. I was in the wrong gear. I stalled. I fell over, downhill. Don, who was on my inside, did the same. We all played dominoes. My left peg flipped me the bird.
- I was going to Berkeley to do some snarfing when I was clipped by a van passing me. The driver slowed, looked back, and then drove away. I had just been in my first hit and run.
I was not badly hurt, but I was seething.
The bike’s side cover was pierced by the shifter assembly. Don came over and helped me patch it, then we patched it with JB-weld. My left peg flipped me the bird.
The JB-weld waited until June, when I went to Nevada, to fail. I also picked up a loose connection on my battery. With the help of a good friend, who held my bike up when I had to use the bathroom, I had an interesting ride home. I was unable to put my bike on the side stand because every time I did it would gush oil. Eventually, we had to get the cover welded.
2006
- I attended a safety class in May. It rained. The class was canceled because almost everyone, myself included, failed to bring either proof of insurance or registration. I lost my $150 fee because of it–expensive mistake. On the way back I skidded in the mud and water and went down.
2007
- I was riding along minding my own business when my rear plate decided to come off, dragging with it my entire tail light assembly, and lodging itself in between the fender and the swing arm. I was on a freeway at the time. It was very “interesting.” I was not hurt, but Beastie looks like Frankenstein now.
- My bike wouldn’t start. We tried to bump start it by towing. I fell off. So did a mirror. I got bruises, and learned about the wonderfulness of arnica.
The welded side cover remained intact, but my left peg…flipped me the bird.
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16 Comments, Comment or Ping
Natalie (1 comments.)
Wow! Ouch!
Nov 21st, 2007
nicholas (4 comments.)
I’m amazed (and delighted) that you’re still in one piece!
Nov 21st, 2007
Damozel (2 comments.)
Wow. That’s a bit too exciting for me. I am starting to know why they call them “donorcycles.”
Nov 22nd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Damozel: the only people who call them donorcycles are non-riders. I have yet to meet a biker who ever refers to them as such: it’s actually considered to be rather disparaging. :)
While motorcycling isn’t safe, nor is any fast-paced sport: I’ve seen worse accidents than this happen in gymnastics, hockey, football, you name it…the worst one I ever saw was some young gymnast at the Olympics who landed badly and broke her leg.
Thirteen incidents, spread over more than 20 years isn’t so bad. Especially since the worst injury was bruising; I broke skin, slightly, just twice. I’m a combination of lucky, and alert.
Nov 22nd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Natalie: something like that. ;) But nothing very serious, you’ll note. :)
Nov 22nd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Hi Nicholas: riding keeps me sane. :)
The bruises are worth it…really!
Nov 22nd, 2007
Adelle Laudan (3 comments.)
Sorry about your mishaps. Keep the shiny side up!
Happy Turkey Day!
Nov 22nd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Hello Adelle, and welcome! No need to be sorry–these are almost always funny in retrospect. :)
Happy Thanksgiving and TT to you–I’ll be over to see your TT shortly. :)
Nov 22nd, 2007
Rach (Heart of Rachel) (2 comments.)
They say riding a motorcycle gives someone a wonderful sense of personal high.
That’s quite a list of mishaps. I’m glad that you are safe and doing well now. Always take care on the road.
Thanks for visiting.
Nov 22nd, 2007
Joely (2 comments.)
Wow, I’m so happy you survived all these mishaps! :-)
Nov 22nd, 2007
Patti (1 comments.)
I used to have a BMW F650 and a just a couple brief years of riding experience. Nearly took myself out on the Blue Ridge Parkway after fixating on a guard rail, but saved it just in time. My husband (behind me on his Ducati) just about had a heart attack. After pulling over to take off my helmet and throw up, I got back on and rode the 200+ more miles to home.
A year later we sold both bikes; we had moved to the country, were commuting entirely too far and just didn’t have the time to ride anymore. Sometimes I really miss my bike, but being honest with myself, realize that I still don’t have the time to ride. (Riding to and from work is like Russian Roulette.) My husband now has a Honda ST1300 that he rides to work and we take for occasional weekend putts.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My TT wasn’t nearly as exciting. LOL
Nov 23rd, 2007
Matthew James Didier (2 comments.)
My first bike has a highway ferring on it… and I had to remove it one day to do some work. Well, I noticed that my speed SEEMED to have picked up considerably as my wind resistance was down so markedly… with two friends riding their bikes beside me, I was at my second intersection, popped the clutch as normal and apparently, launched myself several feet into the air from an extreme wheely.
When I landed, I was fortunate enough to have crash bars and kept my legs in… and we undamaged… I lept up after I managed to kill the engine and stop the rotation of the bike… and ripped off my helmet…
“Are you okay?” one of my friends asked.
“F__k me! Is my bike okay?” I responded.
It was then I understood motorcycles truly for the first time… “They” came first! :)
Nov 25th, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Rachel: yes, it really does. It’s a guaranteed mood lifter for me. :)
Thank you for visiting :)
Dec 3rd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Joely: grin! Me too. But note that none of them were really that bad.
Dec 3rd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Patti: It’s too bad that you stopped riding, but I can relate to the not having time thing. I’m glad you still get to go once in a while. :)
Dec 3rd, 2007
Linda R. Moore
Mathew– LOL! I didn’t realize you were a rider. But yes…you are definitely a rider. *grin*
Do you still have a bike?
Dec 3rd, 2007
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