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Yesterday was umm, special. I took the MSF Experienced Rider's Course and well, I had an experience. The kind most people with motorcycles don't want. That's right, I dumped my bike. At least I dropped it on the left side, instead of the right side - saving me from damaging my shiny new exhaust. I did pass the class, by the way.

Anyway, the damages - I scratched the paint on my fairing, mirror, turn signal, and my newly installed frame sliders (hey, they worked!) I broke my shifter, that of course was not good. However, being a gearhead, I refused to accept "Wednesday" as the earliest I'd ride again because of the local dealership not stocking the shifter - I made due with what I had, and fixed it.

All is well now, I have a new shifter on order, just because. I went a bought a shiny vest so the MPs don't arrest me and take my bike - and I'm utterly broke until I get paid again (soon).

Obviously this post is worthless without pics













For inquiring minds, it was all kinds of cold out, and my "progressive" message to my fingers was delievered as "grab like your life depends on it" - the front wheel locked, skidded in the chalk measuring marks on the asphalt, and sent me to the floor to the left. I did learn however that you can stop from 25mph in 7 feet... I also learned that my frame sliders work, as does my protective gear (I was in my full power ranger suit - leather boots, pants, and jacket - all with CE armor.)

I've since put another 350 miles on the SV.

Anthony

yep, frame sliders does wonders.

Hey, it coulda been worse. Damage doesn't look *too* bad. i think a little light sanding with a fin grit paper might help with that mirror and blinker, even if to do nothing more than soften the sharp lines the ground made on it.
So, is the shiny vest required by all branches, or just army?

everyone under the DoD - but hey, it has extra pockets - which is useful I guess.

3 outta 4 are easy fixes and the fairing is barely noticeable. My bike wouldn't fare so well in a tipover. Consider yourself blessed.

Lol nice make-shift shifter.

Put some rubber around it or I would think it'd get painful on the feet.

I thought I was going to see DAMAGE. Instead I see a little bit of scuff and scrape. I agree with replies above that maybe you can buff and sand (with emory cloth or buff with Dremel polisher). Then again, that does'nt work well on plastic. I've got a feeling you must have dumped your bike on other riding skills practice sessions during MSF, because if you had dumped it during the riding skills test portion, then you would'nt have passed. At least thats they way they do it in Oregon.

Well he took the ERC, not the BRC. Rules might be different for the ERC since you're not really getting licensed or anything.

It's just there to teach you more skills and what not.

Oh the damage was definitely minimal - and there's a piece of fuel line shoved over the bolt now - I just didn't have any on hand, had to ride to an auto parts store and buy some.

I probably technically failed by official rules or whatever, but this was given on post, free of charge (as it's required by the Army for me to even ride) - the RiderCoach is retired military as well. When I asked he said the technical criteria for that portion of the test was to come to a complete stop at or under the maximum allowed distance for the calculated speed - 7 feet was well under the 25mph max. I would have failed had I said I wouldn't/couldn't do the last portion of the test, but the shifter wasn't completely broken yet so I did it.

macktruckturner wrote:Oh the damage was definitely minimal - and there's a piece of fuel line shoved over the bolt now - I just didn't have any on hand, had to ride to an auto parts store and buy some.

I probably technically failed by official rules or whatever, but this was given on post, free of charge (as it's required by the Army for me to even ride) - the RiderCoach is retired military as well. When I asked he said the technical criteria for that portion of the test was to come to a complete stop at or under the maximum allowed distance for the calculated speed - 7 feet was well under the 25mph max. I would have failed had I said I wouldn't/couldn't do the last portion of the test, but the shifter wasn't completely broken yet so I did it.

Hay military regs are written specific if you had to be up right it would have said: rider must stop within specified distance in an upright position and still sitting on Bike. It just said stop within specified distance and you did. Used to tell me when we wrote regs be specific tell us what has to be done to do it right.