Gear photos have been added. Scroll down a few posts to see them.
Well, if things had gone to plan this would have been a review of how much I love my new radial Avon tires.
Instead I probably pushed the tires a tad too hard before they were broken in and crashed.
I just changed the tires today, and put about 30 miles on them before taking a corner too fast. It would have been well within the limits of my original tires but not these. I take full responsibility.
I went down at some speed between 30 and 45. I'm okay I guess. Very lucky I was wearing all my gear.
Fieldsheer jacket, Sparx Helmet, Leather Gloves, Race boots, Cortech riding jeans
I ended up rolling at least once and then sliding on my butt and hands. The gloves weren't worn through but my hands felt like they were on fire for about 10 minutes after the crash. Some nice guys helped me get my bike to the sidewalk and get me a bag of ice. Apparently the corner I fell at is a real problem spot with a recent fatality.
I have a little bit of road rash on my knees although its more like rug burn. My knees are really sore from the impact and my left lower back is real stiff.
My jacket has some scuffs and one broken zipper, my helmet has a scratch on the jaw piece, my leather gloves are much thinner than before ;). My pants are ripped through to the leather layer underneath on the left pocket and are scratched on both knees. Overall I'm very lucky. Wear your gear!
My bike didn't do so well. It slid around 300' before coming to a stop on a curb. the right bar end is bent 45 degrees, the entire right fairing is really scratched, the tank has two dents where the handle bars pivoted and slammed into it. The pipe is covered with rash, the rear fairing has a small bit. No more right blinker or mirror or right foot peg. The worst damage is to the engine. The engine cover where the suzuki logo is pretty much destroyed. I don't know if that's the only damage or if there is something internal. I'm hoping that there is no real internal damage. And I think the frame and forks are fine. I haven't looked at the bike too hard yet.
I think I'm going to sell the left half of the fairings (Anybody need blue '06 fairings?) to help finance the crash and turn the bike naked. I'll mount the stock headlight since the front fairing is scratched too. Not sure what blinkers or mirrors I want yet. Any advice? I want clip-ons too. I think I'll leave the ugly pipe on the bike. Might paint it.
What engine guards or sliders should I buy to prevent engine damage if I ever crash again?
if anybody wants to trade parts, or has parts I can buy cheap, or part advice please let me know. I want to be riding again ASAP. My bike is my transportation. I should be good to go physically within a week.
UPDATE: A terrible low light cell phone pic I took at the scene of the crash. You can just make out the lack of a Suzuki logo on the engine cover. You can't tell that it is cracked and barely hanging on.
(http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1738/1102081954qt6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Update: Google earth image of the crash location. The corner looks pretty lame, and I'm still surprised I managed to lay the bike down there. Also, according to the google earth scale my bike slid more like 200' than 300. The more I try to remember what happened, I'm realizing I was probably going pretty fast. Definitely in the 40-45+ mph range.
(http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9140/motorcyclecrashdiagramin4.jpg)
Update: My dad emailed me some pics of the bike. Apparently the bike had blown a fuse and after replacing that it starts right up. Should be back on it this weekend. Only a few necessary parts before its ridable. I think I'll keep the fairing actually, should be cheaper and I really like it. I'll have to paint it, I'm thinking either all white or all black. What do you think?
(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/9826/imgp1395ba0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/9577/imgp1396bv6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
DAMN man, glad youre okay for usre. but if you can post pics of 1 the engine, damage, and the bars etc. bars to be replaced for sure. but the engine damage please post a pic of that if you can
I'll get a pic as soon as possible.
I had my dad trailer my bike back to his place so I might not see it again until Thursday.
well if you remove the cracked cover, is the case behind it damaged? if not a replacement cover will work, even if it is, but not badly you can do this. the cover is not necessary, BUT recommended
Bluesmudge...dude...I'm so very happy to hear your are alright. You have all your parts and nothing broke. I had an accident recently and it scared the shaZam! out of me hitting the black top as hard as I did at only 20mph. Sorry to hear about your bike but it looks like it will be back up on two wheels again. I can't ride just yet due to still working on repairs and physical therapy. I dislocated a few parts of my body...still hurts to mount the GS.
Like I tell everyone...WEAR YOUR GEAR! I can not tell you how much gear can save your ass. You might never have an accident but if it does happen you will be thankful your wearing gear.
Take care of yourself and please make sure you see a doctor just to make sure your all good. I did not think anything was wrong with me but I was forced to go see the doctor and found my left hip, left shoulder, and left elbow dislocated. Not to mention some minor painful rash on my left arm and left leg.
Jeppy
[SIZE=29PT]A T G A T T[/size]
the bike is, well, who cares. you're ok, that's the point. :) let's see your gear with good clear pictures to help everyone decide on their next purchase.
thanks for the details, and admitting fault. that's cool. with only 30 miles, i guess you can't give a full review of teh avons just yet... so sorry you lost it on a fun turn.
heal up, keep us posted on your progress, and know you'll have her back together in no time. :)
:o
Glad to hear you're ok.
Sorry your bike is broken but at least your ok. Yeah you should give new tires at least 100 miles or so before going hard on them. Manufacturers say they don't use any chemicals on them but there's a layer that is slippery to help pry the tire out of the mold. So when i put my sport demons i made sure i gave them a good break in before taking corners hard. Lesson learned and hopefully you will be riding again in no time.
Glad to hear you're ok. Good luck with your f to e conversion.
that is no way to get to where you are going. don't do that again. >:(
Tip; it helps some to get the mold release off of the tires if you ride a few miles on a gravel or dirt roadway to scuff 'em up. Scuffing them in on the road is iffy because to get the outer edges scuffed, you, well... have to get out on the outer edges while they are still slick --- sort of a Catch 22.
It is hard to tell by the photo, but that right fork leg looks to be bent a bit. Did you buy a lottery ticket that day!
prs
Glad to hear your ok.
Picture of my fieldsheer jacket. I've always been happy with this jacket since I ride rain or shine in seattle
(http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/7937/dscn0429vj9.jpg)
These pictures show the relatively small amount of damage to the jacket. Road rash on and around the logo, on the sleeve and broken vent zipper
(http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/1438/dscn0432gq3.jpg)
(http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8416/dscn0433bl1.jpg)
(http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/2707/dscn0435gh0.jpg)
Here is my Axio hard tankbag which happened to be holding my rather expensive macbook pro which I can't afford to replace. I'm not positive but I think the bag stayed on the bike for all of the 300' of slide until the bike hit the curb and the lock holding the bag on snapped and sent the bag flying. I found it upside-down on the sidewalk about 20' away. I'm typing on the computer that was inside right now.
(http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/2885/dscn0436jy9.jpg)
(http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/97/dscn0437ue0.jpg)
My gloves. These are just pure leather $35 bargain motorcycle gloves. Worked well enough I guess but I have some warmer/more protective gloves on order since the weather is getting colder. The lack of palm padding of any kind was felt but they held up well. Notice in the photos you can see exactly which parts have seen asphalt.
(http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/1807/dscn0438vp4.jpg)
(http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4693/dscn0443fs4.jpg)
(http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3053/dscn0444aw3.jpg)
(http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/451/dscn0445oa5.jpg)
On to my Cortech riding jeans. Obviously not the best choice for protection, but if you have to wear jeans - wear these. I have some road rash on my knees but the jeans didn't rip all the way through there. I think there is kevlar in the knees. Where I slid on my butt for awhile the left pocket ripped and if you look carefully you can see the layer of leather inside the butt area.
(http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3340/dscn0448zo3.jpg)
(http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8739/dscn0451qo5.jpg)
(http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4646/dscn0452kt2.jpg)
(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2343/dscn0456my6.jpg)
Ok, my boots. Not even sure what brand these are. My dad gave them to me after he stopped racing. I didn't realize until this morning that they saved my left ankle. The carbon fiber ankle guard was worn pretty good. If I had been wearing my tennis shoes (which I often do) I probably wouldn't be in as good of shape as I am.
(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/6742/dscn0461ij5.jpg)
(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/9335/dscn0460es0.jpg)
Finally my Sparx helmet. I love this thing and I'm glad I didn't really need it in this crash. I think when I rolled my jaw brushed the ground, but it's a small scratch and I'm not going to replace the helmet.
(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5883/dscn0462fb2.jpg)
(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3007/dscn0463mc3.jpg)
Ok that's all. Bike pics eventually.
Glad to hear you are OK! :)
Thanks for the photos.
wow, glad you're safe! another testament to wearing your gear all the time.
glad your safe!
i really enjoy these crash write-ups as they are always nice reminders of what it actually looks like (and feels like) to be in such an unfortunate accident :thumb:
(Plus I have the exact same bike, so a lot less work to imagine what mine would look like! lol)
glad to hear you're OK!
your accident is an excellent example why tire manufacturers recommend 200 mile break-in period... :thumb:
thanks for sharing the pics (I'm glad that Fieldsheer jacket held up so well - I have one too)
get well
Kamil
Glad to hear you're okay, hope you're good to get back on the road again soon!
Also is that the field sheer adventure jacket? It looks a lot like mine, would be nice to know how I can expect it to hold up if/when I fall.
Thanks everyone. I wish I got this much support every time I stayed on my bike :laugh:
The Jacket is the Fieldsheer Hydro Tour. Its no longer made (last season's model?). I got it on closeout at bikebandit.com for $70. I really like it. My upper body feels totally fine after the crash.
cool, you're ok. those boots likely saved your ankles, or legs, or both. yikes !
i ride with work boots (dumb) everyday. needless to say, i'm buying better equipment.
think you owe dear old dad a thank-you. nah, i'm betting he's already gotten it, knowing you're ok, and HIS equipment saved ya.
cool stuff. ride on man. ride safe. :)
I am glad your ok bro. I recently just upgrade my exhaust.. so if you are looking for an exhaust stock with only 1k on it or less... very new and no scratches... i will sell to you for 25 dollars.. if thats too much let me know. i am not quite sure how much its suppose to cost ..but at least it will be put to good use.
Thanks for the offer! :kiss3: I will probably take you up on it, just let me get the rest of the bike back together, the exhaust is the least of my worries right now.
ive got teh stock can, and since ive parted with my gs again :cry:, its yours for shipping and maybe a small donation to the site, say $5.00. granted its jsut the can cut a bit fewd of teh can itself. saying teh pipe& headers are not with it. jsut teh can
Draggin' Jeans are also pretty good if you want to wear them and are pretty much on par with textile stuff. They have kevlar reinforced knees, hip and upper thigh and butt sections as well as option CE armor you can put into special pockets in the hips and knee. That pretty much brings them to exactly the same as textile protection whilst still looking like jeans and being almost as comfy, slightly heavier and alot warmer though!
As with all textile gear, you can still get rash caused by the INSIDE of the material rubbing against your skin due to them not being tight fitting. Hence why leather is is the ultimate protection as its thick, its got armour, it is hard to wear a hole in it, plus it fits tight so you don't get rubbish of the material moving on your body as you fall. However it doesn't obviously protect you from the fall! I fell of with full leather gear on, not a bit of rash anywhere, but had several broken bones and some huge bruises.
WOW! The gear did its thing! Good. Your pic of the intersection leads me to think you likely hit an oil or coolant slick; dontcha think!
prs
Its very possible. It just didn't seem right at all when i went down...even with the slick new tires. I just don't know, it alll happened so fast :o
Nothing I can do about it now.
glad to hear ur OK.
you wore adequate gear :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
i like the comment on the boots ... yeah, if u'd worn ur tennis shoes ... you'd be limping for a while and you'd be posting pix of ur ankle work to the bone!
ride safe!
thats odd when I installed my new tires on my GS I was on them the same day doing my normal PV run they didnt seems any less stable or slicker. maybe your brand was different.
More and more I'm starting to think that there was antifreeze or some other liquid on the road. That corner could be taken at 90mph and I managed to go down at <45mpg. Doesn't make sense.
Parts are coming in and the bike is getting put back together. Can't wait to ride again. I'm all better physically even played soccer for 90mins the other day without too much pain.
This thread jinxed me, lol
Tonight *I* went down :o
Oncoming mini-van cut me off when he turned left (crossed my path). Bike and I went down at about 40mph.
Interestingly, not a scratch on me. Literally. Bike and gear got scuffed and scraped though. Will post later, don't wanna steal the OP's thunder :thumb:
Oh no! Why does it seem like everyone is crashing lately! Sounds like you had good gear on too. I'll be looking for a write-up.
Glad your ok, and thank goodness you were wearing your gear.
oh man, Malatesta! sounds like you're good so glad to hear that.
easy with the jinxes! :wink: especially that i'm in the general neighborhood!
stay safe.
Hey man, glad to see you walked away. I was in quite a bad crash on a suzuki bandit back in 1999. Has taken me 9 years to get the want back to get anther bike and have just got a GS500.
Thanks for taking the time to post all the pics, it is amazing to see what gets damaged when you come off your bike - things get scuffed up that you didn't even think hit the ground.
One piece of advice-If you replace anything from the above damaged items then replace your helmet! It's suicide not to replace your helmet once you have been in any accident. It looks like you have a pretty bad scuff down the side of your helmet so that will have compromised the integrety and protective qualities of the helmet. Before you get back on any bike - get a new one!!
Good luck, hope your bike fixes up ok.
Cheers
Andy
Quote from: drincruz on November 10, 2008, 08:24:19 AM
oh man, Malatesta! sounds like you're good so glad to hear that.
easy with the jinxes! :wink: especially that i'm in the general neighborhood!
stay safe.
:icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: Bluesmudge on November 10, 2008, 12:47:24 AM
Oh no! Why does it seem like everyone is crashing lately! Sounds like you had good gear on too. I'll be looking for a write-up.
Posted my story here (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=45260.0) 8)
Quote from: AndyGS500ev on November 10, 2008, 11:14:52 AM
One piece of advice-If you replace anything from the above damaged items then replace your helmet! It's suicide not to replace your helmet once you have been in any accident. It looks like you have a pretty bad scuff down the side of your helmet so that will have compromised the integrety and protective qualities of the helmet. Before you get back on any bike - get a new one!!
Must just be the angle in the picture. There is only a minor scratch on the jaw of the helmet, not visible from more than 4' away. Very short and not deep at all. I think my helmet just barely brushed against the pavement as I rolled. No impact at all. If it was on the main body of the helmet I would consider replacing it but not for something like this (and I'm a big proponent of the one impact = replace idea).