Motorcycle mishaps

[gus]

When I logged and used a chainsaw in winter (Michigan) I seldom used gloves. I prefer to feel the machine in my hand. I know that's not the recommended way, but it makes me feel safer.


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Hi Barnesrickw,

Just wondering whether motorised chainsaw has spring return throttle to cut-off
engine when dropped. Ski-jets are required by law to have a lanyard attached to driver and engine so that Ski-jet engine stopped when driver is thrown into the sea. This to prevent the haphazard boat heading towards fallen driver.

Now back from deep sea fishing in Burma. Catch very bad as there was a temporary ban due to on-going investiagtion of boat explosion at our regular hot spots. Soon after we left ,ban was lifted.

 

[Syd]

Hi Gus. I always thought that there was an engine cut-off for every outboard fitted on a boat and attached to the helmsman, so that should he let go of the tiller, the engine stops. Sadly, people don't always attach the cord to their wrist and a couple of years back, at Padstow in Cornwall, a father fell out of the family boat, which, out of control, circled round and he was killed. It's so darned easy.
​

 

[windy]

The cord attached to an ignition kill switch would have saved me from a high speed crash in 1975. When I woke up in hospital the time keeper of the speed event was there and I asked what my average speed over the flying start kilometre was his reply 195.71 mph.
I went for the ignition switch when the bike would not stop due to an injector spring being dislodged on braking and thought the switch had been used if a lanyard had been used it would have definitively been off, the estimated speed of the crash was 150mph. Fortunately I was back at the speed event the following day minus a machine but a bit bruised and battered. This was before a lanyard had to be attached to ignition switches.

 

[barnesrickw]

Gus, they do drop down to low idle when trigger is not on, which is too slow to operate the clutch, and they have a chain break for kickback. That's about it for safety. About two weeks in I put my foot in the wrong place, ruined a pair of boots, and got some stitches for my trouble. Only time I ever cut myself. And I only got hit by two trees. Both small, no broken bones. I do remember some running from time to time.


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[gus]

The cord attached to an ignition kill switch would have saved me from a high speed crash in 1975. When I woke up in hospital the time keeper of the speed event was there and I asked what my average speed over the flying start kilometre was his reply 195.71 mph.
I went for the ignition switch when the bike would not stop due to an injector spring being dislodged on braking and thought the switch had been used if a lanyard had been used it would have definitively been off, the estimated speed of the crash was 150mph. Fortunately I was back at the speed event the following day minus a machine but a bit bruised and battered. This was before a lanyard had to be attached to ignition switches.

Hi Windy,
You were very lucky to have survived this very bad accident.

Gus was Superman three times flying off his bike.Should
have sold off the bike after the very first accident where I should have died or crippled forever.
" Cyclist cut across my path suddenly.To avoid hitting him,I hard jammed brakes and flew into the air at least 30---40 feet high. At the very peak, an inner voice said this---------" Somersault'' which somehow happened and I landed on my very feet unhurt. Onlookers came rushing to retrieve my Yamaha bike and asked if I was a trained '' Chinese Martial Artist or Gymnastic."
Told mum and darling wife 20 years later. Both concluded it was my Guardian Angel's Voice and perhaps He helped with the mid air somersault.

Till this day,I remained thankful to the ''Good Lord'' for this miracle.

 

[Wizard69]

Hi Windy,

You were very lucky to have survived this very bad accident.



Gus was Superman three times flying off his bike.Should

have sold off the bike after the very first accident where I should have died or crippled forever.

" Cyclist cut across my path suddenly.To avoid hitting him,I hard jammed brakes and flew into the air at least 30---40 feet high. At the very peak, an inner voice said this---------" Somersault'' which somehow happened and I landed on my very feet unhurt. Onlookers came rushing to retrieve my Yamaha bike and asked if I was a trained '' Chinese Martial Artist or Gymnastic."

Told mum and darling wife 20 years later. Both concluded it was my Guardian Angel's Voice and perhaps He helped with the mid air somersault.



Till this day,I remained thankful to the ''Good Lord'' for this miracle.

We are dragging this thread off the tracks but I had a similar "inner voice" experience riding snowmobiles in my teens. In this case I was doing laps around a large field with my hand clamping the throttle down tight. I'm not sure exactly what I hit, probably a drift turned to ice, but I remember that all of a sudden the stars where rotating in front of my face. About the time the snowmobile was vertical something in side said let go. I did and remember rolling in one direction while the machine went in the other. I could actually see the parts flying off the sled each time I completed a roll.

It is indeed a strange feeling when you hear that inner voice. I'm not sure what is happening in the mind at the time but it very much feels like another person is talking to you.


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[Stub Mandrel]

I thought I'd pop in and post something sensible, but now I've read the crash tales...

When I was about 20 I cycled everywhere, there was a very steep hill I occasionally went down, with a sharp right and then left turn.

The little voice in my head said "don't use the brakes and see how fast you can go". I reckon it wasn't too fast for a pushbike - about 30--35mph?

Anyway the camber on the first corner got me, I drifted out towards the kerb, not daring to brake at such speed in a turn.

The wheels locked into the gutter against the kerb - phew!

Half way round, a dropped kerb, up on to the pavement (that's the sidewalk, Gus) heading straight for a stone wall at the end of the corner.

I went between a lamp post and the wall. The gap was narrower than my 'bull horn' handlebars so the bike didn't make it. I got grazed knees and finished 20-30 feet past the bike.

I decided I had to get straight back on the bike or lose confidence and do the rest of the hill nice and fast! I nearly fell off again as the handlebars had twisted through 360 degrees and the brake cables stopped me being able to turn properly!

If I had been 6" left or right and hit the wall or the lamp-post?

Neil

 

[Walltoddj]

The main issue here is all the same you need to think safety as the old saying s$@t happens. I've had two motorcycle crashes with broken body parts, I've had 580lbs of steel dropped on my right foot an walked away, I've got over 25 stitches in my body, and I'm sure there will be more that is why they are called accidents. Other that the motorcycle crashes all could have been prevented but you don't see it or you are distracted an that is when it will happen. With the motorcycle it was the least catastrophic alternative for me so I made a choice and hit the car that pulled out in front of me, much better that hitting the one coming at me head on.

 

[Walltoddj]

I'll probably get in trouble with the moderators but it's all about Safety. My stitches are from people not deburring the parts when finished machining and from driving my hand in to the floor with a 1/2" right angle drill. Again it's about not seeing it or getting distracted.

Todd

 

[robcas631]

I thought I'd pop in and post something sensible, but now I've read the crash tales...

When I was about 20 I cycled everywhere, there was a very steep hill I occasionally went down, with a sharp right and then left turn.

The little voice in my head said "don't use the brakes and see how fast you can go". I reckon it wasn't too fast for a pushbike - about 30--35mph?

Anyway the camber on the first corner got me, I drifted out towards the kerb, not daring to brake at such speed in a turn.

The wheels locked into the gutter against the kerb - phew!

Half way round, a dropped kerb, up on to the pavement (that's the sidewalk, Gus) heading straight for a stone wall at the end of the corner.

I went between a lamp post and the wall. The gap was narrower than my 'bull horn' handlebars so the bike didn't make it. I got grazed knees and finished 20-30 feet past the bike.

I decided I had to get straight back on the bike or lose confidence and do the rest of the hill nice and fast! I nearly fell off again as the handlebars had twisted through 360 degrees and the brake cables stopped me being able to turn properly!

If I had been 6" left or right and hit the wall or the lamp-post?

Neil

Yep, I know what you mean. From now on speeds over 90 mph for me will require an ultralite.

 

[goldstar31]

Oh dear, oh dear! So you made a discovery, Rob! Obviously, you have 'truncated' some of your forces.
Not a motor bike one for me. Mine are too far back in my history book to recall.
There's a wonderful British film called 'The Italian Job', it ends with a bus full of gold bars perched perilously on the edge of an Italian hairpin bend. My wife and I discovered one ending only a few miles away on another hairpin bend but on black ice.
As you said 'Times are worse than they should be- but not as bad as they could be'

The others- there were- are DEAD! Get well soon!

Norman

 

[gus]

Italian Racing Bicycle.


Here's my racing bicycle crash in 1959 when I was a 15. Borrowed my boarding school mate's for a spin. Had never pedal such a bike before. After a hundred yards I was taunted/tempted/coaxed
to go fastest,then came a bend just downhill. Did break in time but Gus and bike flew. Tee shirt
ripped off and Gus ate some grass but no injury. Front wheel went of shape and cost me $10 to repair. :rant::wall::hDe:
After this .No more racing bikes. Mum did not hear about it till many years later.
Somehow most of us survived our teenage stupidity/risk etc etc. Some did not.

 

[robcas631]

Norman,

That was years ago! Pop! I feel fine!

 

[robcas631]

Gus,

The things we do in our youth! he he. I'm glad you survived!

 

[gus]

Luxury Boat accident waiting to happen.

A brand new 35 footer half cabin boat was seen cruising at 30 knots with his friends sitting on the bow just like ''Titanic". Any sudden stop/pitch due to big swell will have these folks thrown into the sea and cut up by the propellers.Owner just got his boat license!!!! And its a newly-rich young man with a boat full of beautiful girl friends. Will post foto if I can catch him doing it again.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

So this is where you are all hiding

Since you are talking about motorcycle accidents, here's mine...

I was sixteen and had finally persuaded my parents to let me have a motorbike. At that time I could barely afford one, but my Dad knew of an ex-military surplus auction and we both to went to it, Dad bid on a BSA Bantam 125 cc bike. I don't recall how much he payed for it, but it wasn't too much. I remember it was that horrid army green with a canvas pannier.

Anyway to cut a long story short, one very cold icy morning two or three weeks after I got the bike, I lost it turning right at a corner. I remember hitting the kerb edge and then waking up in an ambulance. It was some time before my parents were contacted by the police and they came to get me from the local hospital. Mum was very upset. Apart from some bruises and a headache I was OK. However when Dad and I went to retrieve the bike later that afternoon it had gone. It seems that some thieving so & so had taken a liking to it

We reported the theft to the police but nothing ever came of it. My Dad had the insurance payout money and I went back to using the bus to get to work. I've never had a motorcycle since...

 

[gus]

Hi Guys,

So this is where you are all hiding

Since you are talking about motorcycle accidents, here's mine...

I was sixteen and had finally persuaded my parents to let me have a motorbike. At that time I could barely afford one, but my Dad knew of an ex-military surplus auction and we both to went to it, Dad bid on a BSA Bantam 125 cc bike. I don't recall how much he payed for it, but it wasn't too much. I remember it was that horrid army green with a canvas pannier.

Anyway to cut a long story short, one very cold icy morning two or three weeks after I got the bike, I lost it turning right at a corner. I remember hitting the kerb edge and then waking up in an ambulance. It was some time before my parents were contacted by the police and they came to get me from the local hospital. Mum was very upset. Apart from some bruises and a headache I was OK. However when Dad and I went to retrieve the bike later that afternoon it had gone. It seems that some thieving so & so had taken a liking to it

We reported the theft to the police but nothing ever came of it. My Dad had the insurance payout money and I went back to using the bus to get to work. I've never had a motorcycle since...

Hi Baron,

Am glad you survived in one piece with all body functions intact inclusive of the ability to churn out Model Engines today.

Was paying my 15 year old kid brother to wash my Honda Sports 90 cc.
30 years later,he confessed taking the bike to church 5 miles away to serve evening mass and narrowly missed hitting a stalled truck while he was doing a 60 mph sprint while I was away doing Jungle Survival Training. Glad he survived too.

From three timer ''Superman Gus''.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Gus,

Hope the fishing trip went well and you had good catches.

I don't know about churning out engines ! I seem to be spending all my time making tools and the like. Though I must confess that I am giving some thought to a four cylinder steam marine engine. More about that later when I've got my head around things.