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It's been 20 years!

ScottRNelson

ScottRNelson

Adventure and Dual Sport
Joined
Aug 3, 2002
Location
Meridian, ID
Moto(s)
Honda XR650L, KTM 790 Adv R
Twenty years ago today is the last time that I crashed a motorcycle. There were two others before that. Here's the thread discussing the event at the five year mark: Five Years Crash Free

I got serious about riding safely after that event and studied a lot on the subject. It has apparently payed off as I've been able to keep a good safety record. At the ten year mark I wanted to claim that I hadn't even had any close calls, but had one a few weeks before that milestone. I've managed a couple of times during the past year that required "emergency braking" to keep from running off of the road, so I haven't been perfect, but I have renewed my efforts once again.

I was out riding in the hills a couple of days ago and started to think that with my luck I would come up a couple of days short, but all went well. I still manage to drop one or the other of my bikes a few times a year, but if I step off and don't hit the ground when the bike does, that ain't a crash.

Here's to many more years of safe riding. And thanks to everyone at BARF for encouraging safe riding.

:ride
 
Were you up near Bogus Basin or beyond/? :ride:teeth
 
Congrats Scott!! :Port

Certainly staying upright is a worthy goal. :thumbup

I am at 25 years now and looking for another 10 or more before I call it a day. Can't say there has not been a moment or two :teeth
 
Bogus Basin is a pretty twisty road definitely more so than say mines or del puerto.
Soon i'll venture out towards Twin Falls and beyond. Lots of roads heading to the montana boarder
 
If we are only counting pavement and not dirt hell I'm doing pretty good also! :party

Cheers to you man 20 years is very good
 
Great record Scott. But when you said “I still drop them a few times annually” I had to remind myself you ride a lot and in dirt.

17 years since my last good crash.
 
nakedape said:
But when you said “I still drop them a few times annually” I had to remind myself you ride a lot and in dirt.
Click to expand...

I know I posted these three photos somewhere else, but I can't find them now. Three different bikes each taking their turn. The 1090R wasn't exactly dirt where it got dropped. :laughing
WtdpSND.jpg


FQyhmWT.jpg


UPE9WfA.jpg

I stepped away from all of them, remaining on my feet.
 
Congrats Scott. I'm fully jealous. I like 2nd pic best...wish my all my crashes looked like that!

We should do a "days since" in our sigs. I'll never get past 250 or something, I'm sure.
 
Holeshot said:
Congrats Scott. I'm fully jealous. I like 2nd pic best...wish my all my crashes looked like that!
Click to expand...
The 1090R on its side in the snow?

Consider the difficulty of picking it up. Not only was that the heaviest bike that I've ever owned (out of 25), but there was no traction at my feet to help push it up. I had to slide it around a bit until I could get my feet into that mud strip to get it back up.
 
All those things...exactly why I liked that pic best. I was imaging. the joy you had it getting it back upright!
 
ScottRNelson said:
The 1090R on its side in the snow?

Consider the difficulty of picking it up. Not only was that the heaviest bike that I've ever owned (out of 25), but there was no traction at my feet to help push it up. I had to slide it around a bit until I could get my feet into that mud strip to get it back up.
Click to expand...

Not fun.

A few years back 4 of us Barfers headed up the M1 towards Hull Mountain above Pillsbury. We were on ADV bikes. When we rounded the mountain we found absolute sheet ice for a road. Picking up a 500lb ADV on ice is one of the hardest thing I've ever done. It is sliding and so are you. I had to push it across the road to the edge to so it would stop sliding, then pick it up. Riding on an ice rink will show you just how out of balance we generally are. Traction control and Ice don't work well together either.
 
Nice and congrats!

Been a "M" licensed rider since the early 90s and I've only dropped my bike once on a slow turn. Must've hit a slick patch of ice or something. Also involved in one moto accident when a cage turned left in front of me.

Overall, been fortunate thus far.
 
This thread made me think. 1996 or 1997 last time I fell not counting putting my foot down at a stop sign and had my foot slip on my multistrada. :mad

Sonora pass 96 or 97 Hit some gravel around 50. All good, some plastic needed to be replaced. Glad Honda had those tip over wings. My body only had some rash on my hands, gloves to thin. And the biggest bruise on my hip I have ever had. So over 27 years without a big crash.
 
I fell down at Laguna, turn four, on 9.11.11. Shiny side up since. Knock knock woody.
 
I’ve been riding for nearly 40 years. No crashes but I’ve had some close calls that skill, talent and luck got me out of. Commuting in the Silicon Valley (including a lot of lane splitting) and recreational Riding on the weekends.

Now that I don’t ride, I consider that to be a good record.
 
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I've had 7 crashes in over 40 years of riding, 4 on the street, one recently on my DR650 on a dirt road and 2 on the track. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough. ( multiple dirt bike crashes but those don't count ). Almost all without injury.
But my crash on the DR was a wakeup call. With my bad knee and the weight of the bike, it was impossible for me to pick it up. I had to walk for help.
At 65 I've had to be a lot more careful of where I ride and whether to ride solo. For the DR I'm going to be getting a Moto Winch to help get it back on its wheels.

Mad
 
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