[longride]

"I've done "get-off's" from motorcycles lots of times. I've been vaulted over cars at obscene speeds, and gone sliding from off-ramps and curves at speeds from near -crawls to knee -dragging testosterone -saturated displays of egomania. I've ridden in sand, rain, snow, and ice. I've fallen over at stoplight standstills like Arte Johnson on "Laugh-In," and I've been pitched from the bike in wild rodeo tank-slappers. Amazingly, none of these adventures have ever really hurt me. I've wrecked bikes, hit cars, and been hit by cars, and I've walked from the accidents pissed-off only because my leathers got scuffed up. I always wore a helmet, and I always walked away."



All I needed to read was the first paragraph. If the above describes you as a rider, please don't think for a minute that you can speed and crash like an idiot and simply "walk away" because you wear a helmet. My advice, is get off the bike before you end up dead or severely damaged, regardless of your protection level. Stupidity can triumph over a helmet any day. "Amazingly" this guy lived long enough to tell this story.

 

[32927]

Dude, your story and that photo are gruesome!

Thank you for sharing. I will be the first to admit that I did not worn a helmet every single time that I rode a motorcycle in the past.

Fortunately for me, the two times that I have had motorcycle accidents I was wearing a helmet.

The first time, I went over the handlebars. My last image was of my motorcycle tumbling after me as I flew UPSIDE down ahead of it. My helmet actually cracked. My worst injuries were soreness and the worst case of poison ivy of my life.

Thank God I was wearing my helmet or I may not be telling this story.

I NEVER get on a motorcycle without a helmet today. This policy served me well a couple of months ago when the front end washed out on my Falco and down I went.

My last thought was 'OH $HIT." My shoulder was pile driven into the concrete only shortly followed by my head.

Here is a photo of the helmet:

http://www.geocities.com/cstarrett/helmet.html

I doubt I would still have an ear had I not been wearing it.

Remember kids, they don't call them accidents because they are planned. Wear your gear!

 

[runner00]

Yes I agree you should wear a helmet 99 % of the time. But I have to be honest I can't wear a full face helmet . The new full face helmets with the front flip up ability are really interesting. I think these are going to be very popular in the near future. And I also think these guys with the bull ***** beanie helmets are as stupid as guys wearing shorts. You ain't cool dude your just as stupid as that short wearing jackass you see riding around....you got that bro....wise up.

 

[21379]

Uh.... dude, you might want to check out www.rotten.com and give a look at the rider who wasn't wearing his full-face helmet

You might just change your mind

 

[21379]

My fave is when I was riding up the ramp that led out of a public garage. I mean, what could happen leaving a garage?

Newly-installed "diversion" gate, that's what! Sucker flipped my bike as it came up, causing me to hit my helmet against the curb, and this was at a standstill!

You just never know.....

 

[Abe_Froman]

No doubt........it sounds as if this guy should feel lucky that he's alive rather than complain about his slightly rearranged face.



Well, I haven't ridden in snow and ice, and I avoid rain and sand at all costs. Therefore I haven't been catapualted from the bike at obscene speeds in rodeo tank-slappers.



Oh, and I'm always very cautious when I'm riding over very smooth concrete, like the kind you find in parking and service garages for instance. Any brainless layman who's walked or ridden a bicycle in one should have learned that long ago. Cars park there. They leak stuff. Isn't this common knowledge?

 

[3655]

Sorry to take away from your argument, but the guy in that picture wasn't injured on a motorcycle. He was actually a construction worker who made the mistake of temporarily holding a blasting cap in his mouth. It went off, and that's what he ended up looking like. I agree that a full face helmet should be worn at all times though. As for the guy in this story: how fast do you need to ride in a parking garage. I don't think that if i sprinted and ran head first into a steel block i could do the damage he did. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[sarnali]

Pretty much what I thought, find another hobby. I've rode in snow, not on purpose though, as in "ride to work, starts snowing, ride home" not overly difficult as long as it's fresh, rain, fog, ditto, [I live in Tacoma fer chris' sakes] The key to all that is to ride according to your ability and the riding conditions, if you've fallen off in such varying conditions as this felleh, I'd say you're not cut out for motorcycling. The thing that really re-enforced helmets for me was a buddy of mine who got drunk, brushed a lane devider going about 10 mph, fell over and landed on his temple. He always was pretty useless, but at least he could ride, now he can barely walk, at least he has an excuse for being a wino 'cause he can't do much else.

 

[3917]

A helmet saved my life twice. Once on the street another time at the track. It's like the American Express card, don't ride without it!

 

[4940]

By living long enough to have had this particular accident this gentleman has almost single handedly disproven Darwin's theory of evolution! The shame of it is that he didn't injure himself to the degree that he couldn't get back on a motorcycle, as it is, helmet or not, he will undoubtedly wind up killing himself. VWW

 

[tonyharrah]

Wrong picture. Look under 'All the King's Horses.'

 

[12er]

Reading this story brought back my 7th grade christmas vacation. Nothing like a face plant off your BMX to screw up a good two weeks off. While I didnt have the broken bones, I did have 2/3's of my face road rash and 50 stitches sewing my bottom lip back to my jaw. Like in the above story the X-Ray's were hell. Gotta love resting your bloody, swollen head on that cold, hard, wood table for image after image prior to being medicated.

Amazing the damage that >20mph can do.

 

[21379]

OK, I heard that the photo I'm referring to was from a guy who lost his front wheel. But a blasting cap in the mouth.....? That's dumber than riding without a helmet!

 

[21379]

I checked. Truly an example of "Why I Should Wear A Helmet", but I was referring to.......

Motorcycle. Nothing Comes Between Me And My Harley or......

Beanie Helmets Forever!

 

[Leilani]

Wearing a helmet is important, but making sure it strapped on your head tightly is even more important. I had a really bad spill and my helmet flipped off because it wasn't strapped tight enough to my head. Needless to say I had a fat lip and a severely grazed cheek for my stupidty. Don't let it happen to you....

 

[Betamax]

good advice

a friend of mine was being too cool for school by not fastening his helmet. He wasn't even going fast but did a face-plant in gravel and his helmet bounced off. He ended up with about 130 stitches in his face, looking like Frankenstein on a bad hair day, and he now wears a full beard all the time to cover up the scar tissue. Yikes.

 

[roadlizard]

I agree with 100% of your comments about riding conditions and ability, but I feel kinda guilty for laughing at your description of your 'friend'.

 

[Buzglyd]

I agree. It sounds like this guy rode like a complete idiot most of the time. He had a deathwish, helmet or no.



Interestingly I've noted, the more safety equipment I'm wearing, the more likely I am to push the envelope. My riding style is different wearing jeans and a half helmet vs. a full face and armored gear.



Of course, I'm still slower and saner than the squids no matter what I'm wearing.

 

[rsheidler]

Regardless of the fact that the opening paragraph suggest that this guy should consider another sport, the message of what can happen in a low-speed crash is an important one.



I knew a kid who was just screwing around on a dirt bike on the suburban street near his house, slid out and struck his head on the curb. Was a complete vegetable for some time before his (merciful) death.



I have been lucky to having never put my motorcycle helmets to the test. I have, however, totally destroyed 3 different bicycle helmets while mountainbiking. All were at low speeds. One accident put my in hospital for 10 days, 3 in intensive care. This was from a maybe 10mph crash. Was a neck injury when my head struck the dirt. My doctor was sure I would still be paralized if the helmet had not absorbed part of the energy.



Stay safe

Bob

 

[Enrique_Cezar_Ruiz]

The way I look at wearing a helmet is this... I'm doing the paramedics the favor of not picking up my bits when they ever need to rescue me. Call it being nice to your fellow men.