Had My First Accident Looking For Advice From Experianced Bikers!

Quit biking altogether ?

  • Total voters
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Semper

Semper

Wannabie Member
Hi there I am a new bike rider passed my test in December 2014 that's how new I am and I have already had my first accident I was looking for some advice because I am at a cross roads whether to quit biking all together or jump back on the saddle and learn from my experience...

The accident happened on Thursday 7/5/2015 and I fell off my bike at a record speed about 10-15mph yea I know not fast at all but I mean when I say this is still hurt like hell.... my right knee was all scraped badly needed to go to accident and emergency (A&E) my right shoulder blade is all aching and my back also I had my neck x-rayed also as I had slight pain.... and my right thigh is scraped also but not that sore and the worse part is the accident was caused by another road user a car to be precise.... an old man who panicked and blocked my side of road while passing parked cars.....

After I fell off the bike I felt dizzy and faintness also had a very dry mouth which thankfully a witness took me into their home and gave me some water and helped me get my barrings also he seen the whole incident and is a character witness for the insurance even though the other person in question has already admitted liability....

Insurance has been called and they are collecting my bike this week coming as its all beat up even for a 10-15mph accident I was surprised how bad the bike got messed the whole right side scratched to hell even for a naked bike and the right wing mirror gone my bubble screen smashed into pieces and handle bars wrecked and the rev display all cracked rev cable snapped off the tach drive broken oh and still till this day it wont start it just makes a one click sound when I try and start her no life what so ever! and that's what I know of I am no mechanic nor do I know much about bikes yet so there could be more the insurance company said this claim will be a lengthy process as I have never need to make a claim in my entire motoring life as I drive a car and a heavy goods motor so I don't know if this lengthy process they talk about is normal or not but the guy did ask me if I wanted a hire bike I said yes and they told me I wouldn't need to pay for it as they will seek the money for it from the person in question insurance...

Now you know a little bit about my situation I can ask the question
1. As I have already had an accident with being such a new rider at the age of 32 is this a sign to quit biking altogether and to be happy I got out of this with me still in one piece.

2. Get back on a bike as soon as possible and take this as a learning curve and try to get over it...

I keep playing the scenario over and over thinking was there any better action I could have taken to prevent me falling and I keep coming to the same one as everyone else has who seen it happen "There was nothing I could do to prevent what happend" and that alone worries me..

Don't get me wrong though I love biking there is no other feeling like it and I would say its more than a hobby it's a passion for me but I am confused and would like some experienced rider's views to help me decide what's the best course of action to take from this experience
 
The one click is most likely a blown solenoid. It's a two second job but your insurance company will most likely write it off.

It doesn't matter if the chap had admitted liability at the roadside. It's the insurance companies who decide that these days.

Who are you insured with ? The claim for the damage shouldn't take long. Claiming with injuries can take years.

I was hit by a lorry and that took 2 years

As for riding again. You may or may not crash again. That's a choice you and only you have to make. I stopped for four years but still ended up back in the saddle.

If it concerns you about roads, leave them and do tracks
 
I've not been in an accident myself yet [touch wood], but my ex-housemate has. She is still on her CBT, and back in October she was in a SMIDSY. 4x4 driver cut across her, doing a right hand turn. She smashed into the side of the vehicle and was thrown over it.

She left it a bit long before getting back on the bike, and because of it, gets nervous going out even now. For instance, she used to have zero issues going across Snake Pass on her own, to visit the boyfriend, regardless of time or weather. It took her until last month to even go alone during the day and when it was sunny.

Basically: don't give up on biking. You've said you love it - don't deny yourself something you love - but the longer you leave it to get back on, the harder it'll be to actually get back on.

BabyAnimal said:
After I fell off the bike I felt dizzy and faintness also had a very dry mouth which thankfully a witness took me into their home and gave me some water
Click to expand...
Symptoms of shock, which is not surprising, really.

BabyAnimal said:
"There was nothing I could do to prevent what happend"
Click to expand...
To be honest, for most accidents there is something that can be done. And it's something experience can help. Not trying to say it was your fault, but did you see the car before it caused the accident, and make any adjustments to your riding in potential anticipation of him being a bellend?
 
Most people have their first accident within 6 months of riding, Unfortunately this is common, You do not need to give up riding because of this, Get back on that steel horse and ride like the wind :), I have had 2 accidents on roadbikes. My first WAS within 6 months of getting my licence :) My second was 27 years later
 
As other have said we all have a mishap in our first few months, my first took 1 year and was 100% my own fault. 2nd was 6 months later and other parties fault. One of the first things you need to learn about riding the road is interpretation of other road users in built up areas ;) And your own limitations in not so built up areas :D

As for getting back on the bike, I had the same delemer after my last spill but it came down to I just love riding the bike too much to stop. What I did do though was get some life insurance, I know that sounds morbid but I want my wife and little boy and girl to be OK if it goes all tits up.

For you, you will know soon enough if you want to get back on or not and no one can tell you otherwise.
 
This is a common situation. It's something that happens to many of us even multiple times. If you still have even the smallest urge to still ride you owe it to yourself to get back on. If not, it'll be an itch you'll have for years.
 
I believe there are two riders, Those that have crashed and those that are going to. Pessimistic? Probably... but everyone i know has had a crash.

Dont fret about the bike, its why you have insurance. They need to fix everything or replace it. If you arent happy with something, tell them and get them to fix it. Also get it in writing that they will cover a rental.

As for the riding again, I got on as soon as possible. Although it might not be the right choice for everyone. You might get a flashback while riding etc,


Lastly.. Dont second guess you actions that lead to the crash. You reacted how you thought and felt would be best. Always trust your first reaction, Second guessing just leads to taking more time and making a bigger cockup.
 
Don't give up, get back on, had three offs in my time so far, I expect more. Once hit a van who didn't indicate and cut across me, once ine if the few times I stupidly rode in ice, and once on my first attempt at my cbt. Get back on and don't worry about it, happens to most of us. Something my instructor said was, "accept the fact you're most likely going to come off at some point". I did, I do, still expect to.
 
Thanks for your comments fellow bikers I spoke to the family today and had time to think what I really wanted also the recovery company called today....

I love biking too much to give it up.... I feel one with myself when I am on the bike so can't wait to get back on I am actually eager... I am getting the bike picked up tomorrow and the hire one delivered I was told its either a Honda CB500 or a Honda NC 700 either or I will have two wheels again and can enjoy the weather when we get it....

What really upset me yesterday was that an accident happened so soon after passing 6 months to be exact but as I said previously in another topic is I didn't play around with 125cc I went for my direct access so maybe that might have been a downside also but I am going to put this down to an experience learnt and hope I learn from it and prevent any similar incidents in the future also I am going to see if I can take any extra training to assist me in dealing with situations on the road also....

Thanks once again its really nice to get actual experienced bikers input !
 
BabyAnimal said:
Now you know a little bit about my situation I can ask the question
1. As I have already had an accident with being such a new rider at the age of 32 is this a sign to quit biking altogether and to be happy I got out of this with me still in one piece.

2. Get back on a bike as soon as possible and take this as a learning curve and try to get over it...

I keep playing the scenario over and over thinking was there any better action I could have taken to prevent me falling and I keep coming to the same one as everyone else has who seen it happen "There was nothing I could do to prevent what happend" and that alone worries me..

Don't get me wrong though I love biking there is no other feeling like it and I would say its more than a hobby it's a passion for me but I am confused and would like some experienced rider's views to help me decide what's the best course of action to take from this experience
Click to expand...

The best way to learn from accidents or close calls is to evaluate what happened otherwise you dont learn how to avoid it next time. Truth is most bikers are involved in low speed accidents. Its the high speed ones that sometimes kill bikers.

I wouldn't rush to go riding again unless it feels right to you. But chances are if you decide you want to keep riding that you'll look at wearing gear differently (even if you do ATGATT).

There is nothing like riding a motorcycle but it comes with risks. If you decide to keep riding my suggestion would be to look into more motorcycle training like advance MSF or Ride like a pro. Also there are some great youtube video's of instructors who talk about riding philosophy. Accident avoidance and spotting potential risk situations is an enormous part of surviving on the streets.

Good luck with your decision. Its a difficult one but you have to be comfortable with it either way.
 
The accident you had doesn't appear to be all that bad, at least you are (i) alive; (ii) no broken bones; (iii) able to move; If that is enough for you to consider quitting to ride, maybe riding isn't really for you. Having proper level of riding gears would have helped a lot to reduce the injury, but it never guarantees not getting hurt.

I don't mean to put you off, I do have friends that got scared reading about some fatal motorcycle accidents that they literally quit riding and sold off their bikes. For me, I see that as a good sign, because if someone can be so easily put off from riding, I feel that person is better off not riding, it's safer that way.

Personally I have had a few falls and battles with cars, came off bruised and battered but thankfully nothing serious, the reason I don't think twice about if I should quit is because I understand what happened, the cause of it, either my fault or etc, so I'm more aware what to do to prevent/avoid it in the future.

The decision is yours, if you think you have learned a lot of your personal first crash experience and feel you can take this experience to be a more defensive rider and can be comfortable riding, then RSSR (ride safe, safe ride) to you. Otherwise if you think this is just not what you signed up for and can't bear to face such a scenario again, there's no shame in calling it quits.
 
Right.

I'm being nice here dude but....

Man up, get back on those wheels and book yourself on an ERS course with your old instructor or bikesafe with the police.

You're over thinking it all and it will mess up your riding if you keep doing it.

P.s if you get an nc700 be careful of the Rev limitor as they tap out at 6.5k revs, you have to shift up quicker than most bikes but they are fun
 
I fully support Dan's last comment.

Shit happens, but it's what you do after that counts. Evaluate your accident. Regardless of fault, look at what you could have done to mitigate the incident, things like holding back for better views etc etc. in most non-fault accidents more could have been done to avoid it.

ERS/Bikesafe is a great way to sharpen up. Bikesafe is probably the best way to start. Inexpensive and likely to be representatives from ERS, rospa and IAM. ERS will cost money, but RoSPA and IAM have a flat joining fee, and you just pay £5-10 to your tutor for fuel each time. They also teach to a higher level than ERS. I've learned so much from RoSPA this last year, and has made huge improvements to my riding. Contact a few local groups, you can usually attend a group meeting for free to meet people and get a feel. RoSPA tend to be less elitist, but groups vary so much, so check all of them out within reach.

If you want to know more about RoSPA and the process, feel free to message me.
 
side note...

anyone else worried more about the damage to the bike than to themselves?

Nearly had an off this morning and afterwards i was like, Damn my bike would have been totalled!
 
dandoolittle said:
It doesn't matter if the chap had admitted liability at the roadside. It's the insurance companies who decide that these days.
Click to expand...

Typically they will claim the admission was under duress or something similar.

As Dan said, injury claims take a long time - if you are not of a legal background, I would suggest a lawyer.
 
So there are only two types of bikers.. Ones that have gone down, and those who will. You just got it out the way a bit early. Get back on and learn from your mistake.

Keep your eyes open and ride like everyone is trying to kill you.
 
Exactly as everyone else has said. You're still able to move freely with no limitations. Get back on a bike and continue to ride.

My first wreck was a highside at ~65 mph which resulted in me shattering my left forearm (I have some really good pics if anyone wants to see) and a decent bit of rash on my legs/hands (I wasn't wearing gloves + was only wearing jeans). It took me a year to recover and buy another bike. The whole year I would sit and watch people ride by and just slump into depression over how I wanted to ride again. It's a lifestyle that you've accepted, and the itch will be there forever. Embrace & love it.
 
I have had a crash.
It was the other drivers fault. He turned in front of me with no room to spare.
It took me nearly a year to get back in the saddle. This was 3 years ago.
I'm glad that I got back into it, but take your time. Reading some good books about motorcycle control and practicing the things that I'd read, gave me the confidence that I required. Since this setback, I have become a better rider than I ever was before, and still learning.
I've actually had a little spill since, very low speed, no real damage, but...
always, always always, dress for the crash.

The first books were: A Twist of the Wrist 2, by Keith Code
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-V...1432174595&sr=1-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

Also: Total Control, by Lee Parks
http://www.amazon.com/Total-Control...74697&sr=1-2&keywords=total+control+lee+parks
 
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