Rider versus Tree!

How the hell did Jeff Briggs survive this massive impact with a tree at the 2016 Transmoto 12-Hour, let alone walk away from it without a scratch?

If you’ve ever shoulder-charged the trunk of a large tree from the seat of a dirt bike, you’ll know who usually comes off second-best. So how on earth did NSW Central Coast lad, Jeff Briggs, manage to walk away (okay, ride away) injury-free from this colossal collision with large gum at the 2016 Transmoto 12-Hour? Briggs picks up the story…

^ Double-page sequence printed in Transmoto’s 2016 May-June issue (#56) on sale now!   

“I was loving the variety of terrain and obstacles on the 12-Hour track, and I was getting through the creek-crossings – where everyone seemed to get themselves into trouble – pretty well. But those long, deep ruts later in the day started to get me rattled. And when I became fatigued by mid-arvo, one of the deep ruts brought me unstuck. In a big way!

“The corner was tricky because it was really sandy and rutted with a big bump on the exit. That bump shifted my weight back and got me cross-rutted on the way out of the thing. I tried to hold it on and keep the bike driving through it, but when I saw the tree coming and backed off, the rear wheel hooked up again and speared me further off-line. Before I knew it, I was performing a third-gear bear hug of a large tree.

“At the time, I just dusted myself off, picked the bike up and kept riding. But when I had a little tip-over two corners later, I knew I was a bit dazed from it. But that was it; I wasn’t winded or hurting or anything. It wasn’t until I saw the incredible photo sequence that Jarrad Duffy shot later on that I realised just how far I bounced off the tree. I also realised that I was pretty damn lucky to walk away from that impact without any serious injury. Thankfully, I was wearing a chest protector and kidney belt. The crash happened on my eight stint of the day. I ended up doing a couple more laps.

“And now that the mag has come out with a whole double-page spread dedicated to my crash sequence, the boys have all taken to call me ‘hippie’. Y’know, tree hugger. Get it? Can’t wait for the next Transmoto event. The thing was epic!”