Our Top 3 Close-Call Moto Videos
Los Angeles, California, United States
With the ubiquity of action cameras, more and more death-defying footage is being gathered every day, so we take some time out to count down our favorite trio of bat-s%&$t-crazy clips where riders, somehow, walk away.
With the rise of smartphones, GoPros and other action cameras, we’re being treated to an increasingly wide array of “you have to see it to believe it” style first-person footage. And with so many riders now wearing cameras and recording at all times, the number of totally bonkers incidents that we’d previously have to take someone at their word for, can now be viewed and shared online.
Because videos in which riders crash are no fun to watch...
Over the last week it just so happens that we’ve had two seriously crazy clips pop up online, so now seems like an appropriate time to breakdown our top three close call riding videos…
3. You’ll Land On Your Feet
The number three spot goes to a rider in my native San Francisco. Taylor Smith was riding his Triumph Daytona 675 near the Tenderloin when he came to a stoplight. After waiting for the light to change Smith did a quick glance in either direction, and then opened the throttle and proceeded into the intersection.
Unfortunately for the SuperSport rider, a VW had run the red light and was now careening towards him. With little to no time to react, Taylor — an avid snowboarder — was struck, the bike was taken out from underneath him, and he was flung into the air. The Bay Area resident says that’s about the time his snowboard training kicked into play, and he tucked his head and shoulder into the roll and tried to land on his back, with his weight spread out.
Motorcyclist miraculously lands on feet after flipping over car - Daily Mail
Somehow, the Triumph pilot managed to keep rotating in the air until the ground came back under him, at which point he simply landed on his feet. The footage is pretty surreal, and this is definitely a case of some luck and some skill, but either way this isn’t something you see everyday. While we’re sure Smith was none to please having his 675 thrashed, he now has one incredible story to tell for the rest of his life, and, the footage to prove it.
2. Threading The Needle
There’s a lot of debate over the safety and legality of lane splitting. While many riders believe the practice can be done safely, there are some bikers who give it a bad wrap, and demonstrate objectively inappropriate lane-splitting tactics, and that’s exactly what we have here; a rider dangerously splitting lanes, and nearly paying a tall price for it.
The footage opens with a rider splitting lanes at speed — NOT an advised practice — just before the biker makes a pass in between a Subaru and a Toyota. The bike clips the Toyota and begins to wobble. The rider appears to look back, which seemingly also causes them to apply a bit too much pressure to the right side of the bars, as, when the rider looks ahead, they’re headed straight for the curb. Here’s where things get interesting…
Somehow, instead of hitting the curb and wrecking right off the bat, the bike jumps the curb and evens out. The problems for the rider have just begun however; as the sidewalk he’s now riding on is lined with several trees, light posts, and other immovable objects that don’t mix well with a speeding motorcycle. Instead of grabbing a handful of brake, the rider opts to thread the needle between the aforementioned obstacles on the sidewalk, successfully making it all the way to the next intersection where he rolls back into the street and continues on his merry way, hopefully having learned one serious lesson.
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1. Just Passing Through
So this video surfaced last year, but it remains our all-time favorite close call. Like the first video, this one comes to us from the sunny State of California, SoCal to be specific. Instagramer/Youtuber “Hammy Moto” was out recording on his 2012 Kawasaki Z1000 when things took a serious turn for the worse. When the clip starts Hammy already appears to be in a bit of a wobble. Our guess is that the footage starts just before the rider brings down a wheelie, as it looks like a bad landing that caused the proceeding tank-slapper. The fact the speedometer is blurred is another major clue.
Either way, the bike goes side to side a few times before ultimately heading towards the 18-wheeler that’s riding parallel to the motorbike. The Kawa pilot is sent to the ground at freeway speed, and slides directly underneath the semi truck. Somehow, Hammy fits under the trailer, and exits out the other side almost completely unscathed.
We probably don’t need to explain why this footage is completely insane. The odds of this happening are miniscule, and the fact the rider walked away uninjured is just remarkable.
Did we leave out any other legendary close call videos of motorcycle riders? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, ride safe, and keep them cameras rolling.
