Let's hear your story of your first bike laydown/fall/tipover!

[Vexarana]

First time I crashed was on a close friends. Was riding his 99 Yamaha V-Star Classic 650. Putting around BACK back roads around the shooting range he and his wife went to. He brought his helmet but we thought mine was in the car, it wasn't. No gloves, no helmet, did have a leather jacket on (Not a riding specific one though). Going down navigating some of the turns on side roads, come into one way too fast. Was focused on romping on the throttle not where I was going. Start braking, not experienced at all. Decide to stand it up and go into the dirt instead of trying to take the turn. (Turn probably could have been taken, was only going around 15 higher than the posted speed).

Bike goes into the dirt, I think the rear brake was locked up, not sure what really happened here.

I flew into the air, landed face first in the dirt. Got some gravel scratches on my forehead but nothing broken, no teeth gone. Bike was ~10 feet behind me, laid in the grass. Picked it up quick, looked it over, started it up, rode off before someone showed up (I live in a helmet state).

That experience definitely 'banged it into my head' (oh god that was awful) that wearing gear is a big deal. I know I got extremely lucky somehow on that crash and ever since then I'm not going to take any risks. Even dirt biking around a lawn with some buddies, I won't hop on unless I have something to wear. Too much can go too bad too fast.