The dealer means that every motorcyclist is going down sooner or later....   or like they say. there are 2 kinds of motorcyclist in the world, those who have gone down and those who will go down.   I have not yet dropped the savage..  but would like to think that I have used my turn coz before I had a Virago and went down on her (broke my ankel)....  so, knock,knock,knock 7,9,13... I'm "save"...

I've crashed on the street twice, one was my fault. I expect to be hit again at least once in the next 8 years before I retire & move out of the Dallas area. All I can do is dress for the occasion; helmet, gloves, etc. There are riders who have never been hit & never will, but they don't live in Dallas, home of the blind, deaf, angry cager.

oh yes fun with the blue hairs - caddy never even saw you before or after you stage right exit?

I don't think it's necessarily true that everyone is gonna go down at some point.  My dad hasn't yet, in his 30-odd years of riding (except off road of course, including one amusing story involving a large ramp and a canal that he didn't know was there).  Nor has my grandpa since he started riding in the late 40s.

My uncle pinned himself agast the wall of his garage with his Heritage for 45 minutes.  The thing must have weighed about 800lb after all the chrome and accessories he stuck on the thing.  I've partially dropped both my bikes on loose gravel, trying to walk them backwards.  And about a month after buying the C50, I just about slid it out from under me on some loose, wet leaves.

About a year and a half ago I was approaching a blind curve that you really can't take at more than about 15mph and be remotely safe about.  So of course, a dually pick-up came flying around the curve at about 40mph...in my lane.  I chose the grassy ditch rather than become a hood ornament, and managed to not drop it.  I don't remember quite what happened next, but I do remember having put the kickstand down, and standing off the bike with my helmet in my hand screaming at the guy, insulting him on as many levels as possible (he had slowed way down when I made my evasive maneuver).  

The LS650 handles far better off road than I had expected.

Before I give the impression I am above ever crashing, I want to go on record as having totalled 2 bikes on the street, no helmet either time. That was many years ago & I have almost 14,000 on the clock on the Zuki with a couple of off road incidents, no fall down, & one time I let the fron slide out on a slope in the back yard on wet leaves(Dangitt). I ride like gravity is just a rumor & I am above its influence way too often. This is when I am on isolated roads & where I live, I get that a LOT! Around cars I ride with a whole different set of ideas operating in my head.We have Blue Hairs here. Very exciting people to be around.The Tuner cagers keep me on edge a bit, but at least they are excited & aware usually.

I have had one cager pull out & take my lane & when I dodged the rear of the car & passed, she looked at me as if I was no surprise at all. She SAW me & pulled out anyway.Another left turned from a Tee & came all the way across to my lane, I dodged & she looked at me totally dispassionately.I don't know if she had seen me or if she just didn't care. She had a red dot tween her eyes & was wearin a black scarf, whatever that means. Is there a motorcyclist hate group that dresses like that?  I KNEW to be wary of her tho, cuz her right side was crunched already.


BABBALOU, I find myself in Dallas coccasionally & can't imagine being on a bike. I am scared in a car. The bike cops there ride exactly side by side even thru the turns. They are good. Best of luck to you Babbalou. Maybe we can meet someday. I live in Longview. Holler if you are headed this way. That goes for any of ya.

I swear I'm a good (maybe not a great) rider but have dropped more times than I can recall - only in hospital once (put bike under semi when about 19 but got thrown clear - only hospital time ever - for possible concussion). even in country where people drive with more alertness (so everyone says who has travelled from here to there) it is pretty inenvitable living & riding in such a congested city as London you are going to hit metal or vice versa - most times I saw it coming & was braking like crazy & avoided much damage if any to bike & any to me at all.

had 2 near mishaps in US in 20 years - one years ago involved a person not stopping @ 2 way stop when I had right of way - I braked & stopped before hitting him. other was very recent on Suzuki when person (likely distracted by kids in back seat) started to do a U-turn in front of me, using the T-intersection for  manoeuvering room - saw me & stopped 1/2 way as I was braking/swerving to miss her.

actually got rear ended @ traffic light a year or so back by guy in truck who had stopped @ light too. he claimed his foot slipped off brake. don't think so - not to go about 10 feet & punt a 600+ lb bike (my other bike) & me about 6 feet into car in front. know he thought light had changed & he went brake, gas, "oh s@#t!" brake, realizing it hadn't!one of us left in handcuffs (not the cop). I'd just got off work - the other guy had (obviously) been in bar @ 2:30 in the afternoon!  

You Christian riders, plead the blood of Christ over yourself for protection; it works.  Off-hand, I can think of a few times when divine intervention was the ONLY possible explanation for my survival.  

Once, I was even told, "Stop, don't go yet", and avoided a side hit.  Another time, I was physically stopped when my brakes couldn't do the job (on wet mud) just before hitting a large boulder (stopped abruptly a fraction of an inch away), after fishtailing.  

Just a few mos. ago, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver (I was driving a car this time) with a combined speed of about 45 MPH.  I felt a "cushioning" sensation around my torso, and walked away with no injuries.  

Hard to believe, maybe, but true.  Not trying to start a religious thread, just offering something significant on safety; take it or leave it.