Crashes: How Many.

So, how many is too many?

A while back, a guy mentioned he had crashed or dropped his bike, at least 1000 times.

In the dirt, I've probably crashed 100 times, more or less. On the street, once in 1979. Riding since 1971 or so. I think, if I would have crashed 1000 times on the street, besides not being able to afford new levers and bars every month, I probably would have given up years ago.

So how many is too many? When you can't afford the hospital bills or insurance premiums any more? When you physically can't pick it up any more? When you need to buy a 3 wheeler? When do you hang it up?

I guess it depends on your definition of crash!

I have dropped my bike off road a dozen times, got rear ended at a stop sign in 1984, and dropped my R1100GS turning right when a guy illegally u-turned in front of me. How many crashes is that?

On the other hand, my brother was learning to ride and dropped his bike in the parking lot half a dozen times. One weekend, when he had 3000 miles experience, he crashed three times, twice over cooking a corner, and the last a high side from not seeing me stopping in front of him and locking up the rear brake. He totaled it that time and hung up his helmet for good. Proof some should not ride.

Jim

One crash for me on the street, a few more in the dirt, I"ve been riding street since 78 at the tender age of 16 ahhhhh! the good old days. Maybe we should do a poll.

One crash: 2008 SV650 ~45mph deer impact which totaled the bike and left me with a chunk of titanium on my right collarbone (well, after the doctors were done anyway).

The KLR has taken a few naps off road but so far just slow-ish stuff I wouldn't really consider a crash.

To me the question of how many crashes til I hang it up is impossible to answer until something happens and my brain tells me it is time.

Street riding since 1985...

Dumped it once in 1985 in a sandy pull off at 5 mph.

Got rear ended once in 1991, bike totaled, I never hit the ground.

Guess I'm not trying hard enough!

Too many tip overs to count but lets call it 3 real crashes. A dog took me down in 1980 on a 440LTD at 80kmh. In 2010 the front tire on the KLR rolled off the bead in a corner when it flatted at 80kmh. Lowsided it. Jan31 of this year I guy hauled a U-turn and hit my passengers and my leg. The KLR stopped in a ladies garage but she was not home and the door was not open. I dumped the GSA on ice a couple of times one morning on the way to work but I don't really count them as crashes.
I don't think I need to call it quits because of either crash but I learned a bit from each one and try not to repeat them. It didn't work for the ice that morning though.

Yeah, hopefully, I get all my dirtnaps out of the way, off road. That, and in my opinion, riding in the dirt, develops your street riding skills more than anything else.

Lots of offs in the dirt, part of dirt riding.
One crash on the street. 1983, I was drunk, don't remember the crash. Woke up 12 hr later, broken clavicle, concussion. Out of work 4 months. Last time I drank while riding.

40 years hundreds of thousands of miles, on the street, down one time when I hit a dog. On the other hand 40 years, tens of thousands of miles, off road racing and riding, more times than I can count.

43 years old, been riding since I was 4.
Too many to count off road, it's part of the experience, but never seriously injured.
Twice on the street, once doing stoppies on a 79 KZ 650 in a parking lot, found some black sand and fell over when the front tire slid... about 5mph scratched my new helmet a little.
And once on my 1200Bandit, did a wheelie for the neighborhood kids, throttle stuck and I almost went over backwards, used the rear brake a little too aggressively (OK I panicked and locked it up) and went through the chainlink fence in my front yard. Scratched the left side engine cover and put a "package" dent in my fuel tank, also broke the rear wheel when it hit the trailer hitch sticking out of the back of my van (wow that was close!)



I hope I didn't just jinx myself!!

Never down on the street in 31 yrs. Almost dropped once when I thought I was in gear but wasn't. I looked stupid but saved it. In the dirt, if you ain't crashing you ain't going fast enough.

46 years riding, never dropped a street bike. had a few spills offroad and flat track but never anything I couldn't pick up myself and keep going

that's a lesson from growing up rural poor... if I wrecked my bike there wasn't going to be any replacement or expensive repairs

55 years old, riding since 13, many crashes riding and racing in the dirt, one broken toe, one torn open knee, one broken spine twice, 5 broken ribs, one broken clavicle and scapula, one torn spleen.

I have been riding on the street since before it was legal, been down twice, very early on, both times very drunk and in the rain, but I did a LOT of riding drunk in all weather, so thats not that bad...
Just a little rash each time.

That dirt riding stuff will KILL you!

Nah. Builds character.

I have had 3 events I count as crashes. All three could have been prevented if I stopped and thought my actions through.

1st one I had a bad day at work and went for a night ride through one of the worst deer colision areas in the UP. Hit a yearling with ym VF700S and went down at 50 in jeans and a leather jacket. Some road rash but not bad. Bought some leather pants. Tweak right knee a bit and couldn't walk for a couple days but no lasting injury.

2nd one I was leaving work after a long day, tired and was riding a little quick. Saw a friend coming up the road and through I'd motard it a bit to show off. Locked he back wheel and high sided off the bike at about 35 on gravel. Again jeans and jacket...didn't wear the leathers because I thought it was too hot out. Gravel rash this time but still no serious injuries, tweaked my left knee and I was hobbling for a few days again.

3rd one I was again leaving work after a sweltering day of roofing. Dehydrated, tired. I was riding along a section of rail trail where the bank drops off about 5 feet the ajoining property owner has a fence right at the bottom. Pretty much a terrain trap. I had just thought about how much it would suck to end up down there when my front wheel must have hit something and deflected toward the fence. I didn't react fast enough. Bike went into the ditch at about 30, handle bar snaged the fence and the bike flipped forward and launched me over the handle bars. Taco'd the front rim and bent the fork tubes. I was wearing full gear this time. Was slighltly sore but went to work no problems the next day. I am a firm beleiver in ATTGAT ever since.

I have dirt napped more times than I can count while off roading my KLR, mostly these are low speed off camber get offs.

Dirt riding I don't count crashes because of the highly variable nature of dirt riding, traction, terrain, mistakes, inability, etc.

Street riding, I guess I would count a "crash" as anytime the bike is not vertical and controlled and I am no longer connected to the bike. To that I count five times, two on my 74 Honda CB350F, three on my 94 BMW R1100RS (two low-sides, one the bike fell on me). When my 94 BMW fell on me it broke my left leg just above the ankle.

That 94 BMW is still my daily ride since Oct 94, now at 172,000 miles.

Been riding since 73, now 55 years old. Started riding at 14 years old.

I have tipped my bike over tons of times. As far as physically when to stop, there are not really old guys who can't pick up there bike. Maybe that makes them stay out of tricky situations or pay more attention then me.

I am at one for this year. I had a 0 drop year once. Usually 1-3.

Maybe that was me cuz I say that all the time. I estimate I have been down 1,000 times in the dirt based on how long I've been riding, and the approximate time between crashes when riding aggressively for the number of miles per day and the type of enduro terrain I rode in. Now that I'm older and ill, I ride much less dirt mileage in a day, and ride much less aggressively and more carefully. For the first time in my life, I actually ride dirt not to crash. I could have done that before but was more interested in riding a section a little faster, or riding a very challenging section at all.

I have never been down while in motion on a paved road. I have had a non-moving road bike tip over in a parking lot as I dismounted due to the side stand not being down all the way, and once inside a garage from having a brain fade and not having the stand down at all!

Like many, I don't count dirt riding drops. Several in the past 3 1/2 years while mainly off roading in the big horn mts. in Wy. and 7 months most recently in the Moab area. However, my last pavement drop happened when I was 17 or 18 yo on a triumph 350 courier bike. I was lifeguarding at the time in Ohio and on my way home. Dry pavement, I was riding a bit aggressively, it had rained earlier. I came to a stop sign, which had a still dripping tree in front of it, hit the brakes and lost the rear end (low side). Lesson learned.

Well here's a well represented poll on the subject:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103534