those that have crashed before...

[itgirl]

what thoughts go through your mind right before you lose control and go down? with the recent passing of my husband's uncle it has gotten me thinking. i wonder what his last thought was? did he know it was gonna be bad? did he think 'oh shit'? did he even have time to think anything? i can't seem to wrap my head around what it'd be like to live your last moment on your bike, so i wanted to see what those of you that got to walk away have experienced.

[BobTheBiker]

my experiences have always just been that it happens much too fast for you to really comprehend the fact that you're going down until it happens. then its just FUCK! I'm crashing!

[OneSickPsycho]

"oh shit" about sums it up... I think for me it was, "Oh shit, here we go!" Pretty much the exact same feeling/thought process as when you get into a car accident, trip and fall down the stairs, or get hit in the face with a brick... You sorta see it coming, but then it's right on top of you before you can really react...

[Dave]

nothing at all, it was pure reaction until it was over

[CW AF 03]

Something along the lines of "Son of a bitch! This is going to be expensive..."

[Mudpuppy]

can't really remember any thoughts it all just is so surreal.. i might of thought something like this isn't going to turn out good.. i wish i could tell you my crash count but i can't recall all the crashes i had - on a street bike my crash count is 2 and was geared up so i had no injuries, etc. - the worst that happened to the bike was a broken mirror which i replaced, a few scratches which are still there and a broken foot pedal bracket that i had my friend weld.. i will try to recall some of my crashes on other forms of transportation..

besides numerous crashes stunting on a bicycle my main crash was a chain popping on my bmx bike riding down hill at about 35mph - my foot caught and i slid 100 yards on the pavement on my face.. was knocked unconscious.. woke up when they were putting me in the ambulance and was in shock so i passed out again.. woke up at the hospital when they were cutting my jeans off so they could treat my wounds.. suffered a major concussion and spent about 6 months in serious pain with migrane headaches, etc. moral of the story kids - always wear clean underwear because you never know..

dirt bikes crashed a whole lot of times - broke my collar bone twice, broke 3 or 4 ribs, broke both arms - actually broke my left arm and kept riding crashed again and broke the other arm, broke my leg and foot in another crash.. still have a fractured bone that will never heal in my left hand..

cars i have been in 3 rollovers - 2 i was driving 1 i was not.. smashed my first car at 15 when i snuck out the parents car at like 1am - slammed into a wall of bricks at about 85mph in an industrial park and took out the front fender, suspension, tire, etc. i had a 72 nova that was ultra bad ass decided to race a mustang when i was drunk, missed a gear, lost control and plowed into a telephone pole totaling the car.. was driving a thunderbird supercoupe doing about 110 in a 45mph zone, got the cops attention, in my attempt to outrun them in the rain i lost control and took out like 5 or 6 reflector poles trying to get on the freeway fortunately i was so far ahead of them i was able to gain control shoot back onto the ramp and head home but the whole side of the car was trashed.. borrowed a trans am drove it from ypsilanti to toledo completely out of my mind drunk and honestly i blacked out next thing i knew i looked up and saw welcome to ohio so in my intoxicated state it seemed like a good idea to do a u-turn through the median of the freeway and then park it about 2 blocks from the party.. when i got out of the car it was smoking profusely and had several dents - don't try this at home kids.. i could probably write a novel about all my 4 wheel vehicle accidents.. i had 17 points on my license by the time i turned 17.. all in all at last count i think i racked up about 48 points but never once lost my license or got it suspended.. had a good lawyer and paid him alot.. plus the old laws were if you had 12 points they would suspend and i had 17 for like 29 days and then 6 for drag racing came off leaving me with 11..

so who wants to go for a ride with Mudpuppy? lol.. its been a great learning experience and i drive much better now.. you have to push the envelope to learn the limits right?

and of course anything illegal discussed here is for entertainment purposes only and all untrue besides the statue of limitations is up..

[NONE_too_SOFT]

to be honest, its nothing really striking. after every time i've taken rubber from the road its been a sort of return to reality. Almost as if you are floating on a euphoric cloud, and as you loose traction you suddenly realize you are in the real world. But honestly, because i've always been geared up, its been an exhilerating moment.

I've never expected to crash, it just happens. And when it does it seems as though the real world has a chance to catch up with you... and in retrospect you can find a thousand things you did wrong and ignore everything you did right.


No two crashes are the same, But in my opinion there are a few kinds.
1. Crashing because of another vehicle
2. Crashing because you are a retard
3. Crashing because you ride too hard on the streets.


luckily most of my get offs have been becasue of number three.

[t-homo]

I haven't been in an accident but came damn close. It seemed to go into slow motion.

I was riding too hard on a road I had never taken before. The turn was a right hander at the bottom of a hill that went up to the top of the hill and cut back left as soon as you crest. I got to the top of the hill expecting it to straighten out or keep turning, got tunnel vision to the right side of the road. I went off of the road about a foot and a half into some 3 foot tall weeds, with the ditch about another foot to my right, but felt like I couldn't do anything about it. I knew I had tunnel vision as I went into a tank slapper about about 70 mph. My only thought was to break it, so i looked as far as i could to my left. At about 40 mph i started accelerating again and pulled out of the tank slapper and back onto the road. I was in my onesy, so I was confident my body would be alright. Scared the shit out of me though.

[DLIT]

I was convinced I woulda been able to ride it off road and save it. Before I knew it I was tumbling around. This was only 3 months after I started riding and it was all my fault. Tried to pas someone late and entered way too hot, but proly could make it every time knowing what I do now. There was a few times on the track I felt my tire slip and my first thought was "I hope my leathers hold up."

[Gunther1000]

I have had countless "Oh shit this is it" Moments but have been lucky. I almost lost my head sliding at a street sign about 70 when I was 17. And many more since then.

You do kind of have that feeling of confusion as you try to put your mind around just what is going on and how can you fix it. But we are talking about fractions of seconds here. It is mostly handled by the subconcious and habit. Your body just reacts I think.

Most times I have had plenty of gear on and it isnt that tramatic of an experiance, just an oh shit this sucks. Wonder if my bike is going to make it kind of moment. Then there are the higher stakes, Wow it was almost the one kind of moments that make you slow down and think about how you could possibly avoid something like that in the future. I get that way when it is out of my control. Like your Uncle's case probably. It scares me more when You didn't do anything out of the ordinary and someone is just trying to kill you with there car.

But I would say it happens so fast that in the end I dont think you get much farther than "this is bad".

Sorry for your loss, I think about this all the time since your post.

[Trip]

I usually just get think "damn" and brace for impact.

[Rider]

Crashing? Whats that? :idk:

[Vettezilla (Impala Balko)]

Crashing? Whats that? :idk:

famous last words.

[fnfalman]

My first "real" crash was with the BMW. I had a gentle lowside back in 1992 on the EX500 but it wasn't significant enough to call a crash and I didn't learn squat on that lay down. But I digress. Anyway, my first "real" crash was with the Beemer back in April 2006. It happened so fast that I didn't realize what happened until I was on the ground sliding. The first thing that went through my mind was, "Dammit, I'm gonna trash my brand stankin' new Arai helmet." No shit, that was my first thought. And when the slide turned into tumble, I said to myself, "Damn glad I'm wearing full leathers." And when I'm still rolling toward the cliff, I said to myself, "I hope that there are a lot of grass and trees that padded my fault."

The second crash was about two months later when I broke my 2005 Aprilia in half. I saw that one coming and it was, "Oh shit, this gonna hurt!!!" and then when I was sliding face first on the pavement, "Man, I'm glad that I wear a full face helmet."

[itgirl]

wow! thanks for all the input, folks. it's fascinating reading everyone's story. these thoughts have been plaguing me lately and i have been keeping distance from my bikes at the moment. i guess i am a little fearful of the fact that you just never know when that one ride will be your last. but i also know that i can't dwell on that. this is just the closest i have ever come to knowing someone that died in a bike accident. it is so unsettling because, as gunther said, he did nothing wrong and died from it.

i had the same thoughts when my dad passed in an auto accident. i wondered if he thought about us moments before impact. if he knew he screwed up. we'll never know those answers though. as i get older i have a harder time dealing with death and the finality of it. there are so many complexities to it that my brain cannot seem to fathom. i wish i could talk to someone that has passed on, but obviously that's impossible.

anyways, thanks for tolerating all my deep thinking and for sharing all your stories. :)

[z06boy]

my experiences have always just been that it happens much too fast for you to really comprehend the fact that you're going down until it happens. then its just FUCK! I'm crashing!

This was my experience the 3 times I've been down...

1st time...Locked up front brakes and slid and basically went over handle bars after 4 days of ownership on my first bike...no gear...both arms massive roadrash. :zowned:

2nd time...too fast in a curve...rear tire hit gravel...slid across rode into a ditch...messed up one fairing and I wasn't hurt at all. Thank god no car was coming toward me.

3rd time...cage pulled out in front of me BAM...busted my foot...ankle...and femur bone up.

[the chi]

I've had so many near getoffs and close calls, typically my thought is "Oh Shit, this is gonna hurt!" Then I pull it clear, and after removing my thong from my throat, I carry on just a lil more carefully.

In my actual accident it goes like this:

"Turn 8, i got this, lean lean, not far enough off the seat..

Damn that dirt is close...

I think my elbow just hit the grass

Fuuu********CK...."

*poof* flying thru air.....

Complete and utter silence and stillness....

"Wheeeeeeeee...."*giggle*

Impact...head and shoulder first

"SWEET, cartoon stars! *giggle*

WTF are those birds... *more giggles*

I think im spinning...*tee hee hee*

hmm, my shoulder may be broken... *bwahahaha*

did i stop sliding?, I think I stopped...stand up...*more giggling*

Whoa, face meet ground, maybe I should just crawl...

theres the dirt, i think i'll lay here a minute...*insane giggling*

hey look, theres the CR, he looks funny running like that...*laughing*

I did it, I made it, I FINALLY crashed and I'm okay!!!" *dying laughing*

To CR - "Dude, help me up, wheres my bike, no i dont wanna lay here! Fine, i'll get up on my own!"

Bike was okay, I laughed for days, and I still do. I hopped back on a friends bike and hit the next session.

I recognize the risks and am fully cognizant that I may kill myself doing this. I was so pyched up about wrecking it was on its way to becoming a mind block, and I was relieved and thrilled it happened and I was okay. I walked away, and I'm even crazier now than i was then!

[z06boy]

^^^Awesome post...that was hot and funny all at the same time !!^^^

[fnfalman]

removing my thong...


I'd like to remove your thong with my teeth!!!

It isn't germane to this conversation, but I can't help myself.:drool:

[Gunther1000]

I've had so many near getoffs and close calls, typically my thought is "Oh Shit, this is gonna hurt!" Then I pull it clear, and after removing my thong from my throat, I carry on just a lil more carefully.

In my actual accident it goes like this:

"Turn 8, i got this, lean lean, not far enough off the seat..

Damn that dirt is close...

I think my elbow just hit the grass

Fuuu********CK...."

*poof* flying thru air.....

Complete and utter silence and stillness....

"Wheeeeeeeee...."*giggle*

Impact...head and shoulder first

"SWEET, cartoon stars! *giggle*

WTF are those birds... *more giggles*

I think im spinning...*tee hee hee*

hmm, my shoulder may be broken... *bwahahaha*

did i stop sliding?, I think I stopped...stand up...*more giggling*

Whoa, face meet ground, maybe I should just crawl...

theres the dirt, i think i'll lay here a minute...*insane giggling*

hey look, theres the CR, he looks funny running like that...*laughing*

I did it, I made it, I FINALLY crashed and I'm okay!!!" *dying laughing*

To CR - "Dude, help me up, wheres my bike, no i dont wanna lay here! Fine, i'll get up on my own!"

Bike was okay, I laughed for days, and I still do. I hopped back on a friends bike and hit the next session.

I recognize the risks and am fully cognizant that I may kill myself doing this. I was so pyched up about wrecking it was on its way to becoming a mind block, and I was relieved and thrilled it happened and I was okay. I walked away, and I'm even crazier now than i was then!

My first crash was inexperiance.

I used to go like mad at the corners on the street till my first low side... Then I was like How the hell did that just happen?

Then I did it again and was like no fucking way! I go 10 times faster thru here all the time!

Then It was hard for me to have much confidence, and took a while to get things right but when you have good people to ride with and teach you things it helps.

Other crashes were my own happy throttle and rear tire spin. Or gravel on the fucking road. Shit once I almost did a complete 90 degree slide before high siding real bad. Not fun. Oh and that was Down town Rochester,MI taking a corner way to fast and almost went thru a glass window in a store front.

I try to keep my head and emotions out of riding. I used to go for a ride whn I was angry about what ever but have larned to get my own additude in check before my bike does it for me now.

[OTB]

Crash 1: Drunk does "L" turn into me on freeway to keep from missing exit: All I remember thinking was "WHA......?" 'till I was sliding on my chest.....I was watching my bike endo across two lanes of traffic thinking "$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!"

Crash 2: Leaning into a sharp righthander I'd ridden a hundred times before and one instant I'm sitting pretty and the next I'm sliding under the bumper of a car.... no time to think anything.

Crash 3: Grabbed a handful of front brake in a misty rain on a decreasing radius righthander as the car in front of me spins: as my hand closes down on the brakelever I'm thinking "wrong wrong wrong wrong dummy!!!" thud crash tinkle tinkle sky ground sky ground sky ground and then I tried to stand up while still sliding..... too pumped full of adrenaline to feel the busted pelvis till a few minutes later........I picked that bike up and rode it the few blocks home, and then realized I couldn't get off of it....and boy did it hurt.....


Numerous track crashes.....self talk... "dummy dummy dummy".

[NONE_too_SOFT]

I still hold to the statement that wrecking in full leathers can potentially be the FUNNEST thing you can do on a bike. Its the aftermath that sucks. its like an asphalt water slide.

[smileyman]

One street crash: I panicked and froze in a hot corner entry, I honestly think there was a dial tone going on between my ears, no thoughts at all.

At the track you get the whole gammut of thoughts that vary depending on the nature and severity of the get off:

NOOOO! Not while I'm leading!

FUUUU-UUU--Ughh, Ugghhh, Ughh. whipmer

Got it! Nope! Got it! Nope! Oh well shiiiiii....

I have the out of body hi-side too. "Hey look I see my shadow, sure is peacefUUUGGH! Earth/sky/earth/sky/earth, hey I think it stopped, UUGGHH, earth/sky/earth/sky, well it must be over I can stand Up, UUGHH, earth/sky/earth.

Where did my bike go? Why is my shield hanging from my face?

Then there was the whole slide into under air fence and into tire wall thing...

Really what goes through your mind right before the crash is not nearly as important as what goes through your mind before you click into gear. You gotta focus on the task at hand, you have to have your affairs in order (insurance, gear, good thoughts about your loved ones). It helps to know that all your friends and family know what you feel for them and that they are aware, should the worse happen, that you are living and enjoying life on your own terms!:twfix:

[t-homo]

When I almost went down, I was in full leathers and probably would have gone down between 50-60 at the most. I was more worried about my bike being fucked up.

[smileyman]

I'd like to remove your thong with my teeth!!!

It isn't germane to this conversation, but I can't help myself.:drool:

A Thong in the throat is worth 2 in the bush. I think that was the way it went...:idk:

[NEW469]

nothing at all, it was pure reaction until it was over

Yep...That pretty much sums it up.

[Captain Morgan]

Honestly, it was "oh shit, this is gonna hurt." and "Fuck! Not again!!"

[nhgunnut]

For me I was riding my wife 03 Victory Touring Cruiser back from haivng it inspected in April of 04 a woman driving a blue VW from CT had signaled left then pulled into the left turning lane I was in the right lane going traveling at the 50 mph speed limit. When I was about 30 yards back she suddenly lurches slowly back into the travel lane at about 3 to 5 mph.
Time dialted I came down hard on the binders realized I wasn't going to make it and if I hit the back of her I was going to high side through my windshieeld amd probably her back window, locked the rear ,the rear came loose , pressed down hard on the left side footboard and squeezed harder on the front brake the ass end of the bike slid so the bike was 90 degrees away from the direction of travel all and the bike continued down the highway bars hit them my knee and instinct left over from dirt bike days (25 plus years ago) rolled in and when the knee touched I let go of the bars and did my best to kick free of the bike. I ragg dolled down the road beat the hell out of the helmet breking only my right thumb and big toe.. Minor road rash
The woman never stopped. when I stood back up I had my first thought wich was "you Cee yoU Next Tuesday" Before that for me it was all Decision Making an instinct I fought all the way down. Shook like a leaf for about 30 minuts got home from being looked over in the ER and got on my VIctory and went to see how bad her bike was (minor)

[Phenix_Rider]

My thoughts in my lowside: "Ok, roll off the throttle, tip it in, little bit of throttle. Damn, that corner keeps going! A Dip, WTF?! Rut! Little more lean. SHIT!! No more front! Hey, sliding is fun! That's gonna be expensive. FUCK FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK FUCK"

I knew I was going to make it through the turn. 5 guys ahead of me made it just fine. I just reached the limit of my front tire, and when it slid I unconsciously released some of the throttle, which put the bike all the way on the ground. The bike did a 180 and slid into the dirt bank. I went feet first behind it and basically slid into first. Had some help getting the bike away from the road, after that I started shaking, and then to a spot where everyone could stop. Big realization was those tires suck, I dicked up by losing throttle, I need a jacket that zips to my pants, and having a wallet in that pocket sucks. Ziptied things down, bent the rear brake lever out, and rode to a lunch stop. Couldn't ride a straight line because my frame of reference was fucked up (windscreen and upper fairings and gauge/mirror bracket were bent to hell), and I couldn't stand to look down at the speedo. Cooled off a bit there and rode the 50 miles home.


I still hold to the statement that wrecking in full leathers can potentially be the FUNNEST thing you can do on a bike. Its the aftermath that sucks. its like an asphalt water slide.

Truth. Am I the only one that thinks it would be fun to test gear occasionally? Like the Draggin' Jeans video- just slide around for a while without worrying about guardrails or trees.

[NONE_too_SOFT]

My thoughts in my lowside: "Ok, roll off the throttle, tip it in, little bit of throttle. Damn, that corner keeps going! A Dip, WTF?! Rut! Little more lean. SHIT!! No more front! Hey, sliding is fun! That's gonna be expensive. FUCK FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK FUCK"

I knew I was going to make it through the turn. 5 guys ahead of me made it just fine. I just reached the limit of my front tire, and when it slid I unconsciously released some of the throttle, which put the bike all the way on the ground. The bike did a 180 and slid into the dirt bank. I went feet first behind it and basically slid into first. Had some help getting the bike away from the road, after that I started shaking, and then to a spot where everyone could stop. Big realization was those tires suck, I dicked up by losing throttle, I need a jacket that zips to my pants, and having a wallet in that pocket sucks. Ziptied things down, bent the rear brake lever out, and rode to a lunch stop. Couldn't ride a straight line because my frame of reference was fucked up (windscreen and upper fairings and gauge/mirror bracket were bent to hell), and I couldn't stand to look down at the speedo. Cooled off a bit there and rode the 50 miles home.




Truth. Am I the only one that thinks it would be fun to test gear occasionally? Like the Draggin' Jeans video- just slide around for a while without worrying about guardrails or trees.

thats almost identical to what happened on my last get off. cept i hit a guard rail.

[Trip]

you got to train yourself not to release the throttle. Bad bad idea to release. Could of highsided.

[Gunther1000]

Sliding the rear on the street just feels so strange cause you never do it.

The first natural reaction is to try to let off and get things back to normal. But as you all should know its the worst thing you can do. A front tire will not slide out if your still on the gas. The weight transfer to the front on a roll off isn't the only thing to put you into a high side or tank slap, its the slipping rear also regaining to much traction and wanting to throw the bike over.

After years of Ice racing and dirt riding I used the rear tire to steer all the time, but when your on the street that feeling just doesn't get used. and when you identify whats going on you can deal with it but i think it just scares you into letting off before you know what is going on and at that point its to late!

My bike brakes the rear loose on roll on's every morning when I leave for work. I can even pull out of the turning lane doing a little power slide most days and not really give it much thought. But let that happen coming out of a corner and it shocks me most times. unless the road is wet/cold I know it will happen and can prepare for it.

What kills me is when like at a place like the gap and the tire comes loose and your not even thinking its possible. When it does I think hum, I rolled on twice as much power last time I wonder why it did that now?

[NONE_too_SOFT]

Sliding the rear on the street just feels so strange cause you never do it.


when i first started riding i locked up the rear and did some drifting a couple times. Whoa shit moments... that was back when i actually used the rear to stop in an emergency.

I remember it scared the piss out of me, but in retrospect it was kina cool. especially the one where i slid like 20 feet and out around the side of a pickup that decided to stop in the road to admire the scenery.

[MikeSP1]

One of my more recent get offs involved the side of a Toyota. I'm tooling down the road on a Shadow 750 when a car pulls out in front of me from the on-coming lane. At this point time stops and my brain knocks on the back of my forehead and calmly says "Hey dude, guess what! You're screwed. You've got half a second before you smear the side of that car, good luck." Time resumes its proper flow and I eat the side of the car at about 45. I can still remember seeing my front tire contact the side of her car. I can still see my front forks compress and the drag bars buck forward and then recoil back to smack me in the chest. As I felt my ass comes out of the saddle I can hear the most immense BANG of my life. With the bang resounding through my head my thoughts are going wild. I'm thinking "This is gonna feel REAL bad," "This cannot be happening today," and "I hope I make it out of here alive, much less one piece." As I go flying through the air, the whole world goes blank, my mind goes blank, everything goes silent. I don't remember the impact with the ground, don't remember sliding/tumbling, don't remember anything until I opened my eyes, spread eagle in the middle of the intersection, looking up at the clear blue sky. Getting up was an interesting feat because rolling over wouldn't work, I just couldn't build up enough momentum to get up onto my side. Sitting straight up was the only thing that would work.

I hope this helps with you're looking for. I'm sorry for your loss, but he's probably carving corners as we speak.

[Gunther1000]

I recall saying once "are my guts hanging out?" To a friend who saw it happen after sliding for 1 or 2 seconds on my way to a ditch. I had zero gear on and it ripped my shirt and pants in the back completely off, shit even my Boxers were gone! This was my first crash and I just kept my head after ducking a street sign and ended up nearly on a front porch with some lady asking if I was alive...

By the pain I was sure my insides were hanging out.

My back was so rashed and gravel filled I couldn't tie my own shoes for 6 months or more. My back and arm still have the scars, though there not nearly what they were way back when.

Even worse My friend was driving my new Z-28 and I got to ride shot gun pumping blood all over my own car.

Fucking retard...

[itgirl]

everyone has such great stories. thanks for sharing them. i did go out for a ride yesterday. just around town to do a few errands. it was on the harley, but this time i wore my full face helmet instead of my 1/2. that alone helped me feel a little safer. at first i was a bit paranoid (for no real reason, since i have yet to crash) of my surroundings...being overly cautious. but then i could feel the cool air rushing in the vents on the helmet and i smelled the crispness of that late august day and my worries slowly trickled away. i realized that even though riding is dangerous, it is something that i could never fully give up.

[Phenix_Rider]

you got to train yourself not to release the throttle. Bad bad idea to release. Could of highsided.
I know this now, and I knew it then. Nothing I could have done about it because it happened so fast. I only figured out what happened long after I crashed.

A front tire will not slide out if your still on the gas. The weight transfer to the front on a roll off isn't the only thing to put you into a high side or tank slap, its the slipping rear also regaining to much traction and wanting to throw the bike over.
And when you identify whats going on you can deal with it but i think it just scares you into letting off before you know what is going on and at that point its to late!
It was pretty obvious the front slid and then I screwed myself. Never broke traction on either tire before (in a corner). Skidded the rear on the brakes a few times, but I can deal with that. This time it was just too fast with no warning. Those tires and my bike don't work together.

everyone has such great stories. thanks for sharing them. i did go out for a ride yesterday. just around town to do a few errands. it was on the harley, but this time i wore my full face helmet instead of my 1/2. that alone helped me feel a little safer. at first i was a bit paranoid (for no real reason, since i have yet to crash) of my surroundings...being overly cautious. but then i could feel the cool air rushing in the vents on the helmet and i smelled the crispness of that late august day and my worries slowly trickled away. i realized that even though riding is dangerous, it is something that i could never fully give up.
I'm glad you're feeling better about riding. Seems like it's one of those things- If you think about it too much, look at the risks only, your nerves build up and make it worse and more dangerous. Just minimize the risk and do the deed. Putting on the full face helmet, leather jacket, leather gloves, boots and riding pants is almost a symbolic thing for me. It's part of the ride- my way of protecting myself from anything stupid I might do. If I have the proper gear, and don't ride like a maniac, I'll be fine- but if I do fuck up, there's a good chance I'm walking away.

Confidence means more than anything in this sport. A tough line we walk- knowing we're not superman, but knowing you can handle yourself.

[smileyman]

Gotta get right back on that pony! This is silly but has always worked for me..After a get off I like to shake my adrenaline up a bit on the next ride, wheelie, or do little drills like panic stops or anything that gets my adrenaline and confidence back.

I remember when I was racing the first race after a big spill felt like I was all tense and stiff, like I was just waiting for the next fall. That was easy to get out of after getting passed a couple times, my competitive spirit just wouldn't let my nerves hold back my drive to win...

[Trip]

I know this now, and I knew it then. Nothing I could have done about it because it happened so fast. I only figured out what happened long after I crashed.

That's why you got to train yourself, just pound it into your brain where your reaction is to accelerate instead of let go.

[dReWpY]

Something along the lines of "Son of a bitch! This is going to be expensive..."

what he said

[Dave]

wow! thanks for all the input, folks. it's fascinating reading everyone's story. these thoughts have been plaguing me lately and i have been keeping distance from my bikes at the moment. i guess i am a little fearful of the fact that you just never know when that one ride will be your last. but i also know that i can't dwell on that. this is just the closest i have ever come to knowing someone that died in a bike accident. it is so unsettling because, as gunther said, he did nothing wrong and died from it.

i had the same thoughts when my dad passed in an auto accident. i wondered if he thought about us moments before impact. if he knew he screwed up. we'll never know those answers though. as i get older i have a harder time dealing with death and the finality of it. there are so many complexities to it that my brain cannot seem to fathom. i wish i could talk to someone that has passed on, but obviously that's impossible.

anyways, thanks for tolerating all my deep thinking and for sharing all your stories. :)

Inshah allah

[Cutty72]

Inshah allah

shit, i forgot what that means...

[Dave]

if its gods will

[ceo012384]

I thought "FUCK GOD DAMNIT MY FUCKING TWO WEEK TRIP TO THE GAP AND JENNINGS GOD DAMN MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH"

[NONE_too_SOFT]

I thought "FUCK GOD DAMNIT MY FUCKING TWO WEEK TRIP TO THE GAP AND JENNINGS GOD DAMN MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH"

ya your a bitch. if you had been there i may not have crashed.

but then again i may have gotten eaten by a bear.

[Switch]

Usually "Here we go again" followed by "it's fine."

[Switch]

That's why you got to train yourself, just pound it into your brain where your reaction is to accelerate instead of let go.

That's worked out well for you...

But it is true, I've avoided 2 high sides doing this. One at Little T and one at Nashville, both from accelerating hard out of a turn, both times I had at least one leg off the bike.

The hardest part about that is to just keep your pace after it happens.

[Mudpuppy]

I was convinced I woulda been able to ride it off road and save it. Before I knew it I was tumbling around. This was only 3 months after I started riding and it was all my fault. Tried to pas someone late and entered way too hot, but proly could make it every time knowing what I do now. There was a few times on the track I felt my tire slip and my first thought was "I hope my leathers hold up."

yep been there - the old tire slip and your ass just puckers waiting for the worst.. happened to me yesterday at grattan once.. followed a couple sessions later by a toe drag which i always hate - completely unsettles the bike..