[SILENTCOREY]

So I went to the doc today and he seems to think I tore my rotator cuff in this little incident. Now I have a possible surgery to look forward to this summer! :

Thank you for your concern, injury aside I really am fine, and I did learn from this.

 

[tommys67]

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.

 

[msincredible]

Thanks for the report, sorry to hear about the crash.
Good luck with the bike, keep us posted.

Glad to hear the gear did such a great job protecting you! [thumbsup]

 

[CDawg]

Tommy,
106? East West or West East?

 

[tommys67]

Tommy,
106? East West or West East?

Yep, 106, riding East to West into Harriman.

 

[fwtcc]

While wiggling the front back and forth to avoid putting my feet down, the guy in front of me tapped his brakes hard and I squeezed hard with the wheel turned hard, so up and over I went.
Lesson learned: Put your feet down or use rear brake in this situation. Mostly just use the feet for balance.
Was wearing: Armored leather jacket, chicane gauntlets, boots, and helmet.
The damageMe) Jacket has light, barely noticeable scuffing (I am more of a roller), gloves are scuffed, boots and helmet didn't touch the ground. Hips hurt, bruised and scuffed but pants didn't tear so, no serious rash.
(Bike)bar end, shifter, kickstand, and tank chip.

All in all, I have a lot to be thankful for. Even at low speed my hand and shoulder would easily be meat if I wasn't wearing anything. I still have a knick on my hand through the glove, I could only imagine if I hadn't been wearing it.

 

[Triangleforge]

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]

Glad you're OK -- and if it's any consolation, leathers & MC gear aren't the weirdest outfit to parade through Grand Central Station. Not even close.

 

[Triangleforge]

I'm no expert on training on these things but I actually try to train myself by looking at things and then looking away. I also try to stare at things like leaves on the road and then miss them. Target fixation is something you can reduce the effects of IMO but it can also be used to your advantage by looking through the corner.

I think it's easier to control your target fixation if you're scanning ahead and not riding beyond your limits. Of course, knowing where your limits are is a really difficult question.

Has anyone seen any material regarding controlling target fixation?

One good technique for avoiding target fixation -- and one you can consciously practice -- is to look where you want the bike to go, not at what you want to avoid. Looking through the turn is a big part of that, but it takes on extra meaning when you throw obstacles into the mix. In the leaf example you list above, I'd try a different approach -- instead of staring at the leaves and then avoiding them, practice focusing on the line you want to take between the leaves and letting the leaves (obstacles) remain in your peripheral perception.

And absolutely +1 about scanning ahead & riding within your limits.

 

[witecap4u]

I left work after it had been raining most of the day but the streets were still wet. I was on a highway and decided to make a stop before I went home so I needed to turn around. The divided highway had a turn around in it coming up but I decided I would need to brake too had to slow down in time so I played it safe and decided to carry on to the stop light/intersection just ahead which has a left turn lane and two straight lanes. As I got closer to the intersection I saw the left tun lane and half the intersection was a giant water puddle and the left turn light was green as was the straight. I decided that my luck would be Id get over in the left turn lane and the light would turn red and I'd have to stand in the water. I looked around and no cars were close so I stayed in the left straight lane untill I got to the intersection and as the light was still green, i switched lanes moving into the puddle going about 20mph or less(felt safe) and bam im on the ground sliding through the intersection. I picked up the bike and moved off the road and check over the bike and myself. At that point a car drove down the left turn lane and it became evident that there was a pothole under the water and I must have hit it when I switched lanes. A couple days later after the puddle dried out I checked it out and found 2 holes about 18" long and 8" wide about 6" deep about 2-3ft apart on the far right side of the left turn lane. Damage: side fairing/exhaust scratched(Triumph Trophy 1200). Left side was sore the next couple days, light rash on my forearm and a cold wet ride home. Pride hurt...

What I did right... helmet and gloves on, played it safe on the first turn around, slowed to a speed that felt safe for cornering in the water, checked for cars before making an abnormal/late lane change

What I did wrong...unnessesary riding on wet roads/should have just went home, riding though a water puddle with unknown road codition underneith. No riding jacket, just hooded sweatshirt.

 

[sikomaniac]

sounds like your bike is still rideable. glad to hear you're ok.

EVENT:

12:00 AM last night. was heading east on California Blvd towards Fair Oaks in PASADENA. ACTIVE NIGHT CONSTRUCTION shut down two lanes to only the right lane. the construction was about one block, as i found out the hard way later, continued into the middle of the intersection. on the approach it was clear from the cones and blinking yellow barriers. i had a green and did not accelerate but continued my pace of 25-30 mph, trying to be safe. as i got closer to the intersection the light turned YELLOW and at the SAME TIME noticed a CRV in the opposite direction, middle of the intersection, prepared to make a unprotected left turn. the construction had kept her from my view until i had gotten too close. not sure if she could see me i decided to squeeze both brakes rather than gun through it, thinking if she decides to go for it, it would be perfect timing for a collision. somehow i knew it was a she driving. i had been practicing my quick stops all week and for about a second was slowing well. then i hit a wide patch of black rubbery slippery construction road repair right before the intersection. and a storm was coming so the air was humid and probably put a film of dew over that part of the road. i laid my bike down on the left side, rolled once as i watched her slide into the middle of the intersection, sparks flying from the left peg. the left frame slider took the initial impact, but the snapped off. it continued to slide on the bar ends and exhaust, digging a nice dent into my fuel tank. i will post pics of the damage later.

DAMAGE TO ME: i only suffered a scraped left kneecap and a 2 inch vertical gash on my right shin. bruised ego. Helmet never touched the ground, slid on jacket arms and jeans.

DAMAGE TO MY BIKE: broken gear shift lever, broken left peg, scraped left exhaust, frame slider snapped off (did its job i guess), minor scrapes on headlight, mirror, clutch lever, bar end. nasty dent on left side of tank from handle bars. bent handle bar?

AFTERMATH: lady was nice enough to pull over and ask if i was OK. Craig came and helped bend the remaining gear shift lever so i could at least make it home. on the way back, i actually saw very frequent flashes of lightning.

CONCLUSION:

yeah it could have been worse. so were my actions correct? i actually forsaw danger and tried to be safe. keep going over in my head the compound variables. the construction. it was night. i couldn't read the other drivers face for a reaction. the bright lights in my face. the slick road surface. the humid air. i suppose had i been going even slower this might have prevented this, but it was late and could not see the opposite traffic. my only other option would be to gun it through the yellow, but that was a risk i knew had a slimmer chance. so i tried to brake.

this one might have to go under "**** happens" as i saw the danger, reacted to it, but was taken over by horrible road conditions and weather. it sucks knowing about the danger and then still being taken over by it.

it'll be a few weeks until my wounds heal, and perhaps longer for my to repair the shift lever, peg, and tank.

LESSON: ride like a grandma through construction in an intersection (15 MPH). avoid road repair rubber, especially if it is moist. get some riding pants ASAP.

 

[KJD]

intersection

Was approaching T intersection and had right-of-way. Car stopped to right at his stop sign. within 40' of intersection guy begins to cross in front of me, I am doing 30, amybe 35 per truck behind me. Hard front brake compressed fork with little lean and wash out front tire and go for long low side slide. Rash my left knee.

Correct:

Helmet as truck behind me said i bashed head but cannot tell from helmet. Armored jacket and perfed gloves torn up from slide but no body damage to upper half. Boots prtoected ankle.

Wrong:

Panic grab of brake, but was on T-bone course wit hcar, so low side was the best.. Not wearing armored pants as rashed knee. Should have anticipated guy ignoring stop sign and should not have grabbed at brake, but distance so short am glad all I have is skin torn knee.

Lesson:

In rough areas of town, assume the absolute worst driving and defensively drive accordingly.

 

[tourette]

My first crash...

Was heading straight on the freeway, when it split into two (80 and 580 split). Traffic was moving at about 30 to 40 mph. A van going toward the other freeway decides he wants to be going straight like me, and initiates a swerve-merge toward me. Van was up on two wheels and flying toward me.

I grabbed the breaks hard, just missing the van, but going for a long slide.


Correct:
I avoided a collision with the van. I was wearing full gear, though not leathers. It all still protected me incredibly well. Just a few bruises and the requisite bruised ego.

Wrong:
I was riding into the sun at the worst time of day. Nobody could see very well, and obviously the van driver didn't see me. I also should have been putting more distance between me and the rest of the vehicles.

Lesson:
Avoid the freeway at that time of the day. Continue to only ride with full gear. Avoid the freeway at all except when I need to be on it to get to the canyon roads around here that I enjoy riding on.

 

[Gilles]

My 1 bear miss and my 1 crash

My first post as owner of a brand new S4R, currently sitting in my garage, some 5 km's away from a place (believe it or not) called Monster (in Holland).

The S4R is awaiting my Dutch license (requiring some 40 hrs of training +3 separate examinations, all about 1500 Euro). If this prevents a crash, I guess it'll be worth it. Iv'e been not riding for 14yrs now,

About 15 yrs ago, I imported my Yamaha into Europe (from Canada). My girlfriend (now wife) and I went on a x-Europe ride where the following two incidents occured.

Incident 1) On a motorway just outside of Bologna (Italy) with heavy traffic. On left-most lane doing 120km's or so. Rather belatedly, I noticed the traffic in front was stopping, and stopping fast. Bike was loaded with passenger and baggage. I applied both brakes and made the shortest stop from 70mph I have ever made. Stopped just inched from the car in front. A BMW car just behind had same experience, just a foot behind us.

Lesson learned: Be *$#$ careful in busy European traffic and anticipate traffic jams. I should've also been more careful with traffic behind.

Things done right: Braking done correctly, both applied gradually, and kept in control.

Just a miracle to have escaped both running into stopped traffic, and being rear-ended.

Incident 2) In a Paris motorway in a traffic jam. Splitting lanes can be difficult in Europe as cars sometime get too close to one another. On this occasion I choose to use the road shoulder. I entered the shoulder, without checking it was clear, and SLAM, an off duty cop (on his motorcycle) runs into the side of me. We both end up on the ground, but he was going about 40 kph when his arm hit my right handle bar. He got a broken arm out of it, and I got a bent up bike (forks and handle bars).

Obvious mistake: Not checking that the shoulder lane was clear before entering it. It was difficult to check it but this is not an excuse. I should not be using the shoulder for this in the first place.

Things done right: Wearing gear (along with sexy Italian passenger). Use of French language skills, and getting away with no infraction, as both the cop and I were infracting. I'm wayy too lucky.

 

[Ravenbane]

OK, I am going to post a couple of times here. This first one I will post for someone else, as he did not survive to tell his story.

Brief recap of the crash:
It was a beautiful day, perfect weather, new clean pavement. A group of 3 Harleys were riding along Rte 7 through Cornwall CT. (great road, great twisties). Harley #3 either had object fixation or simply forgot that he couldn't turn the handle bars of a bike like you can the wheel of a car. The bike bounced off the guard rail, throwing him into the guard rail over the handle bars, and the bike kept going (right side up) for another 50yards or so.

What he did wrong:
The bike had 160 miles on it. He was an inexperienced rider who bought a bike and jumped on assuming it was like a car but cooler. Wearing a 1/2-face helmet left him with 1/2 of his face where it was supposed to be. Leather jacket was unzipped, no gloves, only jeans for lower protection.

What he did right:
Nothing that I am aware of.

Thoughts on how it might have been avoided:
Proper riding instructions/course, full-face helmet and full riding leathers. Buying a light weight junker bike to learn to ride on instead of a 1400lb couch.

Notes:
If there were anything that would have made me sell my bike and quit riding, this would have been it. I was the second person on the scene, and seeing him laying there on his face breathing blood was horrible. The fact that even though I have had plenty of first-aid and cpr training through the military, there was nothing that I could do for him was extremely difficult to handle. All I could do was make sure no cars hit him and wait for the medics to arrive. The following week I passed that spot on the road and saw several wreaths of flowers and a cross where he had gone down.

Advice:
Just remember, you can never be too safe. Being protected is more important than looking cool. Realize your limits and stay within them. If you are a beginner, push your limits within reason...and if you would, give this fellow rider a moment of silence as you sit there reading these stories.

 

[Ravenbane]

You better get some! Anyone out there have an insurance company that is reasonably priced with a good standing that you can recommend?

Yes. Progressive has been an awesome company to deal with. The handled my claim with no issues, and are going to cover $25k (over a year after the wreck) after already paying for the first 5k of hospital bills AND paying for my bike. I of course bought the bike back from them and restored it

Brief recap of the crash:
Scenario:
On my way home from work (a 180mile daily round trip) I was going around a heavy loop 2-lane exit at about 30mph riding the inner lane and facing directly into the sun. I was passing a van that was in the outer lane, when I realized that I was sliding across the pavement, and my leg was pinned under the bike.

First thought:
God Help me!

Second thought:
I have to be ok so that I can call my wife and tell her I am ok.

Underlying thought:
What is going on? I did not scrape my can or my peg (my boot was just about touching), why am I sliding?

Physical reaction:
I ripped my right leg free from under the bike, and immediately tucked (to protect my guts) and rolled (in an attempt to slow myself down so as not to break my neck when bouncing off of the median).

What you did right:
Wore a helmet, gloves, and backpack (saved my back big-time). Reacted as i had been trained to so as to incur the least amount of damages to my person. Said my driving prayers before the ride.

What you did wrong:
Wasn't wearing the proper gear (aside from what i already mentioned, i only had a tee shirt and jeans with sh*t-kicker boots), so ended up with torn ligaments and fractured bones in my ankle, as well as nearly no skin on my right arm from the elbow to the wrist.


Thoughts on how it might have been avoided:
Not ride?
There was no way to see the oil spill that was all across the right lane because of the fact that I was directly facing the sun. Avoiding the accident would have been impossible, avoiding the extent of the injuries would have been easy with the proper gear.

 

[azn_kamikaze]

so I'm a newbie and recently crashed my '99 monster.

recap - decided to take the bike to the open road since my neighborhood was only 3-4 blocks of riding area. well basically at the stop light the light turned green, i stalled and the engine died, being anxious/panicked to get going i gas the throttle more gas than it should have and next thing you know i was in a wheelie that quickie got away from me.

what i did right - wear the gear, helmet definitely worked cause i remember my chin bounding off the ground (thank you Arai), and the leather gloves saved my skin

what i did wrong - being a newbie and basically being too confident, gotta work on clutch and throttle control, and pay attention to hand position of throttle hand which they teach you in MSF. the throttle hand is something you really have to get used to because in my situation i placed my hand for that split second like a bicycle rather than having cocked back. since the hand wasn't cocked back as the bike started going vertical from the applied gas then the more vertical it went the more gas was applied to it (basically the bike was reving itself up as it moved up and forward).

thoughts of how to avoid - practice, practice, practice....not just riding in a straight line or anything but stopping and going cause you have to get really good at the clutch and throttle control, probably go over some worse case scenarios (in my case i should've pulled in the clutch to disengage the power or used my brakes quicker). also think about starting with a training bike or a smaller engine, i got the monster because instead of starter bike because i really got a good deal on it, nothing hurts more than seeing your dreambike busted up

well in lieu of my mishap i do have some questions:

1) when my bike was down i saw gas coming out of it, i read it my be fuel escaping from the carburetor. i didn't see any leakage after i picked the bike and moved it to the side of the road. the tank is dented but not punctured/cracked.

2) what are the first things i should look into or to look out for when i got about repairing it?

list of damages i can see - left rearset broke off (near shifter), left foot peg broke in half, gauges broken, headlight lens broken, rear taillight gone, tank dented (left side), left side of handle bar looks slightly off, reservoir caps scraped, left hand controls slight ground-up and fast idle lever broke (stays in closed position).

if anyone has some of these parts, lemme know. it will be greatly appreciated.

 

[daisy_duke]

Small spill but a big learning moment...

Just picked up my 696 from its 600 mile service, 3 miles from the dealer, glorious day, out for a moderate ride with my husband (1100S). We stopped on red at a major intersection busy 4-lane commercial road... followed my normal stopping procedure but didn't take into account the significant camber in the road and couldn't get my footing. I felt the bike going over as I tried to find footing on the right side but couldn't connect, over I went, a stand still spill.

I was wearing full riding gear and was not hurt in the least (that's what I did right!). I got up from under the bike, hit the kill switch and turned off the bike. My husband parked his bike directly behind me and picked the bike up. He kept traffic at bay while I wheeled her to the side road. The front brake lever (new CRG foldaway) was bent, and the rear brake lever was bent. Not a ding on the bike though but my ego took a bruising.

We wiped the gasoline off the tank, checked for other damages, none. I cleared my head for a minute. The levers were operable (though I have ordered replacements) and the bike seemed fine. I took it for a short ride around the side road. My husband and I discussed what had happened and we went on with our ride for the day, which was around 85 miles of mostly rolling country roads.

Writing this up and talking it over some more I remember all sorts of details but my analysis of the spill is totally different from my husband's. I thought I was following my normal stopping routine but was distracted by thoughts on traffic avoidance on the previous stretch of road. I didn't evaluate the road camber as a hazard of the intersection. Though I had clocked the camber, I hadn't realized it required the use the opposite foot from what I routinely put down. He says, no, I signaled and made an abrupt lane change just before the intersection (which strangely I don't really remember clearly).

So, my stop was anything but routine. It may have been unfocused thinking but the spill was from a lack of prioritizing hazards and potential ones. Its great to have a riding partner who is an experienced rider. His feedback always gives me information to practice with on my next ride. I am rarely happier then when I am riding. Looking forward to tomorrow's adventure!

 

[Newcatista]

Making a slow-speed right hand turn in a construction zone onto an unfamiliar road. Didn't see the 6 in deep pothole followed by 8-10 feet of sand until it was too late. Went down extremely quickly. I'm in the air force, so I was wearing full uniform, with boots, full-fingered gloves, and a full face helmet. Couple of light bruises and a sore knee, but no other damage to my expensive parts.

The bike needs all the standard stuff...handlebars, grips, front and rear brake levers, rear peg. Plastic tank panel(696).

Lesson learned: Full gear saved me from a definite infection due to the sand. Take turns carefully, especially in a construction zone. Get off the front brake as soon as you see sand when turning!

Another quick one...Riding in moderate traffic around 45 mph, I see something fly up from the rear tire of the car in front of me, and before I can react, a wire coat hanger(I know, I thought the same thing) attempts to impale itself into the shield of my helmet. Glad I was wearing a full-face because that thing would have hit me right in my cheekbone/sinus area.

 

[GMarino]

On my first big solo trip from LA to SanFran, 2 hours into the trip IM about to roll past Lake Cachuma on 154 and am pulling off the road to a turn-out to adjust my gear and maybe take a picture. The turn out is gravel, and wouldnt ya know, the only thing I havent done or practiced is going from paved to unpaved. Theres a pickup behind me, so as Im signaling and slowing down I check quickly to see that he sees this and isnt about to plow me. He is also slowing...good, Ill keep pulling off.... I then notice, way too late, that there is a growing rut between the pavement and the turnout, that developed midway or so into the turnout, while I was looking back at the truck. IM only doing about 5 miles per hour by now, but the rut grabs me and IM down faster than I can say "oh sh". Mirror busted, brake lever bent, small tank ding, handle bars ever so slightly bent. Toe of brand new boots scuffed & crunched a bit. Guy in truck stopped, helped get bike back up, made sure I was ok. Didnt feel a thing on impact...didnt hit too hard and had full gear with armor. Tested bike, rolled straight and tru, continued on to SanFran but took quite a while to forgive myself, especially after rolling past a fully paved turnout a mere 40 yards ahead of my incident.

WHat I did Right: Full gear. Also read this entire thread, in hopes Id never have anything to add here. Practiced every kind of riding I thought I would encounter.

What I did wrong: Didnt asses the gravel as a condition I was unprepared for. Took my attention off the road long enough for conditions to change.

 

[Lolomiami]

My very first crash

Mind all of you this was a Christmas present to myself.
Not a new bike, but a beautiful 2003 Ducati monster 620.

I just crashed it this morning, on my initial sunday ride.

Intersection of Collins Av and 44 street, Miami Beach.

I was waiting for the green light to come in a few seconds so I was holding the clutch. The green light came but released before accelerating and the bike staled. In Miami the smallest time measure is how long the red turns to green before they start honking behind you. So this is exactly what happened and the cars behind started honking. I turn on the bike, and accelerated and released too quick so the bike when on a wheelee and dropped me. It fell ahead of me but thank God nothing happened to me only a hit in the kneecaps and some scratches.

The bike is a pity though and now I need a gas tank and a new handlebar.
$$$

Lesson learned: I will not get spooked by the cars honking behind me again. Let them wait until I'm ready to go.