Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Two people I knew in the UK had bike accidents. One came off his bike on the motorway after he hit a plank of wood which had fallen off the truck in front. He was wearing leathers and apart from spraining his wrist he was fine, amazing since he came off at 70mph and skidded along the road until he stopped.

Another guy I knew wasn't wearing leathers and when he fell off his bike a bit of it tore into his calf muscle. He now has this horrific scar running up his leg.

Yeah, leathers are good!

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

When we see bikers here in Perth there is almost surprise in our voices when you see someone properly kitted up to ride. So very few do it. Probably 1 in around 20 that we see.

Hubby was out on his annual ride last year in Scotland (about 30 of them). One guy came off his bike and is very lucky to be alive. I remember calling the hospital and speaking to his emergency team who said if he hadn't been as well kitted up he'd have died and there was a real chance he still could. Gave me the shock of my life.

He's ok but still off work and that is since June last year.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

You've got to wonder why nature kitted cows out with leather when they don't travel very fast :D

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I've heard far to many kids on scooters say that they can only do 30mph tops so the gear doesn't matter. Hit a car coming the other way that's doing 30mph as well & you have a 60mph crash. Why do they not understand that :confused:

Alsion x

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I know what you're saying but I think some people see scooter speeds of 30 as being little different from the 25-30 you'd be doing on a push bike.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Realistically if you hit something with an impact speed of 60mph - it doesnt matter what gear you're wearing... you'll be LUCKY if you make it to hospital. Gear will only do so much to protect you from an impact - but it can do AMAZING things to protect you from abrasion if you're lucky enough not to hit anything.

The point is at 30mph throwing yourself at the bitumen without protection is not going to be pleasant.

Ask any 10yr old what its like falling off a pushbike at 10mph - its not nice. Treble the speed means 6 times the skin loss*....


(*Not based on any legitamate science whatsoever)

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

A close friend in the UK had a bad tumble, took a corner too fast (being a bit of an idiot so he tells me) and it was his 3 grand leathers that saved him from being very seriously hurt or killed. They were in shreds..

I don't like bikes actually - scare the bejasus out of me..

Em x

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I went for a ride yesterday, & after reading this thread I put my gear on, it was only 26 degrees but I was sweating my bollocks off whenever I stopped.
I once fell off at an indicated 174 mph in the wet & didn't have a scratch on me, & only took the lettering off the arse of my leathers, bike was totalled though, it was on a track day of course.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

You can do 30mph on a bicycle? :blink:

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

:D I was just about to give him a round of appalause! lol!

Em x

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Thats only 48kph. Easy. For how long depends on your level. I've had my road bike past 60kph on the flat for a short time, downhill even faster, albeit with a speedo that will be inexact, but I am pretty much a beginner. The Tour de France riders average 25-35mph over a 5 hr stage, hills and all, and can reach over 50mph on a flat sprint, after riding for 5 hrs I might add. Downhill they can do 60mph + or 100kph.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I was out on my motorbike 3 weeks ago and came accross a lad who'd passed me just a few minutes earlier laid out in the middle of the road all smashed up.

He hit a 4 wheel drive head on probably with a combined speed of just over 100MPH.

I was first on the scene and gave mouth to mouth for about 10 minutes till the ambulance arrived. It was all in vain. He was dead before he'd landed on the road.

Nasty experience that.

My motorbikes up for sale now. Not worth the risk.

Keel

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I've seen loads of fatal car accidents in my life and yet I sill drive a car. But yes the risks are higher on a bike, bicycle or pedestrian.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

How awful for you to see that but would you not be better getting on and riding again instead of selling up? Yes, you have had a massive shock. My husband was first on the scene when his friend was seriously injured and it took him everything to ride his bike home.

Don't let a speeding biker ruin your life on a bike.

All the best.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Don't get me wrong. I love the motorcycling. But when I got home and told the wife that was a different matter. If I'd been going a bit faster it could have been me.

I know there were a lot of circumstances that compiled to causes the crash, He'd just had a pint (It tasted like wheat beer, lovely), hadn't been on a bike for a few years, new bike, very new tyres, sharp bend and a 4 wheel drive that was probably stradling the white line coming the other way.

We all hope it won't be us but sometimes our safety margins get eaten up when we don't even realise.

Keel