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Aussie superbike legend's horror injuries after freak accident

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·3-min read
Troy Bayliss, pictured here speaking to the media during a press conference.
Troy Bayliss speaks to the media during a press conference at the 2020 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Australian superbike legend Troy Bayliss has suffered a fractured vertebra and damaged his spinal cord in a serious bicycle accident.

The three-time world champion reportedly crashed into another bicycle that had pulled out between parked cars.

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However the 52-year-old has no recollection of the incident.

He was rushed to hospital in a serious condition on Friday, and has since returned to his Gold Coast home to recover.

“I’m OK and I’m home, but the crash means I won’t be riding a motorcycle until I regain full movement in my arms and hands," he said.

Bayliss fractured his C4 vertebra and suffered spinal damage, which will see him sidelined for several months.

“I’ll be back in leathers as soon as I can. It’s been an intense weekend for me and my family, but luckily I’m OK and I will recover," he said.

“My doctors have been really positive, but there’s no firm indication of how long it will be until I can regain enough control to get back on a bike – maybe a few months, maybe longer.

"It just depends on how the recovery goes once the bones heal up.”

Troy Bayliss, pictured here during at race at Phillip Island in 2015.
Troy Bayliss during at race at Phillip Island in 2015. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Racing world sends well-wishes to Troy Bayliss

Bayliss is co-owner of the DesmoSport Ducati Team in the Australian Superbike series.

He will miss round four of the series at Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin.

Bayliss' 17-year-old son Oli races for the DesmoSport Ducati Team.

The 52-year-old won three superbike world titles in 2001, 2006 and 2008 and famously won the 2006 MotoGP Valencian Community Grand Prix.

His 52 race wins put him third all-time in World Superbike history, behind only Jonathan Rea and Carl Fogarty.

He came out of retirement at age 46 to compete in the opening two rounds of the 2015 season.

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