On the 3rd November 2025 I did something I’d avoided since 1987, I crashed my motorcycle.
I got ready that morning in armoured bike pants and jacket, with waterproof overtrousers, gloves and boots with scuff guards and my Caberg Duke 2 helmet, my 6th since I converted to them in 2004. Always liked them. Here’s why.
Always a good, snug fit for me, particularly as I wear glasses (the internal sunvisor is a great asset too), good weather resistance in all conditions, ventilation is functional, convenient for using a hydration pack when touring with the chinpiece raised and quite light for a composite helmet. Not much wind noise, although more recently I’ve been using in-ear phones to listen to music as I ride on longer days. Cost effective, too. Just a well designed and functional helmet.
This unhappy event was after about 200 miles of riding that day, wet roads, leaf litter, mud, standing water and very windy, I’d coped with them all, due to the conditions thankfully I was only going around 50mph.
Essentially as we left a bend on a country road I indicated out and began to overtake the car ahead. After that it all went into blurry fast-forward. I believe my rear wheel spun on the white centreline as I accelerated, next thing I realise I’m crashing. Once at a halt (I wasn’t knocked out – another testimony to the helmet) I carefully assessed things. Blood in my mouth, but I can move my jaw. Vision blurred. Neck carefully moved, OK, probably no cervical spine damage to be overly worried about. Ahead of me I could see the drystone wall. I’d hit it pretty much straight on with the chin/visor of the helmet. Visor torn mostly off, but it did its job. Tried to unclip the chinpiece release but one side was jammed, unsurprisingly as I saw the helmet later. The driver who I’d been about to pass had stopped and with my approval we unclipped the chinstrap quick buckle and gently removed the helmet.
A note to explain my caution but progressive assuredness in doing this; many years ago I was a staff nurse in orthopaedics and also worked in A&E, so I was checking myself all the time I was doing this, main concern was that nothing impeded my airway.
Once able to move I gradually got to my feet. Painful but everything seemed to work – after a fashion!
Shortly thereafter I was taken to the hospital by paramedics. Had to cut off my overtrousers, my jacket was torn and scuffed in a few places but the body armour and, crucially, my Caberg had saved me from much worse injuries. Had I not been wearing it my facial injuries (spectacles pushed back by the visor, but not even a broken nose) and more internal damage could have killed me. I do have a small blood clot between the hemispheres of my brain, but 50mph-0mph? I’m so lucky not to have far worse damage. Even my neck withstood the impact, aching, but not broken. That’s the benefit of a helmet which does its designed job and spreads the impact force. The chinpiece is split up the front, but it did dislodge a head-sized rock from the wall!
Injuries are a fracture to the right hip, two broken ribs and the small bleed, with a collection of other soft tissue injuries. I’m now in rehabilitation to walk again and the pain is decreasing.
The swelling, bruising and grazes on my face have mainly died down as these were not extensive. Again, a huge thanks to Caberg for keeping me safe in this vital area.
I’ll ride again once healed, I’m only 62, still more to do and see. I’ll need a new jacket (although I do have an old spare), bike pants are mainly fine, so are the boots, as for the helmet? Only one option for me, another Caberg. You don’t change what is proven to work!
Jeff
