Who's Crashed? [Crash Reports]

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

next time things will be different in that little "roundabout." and next time you ride, just like the rest of us, you will avoid crashes everyday just like you always have. its all good, sounds like you did all you could

Glad to hear your ok dude. Roundabouts are awesome, because they saved your a** that time. Had that been an intersection, it could've been much worse. Other than to keep traffic moving and slow things down in a neighborhood, traffic circles save lives. There are no head-on risk taking left turns, the only accidents are minor side swipes, and they are low speed. Ride safe out there, and stay alert, because most other drivers aren't.

[Dooglas]

Glad you came through the whole experience in fairly good shape. On the other hand, always expect inattentive behavior from the other fellow. You will often be right.

[busoni]

1. 2009 Buddy 125 orange
2. Rider error, around 2p. I T-boned a moving vehicle.
3. Avoidable: I didn't see a second vehicle behind (and one lane back) the one I was waiting for. Next time I'll be more patient and *make sure* it's clear
4. Injuries: Just bruises and minor abrasions. I was wearing a half-shell helmet and an armored Corazzo jacket (which has only a minor scratch from the incident).
5. Damage: the frame was bent where the front fork attaches
6. It would have been near $2000 to fix; I sold it to my local shop for parts
7. Experience: 1 year w/ motorcycle endorsement
8. Completed MSF course
9. Owner: yes
10. Speed: other vehicle, maybe 40 mph. I was going maybe 15-20 mph but was at a near-stop when hit
11. I was about 10 miles from home

[yoliander]

1. 2009 Buddy 150 Green
2. Rider error, 8am
3. Yes, don't try to make a u-turn going 5 miles and hour
4. Bruised pride and knee, helmet
5. None
6. None
7. About 10 minutes, license
8. Yes
9. Yes
10. about 5 miles and hour
11. about 500 feet

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

I hope these are newbies who never saw this thread, and not a streak of bad luck the past 2 days.

[JHScoot]

i am posting this to keep myself honest about riding, but also hope in some strange way this IS my one "inevitable" incident / crash / drop a lot of people say you must have, as it was fairly harmless, but could have been much worse under somewhat different conditions

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? - Blackjack

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? - 100% rider error, around 11:00pm

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? - Yes, avoidable. I was frustrated by a non working gas pump at a station. Across a wide four lane street was another station. I decided to traverse all four lanes in a straight line, "driveway to driveway." As i approached the middle of the street....hey...who put that low lane divider / island in the middle of the road when i wasn't looking! It was too late to stop although i braked to little effect. As my life flashed before me all i could think was "i hope this thing has enough clearance to jump this divider." Well, it didn't even make it over the curb, as the front wheel hit, the scoot came to a halt, the rear end flew up (a real stoppie!), i flew forward into the handlebars, and the scoot stalled in the middle of the road.

What will i do different next time? Um, make sure no long slabs of concrete are between myself and my destination, and not traverse four lane avenues in a straight line

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? - I was not injured, i was wearing boots, a helmet, gloves, and a long jacket

5. What was the damage to the Buddy? - No damage to Buddy

6. Cost of repairs, if any? - $0

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? - 4 and a half months experience, M1 Permit

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? No

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? - No

10. How fast was the rider going? - Hard to say, 10 or 15mph, maybe

11. How far was the rider from home? - About 8 miles



I post this because i was lucky, and i know it. If I had not the size and strength and conditioning to hold the scoot up and withstand the impact into the handlebars i would have went down for sure, and maybe even up and over the top. If it had been another time of night with more traffic, or a light had changed green and cars started to head my way as i was stalled (or worse) in the street, who knows the consequences of my stupid actions? I was shaken, also. And because of this the next station i came to i made a quick lane change to get into, closely cutting off an unseen SUV in the process. Could have been a double whammy night

I rode a few more miles, stopped for some coffee, reflected, and got my bearings back. Rode 40 more miles and had a great time. But woe is me if i don't learn from this cheap lesson

[ericalm]

i am posting this to keep myself honest about riding, but also hope in some strange way this IS my one "inevitable" incident / crash / drop a lot of people say you must have, as it was fairly harmless, but could have been much worse under somewhat different conditions

If only probability and risk calculations worked that way! We'd all run out and drop our first week then not have to worry about it ever again.

Sorry to hear about the incident but glad it was relatively minor, you and the scooter are unharmed and that a lesson's been learned.

It sounds like you already learned something I discovered a few years ago: If you're going to crash, crash someone else's scooter!
(The corollary to this lesson: "Never let someone else ride your scooter.")

[SFJess]

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? Color? White Buddy 125
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? It was probably my fault. I'm not sure. It happened at 7:30 this morning
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? I was probably following a little closer than I should have been. It's just a reality check that I need to be extremely careful all of the time.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Sore elbow and a scrapped knee. I wasn't wearing my protective jacket like I should have been. Full face helmet.
5. What was the damage to the Buddy? scratches and it doesn't want to start.
6. Cost of repairs, if any? Not sure yet
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
I've been riding for a year. M1
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yep
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? Yep
10. How fast was the rider going? About 5 miles per hour. 11. How far was the rider from home? <1 mile

I was on my way to work, and the car in front of me stopped short and fast. I didn't want to hit him, so I swerved over on a oily spot and fell off. Scary stuff! I hope my bike is ok.

[jrsjr]

5. What was the damage to the Buddy? scratches and it doesn't want to start.

Hey glad you're okay. Most likely reason why your scooter won't start is that gas leaked through the evap hose out into your airbox and soaked your air filter, thus strangling your motor. If so, that's an easy (and cheap) thing to fix. I'm in a hurry right now, so I don't have time to track down a reference, but if you search this site you'll find a bunch of threads that discuss this.

Again, glad to hear you're okay.

[SFJess]

5. What was the damage to the Buddy? scratches and it doesn't want to start.

Hey glad you're okay. Most likely reason why your scooter won't start is that gas leaked through the evap hose out into your airbox and soaked your air filter, thus strangling your motor. If so, that's an easy (and cheap) thing to fix. I'm in a hurry right now, so I don't have time to track down a reference, but if you search this site you'll find a bunch of threads that discuss this.

Again, glad to hear you're okay.

Thanks, I'm so glad that I'm just a little sore. I'll check out the filter. Hopefully, that's the only issue.

[SFJess]

5. What was the damage to the Buddy? scratches and it doesn't want to start.

Hey glad you're okay. Most likely reason why your scooter won't start is that gas leaked through the evap hose out into your airbox and soaked your air filter, thus strangling your motor. If so, that's an easy (and cheap) thing to fix. I'm in a hurry right now, so I don't have time to track down a reference, but if you search this site you'll find a bunch of threads that discuss this.

Again, glad to hear you're okay.

Thanks, I'm so glad that I'm just a little sore. I'll check out the filter. Hopefully, that's the only issue.

Upon further inspection, the rear break lever is broken. Still works, but snapped in half. The buddy started right up when I tried it though, so that's good.

[RollingDonut]

I've been lurking on ModernBuddy for little bit, and unfortunately my first post here has to be in this thread...

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? Color?
Buddy Blackjack (2-days old)
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
Completely my fault, misjudged my driveway entry because of my tinted visor (at 2AM). Hit the curb instead and laid it out completely on the right side. Luckily I wasn't going too fast and walked away with minor scratches.
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
I take this as an experience that I will have to learn from (the hard way obviously). My clear visor did arrive for my GMax 55S and I am going to make it a point to take the MSF course.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Walked away fine. Minor scratches on my right arm. I had my GMax 55S, TADGear Explorer Jacket and Mechanix Climate Control gloves.
5. What was the damage to the Buddy?
All comestic - but it hurts me to look at her now. Front cover is cracked, right-front non-functional turn signal is shattered. The exhaust pipe is slightly dented. Basically the entire right side is slightly messed up.
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
Geico still hasn't called me back yet. This scooter is literally less than a week old. I think the deductible is around $500 though. I think it would be cheaper for me to order the parts myself and just deal with it.
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
I just relocated to Vegas from California where I had a 49cc Ruckus with permit (though no M-Class License). This was quite a step up for me, but I felt completely confident (ha) and comfortable riding the BlackJack. I commuted on a scooter in SoCal for over two years.
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
Nope. Insurance will likely take a hit because of this.
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes... For two days.
10. How fast was the rider going?
Not very, I was pulling into my driveway - so maybe 5mph. If it wasn't for the complete surprise of the scooter contact, I probably would've been able to prevent the fall.
11. How far was the rider from home?
I was literally right in my driveway, pulling into my garage.

Bummer of a first post eh? Again, my wife and I just bought a house out here in Vegas and the Buddy was to be my mode of transportation while she took our Prius. The thing is still in drivable condition, but I just feel like a guber with the temp paper license-plate and a torn up Blackjack...

So yeah... Hello all, nice to meet you

[ericalm]

Bummer of a first post eh? Again, my wife and I just bought a house out here in Vegas and the Buddy was to be my mode of transportation while she took our Prius. The thing is still in drivable condition, but I just feel like a guber with the temp paper license-plate and a torn up Blackjack...

So yeah... Hello all, nice to meet you

I suppose it's little consolation that you're not the only one whose first post was a crash report. Really sorry to hear about it, but thanks for posting it. Good to hear you're okay and that the Buddy is relatively okay.

[Stormswift]

Sorry your 1st post was about crashing. As many would say thankfully you are OK and thankfully your scoot is only cosmetically scratched up. Many of us have had that experience regardless of how long we've been riding. I managed to scratch up my scoot without even riding it in the first 2 weeks (it sort of gotten away from me and I was not even riding it). I was lucky that it ended up on the grass. It was a huge wake-up call for me and a big scare. Because it was literally at my front step I never expected anything like this to happen but stats show that accidents most often happen within 5 miles of the house, likely when we are most relaxed, being in our own turf.
Do take MSF but also practice practice practice. MSF teaches how to be careful. Riding skills is something that is gained with practice. I hear that any time you get a new bike there is an adjustment period before you get to same comfort level you had with previous bike. Go out on weekends to empty parking lots. I worked on cone weaves sudden stops and tight turns from the stop, as well as dreaded U-turns. It all seemed easy on paper but when I put some cones /paper cups with water out, marked those curves and turns and started doing them I saw it is not as easy as it looked and with newer faster bike it took some adjusting and getting used to. For me biggest challenge was maneuvering my bike in tight spaces at slow speeds (most of DMV riding test was based on that) .

[Dooglas]

Indeed, stats say that most PTW accidents happen near home, more accidents happen to new riders, and a high proportion of accidents are single vehicle. All pretty sobering stuff to ponder about.

[hachi08]

Hi, guys! Long time lurker here on the forums, especially on the crash thread. I read the crash posts pretty often and now, regretfully add my own.

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? Color?
A baby blue 125 named Lilo. :'(

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
No, I was rear-ended at 8:45AM while commuting to work. In the left turn lane, I saw the light turn yellow before the car in front of me even turned. I proceeded to slow and then stopped when the light turned red. The car behind me must have been following too closely and assuming that I would run the red light, which is EXTREMELY common here with L.A. drivers. It's not unusual to get the green light and still be waiting for two or three cars to clear the intersection. So I stopped, he didn't, and a second later I felt my scoot swept forward and out from underneath me.

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
Hard to say, but I doubt it. Because I was looking into the turn and watching the traffic signal, I wasn't checking my mirror for the driver behind me, which I know you're supposed to do when coming to a stop. Then again, we were moving at extremely low speed (less than 5mph) and I slowed gradually before stopping, which would have given the other driver plenty of time to stop unless he was right on top of me and trying to cheat the red light, himself. Plus, barely a second passed between the the time that I stopped and got rear-ended, so I don't know that I would have been able to react quickly enough had I checked my mirror, anyway.

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Nothing broken; I fell back and to the left and landed on my butt. Just a bit of lower back stiffness from the force of being hurled backwards and soreness in my right leg from being pulled over the scooter to the left. I was wearing a helmet, protective jacket and riding gloves, and blue jeans. Normal fashion boots, though--still saving up for riding boots.

5. What was the damage to the Buddy?
Nothing too serious, thank God! The rear fender bent, but it's pretty flexible so it didn't break. The exhaust has red paint from the other driver's car, and since Lilo went down on her right, there are scrapes along the exhaust protector, as well as all the scooter bits up to the footrest. Nothing higher than that, fortunately. A plastic panel on the left below the footrest cracked and got dislodged, as well, and I haven't been able to jam it back in place. :/

6. Cost of repairs, if any?
Still waiting for the insurance appraisal.

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
Been riding for about 10 months now and have 8,000 miles under my belt. I have a permit, but completed the MSF course and was waiting for my waiver in the mail to convert to an M2 license.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
Yes, and now I get to fulfill the annoying statistic our teacher said to us: "At least one of you will go down in the next year."

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes.

10. How fast was the rider going?
I was stopped at the time of impact.

11. How far was the rider from home?
About 3 miles.

While I'm annoyed about going down, especially after avoiding at least 3 collisions in the past year thanks to quick reactions + riding safely and attentively, this has reinforced for me the notion that every rider can and will go down. There are factors on the road that are simply beyond your control, like the stupidity of other drivers. No matter how safely you ride, there will always be idiots out there driving less safely than you!

Happy ending: The guy who hit me was driving on a suspended license, so the police impounded his vehicle.

[ericalm]

Hi, guys! Long time lurker here on the forums, especially on the crash thread. I read the crash posts pretty often and now, regretfully add my own.

+++

Happy ending: The guy who hit me was driving on a suspended license, so the police impounded his vehicle.

Sorry to hear about the crash, but definitely sounds like one of those unavoidable things that just happen. Glad you're okay and the Buddy is relatively unharmed. At least the driver got his karmic payback!

Some riders go a lifetime without crashing or any kinds of incidents like this, but that's pretty rare. I tend to think that it's not that every rider will go down, but instead that no one goes out on the road with a 100% guarantee that they won't!

[ericalm]

I was hoping to never have to post a crash here again, but… sigh…

We had one of our superfun but challenging technical rides out in the canyons west of LA today. Thirty people came out, the largest group we've had for these routes—probably too large. I was near the rear of the pack and came around a corner to see a rider pull his scoot out of a bush. Others were there helping him; he wasn't injured. I sped ahead to try to let the others in the group know what happened. This was on the only section of road I'd never ridden in this route (which is no excuse). I was in a tight "S", hit sand and slid into the embankment to my right (outside of the curve).

I was okay, but because of the steep embankment, couldn't get the scoot off my right leg. Have no idea how it got under there. A guy on a Can Am Spyder stopped to help me up. I checked out the scoot and was ready to go before the group behind me caught up.

About a quarter mile later, a third rider had gone down. His scoot was trashed and his injuries a bit worse. He landed on his shoulder, which was sore but intact, but he was a bit light headed. He took a ride home with a tow truck and went to a hospital.

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color?
I crashed a cream Stella 4T.

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
Yup, totally my fault. Happened around 1:30 or so? I wasn't looking at my watch.

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time?
Could have been avoided, but once I was sliding, no. Next time, I will slow the heck down.

Also, I'm not as experienced doing this type of riding on the Stella. My Vespa was laid up with a busted belt. I'd been practicing with the Stella on local twisties on my way to work but in the end pushed it—and myself—a little too far. Even though I know better. Sigh.

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing?
Bruised and road rashed right knee. Bruised and lightly sprained wright hand/wrist.
Injuries would have been much worse if not for my gear. I was wearing a Corazzo Tempeste jacket, which took a slide on the left wrist. My heavy leather boots are gnarled at the toes.




Sneakers—and my toes—probably wouldn't have survived this crash.

5. What was the damage to the scooter?
Could have been worse. Crash bars took some of it.
Scraped headset and mirror. Scratches on spare tire cover. Bent legshield trim. Scratched mirror.

6. Cost of repairs, if any?
I'm guessing around $200.

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
Almost 6 years riding. Licensed.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
This time, the answer is YES!

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
Yes.

10. How fast was the rider going?
Maybe 35 or so. So, yeah, low speeds are dangerous, too.

11. How far was the rider from home?
30 miles.

[hachi08]

Wow, glad to hear you're okay and that you were wearing gear! That picture of your boots really freaks me out. I gotta get some good riding boots

[Dooglas]

What? You crashed the only 4T Stella in the US?
Glad to hear that you came out of it with nothing too serious. Take it easy and mend quickly. Three crashes on a single group ride though. Wow!

[ericalm]

Wow, glad to hear you're okay and that you were wearing gear! That picture of your boots really freaks me out. I gotta get some good riding boots

It might be a better illustration (less gross at least) than the photos of someone whose toes were ground off when she crashed in sneakers.

I love these boots so much this was my second pair. The first pair had just gotten scuffed and worn, but still wearable unlike these. Sadly, they're discontinued and I may not be able to replace them.

What? You crashed the only 4T Stella in the US?
Glad to hear that you came out of it with nothing too serious. Take it easy and mend quickly. Three crashes on a single group ride though. Wow!

Thanks. Yeah, it was a freaky day. Ironically, the day started with me telling the group to take it easy because, "We had a crash out here once and don't want that to happen again."

There are at least 2 other Stella 4Ts in the US! I'm not the first one to crash one. I won't mention the name of the person (an MB member, even) who holds that honor. Someone even dropped mine before I got it.

[jijifer]

Wow, glad to hear you're okay and that you were wearing gear! That picture of your boots really freaks me out. I gotta get some good riding boots

It might be a better illustration (less gross at least) than the photos of someone whose toes were ground off when she crashed in sneakers.

I love these boots so much this was my second pair. The first pair had just gotten scuffed and worn, but still wearable unlike these. Sadly, they're discontinued and I may not be able to replace them.

What? You crashed the only 4T Stella in the US?
Glad to hear that you came out of it with nothing too serious. Take it easy and mend quickly. Three crashes on a single group ride though. Wow!

Thanks. Yeah, it was a freaky day. Ironically, the day started with me telling the group to take it easy because, "We had a crash out here once and don't want that to happen again."

There are at least 2 other Stella 4Ts in the US! I'm not the first one to crash one. I won't mention the name of the person (an MB member, even) who holds that honor. Someone even dropped mine before I got it.

oh, such a bummer. I'm glad that you and the scoot are ok!

Is that the same route we did with Julie and Chris? I almost lost it on a sandy corner. That's why I was SO far behind you guys! I'm glad no one when over the side!!!!

[Howardr]

Glad you and the other two riders are okay, Eric. Twisties are fun and isn't that dangerous part that makes it fun?

We had a crash on our January Group ride. As ride leader, I always take it personally.

Glad "1 of 3" is okay, too

Howard

[peabody99]

wow. hope for a speedy recovery for both of you and you scoots. I guess the downside of S. Cal riding would be that snice you are riding year around, more chances to crash.

[easy]

Ive been slacking on wearing my Doc's but not now. Glad your pretty much ok

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

wow, surprised to see you on here, but good that it's not serious. Those boots look amazing, would hate to see what sneakers or even flip flops would look like. Are they steel toe? Take care of that knee, it looks like the road rash I had last year, same spot. 30 riders sounds like an awesome turnout! JP said it was some of the same routes we went on this summer. Battle scars, brother!

[ericalm]

Those boots aren't steel toe but they're quite heavy as you can see. Found another pair on eBay, but in another color for $90. They might be the last pair on the planet, though.

[JHScoot]

well, glad you made it out generally ok, eric. and i hope the 4T get's fixed up right. i think i typo'd "keep the runner side down" to you in a previous message, and am afraid it may have jinxed the whole deal

honestly, though. glad no one was seriously injured (i consider serious injuries broken bones and other debilitating things), and at least you went down trying to warn others. kind of like running into a burning building....and getting burned!

you got some new boots already, and the road rash looks painful but not as bad as it could have been. so all in all, hope you and everyone else enjoyed the day. just had a little extra excitement built in, i suppose. predictable as it may have been....

so, keep the rubber side down, and here's to a year of safe riding ahead

[ScooterTrash]

Too many pages in this thread

[Skootz Kabootz]

What an unusual day yesterday! So glad your injuries are no worse Eric. You were so together after the fact that I'm learning more about the extent of damage to body and scooter here than standing beside you yesterday! Glad you're OK and the scooter is relatively OK too. I am definitely shopping for some new riding boots/shoes today!

Jen: yes a lot of the route yesterday was the same as what you, Wayne, Eric, Julie, Chris and I all rode together. But you did not ride the stretch where the three riders went down yesterday. With you and I and the others we turned left and headed down that twisty canyon towards the ocean, yesterdays route went inland for additional riding and out to the Hotel California. The trouble spot was a steep downhill twisty section. Definitely a very challenging stretch.

[jrsjr]

I was okay...

Whew! Glad to hear it. That pic of your destroyed boot is a sobering thing. Glad you had your gear on and didn't hit anything.

[ericalm]

I was okay...

Whew! Glad to hear it. That pic of your destroyed boot is a sobering thing. Glad you had your gear on and didn't hit anything.

The guy who hit a bush was very lucky. No jacket; his boots were scratched up. If he'd hit sand and gravel as I did, he'd be covered in road rash.

[Tazio]

It was a great ride until the drop down (not a good phrase) to Westlake. Like Scootz, I didn't realize Eric had gone down until hearing about it later. That road is notorious for its tricky turns, some with reverse cambers. We were lucky that all of the crashes were on left turns rather than right with possible over the edge drop offs. I should have cautioned everyone at the meeting at the start.

The road rash is always nasty and one of the reasons I have armor in all the usual areas that get hit when you go down. When I had my crash over three years ago I got almost everyone of the usual spots: knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, hands and chin. The only one I didn't get was my back.

Next time let's split into two groups. I'll be happy to lead the slower one.

[Rob]

It might be a better illustration (less gross at least) than the photos of someone whose toes were ground off when she crashed in sneakers.

Thanks for this post and particularly the pics! As others have said, I'm pretty good with most of the riding gear, but I do get lax with the boots from time to time. This definitely falls into the picture being worth a thousand words category.

Rob

[Stormswift]

Definitely will be wearing those knee protectors again. I wear full gear and wore the knee and leg guards while I was practicing for the DMV test. Then after I passed I got less careful. Considering the location of the road rach Eric has suffered - back to wearing the knee/leg guards in addition to the rest of the armor, no matter how they look

[KABarash]

I was okay...

Whew! Glad to hear it. That pic of your destroyed boot is a sobering thing. Glad you had your gear on and didn't hit anything.

Glad the damage to you and the scoot seem light.

I've always just worn hi-top sneaks or light hikers for ankle protection, since any of me 'near-wrecks' I've come up with strained and sprained ankles, usually the same (left) one. I've seen the 'ground-off-toes' pics but I've figured, what the heck, I'm missing a few toes anyhow thanks to steel toe boots and -30* weather.

[JHScoot]

^ i am a sneakers kind of guy myself, but will wear boots on occasion. not "riding boots," but a pair of Doc Martens.

armored jackets and what not? i have a couple and tend to wear them when i am out on longer rides. i know "anything" can happen at anytime, long(er) distance or short ride. but I tend not to think that way and gear up the way i feel most comfortable, or just happen to be dressed that day

a regular shirt, jeans, and a pair of high top sneakers is very commonly what you will find me riding in. oh, and gloves. i do feel exposed without a good pair of gloves. but thats about it.

and a helmet, of course

[Kaos]

^ i am a sneakers kind of guy myself, but will wear boots on occasion. not "riding boots," but a pair of Doc Martens.

armored jackets and what not? i have a couple and tend to wear them when i am out on longer rides. i know "anything" can happen at anytime, long(er) distance or short ride. but I tend not to think that way and gear up the way i feel most comfortable, or just happen to be dressed that day

a regular shirt, jeans, and a pair of high top sneakers is very commonly what you will find me riding in. oh, and gloves. i do feel exposed without a good pair of gloves. but thats about it.

and a helmet, of course

Docs make pretty good riding boots. Thats what I usually wear. They can take a LOT of damage and still be just fine.

[suziesamantha]

1. Which model and displacement (CCs) scooter was crashed? Color? Buddy 125, Pink
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? Being I was the only vehicle involved I must have done something wrong. It occurred around 2 pm.
3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? I am sure if I had done something different I could have avoided the crash but I am not exactly sure what happened. I will be more cautious in crossing tracks.
4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? Yes, I was injured. I split my leg open pretty good but not broken bones or anything major like that. I was wearing my helmet and a armored jacket but just regular jeans. I had just purchased Kevlar jeans and was on my way home to put them on.
5. What was the damage to the scooter? Yes, Minor damage, Scrapes on the side, broken headlight bezel and cracked mirror
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither?
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes just the weekend before
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? yes
10. How fast was the rider going? ~20 MPH
11. How far was the rider from home? 2 blocks

I had just purchased my scooter and made some pit stops. One was to purchase Kevlar jeans. i was on my way home to put the jeans on and crashed. I was crossing some tracks and lost control of the scooter and laid it down. I had just left a stoplight and was traveling through an intersection when the accident occurred.

I was taken to the ER in an ambulance but was released only needing stitches thankfully. There was a good chance I was going to need surgery. My leg is in a immobilizer for the next 2 weeks so no scooter riding for me, but I can't wait to get back out and ride!

[Jackie F]

I had just purchased my scooter and made some pit stops. One was to purchase Kevlar jeans. i was on my way home to put the jeans on and crashed. I was crossing some tracks and lost control of the scooter and laid it down. I had just left a stoplight and was traveling through an intersection when the accident occurred.

Sorry to hear about your accident. Railroad tracks can be slippery. My first accident was on streetcar tracks. I crossed over them fine, but the tracks curved into my lane and I ended up riding on one. Take care.

[Dooglas]

Sorry to hear about your crash but glad that you have a really positive attitude about going on from here. Railroad/trolley tracks can be a real hazard - especially when they are wet. The only time I every went down on a scooter (or sideswiped a curb actually) was going over a wet trolley track. When you are back up and about, start slowly. Some riding in an empty parking lot for practice and then some riding on lightly traveled streets. No riding in the rain or at night for a while (maybe a long while), as you build your skills. And yah, wear the gear.

[wifiducky]

i can now add myself to the list {XD}for get you im using my XD face now )
it was a hour ago XD not even maybe 20 min but that ok i feel good at the moment

so i was at a dead red as i like to call it you know the red lights that never want to change for us :/ well it was a turn and the main light was green so i cut in to take it seeing no cars coming well my tires hit a slick and bam i was on the ground the chrome bezel snapped and with it the part it screws on to did too so i need to buy the bezel and the top Cover but hey it looks as if theres nothing wrong so im happy other then that plus the beautiful ems lady <3 dear god that made my night hahahaha.... sorry off topic

[Syd]

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? - SYM HD200

2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur? - No (and the other vehicle driver was sited. About 6:30pm

3. Could the crash have been avoided? What will you do differently next time? - I don't think so. He pulled out right in front of me at major road speed in the Valley (somewhat less than 40-45). I grabbed front and rear, so was probably down to 30+/- whem I hit his left rear quarter, and I remember hin speeding up fast to get out of the way, but short leaving earlier/later, I tjink it was unavoidable.

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? - A bruised and swollen left foot and left hip, abrasion on the left knee a couple bruised ribs and a surgically repaired left clavicle. HJC IS-16, gloves, long jeans and low-top leather shoes, An un-armored jacket, but injuries are not where armor is, so I'm not sure the jacket would have helped.

5. What was the damage to the Buddy? - Bent front wheel, bent front fork, all plaastics up front. The shop has it and ins Co will look at it shortly to determine the extent of damage; but the front fork doesn't bode well, I expect

6. Cost of repairs, if any? - $?

7. How much (weeks, months, years) riding experience does the rider have? Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neither? - 4 years experience, M1 Endorsement.

8. Had the rider completed the MSF course? Yes

9. Was the rider the scooter's owner? - Yes

10. How fast was the rider going? - At time of impact, less than 40; as low as 30 give or take is my guess.

11. How far was the rider from home? - 1.25 miles


Hard to type. That's all for now.

[Dooglas]

Ouch! Painful to read this one Syd. Hope you (and your scoot) bounce back quickly.

[jrsjr]

4. Was the rider injured? What type of protective gear or clothing was the rider wearing? - A bruised and swollen left foot and left hip, abrasion on the left knee a couple bruised ribs and a surgically repaired left clavicle. HJC IS-16, gloves, long jeans and low-top leather shoes, An un-armored jacket, but injuries are not where armor is, so I'm not sure the jacket would have helped.

So sorry to hear. Hope your injuries heal quickly. Thanks for the honest assessment of the value of your safety gear, esp the jacket. I'm a huge believer in wearing safety gear, but it's smart to remember that gear doesn't make you invulnerable. A bazillion years ago when I got my first full face helmet, I had my "Robocop" moment and a guy I rode with said, "Don't let that thing give you a false sense of security." I've tried to keep that thought in the back of my mind all these years.

Sorry about your scoot. That's a shame. Hope the ins company takes care of you.

[JHScoot]

that sounds like a nasty one, Syd. hope you heal up well and suffer little pain from now on

[Keys]

No good, Syd...you still have to come up here to the Sedona area and go riding with me...

--Keys

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

sorry to hear of your crash. Hopefully you heal up soon and the insurance company makes it right.

[ericalm]

Syd, Sorry to hear about the crash! That shoulder ligament injury… Ugh, I know ho painful it is. I was lucky to avoid surgery. A rider in our group recently had the same from a crash.

And it's true: Armor can only protect you from so much. I'm definitely not arguing against it, but it's not like a force field.

[Plisar]

God, I've read this entire thread, and I'm pretty freaked out about riding now. Yikes. Maybe it's good to have the fear of god before getting on the road.