That Day the Bike Decided to Throw Me
Alright, let’s talk about something less fun. Had one of those moments a while back, the kind you don’t forget. A proper high side. Not something I ever wanted to practice, believe me.
It was a Sunday morning ride, nothing crazy. Just cruising some familiar back roads. The weather was decent, maybe a little cool, roads seemed okay. I was on my old sportbike, feeling pretty good. You know that feeling, just enjoying the lean, the engine noise.
So, I’m coming into this right-hander. Not super tight, but requires a bit of focus. I tipped it in, felt smooth initially. Maybe got a bit greedy with the throttle coming out of the apex. Just a little too much, too soon. That’s where it all went sideways, literally.
The back end stepped out.
Not a gentle slide, either. It went snap. My first thought wasn’t even panic, it was more like “Whoa, okay, gotta catch this.” Instinctively, I think I chopped the throttle. Big mistake. The rear tire, which was spinning and sliding, suddenly hooked up. Found grip again when the bike was sideways.
Physics took over then. You hear about high sides, but feeling it is something else. The bike didn’t just slide; it violently snapped upright and kept going. It felt like getting kicked by a horse. One second I was leaning into the turn, the next I was being launched upwards and forwards, clear over the handlebars.
There’s this weird moment in the air. Everything slows down. You see the ground coming up. You know it’s gonna hurt. I remember thinking, “Well, this is it.”
Then came the impact.
Landed hard on my shoulder and hip, then tumbled a bit. Knocked the wind out of me good and proper. Just lay there for a second on the side of the road, staring at the sky, trying to breathe. Heard the bike skittering down the road somewhere behind me. Not a good sound.
Slowly, I started doing the checks. Wiggle fingers? Yep. Wiggle toes? Yep. Pain? Oh yeah, plenty of that, mostly shoulder and hip, but nothing felt broken right away. Adrenaline is a hell of a thing.
- Got myself sitting up. Took a minute.
- Looked for the bike. It was maybe 20 yards down, laying on its side, looking sorry for itself.
- Checked myself over again. Gear did its job, mostly. Leather jacket was scraped to hell, helmet had a good scuff, jeans torn. Could have been way worse without it.
Took me a while to get up and hobble over to the bike. Broken mirror, bent lever, scratched fairings, the usual stuff. Nothing leaking too bad, surprisingly. Managed to haul it upright. Some folks in a car stopped to check if I was okay, which was decent of them. Said I was alright, just bruised and stupid.
The ride home was slow and painful. Every bump hurt. Bike felt okay mechanically, just beat up cosmetically. Mostly, I was just replaying it in my head. That sudden, violent launch. It really hammers home how quickly things go wrong, especially with too much throttle and losing traction.
So yeah, that was my big high side adventure. Learned a healthy respect for throttle control on corner exits that day, especially on cooler roads. It’s a harsh way to learn, but sometimes those are the lessons that stick. Always wear your gear, folks. Always.
