Contact

Went down hard

by Nana

I had an accident a couple of weeks ago that still has me shook up. I was following my guy and we were going down a stretch of old highway. It suddenly turned into gravel and I went blank. He was in front of me breaking down fast - we were riding staggered. I hit the rear break 3x hard, but I forgot to downshift and hit the front break. I swerved and when I righted I was immediately behind him and I hit him right in the rear fender making us both go down hard on the gravel.

My leg got caught under my bike but I was twisted around, so my ankle was twisted and trapped and hurt. I started hollering about my leg and my guy got his helmet off and rushed over to get the bike off me. Thank God I had soft bags or I'm pretty sure I would have had a broken ankle/leg. As it was, I tore my jeans and got some nasty road rash on my knee, and several bruises all along my left side. He went down on the high side and got a huge bruise on his hip and a bruise shaped perfectly like his mirror on his chest.

I was so shook up. I felt terrible. I know what I should have done and felt so bad because if I hadn't hit him, he wouldn't have gone down. It's just one of those situations that I knew what to do, but in the moment - panic. After we got both our bikes up and assessed the damage to both bodies and machines, we climbed back on and rode about 50 miles home. The whole way I was just going over and over it in my mind. It's not what happened to me, but what happened to him that scared me the most.

He was great about it - never blaming me for anything. He said we both walked away from it and the bikes weren't badly hurt - just a few scratches. But now I am scared to ride with him, let alone in a group. My bike has been sitting ever since. I miss it, but I just feel responsible and scared.

Comments for Went down hard

Click here to add your own comments

Oct 19, 2012

Thanks
by: Nana

Thanks for all the well wishes and advice. I was riding staggered and I'm not exactly sure how I got immediately behind him so as to bump him. I think it was when I corrected my rear end skid. It just happened so fast. He rides a Victory Cross Country bagger and I ride a Victory Kinpin Low. The engines are fairly comparable, but his is larger than mine. I do have engine guards and he has bag guards so that saved the bikes from too much damage and probably saved me from a broken leg.

I was feeling VERY confident prior to this. I've only been riding for 16 months. Last month I took a "girls only" ride 325 miles to Hermann, MO. We went all that way with absolutely no trouble.

I don't know if I got over confident or if I was just in a panic. Through my training I know what I'm supposed to do in this situation, I just wasn't able to put it into action. Those kind of situations are hard to practice for.

The weather is turning so the opportunities to ride are less. I will get back on, but it's going to be difficult to get my confidence back.

Thanks again!

Oct 19, 2012

Get back on the bike when you're ready
by: Melissa

These accidents happen and at least you walked away from it.
Give yourself time to work up the courage to ride again. Don't push yourself or let others push you. My advice would be to ride on quiet roads you know and do that a couple of times then work your way outward.

After my first accident, I enrolled in an intermediate rider course and learned how to avoid making the mistakes that made me wipe out the first time. It did wonders for my confidence.

Stay strong!

Oct 19, 2012

I've been pinned the same
by: Anonymous

I was hit by a big truck that was behind me at a stop sign and went down just like you, and pinned the same way by my bike. My ankle was sprained severely and I couldn't ride away from it. My riding boots saved me from a fracture. I know that feeling of being pinned under the bike is really frightening. 2 people 2 cars back got the bike off me; as I was riding alone and the idiot that hit me just stood there saying "sorry, I thought you would have gone already".

I added engine bars on my bike. (and louder pipes for the trucks to know I was still there.) Its supposed to help avoid getting pinned. I've gotten good at jumping free if I dump my bike, but it never hurts to have extra safety features in case you can't jump free. It might help you feel more comfortable getting back out there.

Hang in there. We all learn things along the way. What you described doesn't sound like it was one sided. This accident wasn't entirely your fault. Besides, that's why they call them "accidents". No one was doing anything they weren't supposed to be doing like drinking, or racing or anything. It was an HONEST ACCIDENT. So forgive yourselves and get back to having fun.

Oct 18, 2012

Ride to the Side
by: Anonymous

I ride with a guy that has terrible reflexes,he "yo-yos", makes last minute turns without signalling, slams on his brakes for no reason, brakes in a turn; where you are supposed to brake BEFORE a turn, and accellerate through it, goes faster downhill and slower uphill and I'm the opposite on winding, mountain roads. After almost hitting him a couple times I finally resorted to riding to the left or right of him, (unless I can get in front - ha ha) depending on where he's riding. It gives me a lot more room to react. When he does something unexpected I have a lot more room if I have to overshoot the space between us. It is always a good practice, and you will find this if you ever ride with groups they often stagger to the left and right rather than ride directly behind each other, for more safety.

Also, when you are following the guys, still look ahead to see what's coming up on your own. Don't just follow them and not look ahead of them. Sometimes something will sneak up on them that they didn't slow down for and then you are even less prepared than they were; because they WERE looking ahead and you weren't. Riding to the side of them helps you see past them better as well. Also, your riding conditions are not always the same as theirs, they don't feel the same ride and security you do, so you have to anticipate your own riding needs.

Oct 18, 2012

Get back on the horse
by: Anonymous

Forgive yourself. Gravel is the worst. It's like ice. If your bike is smaller than your guy's, your tires are smaller and your bike slips way easier than his. I ride with guys that ride big bikes and I have told them repeatedly mstly I don't want to ride on gravel. If its inevitible, then it better be VERY slow and they need to remember I have much smaller tires; or I'm stopping and they are going to ride my bike in and out of there themselves. (They will have to ride me on the back of theirs; which means about 4 trips for them.)

Oct 18, 2012

Accidents happen
by: Stephanie

It was an accident. I have been down three times, and the last time broke my arm, because I did something that was different what I should have done and had been trained to do in the spur of the moment. We all relive accidents in our head and how we shoulda woulda coulda handled it better. Don't beat yourself up. Learn from it and move on, and get that rubber back on the road!

Oct 18, 2012

You Can Do It
by: Ruthie

You're both okay. The bikes made it through. The longer you take to get back on, the harder it's going to be. Don't wait any more. Just do it slowly. You'll do great!

Oct 18, 2012

No Worries
by: Jeanette

You made it ...you are both ok. I know you learned what you should have done... get back on and ride.. You'll be fine

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Her-Motorcycle Forum CLOSED.