Heart-stopping moment a biker loses control of his motorcycle in a death wobble on a highway in California

A horrifying video shows the moment a man traveling down Interstate 80E in California lost control of his motorcycle in a death wobble.

In a hard-to-watch video posted online by Erica Hoff, the man had just merged onto the Sacramento highway when his motorcycle started shaking.

Hoff wrote in the caption of the video that she was driving in the fast lane with her kids at the time of the incident.  

‘As he merged, his bike would shake and wobble. He sometimes would only have one hand on the handle bars while it was shaking!!’

She said she ‘couldn’t figure out why it was shaking, but we noticed it would only do it once he hit high speeds’.

After about five or 10 miles, Hoff said her family watched him ‘almost’ lose control nearly six times.

‘So I got my phone out, thinking “its only a matter of time before he crashes” and I wanted the video as evidence in case anyone else got hurt,’ she said.

And Hoff ended up being right. In her 18 second video, the man is seen losing control in a death wobble in the middle of the road.

In an attempt to keep the motorcycle from tipping over, the man tried to brake and put his feet out, but it was too late.

The bike then spun around, launching the man face first into the road.

As cars passed by, the man was dragged by the road until it finally halted.

Hoff said she immediately pulled over and called 911.

She said her family helped ‘the man (and his bike) off to the side of the road as quickly as possible’.

But the man, who was seriously banged up, walked over to the right shoulder of the road by himself, according to Hoff.

‘His face was really mashed up (his nose looked broken) and arms covered in blood. Crazy road rash!!! I still wonder how he’s doing,’ Hoff wrote in the caption of the video.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4657406/Shocking-video-shows-motorcyclist-losing-control-bike.html#ixzz4lnaiEGkQ
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10 thoughts on “Heart-stopping moment a biker loses control of his motorcycle in a death wobble on a highway in California

  1. Anyone who rides a motorcycle in CA is semi-suicidal to begin with.

    No matter how good of a rider you are, the odds are ever in your favor of getting nailed by some idiot in a car.

    Probably an illegal, at that.

  2. #1 I took my bike out to California a couple months ago. I felt more secure on the L.A. freeways than I’ve ever felt on Wisconsin freeways. You can rev your engine (if its loud enough), the cars split like the red sea. Go right on through. Not allowed in Wisconsin. 🙁 people here are too greedy to let that happen)
    In L.A. I slowed down to 85 in the carpool lane and a motorcycle cop zipped right past me.
    This video shows no sign of tire or wheel failure. I think the entire accident was due to overcorrection on the part of the driver. Most big bikes like that will drive themselves at that speed, if there in good mechanical condition. He had both hands on the bars and still went through that? The proper thing to do is let off the throttle let it come to a stop naturally. (But then you do run a risk of getting rear ended on any freeway.) This one spun out because the driver caused it to, with the bars. that’s easy to see.
    The helmet doesn’t help much when your face is first to hit the pavement.
    How long does it take to turn your head to avoid a face plant? Not long if your sober….Too bad for the guy, He’ll survive, bet he won’t do that again.

    1. Saw way too many accidents when I lived there… many fatal.

      You’re only even fairly safe in a car… and then only if you drive more aggressively than those around you.

      1. #1, Super aggressive on a bike, that’s for sure.
        But it was fun the few days I was there. I had to help somebody so I never got to ride up in the mountains like I planned.

  3. I think the rear wheel wasn’t tracking the front, why it got worse at speed…. the bike was trying to self correct itself so to speak.

    1. Could be it was just worked on. I’ve had smaller Japanese bikes that would wobble at say 30mph when you’d raise your hands a bit off the handlebars. Bad tire. Motorcycles are dangerous especially if surrounded by cars. Drivers can be looking right at you and not see you.
      I prefer winding country roads, no cars.

  4. Had the same thing happen to me on my 1978 KZ1000ltd, Rear tire went flat at speed, nearly lost it but held on off the road, was a scary ride, this guy ate it pretty bad… Don’t wish that on no rider.. !

    But like flying an Airplane, there’s a certain freedom from riding motorcycle, a sort of rebellion feeling.. 🙂 Worth the risks…

  5. Norm, bet you won’t forget that ride…I’ve had a couple memorable times.
    I only get frisky when it’s less risky now….

  6. this happen to me on a full dress yamaha like in the video and i was going about 120 miles per hour and i lived to tell about it. i didnt fall or go down.
    i relaxed on the hand grips and put pressure on the rear break till i got to 80 mph and the wabbling stopped. he looks like he was using the front breaks and all that weight in the back had to go somewhere and he lost his hold on the right handle bar. i went out and bought a front fork stablizing bar and no more problems. like bob said let it natrualy correct itself,back off throttle, relax and wait it out. dont let go of the handle bars and dont front break

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