going down? post here


Well i dropped my bike today.... I just rented a new storage unit for my bike and was headed over to it. (The reason i got this new unit was the one i had been storing my bike at, the driveway was gravel). Anyway i pulled in between the two storage buildings and slowed down to make the turn into my actual unit and get the bike lined up in front of the door(the roadway between the buidings is paved but one side in kinda inclined) so i went up the slope to get lined up and down she went... It really didn't mess anything up, just popped my intake plastic out, but i got it back in, minor scrapes on my mirrors and right blinker....but overall good. The hard part was trying to get in back up... I was mad as hell!!
 
I've been riding mine since March of this year, dropped it for the first time a couple weeks ago while pulling out of a gas station near my house.

I was trying to turn left out of the gas station, traffic backed up to the light, a car left space in front of the station and waved me out,
I looked right, didn't really look left and as I started to pull out and turn left a car was flyin up the left hand turn lane and almost took me out.

I saw the car at the last second and grabbed a fist full of front brake and because I had already started to lean the bike it just dropped like a rock
with me actually jumping up over it as it went down, I landed standing up behind the bike looking at it on the ground.

Clucth levers bent, turn signal was bent, piece of plastic popped out and scratched the mirror and crankcase.

Somehow I tore a hole in my right boot as it dragged across the right side of my gas tack.

Funny how that adrenaline works, I bent down and picked the bike up like
it weighed 5lbs, I was sore the next day!

Pics...
http://s175.photobucket.com/albums/w139/davidjrosso/misc_motorcycle_stuff/2009-09-17/?albumview=grid

BTW, the lesson I learned that night, let traffic go, don't accept the "c'mon out" from someone!
 
High Side on the Highway

Well, I just high sided yesterday at about 40-50 on the highway onto a rocky median after hitting the curb. I couldn't make the left off ramp and the potholes didn't help. I've definitely learned a thing or two that I think I could share.

As far as riding gear, I have alpinestar GPS 3 boots which made a huge difference, my feet and ankles are fine. I bought an Icon Accelerant Leather Jacket, which I sort of regret because they don't have anything to connect to pants with. My shoulder took a SERIOUS impact, and I have serious pain, but no bruising or breaking (as far as I can tell), which I guess is the jacket working? I got a chunk ripped out of my side, right at the bottom of the jacket where it rode up when I slid on the rocks. Next jacket WILL have pant loops. I was wearing a full face KBC Force RR helmet (couple years old), which worked well as far as I can tell, but the face shield popped off (not sure if thats normal, anyone know?). I was wearing some winter gloves that aren't motorcycle specific, but they had leather palms and took the abuse like a champ, hands are fine. I was also wearing brand new jeans, which were torn to shreds and offered little protection, though probably better than shorts...

Lessons? Slow down way before you think you need to before a corner. You don't know what is gonna be in the road ahead of you. I was slowing down, but I think not fast enough or with enough pressure on the brakes. Wear abrasion resistant pants with CE approved armor that connct to an abrasion resistant jacket with CE approved armor. Wear hip and thigh protection, not just padding (though it would have been better than nothing). I definitely won't skimp on the protection, because while I'm sure this could have been far worse, I'm sure it could have been far better too.

I was able to get back up and ride home, though the hit was hard on both me and the bike. The right side is trashed, with the signal completely taken off and the brake pedal bent. The fairing is beat up, with a screw sticking out where you can't even see it on the other side. My handlebars are definitely bent. The bar end, brake lever and mirror are very scratched. The brake lever is rolled forward somewhow. The Gas tank is dented pretty good, with the paint off in spots. The clutch (I think) cover is scratched pretty good as well.

Hope this helps somebody avoid a similar event. I'll try to get pics up.

EDIT: http://www.600cc.org/forum/members/engineerpilotdude/albums/crashed-bb/
 
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Thank god you are alive and F... the bike.
I guess your helmet saved your life (based on the picture)
 
e-pilot -- I'm glad you are doing alright. Thanks for the testimonial about wearing gear. I don't think people appreciate this all-too-often neglected piece of equipment. Heal up quickly!
 
So yesterday I became one of the Statistics (Damn... I really didn't want to be one of them!!!)

Long story short.... Hit a right turn (do it daily on my way to work) real smooth and faster than usual so I was pretty amped up, gunned it in 2nd, went to brake hard and ended up blipping the throttle. Couldn't slow down in enough time so it was either parking lot on the left with dip getting in and cars, parking lot on the right with dip getting in and cars or going straight into the curb (it was a culdasac). I chose straight. braked as much as I could without going over the bars, then used the back til it locked up and lowsided a good 30 or so feet and met the curb.

I came out with a severly sprained wrist and swollen forearm. Not to bad.

Yamaha factory frame slider bracket bent... i'm actually pretty pissed cause if it didn't bend i don't think i would have scratched the fairing at all.

Lesson learned, leave yourself more than ample amount of room to brake.
 
Glad you walked away (!!) and it sounds like the bike isn't too messed up either. Get yourself healed up.
 
When I went down I picked my bike back up. Was a EX500, just used my legs. Though arms and back were sore the next day =D
 
So yesterday I became one of the Statistics (Damn... I really didn't want to be one of them!!!)

Yamaha factory frame slider bracket bent... i'm actually pretty pissed cause if it didn't bend i don't think i would have scratched the fairing at all.

frame sliders aren't meant to protect the plastics, as long as your frame is unscathed then they did their job. the frame is the most expensive part on the bike, be glad its safe.
 
frame sliders aren't meant to protect the plastics, as long as your frame is unscathed then they did their job. the frame is the most expensive part on the bike, be glad its safe.

I thought that frame sliders were meant to protect the plastics from low speed falls. I really believe that that is the main purpose of them.

Frame Slider Design and Selection


I have heard and seen pics of cracked frames and casings casues by the frame slider suddenly bringing up on a solid rut in the pavement or something similar and stopping while the bike wants to continue moving. The consequence is a cracked frame or a bike that flips.

Has anybody else heard of this?
 
Glad to hear that you are "mostly" alright and that you suffered no major injuries. Heal up quick and get the bike back in order, then go out and ride some more. ;)
 
Sliders are meant to protect the frame and engine in low speed crashes on smooth surfaces.

Some companies make them with intentions to do more as they are longer, wider, more mount points, etc....

They are not meant for at-speed crashes nor will/should they protect on uneven surfaces, meaning, if they catch in a rut, pothole, curb, any deflection that causes the slider to stop sliding and "catch" on a surface lip, then all bets are off and you're at the mercy of the terrain.

The only way to prevent this would be crash guards, those welded steel cages that encircle the engine and can glide over/through most terrain changes.

If it saved the frame and engine, it did it's job.

Glad you've walked away and are here to type about it!
 
Thanks guys! I guess in hindsight the slider did do it's job. I just expected the Delrin to grind down more but since it was bent back it didn't. O well. wrist is feeling a bit better. I hope to be puttin' around next week ;)
 
An accident is what got me to buy the FZ6r last year. I was driving on a two-way street, going downhill, a woman in a 91 Honda Accord was mid-way coming up the hill where she was stopped with her left blinker on waiting for traffic to pass so she could take a left turn (across my lane of traffic onto another street). No way she couldn't see me - I was visible for a LONG time riding down that hill. So when I was in front of the street she was waiting to take a left turn onto, she stomps on her gas peddle, I'm assuming to try to beat the yellow school bus that was behind me, and BAM!, she hits my front tire. I go flying off my seat, over the handle bars, rolling over the hood of her car, and dropping to the pavement on the other side. I had no warning time to correct for her idiotic move - she went from dead stopped to stomping on the gas peddle. Totaled my SV650s, got my first ambulance ride, had PT on left wrist for 3 months after and right knee surgery 8 months after with PT for 2 months after surgery. Accident was in Sept 08, was down and out all winter - couldn't even drive a car for 3 weeks - but I was back up on a new bike in June 09 as soon as I was partially recovered enough and got released from my last round of PT and doctors in August 09. Oh, and yes, I had on my helmet and protective gear. Helmets are essential!!!
 
Reading this thread sure brought back a lot of old memories.
I'm older...probably older than most of you here and I still race inline skates, fly airplanes, ride road bicycles and mountain bikes. My son says I'm the fun Dad but that I'm crazy.

I cut my street teeth on a 1970 Honda CB350 with case savers after 7 years in the dirt.
I've done the slow left turn, hit sand and dropped the front end like a ton of bricks. I've done the right turn slide out and surfed the bike across 2 lanes of the fog wetted pavement. High sided and slid into curbs and entered corners too fast and ended up in the loose dirt or sand on the outside and down again.

I upgraded to a Honda factory CB750 road racer. No frame or case serial number as it was a factory track bike and I had the CHP add the VIN numbers so I could get a plate on it. The steel wool lasted just long enough to get passed the noise test and blew out as I drove away.
The lessons learned on the CB350 carried themselves to the CB750 and I never dropped the bigger bike although I rode it faster and harder. I rode with a helmet and sometimes ski gloves and a ski parks in the winter.

Not riding motorcycles for the last 20 years, I forgot about all those things to watch out for. So I hope I remember all my past experiences and learn from you and don't drop my new bike. ;)
I went and purchased the boots, gloves and jacket just in case......
20 miles on it so far and hopefully 400 before the weekend is through.
 
Reading this thread sure brought back a lot of old memories.
I'm older...probably older than most of you here and I still race inline skates, fly airplanes, ride road bicycles and mountain bikes. My son says I'm the fun Dad but that I'm crazy.

I cut my street teeth on a 1970 Honda CB350 with case savers after 7 years in the dirt.
I've done the slow left turn, hit sand and dropped the front end like a ton of bricks. I've done the right turn slide out and surfed the bike across 2 lanes of the fog wetted pavement. High sided and slid into curbs and entered corners too fast and ended up in the loose dirt or sand on the outside and down again.

I upgraded to a Honda factory CB750 road racer. No frame or case serial number as it was a factory track bike and I had the CHP add the VIN numbers so I could get a plate on it. The steel wool lasted just long enough to get passed the noise test and blew out as I drove away.
The lessons learned on the CB350 carried themselves to the CB750 and I never dropped the bigger bike although I rode it faster and harder. I rode with a helmet and sometimes ski gloves and a ski parks in the winter.

Not riding motorcycles for the last 20 years, I forgot about all those things to watch out for. So I hope I remember all my past experiences and learn from you and don't drop my new bike. ;)
I went and purchased the boots, gloves and jacket just in case......
20 miles on it so far and hopefully 400 before the weekend is through.

And yet you still didn't stop riding... amazing, I want to keep riding forever. My friend said it's just a "phase" right now, but I'm not sure. It's my most expensive phase so far is what I can say.
 
And yet you still didn't stop riding... amazing, I want to keep riding forever. My friend said it's just a "phase" right now, but I'm not sure. It's my most expensive phase so far is what I can say.

The most expensive phase you can have is the Pilot License phase....:eek:

The good part tho is that piloting an airplane solo you are Pilot in Command and have to watch for other aircraft, the engine monitors, altitude and attitude and fly and do all the navigation and radio work. It gets harder if you fly in Los Angeles as this is the busiest airspace on the planet. Constant radio work.

The situational awareness level is 10 times as high in an airplane than on a motorcycle and is transferable. (flying can be VERY stressful)
I broke my back and shattered my wrist racing inline skates and I still skate.
"I have fear and that keeps me safe but not away from what I love to do."
 

Internet BMW Riders - How To Pick Up A Fallen Motorcycle

Well, I had someone to help me, but got me wondering,"what if I was alone", how the heck do you get 500lbs back up. Came across this and thought it good to pass on.

I laid mine down in the driveway the other day at a blistering 0mph. I was on the bike and had been getting on and off to adjust the handlebars and look at the levers (they have to be even!), and I thought the kickstand was down until the bike was starting to lean too far... Luckily I was able to fight it the whole way down, and I only got a tiny scuff on the left hand side engine case (I need frame sliders.) and no scratches on the fairings or handlebars.

I dunno about you all but I just took her by the horns and put her back on her feet without any fancy technique, the bike is heavy but not -that- heavy. ;p
 


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