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Main Area => General GS500 Discussion => Topic started by: tdan553527 on November 26, 2004, 07:25:50 AM

Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: tdan553527 on November 26, 2004, 07:25:50 AM
headed up to the inlaws for my yearly intake of turkey, go around a left hand curve (posted 25mph) that i have been around many times. Not going too fast, about 50mph, but the thing is, i can hit that curve and have about 75-80mph with no problems. I don't know what happened, i just felt the back tire give out and the bike went down. The left side of me and my helmet slammed the pavement ans i started to slide, my foot grabbed and i started to tumble head over arse about 8 times. the bike faired pretty good for sliding 60 feet, one small crack in the fairing, busted left side engine cover (allmy oil leaked out), gearshift, centerstand, footpeg, left blinker, left mirror, handlebars are screwed, rear plastic by the seat scratched. All in all, not bad.

For me though, different story, busted knee, elbow, lower right back, sprained ankle, sore neck, and i lost a fingernail, that hurt the most having the E.R. yank my nail off. oh yeah, and my pride.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: se7enty7 on November 26, 2004, 09:36:06 AM
wrecking TERRIFIES me...  I am soooo careful.. I don't *push* anything.. ever...

wrecked myt dirtbike enough to know what it feels like... on dirt... dont wanna know what concrete feels like


what gloves/gear were you wearing?
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: Kerry on November 26, 2004, 09:36:29 AM
OUCH!  Sorry to hear about the wreck, especially your injuries.  Those will be no picnic to deal with.

I hope you don't mind my taking a "lighter side" look at things:
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: Cal Price on November 26, 2004, 09:51:38 AM
oooooooooooH painfull, busted knee, not nice.

Hope YOU get better then sort out the bike OK.
Title: Owww
Post by: The Buddha on November 26, 2004, 10:26:51 AM
Owww man ... Heal up, the cold does not help the joints ... I guess the winter comming up is good, rest, heal, eat, and then think about the bike ... fortunately there is plenty to eat usually this time of ear ... hope you like fruitcake...
Cool.
Srinath.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: scratch on November 26, 2004, 10:38:19 AM
Oh, man, hope you feel better and heal up well.

I, too, am curious what gloves you were wearing.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: GRU on November 26, 2004, 10:38:23 AM
too bad man...but it happens...i lowsided twice because of taking hard corners on cold tires and pavement

you just got to learn for the mistakes and continue riding  :thumb:
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: dgyver on November 26, 2004, 10:59:43 AM
Cold tires, cold pavement, debris on the road...any or all can be to blamed for lack of traction. Glad it was not worse. Heal well and get back in the saddle.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: Caravan on November 26, 2004, 11:00:01 AM
Ouch, Shane.  Sorry to hear about your injuries.  Rest and heal.


Gene
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: tdan553527 on November 26, 2004, 11:03:23 AM
thanks everybody,

all my gear  held up pretty good. a couple of holes the left arm of my joe rocket jacket, the gloves i had on were not riding gloves, just some leather gloves, ripped the plam out of them but no damage to my hand, ate right thru my running pants that i had on over jeans. hope to be back riding within a week. just need a left side engine cover, gear shift and some handlebars to get the bike going, the rest will be cosmetic, which i will slowly fix, need to be going before dec 4, the annual toys for tots run is next weekend and would still love to be involved.

will get pics up later today or monday.

kerry,
  not your dad, i was in heber springs when it happened, past your dads house about 30 minutes earlier. was he out riding?
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: GRU on November 26, 2004, 11:43:44 AM
good thing you had 2 pairs of pants...it help a little.....my 2nd lowside i had running pants and jeans over them.....both pants got ripped good because my leg got stuck under the bike....

since you got to replace the handlebars why not just go for some clip ons?
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: tdan553527 on November 26, 2004, 12:03:15 PM
clip ons are on the list, but just need something before next weekend, just got off the phone with my dealer and he has a pair of stock bars in stock, i will probably get those until insurance goes thru.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: TheGoodGuy on November 26, 2004, 12:47:21 PM
ouch shane,

unfortunately accidents do happen, there is nothing we can do about it. As unexplained as it is, all of us that have crashed and survived only to ride better and more cautiously.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: bikenut on November 26, 2004, 05:23:07 PM
Glad to hear you're feeling well enough to ride soon.  At first I thought you had seriously damaged your knee but I guess "busted" doesn't mean broken.

There was a reaason why you crashed.  May have been cold tires,  Tires starting out at 50 degrees take longer to heat up to proper temperature than if the ambient temperature is 80. Think it through so you don't repeat the error.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: juggernaught on November 26, 2004, 07:05:19 PM
Heal quick Tdan...you were lucky and have joined the famous Low Side Survivor Club.

(http://pdmec4.mecc.unipd.it/~cos/DINAMOTO/H3_low%20fall%20rear%20brake/HD_3_braking_fall_1.gif)


For more technical data on this topic feel free to visit:

http://pdmec4.mecc.unipd.it/~cos/DINAMOTO/H3_low%20fall%20rear%20brake/low%20fall_braking_rear.html

Especially in cold weather taking fairly sharp turns at speed with cold tires on a cold road can lead to some crappy consequences.  I haven't have one myself but i have come close.  I have felt a low side coming on on a few occasions and handle them kinda like you handle a rip current meaning when i feel (if you get a chance to even feel) my tires slipping instead  of braking i either downshift  smoothly releasing the throttle for more torque amd accelerating at the end of the turn or i just go "along" with that weird momentum  (maybe easing off the throttle and squeezing the clutch a bit) until i regain that forward momentum and then accelerate.  Sorry my physics and explanation probably sucks a bit but it's the best advice i could offer for future reference ('cause ya will be riding again  ;) ) And maybe a less experienced rider can learn something too.  I know these things happen in the blink of an eye and sometimes there truly is nothing you can do to avoid something like this occuring...but once again i see that wearing proper gear has turned what could have been a tragedy into something you could post about and we could all learn from and appreciate.

In any case...heal quick and by next spring you'll be bitchin' about oil leaks and rusty chains just like the good 'ol days... :cheers:

Keep the rubber side down.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: tdan553527 on November 29, 2004, 01:11:36 PM
It was cold outside that day, around 40 degrees. But thinking back on the whole thing, i just can't figure out what went wrong. I felt the tire give and that was it, no time to do anything but let go of the bike and go with the flow. For all those people out there riding with out gear, get some quick, cause you'll be sorry that you didn't. I would probably still be at the hospital having rocks and asphalt scraped from my skin if it weren't for my gear.
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: Kerry on November 29, 2004, 01:18:15 PM
[Off Topic]
I talked to my Dad last night and he's been looking forward to the Toys for Tots run.  I told him your bike is yellow - he'll be looking for you.
[/Off Topic]
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: tdan553527 on November 29, 2004, 01:25:16 PM
will he be on the st1300? that way every st1300 i see i'll go up and introduce myself. I'll be ready to ride, i just don't know if i'll have all my parts in. Need to start a new topic for this, but, the small hole in the left magneto cover, i was told i could use JB weld on it until the new comes in, anybody know if this will work, the hole is a little smaller than a dime?
Title: Lowsided Yesterday
Post by: Kerry on November 29, 2004, 01:45:36 PM
Quote from: tdan553527will he be on the st1300?
Hmmm, I dunno.  That would be a fair bet, though.

Maybe you could drop by and ask him?  He might even loan you a bike for the event, although he mentioned that a few of his aren't totally road-worthy right now.