After laying your bike down.

Ok so i layed my bike down on april 8th and ended up breaking my ankle and getting some nasty road rash. I replaced mirrors and the exhaust on my bike, everything else was ok. I'm healed from the break and getting ready to do some riding... the thing is i'm still a little intimidated. I don't know why.. i know what i did wrong.. i hit the throttle coming out of a corner and caught some sand... but i'm still a little hesitant. I think i just gotta get on there a take her slow for a while.. who else has been in an accident?

 It will pass but you will always ride more carefully. I wasnt hoping my accident would bappen, but now that it has i am glad it did. It gave me a new mind frame for me to have while on my bike.
 
ride safe out there

I know exactly what your going through. I am going through it as well.
March 24 I got too hot and heavy into a corner, hit some gravel and tested the structural integrity of a guard rail.

I have taken every chance I can get to get out on my bike since I got it back together. I swear my heart rate doubled the second I set up for a left hand turn for the first time. 
I was and still am pretty tentative about my entry speeds, but am slowly getting over it. I have been able to get out with some really good riders and I think that has helped me build my confidence back up. Following them was a challenge at first, but it all was coming back to me by the end of each ride. 

Just remember that as soon as you have any kind of doubt while your in a corner, your going down!

Get back on that horse and take it with baby steps. Start all over again if you have to. Your confidence will come back in time. Don't rush things.

Hope this is helpfull for you. I know the feeling, its not a good one to have. Trust me when I tell you that in time it will get better. Take this as a learning experience to get better and it will help prevent the same thing from happening again.

hey, anyone thats been down has the same feeling everything you were feeling before the accident will come back.
all of your confidence will come back, just ease into it.

a track day will chase the doubt away

just get back on the bike and start riding (take 'er easy)... your confidence will slowly but surely come back.  Last summer I laid down my bike around a left-hand turn... needless to say, I still get a little apprehensive when I see a left turn ahead.

But I figure sometimes you just have to ignore the fear and go for it.

I had my first one this spring also. For me i got back on and i swear i had the front wheel in the air before i left my driveway. OK so i didnt do that but i went right to my favorite road and busted some ass. So i guess what i am saying is go do something that you are very confident in, and take your mind right away from any doubt. The faster you can get rid of it the better i think. Before any flames come, thats not to say you should not learn from it, just dont dwell on it, move on.

the bike started right up after i went down. I ended up riding it home... yeah.. i was able to somehow lift the bike up and walk on a broken ankle.. it must have been adreneline or something because when i got home i could barely shift (it was my left ankle) and put the kick stand down. I jumped off the bike and just fell to the ground and crawled inside. Eventually i went to the hospital. I'm just scared of living that experience again.. i really just need to get riding again and work up my confidence

At least you could lift the bike... my shoulder must've gotten yanked out of socket or something when I was sliding along the ground at 45 mph lol... I went to pick up my bike to look at the damage, grabbed the handlebar with my left hand, started to pull, and hit the ground... one of the most intense pains I've experienced in a while.

Yea crashing, bleeding, and pain bring back a real quick reality about what can happen when we go riding, and it takes so little for it to happen. Just heal up Mauthman, take care of your ankle, and when your ready all will be fine, hop back on and enjoy.

Being that I'm old and have been riding for a gazillion years, that means I must have crashed a few times. I raced some in the early 80's, couple of crashes that resulted in ambulance rides. I always just get back up on 'em as soon as possible, "take the bull by the horns" and get out there and go. Learn from your mistakes; learn what not to do and learn what you can do.
 
If you're apprehensive in doing whatever caused you to crash, get out there and do it over and over. The apprehension and fear will leave and you'll be better.
 
Also get gear and wear it that will prevent the road rash problem.
 
A trackday that krash mentioned will also boost your confidence and help your riding skills.
 
And no, I don't want to crash again either.

Bike accidents will effect each of us in pretty much the same way...a bit timid on the comeback trail...Mine happened almost three months ago and I'm much more aware of the road now. I'm sure we all "learn" from our spills.
RB

I always heard that you have to crash three times to be "experienced"  well, one more for me then, and I don't care to go down a third time.   +1 to everything said, sure it gets ya a little bit but if you dwell on it and let it haunt you, it just makes it that much more to get back on.  So, get on and be careull, hope you learned somethin, most of all in that how easy your ride can dump you.  I don't know very many.....if any at all...riders that havent wadded up their ride, so it's not just you, it's 99.9 percent of us, some of it stupid, others not.  I think something would be amis if you were used to crashing and hopped right back on to shortly do it again.  The part I hate the most is the part when you come sliding to a stop, the sound of busted parts on the pavement and thinking "how the hell did that just happen"  Usually happens to me right after I just got done washing and waxing my ride!!!   Hope you heal up well and get right back on.  Take care.