| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
Sorry to hear that rick! Fortunately both my "note to selves" refer to the left side, not the right. That right side could get really expensive fast. Horray for good gear! | ||
| Rick_a |
Thanks...the bike really took the brunt of it...I have plans to fix it all for very little $$ and still look...uh...ok  | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
This is two weeks old but figured I'd share anyway. Yuma, AZ has a lot of truck traffic. They naturally follow certain routes through town. Gravel accumulates across the outside radius of their left turns. When making a left across this truck route, there's no way to not cross this "berm" of pea gravel. It's like trying to ride on ball bearings. I'm making a left two Mondays ago off base, Dole Plant is across the street, and out from underneath the car in front of me appears the trap! Down I go. Two turn signals, left handgrip, clutch lever, shift lever, and 5 stitches later, I'm whole again. Oh yea, this is spill #2 due to the same problem. I spent the other day photographing these intersections and I'm going to attend the next city council meeting and throw them at them! | ||
| Chainsaw |
XB9R Non-Scheduled, Low-Altitude Durability Test April 24, I'm scouting a route for a BRAG ride with a friend of mine. We are on Hwy 67 north of Woodland Park, CO and we notice some large rocks on the road in the opposing lane of traffic, around a blind corner. We stopped in WP and I mentioned in passing that I was thinking about stopping to move the rocks off the road. Fast forward 20 miles, my friend Scott is leading, we come around the corner, slalom around some rocks, and Scott is coming to a complete stop while I'm setting up for the next corner. I move to the edge of the road (the shoulder is about 6" wide) and hit the brakes. SAND! Front tire skids, I let off the brakes, go to the right of the X1 ahead of me, into a snow filled ditch! (I shoulda dodged LEFT!) Pretty easy landing, all things considered. I'm still on the bike, albeit horizontal. The engine is still running to my surprise. (The Bank Angle Sensor is supposed to kill the engine past 50 odd degrees, I guess I'm not THAT horizontal) Upon returning the bike to it's full upright position, I discover the only significant damage is the loss of the left turn signal. Sheared off cleanly, leaving the wiring pigtails INTACT! My left side air scoop, oil cooler cover and bar end are slightly scratched. All the pegs and controls are in full functioning order, nothing bent. Not a scratch on the frame or swingarm. The rider and his gear are undamaged. My buddy gave me an old stock turnsignal from his X1, with slight modification, it works perfect. Oh yeah, we moved the rocks, too! Hopefully all of the pent up Good Samaritan Karma I've earned will manifest itself into the winning PowerBall ticket.  | ||
| Joey |
That's the nice thing about snow. It's soft! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Found this over on sportbikerider.us   His comments were:
Ouch. Was that somebody here? Glad he is up and walking, he's lucky. | ||
| Outrider |
Gulp...Looks a little like Craig from Waterloo HD/BMC. | ||
| Uwgriz |
Doesn't Craig have a carbon fiber flyscreen? | ||
| Bads1 |
Griz that was a track day incident from last year.Good thing is though Craig is OK. | ||
| Reepicheep |
No helmet, gloves, or boots on a track day?!?! Anyway, I am glad he is OK, and glad he posted the pics as a heads up for others. I would not wish that kind of pain on anybody. | ||
| Reepicheep |
As I think about it, it may have been inconsiderate for me to post that over here. Email me offline and I will pull it if anyone would rather not have it here. My apologies if I offended anybody. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Aww crap. Heard about an accident this weekend in Cincinnati, and looked it up. Accidents always suck, but half way through the video I recognized the bike... a black XB9s. The passenger was killed, the rider in critical condition. His name is Jason Castly (sp?). Anyone recognize if he posts here? Looks like it was a pickup truck making a left turn in front of him. They called it hyde park, but it looked like Oakley to me. No helmets being worn. Speed limit on that road is 35mph.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Upon reviewing the news coverage, it appears it was a XB9Sx City Cross. Could not have been more then a month old, probably less. Wonder if it was a new rider... Video report on the site http://www.wkrc.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=2B58473C-56D6-4BA4-8283-8F8 946804C71 That sucks... | ||
| Cj_xb |
That's very sad, they were both so young !!! CJ | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Sobering eh... GEAR WORKS! | ||
| Greenskpr |
Hi All! Brand new here - I'm on my back for another week after an accident. This looks like a great place for Buellies! My 'Oh Sh*t' came when an SUV standing on the shoulder turned left in front of me. I saw every second of what was happening - I almost got around him but ran out of lane and ended up locking it up and meeting him broadside at about 30 mph - speed limit was 35. My X1 got off easy as my leg took the brunt of the impact. Bent up handlebars, broken gauges,pegs, signals (tach still works) and a lot of scuff marks on the tank. I've got some pretty good soft tissue/nerve damage in the leg Doctor says the feeling will return, and a couple bruised ribs and a contused liver. Head and upper body broke the drivers side window which ended up absorbing a good deal of the impact, I just bought a new helmet 3 days prior to this as my old Bell was being stared at in disbelief by some of my fellow riders. I Had a jacket on which I'm convinced minimized any further internal gut damage by holding me together at impact, and protecting me from the glass. I've read through the 'Crashes and Mishaps' archive and feel better from it. Does anyone have any advice for getting over this bad feeling of wanting to sell the X1. The only glimmer of light I see is maybe I'll just get into road racing since Watkins Glen is only an hour away. A least everyone is going in the same direction. What's a good way to shake out of this Fellas? The thought of being crippled up as a parapalegic or worse and sentencing my wife an kid to a life long care takers is a little numbing right now. I've been riding for 10 years. First bike was a 79 FLH, then a 79 Sportster, and bought this 01 X1 this past May. I love this bike, I love everything about it. Thanks for any advice. Steve | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Steve, I'm sorry to hear of your accident and I hope you heal well. I know the feeling you speak of. After my accident I was leary of speed, leaning over, and felt just plain uncomfortable on the bike. All I can say is take it slow; I did. Eventually the confidence returns and it all becomes fun again. I know everyone is different and for some, that "feeling" never returns, and that's too bad. I hope you can return to riding quickly. My best to you, Charles | ||
| Chainsaw |
Sorry to read about your wreck Steve. I'm not sure that anyone will be able to help you get over the sobering risks & realities of riding a motorcycle. Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't The good news is you still have a choice about the matter. You might be well served to take an Experienced Rider's Course, which will put you on a bike in a controlled situation, and see if you're still comfortable on a bike. You may just need put the bike up for the winter. The urge to ride may come back in the Spring. You can always sell the bike. You can always buy a new one later in life if you miss riding. What keeps me on a bike is knowing I have done EVERYTHING possible to assure I will be able to ride again tomorrow. Staying sober, Rider's Ed, wearing gear, and actually having a MC license, would make me a statistical anomaly if involved in a fatal wreck. My lifetime odds of dying in a car wreck are still greater than my odds of dying in a MC crash. Frankly, the world can be a dangerous place. I rationalize my risk like this: I could be killed by a car waiting at a bus stop or crossing the street on foot. I could be struck dead by lightning hiking Mt. Evans. I could die in a news worthy terrorist attack, or I could die of run-of-the-mill food poisoning. I could be lounging on my porch and get West Nile Virus from a mosquito bite! I like riding motorcycles. I willingly accept the risks. The day I can't is the day I stop riding. | ||
| Blake |
I tell you what, after so many close calls, I rarely ride through town any more and I'm real paranoid coming to intersections no matter where they are. Our natural instinct for self preservation will kick in to prevent us from wanting to repeat any action that caused us severe pain and/or injury. | ||
| Easy_rider |
Greenskpr: About three years ago I popped over a hill and shifted about the same time. The best I can figure the rebound of the front forks along with the torque lift of the shift made a bad combo. I ended up pulling a wheelie over backwards sliding down the road watching my S3T bounce along in front of me. I spent two nights in the hospital with serious road rashon my ••• and back. That trip I almost took back into the house for a jacket would have paid some incredible dividends as yours did. I spent two weeks at home barely able walk around, much less sit! The bike was totaled. I came close to buying another S3T right away but decided that I didn't have many opportunities to ride with a 1 year old that needed to go to day care 3 times a week. I finally got a replacement a couple of months ago. I'm just getting to the point where I don't imagine sliding down the road everytime the front end gets the slightest lift from getting on the throttle. Stick with it. By the end of this riding season you'll have some time in and at the start of next year you can make a decision whether to stick with it or shelve it until later. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Yea, funny how they don't explain the whole, a rise in the road will put your front end in the air in a hurry, thing in the MSF course. I found out the hard way. Thank God letting off the throttle brought it back down! I was at a true 11 o'clock at 90 mph. I know there are skilled riders out there who enjoy that, but I'm still a newbie! | ||
| Easy_rider |
Greenskpr: About three years ago I popped over a hill and shifted about the same time. The best I can figure the rebound of the front forks along with the torque lift of the shift made a bad combo. I ended up pulling a wheelie and falling off of the back, sliding down the road watching my S3T bounce along in front of me. I spent two nights in the hospital with serious road rash on my ••• and back. That trip I almost took back into the house for a jacket would have paid some incredible dividends as yours did (for my back, anyway). I spent two weeks at home barely able walk around, much less sit! The bike was totaled. I came close to buying another S3T right away but decided that I didn't have many opportunities to ride with a 1 year old that needed to go to day care 3 times a week and a new home to get the way I wanted. I finally got a replacement a couple of months ago. I'm just getting to the point where I don't imagine sliding down the road every time the front end gets the slightest lift from getting on the throttle. Stick with it. By the end of this riding season you'll have some time in and at the start of next year you can make a decision whether to stick with it or shelve it until later. No matter what, I hope you recover without any lingering problems. If you return to riding get the training Chainsaw recommends if you haven't already, and don't feel the need to explain if you don't return. | ||
| Outrider |
Steve...I find that the mental replays are what get me through the decision making process and are quite a confidence builder regardless of whether the incident was my fault or someone else's. In essence, I visualize what I did right or wrong at the moment and where I can improve. For me, this self critique is an awakening and helps me continue to improve in the SIPDE decision making process and the riding skills department. Riding classes are never a bad thing and well worth the investment of your time and money. They didn't have riding courses when I had my incidents so I was off to the parking lots to practice. I still do that quite a bit to adapt to a new bike, start the new season, work out a newly acquired bad habit or to just while away a few hours. Concerning the family, if after your analysis you decide to continue riding, you need to portray a positive mental image to them. Be the model citizen concerning what you say and how you ride within earshot (intentionally did not say "sight" ). They can hear you much longer than they can see you going or coming. Quite simply, you are selling them on the concept that motorcycling is a good activity and that you are a qualified rider. Being calm and sincere will get you more support than being overly dramatic. Once you get their support, it is up to you to continue to provide them with conviction that they made a good decision. So do strive to improve every time you ride and be considerate of what riding experiences you communicate to them. The most important thing is that you learn your own "pace" in the various conditions you are in and don't allow someone to get you in over your head. Once you go through the mental gymnastics to figure all that out, you will know what you need to work on to improve and whether or not you want to. | ||
| Greenskpr |
Any recommendations on riders schools in the Northeast US? I've heard of Penguin from a friend, but are they more race oriented? Thanks for the words. I took all the broken/bent pieces off the bike yesterday and am compiling a shopping list. Any advice/links on how to to buff out plastic? Steve | ||
| Henrik |
Penguin is more race oriented. I've done Pridmore's CLASS, which is *very* street and safety oriented. It's a great intro to track riding, and Pridmore is likely one of the smoothest riders out there. He can teach you a lot in two days. Jason Pridmore's STAR is a great school. They are more speed/track technique oriented, but do try to include how the techniques they teach refers back to street riding. The big plus is their on-track staff ... simply outstanding. All current or ex racers. All very into giving you a good track experience and lots of feedback. California Superbike School is good if you like structured teaching. Very step by step. On-track drills to drive home the class-room teachings. The on-track instructors are very alert and will give you plenty of feed-back as well. Team ProMotion has track schools at all their track days. I haven't tried them yet, but have heard good things. I think they were struggling to make a sensible curriculum the first year, but have supposedly shaped up quite a bit. Any way you slice it, track schools are a great thing. Expensive, but good for your riding technique. Whichever school you end up doing, keep in mind you spent a (huge) bundle to learn. Don't waste your time trying to prove you're the fastest on the track ... you never will be with those guys anyway So just make the most of your time and $$ and practice and solicit as much feed-back as you can. Henrik | ||
| Rick_a |
Very early into my street riding experience was a 90mph get-off. I never thought of quitting riding and the mental replay of that accident taught me more than anything since. I fixed her up and got it back on the road in a couple weeks with more power! I love riding so much I can't stand driving anymore...and haven't done so in about a year. You have to ride with authority but be ready to move out of harm's way when needed. Plan ahead and always have an escape route. | ||
| Reepicheep |
There was a fatality here in Cincinnati on what I think was a new XB9sX. The passenger was killed, the rider was critical. Hit a truck making a left turn (we don't know much more then that, even if they were going same or different directions). Anyway, the only news reports I could find indicated that alchohol was not a factor, speed was not a factor, and the truck driver was not cited. I sent an email to the Cincy PD, and they were very helpful. As usual, I think the media just got it wrong. They reported "truck driver not at fault". I think what they should have reported was "Investigation Not Complete". Here is what the Cincy PD told me. Makes perfect sense now.
No citations on scene, but if its a serious deal, a full investigation is done, including forensics and witness interviews and maybe expert analysis, and *then* all charges are filed and arrests (if warranted) are made based on what the prosecuter believes can be made to stick. It is helpful to me to help understand the process. | ||
| Greenskpr |
In my accident I was cited for 'unsafe passing' without even being present to give my account of the accident. Nobody at the scene mentioned that this guy turned from the shoulder. The Trooper arrived at the hospital and asked me what happened and said well your lucky you're not dead and I'm ticketing you for unsafe passing. He said if I disagree with the citation, then plead not guilty and have a judge hear it. My court date is in 10 days. NY state law states it is illegal to make any turn from the shoulder - period. When I told the Trooper this in the hospital, he said 'well that's interesting'. But the police report I just received in the mail isn't amended to show that this was my account. WTF? | ||
| Bomber |
Green -- then you should definately get yer butt into court and state your case -- could be the trooper was having a bad day, his sister was mistreated by a biker, he didn't like your haircut, who knows. . . . . police reports are just taht, a report of a singular view of an incident . . . . | ||
| Outrider |
Reep...in situations like that, the LEO's report usually results in a Bench Warrant. You then have "X" number of days to respond to it or they come get you. I was involved in an accident once and even though the investigation resulted in only one person being targeted as the cause, we all got bench warrants to appear in court. Was a freakin' post card (form letter type) that didn't say anything about what it was concerning. Major cause for soiled shorts until I called and found out it was for the accident. LOL |
