I was always told that there are 2 types of riders - Those who have been down and those he will go down. Last week I got my first taste. After a long ride on what is considered the most dangous road around here I went down for something stupid. We were taking the twisties hard and I was on my VMAX and keeping up - and then some at times. After the ride was over and we decided to cruise back home I was behind my brother in law and he pulled to the shoulder (don't know why) and made a quick stop on his KTM. I decided I would stop too, but going about 40 with 600+lbs of bike and another 200 riding and also a slight downward slope and a light coat of sand adds up to not enough traction to make it happen. So I was on the brakes and locked up the rear - no big deal if you are used to it - and I went a hair sideways and managed to get around him and thought I was cool because it was just sand up ahead - and one lonely metal pole and inch wide with a sign on it! I hit the pole with the tire and the bars jerked to the right and the bike pretty much just lifted the rear tire a bit and stopped - then fell over. I kinda just rolled over to my right and jumped right up. Ironic......after miles of hrad riding on crazy curves I pull this one. I lost the front wheel (bent - I found when I got to 50MPH) the fork brace (it worthless anyway) and the fender. The stop on lower triple broke so I will just get the fender and triple from YAMAHA, straighten my wheel and do some minor stuff for scratches. I was lucky it landed in sand......very lucky. After about $1000 it will be ok and The scratches on the one pipe will be gone when I put on the aftermarket set - no big deal there.
Don't try this at home - or anywhere else.....
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Last edited by 05max on Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Glad you're okay. Today, a car piloted by a senior citizen came around the bend in front of us completely on the wrong side of the road, and appeared to be well on the way to crashing. Vulcanman500 hit his brakes hard, and I actually locked mine up. We both had to nearly stop. The driver recovered to the center of the road, but would have hit us for sure if we hadn't swerved to the very edge of the road before braking. There is no shoulder, and a short steep bank so it could have gotten a little ugly. We would have had to just go there, if it came down to it. This road is curvy, but narrow, and only about a mile long, so we don't push it here. Good thing!
Happens to all of us, glad your ok though - bikes are easier to mend than people.
Had my "off" within 1 week of having my bike and licence, was due to inexperience, wet roads and a drunk pedestrian. No-one hurt (well my brusing and pride aside).
Due to financial cut-backs, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off until further notice!
Sorry to hear about your wreck. It's never any fun... I had one that was similar but at slow speed back in '93. I grabbed front brake while turning and found out where the one patch of gravel was in the middle of the street. DOH!
Crashing sucks...Glad you're ok, though!
We're the first ones to starve
We're the first ones to die
The first ones in line for that pie in the sky
But we're always the last
When the gravy's shared out
For the worker is working when the fat cat's about
Hey, all those years of riding pay off eventually. I was 90% lucky-10% skillfull enough to postpone that event for 40,000 miles. When it finally happened, it was low speed, low damage. $400 and all was well. But you always learn something. Glad you and your bike will live to ride another day. Welcome to the post-crash world.....
I just rode 15 miles of the same road today on my FZR and it was great. I knew as soon as I stood up from my fall and looked at my bike that I would be right back on. Some people lose confidence or just become too scared to ride again and I could not live with such a great loss. I would tackle the same road again - and I just did!
I told my brother-in-law (who stopped in front of me so quickly) that he can stop apologizing and remember that is was my call to try to stop and that $1200 to the mechanic is WAY better than $1200 to the doctor.
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Last edited by 05max on Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I just bought my first bike a week or so ago, and had my first "accident" this week. I was riding in the rain (I know, that was stupid, but I was taking it to the mechanic for a checkup, and the rain pretty much came out of no where), and needed to turn around in a circular drive way. Asphalt + 3 minutes of rain = way too damn slick for this inexperienced rider. The bike fell over, and took my ankle with it. Nothing injured on the bike, and my ankle has been bruised for a few days. If this is the worst I endure, or the dumbest thing I do, then I outta be okay.