What Motorcycle Was Bob Dylan Riding During His Mysterious & Career-Altering Crash?

On July 29, 1966, a then-25-year-old Bob Dylan crashed his motorcycle in Woodstock, New York and wasn't seen for months. When he reappeared, the "Like a Rolling Stone" singer's career changed drastically — he didn't tour for years, and his music turned from political to personal. But nobody knew what happened — there was no documentation of the crash, no police reports or hospital records. The motorcycle crash became a pop culture mystery that's mostly under wraps to this day. 

The only thing that's known for certain? Dylan was driving a 1964 Triumph Tiger T100 motorcycle.

SlashGear has dubbed the Triumph Tiger T100 one of the best Triumph motorcycles ever made, as well as one of the most reliable vintage motorcycles ever built. The 500-cubic-centimeter four-speed's claim to fame was being driven for 64,000-plus miles in four years on an around-the-world trip taken by travel writer Ted Simon, proving its trustworthy performance. That made it all the more surprising that Dylan got in an accident on one. 

Did he slip on something on the road? Sun get in his eyes? Well, Dylan has opened up somewhat about the accident in the decades since, giving some insight into what happened when he crashed his Triumph Tiger T100 and why it changed his career. 

When the crash first happened, it was announced that the Triumph Tiger T100's brakes had locked up, causing the accident. There is no widespread issue regarding this model's brakes, but this type of issue is one of the most dangerous for motorcycle riders (here are some tips for new riders to stay safe on their bike). 

And dangerous it was — Dylan has been quoted as saying that the accident caused him to break several vertebrae in his neck, although it's unclear if he went to a hospital. Instead, his wife Sara — who was following him — brought him to his manager Albert Grossman's nearby home. He then stayed for a month with a doctor he knew, not wanting to go to a hospital, the doctor's widow told the Associated Press in 2016. 

The crash led to a crossroads in Dylan's career. It put an end to his nonstop touring for eight years, something the superstar seemed pleased about. In Jeff Burger's 2018 book "Dylan on Dylan" (via Alarm magazine), Dylan is quoted as saying it made him realize he was working for "leeches" and not spending enough time with his family. Fans noticed that his music became more about his inner thoughts and emotions. 

Now 83 Dylan no longer rides motorcycles. But it was that Triumph Tiger T100 that saved him from an unsustainably busy touring schedule that could have ended his career.