I give up on bikes, sorry!

[Spike_R]

Hey all

had my rd125lc for about 4 weeks, and ive come off 3 times, none being my fault. i dont understand how i have so bad luck, every time ive damaged myself, and the pain is really not worth it.

firstly, it seized up at 80mph and i ddidnt get the clutch and was thrown down the road, ended up with a broken wrist .. ouch.

second, a car driver forgot to indicate, slow speed collision, mainly scratches. bikes written off.

fixed the bike up and was out on it when the front wheel seized at about 60mph, taking 2 inches off flesh off my knee, down to the bone, breaking my thumb and right index finger.

im going to let the insurance company take it away. and do my car test. sorry guys but having someone sticking their finger under your skin on your knee to check the bone over is not something i want repeated.

i will always love bikes, and get one in the future, but when i can afford a half decent new bike with a full set of kit.

many regards,

spike
____________________
Derbi supermoto with cr500 engine, niceee

[colin1]

nasty
i must remember never to buy an rd
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god

[ZRX61]

The 1st & 3rd are both your fault. 2nd is dubious....

[Shaun]

Buy a bike thats worth a bit more than a tenner to the scrap man?

[no_shad]

[mcbiker]

Words like "Roadworthy", "Current MOT", "Inexperienced" spring to mind.
____________________
Pete - Honda FJS 600 ABS Silverwing Maxi Scooter
Previously owned - Piaggio X9500sl, Kwak GT550, GT750, ZZR600, ZX9R, MZ ETZ250, Yam Divi900, TDM850, Honda C90, CG125, CB400N, CBF600SA.
I won't die on my bike, probably a few minutes later in a nearby field.

[G]

If you have a poorly maintained car you can cause a lot more damage, not just to yourself, but to others.

Even if it was the previous owner that neglected it, the same is true for a car.


As for hitting the car, while that may not be your fault as such, I'm willing to bet a decent 'advanced' rider wouldn't have hit the car.
Also, lets say this other car had done the same thing when you were in a car - it's possible something worse could happen, especially if your car was poorly maintained.


However, saying all that, if you aren't really 'gelling' with bikes, a car probably is the way forward - just make sure you learn from these lessons.

[HurtMePlease]

People not to let ride your bike

1.Spike_R
2.G
____________________
Hear Thy Call..............................
Rs125 (97) <-Sold|Riding->ZXR400L2(92) Yamaha R6(01)

[Sheepy1209]

Plenty of car drivers 'forget' to indicate - though usually 'don't bother' is a better description. An indicator is just a courtesy - even if one's showing, don't assume they mean it.

If you can't afford a decent bike you can't afford a decent car - and while a faulty car is less likely to end up killing you, it's more likely to end up killing someone else.

But it's not really a matter of cost - what you need is someone to steer you away from the dangerous ones (bikes and cars). You could easily spend 3 grand on a bike and still find it's got a dangerous fault - and on a car, those faults are even harder to spot, especially if the paintwork's pristine!

There are some great older bikes out there for a few hundred quid - you just need to know what to look for, you need a friend to double-check - and build up your speed gradually over a few weeks so that any latent faults become apparent when you're less likely to do any damage to yourself (my first bike had knackered rear suspension - of course I didn't know any better, but didn't feel safe on it - just didn't realise why).

[Spike_R]

i really feel next time i'm going to die. i dont want to go through the pain of the hospital again. atleast if i crash a car i should be relativly ok.
____________________
Derbi supermoto with cr500 engine, niceee

[McGee]

Depends on the car though and the condition of the viehicle. You might roll it flip it or hit a tree. So there not as safe and just as bad or even worst.
____________________
◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►
Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Simonbt]

[paulthewitt]

also i think it was G and Korn who had never had a serious bike accident, then whilst in a car towing the bikes to a track day somebody hit them and they had serious injuries (got trapped in the car etc...)

so it isnt necessarilly the case. also remeber the saying

"better safe than sorry"??

well

"if you play it safe, you sorry"

remember that.
Paul

[alpha golf]

[veeeffarr]

You're just another example of someone who has bad experiences through their own fault (Not getting a roadworthy bike, paying too much attention to indicators) and runs away, instead of learning from their mistakes.

I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with bikes, but getting a car because it's "safer" is a bad excuse... Bike are just as safe if you're savvy enough and make sure you know what you're doing... You have to be more alert than in a car... But it's a small price to pay for having a bike to be honest.

Get some more money, get a reliable four stroke (CG, CLR, GN, etc), buy a service manual and some tools, and go through all the checks yourself, understand what your bike does and what it should be doing and get back out on those roads!

In my opinion you can't put 100% into riding if you don't trust your machine, and after your first experience it'd be enough to make me consider changing bikes/learning how to repair.

Good luck

EDIT: I've never come off, but I have peace of mind when I'm riding that I am properly equipped and armoured at all times when I ride, there's nothing niggling at the back of my head whether I could have done more to protect myself on my bike, from your post it sounds like you don't have gear... Get some!

I had a period of doubt when I had my bike... You just need to make sure there's nothing at all bugging you when you're riding... Make sure you are totally confident in a) Your bike and b) Your protective clothing and c) Your skills.

I have had 2 lessons after my CBT to brush up on my skills, and they've helped a lot, I had forgotten so much after 3 weeks that I felt the benefit of my lessons, maybe try the same?

Toby

[Spike_R]

mx boots, padded jacket, mx lid, carbon nuckled gloves and jeans.

if i wasnt wearing the boots and jacket i guess i'd be seriously injured.

anyway, i know i said that I would be safe, yes. i wouldn't drive a car that hasent been inspected prior to purchase wether it be a recent MOT or mechanic inspection.

the bike i was riding was a death trap, it was MOT'd but obviously not safe, i wouldn't have said it was my own fault coming off? but who knows
____________________
Derbi supermoto with cr500 engine, niceee

[McGee]

[jamie192]

Well you may not have had somebody stick there finger in your knee if you had some protective trousers?

You sound rather unlucky and have had a bad experience. I have been riding for a year and have had a few near misses, and ill be honest i ride like a nut sometimes otherwise i get bored. Never the less i tend to not put other peoples life in danger only my own.

Now as you coming off your bike not your fault, sorry but i agree with every one else.

Like you said you were riding a bike that had a mot yes but you know that it wasnt very safe, and when you are riding along at high speeds that you can do yourself some serious damage. surly you wouldnt want a dodgy bike.
My bike isnt the safest thing on the road. i ride a ts that a renowned for having poo brakes. They should be better but they are not but its something i can adjust my riding for.

You should make sure your bike is roadworthy to your own standards.

In my opinion you get knocked down you get back up again.

Sorry for the long post.
____________________
Ride Fast, Brake hard, don't fall off!

[Adam_P]

[Spike_R]

cheers for the advice everyone. the response i seem to be getting from everyone is that it dosent matter if i get a car or a bike, the danger still remains.

what to do i dont know, im planning on just letting the insurance take the bike away, and spend the money on an intensive driving course.

i understand that all three accidents were partly my fault, the bike had been checked over before being ridden, the gearbox oil, brakes, chain, sprockets, brake pads, electrics etc. it just seems the most unexpected things happen to me, and cause me a lot of pain.

if i am to get another bike it will be from a dealer, and when i have the cash for leathers, etc. for now a cheap car from a dealers is the way forward? or should i fix up the rd125lc and have it inspected by a local garage to check its completely safe to be ridden?

i am considering selling all my gear, the boots, jacket etc. all my bike chains the lot.

please advice my course of action..

(cant be on the road for atleast a month im in plaster and cant even bend my knee)
____________________
Derbi supermoto with cr500 engine, niceee

[McGee]

At the end of the day mate its your choice, but dont give up cause of the accidents. My aunty crashed her car in 92 and hasnt driven since build up the confidence and maybe you will ride again soon.
____________________
◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►
Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

So you had 3 accidents in 4 weeks. Is that 4 consecutive weeks, or 4 weeks in total of riding.

I ask this as in your first accident you say you broke(fractured?) your wrist. If you were continuing to ride with this injury then it isnt surprising you had problems with basic bike control.
____________________
Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Johnny GSX-R]

Poorly maintained bike is YOUR FAULT!!

Not reading the road is YOUR FAULT, doesn't matter if the drivers indicators weren't used, they only mean the bulb works .
If i relied upon other peoples indicators to judge what their next move is gonna be then i'd have no arms or head by now but as it is i've done over 80,000 miles on a bike and not yet (touch wood) had an off...............i'm overdue but if its mechanical neglect then its my fault.

I suspect your new to the road, don't look for an excuse to give up bikes because of your neglect or lack of road sence..
It because of people like yourself that accident statistics creep up and the laws change making the end of biking even nearer.. Sorry for the lack of sympathy but it all goes towards another nail in the biking coffin.

[Robby]

Sounds like me that you lack money and experience.

Lack of money forces you into buying a shit, unroadworthy bike.

Lack of experience causes you to crash.

Don't sell the gear, its not worth much to anyone else and you may well want to ride again in a few months.
Learning to drive a car will involve lots of training, probably about 20 hours of it. You'll learn an awful lot that also applies to riding bikes in those 20 hours.

Money will come in time. A little cash buys a reasonable bike.

So do the car thing, give bikes a go in a while when you feel like. Don't ignore them totally, personally I pretty much took 2 years out of riding after a crash, just occasionally having a gentle bimble. Now its 2 years on the confidence is coming back, aided by having a modern bike with proper brakes and tyres.

[Davo]

I wouldn't do a intensive driving course if I was in your position, the problem with these courses is they are designed to only teach you the basics of how to pass your test, and do very little in the way of building up road sense.

I had a three lessons a week over the space of two months, and passed first time. I've only ever had one accident which was caused by a combination of diesel and ice. But I feel confident in the way I can anticpate when I'm about to get myself into a dodgy situation. This has helped with the bike as well as I'm generally a lot more aware of what situations can cause me pain.

I'd go for the individual lessons, they seem to be better suited for people with little/no road experience.