Went down today.

ducati_nolan · September 10, 2006, 02:19:25 AM

So today I was riding in downtown Seattle, and I was slowing down for a red light, and BAM, my front wheel went out from under me. I was riding in the center of the lane where all the oil collects from cars waiting for the light, and I hit a really slick spot and my front wheel locked up. I was going only 15 or so at the time so it wasn't too bad. I was wearing my riding gear and sufered no injuries, that hard armor in the knees really helps.

The dammage to my bike is, the very end of my clutch lever broke off, my bar end mirror is a little screwed up, and my fairing got a scratch.

Generally I ride in the left third of the lane to avoid the oil, but in the city I don't like to be riding right next to the other cars (4 lane road) and I like as much room arround me as possible. In the future I'll move to the side of the lane when approaching an intersection.

The worst part about it was the fact that my friends were in a car a little ways back and they saw the whole thing. Oh well
ride safe guys

TadMC · September 10, 2006, 02:58:19 AM

x

Turd Ferguson · September 10, 2006, 08:02:03 AM

Wow, thats rough, Nolan. Glad things weren't worse than that. Scratch on the fairing? That's a battle scar dude, wear it with pride.

-Turd.

scratch · September 10, 2006, 08:37:37 AM

Glad you're allright.

pandy · September 10, 2006, 08:41:23 AM

Those hurt-pride injuries are the best kind....they heal up easily.

I'm glad it was minor, and it sounds as though you learned....and helped educate the rest of us! So thank you!!

Glad you're ok!

pantablo · September 10, 2006, 02:34:43 PM

Quote from: scratch on September 10, 2006, 08:37:37 AM
Glad you're allright.

+1!

Chilly Willy · September 10, 2006, 05:53:41 PM

Sorry to hear about that, but I'm glad you're ok. Is your knee all bruised up?

El Noobo

ducati_nolan · September 10, 2006, 06:02:52 PM

No, I don't even have a bruise. My riding pants have hard armor in the knees that worked just perfectly

So I'm good to go. How was your ride today El Noobo?

Chilly Willy · September 10, 2006, 06:17:12 PM

Quote from: ducati_nolan on September 10, 2006, 06:02:52 PM
No, I don't even have a bruise. My riding pants have hard armor in the knees that worked just perfectly So I'm good to go. How was your ride today El Noobo?

Other than dropping the bike against my friend's wife's car (all the gory details are in the "32 year old virgin" post), it was great!

El Noobo

mjn12 · September 10, 2006, 07:43:42 PM

First off, I'm glad your ok.

What pants were you wearing (brand/model)? I'm trying to accumulate gear and as unfortunate as a real crash test is at least it lets us know what gear does its job.

average · September 10, 2006, 07:45:18 PM

Glad your ok, dude.

FearedGS500 · September 10, 2006, 09:49:48 PM

yup center lan = bad i try to stay out of it as much as possible .. i thought this one something that just about everyone knew . guess not . i grew up my dad had been riding since he was young enough . he always told me . for the test ride the center. other then that stay in the tire tracks cuz the center collects all the oil,water and gas the car leaks ( and if you look at that center lane you will see this . and we all know water and oil = hurt )

pantablo · September 10, 2006, 09:54:17 PM

they cover that in MSF course...

ducati_nolan · September 10, 2006, 10:25:46 PM

I know about the oily center of the lane and usually I stay out of it, but I was trying to keep as much room arround me as possible since there was traffic on either side of me. Which is the lesser of two evils

? Yesterday I made the wrong call I suppose. I don't think the hangover helped either

But anyways, It had rained earlier in the day for the first time in months and even though the roads were dry by then, it still brought all the oil and other gunk back to the surface, and made it slicker than sh*t. That definately didn't help.

As far as gear, I was wearing First gear mesh pants, but they had hard armor in the knees that were from a pair of Fieldsheer pants (they fell apart and I took them back but kept the armor

) I had a fieldsheer jacket with hard armor (jacket didn't make contact with the ground) and Tecnic gloves. I landed on my left knee and hands kind of hard, and recieved no injury. My gear wasn't dammaged either. Whatever brand of stuff you get, I think that having hard armor in the right places (knees, elbow, and shoulders) is one of the most important things. But I was only going 15 or so when I went down so it wasn't bad. I would have had a good bruise at least without the armor though.
Later

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Went down today.