Motorcycle Superstitions: My MT-09 Might Have Bad Juju

My MT-09 might be cursed. I know how that sounds, and trust me, I grew up thinking motorcycle superstitions and all the other stuff my mom and grandmother swore by were complete nonsense. Bread upside down on the table? Bad luck. Shoes in a box on the table? Also bad luck. Spill some salt? Better throw it over your shoulder. I watched all of that and thought, yeah, that’s not for me. Forty-something years later and I’m out here on Route 724 wondering if my 2022 Yamaha MT-09 SP has some kind of bad juju attached to it.

I bought this bike brand new. It was supposed to be a 2021 but COVID and backorders pushed it to a 2022 model. I’ve put around 11,000 miles on it and by most measures it’s a fantastic all-around motorcycle. But it’s also the bike where things seem to go sideways.

The video below covers the whole story, but I’ll lay it out here too.

Getting Rear-Ended at a Red Light

The first incident happened in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. I was sitting at a traffic light waiting for it to change when I felt a hard jolt and the bike dropped out from under me. It took me a couple seconds to even understand what had happened. The driver behind me was on her cell phone and thought the light had changed, so she let off the brake and drove straight into the back of me. Over five thousand dollars in damage.

Martin Moto handled the repairs and honestly did a great job with it. But ever since that day there’s been something in the back of my mind whenever I stop at a light on this bike. I did put a brake light modulator on it after that, which helps get attention when I’m stopped. Not much you can do though when someone’s got their phone in their hand and isn’t watching the road.

The Pickup Truck Incident on Route 724

About a month ago I was on my way home from work, taking some back roads, and came across a bridge under construction that blocked my direct route. I wound up backtracking and cutting through a congested part of town, which happened to be Birdsboro again, not far from where I got hit the first time. Traffic was heavy, buses were stopping and starting, the whole thing.

Once the bus cleared out and traffic opened back up I thought I was in the clear. Then a pickup truck decided they were done waiting and made a hard left turn right in front of me to get into a driveway.

Pucker factor of 10. I jammed the brakes, moved to the outside in case I was going to clip the back of the bed, felt the ABS kick in, and there was nowhere to go because of traffic in the other lane. I genuinely thought I was going to hit him. He got into the driveway just in time and I made it through.

I was shaken. The rear-end was already sitting in my head and now this. Close calls happen on motorcycles, but these felt like they were stacking up on one specific bike.

Does the MT-09 Have Bad Juju?

Here’s where the motorcycle superstitions come in. The Ninja 400 I also ride has been clean. No incidents, no close calls, knock on wood. But the MT-09 keeps collecting them. I don’t think the bike is literally cursed. I’m not ready to say that. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t something quietly creeping around in the back of my mind every time I throw a leg over it.

It doesn’t stop me from riding it. I’m not going to sell it over a feeling. But there’s a low-level unease that wasn’t there before the rear-end, and the pickup truck situation turned that up a notch.

Maybe it’s just coincidence. Maybe I ride the MT-09 more in traffic situations where these things are more likely to happen. I honestly can’t explain it. What I can say is that 40-plus years of not being superstitious hasn’t been enough to shake this one.

Do You Ride With a Gremlin Bell?

I’m curious where other riders land on this. Are you the type to knock on wood, hang a gremlin bell, or run through some kind of ritual before you ride? Maybe that’s more OCD than superstitious but the line gets blurry when you’re trying to manage the mental side of riding after a close call.

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d genuinely like to know if anyone else has had a bike that just seemed to attract trouble.

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