What's the fraidest you've ever been on a motorcycle?

[cherokeeprogressive]

For me, it used to be one morning when I was on my way to work, on my 750 Ninja, in the fog. I was going downhill on a four lane street in a residential area. A car was waiting to make a left turn onto the street, and I swear the guy looked right at me before standing on the gas pedal and trying to get across the street before I got there. I missed his back bumper by maybe six inches.

That experience was replaced two summers ago when my now wife and I accompanied three friends on a trip from L.A. to San Antonio to see the daughter of one graduate from Air Force boot camp. We rode my 2006 Harley Davidson Road King.

We had finally cleared Phoenix traffic on our way to Tucson. Just before dusk, at about 75 mph, my Road King gave a wiggle. Sandi said "What was that?" and I told her it was maybe a groove in the pavement or something. Two seconds later; BIG WIGGLE, and now we're going side to side probably 18" or more. It hits me... FLAT TIRE. In the back of my mind I'm thinking about whether taking the bike off of the pavement so as to land in a softer place or trying and stop it on the pavement is the better choice. I'd die if anything happened to Sandi while she's a passenger on a bike I'm riding, or anyone else for that matter.

I grabbed just the right amount of front and back brake and got the bike into the emergency lane and stopped, but not until it gave a last wiggle to the right side and it was all I could do to keep the 1100+ pounds of us from laying down.

I got big hugs. I acted like "yeah, it was nothing", when I knew that I'd have probably had us on the pavement 5 out of 10 times in the exact same situation.

[Submariner]

1. The Interstate was splitting into a "Y" for north and south

traffic about a half-mile ahead of me. I was in the far left lane doing about 65 mph on my Yamaha 1100cc road bike to bear left at the "Y". This was about 30 years ago.

A middle aged woman in a big Buick in the lane to my right, with her left front fender next to the rear of my bike. She then purposely pulled up alongside of me and started to move into my lane forcing me into the guardrail. I got on the brakes and slid in behind her and followed her home. She could clearly see me out her driver's side window, and purposely was putting me into the guardrail.

She stayed in her car in her driveway, while I was stopped in the street and stared at her, daring her to get out of her car so I could unleash a string of profanities for her f*cked up driving. She was probably now terrified by the "biker" parked in front of her house. I cooled off and drove away before I started some trouble and got arrested.

I sold my road bike a few months later, because I couldn't enjoy riding anymore KNOWING that total assholes were out there on the road purposely TRYING to cause injury and death because they don't like bikes. I bought a Husqvarna dirt bike and went back to trail riding and enduro races...it was a lot safer off the asphalt.

[Skittles]

2. was on the back of one that slid on some oil

in a residential area; we didn't get badly hurt but that wobbling and fallover was scary indeed

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. 2 AM July 5th 1981, sober and waiting for the red light to change...

.
.
.
...while watching the station wagon speeding towards my rear end
and thinking, "He's gonna stop. He's gonna stop. He's gonna stop."
.
And realizing that that fucker wasn't even gonna slow down. Drunk
kid in a station wagon looking up at the light and deciding to blow
right through it without looking down and seeing me sitting there.
.
Sober probably saved my life. I had JUST enough time to get a
LITTLE forward momentum going before he hit me at 55 mph.
350+ feet for him to stop with my bike embedded in the front of
his car -- he ended up with a 6-wheeled vehicle.
.
Saying, "FUCK!!!!" and cranking on the throttle is all I remember
until I was in the ER begging for a cigarette -- though witnesses
said that I was conscious the whole time (and that it looked like
I was going to hit the red light over the intersection while I flew
and landed in the gas station parking lot across from me).
.
Ten days in the hospital. Two months out of work. Seven months
on crutches and a full leg cast.
.
That INSTANT when I realized I was roadmeat was it for me.
.
.
.
Survived and lived well.
.
.
.
Quit riding for about 25 years because of it and recently got
another bike and had two more good years of riding before I
stopped for health and financial reasons.
.
.
.
Saw a fantastic t-shirt that said it all for me during those
two years.
.
.
.
"I'm riding my therapist."
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(on edit)
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OH!!! Also the morning that I stopped drinking on the bike (and the
reason I was sober for the above accident).
.
Went to a bar after getting the afternoon off and donating blood at
a local blood drive. Figured being a pint low would make it easier to
raise my BA level. Closed it. Somehow managed to ride home.
.
.
Woke up the next morning realizing that I had broken my neck. And,
when I opened my eyes... that I had gone blind.
.
.
Took me long, terrified, uber-hungover minutes to realize that I was
lying on my back in bed and the only thing wrong with my neck and
eyes was the fact that I still had my fullface helmet on with the dark
visor down.
.
Went outside and found the bike on its side -- figure I forgot to put
the kickstand down and just went over... then crawled out from under
it and went inside.
.
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Made a non-drinking-on-the-motorcycle BELIEVER outta me.
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But those coupla minutes before I figured out the helmet thing --
don't EVER wanna feel that scared again.
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.

[jobycom]

26. Ha! (the helmet story, not the first one).

You're probably lucky you didn't puke in the helmet.

The first one... just glad you're here to post all those dots. :)

[sgsmith]

4. Two times

(Going to age myself here) The first was when I was about 14 or so. The family Christmas present was a mini-bike, which we used to tear around the house and up the hills behind us. One day I figured out how to get it through the fence of the newly built, but not yet open to traffic, GA-400. (For the folks in Atlanta, GA-400 was originally just two lanes all the way from I-285 northward.)

Anyways, was full throttle coming back when the front wheel started to shimmy, which became a wobble, which became a drop on the road. Fortunately had a helmet on and had slowed down an awful lot so I didn't get hurt. I make the grandiose claim of being the first person to wreck on GA-400.

Second was on a 100 cc bike used to commute to the summer job. Some twit looked right at me as she turned left in front of me. Didn't lay the bike down, but scared the **** out of me.

[av8rdave]

5. Early 80s, on a desert road south of Phoenix

Pitch dark, and I was doing northwards of 90 MPH (I was in my 20s at the time). Fuse blew and all the lights went out.

[PJPhreak]

10. Going up I 95,Coming from Key West on a Rodded KZ 1100 LTD going about 75-80 mph

Approaching Daytona (Speedway Blvd),Raining HARD,Dark,Go to pass a 18 Wheeler and as I move out from behind the truck I flick my lights (HI-Low-Hi-Low) to let the driver know that I am coming up in his blind spot....And I lose ALL the lights! Headlight,Running,Tail,Turn all of them! Gone.Awwwww CRAP! I let go of the throttle and CAREFULLY slide back in behind the truck...Spent the next couple of miles eating and drinking tire spray,YUK!

On the same bike,
Every Sunday morning there was/is a large group of riders that gather at Marcus Dairy Barn and Restaurant in Danbury Conn.I was riding the back road to get there and as I approached I-84 I saw two things,A cop directing traffic and that they were doing some road construction. As I came up to where the cop was standing the road hooks a slight out of camber curve to the left,drops under I-84 and heads towards Marcus Dairy.
Soooo,As I get closer to the cop I start downshifting,countersteering into the corner and go to ease on the rear brake.
The next thing I know is I am on my ass sliding thru the intersection and thinking "Wheres the Bike" (I didn't want it to slide onto ME)
As I came to a stop I stood up just in time to see the cop high-steppin it just as fast as he can with my Bike a few feet behind him,he throws his hands over his head and faceplants himself into a mud and water filled ditch,the bike passes over him and lands in the weeds a few feet past where he landed.
The next thing I see is this cop,covered in Mud,Water and Leaves,hat askew climbing outta same said ditch.Other than the Mud,there was not a scratch on either one of us

He Was Not A Happy Camper.

Bent Handlebars,Dented Tank,Smashed Gages,Mangled Front Fender...$240 worth of tickets.

[elocs]

6. Every time I rode as a passenger. Must be a control problem.

I gave up on motorcycles some 30 years ago when I realized that nearly everyone in a car or truck were out to kill me or give me a heart attack. I got tired of riding with my heart in my throat every time I saw an approaching car. I got tired of riding in fear.

The other thing is that here in Wisconsin the riding season is so small. Sure you could ride when it's below freezing and freeze your ass off, but what's the fun in that? Then there's the joy of the occasional black ice even before there is snow.

No thanks. For me the joys of riding a motorcycle do not overcome the negatives.

[jobycom]

30. A lot of us former riders reached that point.

If it weren't for the cars, I'd have no trouble with it, but they don't see you. I can understand why--you don't fill a lane the same way a car does, you aren't in the spot they are looking at when they switch lanes, the headlight is centered and higher than a car's headlight, so when you pull in front of one they seem further back.

But at some point it's just more tense than fun. And now I figure I got out of it without even laying a bike down (not counting dirt bikes), and anything more would be testing my luck. Although I'm in my mid 40s, and they are calling to me once again. So far I'm resisting... :)

[applegrove]

7. I once went on a moped ride with a friend of my brothers. I was terrified. I don't like machines so

much.

[kimi]

8. I was about 12 years old

My cousin and brother and I "borrowed" her older brother's (my much older cousin who's now a district judge in Nebraska's) bike - it was a big ol thing - and took it up and down the alley in back of their house in a little rural town in Nebraska. Had lots of fun, we were kids doing something wrong and we reveled in that. We were all 14 or less.

I was playing on it, and of course put it down on it's side. You can't accelerate in a little alley and not expect something bad to happen.

Whoo, we got whippings, oh, and some bumps, cuts, and bruises, not just from the whuppin either. Now that I think of it, I'm lucky to have survived, but no one thought that at the time. Don't think Judge Cousin has forgiven me to this day.

[guitar man]

9. Yamaha XS650

1987 Virginia Beach, Va. Sitting at a stoplight and all of a sudden heard brakes locked up behind me, BIG brakes! Whipped my head around to see a dump truck with all 10 wheels locked up and smoking, and coming right at me. Twisted the throttle, dumped the clutch and rode through the intersection on red ,on the back wheel. I almost got t-boned by an Olds 98. The dump truck slid into the intersection behind me and got t-boned by a pickup truck.

I just about shit myself! :wow: :scared:

[PJPhreak]

11. SX650...Nice Ride!

Mine was an 82 Heritage Special,Black with all the Black Chrome.

Lubs Me A 650 Twin!

I so want one of these...


Kawasaki only made the W 650 for two years (01-02) Insta Classic!!

[guitar man]

15. Mine was a '81

Kinda wish I had kept it now. I ride a '99 Harley Sportster but there are times when I'd like to ride my old 650 again.

And that W650 is ridiculous, i'd buy one in a heartbeat if I had the money. Pretty much like a classic Triumph but it doesn't just quit on you for no reason in the middle of nowhere :D

[Enthusiast]

42. Rumor has it they

are going to build an 800cc version. Heard it somewhere. Great looking bikes.

[HEyHEY]

12. When I forgot I had a bag of weed on me and was crossing the border

I kid, that never happened. I've had some harrowing dirtbike moment though.

[Dappleganger]

13. Just getting my fucking course certificate...

my husband and I took it together (against my better judgement). I have enough anxiety issues as it is and I just barely passed the riding test thanks to his smartass remarks.

There have been a few deer which made my heart stop, the kind which love to stare into your eyes while they try to decide which way to go. Otherwise, I have been very lucky to not have any incidients so far (4 years of riding experience).

[bluesbassman]

14. Hwy 101 at Morgan Hill

Before they finished connecting Hwy 101 from South San Jose to Morgan Hill in the mid-eighties you used to have to use Monterey Road, aka "Blood Alley". It was actually a pretty nice ride through that area with lots of mom and pop businesses, restaurants, and service stations. Sadly, most of those all dried up after they completed 101. Anyway, the first connection at Morgan Hill was Cochrane Road. When heading south there was a nice right handed sweeper when you exited Cochrane and got on to 101. One morning I was heading that way on my Sportster and was feeling a little too frisky I suppose because about halfway through the turn I jumped on the throttle and laid the bike into the turn. The bike handled surprisingly well, but unfortunately I hit some oil or grease and the back wheel broke loose. So now I've got the back wheel spinning and the bars at full lock trying to decide if I should stay with the bike or kick off when it goes down and I chanced to look behind me and see a Volvo sedan about two car lengths back. No idea where it came from, but I had a pretty good idea where it was going to end up. At this point I realized that putting the bike down wasn't an option, and I figured letting off on the gas was going to pitch me over the bars, so that old adage of "when in doubt, GAS IT" kicked in and that's what I did. Kept on the gas with the back wheel screaming until the turn straightened out. The biggest piece of luck was that I didn't lean it over far enough for the peg to dig in.

So, I made it through the turn, and just as I was about to pull to the side of the road to adjust my shorts, the Volvo passed me. I got a quick look at the driver. He really should have got out in the sun more, I've never seen someone with less color in their face. :)

[kimi]

36. Ohhh

I remember that road well.

Used to drive it all the time between South San Jose, where my mom lived, and Fresno, where I was going to school. "Blood Alley" indeed. Cochrane Road sounds familiar, and yes, the little town places through there were kinda neat. And it WAS picturesque. Then, when there was a particularly bloody accident in - I dunno - the late 80's - I stopped using it. And then the interstate bypassed it.

But yeah, I remember Monterey Road.

[snooper2]

16. 1979 Honda CB750F SuperSport, running from cops (actually cop :) )

No insurance, no license, 19 years old...Round 2 hours south of St. Louis

About 10:00 at night and cop pulled out after me as I was turning off Hwy 67 South onto Hwy J. Chased me about ten miles in total, turned onto T, right on Charter Church Rd., Right on Laguna Palma Rd, (past my house where I grew up)- all the way to Laguna Palma Lake Road where it turns into one lane, third blacktop, third rocks, third dirt. He gave up the chase halfway around the lake but I wiped out on a low water bridge, he saw me, came and slapped the cuffs on...

He never would have caught me if I had put in the new jets in two of my four carbs that were jacked up...


That will give ya a rush...Then after getting taken to the cop shop and a shitload of tickets, I had to walk all the way back home from Hillsborough, through DeSoto back to the backwoods - all night long

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. Riding as a passenger --

on my nephew's crotch rocket - you know, the ones where the passenger is riding high behind the driver and pratically laying on them? -- while he ripped 110 down a Texas highway. I was trying to be all nonchalant about the whole thing, but it added a few more white hairs, I have to admit.

[Joe Fields]

18. Riding on the back of a Yamaha 800 with my brother driving.

1982:

We were both drunk, had three days off, and we rode from Dinosaur, Colorado to Salt Lake City, over 200 miles, averaging 100 mph. Even drunk,I was scared shitless. We made it without any major mishaps.

[bikebloke]

19. Riding pillon.

A friend in Basel, Switzerland took me across town on his motorcycle. It had just rained and the tram tracks were wet. I kept thinking we were going to wipe out. Plus, I kept leaning the opposite way by reflex on the turns.

[old mark]

20. I was riding at 6 AM on a Sunday to avoid car traffic, and almost got hit twice

by drivers who just were not looking - I was on a red '70's Honda 350 twin, with all lights on. I just gave up and sold it.

mark

[billyclem]

21. First time I was the sidecar monkey in a sidecar motocross race. n/t

[backwoodsbob]

22. for the locals from Wayne County Mi

you'll know the road.

Same freaking bike..750 Ninja.Was running that 5 or so mile stretch of no where on Michigan Ave between Wayne and Belleville just west of Canton when we went for it.At about 140 it gave a BIG wobble in the front.I played catch up for a good quarter mile before I finally got it straight and slow.

NEVER went over 80 again.That scared the daylights out of me

[haele]

23. Last tuesday when I was side-swiped on my 125cc Buddy by a Volvo -

He "thought I was turning right" about 45 feet from an intersection on a two-way street full of potholes and dips and decided to pass me - in my lane - on the left side.
I heard him come alongside me doing about 20mph, tried to stablilze myself into a pothole and ended up brakeing as soon as I saw the hood start to cut in front of me.
Scariest thing is seeing the passenger side windows move in peripheral to you as if you are walking next to the car to look over it's hood, and you know you're trying to balance on two wheels as he's going by - and I could feel the back of his car grazing my left pant-leg, so I didn't dare put a foot down to keep from going over. His back bumper hit my front wheel and I went down in the pothole on my left side behind him.
Sprained the ankle badly, contusions, swelling and haemotomas all over my lower left leg, left mirror broke, top cowling popped off, and front fender cracked. But at least the scooter is drivable (made it on to work to put it in a safe parking area).
He at least stopped, so now the insurance companies are playing tag with each other (finally got ahold of his insurance company)- and since he pretty much admitted on the scene it was his fault, all the bills will go to him, and maybe he'll learn something about lane encroachment and "don't assume someone's going to turn, especially when there's no F**$#ing turn signal on!".
If I hadn't felt him coming up alongside and the Buddy wasn't such a responsive scooter, I'd probably be plastered over his back hood with some serious broken bones, if I wasn't unlucky enough to fall under his back tire as he was going forward.

After it gets fixed and my leg heals up, I'm still using my Buddy for the work commute.

Haele

[nolabear]

24. I once woke up on the back of a motorcycle

when it ran off the side of the road because my ex, who was driving, had also fallen asleep. Certainly didn't fall asleep after that.

[quickesst]

25. Riding on I-30 ............

...as a passenger on a friends V-65 Honda Magna, looking over his shoulder and reading the speedometer at 143mph, scared shitless, and he was laughing. I ride dirt bikes with my son and grandson now. People in cars don't "see" you. Thanks.
quickesst

[RandomThoughts]

27. It is possible people do not see my posts.

It would make sense in a security state.

However I never said it was posting that made a difference.

And I will be paid the beer and travel money and many experiences that are due to me.



One of the people that want me to live a certain way, or be a certain way, said 'they don't care about you' Why is the illusion that people do not care about justice and correcting what should be corrected is created, is to try and get you to gravitate to something else.

The intent to make you feel they do not care, by not correcting what they should correct, is to get you to move to some thing that claims to care about you, while keeping you from being seen by those that do care, just do not see as much. That is ridiculous, and a trap. The blame is on those keeping things from being seen, when there intent is to keep people from seeing things so that people will not correct what should be corrected.

[jobycom]

28. Tightroped the concrete between the curb and a car doing about 60.

Preston Road in Dallas, I was driving to work on some holiday or other, so there was no traffic. Three lanes. I'm in the center, and a car pulls out of a side road. No big deal, they clearly saw me, and we had three lanes, so I didn't react until I realized they were pulling into the center lane in front of me, instead of one of the empty lanes. Typical stuff. So I pulled over to the right to pass. I had eased off the gas but hadn't braked because I figured I'd just go around them. As soon as I switch lanes they move to the right, too, and trap me against the curb. So I'm going about 60, six inches from a car on my left, and my wheel about five or six inches from the curb, on the concrete gutter part that slopes down.

Rode probably forty yards that way, afraid to breath or brake, but backing off the accelerator the whole time, until the car finally cleared me. To this day I'm sure the driver had no clue where I was. Within a couple of weeks I sold the bike and bought a car, and haven't ridden since. It wasn't just that one incident--I just knew I wouldn't keep getting lucky every time, and it was no longer fun enough.

[Auggie]

29. On an island in the South Pacific, on a road made of crushed coral

Took a big spill on a cheap scooter when the front brake locked up. I was going fast enough that I went head over the handle bars and landed on the front wheel. This was while on vacation. No helmut, just shorts and an Aloha shirt. Couldn't breath -- damn near thought I broke a rib. The nearest hospital was available only by plane. My skin was scraped-up real bad and embedded with tiny little pieces of white coral in every wound. Hurt like hell. The only anticeptic / pain relief I had was the mini-bar of the resort bungalow. I drained the whole thing that night. I guess the rib wasn't broken, though it hurt for six months.

[petronius]

31. Once I was sitting on a bike outside a bar, looking cool and talking shit - then the biker who

actually owned the bike came out and saw me...

Just kidding, I've never actually been on a motorcycle. :)

[REP]

32. Anytime I rode with my brother

Usually in a skirt, carrying a big-ass purse. He did have a helmet for me, though. Fun as hell, yet unnerving. I held on to him like he wasn't my brother!

[Throd]

33. As a passenger on something called a Kawasaki Triple 750, I believe it was

Made it from Orange CA to Westminster CA in a few minutes on the 22.

[bluesbassman]

34. Crazy fast bikes back in the day.

Handling left a little to be desired, but as long as you kept 'em pointed in a striaght line they went like bats outa hell!

[PJPhreak]

35. Ahhhh,Fond Memories of two things...

1 My first "Real" Street Bike,A 1973 Kawasaki H1 500 just like this one...

2 Almost Killing Myself on this thing...Would Not Go Around a Corner Worth a Damn!

[kedrys]

37. Hauling ass on my Yamaha Radian 600 at 106mph

on a deserted country road straightaway north of Houston about 20 years ago, wondering if I would have enough space to stop before a relatively busy T intersection. I did, but for a split second there, I really thought I'd be street pizza or fly into the pasture across the way.

I miss my bike.

[hunter]

38. My brother had a Honda CBX1000

It was a ridiculously over-powered six cylinder beast.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CBX

Being young and stupid I took it out to the desert to see how fast it would go.

There were some dips in the road (since removed :( ) that were exhilarating in cars and other motorcycles I'd driven.

On the CBX they were terrifying.

[PJPhreak]

39. Those were a case of Cylinder Overkill,

And yes they are/were Sick Fast!

[woofless]

40. I hit a deer at 60 MPH while riding my Guzzi to work.

That was back in 1996 and I'm still shaking.

Woof

[jmowreader]

41. It was going through Butte, Montana...

I was traveling through Butte at a slightly excessive rate of speed (okay, it was in excess of 100mph) when two cops blew past my ass out on the Interstate like I was standing still. They got off at the next exit.

I figured they were going to a murder scene at that rate of speed. Nope. They went to a burger joint and had lunch.