Scariest moment in a lifetime of riding

[EX GASMAN]

I was thinking about the scariest times on a bike, the only times I have been OFF were in the first 18months of starting to ride, only one accident was my fault, when I crashed a combo the first (and the last)I time I rode it, the other 2 times I came off were due to ice and another driver, but I do think it was my inexperience that contributed.  I am sure both times I would have not come off now.  I started riding bikes in 1968  after passing my test at age 16 I bought a Royal Enfield Meteor Minor 500cc.  Over the years I have had a few incidents but the one which scared me to most was on a hired 50cc scooter on a Greek island, Mrs. Ex was on the back and coming downhill around a bend due to sand on the road, the front wheel went, I have had several times when I have lost the back end and mostly that is easily corrected but when the front was out of control on a bend I was expecting trouble, luckily after a few yards it found some grip and I was able to bring it back, but that was the only time I had no idea how to get out of the situation.  What is your scariest moment on 2 wheels? 

[manxie49]

Like you I've been riding for many years, in all weathers,  I was bought a clapped out old Honda SS50 when I was 14, I was allowed to ride it around the farm fields,  I was told if I can ride a bike around farm fields without falling off it'll make me a better road rider,  and I actually believe that to be true.  I've had two accidents in my biking career, neither of them my fault, however, the scariest moment I had was from a near miss.  I was doing a lap of the TT course and going through Glen Helen,  back then there were no speed restrictions,  I was on a CBR600 and doing, probably about 70-80mph, enjoying the lovely sweeping bends.  It was a real thumb up back side moment and totally my own fault.  As I rounded one of the tighter bends,  going a lot quicker than was probably safe,  I was confronted by a tractor and slurry tanker right in front of me,  I slammed the brakes on and locked the rear up, went into a skid,  realising I was still going to hit the rear of the tractor I released the brakes and went round him.  To this day I still do not know how I "one" stayed on the bike, and "two" didn't collide with the tractor,  I was also extremely lucky that nothing was coming in the opposite direction. I don't think there was any skill involved, it was all just pure luck.  I recall having to stop the Bike at the Glen Helen Hotel and get myself back together again. Very nearly the worst moment of my life and definitely one of the scariest on two wheels.  We all take something away from near misses, learn from them, what I took away from that was to never ride like a t--t around country lanes and always expect the unexpected.

[billy sugger]

Mine was on the way to Northampton from Kettering. I was behind a taxi minibus and a slow moving vehicle. 

We had just come onto a straight bit of road, and nought was coming towards us so I looked behind me, indicated and moved over to pass them. As I got level with the minibus it pulled out and hit me. Before we parted company he then looked out his window and saw me, with a look of "where did you  come from?". He sent me careering along the road on the wrong side, and the bike almost high sided me off, but I managed to regain control and stay on. The driver never indicated, or even bothered to look before pulling out into me. Now, I was behind him for a while, as there was no turn offs I could have took, I ride close to the centre line so I am visible in your side mirror, yet suddenly I'm not there---WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM? 

 

[S-Westerly]

In Somerset not far from Hippy Central otherwise known as Glastonbury. Doing 40 in a 40 and about 25m behind car in front. Approaching a side road and could see a car waiting to come out to turn right and I assumed she could see me. Obviously not as once the car in front of me passed the junction she pulled out.  She then saw me and slammed on her brakes. I don't know  what part of her car I hit as there was no mark visible but I hit something because I got a hell of a whack in my boot, my gear selector lever bent and I had a bruised shin. Her airbag went off. Other than that the bike and I were unharmed although I suspect my pulse and blood pressure went up a tad.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Similar to @S-Westerly I had someone pull out in front of me and had no chance of stopping. I wasn't going that quickly but I was so close I had no chance of getting round him so I knew a collision was inevitable. The one thought I had was which bit of the car is the weakest?

 

it being an old Escort I knew the driver's door wasn't reinforced with anything so I went for that. Sure enough it caved in and absorbed most of the impact. I slid forward and hit the tank with my delicates but otherwise me and the bike were unscathed.

 

HIs door definitely wasn't ok though. 

 

It made me more wary about assuming motorists had seen me, or having seen me weren't going to do something daft.

[fastbob]

Right then . I was on one of my long haul trips to Scotland . I had timed it right so that I had avoided the Glasgow rush hour and there was plenty of daylight left to go  up Loch Lomond , across Rannoch Moor and through Glen Coe before camping at Fort William . Anyone who knows that road will know that there are very long straights where there is little else to do except crank the bike up to a steady 100 mph just for the hell of it . So that is what I did . Just  then ,  a full size Stag resplendent with enormous Antlers  decided to leap out of a ditch and casually saunter into the road before pausing to turn and gaze idly at the rapidly approaching motorbike . It was already too late . I didn't brake or even back off the throttle . My brain might have murmured something like " Oh well , that's that then ". There are less interesting and less messy ways to die I suppose but today was not my day . At the last millisecond , the Stag leapt out of the way with such force that I actually heard it's hooves go " Clop" on the tarmac . I was that close . I remember carrying on and trying to let the massive jolt of adrenaline subside then I started having the most absurd thoughts . There were no cars or buildings anywhere to be seen . The setting sun was lighting the mountains with a warm fiery glow and shimmering off the distant Lochs and the beautiful winding ribbon of road as it unfurled before me . Did I really miss the Stag ? Maybe heaven is very similar to the world I have just departed . So this is the Afterlife then . Ok , not so bad , in fact not bad at all . Then I looked down at my petrol tank and it still had Suzuki written on it . Oh well , I must be alive after all . If I was in  Heaven I'd be on a Harley . 

Edited December 11, 2021 by fastbob

[Mickly]

My worst was  ear to home approaching a x roads at night, my right of way, van approaching from the left junction stopped & looked, saw me & thought he’d got time, which he would have ( just ) if he hadn’t been in the wrong gear or something, so he pulled out to cross & bogged down, I slammed on the brakes, locked the back wheel swerved & just managed to just miss the rear of the van, unfortunately went into the curb of the road to the left, over that and straight through a hedge separating from my GT500 into a field, the van f*cked off.

managed to pick myself up ( a bit bruised & scratched ) & by some miracle the bike was ok (ish ) trouble was I couldn’t get it back through the hedge, so parked it against a locked gate & walked home, counting my lucky stars.

Following day I managed to find the farmer who had the lock to the gate & was on my way.

[Mickly]

16 minutes ago, fastbob said:

Right then . I was on one of my long haul trips to Scotland . I had timed it right so that I had avoided the Glasgow rush hour and there was plenty of daylight left to go  up Loch Lomond , across Rannoch Moor and through Glen Coe before camping at Fort William . Anyone who knows that road will know that there are very long straights where there is little else to do except crank the bike up to a steady 100 mph just for the hell of it . So that is what I did . Just  then ,  a full size Stag resplendent with enormous Antlers  decided to leap out of a ditch and casually saunter into the road before pausing to turn and gaze idly at the rapidly approaching motorbike . It was already too late . I didn't brake or even back off the throttle . My brain might have murmured something like " Oh well , that's that then ". There are less interesting and less messy ways to die I suppose but today was not my day . At the last millisecond , the Stag leapt out of the way with such force that I actually heard it's hooves go " Clop" on the tarmac . I was that close . I remember carrying on and trying to let the massive jolt of adrenaline subside then I started having the most absurd thoughts . There were no cars or building anywhere to be seen . The setting sun was lighting the mountains with a warm fiery glow and shimmering off the distant Lochs and the beautiful winding ribbon of road as it unfurled before me . Did I really miss the Stag ? Maybe heaven is very similar to the world I have just departed . So this is the Afterlife then . Ok , not so bad , in fact not bad at all . Then I looked down at my petrol tank and it still had Suzuki written on it . Oh well , I must be alive after all . If I was in  Heaven I'd be on a Harley . 

I killed Bambi on the Military road between Coulport & Garelochhead, it hurdled the Armco straight in front of the car - made a right mess ( would have been horrendous on a bike ) kids in the back were hysterical, luckily it was dead & didn’t have to dispatch it, dragged it to the side of the road so no one else hit it & repaired the front of the car with Duct tape & string which lasted all the way back to Cov

[S-Westerly]

1 hour ago, Mickly said:

I killed Bambi on the Military road between Coulport & Garelochhead, it hurdled the Armco straight in front of the car - made a right mess ( would have been horrendous on a bike ) kids in the back were hysterical, luckily it was dead & didn’t have to dispatch it, dragged it to the side of the road so no one else hit it & repaired the front of the car with Duct tape & string which lasted all the way back to Cov

My wife's Grandad took out a roe deer in Northumberland. Thought it was dead and being partial to venison chucked it in the back seat (Why there nobody knows). The deer came to and not surprisingly became somewhat hysterical in the car. Apparently deer hooves can rip up the interior of a car something shocking. Driver pulled over and released deer which disappeared into far distance. Bill for restoring interior almost cost what he'd paid for the car (in 1958).