[Jim Kimo]

Long story short: My long time riding friend in New Mexico was on a 3 day shoot the dirt/paved passes ride a few weeks back in the NM mountains with two other riders. Around the area in summer there can be isolated thunder storms that can happen in the mountains. You can be riding in the dry and a mile away it's raining. Riding on a mountain road of dirt then pavement then dirt again they came up on a dirt section that had just had a good deal of rain dumped on it. The dirt surface was a clay substance that combined with water turns into snotty, slippery blob of crap that as you ride on it builds up and fills the area between your tires and fenders causing the wheels to just stop or lock up. They started up this section and his riding buddy bike quickly lost traction and the rear spun around the front. His friend put his left foot down to try and catch and the bike and it fell onto it his leg. He was running aluminum hard bags and the weight of the bike falling on his leg broke both bones above the ankle. So there they are in a remote area late in the day with a badly broken leg. Hours later they got out and to medical help. It was good he wasn't alone. I was thinking of hard bags for my DL1000 but that story makes me think maybe soft. Jim in Ojai CA

 

[Solo]

I like both types

I have metal H.T. bags, but I'd like to pick up some soft bags to use when I know it's going to be that kind of ride.
Metal bags are for sure more dangerous when you put a foot down.

 

[Scott E. Bonds]

I will stay with what I have. Caribous have a release mechanism and there are still a hundred ways for my bike to kick my ass. Maybe I get knocked over and my hard bags serve to keep the weight off of me......nope....non issue in my book.

 

[notacop]

I had my Sea Horse plastic bag provide a severely sprained ankle and calf area when the bike fell on me at no miles an hour. When it fell on my it felt like everything was being broken though.
Basically a fully loaded bike shouldn't come to rest on the body. I need to work on that!

 

[Jim Kimo]

broken leg part two

I will stay with what I have. Caribous have a release mechanism and there are still a hundred ways for my bike to kick my ass. Maybe I get knocked over and my hard bags serve to keep the weight off of me......nope....non issue in my book.

Same leg break "F$%KED and far from home".
La Moskitia Honduras (Plus Broken Leg) - ADVrider

 

[FredBGG]

His friend put his left foot down to try and catch and the bike and it fell onto it his leg. He was running aluminum hard bags and the weight of the bike falling on his leg broke both bones above the ankle. So there they are in a remote area late in the day with a badly broken leg. Hours later they got out and to medical help. It was good he wasn't alone. I was thinking of hard bags for my DL1000 but that story makes me think maybe soft. Jim in Ojai CA

What kind of boots was he wearing? With the right boots you should not break an ankle.

I personally never ride a motorcycle without serious leg, knee, ankle and foot protection.

 

[Big B]

What kind of boots was he wearing? With the right boots you should not break an ankle.

I personally never ride a motorcycle without serious leg, knee, ankle and foot protection.

Gotta do what makes you feel safe, but I have to be nimble and able to move freely about when I ride. Yes I wear all the gear, but I am not going to go crazy with tons of armor and protection.

 

[Wallygator]

What kind of boots was he wearing? With the right boots you should not break an ankle.

I personally never ride a motorcycle without serious leg, knee, ankle and foot protection.

I don't think this is correct either. Look at motocross riders...those boots are about the best you can get and they break ankles, tibias, etc, all the time. If you have a 500+ lb collection of metal and motor land on your leg, it's almost a sure break no matter what you wearing.

 

[Spec]

What kind of boots was he wearing? With the right boots you should not break an ankle.

I personally never ride a motorcycle without serious leg, knee, ankle and foot protection.

I don't think that any boot is going to save your ankle when 500 lbs lands on it. :jawdrop:

I'm with you though I don't ride without a serious boot on ever.

The key phrase in the OP's account is "put his left foot down to try and catch and the bike and it fell onto it his leg" Coming from an off-road background it's instinctual for me to stick out my foot to catch a fall. Can't do that with big bike. I don't know how to un-learn that though.

So the moral of the story is keep your feet on the pegs when going down :hurray:

 

[Jim Kimo]

I don't think that any boot is going to save your ankle when 500 lbs lands on it. :jawdrop:

I'm with you though I don't ride without a serious boot on ever.

The key phrase in the OP's account is "put his left foot down to try and catch and the bike and it fell onto it his leg" Coming from an off-road background it's instinctual for me to stick out my foot to catch a fall. Can't do that with big bike. I don't know how to un-learn that though.

So the moral of the story is keep your feet on the pegs when going down :hurray:

My friend said the guy didn't have a lot of riding skills especially off road and it all happened really fast. Keeping your feet on the pegs as much as possible is generally a good idea off road. But the mud made things very interesting. It look like had kept his foot on the pegs he may have broken or dislocated his arm or shoulder and also his leg when the bike landed on it unless it's a BMW boxer and the the engine head takes the blow. His was riding a BMW 800 non boxer.
Throw in a heavy bike, wet snotty clay mud and a sharp cornered metal hard bag then add low off road skills and ya can get what ya got. Just sayin, Jim in Ojai ca