Who hasn't "gone down"

Ok, I'm sure we've all heard the saying "There are two kinds of bikers, those who've gone down, and those who've haven't."

They basically say that if you haven't already you will eventually. Which makes me wonder. This also makes me want to buy Kevlar jeans. Who have not fallen yet? I am particularly interested in those who have ridden for many years and have not fallen.

So, speak up then.

I am new to biking and have ridden about 5000km (3100mi) this year and have not fallen. Ok, not exactly an amazing feat.

If its worth anything I'd like to point out that I'm 21 years old and figure I've driven about 150,000 km (93,200mi) and have never had an accident. Save for one time during a blizzard when I drove my old Mercury Topaz I used to have into an invisible (snow covered) curb which resulted in a shredded tire and a bent wheel. But I don't count that, I was able to put the spare on and drive the 40km home through a raging snow storm.

 

I've never been down on the street, in the dirt yes but not on the street. One time many many years ago, I should have gone down but I didn't. I was actually riding an 82 Seca 750 that my sister had bought down in Biloxi and I was riding it up to her base in Alabama with her. We were doing about 90 on Highway 65 to keep ahead of a major storm when the back tire blew. We were sideways this way and then the other way several times but I managed to keep it up and pulled over to the shoulder after a few hundred yards.
Definitely don't want to do that again!

 

Been down in the dirt when I was a bit younger than you are.

Haven't been down on the street (1 year, 3000 miles). Came close once.

Of course in the dirt there isn't ususally the danger of something weighing 2 tons + running over you.

I dress like I'm going down every ride.

 

You are trying to break KARMA. I will risk it but if it happens now I get to blame you. I have never been "down" before. I have been riding since I was 17. I am now 39. I have rode everything from a honda to a BSA. If you respect your machine and always expect the worst to happen on the road and plan for it at all times, life is good. Always distrust the over person!!!!!

 

I've dropped my bike, and crashed, but never both at the same time.
So I guess I haven't been "down" (not while moving)...

Now I've had dirt bikes and atv's... all of which I've had some spectacular 'downs' on. Including getting nailed by a truck on my dirtbike (and snapping it's frame & my arm / hips) and getting stuck under a trike in a river.

I will tell you that I plan on keeping the fugly crash bars on my bike. I know they do jack squat in a moving slide, but dropping the bike from a standstill they really save your cases.

 

I grew up riding a dirt bike and beat myself up on that damn thing more than I ever should have.

Haven't dropped or been down on the street on a motorcycle yet, but I've been in a pretty serious bicycle accident (car ran a red light and blasted me going about 45 miles an hour). Not the same thing, but no fun regardless.

 

I've "dropped" my bike twice in 19 years of riding, both at 0 to 1 mph (parking lot woopses, turning weren't no picnic in my early days). Mind you it was when I had just started riding and was very inexperienced. These incidents occured within the first two years of my riding motorcycles. I have never been down at speed (thanks be to the good Lord above) and, God willing, I will avoid it provided I continue to use the skills and manuevers I learned at the MSF course. Best investment in terms of time and money I have ever made in the persuit of a hobby, bar none. Ride safely, and look out for the other idiot who isn't paying attention. They are everywhere! Can't wait to see the first person I observe getting pulled over for using a cell phone while driving, bloody idiots! I'm threatened bodily every time I ride by some boob with a phone screwed into her/his ear, GRRRRRR.... Some twit in her Mercedes darn near pushed me into the center divider while chatting up her phone! Glad I was watching her mirror, saw her coming! LA drivers! Gad, my blood pressure is climbing, I'm moving on to another thread!

 

I almost got nailed twice in less than 5 minutes by those same morons on the NJ Turnpike a few weeks ago. Just decided they HAD to be in my lane for no apparent reason, there wasn't a merge or exit coming up, they just came right on over with no signal or anything. The first time infuriated me to the point where I was pacing the stupid bimbo staring her down, and she slammed on the brakes to get away from me. Then seriously no less than 5 minutes later some other jagoff did the exact same thing. I was so livid (and he was so close) I punched his window at 75MPH. I so wish I had a hammer or a Maglite readily at hand so I could've smashed the damn window.

 

I went down once on my XS400 when I was in highschool. Interesting story, really.

It was November, and I was taking my bike in to the Bikesmith to have some work done on it before the winter hit. My best friend and girlfriend at the time were in the car following me.

I came down a long hill in my hometown at 80kph or so, and it had *just* started to rain as I got to the bottom. I was cruising through an intersection at 70 or so when a guy in a forest green Isuzu Trooper (I'll never forget that vehicle, every detail is burned into my brain forever) cut me off making a left turn from the opposite direction just as I was entering the intersection. The road had that just-started-raining layer of wet oil on it, too, which made things especially fun.

I executed a successful emergency evasion and missed his grille by a hair's breadth, but then lost control on the recovery and laid the bike down on the right side. He sped off, totally oblivious to the fact that he'd nearly had my bike and my face permanently installed in his radiator.

I slid about 50 or so feet on the right side of my bike and my right leg. Bike stopped, I got off the thing, and had so much adrenaline that I probably could have ripped the guy's doors right off of his vehicle, but by then he'd gone. Meanwhile, my girlfriend hasn't stopped screaming in the car behind me as she'd seen the guy cut me off, then me disappear under the bumper of the car.

Best friend stops, gets out of the car, and helps me manhandle the bike onto the sidewalk. It's leaking gas, oil, and has a punctured crankcase where the brake lever had gone right through it. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I'd road-rashed the hell out of my leg, so I was bleeding profusely into my shoe on the right side.

Sheriff going the other direction saw the accident, and radioed the cops for us. We stood in the cold for probably 45 minutes without any sign of police presence, so my friend walked over to a car dealership and phoned the cops.

Cops basically said "oh, were there any injuries? no? sorry, we can't do much, good luck" and didn't ever show. Really pissed me off, too.

So, we called my dad, he came down with his trailer, and we hauled the broken bike onto that and headed home. Not before I'd almost passed out from blood loss, of course.

Cost me about $60 in parts and sealant, and I had that old XS400 back on the road within a week. Didn't even let it slow me down, but it sure made me a much more alert rider.

Funny thing was, I was wearing nylon tearaway pants at the time (big no-no), but they didn't even have a mark on them. Somehow they pulled up when I hit the road and my leg took the brunt of the road rash. Not terribly fun.

The whole incident really changed the way I ride now, and showed me that heavy pants and a good jacket are absolutely essential. I think everyone should have one incident that they walk away from just to hammer home the concept that motorcycles require a different class of driver to operate safely.

 

I beg to differ. Mine held up for a 25 MPH/10 yard slide just fine. Bent a little, but kept the pavement off the case as intended.