Last M/C crash I witnessed, was a young 'yute in front of my house late at night... roaring up and down the street constantly on a crotch rocket; until we heard a crack/thud out front.
His helmet came off his head (chinstrap not fastened) and he ended up smacking his melon on the asphalt. Died right there. Hosed the blood down the gutter later in the morning when day came.
Very sad.
21 years Army (retired)
...been everywhere, seen everything, done almost everything.
IBA 80537
Last crash I saw was 9 years ago when I sold my Vstrom 650. New owner made it 15 feet up my driveway when he dumped it.
With cashiers check in hand, I helped him up and on his merry way. He only did about $400 in body damage.
Effective cornering is a learned skill with as many as 14 different actions as coached by many race schools. If you don't learn, if you don't practice those actions, if you don't hone those skills, you are destined to go down. Spend the time and money to learn how to corner and ride correctly and safely. https://vimeo.com/87924582
Around 2-3 years ago, I watched a friend / fellow CVMA member, practically run head on into a truck coming the other way. We had been with a group earlier and had split off to ride some twisty roads. I was in front when we came up behind a slow moving car. He lost patience and next thing I know he goes past me and around the car so I followed him. He was on a Street Glide, I on my F6B. We came to a stretch of sharp turns, one after the other. I was hollering at him watching him take those turns because I could see poor lines and at one point he had his inside foot down like a he was riding a dirt bike in a berm. My spidy sense was a tingling and I kept thinking no dude , don't do that.He came around the last hairpin turn too hot , panic braked , the bike stood up in the corner and right into the front corner and down the side of an oncoming brand new GMC pickup. He was very fortunate. totaled his bike , broke his foot etc.. but he is alive and walking today. Just a split second timing difference and he would probably not be alive.
On a recent ride in the Smokies, I watched a guy in front of me blow corner after corner. I later had a private conversation with him. I told him about my friend and advised that there is no shame in backing off and riding within your abilities.
I practice technique frequently and have been riding many years doing so. The throttle is my world , I control mine, you need to control yours.
"Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up"
I guess I've seen a couple of accidents. The last one was riding in the Smokies. A group of 5 Harleys were in front of me. 3 went into a a curve, and the 4th one hit ditch instead. In my mind, since the first 3 made the curve without issue, I assumed the 4th rider was less experienced. The aid car took him away with a broke leg.
Another was a group ride that I was on. All Wings and some trikes. One of the trikes didn't make a curve and ended up on its side in the bushes. He too could have been less experienced, however, a few miles back I was gonna tell the leader that he was going to fast.
The first one I saw was pretty funny. We were in Ocean City NJ, walking in town at night and it was raining just enough to slick the street. There was a guy on a Triumph sitting at a light waiting to make a right turn. He was blipping the throttle trying to look cool for all the pedestrians . Light turns he comes out all hot and lays it down in the intersection in front of God and everybody. Got a standing ovation for his exhibition😄
Now that I think about it, I remember a 3rd. It was during the Meet-n-Great at Wing Ding 36 in Madison, WS (2014). A guy pulls into the parking lot on a GL1800 with a sidecar. He somehow looses control in the parking lot and hits like 5 Wings. His side car comes to rest sitting on at least 2 of them. The other 3 got the domino affect.
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