Recap of my crash
I am riding sweep with 6 other guys from the NYMMC forum. We're about 20 miles into a planned 350 mile ride. We get into the first section of twistys in a woody state park, and I'm doing quite well. However, I get to one uphill left-hand turn and it doesn't feel right. As I am repositioning for the turn I realize I am going way too fast. I'm probably doing 40 - 45 - or maybe more... In trying to slow down I straighten up the bike, but realize I'm headed for gravel and a drop off on the side of the road. I end up locking the front wheel while on the gravel which drops the bike to its left, and I go over the bars. I may have actually bailed off the bike, but I just can't remember. I hit the ground with my left hand and helmet. Here's a pic of the aftermath to my stuff. I'm fine - not a scratch, but I mildly sprained my wrist and I overall feel like a pro football lineman on Monday morning.
Damage to the bike appears to be minimal. Broken headlamp, smashed left indicator, broken Dart flyscreen (which saved the instrument cluster from serious damage [thumbsup] - but it was bent), bent bars, clutch filed down, scratched tank and rear cowl, bent shifter. The left side frame slider got nicely ground down, and I HOPE the frame and forks aren't bent. I am HOPEFUL that it's just jammed in gear because when I started it after the crash it made a miserable noise. :'( It was picked up by a local dealer from the crash site, and I should learn more this week. Also, the right side MIVV can was dented - and I'm bewildered by that... I'm actually happy about the indicator, because I have a full set of Rizoma LED Track indicators to install [thumbsup].
Here's a shot.
What I did right:
1 - Wore full gear (dressed for the crash, not the ride). My new Helimot suit is soooo worth it. My helmet is already in the garbage. My Held gloves came through with flying colors. If I in fact DID bail, it saved me from falling downhill into rocks. I carried my AAA card, but learned a hard lesson - if you're in a state park, the towing company needs to have a special permit to come in and pick you up.
What I did wrong:
1 - I was riding at the very limits of my ability, and I got burned for it. I should have been going 10 - 15 mph slower throughout that stint.
2 - I didn't try to push through the turn, likely because I didn't...
3 - trust my abilities, my tires or the bike in general
How it could have been avoided:
Simple - going slower.
The irony:
I was using this ride as a warm up for the Lee Parks Total Control Advanced Riding Class on the 27th. Guess what I have to reschedule... :-\
What I learned:
As much as I have advanced my skills as a motorcyclist, I'm still only in my second year of riding. I need to ride comfortably - and not push myself when it isn't necessary.
I really do need to take an advanced class like the ARC class or a track day because I need a controlled environment to learn the limits of my bike - not on public roads.
I also learned that walking through Grand Central Station in the middle of mid-town Manhattan is a wee bit embarrassing if you're wearing full leathers and carrying other gear [cheeky] [laugh]
I also learned that NYMMC is chock full of quality people. They waited with me for over an hour until the truck came to get me!
Let me know if you need any more details.