[Furebo]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Lessons learnt

...
Murphy's law: If anything can go wrong, it will !

Add to this: Buy an ABS equipped bike the next time!

[W.A.G.7]

Originally Posted by Furebo

Add to this: Buy an ABS equipped bike the next time!

Well, for now my budget for bikes is over. I am presently driving a Suzuki GS150R which has much better brakes (no ABS unfortunately but a big disc up front!), and is much more stable.

And I have changed my route to the office after this incident.

[Shivank]

I started riding with an Activa. I was a kid then and bang and bruise was simply my idea of fun! Had almost every kind of accidents so far. Luckily though, save for one (first accident), others came as lessons without much pain. Only a few bruises here and there.

Bad news is that the vehicles on all of the occasions had suffered a lot.


First (ONE):

Only two days after I have learnt riding an Activa, I decide to take it to school. Invite my friend for the ride-of-glory to the school premises. He grabbed the opportunity. Little did he know about the fate that awaits him and me!

After about 1-2km of riding, I could feel the pillion upsetting the balance. I asked him what's the problem. He pointed towards the rear-foot pegs and said, " Can't open it". I go," Oh wait, Let me share a helping leg."

I turned back (cruising at over 60kph!), pulled the peg out, forcing it by my leg. Done. Back to 'ride' position and....BAAAAAMMMMMM! We hit the divider.

I hit the divider with my helmet and blood starts to gush out from almost everywhere. Thankfully, my friend was safe too and only his right knee was bruised. Comparing it with mine it was really pleasing to see.

Lessons Learnt:

- Never ever turn back. Only concentrate on the road ahead!

- Crash-helmet saves life. Three days of riding and I have crash-tested it. Quick learner, that I am!

- Don't hand over vehicles to nerd kids (school-kids). Their brains are not developed to be on the road this early.


Second Crash:

Coming straight out of the school gate in my trusty old Activa. Shooting towards the horizon. There's a 4-way crossing ahead. But my sole aim is to reach the HORIZON. Miss it!

Some other kid with similar aim as of mine( (only the directions were different) was also rocketing on his kine from other side. We collide midway and fly towards the horizon.

Lessons Learnt:

- Blow horns on blind 4-ways. Most notorious spots for accidents. And keep check of your speed. I still follow it as a thumb rule. Most of the people around seem to take this lightly. Pay attention to these little things.


Third Crash:

Late for the coaching classes. Rushing towards the tuition center. As I was about to enter a roundabout (Chandigarh) I see a Red Indica entering slowly from right hand side. I was at around 70-75kph (full throttle) and didn't think of slowing down even once. Entered with full pace and got a solid side-kick from the car. Indica's front part ruined. Activa, from right side ruined too. Totally my fault I think. But thanks to the fact of being in a two-wheeler and a school-kid, you collect more sympathies.

Lessons Learnt:

- Better late than never, stands true. ( I had to miss the lectures that day :-D)

- Give way to vehicles on your right-hand side.

- Enter and exit slowly when encountering a roundabout.


Fourth:

Rushing again, towards the home this time, at around 8pm in the night. Skidded the scoot while cornering flat-out around a corner full of gravel.

Skid. Control. Skid. Control. Skid. Heart-in-mouth. Control. Didn't crash but learnt a lot about how not to act like Rossi on loose gravel.


Fifth. Final. And Latest:

Riding on a concrete road at about 80kph. Two tease-spoons of oil spilled on the road by some wise man. Unfortunately, TVS tires (RTR180) and the aforementioned oil meet. Bike skids. I take hands off the handlebar; thrown off the saddle. Only two minor bruises-one on knee and other on arm. Bike suffered a lot though.

Lessons Learnt:

- Oil is actually slippery. It doesn't like rubber.

- Brand new Van Heusen Jacket and Levi's jeans are torn apart. Total expense ~ 5k INR. Decided to spend on riding gears rather than on fancy-clothing. Three months ago, forced my sister to gift me a riding jacket. ;-)

- Learnt the importance of riding gear.

[bblost]

@Shivank: Got to give the credit for not repeating a crash. Every crash was as unique as possible. Good job.

[Shivank]

Originally Posted by bblost

@Shivank: Got to give the credit for not repeating a crash. Every crash was as unique as possible. Good job.

Thanks.

I wish they might never get repeated again in the future too. Every time I find myself in a similar kind of situation, I back off...

[akshayasok]

First Crash ever was in the UK, ironically.

Used to ride a HH Passion plus back in India. Moved up to the Ducati Monster 696 in England. I had been riding the Duc for abt 4 months when the crash happened.

The Incident

Approaching a junction the light were about to go green, So i got on the right hand lane and accelerated . As luck would have it a taxi decided to run a red light . When I saw him it was too late because a bus on my left side had blocked my field of view. Fell of. Hit the ground hard. Helmet took a good impact , so did the shoulder and elbow pads. Unfortunately On that i decided to be lazy and only wore normal boots rather than full motrocycle boots. My left boot took the impact and needless to say my foot was in throbbing pain. I remember swearing in my helmet. A pedestrian approached and took my helmet off(thankfully he did it right). Then the medics arrived quickly and was never been so glad to hear the wail of the siren.

Lesson Learnt.

Never accelerate straight down if ur field of view is blocked

Always , always wear your boots!!

Ducati cant actually take a beating!

[trakesht]

Step 1: An Indicab which was ahead of me braked suddenly to avoid something
Step 2: I, who was trailing the car, also braked immediately
Step 3: The guy behind me, on another bike, did not brake immediately
Step 4: The bike rams me from behind
Step 5: My bike borrows some of the momentum from the bike behind me, ramming the indicab

Lesson learnt: Avoid tailgating

[stormsearcher]

Originally Posted by gypsy1989

Just out of curiosity,do you people think that the definition of a good rider is being able to ride really fast? Being part of something like 'Team BHP',are you supposed to be riding really fast making your way out of impossible traffic?
I'd like to know because I do not advocate rash riding/unnecessarily riding fast.I am ashamed to admit,but I prefer riding safe now.But I do love long rides!

Thanks Gypsy for that. Very people seem to be able to see the difference between good riding/driving and fast driving and tend to equate the two.

I ride an RD350 and have been accused more times than i care to admit, of riding too slow (for an RD). But in the two crashes i have had the things i have learnt are- (apart from the obvious of wearing a helmet at all times and at least basic riding gear)

1. Always assume that the other riders/drivers on the road are complete idiots. Even if you are 99.99% wrong, it could still keep you alert for some unexpected thing, and that could make the difference between close calls and lying up in the hospital for months.
2. Never speed on an unfamiliar road. At speeds on a bike, even a biggish pebble can throw you off the bike, let alone pot holes. Actually, never speed in city limits.
3. Never speed past a bus which is slowing down to a halt. Invariably there is this clever by half bloke wanting to run across the road from in front of the bus.
4. Avoid being too close to a moving bus while passing. You WILL get spat on.
5. At an intersection, always make eye contact with a vehicle driver, about to cross your path. Its the only way you will know what he plans to do next.

@gypsy--- i however beg to differ on your earlier post about the use of front brakes. You will never stop a bike on the rear brakes alone, and even when you use both brakes simultaneously, you could skid. The correct way is to straighten the bike and then apply the brakes, front first and back later in an approx ration of 70-30 (f-b). If you slam the brakes on a turn, irrespective of the nature of the tyres, you will go down. So i dont think its the fault of the RX.

[sajo]

Originally Posted by trakesht

Lesson learnt: Avoid tailgating

This was in 2006 I think. I was riding my Pulsar behind a chap on a Splendor, at about 40kmph. And suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the road to pick someone up. I noticed him signaling to the guy on foot, and I knew something was up , but I simply did not expect him to stop right where he was in the middle of Sinhagad Road. I had very little time to react and rammed him from behind.
I lost my balance, broke an indicator and cracked the fairing glass, mostly thanks to the metal rear grab handle of the Splendor. Unbelievably, he only slightly moved ahead upon impact, did not as much as tilt his bike.

Lesson Learnt : Keep your eyes and ears open to cues and do not follow so close.

But this wasnt the first crash I had. Had one more before that. On a Scooty.
So I was riding through one of the internal colony roads going back home from college. There was a 90 degree turn that I had to take, and there was no traffic whatsoever. Decided to go for it, and before I knew what was happening, I was sprawled on the ground, my sheet container rolling away from me into the path of a few riders coming by. All of them girls, coming from the nearby M.I.T. college. My view was obstructed by my backpack which somehow had landed on my head. Deeply embarrassed , picked my stuff up, picked the scooty up, ate a big slice of the humble pie, and rode back home.

Lesson Learnt : Know the limitations of your vehicle. And do not overestimate your own capabilities either!

[naveenroy]

In all of 16 years of riding a motorcycle, I have only had one accident. And it happened about a month back. I was riding my CBR 250R downhill in Horseley Hills. The last and final hair-pin bend. It is a right-hander. Though my friends take the turns like MotoGP riders, I am more careful as I don't like losing control at those curves

And also since I have been riding a Thunderbird for close to 6 years now, I don't really ride fast on the CBR either. But this time is probably the only time that I did not honk at the turning. This as far as I can recollect was the mistake I made.

A fully loaded (as in with people) Scorpio was coming uphill, taking the blind curve. It is a left-hander for him. But his mistake was that since the SUV was fully loaded, he took the turn a little too much to the right. Instead of sticking to the curve, he came fast and directly onto my path. Though I was slowing down for the curve, I didn't honk and by the time I realised what was happening and saw him coming, I had really slowed down. What I also did was swerve as much as possible to my left (though there was little space to the left - only the face of the hill) and braked. The Scorpio came up and he realised it a little too late but braked nonetheless. I think that was what saved me.

He still hit me sideways and I felt the pain shoot up my leg. I was really scared to look down my leg since I was absolutely certain that my leg was smashed beyond recognition. I just left the bike on its left side and hobbled off to the side of the road. My jeans were torn from below the knee. My CAT riding boots (with steel toe) also saved me. The leather at the toe was torn off but the steel saved my toes.

By then friends had stopped and I had first aid on my shin (the only protective gear that I do not own) and realised that my leg was not broken.

The lessons learnt - honk, honk, honk at turnings and blind corners. And protective gear - always. Those shoes saved my toes that day. And if only I had had shin guards, I would have got off without a scratch. But since I didn't have them, I am still having some pain below the knee - will take 2 months to heal completely.

[Sudarshan]

Almost 26 yrs of (officially) riding , 26 yrs of ownership of a 250 cc Yezdi

fell only twice riding Yezdi & once on a kinetic scooter & once on a triumph 350-- All at low speeds -- minor scratches bruises etc , but no severe injury .

BUT many hair raising escapes & seen very very ugly scenes --- perhaps that has kept me safe till now ( & enjoying the biking too )

Lessons learned
1) Preserve Self
2) Maintain the bike properly
3) Not to let go of bike till end ( Panic braking specially ) ,If I decide to Push I Push or else ----
4) No overtaking at blind turns
5) stop & proceed when joining major roads from a Lane
6) keep an eye on rear view mirror on highways specially
7) keep clear of larger & speeding vehicles ( trucks particularly )
8) No sudden Lane change
9) See others properly & most importantly BE SEEN by others (tail lights ,reflectors & what not )

May be few more things to add , but may be when I remember

Sudarshan

[vinu_h]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan

Almost 26 yrs of (officially) riding , 26 yrs of ownership of a 250 cc Yezdi

fell only twice riding Yezdi & once on a kinetic scooter & once on a triumph 350-- All at low speeds -- minor scratches bruises etc , but no severe injury .

BUT many hair raising escapes & seen very very ugly scenes --- perhaps that has kept me safe till now ( & enjoying the biking too )

Lessons learned
1) Preserve Self
2) Maintain the bike properly
3) Not to let go of bike till end ( Panic braking specially ) ,If I decide to Push I Push or else ----
4) No overtaking at blind turns
5) stop & proceed when joining major roads from a Lane
6) keep an eye on rear view mirror on highways specially
7) keep clear of larger & speeding vehicles ( trucks particularly )
8) No sudden Lane change
9) See others properly & most importantly BE SEEN by others (tail lights ,reflectors & what not )

May be few more things to add , but may be when I remember

Sudarshan

Those are some of the basics that all drivers should adhere to. I only wish that the the RTO issued licenses to those who did.

[cnureddy.b]

Post edited by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT use more than 2 smilies per post.

Interesting to read through crash reports, one thing is sure road sense and road safety (post crash medics, cops, etc) do NOT exist in any part of India. No wonder ~2,00,000 die every year most of them at very young age, and no hope of change anytime soon. Shamelessly people (mostly politicos) claim India as super power


I have been trough multiple crashes over the years right from 2001 through 2010, approximately > 100,000 KMs (initial 50k Samurai and rest on Pulsar 150). Most of them are caused by sudden breaking on Indian roads one could find zillion reasons to do so.

Defensive driving, safety gear (helmet, boots, thick clothing, guards, etc) may help. But not are not fool proof... most of motor bikes still run on 2.5-4 inches of rubber!

One crash I feel useful to other was on Mysore road, after work a stressed evening (like any other ) I was heading home. Evening drizzle made roads wet I was doing 50-60 KMPH almost near Bangalore University and a Volvo bus on the front breaks hard. My instincts kick in and I break....after blinding moments I am on lying flat on highway along with my sleeping Pulsar(this time definitively not MALE). I realize the crash start recovering quick assessment says not injuries to me. I am separated from Pulsar near the Divider...Oh wait I am sleeping in the middle of the highway and its freaking dark ...Bones chill...

I quickly wake up and start waving my hands to alert traffic on my back. Fortunately a Hyundai SUV (Terrcan) stops with bright light.

Now I check my bike no damage except minor scratches to head light.
That day I walked away with no injuries...No amount of safety gear would have helped me if I got ran over by that SUV. Shear Luck nothing else saved my life on that day.


Lessons learn't :
1). Slowdown when roads are wet, disc brake and wet roads are a deadly combo.
2). Maintain safe breaking distance based on road conditions of the day
3). Wear Helmet and all possible safety gear
4). Last but not least buy enough life insurance to protect your loved ones!

Safe riding!

[akshayasok]

Originally Posted by cnureddy.b

Lessons learn't :
1). Slowdown when roads are wet, disc brake and wet roads are a deadly combo.
2). Maintain safe breaking distance based on road conditions of the day
3). Wear Helmet and all possible safety gear
4). Last but not least buy enough life insurance to protect your loved ones!

Safe riding!

Always keep a 2 second gap between the vehicle in front in the dry, and twice tht in the wet, 10 times on the ice . With big lorries an buses, lay back till u can see their side mirrors, if u can't see their mirrors they can't see you!

[bluenicotine]

On a summer afternoon, I was doing 60 something, with cousin on pillion, on my new pulsar when I noticed about 6 people standing in a queue, parallel to the divider, mid way on the road, waiting to cross. The first guy standing on my side saw me coming closer and held out his left hand signalling others to stop. I crossed the first guy, second, third, fourth, fifth and as fate would have it, the sixth guy put his foot afront (donno why) and come in contact with my bike. All four went crashing. My cousin jumped and luckily was not hurt. My bike's crash guard was bent, left indicator broke and the headlight fairing took a hit.

For my luck I was not wearing a helmet My face went crashing and dragging on the road. When I stood up, I realized that yes it was indeed an accident. I was looking like a terminator with the left side of my face completely peeled, left arm dislocated and major bruises on both the elbows.

The guy who I hit was injured badly on his head and later I was told by my folks that he too has multiple fractures. Nevertheless, we were rushed to the hospital and what happened after that was indeed another story which will be

Major lesson learnt: Wear a helmet. Wear a helmet. Wear a helmet.
Other lesson: Slowdown when you see people trying to cross the road.