Is it really inevitable, you'll have a wreck as a biker?

[wonderment]

Was at a party recently...a few days after getting our trike. A woman I was speaking with said "If you ride, it's inevitable that you will have an accident at some point. Just the way it is."

Is there anyone here who has ridden for a long time WITHOUT an accident?

Our time on two wheels: zero.
Our time on three wheels: one month.

[trikeleader]

I'm 64 years old and have ridden longer than I like to admit. I have never had a crash, laid a bike down, or a wreck of any kind. I presently have 42,000 miles on my 2005 Goldwing trike. If you ride defensively and follow the rules I see no reason to say it is inevitable to have a wreck. That person has without a dought never ridden a motorcycle for any length of time.

[Reader1]

I do not believe it is inevitable that riders will wreck. I did laid down my 2 wheeler being stupid. I came to a stop sign. I could see right & left and like a complete goof, I was trying to make the decision to stop or roll through the stop sign. I decided to roll through, then at the last second decided to stop. My bike was leaned a little, so when I put my foot down it was too close to the bike and it fell over. Did not hurt me or the bike...but my very protective husband and son burned my ears when they found out why I dropped it...they were right! I ride very defensively now.

[John Luciano]

You can say that about a car also. I have been hit 3 time in my 100 years of driving. No crashes on the bike and never laid my trike down even once .
Yes it is harder to say that about a bike only because the idiots that drive cars cause the problems 85% of the time. You have to be 2wice as careful . All ways anticipate the worse situation and keep your distance, stay focused never ride depressed ( I am going for a ride to clear my head ) If you are in a bad mood stay off the bike .

[Nana]

Wonderment, I have been riding on my own bike for a good 25 years -- 20 years on two wheels and the last 5 on the trike. I have also never had an accident with another vehicle or laid the bike down. I agree with the others -- ride extremely defensively, always assume someone else is going to make a mistake and give them room .

The closest thing was when a deer jumped a farm fence and came down on the front of my Fat Boy a few years ago, cracking my windshield and denting/bending several bike parts. But I did not go down. I pulled out of traffic, put the kickstand down, and got off the bike over on the shoulder of the road. I didn't have a mark on me and once the fender was pulled out of my front tire, I rode the bike home.

[wonderment]

Well, this is good news. After I heard her say this, it stuck in my mind. Figured this was something we'd have to endure. Hope not.

[Papa Zook]

I believe that the most dangerous place for an accident is at intersections. I always ride as if EVERY driver might pull out in front of me. I flash my high beams and get my hands on the brakes just in case. Had it happen once and I reacted in time to prevent a wreck. I also feel that trikes are much safer because they're much more visible and more stable.

[jim peacock]

71 years young been riding since I was fourteen,nothing so far.
Knock on wood knock knock.

[Blondie Gal]

John's been riding since he was a kid (and he ain't no kid any more) and I've been 2-up with him since 2005. I pulled him down a couple of times when we were on two wheels because I didn't know how to get off right, but never an accident (peck on wood!) in the 20,000 miles I rode with him on two, or during the 20,000+ that we've enjoyed on the trike. Your conversation must have been held with someone who's uninformed, uncaring, or just plain under educated about motorcycles . . .

[Bikerbozo]

One accident in 1991 (had been riding for a 9 years at that point). Car pulled out in front of me and then braked like a deer in my headlights. I countersteered to avoid the collision and missed the morons bumper by inches...However...I was at a very steep angle and heading for trees. so I dropped it and slid (50mph at that point, 11:30pm). Now have literally hundreds of thousands of 2 wheel riding and 22,000 3 wheel riding under my belt. I have an air horn and if I even THINK someone might pull out, they get it.
On another note, very impressive, Nana. Having a deer land on your bike and not dropping it.

[Stephen]

The most dangerous part of riding is listening to people who don't have a clue as to what their talking about. Spouting old wife's tales, folklore and just plain old BS at will just might get you hurt. That's life children, you take your chances, win or lose. All of life is a crap shoot.

[bdn56]

If you do have an accident, hopefully you will mend up, fix the bike and keep riding.

I wouldn't worry about it to much, life is short.

When riding I have one saying: "TRUST NO ONE".

[Teal]

wonder
abt 35 yrs of riding off and on i should say,, not accidents

you must have one horn ready finger, one finger on the front brake,,, if you have an emergency its very easy to rely on the rear brakes and forget the front,, the front brake has massive stopping power.

[Chumbly]

I wouldn't say that an accident is inevitable, but I do think the odds of having one go up with time... for one reason- as has already been said, most motorcycle accidents are caused by other vehicles... we can't control that. There will most likely be one that eventually will get through your defensive screen, irregardless of how safe you ride. The longer you ride, the more defensive and skillful you're likely to become, but also the higher the odds that you'll eventually have an accident. I wish this wasn't true but.... This is my opinion only but... yes, I've been riding alot of years (since around 1978), and mostly defensively as described, but I finally had a serious one two years ago. So that proves to me that it can happen, no matter how defensive we are. I just choose not to dwell on this... you can get killed walking to the grocery store, so why worry about it. Get out there and enjoy life with all of it's perks... or stay in the house and hide under your bed.

[Ironhorsepilot]

I think a lot of statistics as far as motorcycles go (the two wheeled kind) involve dropping the bike. If that is the case, I have had 4 "accidents". The trike, don't have to worry about that. I have had a few pull out in front of me. Now I do a swerve motion as I approach an intersection with a stop sign and a car there. That seems to garner attention to the trike, plus I cover the air horn and brake AND am in the far portion of my lane away from the potential culprit. I trust NO ONE and I drive like I am invisible.

[skuuter]

I have ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on Motorcycles for 41+ years. Yes, I have had some wrecks, all due to mechanical failures such as Blown Tires that rolled off the rim, Broken Chains that wrapped into the rear wheel and swingarm, etc. (do not jump to conclusions that these were "bad maintenance/worn parts episodes", because none were). My last one was in 1979, my last "near miss" was Monday and Wednesday this week. If You have ridden for years and thousands of miles and haven't had one, then I go with a "You're Lucky" mindset, because no matter how skilled You are, no matter how much attention You pay to Your surroundings, and no matter if You do everything right, conditions can align themselves that can cause You a wreck...quickly and totally out of Your control. Now, that being said, do I think a wreck is "guaranteed to happen at some point because You ride", no, I don't. I just had a Riding Friend of 39 years die of a heart attack 3 weeks ago without ever having one.....He was highly skilled, careful, and "Lucky".