駕駛車款:            Kawasaki KH 125 1977 model
製造年份:            1977

意外種類:            自己炒低
車主:              Sam

事發經過:
It happened when I was still a learner rider. One day I collected my bike from my mechanic after the engine had been reconditioned, the bike had been sitting in the workshop for 2 months as the job was big. I found that the tyres were nearly flat and asked my mechanic to pump them up, he told me that bike needs flat tyres for better grip, I believed him and ride my bike home. I did some riding at that night, suddenly, my mobile phone rang and i decided to pull aside into a carpark and answer the phone. However, the surface of that carpark was rough and unpaved, I applied the front brake wrongly by braking when the steering was not yet straighten up. My bike immediately fell down.

人命財物傷亡損毀:
No personal injury as I was wearing a rider jacket and it was a 0 km drop as the bike was nearly stopped. The front indicator lens on the left hand side was broken, costed me AUS$5 for a new one. A few days later  I found the head light supporting frame was bent, I spent AUS$30 at a bike mechanic to get the frame bent back to the original shape.

當時感受:
Very embarrassed, as there were some old people looking at me. They asked am I ok, I said I am fine.

事後影響:
When riding on rough surface, I ride with extreme caution and apply front and rear brakes moderately when stopping.

肇事原因及教訓啟示:
Reason causing the accident:
1. Did not test ride the bike immediately after collecting the bike to see if everything was alright.
2. Flat tyre: I went to the service station immediately after the accident, found that the pressure left in both tyres was only 8psi, much lower than the recommended pressure.
3. Mobile phone: incoming phone call, ringing or vibration, distract the rider, even you have no intention to answer the call.
4. Inappropriate braking: applied front brake when the steering was not yet straighten up
Things I do now to avoid it happen again:
1. Always test ride the bike after it has been fixed, notify the mechanic  about any abnormality on the bike as soon as possible.
2. Always start my riding with going to the nearest service station to pump the tyres when they are still cold.
3. Switch off the mobile phone when riding to avoid distraction.
4. Apply brakes with caution.
5. Wear protective gear, including jacket, gloves, knee guards and full face helmet.