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Tumbles, full-face helmets, eye glasses and gouged out eye balls

twins4life

New member
My one and only MC accident was 30 years ago. Typical story:
1. <6 months experience
2. First MC
3. No MC license
4. I had a total of about 5 minutes riding instruction from the sales man.

Equipment: Full face helmet, t shirt, jeans, sneakers.
Scenario: On 4 lane undivided highway I rounded a corner and saw a left turning truck, I swerved LEFT of him and managed to hit him broadside, right behind the cab. I locked up the rear tire (I'm not sure if I really knew when to use the front brake) and slid sideways into the bed. I actually hung on to the bed for a short time before falling off and seeing the underside of his truck. The rear tire ran over my waist cutting my leather belt almost in half. I remember laying on the ground pushing up on the axle of the truck.

Some things I dont remember:
1 Sliding on my stomach and scraping the skin off of the underside of my arms - down to the muscle.
2 Grinding off about 1/4" off of the chin guard of my helmet.
3 The last few seconds before impact.
4 Driving the bent bike home, except I have short memories of the pain cause by the wind drying the blood and then the newly formed scabs being flaked off as I drove and flexed my muscles

One thing I will never forget: The pain when the nurse would DAILY set my arms in a pan of betadine(?) and get the steel wool pads (actually they were gauze) and scrub my arms clean to get the infection that had set in.

It may not have been 100% my fault because the guy was staggering drunk and asked if he could just pay the damages and go before the cops showed up. Since I didnt have a license and was in shock, we just left. I passed the EMS on the way out. They just kind of stared at my bent handle bars, torn clothing and the fact that blood was pouring off of both arms.

I never stopped driving the MC even with bandages on both arms.

Now the point:

When I came to, my eyeglasses were laying completely folded up inside the face shield. Obviously during the tumbling they came off my head but couldnt get out because of the full face helmet.

I have thought about this for the last 30 years, during the tumbling could the frame ends have gouged out or damaged an eye(s)?

I havnt worn a full face helmet since, but recently bought one.
 
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Sorry that this has haunted you over the years, but glad you were not more seriously injured. I wear a full face helmet, and I wear glasses. While it is certainly possible that your eyes could have been injured by your glasses, I believe that is unlikely. I believe you would be much more likely to be injured by the road/ground/bike/or flying debris if you were not wearing a full face helmet......and, BTW, just as likely to be injured by your own glasses. Just my $.02.
 
Mine was not the typical crash; I was rolling on an interstate at 70 MPH in early March. Hit a patch of god knows what while travelling in a straight line. bikewas just ripped out from underneath me.

I hit the back of my head first and slid until I got hot and then flipped over on my face. I was wearing

1. Full face helmet
2. Tourmaster Jean pants
3. BMW Savanna Jacket
4. Pittards Gloves

All the clothing and boots and helmet were destroyed and I pretty much broke all my left ribcage but I had no road rash. At all. Pretty cool

Didn't even bend my eyeglasses. Thanks HJC. I wear an Arai now because I finally got one to fit my head.
 
My first and only crash was on my second day of riding 40 years ago. An overly eager "hotshot" Naval Aviator in training at the time, I overcooked a rural bend near Pensacola with predictable results.

I was wearing a "jet'" helmet and carry the scars on my bearded chin and under my left eye to this day. I haven't worn anything but a full face helmet since and never will (unless I win the Vincent Black Shadow sweepstakes prize offered by the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, that is).

Craig
still upright in Maryland
 
Hit a dog or rather, one ran into the side of me. Spent several feet facedown at about 45 to 55 mph on asphalt. CE stuff in jacket and pants did its job. Gloves worked well, boots wored well. Many broken bones. Shoei RF1000 was totalled -- face shield mostly ground away. My face was intact (ugly as ever). Eyeglasses didn't even come off of my face. Bruises on my nose and cheeks. No other damage. Quit worrying and get a Full-face helmet - the best you can find. Don't leave home without it.

Are you sure that your helmet fits? It would seem hard for eyeglasses to move around much if it does.
 
Hit a dog or rather, one ran into the side of me. Spent several feet facedown at about 45 to 55 mph on asphalt. CE stuff in jacket and pants did its job. Gloves worked well, boots wored well. Many broken bones. Shoei RF1000 was totalled -- face shield mostly ground away. My face was intact (ugly as ever). Eyeglasses didn't even come off of my face. Bruises on my nose and cheeks. No other damage. Quit worrying and get a Full-face helmet - the best you can find. Don't leave home without it.

Are you sure that your helmet fits? It would seem hard for eyeglasses to move around much if it does.

+1 for helmet fit.

Most of us, unless a sun-shield is integrated into the helmet (i.e. some Cabergs and Nolans), wear sun glasses even if we don't yet need prescription lenses. For me and my SO, glasses fit tight and come off releuctantly inside our full-face helmets, due to a snug fit of the lid.

When evaluating a prospective helmet, it should feel somewhat tight (they loosen up with wear), your jaw should not touch the chin bar, and with the strap connected, you should not be able to roll it off your head from behind.

While I'm sure any number of bizarre outcomes of a horrific crash are possible, I would not consider facial trauma inside of a good, full-face helmet to be a major probability.

Safe Riding!
 
All of these posts are why I went back with a full face hemlet. Wife has an Arai and I have the Shoei.

Mine fits snuggly, no chin contact but it does press on my cheeks a bit.

As far as the fit of the helmet 30 years ago, I dont remember, perhaps it was too large.
 
I'm so paranoid I wear my full face Multi-Tech in the house :p . I've always worn a full-face helmet for fear of sliding on my face, but I never wear sunglasses while riding. I just use an assortment of tinted and clear shields.
 
Dear Lord I have serious anxiety.... I am a new rider and so eager to get rolling but am terrified now.
I spared no expense on my new Arai XD and a couple heavily padded leather bike jackets. I've ordered some decent gloves: http://www.newenough.com/gloves/street_or_racing_gauntlet/joe_rocket/sonic_motorcycle_gloves.html and boots: http://www.newenough.com/boots/wate...ing_boots/sidi/way_rain_motorcycle_boots.html
I have been humbled by the stories and links to grotesc websites of these terrifying crashes.
I have no illusions about my abilities, even on such a magnificent bike, and will be taking the safty course in March. I see myself enjoying the open road at safe speeds and respecting the space of others doing the same. I've always looked out for bikers and kept a more than adequate distace. I guess I am afraid that I may be too idealistic.
I guess the question is: am I doomed from the start due to all the A-holes in oversized SUVs who are basically brain dead behind the wheel because they and their trophy wives and or husbands with spoiled little rug rats are assured a safe recovery after making road pizza of me? What about the drunks, your basic reckless overconfident teenagers and just plain complacent lithiumized, Prozac, Xanexed and lipitor laiden worker bees driving the same old auto piloted route to the conveinince store. Even if I can avoid the 80MPH Escalade with the "I Hit Bikers on Site" bumper sticker there is a good chance that a deer, dog or varmint will take me out as I narrowly avert the hungry 18 wheeler looking to scramble my soft innerds for a photographic montage of bloody road art.
Should I jsut sell the bike and buy a Hummer with a hood mounted MG and rockets?
Sorry for the frustrated rant:blush ....any consolation would be appreciated.....
 
Your destiny lies in your ability and training.

The bizarre can happen anytime, anywhere. Just like the tourist that dreamed of going to Greece. His first evening there he was walking on the beach, enjoying the trip he dreamed of for decades.

And dropped DEAD.

The autopsy determined he was killed by a single bullet, that came from nearly straight up. Obviously it was fired up and arced over and took him out.

Dont obsess on the worst case possibility.

Take your class, take the intermediate, then take the advanced. Buy a copy of "Proficient motorcycling" and read it once a year. Wife and myself are reading them AGAIN before this years riding season, as we do every year.

I've had one crash in 30 years and it was either ALL my fault, or mostly my fault, doesnt matter, it hurt just the same.
 
To Whips66 - statistics reflect the fact that most motorcycle accidents are single vehicle mishaps caused by rider error (too much speed for circumstances, inattention, failure to maintain control, etc.).

I've been flying aircraft -- military and civilian -- since 1966 without mishap. I attribute this to excellent initial training (U.S. Navy), constant and critical monitoring of performance, periodic and strict re-training and upgrading of skills. At the age of 61, though licensed as an Air Transport Pilot and flight instructor, I still consider myself a flight student.

I use the same approach to biking. In fact, I am now reading an excellent instructional book by Nick Ienatsch called Sport Riding Techniques (very highly recommended), one of many in my library of educational motorcycling books. I have also scheduled two days of road racing instruction at a well-known school this summer to refresh my track skills for translation into safer street riding.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have had one bike accident in 40 years -- during my first, naive days on a machine (which I foolishly climbed aboard with NO instruction) -- and it was my own damned fault.

Be vigilant, keep learning and -- literally -- relax (if you're tense you'll overcontrol your machine and be more accident prone). Enjoy your riding career, my friend. It can be perfectly safe and immensely enjoyable!
 
I have survived a few crashes.Two on the road and one on the dirt. The first one I was about 6 years old on the back of my brother's brand new1964 Honda 50. He hit some gravel and we went down. Neither one of us wearing helmets or any kind of protective gear. Of course he landed on top of me, so he was ok, and I had a concussion and road rash.
Ten years later on the same bike which was now mine, I got rear ended by a little old lady that never saw me when she made a right turn from the left lane into a parking lot. I flew forward about 40 feet before hitting the ground at about 30 miles per hour. I had no gloves, a terry cloth shirt, jeans, and a helmet with a "bubble" face shield. The helmet saved my face from being ground to hamburger. The terry cloth shirt melted to my shoulder. Only three broken fingers, a dislocated knee and road rash on my arms, shoulder and knees. If I was wearing the gear I always wear now, (full faced helmet, gloves, armored jacket and pants) I might have survived both accidents without a scratch.
I guess my point is that if one wears the protective gear, and assumes that you are invisible to all motorists and drive accordingly, (IE: expect them to turn left in front of you) you'll minimize the risks. Also, take the motorcycle safety course. And especially stay clear of idiots on cell phones.
 
Full face helmet

My first ride was similar except it was blind luck I didn't hit anything. I didn't understand the front brakes ether and slid right though an intersection. About 30 yrs ago.
I'll take the full face helmet any day. I think the eye glass risk is the least of potential problems to worry about in a crash.:banghead
 
Face First

I did a face plant on asphalt 25 summers ago. I had a 1980 Suzuki GS550 that I got at a yard sale (really!). It was affordable, fast as I could handle, but did eat up chains and tires. I had had a new rear tire put on the night before, and was riding in early-morning fog on newly-laid asphalt, a base coat on Vermont 107 in Gaysville, on the banks of the White River. The paving crew had stopped my lane, but I didn't see the flag man in the fog until the instant he appeared near the big, bad back of a trailer truck. I locked both brakes, stopped instantly on the fresh pavement and then flew straight over the bars, high side up, face down. I landed on my hands, knees and face, scratching my helmet's snap-on bubble shield. My glasses were six feet away from my sprawled prone self, as was one of my shoes (Bass Weejuns). I had injured only my pride, damaged only my helmet, handlebar and one turn signal. I rode away after cussing out the flag man. I'll always remember what that asphalt looked like two inches away from my eyes, when I knew I shoudl have been dead. I was lucky. Any faster in that fog into that trailer, my flat-faced corpse would have been buried in Maplewood Cemetery. Ever since, I always wear a full-face helmet, gloves and boots. The equation is simple: ATGATT = R2L ( ride to live, to see your life go on among family, friends, this Earth). Discussions about risk are abstractions; after that accident, my mindset is literally concrete.
 
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I took a full on face plant about a year ago. (First contact with the ground was my Schuberth's face shield) My sunglasses were askew on my my nose, but did not come off.
 
Now I'm scared......

Dear Lord I have serious anxiety.... I am a new rider and so eager to get rolling but am terrified now.
I spared no expense on my new Arai XD and a couple heavily padded leather bike jackets. I've ordered some decent gloves: http://www.newenough.com/gloves/street_or_racing_gauntlet/joe_rocket/sonic_motorcycle_gloves.html and boots: http://www.newenough.com/boots/wate...ing_boots/sidi/way_rain_motorcycle_boots.html
I have been humbled by the stories and links to grotesc websites of these terrifying crashes.
I have no illusions about my abilities, even on such a magnificent bike, and will be taking the safty course in March. I see myself enjoying the open road at safe speeds and respecting the space of others doing the same. I've always looked out for bikers and kept a more than adequate distace. I guess I am afraid that I may be too idealistic.
I guess the question is: am I doomed from the start due to all the A-holes in oversized SUVs who are basically brain dead behind the wheel because they and their trophy wives and or husbands with spoiled little rug rats are assured a safe recovery after making road pizza of me? What about the drunks, your basic reckless overconfident teenagers and just plain complacent lithiumized, Prozac, Xanexed and lipitor laiden worker bees driving the same old auto piloted route to the conveinince store. Even if I can avoid the 80MPH Escalade with the "I Hit Bikers on Site" bumper sticker there is a good chance that a deer, dog or varmint will take me out as I narrowly avert the hungry 18 wheeler looking to scramble my soft innerds for a photographic montage of bloody road art.
Should I jsut sell the bike and buy a Hummer with a hood mounted MG and rockets?
Sorry for the frustrated rant:blush ....any consolation would be appreciated.....

You sure do have a way with words! I've been riding on the street for 40 years now, spent 5 years MX racing but this post makes me want to hide under the covers. I've never had a fall on the street, plenty on the dirt.........I guess I've just been lucky......and yes, I always wear a full face helmet and full gear.
 
You sure do have a way with words! I've been riding on the street for 40 years now, spent 5 years MX racing but this post makes me want to hide under the covers. I've never had a fall on the street, plenty on the dirt.........I guess I've just been lucky......and yes, I always wear a full face helmet and full gear.

Like I said... I'm sorry for the rant... I had just come from another post that linked me to a greusome website that seemed geared towards fear and not responsibility. "Live to Ride & Die Riding" or something like that. Then this thread, which has been WAY more helpful than terrorizing but pushed my panic button. Post traumatic Stress Disorder I guess.
And don't let me forget having to plead my case to family members and friends who just see me in a casket with a real tight tie and a bad paint job. Not to mention I couldn't resist taking my new GS for a spin in the less than ideal conditions for a beginner on Monday (60 degrees but still very wet with loose surfaces) and being pushed wide on a decreasing radius turn knowing that my ABS wasn't going to help me in my exaggerated lean to negotiate the tighter space in the loose salty sand to avert the gaurd rail, that I could read serial #s on, because the auto in the oncoming lane was enjoying my lane as he got a little lift throttle oversteer drift from the loose road surface.... I had very little time to decide what to do.... but I did not panic and wail on the brakes. I do remember praying that my bike did not get totaled my first day on it. :bow My prayer was answered this time. I've been wrecked a dozen times playing football,l basketball and a few car accidents and saw it coming. But this was truely FUBAR. Alls well that ends well.... I feel better. :bottle
I guess you can never become complacent by thinking you are anything but a noob when riding a bike. You Tube sure has some crazy videos of riders that seem to have a deathwishes.
 
I used to wear a bell star/ full face helmet in the 70s. Now with glasses I wear the concept 1 helmet and love it. Don`t feel like ridding without a full helmet of some type.....
 
My fault

My one potentially serious MC accident occurred about 20 years ago. Slow speed on the way to work after a short rain shower. RR tracks crossed the road on the diagonal, the /5 slipped under my butt and the next thing I knew I was looking up at the sky.

I now realize that I'd suffered a mild concussion. I picked up the bike and road it in to work.

I spent a long time without a bike and recently bought a used RT. I took the ABATE course and will take the advanced in the summer. I bought a full face helmet, armored jacket, armored pants, boots and gloves.

I figure that I'm going to ride defensively, keep my eyes open and enjoy the ride.


A little paranoia isn't a bad thing.
 
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