I hate making a crash post, but I feel its kind of necessary.
So I was driving around the side streets of the Mt. Baker neighborhood in Seattle Washington. I got to this part on a residential road where it splits into a high and a low. Its not exactly a one way, but generally cars drive on the correct side (first mistake I made was assuming nobody would be coming at me on the right side). The road takes a steep incline to the lower side, so low you can't see anyone coming for a few hundred yards until you crest the hill. They always teach you to slow down as you come to a hill crest, I didn't. As I came over the top a large pickup was speeding towards me. Totally caught off guard I slammed on the front brake, lost the front end and next thing I knew I was on the ground a few feet away from the truck. We were both equally at fault. Both were going over the speed limit, it was just super unfortunate I ended up on the asphalt. I'm sure if I had been easier on the brakes I could have stopped in time. Swerving would have put me in the back of a parked truck.
It was the absolute worst time for it to happen. Cresting the hill probably lightened the front end, meaning less traction for a panic stop. Let me know if I'm wrong about this.
I was able to start the bike easily and ride home.
So. What I learned:
-Actually slow down before cresting a hill -- no matter what!
-People drive crazy in residential areas, they never expect anyone else to be driving there. I see this all the time, I've had other close calls because of it and its what the driver of the truck told me.
-This one I already knew, but I've now experienced it first hand. Jeans do not hold up in a crash! Even at only ~30 mph they disintegrated at my knee. All body parts covered in leather faired much better.
Here are some pictures of my gear, my bike and my knee. Luckily I have right side fairings on order already from a crash many months ago. Convenient I guess :dunno_black:
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/192/crw8919.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8598/crw8920.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/6959/crw8921.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/9090/crw8922.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5341/crw8923.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/4533/crw8924.jpg)
(http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/1154/crw8929.jpg)
(http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5721/crw8930.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/3663/crw8927.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/4863/dscn0965.jpg)
(http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/6549/dscn0966.jpg)
glad you're ok other than the knee.
ouch man thank god it wasnt any worse :icon_confused:
holy crap..isnt this the second one? man you are one lucky guy. i am glad you are ok.
:icon_eek: glad you're ok
Quote from: Bluehaze on April 08, 2009, 07:56:32 PM
holy crap..isnt this the second one? man you are one lucky guy. i am glad you are ok.
Thanks,
Its hard to say if its luck, lack of luck or just my own damn fault.
Ouch! I hope you feel better soon. That doesn't look like fun at all. Hopefully this post will inspire you and others to wear full gear, even if you're just tooling around the neighborhood. Where I live, people are always driving at twice the speed limit or more and flying around blind turns on pretty narrow streets. I wouldn't dream of going out there without all my gear on...
I think I remember seeing you talking about a crash before. That tank bra is what catches my eye. Doesn't that make two crashes in under a year? I'm glad your OK, but that's not sounding like the greatest of records to me... I'm not trying to get on your case or be a jerk, but if I were you, I'd think seriously about what is going on.
yer lucky the knee is the only injury you got! Glad you faired out alright overall.
Another lesson you could take from this is..... duuude.... get some damn frame sliders on that poor girl! woulda saved you a helluva lotta plastic damage.
Quote from: fred on April 08, 2009, 08:00:33 PM
Ouch! I hope you feel better soon. That doesn't look like fun at all. Hopefully this post will inspire you and others to wear full gear, even if you're just tooling around the neighborhood. Where I live, people are always driving at twice the speed limit or more and flying around blind turns on pretty narrow streets. I wouldn't dream of going out there without all my gear on...
I think I remember seeing you talking about a crash before. That tank bra is what catches my eye. Doesn't that make two crashes in under a year? I'm glad your OK, but that's not sounding like the greatest of records to me... I'm not trying to get on your case or be a jerk, but if I were you, I'd think seriously about what is going on.
Thanks for being honest fred. I do need to rethink my riding habits and probably get out to a track day or two to get the spirited riding out of my system, but I believe this crash was just real bad luck and could have been a lot worse. I'm only 18 so unfortunately I can be a dumb kid sometimes but I'm slowly learning just how dangerous motorcycling is...the hard way.
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 08, 2009, 08:10:32 PM
Quote from: fred on April 08, 2009, 08:00:33 PM
Ouch! I hope you feel better soon. That doesn't look like fun at all. Hopefully this post will inspire you and others to wear full gear, even if you're just tooling around the neighborhood. Where I live, people are always driving at twice the speed limit or more and flying around blind turns on pretty narrow streets. I wouldn't dream of going out there without all my gear on...
I think I remember seeing you talking about a crash before. That tank bra is what catches my eye. Doesn't that make two crashes in under a year? I'm glad your OK, but that's not sounding like the greatest of records to me... I'm not trying to get on your case or be a jerk, but if I were you, I'd think seriously about what is going on.
Thanks for being honest fred. I do need to rethink my riding habits and probably get out to a track day or two to get the spirited riding out of my system, but I believe this crash was just real bad luck and could have been a lot worse. I'm only 18 so unfortunately I can be a dumb kid sometimes but I'm slowly learning just how dangerous motorcycling is...the hard way.
I'm glad you took that the right way. I'm just trying to help you learn faster so you don't get hurt. It wasn't too long ago that I was 18 and I sure did my fair share of stupid things, although I didn't own a motorcycle at the time...
Track days are probably a good idea. Go to one with instructors who will teach you handy things like maximum breaking and how to turn most effectively. Also, by going to the track, you'll be forced to buy a full compliment of gear that you should then wear all the time you're riding. Eventually you'll get to the point where you'll feel totally naked when missing even the smallest piece of gear while riding, which will be a good thing. Sometimes I ride my bike the 20 feet from where I park at work to the inside of the shop so I can work on it and even riding that tiny distance with no gear always makes me feel like I'm doing something totally wrong.
ouch, glad you're ok.
knee pads are only 20 bucks from cycle gear. it saved my knee on a fall this past sunday.
Track day advice doesn't cover everyday info, yes slow down when cresting a hill so you can maintain traction. But what makes more sense (since tracks don't have opposing traffic) and the way I ride is if you can't see past the turn don't go any faster than you would were you in a car because there are other cars around there. Can't assume you're the only one on the road ever, or that road conditions are the same past the turn as before. I've went round turns and and hills enough times to know there could just as easily be a car in the wrong lane, a pile of wet leaves (even in the middle of a desert I've encountered wet leaves), gravel, pot holes in your line and other road hazards. Put it simply tracks are much safer than curvy back roads, so you've got to be even more careful in real life than on a track.
glad your alright mate. as everyones saying id invest in some good gear. ive got the full works. bottoms with knee protectors. jacket with back support and elbow and shoulder protection. boots gloves etc etc. yeah sometimes it may be hot and not be as cool as your mates when they are in shorts and tshirt driving their bikes but for starters when you come off.. you will keep your skin unlike them. you will find you will get more respect from bikers(im only 20 and even really experienced bikers tell me ive got my head screwed on). dont get me wrong i i dont drive my suzy like a granny but at the same time if i dont know what is ahead or what im up against i will take care and be extra cautious. you can drive fast any time. but if you can see what is in front then dont do it. not having a dig mate. i know loads of people who ride bikes and its all preference on how you drive and what you wear. this is just from my year and a half of biking(so im a new newbie) =). and dont laugh but i even wore boots when i had my scooter for a month or two. haha =) and fred i totally know what you mean. i parked outside the cinema once and took all my gear off and the parking attendent told me to move my bike literally 10 yards so i put my helmet on and drove it... it wasnt illegal but i did feel so uncomfortable driving like that.
Ouch man that sucks. But, two wrecks in a year is a bit much. I'm coming up on my one year annivesary of my last stupid moment that cost me. First, I had all of my gear on except for the one piece I needed boots. Tennis shoes do not help when dropping a four hundred pound bike on your Ankle! My goodness Good Friday is the first anniversay of crushing my ankle. Don't think I'm gonna ride LOL.
That rash looks mighty deep you probably should head to your PCP so they can irrigate and clean it out really well. If it heals over with debris the infection can turn to gangrene NOT GOOD!
I've learned one of the scariest places to ride is in subdivisions and residential areas! In my best friend's subdivision I don't know how many times I've almost been creamed because cars and esp. SUVs believe they can take a wide lazy turn or roll-through the stop sign! It's not busy why should they follow the rules seems to be the mentality! My worst incident was when I worked at Lock Heed Martin there is a really nice curve leaving the complex and is one way. It is blind which shouldn't be a problem cause it is a one way road or so I thought. One night I was leaving work and wanted to "enjoy" the curb right as I got to the Apex there was a SUV! Needless to say I bout kraped my pants somehow made it to the outside of the curb. Since, I was still in my secuirty uniform I banged a "U" and went after them. Turned out to be the Florida garden variety Touron that had no clue. He tried to blame me for him going down a one way road the wrong way! Was praying he was an employee so I could have got him in trouble. but, I just had this feeling he didn't learn and will do it again and maybe kill someone!
Heal up and get some gear!
Mary
I cleaned it out real good, took a long bath, scrubbed the wounds with soap and water. Then hydrogen peroxide, bactine and some neosporin on gauze and wrapped it up. Going to clean it out each of the next few days. Surprisingly it doesn't hurt very much.
Overall this isn't all that bad and I would have been absolutely fine if I was wearing all my gear. I think a lot of people neglect wearing proper riding pants because they are the biggest hassle. Get some and actually wear them! I have a really nice set, but they did me no good being on a hanger when I went down.
Yeah, putting on riding pants can be a pain, but you found out the hard way how much it hurts when you haven't got them... I normally wear a riding suit when I'm heading to work. It has both the advantage of having a huge zipper from ankle to collar so I can step out of it quickly when I get there and, since it doesn't have a zipper around the waist, it has added strength. With the riding suit I'm confident that everything is going to stay in place during a crash. It wasn't cheap, but I wear it every day and it is cheaper than skin grafts will ever be...
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 08, 2009, 07:48:55 PM
-People drive crazy in residential areas, they never expect anyone else to be driving there. I see this all the time, I've had other close calls because of it and its what the driver of the truck told me.
-This one I already knew, but I've now experienced it first hand. Jeans do not hold up in a crash! Even at only ~30 mph they disintegrated at my knee. All body parts covered in leather faired much better.
yea, people DO drive crazy in residential areas! i've noticed that most of the time it's those teenyboppers that just got their licenses and want to be "fast and furious" (sorry, just saw a commercial this morning for the movie, NO i'm not gonna watch it).
jeans, aren't exactly quite durable against asphalt. but looks like your leather jacket held up well. good job on having your leather jacket vs. a cordura or mesh jacket.
looks like you're not too bad. so glad you came out safe. :)
cheers!
Yeow - glad to hear you made it out OK with just rash, and so did the bike.
Cool.
Buddha.
Show me a kid without bruises or scars and I'll show ya a sissy. :wink:
prs
glad you're OK!
Where's the blood?
Poke it with a stick or something.
Glad it wasn't worse, fellow GSer.
Glad you're okay, man!
Nasty case of 'road rash' you've got there! :o Glad you're OK. Have you got back into riding straight away? Something like that can knock your confidence a bit. I've only ever come off once - back in the early eighties. I was doing about 50mph on a wet road when the back end started snaking from side to side - a 'tank slapper' I think it's called. I was very lucky - the rear came 'round and the bike just slid away from underneath me. The bike skittered down the road and I slid after it on my back. All that was hurt was my pride - the bike wasn't in too bad a condition either and I rode it home. But ever since then I'm must admit to being a little extra cautious in wet weather. It's something that just stays with you, which can't be a bad thing really. Apparently, most accidents happen with 5-10 minutes of home. Probably because we relax and drop our guard. Familiarity with local roads seems to make them appear safer. I don't mean to be a kill-joy, but one can be just as easily sideswiped leaving one's driveway as when riding through a junction (intersection). On my way home from work I occassionally take a shortcut down a lane that joins a road that is a favourite shortcut with car drivers. When I reach the end of the lane I have to turn left onto the road that is popular with the cars. Remembering that we drive on the left in the UK, when I turn left onto this road cars can appear at very fast speed from my right from around a completely blind bend just yards away. I always look right for a long time (and listen) and keep taking quick snatched glances over my shoulder as I pull out. This always leads to a very ungainly, wobbly, turn into the road and I always feel like a complete novice! However, better to look a bit of a prat and live to ride another day than to concentrate on looking cool and getting splattered!! :sad:
Glad you're ok ;)
bassman
Street crashes really do a number on you.
I was back on the bike today (in full gear, including ridings pants). Running like a champ as always, good 'ol GS. My knee hurts a lot, so does my arm where I got some burn from the inside of the jacket. I'm limping around but I can tell the wounds are very temporary. I also revisited the crash site and I think I'm going to avoid that street 100% from now on. Car or bike, it's an accident waiting to happen.
It's great to hear that you're doing better and you're taking action.
I have only been riding for a couple of months (about a thousand miles each month) and I ride with all my gear, most of the time. After your message, and my experience yesterday morning on the way to work - I'll ride with all my gear ALL of the time.
Like others have pointed out, the residential streets are the worst. The lackadaisical mentality of most drivers is a real risk generator. It's amplified when SUVs get thrown into the mix: safer on the inside is how they're marketed, but their deadlier for everyone on the outside.
Yesterday, riding on my way to work, I found that there is one creature more dangerous than the soccer-mom equipped SUV; it's the I-drive-these-things-once-a-year U-haul guy.
I was on a residential street riding at 30 mph and I saw a U-haul out of my left hand field of vision. I could see the driver, and I could see that he was looking in both directions. I *assumed* he was looking at me too. But he was probably thinking... "I wonder if this big mother of a u-haul with all my furniture is going to jump across the road and make for an easy left-hand turn". I know this because he took that lumbering behemoth of a truck and eased into the roadway. He was moving so slow that I figured he must have seen me. After all, a second ago, he'd looked straight at me. But he kept coming. He hadn't noticed me, and his slow speed wasn't a recognition of my approach. I realize now that he simply didn't want to bump the back end of the truck on the curb as he pulled out of the driveway. As soon as he cleared that curb, he sped up; just as I pulled beside him in the "kill zone." I swerved right, as he compressed the lane with his elephant of a box-truck. The little bike path to the right (my escape route) saved me, and I scooted past.
The caution I had seen from the driver as he pulled out of the driveway had to do with his lack of familiarity of the vehicle; it was not an acknowledgment of my approach. I should have slowed and waited for the driver to make his move.
From this point forward, U-Hauls and Budget Rent-a-trucks have a special spot in my roadway scans. I'm also a born again supporter of residential bike paths.
Wow,man. Glad you're cool. The bike faired pretty well too. I have to say; I 've never seen a lowside without a bent/broken clutch/brake lever.
Glad to hear you're ok. Let me know if you need anything when your new stuff comes in, don't mind coming over and helping you install it all and what not.
If this has convinced even one person to put on their riding pants then I'll feel a lot better. Today I saw a guy riding an old Katana in shorts and I cringed, I almost yelled at him to put some pants on.
Quote from: average on April 10, 2009, 01:04:14 PM
I 've never seen a lowside without a bent/broken clutch/brake lever.
Both of my crashes have resulted in nothing but a rashed lever, in fact after this one the ball on the end is more than half worn away, but it works fine and I don't think I'll replace it anytime soon.
Quote from: Grommett2k on April 10, 2009, 01:10:32 PM
Glad to hear you're ok. Let me know if you need anything when your new stuff comes in, don't mind coming over and helping you install it all and what not.
Thank-you much for the offer! I would probably take you up on it if anything major had happened to the bike but its all pretty easy bolt on stuff. Although, I would like to know if its possible to remove and then reinstall those rivets where my exhaust was rashed. I'd like to pop it out and rotate the rash to face the bike and then sand/repaint the flange. I think it would look good as knew from just a foot or two away and shouldn't cost anything.
Glad you're back on the ol' horse. One of the first things I did when I got my bike was to get knee/shin protection from CycleGear. Well worth the $. Then when I got sick of putting them on/off everyday I rode, I got a one piece riding suit with all the pads/armor. I can jump in/out of it in a minute and feel well protected.
Ouchies - glad you're (mostly) ok :)
For those of you with full riding suits, what do you do with them when you get to your destination? I have a fairly large tank bag but its only just big enough to fit a jacket with the back protector removed.
With the one piece I always had a place to put it since I was headed for work. Or if I'm headed out for an errand or leisurely ride it doesn't come off. Guess it depends on what you're planning to do. Raises a good question.
Yeah, at my Job I have a very slim locker tall so it is just enough to put boots, pants, and jacket in. My helmet and tank bag get's put in the office I work in security :police: it better be safe in our office!
Most other places I just keep it on. I do have a two piece though so I can unzip the jacket form the pants and get a breeze!
mary
Quote from: Bluesmudge on April 11, 2009, 06:59:22 PM
For those of you with full riding suits, what do you do with them when you get to your destination? I have a fairly large tank bag but its only just big enough to fit a jacket with the back protector removed.
I'm mostly a commuter, so I wear my Rev'it Infinity suit pretty much every day of the week. When I get to work, I just toss it on a big wetsuit hangar and hang it off whatever is handy (for a long while that meant my co worker's hydraulically powered exoskeleton, but then I switched desks). I work in an office with lots of corners to stash stuff in, so it has never been a problem. When I'm running errands and stuff like that, I usually just pull the zipper half way down the suit and wear it walking around. I get the occasional "you look like a spaceman" comment, but no harm in that. When I go to the movies or a restaurant I'll take the top half of the suit off as I sit down, pretty much the same way I used to wear my wetsuit when walking from my car to the beach back when I surfed a lot. I'm actually in the process of obtaining a top rack and case for my GS so I can store stuff on my way to my destination and also so I can stuff my suit inside and lock it on the bike when I get there. I've also seen guys lock their jackets to their bikes by putting a cable lock through the sleeves, but I've always been wary of doing that..
Yeah, that's what I do. I have a thick python cable lock that I can put through a jacket and/or pants when I ride with my GF. She doesn't like to look like a biker once she gets off :dunno_white:
Sometimes I also just hide stuff under a bike cover when I go to school and assume nobody will be bothering to look under there.