Long Distance Biker
Long Distance Motorcycling Advice

Do you believe that everyone who rides a motorcycle will have at least one wreck? How do you feel about this?

I recently had a spill on my motorcycle. I drive a cruiser, and consider myself a safe rider, but had a small accident due to poor road conditions. Now when I ride I feel much calmer and being safe comes more natural. An oldschool biker told me that everyone who rides wrecks at least once. Do you think theres an eerie truth to this statement?

Public Comments

1. Well the old saying goes "it's not if you go down it's, when you go down"

2. How do I feel? 98.9%

The wrists still make funny cracking noises when I bend and twist them.

3. Too many variables go into this-like how experienced is the rider, how mechanically sound are the bikes they ride, how many other drivers and riders share the roads. Are you talking about multi vehicle accidents or are you talking about just dropping the bike while turning around in a parking lot or in a slippery muddy condition.

If you live in an urbanized area then your accident risk goes up, if you live in a fairly or very rural area then your chances of being in a multivehicle accident goes way down. But in rural areas your chances of dropping your bike in low speed or being in a single vehicle accident go up because of situations that are not normally found in highly urbanized areas.

Bottom line, I do not believe that EVERY Rider will have at least one wreck, but I do believe that at least 50% of the riders will have their bike go out from under them at one time or another due to a variety of reasons.

4. I know a lot of people who ride,some of them quite good, with experience at road racing, enduros, and a couple of old national number plate flattrackers. I don't know a single one who has never been down. I won't count off road, where it is almost expected you will come off the bike a couple of times a season.

I have come across a couple of guys on the internet who claim they have never been down. I have no reason to disbelieve them, but the only way they can insure that they won't come off in the future is to quit riding right now.

The adage I am familiar with is "there are two kinds of riders, those who have crashed, and those who are going to." There may be a few rare cases of riders who go their entire lives without dropping the bike. That does nothing to dilute the cautionary power or truth of the adage: always ride with the assumption that you have a crash in your future, wear your gear, and be alert.

5. Big dude...don't sweat it.As crazy as it sounds crashing can make you a better rider.You most obviously learned from whatever mistake(s) or misfortune you experienced.".That is a fact.
And if your bike goes out from under you for whatever reason,im pretty sure its still called a crash.I prefer "soil sample" or "lip skid"
Ride on brother!

6. Yes. I believe every serious rider has to drop a bike at least once.

I wouldnt say wreck, but laying down or dropping yes.

Be it 2mph in gravel or going fast on a turn, you will never know what a bike can do, until you find out what it cant do... the hard way.

7. Yep,everyone drops their bike at some stage

8. The other guy's are absolutely right, going down your first time make's you a better rider. There is no way to anticipate just how quick things can go wrong. The first time I highsided a bike, I did one role and was back on my feet, and the bike was still sliding down the road, and I was only doing about 10 mph.

9. that is definitely not a true statement but i would say the longer and harder you continue to ride the more likely its gonna happen.. if you ride every day you are much more likely to crash then someone who rides once a month

10. Ive gone down lots over the years. If you can get it up its bound to go down thats what I say.

11. I'm not gonna brag, because then I would have a wreck today. But since 1976, I've owned 14 bikes, at times a motorcycle was my only transportation, no sissy cruisers, all bikes designed to perform and I use that performance, I haven't had an on the asphalt accident, period. But I'm a very paranoid, distrustful person and that helps alot. I trust other drivers to try to kill me given a chance, I trust the center of the lane to be covered with oil, I trust curves on mountain roads to be awash with sand, I trust animals and kids to run out. Just yesterday I was driving through my neighborhood looking straight ahead and it hit me that I was just asking for it and I immediately turned on the radar and put my neck and eyeballs on a swivel.

Also the bike you choose is going to be a factor. A cruiser isn't a very nimble bike dude. Not forgiving when road conditions crop up.

I think only a jackass rides around with it in his head that a wreck is inevitable. You need to ride with it in mind that your could die that day, but that wrecking as not an option and in your power to anticipate and avoid.

Of course I've dumped dirt-bikes countless times. And of course as much riding as I've done and not wrecked, luck is a huge factor, so many close calls could have gone the other way. But still that old saying is a jackass statement and an attatude that invites a wreck.

12. no. I'm certain there are many riders who have never had a wreck.

but... "on a long enough time-line, everyone's survival rate drops to zero." (fight club)

so consider how many miles people are putting in. I could ride a motorcycle for one afternoon, and then give it up. there. i went my whole life without wrecking a bike. does that count?

personally, I think it's very possible to ride thousands of miles a year and never wreck a bike. Possible, but not likely. As you found out, in street riding, there are things beyond your control. Usually it's other drivers, but road conditions (if you don't notice them in time) can cause a wreck too. That's why you "dress for the slide, not for the ride."

I've only been riding about 4 years now and i've gone down twice - but both times were on a race track, with full tech inspection, control riders, full leathers, helmet, gloves, and boots; and an ambulance 30 yards from the track.

do my 'crashes' count the same as your street crash? I would say no.

what's more, getting the on-track experience makes me an infinitely better street rider. I've gone 150mph in the rain on a race track. doing highway speeds in the rain on public roads is pretty uneventful now.

prepare for the worst, and you'll increase your chances of staying on 2 wheels.

in retrospect, ALL accidents are preventable. in the moment, they're not. ride safe.

13. I concur. Even if it is dropping your bike in a parking lot, that is still dropping it!
I have been riding for 30 years and have had one decent spill on the streets (too many to count in the dirt) when a car cut me off (doing 100+) and I tapped the brakes. Next thing I know, I am flying over the bars and loosing a lot of skin on the asphalt......Ended up breaking my helmet and back, It took about 4 months before I was riding again.
Every person I ride with has dropped a bike at least once.
It does not matter how good of a rider you are, there is always some idiot talking on the phone changing lanes into you.
Dirt still counts as crashing!

14. I think as you put on the miles sooner or later it will happen but not just with bikes, but cars planes boats, My insurance company raised my rate when I turned 35, their survey said that people in my age category that haven't had a wreck will. Two weeks later I wrecked my bike. The guy in front of me braked hard for a coffee shop, I didn't brake hard enough tried turning in with him but did a glancing blow of his rear quarter panel. Neither one of us were charged with the accident but I feel it was my fault. I let my guard down, a little to close. a little to fast.and the road was wet from drizzling rain. Got to keep your wits about you at all times