Your Crash - Could You Have Avoided It?

[Misti Hurst]

Originally Posted by Boon Booni

I think I was getting cocky. It was a road I'd ridden probably a hundred times. It's usually got some gravel in the turns, but not at the bottom where I dropped it. I had let my guard down looking for gravel, and was rewarded for it.

Lesson: Respect the road.

+1 it is easy to get cocky on roads we have ridden a hundred times and important as you mention to respect the road and always keep a look out for danger.

Originally Posted by FloorPoor

Target fixation got me twice. Once on the street when I was 16(I was also speeding a little and the bicycle did what i didn't expect) One really bad one in the dirt(KLRs are HEAVY with cracked ribs)

A few people have mentioned target fixation here as something that caused their crash. Is there a way to teach yourself to not target fixate or how do you train your eyes to avoid doing it??

Misti

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by Misti Hurst

A few people have mentioned target fixation here as something that caused their crash. Is there a way to teach yourself to not target fixate or how do you train your eyes to avoid doing it??

Misti

By always looking for an "OUT" ... Then it is your 'out' that is the object of your fixation.

[orangebear]

the back end slid out on my klr on a wet road at doing about 30mph and the bike landed on my leg and it got broken . i was happy i sold the bike as i have never had a bike that was a bad at that since.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by orangebear

my be but the back end slid out on my klr on a wet road and it landed on my leg and broke it. i was happy i sold the bike it was the shittest big i have ever used

Translation: Maybe. While riding my KLR I lost the rear on a wet road and the bike broke my leg when it landed on me. I have sold the KLR... It was not the right bike for me.

[av_mech]

Yes. ABS woulda saved my ass. Washed the front. Of course, a little less speed and prudence might have helped as well.

[zeerx]

#1--YES. Quartered in the right front....trying to pass stopped traffic.
#2--NO. Rear ended.

Messed up my Z1 both times....but was fixable.

Countless times on the KDX.

[genka]

This winter I was down twice thanks to black ice. Couldn't see it. Not sure how I could prevent it other than taking a cage on those days.

[linkin5]

I've had 3 get offs on the street and no, nothing I could have done. Twice I've been rearended one time I did manage to keep the bike up but it didn't matter as it wasn't ridable. The other time some a-holes tried to hit me head on in a turn and I took the field instead, I lost it crossing the side ditch, slid thru the field for better than 100 feet and like to never found the bike when done. Now if we were talking off road maybe 100 times it was my fault.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by linkin5

... I took the field instead, I lost it crossing the side ditch, slid thru the field for better than 100 feet and like to never found the bike when done.

More detail please.

[stretch160]

yup.
every time......... :(

[SoCalJeff]

Definitely could have avoided it.

1. too fast for the conditions
2. too cocky for my own good
3. probably could have been leaning further back to avoid losing the front end
4. preloading the suspension prior to crossing the center point of a sandy trail may have prevented it.
5. WAY overloaded for riding in sand at speed. Probably should have been in the 15-20MPH area rather than 25-30MPH.

video of the wreck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciq3Jvi7PZQ

[NJ-Brett]

Looking at the video, that was to be expected.
Heavy bike, not the best tires, crossing the center was a BAD idea.

Speed often helps in sand though, unloads the front, and the spinning wheels and weight moving helps stability most times.

Originally Posted by SoCalJeff

Definitely could have avoided it.

1. too fast for the conditions
2. too cocky for my own good
3. probably could have been leaning further back to avoid losing the front end
4. preloading the suspension prior to crossing the center point of a sandy trail may have prevented it.
5. WAY overloaded for riding in sand at speed. Probably should have been in the 15-20MPH area rather than 25-30MPH.

video of the wreck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciq3Jvi7PZQ

[NJ-Brett]

Reading this thread, I think a lot of people are fooling themselves.
90% of the stuff posted here could have been avoided, like people turning in front of you, hitting you from behind, oil in turns, etc.
Only animals would be unavoidable, and one can restrict riding when they are most active and slow way down when they are.

I have been down twice on the street, drunk, fast, and in the rain, 100% my fault, no serious injuries.
35 years of street riding without any other crashes.

A few crashes each dirt ride used to be normal, I am trying to cut down on that, and did not go down my last two times out!

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by SoCalJeff

Definitely could have avoided it.

OOoof!! Hope you were OK. I hate it when that happens.

[SoCalJeff]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

OOoof!! Hope you were OK. I hate it when that happens.

Thanks. I was fine. No scratches, no bruises.