A Sydney teenager has suffered devastating injuries in a Bali motorbike crash, including severe facial trauma and a fractured thigh bone, during a trip intended to celebrate his high school graduation.
Jayden Gram was travelling to dinner in the popular tourist destination on Saturday night when the motorbike he was riding lost control and collided with the car ahead.
“Jayden and his friends were riding on separate bikes on their way to get dinner,” his friend Dylan Van Dyk told Daily Mail.
Although Mr Van Dyk was not at the scene, he understood that Mr Gram, who had travelled overseas for his graduation celebrations, was found alone and bleeding heavily.
Mr Van Dyk said his friend was undergoing surgery after breaking his wrist and suffering extensive injuries to his face and body.
“He needs surgery on his leg and wrist, along with treatment for other injuries across his body,” he said.
“He needs skull reconstruction and treatment for holes in his face.”
An X-ray also revealed that Mr Gram’s femur had been fractured in two.
The young Australian, who was initially “fighting for his life” after the Bali crash, is now in a serious but stable condition
Jayden Gram (pictured left) was travelling to dinner in Bali on Saturday night when the motorbike he was riding lost control and struck the vehicle ahead
Mr Van Dyk described his friend’s condition as stable, but said he remained in significant pain and distress.
“He struggles to speak properly and is heavily medicated,” he said.
Mr Gram’s mother has since flown to Bali to be at his bedside, after initially struggling to establish what had happened because her son lost his phone in the crash.
With the cost of surgery alone expected to reach $100,000, Mr Van Dyk created a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his friend’s medical care.
“Doctors are doing everything they can, but he and his mother are drowning in medical expenses,” he said.
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By Thursday morning, the fundraiser had collected $15,346 towards its $100,000 target.
More than 1.6 million Australians visited Bali in 2025, making the Indonesian island the most popular overseas destination for Australian travellers.
Craig Fyfe, the owner of Your Travel Expert Travel Insurance, urged Australians to arrange adequate travel insurance before travelling to Bali, warning that overseas medical treatment and related expenses can be financially crippling.
Mr Van Dyk said his friend suffered a fractured femur, broken wrist and serious facial and body injuries
“In some cases, there are now countries in Asia that will not allow you to enter unless you have some form of travel insurance,” he said.
Mr Fyfe also cautioned that travellers may be denied cover if they breach the conditions of their policy, particularly when taking part in activities they are not properly licensed or qualified to undertake.
He recalled a client who obtained a local motorcycle licence while in Bali before crashing a 1200cc motorcycle.
The traveller’s insurer rejected the claim because he was not licensed to ride a motorcycle of that size in Australia.
“If you’re not permitted to ride that type of motorcycle in Australia, what makes you think you’re qualified to ride it in Bali, where the traffic and roads are worse?” Mr Fyfe said.
Many Australians also mistakenly assume their travel insurance automatically includes motorcycle or scooter use in Bali.
Riders generally need the appropriate Australian motorcycle licence as well as an International Driving Permit that is endorsed for motorcycle use.
Travellers should check whether their policy covers both riding and travelling as a passenger, as some insurers charge an additional fee for either activity.
Policies may also impose engine-capacity limits, with some restricting cover to motorcycles of 250cc or less unless extra protection is purchased.
Insurers commonly require riders and passengers to wear helmets, the driver to hold the correct licence and all travellers to comply with local traffic laws.