I'm curious to know if anyone has been riding for a long time and NOT had an accident, or even a close call? Seems like every rider I talk to has a story of an accident or at least a close call.
As for myself, I've been riding almost 4 years and haven't actually even come close to being in an accident. However, I'm usually a very cautious rider...constantly keeping an eye on the other driver, and usually slowing down at intersections to make sure no one is blasting through a red light. I must also admit that, I don't spend much time riding on the highway, or long road trips either (longest trip is probably a 3 hour ride).

 

Sorry for posting this in the wrong section...if I knew how to delete it and repost, I would.

 

I've been riding for 10 years on 3 different bikes. I've been down, and have had a few very close calls. Got run off the road around a curve once, flipped over a curb. Luckily the bike got stuck on the curb or it would have been pretty bad, I wound up flipping over the curb myself and landed in the dirt. Leather jacket saved me. Had a few people change lanes into me but was able to avoid them, had to lock up the brakes a few times from animals jumping in front of me, and most recently I hit a hawk square in the head and almost went down. Alot of it is luck, the more you ride the more "incidents" you'll have. Alot of it depends on your environment too - high-traffic areas are like riding through the gauntlet sometimes.

 

IMHO you are a lot safer riding on the highway then in town.
I've only had one accident in the last 20 years and it was my fault.
Tom

 

I've actually heard that from a lot of people Tom. I do ride on the highway occasionally, but around here they are doing major road construction on our highway. I find it extremely uncomfortable to ride when they have temporary blockades set up and uneven pavement all over the place.

 

Been riding on the street for 39 years and have had three accidents. Two of them I was rear ended in gridlocked traffic in D.C., third I was hit by a guy that ran a stop sign and clipped the rear tire. All of them occurred while I was stationed in the D.C. area in the late 70's.

 

Over 100k miles mostly between mid 60's & late 80's. Nothing more than a skinned knee. (Tearing around a cemetary with chat lanes when I was a kid, slipped down on me turning around) Other than that, never laid one down, no close calls worth remembering. Just lucky I guess.

 

been down many times but always on a dirt bike lol knock on wood or head lol
i havent layed the harley over or even dropped it YET

 

2 in 30+ years...one in 07 on my FXDL my fault (grabbed front brake turning onto a Gravel road...2 broken ribs, broken right hand, broken nose (no helmet)...the 2nd was this Feb when a deer hit the front fender of my '01 RK...totaled the bike....4 broken ribs, dislocated shoulder...but I'm alive...so it worked out great for me.

 

+1 on Highway,
Most non-rider problems come from left turning vehicles, or free way with no dividing shoulder, it is a visibility problems that all motorcycles have.
I enjoy the cruise on the side roads but when I am alone, I get jittery and take very good care, try to shield myself with a car, yet a friend of mine lost her life when the cars in front of her collided with a car that jumped into oncoming traffic, she was last and could not avoid the wreck.

Myself, had one bad accident and it was in the city, doing 35M/H, and a drunk driver in a Ford Truck U-Turned into me.

Just think you are invisible and act accordingly.