Have you had an accident with your motorcycle?

[dagling]

What bike and what damage? Is it really soooo dangerous to ride a bike in Thailand as people want it to be?

I discuss this with different people in good company yesterday in Lampang Bike Week All have been living in Thailand for more than five years.

Whether this is coincidence or not I do not know, but all three running sport bike, have had one or more accidents, either minor injuries or hospitalized with broken bones and other injuries.

Four other running Cruiser bikes, zero accidents.

Are there people driving style and choice of bike, as well as insight into how Thais running that has kept away accidents?

Personally, I have not had any accidents in the seven years I've lived and riding bikes (cruiser) here in Thailand, and a good reason for this is that I consider myself a defensive rider and know how Thais driving....

I ALWAYS expect the unexpected.

Edited March 15, 2014 by dagling

[Hili]

Stupid topic, but yes the chance of an accident riding a sports bike is higher but this will apply for any country. And its logical that the risk are .less when cruising at 100 - 120 km/h. So what's the point?

[dagling]

Stupid topic, but yes the chance of an accident riding a sports bike is higher but this will apply for any country. And its logical that the risk are .less when cruising at 100 - 120 km/h. So what's the point?

Stupid answer...

[Hili]

Stupid topic, but yes the chance of an accident riding a sports bike is higher but this will apply for any country. And its logical that the risk are .less when cruising at 100 - 120 km/h. So what's the point?

Stupid answer...

You want me to post a picture of a crashed cruiser?

[Dave 74]

20 years of riding.

13 years in the West, no accidents.

7 years in Thailand, Three accidents.

First I was reversed over while stopped. Woman in front stopped. I stopped behind her. I went to pull out around her and as I did so she reversed and knocked me over and started going over my bike. I got up banging on the car to stop and 2 guys walking past were shouting and waving at her. She smiled and nodded and then continued to revererse over my bike again.

Second, going around a junction intersection, hit a massive clump (small mountain) of tar that had been pushed up in the asphalt from overweight trucks. Small fractured both wrists. Helmet saved my noggin as I rolled over and landed on my feet.

Third, Ratchada tunnel at night time. Entering a bit too fast and suddenly hit a stopped traffic jam. Was just going to buy new tires and they would have made a massive difference, but alas no and had to skid drop it and hit the rear bumper of the stationary car in front.

[Dave 74]

Stupid topic, but yes the chance of an accident riding a sports bike is higher but this will apply for any country. And its logical that the risk are .less when cruising at 100 - 120 km/h. So what's the point?

Stupid answer...

You want me to post a picture of a crashed cruiser?

Actually the sports bike would be safer if not going at insane speeds.

I much rather be on a sport's bike than a cruiser or anything else in an emergency stop or dodge at 100-120kph.

[ll2]

7 years here and only a couple of skirmishes with my old honda cbr150r but nothing serious and all related with with either bad front suspensions or tires with not enough tread left.

It is much more safer to ride in thailand than back home for me. Here people know bikes and know how to act accordingly.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[RubberSideDown]

13 years of riding heavy, fast bikes in LOS, and the only crash I've had was on my Wave back in 2002 (hit a dog).

Edited March 15, 2014 by RubberSideDown

[moe666]

My wreck was 100 percent my fault, a bit tired a bit of a hang over and not concentrating.

[thrilled]

46 years experience.I've learned in that time,have A bike that has power.Have A bike that stops fast.Learn from experience when ya have to hit the throttle and swerve or brake.Had to lay it down A couple of times.But not lately.I can maneuver my way out of just about anything.The only problem that I have is sitting at A traffic light and someone comes up behind you doing about 40 or 50.

[brfsa2]

4 years riding in LOS, only once "felt" on the scooter on the parking lot, haha, that was stupid... 3 years ago.

you have to always keep watching for others, a lot of dangers around you here... specially those idiot taxi and pickup drivers from the country side.

[namdocmai]

Drive motorbikes for 25 years, 4 years in Thailand. Never had accidents. In Thailand i always have 1 hand at the brakelever, anything can happen here anytime.

I don't want a very fast bike here, 100km/hr is fast enough wearing no protection except helmet. And it is to hot to wear protection.

Actually driving a bike in BKK is no fun at all, i don't see anything else then the road and traffic, have to focus on that 100%.

[Shurup]

Started riding about 20 years ago, took 15 years break, started again on a dirt bike in Canada and had many accidents on it, no broken bones though and been riding in Thailand for about a year and a half. No accidents here either but a few close calls from which I learnt a great deal.

Sent from a Nuclear Submarine.

[KRS1]

the people i know who love riding havent wrecked.

the people i know who ride just to try to be a badass and show off, have all wrecked.

[ryanwiley]

I've seen my life flash before my eyes several times in the past few years here in LOS....but I haven't hit the pavement yet!

[liddelljohn]

i have been riding for 41 years , my worst accidents were in UK , one put me in hospital for over a year that was caused by a car driver who was reading a newspaper

, I have had 3 minor accidents in thailand, 2 caused by thai motocyclists plowing into me while i was stopped at traffic lights. and the other was a dog running under my wheels ,, i have had a near miss with a few cars and also an elephant!!!!

but I rill enjoy riding

[guzzi850m2]

I had an accident on my Moto Guzzi many years back in Denmark in heavy rain, the rear wheel just disappeared under me and I and the bike was

skating 5 meters over the tarmac (low speed), thankfully I was wearing good clothing and I had a crashbar on the Le Mans so only the carshbar was damaged. Small tires on that Le Mans.

No accidents in Thailand but close calls.

[dagling]

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Stupid topic, but yes the chance of an accident riding a sports bike is higher but this will apply for any country. And its logical that the risk are .less when cruising at 100 - 120 km/h. So what's the point?

Stupid answer...

You want me to post a picture of a crashed cruiser?

If it makes you feel good;-)))

[Gsxrnz]

When you ride a bike of any kind, it's not a matter of "if" you're gonna have a prang, it's "when".

Also, the bastard that hits you is the one you never see coming and it doesn't matter how defensive you are - Murpy's Law.

Friend of mine was standing beside his parked bike outside a 7/11 putting his helmet on. Somchai on a scooter loses control passing a truck, wipes out three parked bikes and leaves my mate with cracked ribs, broken shoulder, and facial injuries. Go figure.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Gsxrnz

[Dakling]

About 20 years riding mostly sport bikes in the west (mostly riding like an idiot), no serious accidents but I low-sided a couple of times. A pile of near misses though.

About 3 years of riding in Thailand. Four accidents in the second year (3 not too serious, one could have been nasty).

1st one : My fault riding like an idiot on stock crappy IRC tires, passing a taxi on the inside. Taxi pinched me into a parked Toyota Vigo. Coulda been bad but I walked away from it.

2nd one: Again my fault, passing on the inside got the front wheel into a slime filled concrete drainage groove and ended up under a Honda CRV at low speed. Lucky for me driver stopped before crushing/dragging me. Not even a scratch on me in that one.

3rd one: Lost the front wheel on a wet steel plate mid way through a corner, low speed. A bit of a scraped knee, no real bike damage.

4th one: Backed into by an idiot at a red light, minimal bike damage, no me damage.

[Gweiloman]

Don't understand the OP's point about sports bikes riders vs cruisers riders. Yes, the riding styles are of course different, as well as riding speeds. Inherent in that is that riding is riskier (not just in Thailand but anywhere in the world) for sports bike riders.

I've not had any accidents yet riding in excess of 100 kmh (touch wood) but have had a few riding less than 30 kmh - on dirt bikes.

What actually is the point of your topic?

[HooHaa]

i have never hit anything, but have voluntarily laid the bike down twice. once the bike hit something. hard. but i had already got off.

at neither time was i at fault.

both times were sports bikes

both times i was paid out by the other party.

both times i ended up scraped and scabbed, but only arms.

both times i was wearing jeans, t-shirt and arai helmet, and gloves.

both times were by day. the nasty one was after the first rain following a drought.

both times were in bangkok.

both happened over 80kph. not even really out of second, maybe 3rd gear.

both were completely unavoidable.

both times i was sober.

though the accidents happened on the same bike, both my bikes have been sold.

both bikes are missed.

those were the hits, not the close calls. there were many of those over 12 years.

i saw the writing on the wall.

my bikes were an nsr 250rr, vfr 400r. both mint.

EDIT:

just re-read the thread and remebered my first bike here was a honda nsr 150 in 1997. i got nailed by a drunken policeman riding on the wrong side of the road on asoke. while i never hit him i went over a curb and shattered my knee avoiding him. i remember him standing over me before he ran away. a taxi driver picked me up off the road and drove me to samitvej on 49. when i woke i had a steel plate and owed 75k baht.

the taxi driver went back to get my bike he kept it at his house until i got out. when it was returned, the ecu and the clock were gone. he certainly did not take them. he says he saw police do it. i believe him.

i love bikes, and i still ride em. but for fun. not for transport.

given i still have a lot of steel in my leg, i dont believe i forgot that.

Edited March 16, 2014 by HooHaa

[JimMagee]

While living in Los Angeles, I rode various Harley cruisers for over 30 years and never had an accident. When I made the move to Thailand, I came with the intent of picking up a big bike here to ride as well. But after being on the road here for awhile, I decided against it. The roads are in poor condition, the other drivers on the road are untrained and too unpredictable, plus the number of dogs and chickens that spurt out into the road make the scenario far too dangerous. The big bikes cannot maneuver quick enough, they are made to ride in comfort on a highway, not dodging dogs, chickens, etc.

I have always rode with the attitude that I'm invisible and no one can see me - defensive riding always. In Thailand, you have to ride with the attitude of defensive riding in the 3rd person, ride to not only protect yourself, but to also protect the families riding all together on the same bike that just pulled out in front of you because the rider didn't bother to look first.

I picked me up a Honda PCX 150, it is fine for getting me where I want to go, and still no accidents.

[ajarnmarc]

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the people i know who love riding havent wrecked.

the people i know who ride just to try to be a badass and show off, have all wrecked.

Makes perfect sense,

especially when things are coming into the roadways from every angle.

It's hard to just find a road to enjoy a ride without distractions,

and when you think you have found it,

there's always a stray dog willing to prove the rider wrong.

[H1w4yR1da]

What actually is the point of your topic?

I think the OP is trying to show either sports bikes (or their riders) are inherently more dangerous than cruisers.

But I think some better research is needed, instead just speaking to a few guys at a bike week.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

[Kerryd]

Ha - first bike I bought in Thailand was a Phantom 150cc. Had it for a total of barely 15 minutes before I had to drop it on a busy street to avoid an accident. My problem was driving like a westerner. I was making a left turn onto #3 road and was the only vehicle in the lane when the light changed. But I had barely started to move when a car decided to nose between me and the corner and when I tried to go a bit wide to give him room, I found a scooter already going wide around me on the other side. I couldn't go wide without pushing him into oncoming traffic and I couldn't cut in because of the car so I ended up dropping my shiny new bike.

Realized later (of course) that had I of just gunned the throttle and blatted ahead of them, everything would have been fine. Also realized that riding while wearing open-toed sandals was maybe not the best idea.

Worst accident though was last year, on my frikken scooter on soi Khao Noi. Sure, ride the Harley all over Thailand for 5 years with no problems. Try crossing the street in front of my "village" on my scooter and get slammed into by a moto taxi driver that had cut across the road at high speed to avoid the oncoming traffic that I was waiting for to go by so I could cross. I had checked the frikken road to the right (clear), to the left (2 oncoming vehicles), to the right (still clear), vehicles pass, release brake and BAM ! Hadn't even started to crank the throttle and I'm laying on the street wondering &lt;deleted&gt; just happened !

My (previous) soon-to-be ex was picking herself off the street as I pulled my leg from under the scooter and stood up. Looking around I see a moto in the middle of the soi like 10 meters (30') away and the driver a couple meters from that. He had to have been almost flying to hit me that hard and travel that far afterwards. Seems he'd been on the far side of the road and rather than wait for those oncoming vehicles to go by, decided to gun it and cut in front of them. I was lucky I hadn't actually started moving when he hit me. If I had of, he would have likely caught me square in the middle of the scooter instead of middle of the front tire.

(Yeah, it was still my fault apparently. He ended up with a broken collar bone and damaged bike. I ended up with a small crack in my shin bone and a damaged bike. Could have been worse but my friend helped negotiate a settlement that left everyone happy and avoided any "complications".)

Don't think the guy in this video was as lucky though. Can't figure out &lt;deleted&gt; the scooter was doing in the middle of the road that was forcing traffic to go around it in the first place, or why traffic decided to start going around it by going over the the wrong side of the road.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=251078191708450

[fxe1200]

Have you had an accident with your motorcycle?

Yes, back in 1978, when a cager ran into my Superglide in San Luis Potosi.

Edited March 17, 2014 by fxe1200

[Claude Balls]

When you ride a bike of any kind, it's not a matter of "if" you're gonna have a prang, it's "when".

Also, the bastard that hits you is the one you never see coming and it doesn't matter how defensive you are - Murpy's Law.

Friend of mine was standing beside his parked bike outside a 7/11 putting his helmet on. Somchai on a scooter loses control passing a truck, wipes out three parked bikes and leaves my mate with cracked ribs, broken shoulder, and facial injuries. Go figure.

yes this certainly true in Thailand. I had so many "close calls" here that I sold my motorbike before I came a statistic...it was going to be inevitable and I'm a careful rider. Its all about the dangerous thai roads and driving practices

[ThaiHerbs]

Chiang Mai

Been here 5+ years, driving Honda 125cc +3 years.

Dropped the bike once to avoid 2 kids coming at me fast and wide around a blind corner, I was a bit tight on the corner also which I no longer do. Some minor scratches and headache, helmet saved me.

Dumped once pretty hard when I forgot the kickstand was down, helmet saved me - only a headache for a couple days, minor bike scratches.

2 1/2 weeks ago got nailed by someone I never saw? Think he came out of a small soi without looking to see if the lane was clear, could have been someone passing me tho. I went over the handlebars - all I remember is someone (I never saw) knocked the handlebars out of my hands. Woke up 1 1/2 hrs later in the hospital where I spent the next 3 nights. According to the ambulance guy the biker who hit me waited there until the ambulance came then took off. Bad headache for 3 days (helmet saved me), shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle scraped. Nothing was broken but hip is damaged - still on crutches, going to take some time to heal. Not going fast as I was calmly approaching a T intersection (under 30 metres) where I had to turn left, shoulder lane ahead was clear to the intersection as backed up traffic left over 1-1/2 meter clear for bike traffic.

I have seen many people blindly enter the same road, same spot, from a small soi in the past, exactly where I got nailed. Don't understand why so many people cut into main roads from small sois without even looking to see if the lane is clear???

Doug

[maximillian]

Stupid topic, but yes the chance of an accident riding a sports bike is higher but this will apply for any country. And its logical that the risk are .less when cruising at 100 - 120 km/h. So what's the point?

Stupid answer...

Hill: Most stupid answer...