• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

What's your worst accident on a bike?

Forums New posts
Aspear said:
Well that in my opinion is very stupid on the fault of the state
Click to expand...

It's just the way the Transportation Code is written. Can't assign a vehicle as involved in a crash if no contact was made. Law enforcement investigates then insurance will look at the report as an opinion and insurance will sometimes deviate from it. Depending on the officer/agency that investigates the OP's crash, a report may not even have been given since there wasn't a crash between vehicles or vehicles and an object.

Had a co-worker who got hit by a woman who ran a stop sign. His part of the intersection didn't have a stop sign, thus complete fault of the woman who ran the stop sign. Police report wrote it up that way as well. Co-worker still had to fight with the insurance because the at-fault party's insurance still wanted to assign a % of fault to my co-worker because they felt he could've stopped in time or avoided the crash. Everything after the police report is a civil issue, thus insurance companies can get creative sometimes.

We get calls from people who swerve to avoid another car and drive onto curbs getting flats and bend their wheels and request reports wanting to list the other car as hit and run. Unfortunately, it's not a crash per Texas Transportation Code.
 
Last edited:
I am running Shinko 705's front and back. @Jarrett , I posted the video public so anyone could use it if they wanted.

no, the bike does not have ABS. Its a 2009 Versys.
 
10 years ago or so, I just put a stereo on my cruiser at the time, pulled in garage, did all the ‘checks’ but the stereo added one more to do, which I did, then forgot to put kickstand down 😆I was madder than a hornet.

sure seems that the ribs are what gets it . It’d be nice to see more jackets offered with rib protection.
 
Been there (broken collarbone and wrist, got scared and hit the brakes, much like you). It sucks! Glad you're in an okayish shape. The bike I crashed on had no ABS and I paid the price (plus I was a 2 month old newbie with poor control).

Video is a good reminder for me not to get complacent even when the road looks pretty clear, thanks for sharing. Looks like you already know what you did wrong. I still believe the smartest thing I did after my accident was to get a bike with ABS.
 
In 2017 I had a tankslapper at about 75ish mpg. Pitched me off and broke my collarbone, 11 ribs, punctured lung, lots of road rash. I was wearing gear, I wore through the gear and split some seams. Five days and four nights in the hospital and about 4 weeks laid up. The worst part was contracting MRSA from the hospital. The pain from the MRSA spots hurt worse than the broken bones. I have also lost feeling in a spot below my left calf about the size of a half dollar. My insurance and doctors fought over how to heal the collarbone. I didn't go with surgery and now it makes noises every time I lift weights. I tell you what, the Yamaha Niken may look goofy as ****, but that extra wheel on the front would have been really nice at that time. I still think about buying one once the prices become reasonable.

Typing this all out made me question why I still ride. lol! :loco:
 
Thank goodness you are mostly okay. Yes, T-Rex Racing makes some good stuff. I have had them on several bikes and always check with them first on any crash protection I need. Their frame slider saved my VFR1200F the first time I went down. The 2nd time hit way too hard for the slider to have done any good, and the bike was totaled.

The Ninja 1000's 6-axis IMU, cornering ABS and all the other electronic aides were a good part of what made me decide on it as a replacement.
 
On my SV650 at a stop sign, making a right hand turn. I check the blind hill from my left, clear, I look right to pull out, I turn look left again and see a minivan hauling butt cresting the hill. I gassed it to hurry and let out the clutch. Rear broke loose, bike tossed me over the bars towards the cement curb. As I was flying I thought "Oh S***, this is going to hurt", then landed on my left shoulder. Conscious the whole time but dang if my left arm didn't hurt. I broke my collar bone and acromium process . The lady hauling butt in the minivan, a nurse :roll: She stopped to help.

I did take the ambulance ride, they had a cute medic handing out morphine, plus I was probably gonna end up over there anyway via POV. I had good insurance.

Funny thing, my worst accident wasn't on a motorcycle :giveup:
 
@notyou83 , the ‘good side of your story’ is that you were able to share it, I am glad it was not worst...

let me share the story of my accident, bike vs dually truck....
 
Jesse H said:
It's just the way the Transportation Code is written. Can't assign a vehicle as involved in a crash if no contact was made. Law enforcement investigates then insurance will look at the report as an opinion and insurance will sometimes deviate from it. Depending on the officer/agency that investigates the OP's crash, a report may not even have been given since there wasn't a crash between vehicles or vehicles and an object.

Had a co-worker who got hit by a woman who ran a stop sign. His part of the intersection didn't have a stop sign, thus complete fault of the woman who ran the stop sign. Police report wrote it up that way as well. Co-worker still had to fight with the insurance because the at-fault party's insurance still wanted to assign a % of fault to my co-worker because they felt he could've stopped in time or avoided the crash. Everything after the police report is a civil issue, thus insurance companies can get creative sometimes.

We get calls from people who swerve to avoid another car and drive onto curbs getting flats and bend their wheels and request reports wanting to list the other car as hit and run. Unfortunately, it's not a crash per Texas Transportation Code.
Click to expand...
It's how it is with other states too. Back in Okla, I was involved in a 3-car pile up when a 4th vehicle swerved across our lane to make U-turn. Lead car slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the U-turning moron. I was 2nd behind the lead car and also slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting lead car by inches. 3rd car couldn't stop in time and rammed into me hard enough to slam my car into the lead car. Police came and asked each of us how many impact we each felt. All 3 of us said: "once". That was pretty much enough to establish fault.

In the end, lead car's insurance went after my insurance, which in turn went after the 3rd car's insurance to recover damages. Doesn't matter to me, because my insurance did not fault me in any of that, based on police report. For me, I claimed against the 3rd car's insurance and recovered damages. Basically, 3rd car's insurance paid everybody, all because that driver was the only that could not stop and avoid collision.

As for the U-turning moron that triggered this chain reaction? Gone like the wind.
 
I haven't seen it mentioned or asked, but is there a reason you didn't just move over to the left? A quick shot in your mirror looked like there wasn't any traffic in the left lane.

As for me, my worst was on the track. Rear started sliding out, and I rolled off the throttle trying to catch it in time (spoiler alert: I didn't). Tire regained traction and snapped back the other way, launching me over the bars. Other than being knocked out on the landing, I would have been fine. However, the bike was having separation anxiety and came back over to me, landing on the back of my leg causing the following damage: broken fibula, call 4 (or whatever the worst is before a tear) sprain of the ACL, MCL, and ankle, and turf toe.

 
The left lane was clear. It was really just lack of experience and bad reactions that caused me to go down. I hit the brake and then the front wheel felt like it was slipping on the pavement. Not locked up, just no traction. I keep going back to that video looking for things I should have done differently.

Polite criticism is welcomed.
 
notyou83 said:
Not locked up, just no traction.
Click to expand...

That's how it feels when you lock up the front, afaik.

Having two fingers covering the brakes potentially could've helped you brake smoother.
 
7th grade on my xr75. Ran into a barbed wire with my face at exactly eye level. It clothes lined me off the bike . Got 20 stitches between the eyes and 8 stitches at the corner of my right eye . :huh2:
 
snlsmith said:
As for me, my worst was on the track.

Click to expand...
I almost had a high side deal right there on my Speed Triple. Bike went into a bit of a dance and straightened up. TC saved my bacon I think.

Cresson 1.7 is slippery.
 
notyou83 said:
Polite criticism is welcomed.
Click to expand...

Hindsight is 20/20, but here are some thoughts:

- No ABS on wet road is scary to begin with. I would reccomend more space given and less aggressive braking in general given that scenario.
- You were in the car's blind spot. Not a great spot to be. I would have suggested to move up or back so they could see you.
- The car to your right was closing on the car in front of it. Typically, that means a lane change is coming. See above.
- Personally, I'm not a fan of the horn. I think evade first, honk later. You lose reaction time by teaching yourself to reach for the horn first.
- Easing to the left while staying inside the lane and rolling off the throttle would have likely made enough space.
- Changing into the left lane was also an option.
- As Ocho mentioned, one or two fingers on front brake (especially in rain/no ABS) is probably enough.
- Coming from jet skis that have no brakes, my default reaction is more throttle to solve problems. That's definitely debatable.

Given our current state of affairs, this is not at option at this time, but in the future, I think a trackday might do you wonders. Riding on the track has completely changed my highway abilities for the better, imo. There are so many positive things you learn one day at the track that translates into tons more safety on the road.
 
Glad you are ok. And yes, even if you are to find the driver, most likely your insurance would still have to pay. What's worse is if there are any medical costs, your medical insurance, not your motorcycle insurance, will be needed, unless you have added driver and household bodily injury.

My worst, because it hurt my wife. Pulling into a parking spot in rest area in Wyoming, at less then 5mph, with my wife on the back. As I pulled into my parking spot, I was watching the driver in the spot beside me, as he poured out the water from his ice chest. Once passed the end of the van, I saw a little girl in the van, fling open her door. To keep from hitting her and the door, I hit the brakes hard. This compressed the front end and then rebounded at a little bit of a lean angle. At over a 1,000 pounds, I couldn't hold up the bike, my wife and our gear. The bike tipped over. My wife stuck her foot straight down, I think she thought she could help me hold it, but it was too late. The kickstand came down right on top of her foot. Ironically, my wife sat on the curb comforting the little girl, who was hysterical. The man was very apologetic, and gave me all his information and offered to help. We were going in opposite directions though, and I turned him down.

Long story short, the accident broke my wife's foot in seven places, scratched up the side case and fairing, and ended the trip. This cost me well over $10,000, mostly for medical, because I had to use my high deductible medical insurance and pay the deductible on my motorcycle insurance because his insurance denied my claim. The worst part though, was seeing my wife in pain for the best part of a year.
 
Going to work. Car pulled out in front of me. Long story made short my wife saw me and my bike laying on the road on the television. She had't left for work yet. Helicopter above me was covering the wreck live. Called her from the ambulance. She was freaking out wanting to know if that was me on the tv. Went to the hospital. Broken shoulder and a lots of bruises. I was totally black from my chest down to my groin for several weeks. Lived to ride another day. Thank God for the helmet. Had to get a new one. Being I avoided t-boning the car and only catching a part of rear bumper the old BMW airhead was ready to go when I was upon release by the Doc. kenray in katy.
 
Bright, clear January day ride to work. Full armored gear including boots, SNELL helmet, neon yellow jacket, extra headlights. Y-intersection. Lady turns left into me, basically a head-on catching me with her left front. I bounce off her windshield with my helmet. One boot ends up in vacant field about 15 yards away. Broke left wrist (now partally fused) right broken elbow in 5 places, cracked femur head, major concussion, and I don't remember anything of that day still until about 7pm that night. 5 surgeries in all to add remove, add hardware and hip replacement.
My motto was ride like they're trying to kill you until they prove otherwise. Somehow, the nice 81 yr old lady faked me out that day and I wasn't sharp enough to elude her Honda Accord.
F4XjGRKlg5kMiSVakocPMxmC7NTdqLBHFR-4=w1106-h916-no.jpg


zjYWVFTjv4RF_P2Y_TPxWqCGSIqlr523JEQVY=w609-h916-no.jpg


PS, I still miss riding.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top