[quickdraw]

Was pondering for a while if I should start this thread, but with so many sports (or big) bikes being sold in the country you hear almost every weekend about someone crashing. I'm a part of few pan India whatsapp biker groups where people keep posting incidents that happened in their hometown.

I hope that this thread serves as a reminder that motorcycles are way too fast for India and novice riders should always exercise caution before they twist the wrist.

Request people that we don't share any personal information of the rider or vehicle, no graphic pictures please. Sharing a little bit about the accident can be helpful information for others. Here are a few pictures I've gotten this weekend.

Busa crash in NCR Feb 2017
No information about how it happened, rider is OK.


H2 Crash - Feb 2'17 - Taneja Aerospace, rider injured but will recover.






MV Agusta F3 - Feb '17 - Test bike that was crashed, rider escaped with minor injuries.

[VellVector]

Apart from novice or reckless riding there are many aspects that have influenced crashes of superbikes in India.

For example the above mentioned H2 crash involved an experienced biker overshooting the braking point on the drag strip and overshooting the runway. Rider error - yes but not out of being reckless or dangerous.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by VellVector

Not sure if this tread is the best idea.

There is a thread for supercar crashes as well. Can serve as a reminder to many that a powerful machine doesn't mean that laws of physics can be ignored.

The H2 pic really did send a chill down the spine. However, the most important point to note is that it did not happen on public roads. And that the rider is safe.

[hiran77]

The rider may be experienced. with due respect to the person. I do not know anyone personaly but, no matter how experienced the biker was if anybody has ridden a bike on that airstrip(I have) they would know that it is too short to test a H2. most of the superbikes are way more faster than what the strip can handle. without going into more details all i can say is we should not get carried away by thinking an airstrip is safer and we can ride faster. yes, you would not have traffic or cattle in this place but we surely need to have an idea of how fast our bike can accelerate and how safe we can brake.

Experienced or inexperienced one single mistake in your thinking can cost really a lot.
we all need to understand that.
Trust me if anyone gives me a H2 i wouldnt go beyond 200 on that airstrip. people have this tendancy of looking at the speedo and targeting numbers.

Just wearing best of safety equipment does not mean you are the safest and experienced rider. understanding your limitations and the bikes limitations and gauging the environment you are in constantly makes you a seasoned rider.


Please note: I have no intention of hurting anyone involved in this crash. this is just my opinion based on my riding skills and groups i ride with.

[cjt2012]

I do not agree with the first post which quotes speed and big bikes being fast as being the reasons for crashing, however a thread like this does put things in perspective and give us all a glimpse of what can happen if you are not careful and do not concentrate while riding. It also highlights the importance of wearing proper safety gear while riding. We require to understand our capabilities as a rider before twisting the throttle, take it easy at first get to know your machine and your limits, it also helps to know where you are riding.

Indian roads are hardly suitable for cars let alone bikes, we need to anticipate and expect the unexpected, and do not get carried away while riding in a group, some of the riders will have extensive saddle time while others may not, it helps to know the people you are riding with and proceed at a pace at which you are comfortable. The H2 crash looks scary to say the least.

[GTO]

Mod Note: Thread cleaned up. This thread can stay. We also have threads for Supercar & regular accidents.

Please use the 'report this post to a Moderator' functionality for any requests, without taking the thread off-topic.

Thanks for sharing, Quickdraw!

[Jaggu]

Interesting thread, hope this drives sense to lot of folks including some dear ones

I also ride a "big bike", Tiger XRX to be precise, had a lovely Street Triple running proper 105 bhp tune before this. One thing i have learned - bikes or super bikes don't crash! They are inherently designed to keep themselves up! It is the IDIOT who is sitting on the seat who crashes (almost all the time). I am not a saint or anything but i have had my fair deal of crashes at young age and let me list.

1- TVS Champ when i was as young and all of 17; braked hard but the bajaj scooter behind me could not, and tail ended me. I slid and landed on my bum! fortunately not much injury apart from some scratches.

And between 17 and 21 years...

2- Lorry pushed me and my friend off the road. Again minor injuries (and a huge dent to ego), since it was slow speeds and landed on soft soil.

3- Flying in my RX had helmet on (huge dent on ego), slipped and slides for about 50 meters, thanks to helmet face is spared but scratches on body and a hurt rib, thanks to those Moto X type handle bars i had on bikes.

4- And most dangerous one (and stupidest of it), while doing a "totally unwanted" left hand overtaking on a very very narrow and busy street, handle hits a pedestrian and bike and me goes under a bus! which is passing by the side. Luckily bus did not touch either the bike or me (where it would have killed me). This happened at speeds lesser than 30-40 kmph, i had broken shoulder, biceps broken into two piece, broken tooth, multiple stitches on head and chin. Went through two casts to realize a surgery was needed, couple of weeks bed rest, and a 2 years ban from using two wheeler's finally woke the idiot in me up.

I went on to buy the RD 350 and then to the bigger bikes mentioned above (touch wood) and my paranoia has kept me off any sort of incidents (definitely NOT my average rider skills that has helped). I do let go off occasionally, but the bad experiences wakes me up quickly and i realize that i need to live first and then only i can love and enjoy biking. Lot of riders criticize me for my slow approaches at corners etc, but hey i am 40 years old and i definitely want to ride as much as possible and as long as possible. So i cannot afford to care about these pointed ego remarks. I am fortunate to have a close riding group that understands and respects all of this and more, so i think i should be ok.

Indian roads are horrible, people are hopeless... so it is upto your survival instincts to survive it or not. Understand your bike, the environment and your capability before doing anything smart on a bike. It is the rider who alone can keep it pointed in the right direction!

Coming to the opening post, the H2 rumor is that the rider blanked out at above ~300 kph above and survives since this happened in a private runway.

The Augusta apparently was ridden by the showroom guy who was showing off.

Disclaimer: Both these info as per various chats floating on whatsapp biking groups.

Keep it safe and if you want to really push your skills, do it inside a race track and live to tell that story.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

I hope that this thread serves as a reminder that motorcycles are way too fast for India and novice riders should always exercise caution before they twist the wrist.

Before I drive any madly powerful, fast, exciting or expensive car - I spend a lot of time on Youtube.

1) I learn as much as I can about the vehicle (knowledge)
2) I watch as many regular-joe crash videos as I can (reality check)

This really keeps me in check when I'm behind the wheel. (Even if it's a track day).


Now, Superbikes are on a whole other level when it comes to power, acceleration and lack of protection for the 'driver'.

Add to that the crazy Indian mix of poor road manners, bad roads, lack of roadsigns & common sense, and it's a scary situation!


Hopefully this thread will serve its purpose as the 'reality check' for superbike owners, friends of superbikers, and 1-time superbike riders.

If you're ever second-guessing if you should do something when you're on the bike - as a simple rule of thumb, don't do it!

Another common theme with superbike crashes is a "new" member in the riding group tends to get carried away (excitement, proving themselves, or whatever it may be). As the other riders in a group, please keep a watch over these guys when you get the chance.

Ride Safe!

[quickdraw]

I remember a motorcycle quote I read somewhere

"There are bold riders, there are old riders.
There are no bold old riders."

I've also had my fair share of crashes on motorcycles, the severity of the crashes have gone down dramatically for me and so has how much I got injured. If you ride a motorcycle, you will crash. I hold this as a personal belief you're welcome to disagree.

Our roads are getting less safer by the day with more traffic on the road who has no consideration for others. In fact, the safest places to ride superbikes are rural or state highways (basically anywhere with less population). Most of the accidents I hear about happening on popular motorcyclist roads or gatherings.

Its a funny thing that rider aids have improved dramatically over the years with ABS and Traction control to help with the unexpected, but as rightly mentioned its 100% the riders fault when a crash happens. I've had my Street Triple go from under me because of an oil slick on the road. Thankfully I just had minor scratches because of the riding gear. But the moments where I was tumbling down the road looking at the truck fast approaching were quite scary. I remember reaching out to the divider and pulling myself over it while still sliding. Crashing does teach you a lot if you've crashed before you get better at it. You are able to react better and save yourself.

Here are a few motorcycle safety tips and videos. Found them here.

Bike Safety Links.pdf

Here are some classic great motorcycle safety videos

Perfect Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16e8Sm4PeII

TAC Road Safety

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT666XwJR2s

I have a firm belief that motorcycle is entering its golden age in India right now if you would have told me in college that I'd be able to pick from a Ducati, Triumph, Aprilia or BMW with easy finance options I'd not believe you. But the truth is these things are more accessible than ever before and will get cheaper. Unfortunately, I've noticed in India motorcycling seems to be more about showboating than enjoying your hobby with other motorcyclists. Also lots of kids with parents who have deep pockets making stupid mistakes litre bikes that are way over their league.

Very good example of somebody who has no control over the bike at-all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO4Ug_4FNA4

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

I remember a motorcycle quote I read somewhere

"There are bold riders, there are old riders.
There are no bold old riders."

It is

There are Old Riders, and Bold Riders, but there are no Old, Bold Riders.

Source

Old Riders, Bold Riders
by Richard Bennett, SWC Safety Officer

Old Rider Bold Rider
You know the adage: “There are Old Riders, and Bold Riders, but there are no Old, Bold Riders.” There are reasons for the adage.

We have all been “Rookies” at everything we learned to do; play an instrument, drive a car, or any number of other skills. As police Rookies we went through an Academy, and most of us who ride motorcycles had some basic instruction to start us on our riding adventures. There is a
beginning to everything, and a learning curve that follows.

I am no spring chicken, but I have been riding motorcycles under all conditions for more than 50 years. I was a Municipal Motorcycle Officer, a “dirt” rider, a commuter, and long-distance tourer. I have ridden a variety of two-wheeled vehicles from a 50cc moped to the largest Harley Davidson motorcycles. In all those years, and under all those adverse conditions, I am proud to say I have never had a serious collision. Sure, some parking lot tip-overs, but you know the kind of collision I mean: The “Oh My God, this is going to hurt” kind.

I know there is a tendency to cite good luck or “Karma”, which I admit is part of the equation. But safely surviving a long history of eclectic motorcycle riding is more than that. In my early years I rode 60’s and 70’s style motorcycles. If you never experienced these machines, suffice it to say they were substandard in every way to modern motorcycles of today.

Engines were unreliable, flats and broken chains were common. Drum brakes were hard to apply and inefficient in emergency stops. Today’s motorcycles give you more safety and reliability, but they still need your attention. Part of rider survival is to know your machine’s
limitations.

California didn’t mandate motorcycle helmets until 1992. Before then I wore a helmet to keep cold and rain off my face, but otherwise nothing more than a backward ball cap. Sure, I wore a helmet during my Motor Officer days, but on my own time my protective gear was lacking.
Karma and good luck was on my side, but I wouldn’t depend upon that today. Another part of survival is to try and avoid crashes and start wearing protective gear.

As the years passed, I gained experience. Some of the experience came from investigating collisions of other motorcycle riders. My Traffic Officer days were an education in the cause of collisions, and I applied those lessons to my own riding habits.

Some of my experience was from “close calls”. You know the kind; the unexpected hazard that you somehow survived without serious consequences.

Years of safe riding experience is like a college education in the motorcycling world. The trick is to survive long enough to get your “Old Rider” degree. To that end, I offer these suggestions to the less experienced riders who want to grow old enjoying the joy of motorcycling. Recognize and manage risk. Don’t take unnecessary chances. There are already plenty of risks to avoid, so don’t add to the list. If you want to drink, either drink or ride, but don’t do both. Insurance companies tell us a large percentage of motorcycle collisions are single-vehicle.

Wear a helmet. Not the plastic beanie helmet, but quality head protection. Studies show the most often impacted part of the head is the chin, followed by the forehead. If you are going to wear a helmet, wear a good one.

Dress for the crash. You can be stylish, but understand Karma may toss you onto the pavement without notice. (If we had notice, we could change clothes before we hit the ground.) Invest in a good jacket, protective pants and ankle-covering boots. You are worth it.

Bad Example Good Example

Be Defensive. I always picture the “worst case scenario”, and adjust accordingly. That means staying alert, and not distracted. While it is nice to have modern electronic entertainment and communications, maintaining a defensive riding attitude is a priority.

Keep your skills current. We all start as Rookies, but moving to Intermediate and Advanced training will help you survive and enjoy riding. Take the time, and invest the money, if necessary, to learn and maintain new skills.

While there are many more lessons you will learn as you survive the streets, this should be a good start. Your goal should be to become an Old Rider, and then you can tell the Rookies how you got there.

[latentpotential]

These are clips from today's newspaper. Online versions should also be available.

Please note, the other side of the incident (other riders side) is unknown at present.

[honeybee]

Shame on the brotherhood. The meaning of brotherhood needs to be taught to these people. Also absolutely irresponsible on the part of the ringleader to claim ignorance. It shows such groups are for pomp and show off more than anything else.

[snaseer]

http://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pun...w/57227163.cms

Just read the above disturbing news today morning. Moderators please delete the thread if shared before.

[drmohitg]

^^ You might want to hold on to your horses before forming an opinion. We don't know what really happened. And media reports today are the last thing you want to accept as true. They will write whatever sells. Also they have mentioned that the wife has accused that the group wasn't carrying any medical aid or had an ambulance accompanying them. Now why on earth would an Ambulance accompany you on the trip? It might appeal to emotion but not practical at all. Second a medical kit box would be of no use in the event of a serious head injury.

[Patriot_Vishwas]

Was the deceased not wearing a Helmet?
Looking at him riding without a helmet in the picture above, I wish he was more responsible.(these groups should also take such tragedies as a reminder)
And the newspaper is also presenting just the one side(this IMO is shoddy journalism). The fellow riders were there till the Emergency Medical Services arrived and did do their bit(My opinion).
Any thoughts on how first aid can be administered in situations where serious head injury has taken place?