Motorcycles have been a part of Rock and Roll from the origins of the musical genre’. Maybe it’s the rebel mystique of both, maybe it’s the volume they share, or maybe it’s just that motorcycles are fun and rock stars are all about having fun. Whatever it is, one thing is for sure…when you put motorcycles together with the rock star mentality, there is potential for mishap. Here is a brief timeline of rock stars that have found their way to the pavement. Being the positive people that we are here at AAB, all of the rockers on our list survived their crash.
Bob Dylan (Crashed 1966)
This is one of the more intriguing rock star motorcycle crashes. After his 1966 crash near his home at Woodstock, NY, Dylan underwent a bit of a musical transformation. Some say the near-death experience inspired the change, others suspect a staged publicity ploy, and others say Dylan just needed a rest. He is shown below on his Triumph.
Steven Tyler (Crashed 1981)
The Aerosmith front-man hit a tree and suffered a serious foot injury. Full recovery from the incident took over a year, but maybe he found “love in an elevator” during this time since he couldn’t take any stairs. Tyler loves motorcycles so much that he started his own company. He can be seen below on one of his own Red Wing motorcycles.
Billy Idol (Crashed 1990)
The Punk Rock star sustained a severe leg injury when he failed to stop at an intersection. He was hit by a car and nearly lost his leg. That famous lip was surly curled in pain (not just rebellion) after the accident.
Mark Knopfler (Crashed 2003)
The Dire Straits lead singer was in dire straits himself after a run-in with a Fiat. He suffered a broken shoulder and ribs in the accident. While not exactly displaying motorcycles, Knopfler’s 5th solo album cover shows his love for things on two-wheels.
Gilby Clarke (Crashed 2010)
The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist had his leg broken in several places when he was cut off by another motorist. To add insult to injury, the crash was a hit and run. Clarke is shown below recovering from his injuries.
So there you have it – a short timeline of Rock and Roll crashes. Again, while most were seriously injured, we did not lose any rockers in these incidents. In fact, reports are that all continued riding after the wounds healed, and they all lived to rock another day!
