Well after going to the desert for 7 seasons, I finally crashed today, my seasons include, 1st on a quad, 2 in 2 seater rail, 2 years building a rail, 2 seasons in a 4 seater rail, and now I am on my 2nd season on a raptor, and a proud member of the over the bars club. My bro and I were off in the really soft sand between the first and second valleys at Gordons, I am going up a short, steep hill, start cresting the top to the left, the rear end starts sliding down the hill so I am now pretty much pointing directly up the hill, front tires go over the top, then the rears come over still sliding out rear tires get off the ground a bit, then catch at the same time the front tires catch, and then I get thrown over the left side of the handlebars, I of course bring the bike with me, it lands on my back, I feel this so I keep rolling to use the bikes momentum to make it get off me, bike lands on all four tires, I end up on my face. Right when I left the bike I thought to myself this is NOT good, I am gonna get all broken in the middle of nowhere, then my head slams into the ground, roll, bike rolls over me, when it stopped I think, wait I dont feel a bunch of pain anywhere, I'm O.K., WHOOO HOOOO, I get up, laughing, my brother starts breathing again, take a few to talk about the excitement, then continue our ride. All in all, no damage to me, no damage to the bike, minor scratch. and all is good, just thought I would share my de-virgin-azation with ya.

P.S. keep the round rubber things facing down

if you're not crashing....you're not riding hard enough

Been there, done that, but wasn't lucky to be on the sand.

I lost my virginity in Baja, and ended up with several broken bones.
After a few months, the pain was gone, and the bike was asking for more....

Hey no pain, no gain.

I also forgot to mention that I am 31, and rumor has it that the older you are the more it hurts....lol, Its weird I have never crashed before, other than going over backward doing wheelies on a 185 3 wheeler around camp, but that doesnt count. It was a weird feeling, dont really want to do it again, but I am not as afraid of crashing as I was before, sand is pretty soft for the most part, its the bike on flesh that I think will do the damage, seen footpegs impaled in body parts, that was bad.
see ya in the dunes,, Ian

im a crashing pimp.....when you dont remember what happend, it was a gnarly ride

Glad to hear you're ok.
Sounds like you got lucky.
Did ya even break a whip?
I'm more impressed that anyone can go to Glamis for 7 years and never crash.

good to hear your ok! i went over the bars for the first time last year...trails up in big bear...i landed flat on my back...wearing a full camelbak!! felt like i landed a pillow.

Ian, it's not that it hurts more it's that it takes longer to heal. I tell ya I don't heal like I use to.

Of course it helps to have plenty of painkillers in hand.

Roger that, this morning my side and face is a little sore, got some bruising going on, at least I am my own boss, so I can make it an easy day today.

EFward, I got lucky I didnt break my whip, I have trail tech lights on my bars and they were pointing to the sky, but that was it, I know the bike landed on the front, I think that is what I felt on my back, I know the rear hit the sand as well, cuz the rear fenders were covered in sand, and I have 2 scuff marks on the plastics where it hit, and the marks are on the same side as the whip, so who knows why it didnt break, it is a lighted whip and it is 5/16 thick instead of the standard 1/4" got it at light-em-up at vendors row last season.

It was also the first ride of the weekend with no camel back/backpack, and no helmet cam, that would have been cool to get on tape. Funny thing is I was talking to my bro the night before about how I havent crashed, I am too scared to that is why I dont ride like a bat out of hell with my hair on fire, ironic isnt it??

Thanks for the good words,,Ian

its good for your riding IMO(i dont want you to get hurt but sometimes a lil trip over the handlebars puts things in prospective). it keeps people in check and that much more cautious when they go out again.

Rookies...

The 1 time I rode with CRASH he laid the bike down several times. I didn't consider any of them an actual crash. I think his name is bogus! He laid it down on the transitions from one bowl to the next. And he's calling you guys rookies.

Sorry CRASH. Had to dime you out.

Ian just for your info! Yes as you get older it does tend to hurt more!!! 2 years ago I put new Works shocks on the front of my 86 250R. Did a run up Olds ant it started to bounce and thru me off over the front then ran over me!!!!!!! That F*&^&*g hurt. Turns out they had tooooooo much Nitrogen gas in them.
I am 55, 220 lbs
Welcome to the "Over the bars Club"
Fuzzy

Now I just need to get down to cycle parts west and get the "over the bars club" sticker, bought one for my bro when he went over, he bought one for his friend when he went over, its almost like a badge of courage... or something,

When I got my new a-arms with the works triple rate shocks, it almost bucked me off a couple times, also I am thinking my incident may have had something to do with my new +4 swingarm, and new shock, just wasnt used to it, who knows, but now I know what 240+lbs. feels like hitting the sand while winding out 2nd gear.

the sand was super duper soft and I think my front tires dug into as well, number of factors.

hah my latest crash was me on the R in about 3rd (or 4th? cant remember) pinned..didnt see the witcheye..and hahha you can imagine....quad hit me i think twice? i walked away with a broken collarbone...not too bad~ ruined my weekend tho cause it happened on the FIRST ride so that was a total bust...LUCKILY im young and heal fast ...oh well at least the 250 wasnt hurt...

sounds like a problem with works to me....

i have TCS on my quad...and it rides like a dream.

I am extremely happy with the set up I have now, it rides very nice now that the front and rear shocks are pretty much a match set, I meant that compared to the squishy stock shocks, the new ones just took a little getting use to, like 1 or 2 rides.

7 years without a wreck?!? I rarely make it 7 rides, and I have friends that don't last 7 MINUTES! Welcome to the club, I'm gonna try and join yours...if you went from 24-31 with no wrecks, I'm going to quit crashing completely when I turn 24.

get them all out of the way now while you still can, I guess I have just been lucky, I do jump, and am the leader when our group rides together, and normally I am the fastest, I guess I have just been lucky, I should probably sell my streetbike before I go down on that, that really would suck.