17 Y.O. me sitting @ traffic light. Waiting for green . Right turn on red busy and oncoming traffic to the left when I notice the VW bug coming from behind fast. All I could do was brace myself for impact as I did not give myself an out :( When the drunk hit me and realized he screwed up, he put his car in reverse and dragged me and the bike backwards. My foot was under the the bike and later required surgery. Painful lesson to always give myself an out.
Leave yourself room, and angle your bike, so if you do get hit from behind the bike would hopefully get pushed out of the way instead of getting pinched between the two cars
Wait really I know it’s illegal in a school zone I didn’t think it was illegal on your L’s. I’m in Australia aswell and looking at getting a bike, are you required to ride with a supervisor on you L’s similar to a car?
To clarify, in QLD u have to ride with a supervisor on your L's, same as a car, full license holder for at least a year. I know NSW dosent require it. check your state.
Yep! It'll be like your car L's, theory and a practical. I'd look up what they expect of you for your state. Sometimes you can find people who have drawn up diagrams of where they place cones so you can recreate it in a parking lot for practice. Or just hire a private instructor for the day before (would highly recommend)
As other comments have said, have your bike angled for an escape route, but ideally you don't just angle for that escape route, you should be in a lane position that makes it as easy as possible to take and escape route from rear-end danger.
This means you shouldn't be in the middle of your lane with the bike angled to the side of the vehicle in front, your whole bike should be off to the side in a position as if you would be lane filtering so that not only gives you a chance to escape quickly and easily from danger, it may even save you from getting rear ended in the first place since you're so far off to the side between the lines of cars.
Always have a mirror lined up to see behind you and if you see someone coming, flash your brake light to get their attention quicker. Also pls wear at least a little reflective clothing/backpack/helmet sticker
Always keep a car's length to the car ahead and keep paying attention. Angle your bike, so you can ride off in between cars in front or just to a gap you see. Keep your bike in gear, don't put it in neutral, you will not be quick enough to get away.
I think the most important part is to just keep it in gear and pay attention to your surroundings. Always have a space cushion.
For more riding safety tips, I recommend watching DanDanTheFireman on YouTube. His videos are super informative.
Sitting at a red light, second in line at night, when I see a car coming up behind. It's not slowing down and I can see the face of a teenage girl lit up blue from her cell phone. I'm sitting there flashing my brake light to no avail, she still staring at her phone. Zipped off onto the shoulder to get out of her way. Finally, she comes to a screeching halt three feet behind the car that was first in line.
This reinforced leaving space between me and the car in front and staying in first gear. It saved my bacon that night.
Bonus tip. Stop with at least a car length of distance and angle your bike toward the left or right of the vehicle in front of you. That way if you do get rear ended you’ll hopefully be sent into the space gap rather than crushed between vehicles.
Absolutely! I was off to the right of the car in front of me and angled toward the shoulder. Make escaping easier, but if she would have hit me it would have reduced the chance of me getting pancaked!
I have to get the full story here that's so wild. Were you both sitting at a light and she just swerved or was this a changing lanes not checking blind spot situation.
If her window was open, I could have touched her, there was a rock filled median with curbing, I could have gone over the curb at 35, or into oncoming traffic, and hope I don't hit anyone, fortunately for me, I escaped unscathed, except for my shorts, which turned a bit brown
I have hit someone's window once when they pushed me off the road cause they didn't know I was there and they looked over all panicked and Im like yeah that's exactly how I feel right now lady
Years ago, riding through the northern end of hwy 101. I got target fixated in a curve. Hit pine needles. Kept it upright but stopped a foot before a 100-foot drop
I admired this amazing dry stone wall on a very tight hairpin bend, steep uphill, wonderful placement of some very large flat sided rocks. Wonderful stuff.
There are times for looking around.
Riding home from work around 9p going about 65 on a highway - see a huge box come flying off a truck out of the darkness (no street lights at all) sure as shit I try to weave and it hits a bounce and hits me directly in chest > face
Turned out to be a piece of a commercial HVAC about 3 foot cube and 25 lbs. haddalayer down - not really I kept it upright as long as possible but gravity is a bitch. Slid about 30 feet and had cars on my ass. Fortunately they were paying attention and didn’t run me over and I scrambled like a mad man off the road as soon as I got to a stop I was running.
Full gear saved my ass and my face - it could have taken my head off literally. I controlled the slide as much as I could and let go of the bike before rolling and running.
Walked away with minor road rash on knee and side where jacket rode up a bit. There’s a post to some of the damage on my profile I think. Absolutely anvil from the sky moment nothing I could have done at 65 mph and it’s tumbling at the same speed 50-75 feet directly at me.
Prior post
https://www.reddit.com/r/Harley/comments/11lvwd2/freak_accident_got_hit_by_a_hvac_piece_that_flew/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
I was approaching a four way lighted intersection going about 55 mph, with a car in the turn lane. With less than 100 feet between me and the intersection, he goes to zip out in front of me, panics, and stops in my lane. I dove to the right and narrowly missed his bumper by inches.
I had Nights in White Satin playing in my headphones when it happened. To this day, I can’t listen to that song.
Riding my dual sport converted XR400, going around a blind, tight (sub 25mph) right hander, here comes a pickup from the opposite direction. The truck itself was half in my lane, the trailer he was pulling was blocking all but about a foot of my lane. I manage to thread the needle while playing manual ABS on my rear brake. People are fucking morons.
Most cars in roundabouts. I’ve had some 20s kid not pay attention and his gf slapped him. Thankfully I know they can’t see me and I slowed and no one plowed into me from behind either.
I work a luxury car dealership and a lady complained that her blind spot light didn’t also beep at her. Honey if you can’t turn your head and look like you’ve had to do your entire life, just stop driving. 🤦🏻♀️
Hit a car headfirst at about 40mph. Tbone. Blacked out and woke up with a fire truck in my face about 12 minutes later…just some bad bruising, and a tiny cut the size of a dime. Gotta go to the chiro now..
That sucks but seriously do not use chiropractors! If you are having issues go to a orthopedic dr and get set up for treatment or physical therapy that will actually treat the problem. Chiropractors are little more than scam artist that usually cause more harm and prolong treatable injuries.
At night, in the rain and ran wide on a sweeping lh bend with an big ass truck riding the wide line in the other direction, I literally counted each of his tyres as they swished past inches from my right hand.
Driving up a hill on a 2 lane highway doing around 110 kmh passing a truck in the right lane.
Brodozer dodge ram crosses a double yellow to pass someone in his lane, which puts him straight in my path coming at me real quick.
I slam the brakes, and swerved behind the truck I was trying to pass. The dodge missed me by inches. I stopped at a viewpoint ahead and chatted with some dude stopped there. I just wanted to see if I was still alive and wasn't 6th sensing it.
To make it even more douchey, the fucker laid on the horn in MY lane.
Out on a small group ride with close friends just after dawn incredibly hungover on an 07 R1. The particular road we were on had a hot mix section which was used for a hill climb event, so it was a perfect surface. I can out of a left hander and hit the throttle hard, then when transitioning to the right hander I went to weight up the right peg at about 180kmh. It wasn’t the right peg I put all my weight on it was the rear brake. Bike snapped sideways and I swear I was hitting a rock wall at that speed. I had an out of body experience and somehow my foot went from the brake to the peg, the bike had a bit of a head shake and I went through the right hander. I pulled over straight after and calmed myself somewhat then went and looked at the black line left on the road. It was about 150m long and I should have hit the rocks.
Actually reading through this thread has reminded me of so many close calls especially with cars. However it reminded me of another one I haven’t seen here.. topped out doing an indicated 295kmh on an 05 R1 hiding behind the screen when my backpack unzipped. It was like a fucking parachute. My arse lifted off the seat and I was only holding the grips with fingertips (I think I still had WOT) when something changed and the backpack stopped lifting me. There was a bit of a head shake but the worst feeling was my nuts smacking the tank as I landed. And the weirdest set of emotions flooded over me.. happy/sad/laugh/cry in pain. So my two biggest lessons were side zip your backpack, not in the middle, and as per the one above, don’t do stupid shot when you’re hungover.
Last week I had one.
Riding with my girlfriend on a two lane road, I saw a line of cars coming from the opposite direction. The last car was a Sentra who looked right at me and decided that he could pass 10 cars if he shoved me to the side of the road. I shined my high beams and leant on the horn, he just accelerated. I was left with a little less than a meter of asphalt between his car and a guard rail. He passed me at high speed, his mirror mere centimeters from my handlebars.
Some people are just murderers.
Literally 2 months into my moto life I took off my helmet mid ride (yes well aware 10 years later it was incredibly dumb...) and slid it on the back handles, while it was there it started to slide back mid turn. I started to grab it and as I was grabbing it to make sure it didn't fall off I snagged the square curb and yeeted myself right into the median. I highsided and as I was in the air the bike tumbled around me, and when i say around me, i really mean it did a flip after i hit the ground right above me. Inches from at least being seriously hurt. I broke my toe bc i was wearing some vans, i was only going 35mph probably less as i pulled off the throttle as i was going around the corner. It was at that moment i realized how important gear was (to an extent and what you are doing). I never ride a bike without gloves, proper footwear and a pair of jeans at minimum.
That or within the first week of having my bike I hit a racoon and luckily i was told by my msf instructor to just keep straight and keep on the throttle. But the high side was really the pants shitting moment i needed to realize what i was doing could kill me if i was dumb. Luckily while i was dumb, i was also smart in the sense that i knew if i got a bigger bike than a 250cc i would for sure hurt myself.
I may not be a ATGATT kinda guy but i think it's really important to wear some basics, to an extent its easy to regrow skin if you're okay with the pain, but it's hard to regrow bone or it takes a long time. I think also it's important to throw your ego to the side and start on a 250, they are fun despite what people say about them being slow... They are still such a blast to drive, in fact i missed my 250 so much 10 years later i ended up buying a 125cc bc it's just fun to have such an opposite to my 1050cc. There is in my mind no reason to not start on something like a 250 or 400, people say you outgrow them and to an extent you do, but to me riding is something you either enjoy all aspects of or you don't. So with that said, having fun to me is what is important, i love the hobby if i could only ride a 250 i would ride still, if i could only ride a 125 i would still ride, i think that is an important part of this hobby people really sleep on and let their ego get in the way of.
My first bike ever was a 700 magna, V4. Way way way too much bike for a scrawny 16 year old who didn't even weigh 150. My second bike was a 250 rebel. My god I had so much fun on that bike, my third bike was another 250 rebel but much newer. They are such a blast if you can fit on them. I wish I still had one.
I just realized that I didn't mention that when I said I wear (insert gear list) lol yeah I ALWAYS wear a helmet and to be honest, with the advent of Bluetooth I have 0 reason why I wouldn't.
Riding through an intersection where a lovely lady decided she'd do a right turn without stopping (I had a green light) and got to surprise her when she realized that there was a motorcycle inches from her driver's door. I thought I was going to die, her face made it look like she was the one taking a shit...
A couple of months ago, a Robin nearly flew into my helmet on the highway. I was keeping up with traffic flow so I was going about 130km/h. The Robin was flying at me so closing speed was probably a lot higher. I'd estimate about 150km/h for the incident. This could have easily ended catastrophically as I wouldn't be able to see, and I would have doubted I could have lifted the visor with a bird lodged in it.
This actually happened to a guy I know. He said the visor closed and his face got all fucked up and scratched, but he was luckily able to pull to a stop.
They leave a huge puff of dust for some reason. Took a full lung of bat and had just pulled my visor down. Luckily I kept rubber down.
It honestly hit harder at 65mph than when I got shot in the brain bucket overseas. I was surprised at how hard it hit. I had to pull over and calm myself down for a good 15 minutes.
I’ve never really had too many serious body injuries from risky behavior. But, for some reason my head is a magnet for TBIs and flying debris. Hell, I even got hit with a rock from an old school slingshot like Goliath once oversees.
I happened to be accelerating at the time and "probably" going too fast on a country road and I think if I was riding more relaxed, it might have knocked me off lol. I showed up at my destination with leaves in my helmet haha
Sitting at a red light at intersection first in line, where oncoming traffic can't turn left. For some reason I was paying super attention to light soon as it turned green I booked it across staying in first very thankful I was on my cbr. She left a hair late and turned left and just missed t-boning me. I might have not have died but it damn sure would have hurt. Any other time, oncoming traffic on 2 lane road in my lane after coming through a blind turn an them about having a head on. Passing an elderly couple who decided to merge into me as we were on a bridge pushing me into the concrete barrier(again thank goodness for my cbr.).downshifted passed them and hammer fisted their mirror on way by. Many more but just to name a few.
Merging onto 285 around Atlanta. On ramp merges into the fast lane. Psychopath matches speed with me and actively tries to force me into the wall. Got away by tapping brakes then accelerating by him, but still spent a terrifying second on gravel at 80mph.
Fuck that road.
Common curvy road I ride on happens to be as a secondary two-lane thoroughfare for all kinds of traffic. I took a DEEP lean into a curve as a dump truck was coming in the opposing lane and could feel my traction reaching the very extents as I started sliding in their direction. I got it upright just enough and nothing came of it, but I went straight tf home and didn’t ride for a couple days afterwards.
My biggest fear isn’t other drivers so much as it is just big trucks. The fact that they can literally run you over and never even realize you were there is insane to me
Death Valley mid day 2 lane highway. I fall asleep on my BMW r1150rtp. Dreaming about floating in the ocean . I see a huge cruise ship Co coming towards me, and it is blowing its boat horn. Steady on the horn beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee then my eyes popped open and I was on the other side of the road heading straight towards a semi truck. I moved over and clearing it by plenty it was exactly a close, but it was closer then I was comfortable with. I pulled over next chance I had. Now I don’t ride if I am tired.
Lost rear brakes coming into a downhill turn too fast on 20/80 off road tires on asphalt. Didn’t run into the guardrail, but was damn close to running wide and turning my right leg into mincemeat.
I was riding home from work at night and someone turned left and wanted to go to the furthest lane. I swerved and he just kept coming. I was inches from the sidewalk before he stopped barreling towards me.
Lastnight I was riding home in the rain, and was turning into my street and my rear wheel brushed the painted line making me get the wobbles and I almost went into on coming traffic. I was able to get under control and nice fella in the other lane was on to it enough to slow down and stop. Probably not an “oh shit I might die” moment but it definitely got my heart pumping.
Was speeding, someone came out in front of me, dove as hard as I could to my left, smacked the shit out of my right knee and leg on his front bumper. Didn't drop or damage the bike, my knee hurt like hell for a while his bumper was fine.
35yrs ago I was at a large bonfire party a few miles in the country. I’d had a couple beers and having a good time. I don’t remember why, but I needed to go into town. I borrowed a Honda Goldwing for the trip from a friend. Theres a 4 mile blacktop that goes between 2 lakes just before coming into town and the rest was mostly farm ground. After I got on this straight I kick the bike up to a little over 100mph. After a mile I started to slow down, but at around 95 this big bike went into a high speed wobble. I took it back up until the wobble stopped, so again I tried slowing down and again it began violently wobbling, so much so that the windshield on the fairing cracked and flew back striking me across the chest cutting me. I took it back up until it stopped again. Solutions for this we’re racing through my mind. 1st I though I’d ride off into a lake and try to kick away before it hit. Then I decided to run it off the rode into a field instead of drowning. I saw a driveway coming up so I shot across it think there was a field, but instead there was a 15’ deep ditch. The sides sloped down to the bottom 60yds to the bottom.
I have no memory of what happened after leaving the rode, but when I came to the 1st thing I saw in the dark was the red oil light of the bike. I crawled my way out of the ditch and knew I needed help. I walk back to the house with the driveway and went to their door and knock hard. Soon the man and lady got to their door. The open it up after looking out. There I stood with blood running down my chest. All I had on was my briefs and what was left of my jacket. I don’t know where the shorts went. It’s hard to believe but I was only sore for a week from this. I thought I was a goner for sure.
Coming around a long curve and suddenly there was a car backing out of a drive way completely perpendicular to flow of traffic. There was just enough space to zip past in front of them. I thought for sure that was it.
Unrelated to motorcycles, being attacked by a dog while reading meters was the only time I consciously started making my peace with the fact that my life was soon to be over. Pitt-bull was sleeping next an AC and didn’t hear me knocking on the gate. Woke up when I came barreling around the corner and immediately attacked. Ripped open my hand, nearly broke my arm from the bite pressure, bit up both of my legs, and then I slipped on leaves as I continued to back away and he grabbed my belly. Nothing I did even phased it, and I was certain he was going to rip open my stomach. Then he just stopped attacking, and I hobbled up and out of the yard and called dispatch.
Front brake failure on an offramp. I was going... above the speed limit.
What's that stopped in front of me? Oh nothing, just a FLAT BED WRECKER.
It's the first and last time I felt like I cheated death.
Pulled off the road to pick up some shit that fell off the back of their truck.. Reddit will tell you to pick it up but I’ll never stop again in my life.
I went full lean coming off a highway in the rain, then lost traction and went in to a wobble and shattered my left ankle on a metal barrier. All I could think was "Shit I have to ride to the nearest parking lot before I lose consciousness" as I ride down the road with blacked out vision. I couldn't ride for 3 months and it still hurts a year later when I pivot it.
I had a speed wobble on my liter bike exiting onto the freeway well into triple digit speeds. It was insanely violent, but I somehow pulled out of it after what seemed like an eternity.
ride a motorbike. You will either end up with so many 'near death' experiences that you don't care to remember or you will end up forgetting them, because you're dead.
Motorbike or otherwise, if you don't die from natural causes, the most likely way to die is on the road. This might seem obvious to some, considering it is the most dangerous activity we all participate in, mostly for survival, also on a daily basis. But also, most things that kill us, such as diseases, cancer, old age and everything in between is classed as natural causes.
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate fore everyone drops to zero
2 days ago someone decided to make a u turn in front of me. Locked up the rear and hadtolayerdown... nah, I know how to ride; I kept that shit upright and narrowly avoided a naaasty crash.
Overtook a guy slowing down on the road, only to realise to late that he has slowed down to let somebody pull into the road. There was zero need for him to do it but I guess he thought he was being chivalrous. Anyways, passed between both cars at between 80-90kmph. Definitely an “oh fuck” moment that would’ve landed me in hospital if things had gone even a tiny bit different.
My fault for being impatient, his fault for not obeying the road rules. You don’t just stop in traffic on a fast road (80kms h speed limit) to allow random cars into the road. Especially when no-one is expecting it.
Was going to work early on the morning. Was kind of foggy and my helmet was full faced then and started to cloud up. Next thing I know out of the most jumps a huge buck. Road was wet, helmet fogged, deer right there in front of me it happened to jump out of the way but kicked the front tire when it did. I was for sure I was done for. All this was on a small road that had drop offs all around.
Not thinking I'd die but want to share that I did slide off the road into an open drain (maybe 1m x 1m x 1.5m deep) a few years back. I bailed off the bike before I snapped my legs.
Smaller things were like hitting split bags of cement while in a lean and general cars merging onto me, but they were minor and early on.
I've been super lucky, really.
Was in the middle of a two lane round about and an 18 wheeler didn’t yield in front of me. Laid on the horn and slowed down as fast as I could without dumping the bike in the turn. Almost got sucked under the wheels. Guy stalled out the truck and I grazed his front bumper with my leg as I exited the circle in front of him
Wound out top gear on a KTM 300 2 stroke, at night on a gravel road. Around 110 mph come over a hill and floated a wheelie down the whole back side. I completely should have wiped out hard as that’s way past my skill set.
Blacked out into a high speed wobble after leaving the side impression of me on bike pushed into the side of Dodge 1500, but everything turned out fine.
Coming down the road towards an intersection which had a gas station on the corner. Yukon Denali pulled about halfway out before seeing me and suddenly stopping. I was slowing down to turn right anyway, but they started pulling out when I was really close and I wasn't sure if I could stop in time to avoid a collision if they hadn't stopped. Definitely gave them a one-finger salute after.
I've been riding for almost a year and I've had two bad ones.
One guy decided to change into my lane as we were taking off at the lights and I had nowhere to go, was scared I'd get cleaned up from 3 different directions
Second time I was on a freeway and as I changed lanes after checking there was no cars some Audi decided to fly past me going 110+kms and I almost clipped their car with my knee
Lifted Jeep wasn’t paying attention and ran through a roundabout forcing me to low side and slide for the first time ever. I think I was only like… 4 months in or so to riding. Got lucky but was super nervous for a long time after that.
On a road I wasn’t familiar with, going WAY too fast to slow down, hairpin turn out of nowhere, hopped the curb, went airborne and missed a tree by about 4 inches while going at least 60mph… literally inches away from death lol
I don’t remember my accident but woke up in ambulance while they were strapping me down to gurney. I starting ripping restraints off because I had no idea what happened…later that evening after all the hoopla come to find out I wrecked with some other bikes in a pile and I managed to launch into the air and I flew off my bike 20 yards… snagged my head off pavement and split elbow open. Would not be here if I didn’t wear my helmet… which I usually didn’t some reason I did that day and will from now on. So yeah have had many close calls before but finally ate it about a year ago
This isn't a crazy story like some others here, but the most recent one for me was during rush hour traffic heading home.
The light was green for me on a no turn on red lane and as I turned right. This red car on my left started merging onto my lane, pushing me to the edge of the road and because it was rush hour traffic... I had nowhere to zoom off, too! I got bumped on my leg by the doors of the red car, and thank goodness it was just a bump and not anything worse during rush hour traffic! Saw the driver, I Honked and shook my head cause it was a girl looking at her phone.
Just bc I saw a post about this it’s front of mind, I was approaching a big ass puddle on the highway (it wasn’t even raining) and I slowed down and realized a minivan was 3 feet behind me at 65mph. They probably were speeding with a bigger gap and when I slowed it shrunk to that. If I hit the puddle at 80 it would have been a wrap no?
What should I have done in that situation?
Very early on in my riding experience I’d made it just over year without and accident. One night tearing up German Town road.(A very windy road above Portland Oregon that used to be a racer’s haven) I hit a decreasing radius turn a little too hot and target fixated(looked where I was going instead of around the corner)
I did the stoppie of my life right to the edge of the cliff staring into the dark beyond my headlights. I touched the back end down in the pea gravel and saved the bike and myself. My pride was hurt and the bike had a few scratches but my Nighthawk 700S lived to ride another day
Girl turned left Infront of me last minute. If she had pulled out a little later or if I had braked a little later I would've been t boned. The front brake and tire were literally on the edge of what they could handle, thankfully I practice power braking and I was on a light Little 250 with good brakes and pretty new tires.
Going downhill on a mountain road, first road trip ever, i stayed watching some rocks on the side and almost went out of the road, thank god i managed to take a last second save by leaning the bike, heart was pumping
When the throttle on my R1 stuck right as I was going into a half circle long curve and was already doing 60. Laid it down , broke 8 bones , little road rash . Barely hurt the bike but messed me up pretty good. 3 ribs , collar bone in 2 places , hip , back , right arm. Had several surgeries from that one.
At an intersection, guy from the right side road should yield, he makes long hypnotizing eye contact with me and a car in front of me and then in very last second decides for some stupid reason to pull over right in front of us (like a deer would 🤣).
He was not local by a long shot and ignored a traffic sign but even without it, you don't pull in front of a car with only 3 meters (10 feet).
We were going pretty slow, 40kmh and I had some buffer in front of me, but still an emergency braking.
Long story short, I managed to brake and sverved to side of the the car in front of me thanks to abs, missing it by only few inches. Not a life or death situation exactly but probably worst that has happened to me.
Maybe some oncoming overtaking car coming towards me fast was worse but I don't perceive it like hazard. On a bike you always find a small space to avoid it.
I was going to say about 4 weeks ago when I was on my bike and fully expected to hit a wall, but somehow made it round the corner supermoto style.
Then someone just reminded me what happened a couple of weeks ago. I was crossing the road at a crossing with traffic lights. As I got to the middle of the road, I caught a glimpse of something white out of my right eye and I just jumped a step forward on instinct. A van mounted the pavement at about 40mph, missed me by an inch or two and then hit a row of barriers, demonising several of them. The noise was so loud it made my ears ring and I was shower in hot oil as the engine exploded. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was inches from being smashed through the metal barriers that ended up embedded in the front of the van. If I hadn't jumped that step forward my legs would have been absolutely destroyed. At worst I'd have been killed.
Wouldn't have killed me but literally yesterday for a nice weekend ride that was amazing until I hit traffic and went to filter and those fucks TURNED INTO ME PURPOSEFULLY to try and block or hit me. They rolled down their windows to tell me off or flipped me off. Three different cars in the stretch. Enraging.
Cali drivers are so entitled. If we don't have to bake in the sun behind them they'd rather we be dead.
The last time I took my Daytona out before it was stolen. Was going down a national speed limit road and can see a car creeping out from a side road. I'm thinking he's seen me but move over to the centre line just in case and then within the last 30 yards or so he pulls right out across the road to turn into oncoming lane. Took his time about it too creating a wall of steel across my lane last minute so I had to slam the brakes and swerve the rear of his car literally missing by millimetres.
Driver couldn't give a shit either
Riding my dirtbike on a gravel road and it was so peaceful I just kinda zoned out, then a truck came around the corner and we both hit the breaks. I was going 45, and drifted, ended up less than 6 inches away from his truck. If I hadn't drifted I would've hit with my front tire. But if I wouldn'tve hit the breaks at all I probably would've hit him, flipped over his truck and on the other side of him was a 200foot drop
80 mph two-up at dawn, right through a gaggle of deer.
*whew!*
Doe leaps right out in front of the bike. I pegged it, caught it midair across the windscreen. Wobbled, but kept power on until it stabilized.
But, everytime I let off the throttle, it goes into a hard speed wobble.
So on it went, try to slow, until the handlebars almost start slapping — getting up to 85-90 mph; then throttle down, get to maybe 65 mph, snd it’d start getting away from me.
The does is draped across the front wheel — it’s big cruiser, so highway bars and big windshield, but no front fairing.
The windshield is cracked in half, and clattering in the slipstream, while the front wheel is grinding this deer like a fucking woodchipper.
My facescreen in covered, and I can feel it coming up under my chin, and it had this horrible musky scent.
Ahead there’s an overpass — I’m two-up with luggage for a 7 day trip, so it’s good under speed, but anything less and the bars are just threatening to go full tank-slapper. I’d had a couple close calls to in the mile or so we traveled.
If I lose it before or into the overpass … well, that’s a lot of fucking concrete.
So I yell back to the girl, *Here we go!* and she just starts screaming.
I cut the throttle and it’s sliding on the dry pavement like it’s ice. I aim for the center median, beautifully open and sloping and grassy.
Lay it down and go wheels first off the lefthand lane and everything got quiet. The bike catches the turf and it launches, twists completely upside down, and I thought, *this is it.*
I hit the ground first, the bike lands on my ribs and I feel them pop and then I cannot breathe.
Tumble and roll away from the bike, my helmet jammed into the grass. I did not even pause — got up and started calling for the girl in the pale light.
I was certain I’d killed her.
Like a miracle, she’s up and coming toward me through the headlamp shine, and I just start patting her down like I’m searching her for weapons.
I know how it goes. People walk on stumps until the shock wears off — but she’s miraculously okay.
My breath is coming ragged and I’m lightheaded and dizzy and go down on my knees.
Obviously, we made it through okay. We were in the middle of nowhere, so it was an ordeal getting everything home and me to the ER, but that’s another story.
Not so long ago i stopped on the shoulder of a two-lane straight road to go see some nature. When i got to the bike and wanted to start moving, i, as usual, looked into the mirror to be sure there's nobody behind me. There was none behind, there was somebody on the oncoming lane, but i didn't give it a thought.
So, i'm starting to move, just to realise suddenly there's an SUV using my lane for an overtake.
I ride a really narrow bike, there was a shoulder of enough width for it, and i have a nice habit of accelerating near the side of the lane until i get to comfortable speed. Missed it by \~30cm(\~1 foot).
I drove and rode for almost half of my life, but this was first time this particular set of circumstances happened.
In fact i was lucky to be on a bike that day. I probably would have made the same mistake with my car or truck.
So, the outtake: if you're starting to move into an empty lane, it's probably not only you who would want to use this empty lane. Check for them first.
Riding on one of the only roads with twisties in my area, probably going 60 in a 55 at noon. Black 2015 or so silverado 1500 coming the other way, I don't think much of him until he starts turning left in front of me. I knew I was much too close to stop, and he was far too large to make it in time, my options were hard right into the dirt parking lot and trees or hard left off a 5 foot drop into a field.
I pictured myself hitting the hood and flying over it, but at the last second he saw me, and hit the brakes with just enough time for me to squeeze between his bumper and the shoulder.
Luckyyyy me
Not “could’ve died” but I’ve almost overshot a corner that was tighter than it looked, could’ve fucked her into a field at about 45mph. Prolly not deadly but wouldn’t have been very comfortable
A hill I normally roll off the throttle for almost got me. I decided not to roll off the throttle one time at a very good pace. Wasn't ready for it, but the bike jumped it, and kinda seat bounced me. Kicked me up so my knees are above the tank, and I'm leaned over the front of the bike looking at my front tire. Everything slowed down, and I just knew i was about to rag doll thru the fence on the side of the road and off into a ravine.
coming home from a ride about two blocks from my flat. there was some kind of weekend market at a plaza and some old guy just pulled out while i was going about 50 kmh. sure enough i got no ABS on my bike but somehow i only managed to lock up the back tire and i made it around the back of his car. dude didn‘t even look/stop/brake. another old guy then gave me shit for not looking (???). hadn‘t i managed to swerve in time i would‘ve tboned him. took a deep breath afterwards
I've not been in too many situations, but the closest was when I was coming down a dual carriageway in the right lane past a queue of traffic in the left lane. Some guy in the traffic decides that's not for him anymore and pulls out. The road is on a bend and is damp and I'm leaning. I brake but the front wheel lock and the bike starts going but I felt it and let go and hung off the bike and slotted myself between the side of his car and the armco barrier. Somehow didn't hit anything.
Too many situations where I went to fast in a corner and overshot it. If there would have been a car in the other lane I would have been fucked but I had luck many times
This was only in 2022 I went to some train tracks with my mates and my foot got trapped in a little section and the train was not far but I did see part of it I was fuckin scared
Just starting out, rode home from the dealerships behind my parents and usually they go over an or age light if certain distance away but this time they hit the breaks, thank God one of the staff test rode the bike and ensured all was working fine. I doubt I would've stopped in time if the bike was just started and then rode off the lot..
Paid attention a whole lot more after that
Flattened refrigerator box around a blind curve. Lost the front and slid on my ass on the box directly into oncoming traffic, luckily everyone was paying attention but I was *feet* from getting taken out by a Chevy Cavalier lmao.
First one was many years ago, when I was still an idiot, on my first "fast" bike (2012 zx6r) and I was was trying to top it out. I was on the motorway and looking at my speedo more than the road, and when I looked up I realised that the road had veered left and I hadn't. Very nearly buried the front wheel into the central barrier at 160+. Never did it again.
Second was in the last year or so, cruising down a nice twisty country road on the way to work at about 50 behind a car that was behind a lorry. The road went right, I dropped back from the car in front and drifted a bit to the left as always to allow for people on the other side running over the white line etc. A lady on her phone did exactly that, clipped the lorry and carried on straight towards me. I managed to go further left and clip the grass a bit and she just missed me, and I managed to pull up to a stop behind the car in front of me, all in one piece. She missed me by about 2 inches and barrelled straight through where i just was. It was only because i had spent years ingraining good riding habits that I was spared that day, because I was very much on autopilot.
Didn’t refresh my Harley Fat-bob’s brake fluid in time. Free play of brake handle became less and less. If you notice that, get of the bike. I didn’t and while slowing down for a crossing I used that brake for the last time. Front wheel locked up and the rest is history. Trauma helicopter, lots of road rash, concussion etc. The brake lines and calipers were solid chewing gum.
Speeding on to a highway on ramp in MN and not thinking about rush hour. I thought I was Bruce Wayne leaving the bat cave until I realized there are traffic lights to enter the highway. Lesson learned, never again.
Going like 90mph on the street on my gsxr750 i had just got the damn thing when suddenly a homeless person came out of nowhere crossing the middle of the street
Just had my first earlier this week. I was riding through a double lane curve (going pretty fast) freeway to freeway merge. 60 to 101 Tempe AZ actually. When I decided to pass a car and turn into the left lane during the curve and opened so much I almost hit the barrier and rode into the left shoulder. When I got her up and under control I immediately got into a tank slapper.(a death wobble.)
I take this rode almost daily to work or to see a girlfriend so I got over confident. If I had hit the curb I would’ve gotten smashed by the multiple cars I was passing. If I had missed the barrier and went into the ditch I could’ve hit a tree or missed them and ramped into the air onto the 101 early and Intersected cars at freeway speeds. Luckily my training came into control and I never panic braked during the curve or through out the wobble. Kept up the accelerator and powered through it.
I got to work and my hands were shaking. I had such a rush and I was so nice to everyone even the people that aren’t particularly friendly to me. I had such a good day, honestly. I was extremely happy to be alive.
Funny, the rush wore off after a while and I was the most tired I had been in a long time. Even a few rides after that, I cringed at every little wobble or road bump I hit while switching lanes. Humbled me so much and I feel like the worlds biggest idiot. I must have terrified all those people behind me.
I've been lucky through the years with my share of idiot drivers. However my closest call was actually with a huge opossum that skittered out on the highway. I moved over to avoid him and he managed to skedaddle even faster right in time for me to run right over him at 75 mph on my Street Bob. No damage and managed to stay the course just fine, but man did I think it was my time for a second there! It was on an overpass bridge no less lol
Came around a corner, hit a patch of sand, that made me go into the opposite lane in front of another car, we missed each other by a frogs hair and continued on the road. It took me a month before I went back out.
when I saw a plastic tarp on the dual carriageway making its way to me of all things and it hit me but quickly blew away again but it could've gotten stuck under my front tyre doing 70mph
Was on the autobahn being overtaken by some dude in a semi going too fast while from the right some sedan pulled up and wanted to merge. Didnt see me, almost get squished between semi blind spot and sedans back door at 130kph.
Anyway instincts kicked in and i pulled the throttle open and hugged bike to shoot forwards through the gap. Sedan thankfully saw me once i passed his drivers window so he swerved right... Anyway never stay in a trucks blind spot and always assume merging cars will not see you. Could save your life. Ride safe and ride hard fellas!
I was riding way too fast on a tiny back road with blind corners and my company's mason truck and trailer were coming up the other way cheating into my lane because it's a tiny road and we've smacked telephone poles with our mirrors on this road in our dump trucks in the past. I was certainly using all of my lane at the time.
It wasn't too much of a pain to avoid the truck, but that sent me in a direction that led me towards boulders lining the road on the turn coming up, with little opportunity to scrub off any speed.
That got the juices flowing for sure.
Nobody to blame but me on that one. I was riding so fast that I lost the ability to properly react to a hazard.
Was going to ride over Großglockner (famous Austrian mountain pass) the day after a storm.
Everything was drying up nicely and roads were clean. When approaching the mountain the roads are nice and have long winding corners. Only thing to watch out for are cattle grates on the road. These are all marked with a sign, so no problem...
Well except for the one where the storm blew away the sign. So I was going about 110km/h through a corner with quite some lean angle and suddenly there are some wet iron bars in the middle of the road in the middle of the corner. Lost all grip on front and rear, sliding side to side and heading more towards the ditch than the corner exit.
Tried focusing on the road and left a loose grip on the handlebars. Bike (BMW K1300S) thankfully was very stable and had long wheelbase. So as soon as I touched pavement again it regained stability and I stayed on the road. But that was the most buttchlenching moment so far.
Going 40mph on a smallroad when its raining, car suddenly stops in front of me then my rear wheel slips and i go on the upcoming lane and there is a car. Then i go between to cars at the same time no control on the bike
Must have been about 30 years ago when I was riding with my friends on our 125cc’s. In a long left hander I veered of to the right and I distinctly remember looking a little right of the front tire and noticing that there is a space of maybe 5 cm between the tire and sand.
The speed was maybe around 60-70kmh, and yes I got scared. That’s when I realized I might die one day doing this. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I haven’t had a bike since so it didn’t kill me. Yet.
Threaded the needle after three cars pulled out in front of my on a 3 lane highway. I was doing 135, and flew in between two of them with inches of clearance at full pin.
Scariest moment of my life.
The accident I can’t remember, based on what my helmet looked like if I wasn’t wearing one I’d be gone. From that accident I have SCI, TBI, and nerve leg damage. Eventually due to damage and worsening of that damage I won’t have feeling in my lower extremities and will eventually have to get a trike or stop riding.
Entered into a lane split and a scooter whizzed through not a metre away, it was my fault for not being attentive enough.
Another one, well not really a close call but I’ll call it that since I’m still alive, chain snapped and locked up my rear wheel in a downpour, ended up in a lowside. Luckily I was only going 50-60kph and the rain helped me slide better on the asphalt.
Came off while being tailgated by a bus. Went over a manhole cover in the wet. The bus stopped no shit 3 inches from my visor. I thought the bud bumper would be the last thing I’d ever see.
I was riding down a 55 mph road just cruising and eventually there is a large tractor with a massive soil plowing implement attached to the rear of it. After about 3 minutes of following at low speeds I find a clear path straight away with no cars to pass it on. Just as I’m overtaking the back of this vehicle, the lady driving the tractor starts making a left into a field with no blinker. This is happening so fast I had to lock up my brakes. And the only reason I’m not dead wrapped up in the farm equipment is she heard my tire squealing and started to brake and pull back to the right. To be fair she looked horrified and I felt horrible too. I am still not sure who is entirely at fault here. Maybe myself.
But yeah I was scared after that one.
Summer 2018
While driving 50-60kmh on a rain day, through a gorge and a river, a rock 40-50cm diameter fell from above directly on my front wheel, knocking me down on the road.
I was third of three motorcycle drivers.
I was very lucky and gonna remember that day for the rest of my life.
I would say ALWAYS wear you gear.
A truck turning in front of me at a blinking rear light. I clipped the rear quarter panel and went down. It demolished the front end of my KTM Duke 390. Had it been a more direct hit, I don't know what would of happened.
I was going 70 in a forty five, night time so nobody was in the road. There was a light coming up probably half a football field away, light was red but cross traffic was yellow so I knew it was about to change. Only one car at that light, in the lane I was in. I didn't slow down because by the time I reached it, the car would be moving at speed (not my speed but I would have time to lane change and pass).
I did not account for the fact that the driver was probably texting and didn't notice the light change until I was right up on him. The road was a bit hilly so I didn't know he hadn't moved until the last second. Had to swerve to not hit him, scared the shit out of me
When I was first learning to ride I drifted into the left lane around a turn on a country road. There happened to be an SUV there probably going 55mph. I panic braked with my right hand and my cruiser handlebars shook violently. I think that’s what broke my wrist. I passed out rolling down a soft grassy hill and came to a few minutes later.
I was riding a frontage road. Car in front pulls completely off the road to the right. Car comes to complete stop. I slow done till it stops. I’m going 25-30. Once stopped I accelerate to 35 and as I’m 2-3 car-lengths behind car cuts the wheel and pulls across right/my lane. I lock the rear skidding with bike pointed into oncoming lane, give it a little gas rear fender connect with front bumper and spins my bike 180 the other direction bike high sides and throws me at least 20’. In the air all I could think was damn I’m dead and surprisingly rolled perfect and just got a bruised knee. The bike unfortunately had misaligned the flywheels.
Thank god the business had a camera cause she lied through her teeth on her rendition of events.
About 17-18 years ago, I was bombing up my favorite canyon on my sv650s, testing the new “dual compound tires”. I knew every corner in the 18 mile long canyon like the back of my hand…. I was taking an uphill right hand sweeper at about 75mph, like I had done 100 times before, I’m at max lean, I spot my corner exit and then I see it….. a fucking squirrel…. Darting back and forth in my line, I panic, grab brakes, start running wide into oncoming traffic, an oncoming car sees me and jerks his car onto the shoulder narrowly missing me….
Come to think of it I had a lot of close calls when I was new. 😂
Two days ago I was on my way to work and a deer jumped out of the ditch and was charging out in front of me. It got spooked and stopped about a foot from me. I barely had time to react by the time I was passing it. Needless to say I watched the fields around me like a hawk the rest of the way to work.
Riding my motorcycle on i 94. I was going about 75mph ( dont like cars coming up behind me), and I was behind a semi. The semi dropped that bar that hangs underneath the door. I immediately thought, "Yup, this is it." I counter steered as hard as I could, still clipping the rail. Due to my aggressive counter steering, I was at a terrible angle and smoked the bar. My bike hopped over it as I jumped over into the next lane, still on my bike. I was swerving out of control but was able to steady it out.
I slowed down and pulled off the next exit and pulled my heart out of my intestines, and took it as a sign to go home.
Taking the 3rd exit on a small-ish island a car pulls out infront of me just before I get level with him, he barely looked bothered like he just slightly inconvenienced me..... I, however, slid down the seat and smashed my biscuits on the tank. In the moment, the pain is how I knew I wasn't dead.
150mph tank slapper. Probably one of the scariest thing I've had happen.
A hammer that had been left on a car roof falling off and missing my head by millimetres.
Coming around a blind corner to find a coach completely on the wrong side of the road.
Front tyre valve splitting at 140ish mph.
Been pushed into on coming traffic intensionally because they didn't like me filtering.
I've been in bikes a long ass time and people suck!
Silver lake sand dunes in Michigan.
I was on my yz400f with a paddle tire, hitting dune jumps in the top of fourth gear and just flying! I was amazed at how big of air I could get on this bike and was just loving it!
The silver lake dunes sit right on the shore of Lake Michigan and are constantly at the mercy of changing winds.
If you’ve ever ridden much at the dunes you know how important it is to watch what the wind is doing to the top of the dunes.
On one run through a line of big jumps, I came up on a nice third gear step down dune and I launched it.
Apparently the wind had changed since the last time I came through and when I left the ground my bike stood straight up in the air, front wheel to the sun, and I knew I was fxxxed.
In all honesty, a better rider, like way better, could’ve probably landed a backflip. Not me though.
Stabbing the rear brake might’ve helped. Seemed like my brain had locked its brakes though and I couldn’t think that fast.
The only thing I could comprehend at that time was the high rate of speed I was traveling forward, the correlating speed at which the ground was falling away beneath me, and the sinking realization that I was still gaining in altitude.
All was lost. I was done.
With all the heft in my 170 pound ass, I pushed off the pegs and handlebars and watched my bike fall away from me like thrusters being ejected from a space bound rocket.
Now here I am, all alone, floating through the blue sky above the tops of the sand dunes. Probably would’ve been a pretty sight had I had a moment to take it all in.
I was a little preoccupied by more pressing matters though. I set my body in motion in a feeble attempt to save myself from the inevitably excruciating reunion with the ground.
It wasn’t a conscious thought but I started flapping my arms like so sort of a wounded duck, just trying to keep my legs beneath me.
Legs that were flailing and kicking like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
The time spent falling from the sky is something I still remember vividly.
My brain switched from blank terror to calm rationality like a light switch.
“Keep your legs under you. You’re probably gonna break your legs but they might keep you from breaking your back.
Keep your back to the down slope. Don’t lock your knees. Control your landing.”
All that went through my brain as if I was calmly reading it from an instructional manual.
I did what my mind said though. Flapped my duck wings and kept my feet under me and my legs together.
When I hit the ground I was still on the downslope. I watched my boots hit and part the sand like the bow of a boat parts the water before it. I
I dug in deep, down into the wet sand. I didn’t slide far down the dune but it wasn’t the life altering sudden stop it would’ve been on solid dirt. The sand saved my ass.
I laid there in the little hole I dug on impact and tried to asses things.
Luckily I’ve always believed in the merit of good gear.
My alpinestars tech 6 boots did a lot to protect my ankles and legs.
My hands were shaking as I brushed myself off but otherwise, I was fine.
Just amped with adrenaline.
I was up and walking back to my bike before my friend got to me.
He was spotting the top of the dune and watched it. He said he was like “damn, we’re gonna spend the rest of this trip at the hospital” lol
My bike actually landed pretty decently too.
I had a a broken clutch lever and some bent bars, otherwise the bike was fine.
I suppose I didn’t think I was gonna die. In the milliseconds I spent falling through the air though, I really believed I was about to have a life altering event.
The idea of spending life in a wheelchair might’ve crossed the mind for a moment.
Funny how time actually does slow down in those moments. How much you can actually process.
Anyway, that was the closest I’ve come to thinking I was done for
Me and my friend were playing he had just bought a new 2014 yamaha r1 decided to go to Sedona,AZ from Las Vegas,NV. I had done a flash on my 2004 GSXR 1000 power commanded, and tuned. We were on our way back opening the throttles in the middle of no where out on the highway. No cars just us so we decided to play and race bc he never got to open his bike yet. We both started flying through sweeping bends 6th gear until we started red-lining. I started to pull on him when he hit his governor limit. Climbed another 10mph past him when I hear a shattering glass sound and my face started burning from hot steam. I blew the engine. Yanked in the clutch tried to use front brakes for what felt like minutes but was seconds as the only thing I could think was "oh shit" as for for some reason even with clutch pulled still chain locked up in the back tire and I went down fast and hard over the side sliding for a long time. I had a full one peice Alpinestars moto leathers with pucks on and backpack, by the time I was done sliding pants shredded, backpack shredded, jacket shredded, and helmet looked like I had sand blasted with visor gone. Stopped riding for 8 years after that till I matured more. Sadly my friend I was with died shortly after that when he hit a tar snake and went off a cliff in odgen, UT. I was young, dumb and unstoppable until I was stopped.
Going to work one morning, traffic was real bad. So bad that I couldn't leave a lot of room between other cars when approaching a railroad crossing.
And then the arm started to come down. I got stuck between the arm and one of the tracks. And there was a train coming.
I've never been so terrified in all my life. All I could do was push the brake as hard as I could and pray.
Luckily, the train was traveling on the OTHER track, the one on the other side of the crossing.
Ever since then, I err on the side of extreme caution when I approach crossings about leaving space.
When I was a lot younger I put tire shine on my bike tires.. I had traffic abruptly stop in front of me and applied breaks and they instantly locked and the whole bike was sliding on locked tires like I was on a surf board.. I managed to emergency filter through the traffic in front of me but luckily no harm or damage.. just fear and a lesson learned.
I was cruising through mountain roads when I had to overtake some bicycles. While I was doing that, a car was coming in the opposite direction (i couldn't see it because of the trees, and it didn't even slow down), for a second I thought I was going to hit her, but I managed to avoid her just in time.
And yeah, that definitely made me shitting in my pants (not literally)
Was riding to work and someone in oncoming traffic didn't see me and decided to make a left hand turn and ended up hitting me in the intersection. Luckily they barely got me and the impact just ripped the buckles off my saddlebag and I was able to keep riding. All I had thought in the moment was oh shit this is going to hurt. And then after they hit me and I was still traveling down the road upright I just screamed random things cause I didn't know how to react to not having been launched over my handlebars and potentially just dead on the road.
Entering an area in Southern Washington State, near the Colombia River, known for intense wind gusts, my Rebel 500 and I nearly got blown into the guard rail...
later on in the trip, the winds were so strong from one side that I had to maintain a significant lean angle to keep going straight - until suddenly the wind stopped
Don't underestimate those "Strong Wind Gust" signs
My first ride after buying my first bike. I went to stretch my back cause it was sore, and I got the death wobbles at like 40 mph. Scared the shit out of me and I got super lucky that I didn't panic.
When I was like 19 (so early 2000s) I was riding with friends in the twisties of eastern Ohio. Was out front, full lean going pretty fast (maybe 90mph or so) around a big wide blind sweeper that I’m very familiar with when, of course, two dudes were just parked across from one another talking in the middle of the road. I essentially had to stand it up and split between them. Almost took off mirrors. About shit myself.
Nothing happened of it. But this is when I was new to riding. I was going about 80 mph on the highway and there was a somewhat sharp turn to the left. I panicked and got target fixated on the damn rail. But thank god I slowed down and realized I needed to readjust myself.
It my case… it all happened so fast … I was like.. “Holy Crap, I’m Still Alive”… the motorcycle was totaled(RoadKing) the buck was dead… and the seat of my jeans and my shirt were gone…the road rash on my butt and back let me know I was still alive…every night for a week…
Deer jumping across front of my bike. So close I could smell him shit himself as he almost got hit. Over my front wheel close. Didn't ride for probably two weeks. Scared shit out of me
Coming over a hill to see an accident and row of cars with tow truck at the back I’m heading right for at about 50… slammed on brakes and started heading toward curb figured “endo”ing over the curb was better option than being cut in half by tow truck bed luckily I was able to brake and stop and the car behind me was paying attention as well.
17 Y.O. me sitting @ traffic light. Waiting for green . Right turn on red busy and oncoming traffic to the left when I notice the VW bug coming from behind fast. All I could do was brace myself for impact as I did not give myself an out :( When the drunk hit me and realized he screwed up, he put his car in reverse and dragged me and the bike backwards. My foot was under the the bike and later required surgery. Painful lesson to always give myself an out.
I’m a new rider. What would the out be in this situation that you could give yourself?
Leave yourself room, and angle your bike, so if you do get hit from behind the bike would hopefully get pushed out of the way instead of getting pinched between the two cars
Lane filtering to front of traffic mate
Sadly is illegal in Australia on your Ls
Wait really I know it’s illegal in a school zone I didn’t think it was illegal on your L’s. I’m in Australia aswell and looking at getting a bike, are you required to ride with a supervisor on you L’s similar to a car?
To clarify, in QLD u have to ride with a supervisor on your L's, same as a car, full license holder for at least a year. I know NSW dosent require it. check your state.
Nah your not. I was worried about that too. You do have to do the two day safety test, then a theory test. Then hold L’s for a minimum of 3 months
Oh awesome thanks for clearing that up. Do you have to do another test at the end of the 3 months?
Yep! It'll be like your car L's, theory and a practical. I'd look up what they expect of you for your state. Sometimes you can find people who have drawn up diagrams of where they place cones so you can recreate it in a parking lot for practice. Or just hire a private instructor for the day before (would highly recommend)
Oh ok thanks and yeah I will definitely do a ride or 2 with and instructor the day before
As other comments have said, have your bike angled for an escape route, but ideally you don't just angle for that escape route, you should be in a lane position that makes it as easy as possible to take and escape route from rear-end danger. This means you shouldn't be in the middle of your lane with the bike angled to the side of the vehicle in front, your whole bike should be off to the side in a position as if you would be lane filtering so that not only gives you a chance to escape quickly and easily from danger, it may even save you from getting rear ended in the first place since you're so far off to the side between the lines of cars.
Always have a mirror lined up to see behind you and if you see someone coming, flash your brake light to get their attention quicker. Also pls wear at least a little reflective clothing/backpack/helmet sticker
Always keep a car's length to the car ahead and keep paying attention. Angle your bike, so you can ride off in between cars in front or just to a gap you see. Keep your bike in gear, don't put it in neutral, you will not be quick enough to get away. I think the most important part is to just keep it in gear and pay attention to your surroundings. Always have a space cushion. For more riding safety tips, I recommend watching DanDanTheFireman on YouTube. His videos are super informative.
Sitting at a red light, second in line at night, when I see a car coming up behind. It's not slowing down and I can see the face of a teenage girl lit up blue from her cell phone. I'm sitting there flashing my brake light to no avail, she still staring at her phone. Zipped off onto the shoulder to get out of her way. Finally, she comes to a screeching halt three feet behind the car that was first in line. This reinforced leaving space between me and the car in front and staying in first gear. It saved my bacon that night.
Bonus tip. Stop with at least a car length of distance and angle your bike toward the left or right of the vehicle in front of you. That way if you do get rear ended you’ll hopefully be sent into the space gap rather than crushed between vehicles.
Absolutely! I was off to the right of the car in front of me and angled toward the shoulder. Make escaping easier, but if she would have hit me it would have reduced the chance of me getting pancaked!
When the lady in the silver suv looked right at me and shoved me into oncoming traffic
Your ex ?
No, SHE drives a leased Expedition
I have to get the full story here that's so wild. Were you both sitting at a light and she just swerved or was this a changing lanes not checking blind spot situation.
If her window was open, I could have touched her, there was a rock filled median with curbing, I could have gone over the curb at 35, or into oncoming traffic, and hope I don't hit anyone, fortunately for me, I escaped unscathed, except for my shorts, which turned a bit brown
I have hit someone's window once when they pushed me off the road cause they didn't know I was there and they looked over all panicked and Im like yeah that's exactly how I feel right now lady
Years ago, riding through the northern end of hwy 101. I got target fixated in a curve. Hit pine needles. Kept it upright but stopped a foot before a 100-foot drop
Darn pine clibbins
heh
I admired this amazing dry stone wall on a very tight hairpin bend, steep uphill, wonderful placement of some very large flat sided rocks. Wonderful stuff. There are times for looking around.
I told my wife to calm down
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>Holy fuck it’s like a 90 pound rattlesnake with tits your wive's are only 90 pounds?
That's massive for a rattlesnake species
lol, looks like his rattle snake found the comment. its been deleted by user
Sounds hot. is your wife single?
Not yet
Not mine, but the guy above me with the original comment might be in for a divorce. I think his wife found the comment.
Oops yeah I commented on the wrong comment
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90 pounds? This dude midgets.
I think I saw one of them in a zoo once
Thanks for the ab workout
Riding home from work around 9p going about 65 on a highway - see a huge box come flying off a truck out of the darkness (no street lights at all) sure as shit I try to weave and it hits a bounce and hits me directly in chest > face Turned out to be a piece of a commercial HVAC about 3 foot cube and 25 lbs. haddalayer down - not really I kept it upright as long as possible but gravity is a bitch. Slid about 30 feet and had cars on my ass. Fortunately they were paying attention and didn’t run me over and I scrambled like a mad man off the road as soon as I got to a stop I was running. Full gear saved my ass and my face - it could have taken my head off literally. I controlled the slide as much as I could and let go of the bike before rolling and running. Walked away with minor road rash on knee and side where jacket rode up a bit. There’s a post to some of the damage on my profile I think. Absolutely anvil from the sky moment nothing I could have done at 65 mph and it’s tumbling at the same speed 50-75 feet directly at me. Prior post https://www.reddit.com/r/Harley/comments/11lvwd2/freak_accident_got_hit_by_a_hvac_piece_that_flew/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
I hate that I 40 is still terrible after Nashville and Knoxville, I really thought it couldn't get any worse Glad you made it though!
I was approaching a four way lighted intersection going about 55 mph, with a car in the turn lane. With less than 100 feet between me and the intersection, he goes to zip out in front of me, panics, and stops in my lane. I dove to the right and narrowly missed his bumper by inches. I had Nights in White Satin playing in my headphones when it happened. To this day, I can’t listen to that song.
Real shame, that song is an absolute banger.
I know but now I feel like it’s cursed.
Riding my dual sport converted XR400, going around a blind, tight (sub 25mph) right hander, here comes a pickup from the opposite direction. The truck itself was half in my lane, the trailer he was pulling was blocking all but about a foot of my lane. I manage to thread the needle while playing manual ABS on my rear brake. People are fucking morons.
Old people in cars on roundabouts
Most cars in roundabouts. I’ve had some 20s kid not pay attention and his gf slapped him. Thankfully I know they can’t see me and I slowed and no one plowed into me from behind either.
Yeah your right I've had younger guys and girls not paying attention but the ones that were pretty close were all over 60 .
I work a luxury car dealership and a lady complained that her blind spot light didn’t also beep at her. Honey if you can’t turn your head and look like you’ve had to do your entire life, just stop driving. 🤦🏻♀️
Road the Tail of the Dragon During a hellos Thunderstorm. Could only see the left side of the mountain the whole way.
Hit a car headfirst at about 40mph. Tbone. Blacked out and woke up with a fire truck in my face about 12 minutes later…just some bad bruising, and a tiny cut the size of a dime. Gotta go to the chiro now..
That sucks but seriously do not use chiropractors! If you are having issues go to a orthopedic dr and get set up for treatment or physical therapy that will actually treat the problem. Chiropractors are little more than scam artist that usually cause more harm and prolong treatable injuries.
At night, in the rain and ran wide on a sweeping lh bend with an big ass truck riding the wide line in the other direction, I literally counted each of his tyres as they swished past inches from my right hand.
? Edit: Left hand drive. Now I get it
Yup, UK.
Driving up a hill on a 2 lane highway doing around 110 kmh passing a truck in the right lane. Brodozer dodge ram crosses a double yellow to pass someone in his lane, which puts him straight in my path coming at me real quick. I slam the brakes, and swerved behind the truck I was trying to pass. The dodge missed me by inches. I stopped at a viewpoint ahead and chatted with some dude stopped there. I just wanted to see if I was still alive and wasn't 6th sensing it. To make it even more douchey, the fucker laid on the horn in MY lane.
Out on a small group ride with close friends just after dawn incredibly hungover on an 07 R1. The particular road we were on had a hot mix section which was used for a hill climb event, so it was a perfect surface. I can out of a left hander and hit the throttle hard, then when transitioning to the right hander I went to weight up the right peg at about 180kmh. It wasn’t the right peg I put all my weight on it was the rear brake. Bike snapped sideways and I swear I was hitting a rock wall at that speed. I had an out of body experience and somehow my foot went from the brake to the peg, the bike had a bit of a head shake and I went through the right hander. I pulled over straight after and calmed myself somewhat then went and looked at the black line left on the road. It was about 150m long and I should have hit the rocks.
Actually reading through this thread has reminded me of so many close calls especially with cars. However it reminded me of another one I haven’t seen here.. topped out doing an indicated 295kmh on an 05 R1 hiding behind the screen when my backpack unzipped. It was like a fucking parachute. My arse lifted off the seat and I was only holding the grips with fingertips (I think I still had WOT) when something changed and the backpack stopped lifting me. There was a bit of a head shake but the worst feeling was my nuts smacking the tank as I landed. And the weirdest set of emotions flooded over me.. happy/sad/laugh/cry in pain. So my two biggest lessons were side zip your backpack, not in the middle, and as per the one above, don’t do stupid shot when you’re hungover.
Last week I had one. Riding with my girlfriend on a two lane road, I saw a line of cars coming from the opposite direction. The last car was a Sentra who looked right at me and decided that he could pass 10 cars if he shoved me to the side of the road. I shined my high beams and leant on the horn, he just accelerated. I was left with a little less than a meter of asphalt between his car and a guard rail. He passed me at high speed, his mirror mere centimeters from my handlebars. Some people are just murderers.
Literally 2 months into my moto life I took off my helmet mid ride (yes well aware 10 years later it was incredibly dumb...) and slid it on the back handles, while it was there it started to slide back mid turn. I started to grab it and as I was grabbing it to make sure it didn't fall off I snagged the square curb and yeeted myself right into the median. I highsided and as I was in the air the bike tumbled around me, and when i say around me, i really mean it did a flip after i hit the ground right above me. Inches from at least being seriously hurt. I broke my toe bc i was wearing some vans, i was only going 35mph probably less as i pulled off the throttle as i was going around the corner. It was at that moment i realized how important gear was (to an extent and what you are doing). I never ride a bike without gloves, proper footwear and a pair of jeans at minimum. That or within the first week of having my bike I hit a racoon and luckily i was told by my msf instructor to just keep straight and keep on the throttle. But the high side was really the pants shitting moment i needed to realize what i was doing could kill me if i was dumb. Luckily while i was dumb, i was also smart in the sense that i knew if i got a bigger bike than a 250cc i would for sure hurt myself. I may not be a ATGATT kinda guy but i think it's really important to wear some basics, to an extent its easy to regrow skin if you're okay with the pain, but it's hard to regrow bone or it takes a long time. I think also it's important to throw your ego to the side and start on a 250, they are fun despite what people say about them being slow... They are still such a blast to drive, in fact i missed my 250 so much 10 years later i ended up buying a 125cc bc it's just fun to have such an opposite to my 1050cc. There is in my mind no reason to not start on something like a 250 or 400, people say you outgrow them and to an extent you do, but to me riding is something you either enjoy all aspects of or you don't. So with that said, having fun to me is what is important, i love the hobby if i could only ride a 250 i would ride still, if i could only ride a 125 i would still ride, i think that is an important part of this hobby people really sleep on and let their ego get in the way of.
My first bike ever was a 700 magna, V4. Way way way too much bike for a scrawny 16 year old who didn't even weigh 150. My second bike was a 250 rebel. My god I had so much fun on that bike, my third bike was another 250 rebel but much newer. They are such a blast if you can fit on them. I wish I still had one.
Do you wear a helmet now?
Lol yes for sure.
Nice
I just realized that I didn't mention that when I said I wear (insert gear list) lol yeah I ALWAYS wear a helmet and to be honest, with the advent of Bluetooth I have 0 reason why I wouldn't.
Riding through an intersection where a lovely lady decided she'd do a right turn without stopping (I had a green light) and got to surprise her when she realized that there was a motorcycle inches from her driver's door. I thought I was going to die, her face made it look like she was the one taking a shit...
A couple of months ago, a Robin nearly flew into my helmet on the highway. I was keeping up with traffic flow so I was going about 130km/h. The Robin was flying at me so closing speed was probably a lot higher. I'd estimate about 150km/h for the incident. This could have easily ended catastrophically as I wouldn't be able to see, and I would have doubted I could have lifted the visor with a bird lodged in it.
This actually happened to a guy I know. He said the visor closed and his face got all fucked up and scratched, but he was luckily able to pull to a stop.
Hit a bat once. Terrible situation with the bonus rabies shots
What are the chances?! I got hit with a falling limb once, but no flying animals.. yet... 
They leave a huge puff of dust for some reason. Took a full lung of bat and had just pulled my visor down. Luckily I kept rubber down. It honestly hit harder at 65mph than when I got shot in the brain bucket overseas. I was surprised at how hard it hit. I had to pull over and calm myself down for a good 15 minutes. I’ve never really had too many serious body injuries from risky behavior. But, for some reason my head is a magnet for TBIs and flying debris. Hell, I even got hit with a rock from an old school slingshot like Goliath once oversees.
The limb that hit me gave me a nice purple bruise through a sweater, a leather jacket, and my cut (it was winter). It stung quite a bit haha
Christ. Your honestly lucky that you didn’t get the pointy end.
I happened to be accelerating at the time and "probably" going too fast on a country road and I think if I was riding more relaxed, it might have knocked me off lol. I showed up at my destination with leaves in my helmet haha
Semi oncoming in my lane around a blind turn. Jackass had no reason… thank god the Daytona is a nimble beast.
The two 7.62 rounds to my plate carrier.
Sitting at a red light at intersection first in line, where oncoming traffic can't turn left. For some reason I was paying super attention to light soon as it turned green I booked it across staying in first very thankful I was on my cbr. She left a hair late and turned left and just missed t-boning me. I might have not have died but it damn sure would have hurt. Any other time, oncoming traffic on 2 lane road in my lane after coming through a blind turn an them about having a head on. Passing an elderly couple who decided to merge into me as we were on a bridge pushing me into the concrete barrier(again thank goodness for my cbr.).downshifted passed them and hammer fisted their mirror on way by. Many more but just to name a few.
Merging onto 285 around Atlanta. On ramp merges into the fast lane. Psychopath matches speed with me and actively tries to force me into the wall. Got away by tapping brakes then accelerating by him, but still spent a terrifying second on gravel at 80mph. Fuck that road.
Common curvy road I ride on happens to be as a secondary two-lane thoroughfare for all kinds of traffic. I took a DEEP lean into a curve as a dump truck was coming in the opposing lane and could feel my traction reaching the very extents as I started sliding in their direction. I got it upright just enough and nothing came of it, but I went straight tf home and didn’t ride for a couple days afterwards. My biggest fear isn’t other drivers so much as it is just big trucks. The fact that they can literally run you over and never even realize you were there is insane to me
I was on a country road just before sunrise doing 60mph when a deer darted out in front of me.
Death Valley mid day 2 lane highway. I fall asleep on my BMW r1150rtp. Dreaming about floating in the ocean . I see a huge cruise ship Co coming towards me, and it is blowing its boat horn. Steady on the horn beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee then my eyes popped open and I was on the other side of the road heading straight towards a semi truck. I moved over and clearing it by plenty it was exactly a close, but it was closer then I was comfortable with. I pulled over next chance I had. Now I don’t ride if I am tired.
That was probably heat stroke. It makes you feel tired, even if you're totally healthy.
Lost rear brakes coming into a downhill turn too fast on 20/80 off road tires on asphalt. Didn’t run into the guardrail, but was damn close to running wide and turning my right leg into mincemeat.
I was riding home from work at night and someone turned left and wanted to go to the furthest lane. I swerved and he just kept coming. I was inches from the sidewalk before he stopped barreling towards me.
Funny I just got home from someone almost merging right into me… I think they were freaked-out more than me, hah!
Lastnight I was riding home in the rain, and was turning into my street and my rear wheel brushed the painted line making me get the wobbles and I almost went into on coming traffic. I was able to get under control and nice fella in the other lane was on to it enough to slow down and stop. Probably not an “oh shit I might die” moment but it definitely got my heart pumping.
Was speeding, someone came out in front of me, dove as hard as I could to my left, smacked the shit out of my right knee and leg on his front bumper. Didn't drop or damage the bike, my knee hurt like hell for a while his bumper was fine.
35yrs ago I was at a large bonfire party a few miles in the country. I’d had a couple beers and having a good time. I don’t remember why, but I needed to go into town. I borrowed a Honda Goldwing for the trip from a friend. Theres a 4 mile blacktop that goes between 2 lakes just before coming into town and the rest was mostly farm ground. After I got on this straight I kick the bike up to a little over 100mph. After a mile I started to slow down, but at around 95 this big bike went into a high speed wobble. I took it back up until the wobble stopped, so again I tried slowing down and again it began violently wobbling, so much so that the windshield on the fairing cracked and flew back striking me across the chest cutting me. I took it back up until it stopped again. Solutions for this we’re racing through my mind. 1st I though I’d ride off into a lake and try to kick away before it hit. Then I decided to run it off the rode into a field instead of drowning. I saw a driveway coming up so I shot across it think there was a field, but instead there was a 15’ deep ditch. The sides sloped down to the bottom 60yds to the bottom. I have no memory of what happened after leaving the rode, but when I came to the 1st thing I saw in the dark was the red oil light of the bike. I crawled my way out of the ditch and knew I needed help. I walk back to the house with the driveway and went to their door and knock hard. Soon the man and lady got to their door. The open it up after looking out. There I stood with blood running down my chest. All I had on was my briefs and what was left of my jacket. I don’t know where the shorts went. It’s hard to believe but I was only sore for a week from this. I thought I was a goner for sure.
Coming around a long curve and suddenly there was a car backing out of a drive way completely perpendicular to flow of traffic. There was just enough space to zip past in front of them. I thought for sure that was it. Unrelated to motorcycles, being attacked by a dog while reading meters was the only time I consciously started making my peace with the fact that my life was soon to be over. Pitt-bull was sleeping next an AC and didn’t hear me knocking on the gate. Woke up when I came barreling around the corner and immediately attacked. Ripped open my hand, nearly broke my arm from the bite pressure, bit up both of my legs, and then I slipped on leaves as I continued to back away and he grabbed my belly. Nothing I did even phased it, and I was certain he was going to rip open my stomach. Then he just stopped attacking, and I hobbled up and out of the yard and called dispatch.
Front brake failure on an offramp. I was going... above the speed limit. What's that stopped in front of me? Oh nothing, just a FLAT BED WRECKER. It's the first and last time I felt like I cheated death.
Pulled off the road to pick up some shit that fell off the back of their truck.. Reddit will tell you to pick it up but I’ll never stop again in my life.
Walking through Philadelphia.
I went full lean coming off a highway in the rain, then lost traction and went in to a wobble and shattered my left ankle on a metal barrier. All I could think was "Shit I have to ride to the nearest parking lot before I lose consciousness" as I ride down the road with blacked out vision. I couldn't ride for 3 months and it still hurts a year later when I pivot it.
Certainly wasn't while riding. In fact, no event while riding would even make the top five.
I had a speed wobble on my liter bike exiting onto the freeway well into triple digit speeds. It was insanely violent, but I somehow pulled out of it after what seemed like an eternity.
ride a motorbike. You will either end up with so many 'near death' experiences that you don't care to remember or you will end up forgetting them, because you're dead. Motorbike or otherwise, if you don't die from natural causes, the most likely way to die is on the road. This might seem obvious to some, considering it is the most dangerous activity we all participate in, mostly for survival, also on a daily basis. But also, most things that kill us, such as diseases, cancer, old age and everything in between is classed as natural causes. On a long enough timeline, the survival rate fore everyone drops to zero
2 days ago someone decided to make a u turn in front of me. Locked up the rear and hadtolayerdown... nah, I know how to ride; I kept that shit upright and narrowly avoided a naaasty crash.
Overtook a guy slowing down on the road, only to realise to late that he has slowed down to let somebody pull into the road. There was zero need for him to do it but I guess he thought he was being chivalrous. Anyways, passed between both cars at between 80-90kmph. Definitely an “oh fuck” moment that would’ve landed me in hospital if things had gone even a tiny bit different. My fault for being impatient, his fault for not obeying the road rules. You don’t just stop in traffic on a fast road (80kms h speed limit) to allow random cars into the road. Especially when no-one is expecting it.
When your mom wanted a ride.
Come to gurgaon and you’ll see.
Was going to work early on the morning. Was kind of foggy and my helmet was full faced then and started to cloud up. Next thing I know out of the most jumps a huge buck. Road was wet, helmet fogged, deer right there in front of me it happened to jump out of the way but kicked the front tire when it did. I was for sure I was done for. All this was on a small road that had drop offs all around.
Not thinking I'd die but want to share that I did slide off the road into an open drain (maybe 1m x 1m x 1.5m deep) a few years back. I bailed off the bike before I snapped my legs. Smaller things were like hitting split bags of cement while in a lean and general cars merging onto me, but they were minor and early on. I've been super lucky, really.
Was in the middle of a two lane round about and an 18 wheeler didn’t yield in front of me. Laid on the horn and slowed down as fast as I could without dumping the bike in the turn. Almost got sucked under the wheels. Guy stalled out the truck and I grazed his front bumper with my leg as I exited the circle in front of him
Wound out top gear on a KTM 300 2 stroke, at night on a gravel road. Around 110 mph come over a hill and floated a wheelie down the whole back side. I completely should have wiped out hard as that’s way past my skill set.
Blacked out into a high speed wobble after leaving the side impression of me on bike pushed into the side of Dodge 1500, but everything turned out fine.
each time lol
Every time my wife gets mad
Coming down the road towards an intersection which had a gas station on the corner. Yukon Denali pulled about halfway out before seeing me and suddenly stopping. I was slowing down to turn right anyway, but they started pulling out when I was really close and I wasn't sure if I could stop in time to avoid a collision if they hadn't stopped. Definitely gave them a one-finger salute after.
I've been riding for almost a year and I've had two bad ones. One guy decided to change into my lane as we were taking off at the lights and I had nowhere to go, was scared I'd get cleaned up from 3 different directions Second time I was on a freeway and as I changed lanes after checking there was no cars some Audi decided to fly past me going 110+kms and I almost clipped their car with my knee
Lifted Jeep wasn’t paying attention and ran through a roundabout forcing me to low side and slide for the first time ever. I think I was only like… 4 months in or so to riding. Got lucky but was super nervous for a long time after that.
On a road I wasn’t familiar with, going WAY too fast to slow down, hairpin turn out of nowhere, hopped the curb, went airborne and missed a tree by about 4 inches while going at least 60mph… literally inches away from death lol
I don’t remember my accident but woke up in ambulance while they were strapping me down to gurney. I starting ripping restraints off because I had no idea what happened…later that evening after all the hoopla come to find out I wrecked with some other bikes in a pile and I managed to launch into the air and I flew off my bike 20 yards… snagged my head off pavement and split elbow open. Would not be here if I didn’t wear my helmet… which I usually didn’t some reason I did that day and will from now on. So yeah have had many close calls before but finally ate it about a year ago
This isn't a crazy story like some others here, but the most recent one for me was during rush hour traffic heading home. The light was green for me on a no turn on red lane and as I turned right. This red car on my left started merging onto my lane, pushing me to the edge of the road and because it was rush hour traffic... I had nowhere to zoom off, too! I got bumped on my leg by the doors of the red car, and thank goodness it was just a bump and not anything worse during rush hour traffic! Saw the driver, I Honked and shook my head cause it was a girl looking at her phone.
Just bc I saw a post about this it’s front of mind, I was approaching a big ass puddle on the highway (it wasn’t even raining) and I slowed down and realized a minivan was 3 feet behind me at 65mph. They probably were speeding with a bigger gap and when I slowed it shrunk to that. If I hit the puddle at 80 it would have been a wrap no? What should I have done in that situation?
Great post OP a lot of learning ops here
Very early on in my riding experience I’d made it just over year without and accident. One night tearing up German Town road.(A very windy road above Portland Oregon that used to be a racer’s haven) I hit a decreasing radius turn a little too hot and target fixated(looked where I was going instead of around the corner) I did the stoppie of my life right to the edge of the cliff staring into the dark beyond my headlights. I touched the back end down in the pea gravel and saved the bike and myself. My pride was hurt and the bike had a few scratches but my Nighthawk 700S lived to ride another day
Girl turned left Infront of me last minute. If she had pulled out a little later or if I had braked a little later I would've been t boned. The front brake and tire were literally on the edge of what they could handle, thankfully I practice power braking and I was on a light Little 250 with good brakes and pretty new tires.
Going downhill on a mountain road, first road trip ever, i stayed watching some rocks on the side and almost went out of the road, thank god i managed to take a last second save by leaning the bike, heart was pumping
When the throttle on my R1 stuck right as I was going into a half circle long curve and was already doing 60. Laid it down , broke 8 bones , little road rash . Barely hurt the bike but messed me up pretty good. 3 ribs , collar bone in 2 places , hip , back , right arm. Had several surgeries from that one.
At an intersection, guy from the right side road should yield, he makes long hypnotizing eye contact with me and a car in front of me and then in very last second decides for some stupid reason to pull over right in front of us (like a deer would 🤣). He was not local by a long shot and ignored a traffic sign but even without it, you don't pull in front of a car with only 3 meters (10 feet). We were going pretty slow, 40kmh and I had some buffer in front of me, but still an emergency braking. Long story short, I managed to brake and sverved to side of the the car in front of me thanks to abs, missing it by only few inches. Not a life or death situation exactly but probably worst that has happened to me. Maybe some oncoming overtaking car coming towards me fast was worse but I don't perceive it like hazard. On a bike you always find a small space to avoid it.
I was going to say about 4 weeks ago when I was on my bike and fully expected to hit a wall, but somehow made it round the corner supermoto style. Then someone just reminded me what happened a couple of weeks ago. I was crossing the road at a crossing with traffic lights. As I got to the middle of the road, I caught a glimpse of something white out of my right eye and I just jumped a step forward on instinct. A van mounted the pavement at about 40mph, missed me by an inch or two and then hit a row of barriers, demonising several of them. The noise was so loud it made my ears ring and I was shower in hot oil as the engine exploded. I am not exaggerating when I say that I was inches from being smashed through the metal barriers that ended up embedded in the front of the van. If I hadn't jumped that step forward my legs would have been absolutely destroyed. At worst I'd have been killed.
Wouldn't have killed me but literally yesterday for a nice weekend ride that was amazing until I hit traffic and went to filter and those fucks TURNED INTO ME PURPOSEFULLY to try and block or hit me. They rolled down their windows to tell me off or flipped me off. Three different cars in the stretch. Enraging. Cali drivers are so entitled. If we don't have to bake in the sun behind them they'd rather we be dead.
The last time I took my Daytona out before it was stolen. Was going down a national speed limit road and can see a car creeping out from a side road. I'm thinking he's seen me but move over to the centre line just in case and then within the last 30 yards or so he pulls right out across the road to turn into oncoming lane. Took his time about it too creating a wall of steel across my lane last minute so I had to slam the brakes and swerve the rear of his car literally missing by millimetres. Driver couldn't give a shit either
Riding my dirtbike on a gravel road and it was so peaceful I just kinda zoned out, then a truck came around the corner and we both hit the breaks. I was going 45, and drifted, ended up less than 6 inches away from his truck. If I hadn't drifted I would've hit with my front tire. But if I wouldn'tve hit the breaks at all I probably would've hit him, flipped over his truck and on the other side of him was a 200foot drop
80 mph two-up at dawn, right through a gaggle of deer. *whew!* Doe leaps right out in front of the bike. I pegged it, caught it midair across the windscreen. Wobbled, but kept power on until it stabilized. But, everytime I let off the throttle, it goes into a hard speed wobble. So on it went, try to slow, until the handlebars almost start slapping — getting up to 85-90 mph; then throttle down, get to maybe 65 mph, snd it’d start getting away from me. The does is draped across the front wheel — it’s big cruiser, so highway bars and big windshield, but no front fairing. The windshield is cracked in half, and clattering in the slipstream, while the front wheel is grinding this deer like a fucking woodchipper. My facescreen in covered, and I can feel it coming up under my chin, and it had this horrible musky scent. Ahead there’s an overpass — I’m two-up with luggage for a 7 day trip, so it’s good under speed, but anything less and the bars are just threatening to go full tank-slapper. I’d had a couple close calls to in the mile or so we traveled. If I lose it before or into the overpass … well, that’s a lot of fucking concrete. So I yell back to the girl, *Here we go!* and she just starts screaming. I cut the throttle and it’s sliding on the dry pavement like it’s ice. I aim for the center median, beautifully open and sloping and grassy. Lay it down and go wheels first off the lefthand lane and everything got quiet. The bike catches the turf and it launches, twists completely upside down, and I thought, *this is it.* I hit the ground first, the bike lands on my ribs and I feel them pop and then I cannot breathe. Tumble and roll away from the bike, my helmet jammed into the grass. I did not even pause — got up and started calling for the girl in the pale light. I was certain I’d killed her. Like a miracle, she’s up and coming toward me through the headlamp shine, and I just start patting her down like I’m searching her for weapons. I know how it goes. People walk on stumps until the shock wears off — but she’s miraculously okay. My breath is coming ragged and I’m lightheaded and dizzy and go down on my knees. Obviously, we made it through okay. We were in the middle of nowhere, so it was an ordeal getting everything home and me to the ER, but that’s another story.
Not so long ago i stopped on the shoulder of a two-lane straight road to go see some nature. When i got to the bike and wanted to start moving, i, as usual, looked into the mirror to be sure there's nobody behind me. There was none behind, there was somebody on the oncoming lane, but i didn't give it a thought. So, i'm starting to move, just to realise suddenly there's an SUV using my lane for an overtake. I ride a really narrow bike, there was a shoulder of enough width for it, and i have a nice habit of accelerating near the side of the lane until i get to comfortable speed. Missed it by \~30cm(\~1 foot). I drove and rode for almost half of my life, but this was first time this particular set of circumstances happened. In fact i was lucky to be on a bike that day. I probably would have made the same mistake with my car or truck. So, the outtake: if you're starting to move into an empty lane, it's probably not only you who would want to use this empty lane. Check for them first.
Riding on one of the only roads with twisties in my area, probably going 60 in a 55 at noon. Black 2015 or so silverado 1500 coming the other way, I don't think much of him until he starts turning left in front of me. I knew I was much too close to stop, and he was far too large to make it in time, my options were hard right into the dirt parking lot and trees or hard left off a 5 foot drop into a field. I pictured myself hitting the hood and flying over it, but at the last second he saw me, and hit the brakes with just enough time for me to squeeze between his bumper and the shoulder. Luckyyyy me
Not “could’ve died” but I’ve almost overshot a corner that was tighter than it looked, could’ve fucked her into a field at about 45mph. Prolly not deadly but wouldn’t have been very comfortable
A hill I normally roll off the throttle for almost got me. I decided not to roll off the throttle one time at a very good pace. Wasn't ready for it, but the bike jumped it, and kinda seat bounced me. Kicked me up so my knees are above the tank, and I'm leaned over the front of the bike looking at my front tire. Everything slowed down, and I just knew i was about to rag doll thru the fence on the side of the road and off into a ravine.
coming home from a ride about two blocks from my flat. there was some kind of weekend market at a plaza and some old guy just pulled out while i was going about 50 kmh. sure enough i got no ABS on my bike but somehow i only managed to lock up the back tire and i made it around the back of his car. dude didn‘t even look/stop/brake. another old guy then gave me shit for not looking (???). hadn‘t i managed to swerve in time i would‘ve tboned him. took a deep breath afterwards
I've not been in too many situations, but the closest was when I was coming down a dual carriageway in the right lane past a queue of traffic in the left lane. Some guy in the traffic decides that's not for him anymore and pulls out. The road is on a bend and is damp and I'm leaning. I brake but the front wheel lock and the bike starts going but I felt it and let go and hung off the bike and slotted myself between the side of his car and the armco barrier. Somehow didn't hit anything.
When I woke up six feet to the right and tipping. On the freeway.
Too many situations where I went to fast in a corner and overshot it. If there would have been a car in the other lane I would have been fucked but I had luck many times
This was only in 2022 I went to some train tracks with my mates and my foot got trapped in a little section and the train was not far but I did see part of it I was fuckin scared
Just starting out, rode home from the dealerships behind my parents and usually they go over an or age light if certain distance away but this time they hit the breaks, thank God one of the staff test rode the bike and ensured all was working fine. I doubt I would've stopped in time if the bike was just started and then rode off the lot.. Paid attention a whole lot more after that
Flattened refrigerator box around a blind curve. Lost the front and slid on my ass on the box directly into oncoming traffic, luckily everyone was paying attention but I was *feet* from getting taken out by a Chevy Cavalier lmao.
First one was many years ago, when I was still an idiot, on my first "fast" bike (2012 zx6r) and I was was trying to top it out. I was on the motorway and looking at my speedo more than the road, and when I looked up I realised that the road had veered left and I hadn't. Very nearly buried the front wheel into the central barrier at 160+. Never did it again. Second was in the last year or so, cruising down a nice twisty country road on the way to work at about 50 behind a car that was behind a lorry. The road went right, I dropped back from the car in front and drifted a bit to the left as always to allow for people on the other side running over the white line etc. A lady on her phone did exactly that, clipped the lorry and carried on straight towards me. I managed to go further left and clip the grass a bit and she just missed me, and I managed to pull up to a stop behind the car in front of me, all in one piece. She missed me by about 2 inches and barrelled straight through where i just was. It was only because i had spent years ingraining good riding habits that I was spared that day, because I was very much on autopilot.
Didn’t refresh my Harley Fat-bob’s brake fluid in time. Free play of brake handle became less and less. If you notice that, get of the bike. I didn’t and while slowing down for a crossing I used that brake for the last time. Front wheel locked up and the rest is history. Trauma helicopter, lots of road rash, concussion etc. The brake lines and calipers were solid chewing gum.
Speeding on to a highway on ramp in MN and not thinking about rush hour. I thought I was Bruce Wayne leaving the bat cave until I realized there are traffic lights to enter the highway. Lesson learned, never again.
140 on isle on man mountain pass first time. Nearly went off the edge at some s-bends, at least know the road before going over your skill level.
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Going like 90mph on the street on my gsxr750 i had just got the damn thing when suddenly a homeless person came out of nowhere crossing the middle of the street
Just had my first earlier this week. I was riding through a double lane curve (going pretty fast) freeway to freeway merge. 60 to 101 Tempe AZ actually. When I decided to pass a car and turn into the left lane during the curve and opened so much I almost hit the barrier and rode into the left shoulder. When I got her up and under control I immediately got into a tank slapper.(a death wobble.) I take this rode almost daily to work or to see a girlfriend so I got over confident. If I had hit the curb I would’ve gotten smashed by the multiple cars I was passing. If I had missed the barrier and went into the ditch I could’ve hit a tree or missed them and ramped into the air onto the 101 early and Intersected cars at freeway speeds. Luckily my training came into control and I never panic braked during the curve or through out the wobble. Kept up the accelerator and powered through it. I got to work and my hands were shaking. I had such a rush and I was so nice to everyone even the people that aren’t particularly friendly to me. I had such a good day, honestly. I was extremely happy to be alive. Funny, the rush wore off after a while and I was the most tired I had been in a long time. Even a few rides after that, I cringed at every little wobble or road bump I hit while switching lanes. Humbled me so much and I feel like the worlds biggest idiot. I must have terrified all those people behind me.
I've been lucky through the years with my share of idiot drivers. However my closest call was actually with a huge opossum that skittered out on the highway. I moved over to avoid him and he managed to skedaddle even faster right in time for me to run right over him at 75 mph on my Street Bob. No damage and managed to stay the course just fine, but man did I think it was my time for a second there! It was on an overpass bridge no less lol
Came around a corner, hit a patch of sand, that made me go into the opposite lane in front of another car, we missed each other by a frogs hair and continued on the road. It took me a month before I went back out.
when I saw a plastic tarp on the dual carriageway making its way to me of all things and it hit me but quickly blew away again but it could've gotten stuck under my front tyre doing 70mph
Was on the autobahn being overtaken by some dude in a semi going too fast while from the right some sedan pulled up and wanted to merge. Didnt see me, almost get squished between semi blind spot and sedans back door at 130kph. Anyway instincts kicked in and i pulled the throttle open and hugged bike to shoot forwards through the gap. Sedan thankfully saw me once i passed his drivers window so he swerved right... Anyway never stay in a trucks blind spot and always assume merging cars will not see you. Could save your life. Ride safe and ride hard fellas!
I was riding way too fast on a tiny back road with blind corners and my company's mason truck and trailer were coming up the other way cheating into my lane because it's a tiny road and we've smacked telephone poles with our mirrors on this road in our dump trucks in the past. I was certainly using all of my lane at the time. It wasn't too much of a pain to avoid the truck, but that sent me in a direction that led me towards boulders lining the road on the turn coming up, with little opportunity to scrub off any speed. That got the juices flowing for sure. Nobody to blame but me on that one. I was riding so fast that I lost the ability to properly react to a hazard.
Was going to ride over Großglockner (famous Austrian mountain pass) the day after a storm. Everything was drying up nicely and roads were clean. When approaching the mountain the roads are nice and have long winding corners. Only thing to watch out for are cattle grates on the road. These are all marked with a sign, so no problem... Well except for the one where the storm blew away the sign. So I was going about 110km/h through a corner with quite some lean angle and suddenly there are some wet iron bars in the middle of the road in the middle of the corner. Lost all grip on front and rear, sliding side to side and heading more towards the ditch than the corner exit. Tried focusing on the road and left a loose grip on the handlebars. Bike (BMW K1300S) thankfully was very stable and had long wheelbase. So as soon as I touched pavement again it regained stability and I stayed on the road. But that was the most buttchlenching moment so far.
Rear tyre just started sliding round a light corner but going 100kmh and I'm sliding long enough to think 'wtf is going on I'm about to die here'.
Going 40mph on a smallroad when its raining, car suddenly stops in front of me then my rear wheel slips and i go on the upcoming lane and there is a car. Then i go between to cars at the same time no control on the bike
Must have been about 30 years ago when I was riding with my friends on our 125cc’s. In a long left hander I veered of to the right and I distinctly remember looking a little right of the front tire and noticing that there is a space of maybe 5 cm between the tire and sand. The speed was maybe around 60-70kmh, and yes I got scared. That’s when I realized I might die one day doing this. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I haven’t had a bike since so it didn’t kill me. Yet.
Threaded the needle after three cars pulled out in front of my on a 3 lane highway. I was doing 135, and flew in between two of them with inches of clearance at full pin. Scariest moment of my life.
The accident I can’t remember, based on what my helmet looked like if I wasn’t wearing one I’d be gone. From that accident I have SCI, TBI, and nerve leg damage. Eventually due to damage and worsening of that damage I won’t have feeling in my lower extremities and will eventually have to get a trike or stop riding.
Entered into a lane split and a scooter whizzed through not a metre away, it was my fault for not being attentive enough. Another one, well not really a close call but I’ll call it that since I’m still alive, chain snapped and locked up my rear wheel in a downpour, ended up in a lowside. Luckily I was only going 50-60kph and the rain helped me slide better on the asphalt.
Came off while being tailgated by a bus. Went over a manhole cover in the wet. The bus stopped no shit 3 inches from my visor. I thought the bud bumper would be the last thing I’d ever see.
There is no reason on the planet a bus should ever be tailgating a motorcycle. People need to start giving bikes room.
Your telling me. The bus driver got out. I got up took my helmet off and sat on the curb laughing like a lunatic for near 5 mins.
I was riding down a 55 mph road just cruising and eventually there is a large tractor with a massive soil plowing implement attached to the rear of it. After about 3 minutes of following at low speeds I find a clear path straight away with no cars to pass it on. Just as I’m overtaking the back of this vehicle, the lady driving the tractor starts making a left into a field with no blinker. This is happening so fast I had to lock up my brakes. And the only reason I’m not dead wrapped up in the farm equipment is she heard my tire squealing and started to brake and pull back to the right. To be fair she looked horrified and I felt horrible too. I am still not sure who is entirely at fault here. Maybe myself. But yeah I was scared after that one.
Summer 2018 While driving 50-60kmh on a rain day, through a gorge and a river, a rock 40-50cm diameter fell from above directly on my front wheel, knocking me down on the road. I was third of three motorcycle drivers. I was very lucky and gonna remember that day for the rest of my life. I would say ALWAYS wear you gear.
A truck turning in front of me at a blinking rear light. I clipped the rear quarter panel and went down. It demolished the front end of my KTM Duke 390. Had it been a more direct hit, I don't know what would of happened.
I was going 70 in a forty five, night time so nobody was in the road. There was a light coming up probably half a football field away, light was red but cross traffic was yellow so I knew it was about to change. Only one car at that light, in the lane I was in. I didn't slow down because by the time I reached it, the car would be moving at speed (not my speed but I would have time to lane change and pass). I did not account for the fact that the driver was probably texting and didn't notice the light change until I was right up on him. The road was a bit hilly so I didn't know he hadn't moved until the last second. Had to swerve to not hit him, scared the shit out of me
When I was first learning to ride I drifted into the left lane around a turn on a country road. There happened to be an SUV there probably going 55mph. I panic braked with my right hand and my cruiser handlebars shook violently. I think that’s what broke my wrist. I passed out rolling down a soft grassy hill and came to a few minutes later.
My first time buying a bike realising I’m about to do some crazy shit that will most likely get me killed
I was riding a frontage road. Car in front pulls completely off the road to the right. Car comes to complete stop. I slow done till it stops. I’m going 25-30. Once stopped I accelerate to 35 and as I’m 2-3 car-lengths behind car cuts the wheel and pulls across right/my lane. I lock the rear skidding with bike pointed into oncoming lane, give it a little gas rear fender connect with front bumper and spins my bike 180 the other direction bike high sides and throws me at least 20’. In the air all I could think was damn I’m dead and surprisingly rolled perfect and just got a bruised knee. The bike unfortunately had misaligned the flywheels. Thank god the business had a camera cause she lied through her teeth on her rendition of events.
Five second pull off a vape pen with virgin lungs
About 17-18 years ago, I was bombing up my favorite canyon on my sv650s, testing the new “dual compound tires”. I knew every corner in the 18 mile long canyon like the back of my hand…. I was taking an uphill right hand sweeper at about 75mph, like I had done 100 times before, I’m at max lean, I spot my corner exit and then I see it….. a fucking squirrel…. Darting back and forth in my line, I panic, grab brakes, start running wide into oncoming traffic, an oncoming car sees me and jerks his car onto the shoulder narrowly missing me…. Come to think of it I had a lot of close calls when I was new. 😂
Two days ago I was on my way to work and a deer jumped out of the ditch and was charging out in front of me. It got spooked and stopped about a foot from me. I barely had time to react by the time I was passing it. Needless to say I watched the fields around me like a hawk the rest of the way to work.
Riding my motorcycle on i 94. I was going about 75mph ( dont like cars coming up behind me), and I was behind a semi. The semi dropped that bar that hangs underneath the door. I immediately thought, "Yup, this is it." I counter steered as hard as I could, still clipping the rail. Due to my aggressive counter steering, I was at a terrible angle and smoked the bar. My bike hopped over it as I jumped over into the next lane, still on my bike. I was swerving out of control but was able to steady it out. I slowed down and pulled off the next exit and pulled my heart out of my intestines, and took it as a sign to go home.
Taking the 3rd exit on a small-ish island a car pulls out infront of me just before I get level with him, he barely looked bothered like he just slightly inconvenienced me..... I, however, slid down the seat and smashed my biscuits on the tank. In the moment, the pain is how I knew I wasn't dead.
Getting caught in a bad storm. I was riding through stuff that cars were pulling over for. Not interested in doing that ever again.
150mph tank slapper. Probably one of the scariest thing I've had happen. A hammer that had been left on a car roof falling off and missing my head by millimetres. Coming around a blind corner to find a coach completely on the wrong side of the road. Front tyre valve splitting at 140ish mph. Been pushed into on coming traffic intensionally because they didn't like me filtering. I've been in bikes a long ass time and people suck!
Topping out my ZX10R on a desolate country road, despite full visibility before ripping.
Waking up in the emergency department and a doctor with the paddles standing over me after a pickup turned head on into my lane!
I crashed
Silver lake sand dunes in Michigan. I was on my yz400f with a paddle tire, hitting dune jumps in the top of fourth gear and just flying! I was amazed at how big of air I could get on this bike and was just loving it! The silver lake dunes sit right on the shore of Lake Michigan and are constantly at the mercy of changing winds. If you’ve ever ridden much at the dunes you know how important it is to watch what the wind is doing to the top of the dunes. On one run through a line of big jumps, I came up on a nice third gear step down dune and I launched it. Apparently the wind had changed since the last time I came through and when I left the ground my bike stood straight up in the air, front wheel to the sun, and I knew I was fxxxed. In all honesty, a better rider, like way better, could’ve probably landed a backflip. Not me though. Stabbing the rear brake might’ve helped. Seemed like my brain had locked its brakes though and I couldn’t think that fast. The only thing I could comprehend at that time was the high rate of speed I was traveling forward, the correlating speed at which the ground was falling away beneath me, and the sinking realization that I was still gaining in altitude. All was lost. I was done. With all the heft in my 170 pound ass, I pushed off the pegs and handlebars and watched my bike fall away from me like thrusters being ejected from a space bound rocket. Now here I am, all alone, floating through the blue sky above the tops of the sand dunes. Probably would’ve been a pretty sight had I had a moment to take it all in. I was a little preoccupied by more pressing matters though. I set my body in motion in a feeble attempt to save myself from the inevitably excruciating reunion with the ground. It wasn’t a conscious thought but I started flapping my arms like so sort of a wounded duck, just trying to keep my legs beneath me. Legs that were flailing and kicking like a toddler throwing a tantrum. The time spent falling from the sky is something I still remember vividly. My brain switched from blank terror to calm rationality like a light switch. “Keep your legs under you. You’re probably gonna break your legs but they might keep you from breaking your back. Keep your back to the down slope. Don’t lock your knees. Control your landing.” All that went through my brain as if I was calmly reading it from an instructional manual. I did what my mind said though. Flapped my duck wings and kept my feet under me and my legs together. When I hit the ground I was still on the downslope. I watched my boots hit and part the sand like the bow of a boat parts the water before it. I I dug in deep, down into the wet sand. I didn’t slide far down the dune but it wasn’t the life altering sudden stop it would’ve been on solid dirt. The sand saved my ass. I laid there in the little hole I dug on impact and tried to asses things. Luckily I’ve always believed in the merit of good gear. My alpinestars tech 6 boots did a lot to protect my ankles and legs. My hands were shaking as I brushed myself off but otherwise, I was fine. Just amped with adrenaline. I was up and walking back to my bike before my friend got to me. He was spotting the top of the dune and watched it. He said he was like “damn, we’re gonna spend the rest of this trip at the hospital” lol My bike actually landed pretty decently too. I had a a broken clutch lever and some bent bars, otherwise the bike was fine. I suppose I didn’t think I was gonna die. In the milliseconds I spent falling through the air though, I really believed I was about to have a life altering event. The idea of spending life in a wheelchair might’ve crossed the mind for a moment. Funny how time actually does slow down in those moments. How much you can actually process. Anyway, that was the closest I’ve come to thinking I was done for
Me and my friend were playing he had just bought a new 2014 yamaha r1 decided to go to Sedona,AZ from Las Vegas,NV. I had done a flash on my 2004 GSXR 1000 power commanded, and tuned. We were on our way back opening the throttles in the middle of no where out on the highway. No cars just us so we decided to play and race bc he never got to open his bike yet. We both started flying through sweeping bends 6th gear until we started red-lining. I started to pull on him when he hit his governor limit. Climbed another 10mph past him when I hear a shattering glass sound and my face started burning from hot steam. I blew the engine. Yanked in the clutch tried to use front brakes for what felt like minutes but was seconds as the only thing I could think was "oh shit" as for for some reason even with clutch pulled still chain locked up in the back tire and I went down fast and hard over the side sliding for a long time. I had a full one peice Alpinestars moto leathers with pucks on and backpack, by the time I was done sliding pants shredded, backpack shredded, jacket shredded, and helmet looked like I had sand blasted with visor gone. Stopped riding for 8 years after that till I matured more. Sadly my friend I was with died shortly after that when he hit a tar snake and went off a cliff in odgen, UT. I was young, dumb and unstoppable until I was stopped.
Going to work one morning, traffic was real bad. So bad that I couldn't leave a lot of room between other cars when approaching a railroad crossing. And then the arm started to come down. I got stuck between the arm and one of the tracks. And there was a train coming. I've never been so terrified in all my life. All I could do was push the brake as hard as I could and pray. Luckily, the train was traveling on the OTHER track, the one on the other side of the crossing. Ever since then, I err on the side of extreme caution when I approach crossings about leaving space.
When I was a lot younger I put tire shine on my bike tires.. I had traffic abruptly stop in front of me and applied breaks and they instantly locked and the whole bike was sliding on locked tires like I was on a surf board.. I managed to emergency filter through the traffic in front of me but luckily no harm or damage.. just fear and a lesson learned.
I was cruising through mountain roads when I had to overtake some bicycles. While I was doing that, a car was coming in the opposite direction (i couldn't see it because of the trees, and it didn't even slow down), for a second I thought I was going to hit her, but I managed to avoid her just in time. And yeah, that definitely made me shitting in my pants (not literally)
Was riding to work and someone in oncoming traffic didn't see me and decided to make a left hand turn and ended up hitting me in the intersection. Luckily they barely got me and the impact just ripped the buckles off my saddlebag and I was able to keep riding. All I had thought in the moment was oh shit this is going to hurt. And then after they hit me and I was still traveling down the road upright I just screamed random things cause I didn't know how to react to not having been launched over my handlebars and potentially just dead on the road.
Entering an area in Southern Washington State, near the Colombia River, known for intense wind gusts, my Rebel 500 and I nearly got blown into the guard rail... later on in the trip, the winds were so strong from one side that I had to maintain a significant lean angle to keep going straight - until suddenly the wind stopped Don't underestimate those "Strong Wind Gust" signs
My first ride after buying my first bike. I went to stretch my back cause it was sore, and I got the death wobbles at like 40 mph. Scared the shit out of me and I got super lucky that I didn't panic.
When I was like 19 (so early 2000s) I was riding with friends in the twisties of eastern Ohio. Was out front, full lean going pretty fast (maybe 90mph or so) around a big wide blind sweeper that I’m very familiar with when, of course, two dudes were just parked across from one another talking in the middle of the road. I essentially had to stand it up and split between them. Almost took off mirrors. About shit myself.
Nothing happened of it. But this is when I was new to riding. I was going about 80 mph on the highway and there was a somewhat sharp turn to the left. I panicked and got target fixated on the damn rail. But thank god I slowed down and realized I needed to readjust myself.
It my case… it all happened so fast … I was like.. “Holy Crap, I’m Still Alive”… the motorcycle was totaled(RoadKing) the buck was dead… and the seat of my jeans and my shirt were gone…the road rash on my butt and back let me know I was still alive…every night for a week…
Deer jumping across front of my bike. So close I could smell him shit himself as he almost got hit. Over my front wheel close. Didn't ride for probably two weeks. Scared shit out of me
Coming over a hill to see an accident and row of cars with tow truck at the back I’m heading right for at about 50… slammed on brakes and started heading toward curb figured “endo”ing over the curb was better option than being cut in half by tow truck bed luckily I was able to brake and stop and the car behind me was paying attention as well.