(edit: this is the same post from Tuesday night - I just changed the title because...it's not "today" anymore...sorry if there's any confusion!)
Just now. I was coming back from Home Depot. Reached my street, decided to keep going. Just tool around a little, enjoy the night.
I turned down an empty street. Shifted up a couple times, probably. I'm not sure how fast I was going, but I was trying to work the engine, not go slow. Probably only 30mph. I hit a speed table and only had time for two thoughts before I was sliding.
This is bad, I don't have control. Now I'm crashing.
Some parallel mental process figured out that it was a speed table. I don't know why I didn't see it coming up. There's probably a big yellow diamond warning sign. And I've ridden that street before several times.
I watched the bike slide along next to me. It made sparks. It kept running until I went to pick it up, then burped oil and stopped. The right side cover is gone. Same thing happened to me, actually. I lost two square inches of skin on my knee and another four on my hip.
I got the bike up on the second try, just as some strangers reached me. I said "I'm fine," a lot, took off my gloves and threw my helmet into someone's yard. Two of the strangers had European accents. They helped me check the road for pieces of bike, asked if I needed to call anyone ("no, I only live a few blocks away") and offered me a soda.
I'll put up some pictures of the damage later. I got off really easy for being such a jackass. Riding hard in the dark, what was I thinking?
I don't know what I'm going to tell the people who care about me, who are justifiably concerned that this is how I'm spending my time. This was caused by poor judgment, nothing else. That could have been a child or somebody's pet. I'm an @$$hole and I'm lucky I only hurt myself.
Getting the bike back to my garage wasn't too much of a struggle. Now I'm on my stoop.
Next step is disinfect these wounds. Thanks for reading.
(edit: autocorrect)
I hope your okay! Alcohol, peroxide,neosporin, and proper bandages! After that if the wounds are bad you might need stitches and if you think your well enough to not need a visit to the ER you should still take a visit to your PCP. There could always be under laying problems you can't see.
Feel free to take this advice from a former first responder and fire fighter.
-Shin
Glad you're okay enough to even post to the page. Good luck on the recovery process, God bless
The most important things are that you're okay, and you've realized where you went wrong. I wrecked 2 years ago because I was inexperienced and tried to trail brake a wide corner with gravel on it. The most damage was to the bike and my pride. But, I'm still riding, and it's the same bike, just rebuilt, with more goodies. I'm also not afraid to tell my friends how and why I went down. Just be thankful it wasn't worse, and take away from it what you can. Good luck, yap. You know we're here for you.
Glad your ok, don't be to hard on your self it was an accident and your learned from it. The more I ride the more I learn about how I ride and where my limits are, think about it you didn't just learn how hard the ground is or how important gear is, you learned out how your body reacts and what you could of done different. The easy answer is to say "turned into the drive way" or "went slower" only you know the real answer.
I hate to say it but I ride for those moments when you find your limits and push them. I've locked up my front wheel, poped the front wheel up in the air a few feel, and pushed in it the corners harder than I should of. All you can do is use your best judgment, get good gear, and better insurance. :D
As long as you are ok and have learned something all will be fine.
I too am glad that you had no serious injuries. The bike can be easily fixed. I have to ask though, what is a "speed table"? It is not an expression that I am familiar with. :dunno_black:
Macka
Speed table I guess is like a speed bump for us mericans???? or maybe a slightly larger one thats long and drawn out?
i had no idea either so i looked it up :P its a speed bump with a large flat around in the middle
I got the bbcode wrong. Will fix later.
Exhaust
(http://i.imgur.com/5rkBpVz.jpg)
Crank cover
(http://i.imgur.com/pd2MnDM.jpg)
Crank cover from below, with crack visible
(http://i.imgur.com/I5WF2Eg.jpg)
Gas tank (previously had no dents)
(http://i.imgur.com/zjxgR11.jpg)
Front brake fluid reservoir
(http://i.imgur.com/Wcok3w9.jpg)
Guage housing
(http://i.imgur.com/dZtO2ub.jpg)
Headlight (chunk of glass missing, housing roughed flat where it slid)
(http://i.imgur.com/UirNX76.jpg)
Turn signal (scraped)
(http://i.imgur.com/bBBKNYK.jpg)
Was going to post my road rash as links, but no need really. It's road rash. I do have a deep bruise inside my hip with no surface color. I'll be watching that for internal bleeding. I'm currently gauzed up under my clothes. 30 bucks at CVS for bandages, triple antibiotic ointment and isopropyl.
Thanks for the kind words.
damn man that's too bad.
Don't worry we all fall. Good luck!
Man it looks like you go off lucky as far as the bike! Other than the gas tank things will be pretty cheap.
Wish you the best of luck with road rash, just stay positive. I'd suggest going to a doctor they might prescribe silvadene cream which will help with the burning and also help it heal up very quickly.
MY wife got a 3rd degree burn on her leg from an exhaust pipe, she put some of that on there, she was as good as new in a few weeks.
Quote from: robfriedenberger on May 21, 2014, 11:32:17 AM
Man it looks like you go off lucky as far as the bike! Other than the gas tank things will be pretty cheap.
Wish you the best of luck with road rash, just stay positive. I'd suggest going to a doctor they might prescribe silvadene cream which will help with the burning and also help it heal up very quickly.
MY wife got a 3rd degree burn on her leg from an exhaust pipe, she put some of that on there, she was as good as new in a few weeks.
After the wounds start to heal, consider putting Mederma on them to help prevent/minimizing scaring
(Fixed the images, above. BBcode is hard.)
I got nervous this afternoon about the internal bleeding risk. I was feeling lightheaded, couldn't focus. Then I realized I hadn't eaten since lunch, and I always get starved around 4pm. Had a couple granola bars, now I'm good. If my hip soreness doesn't feel better in the morning I'll think about going for the CT scan for internal bleeding...
QuoteAfter the wounds start to heal, consider putting Mederma on them to help prevent/minimizing scaring
Thanks, I'll look for it. The really deep one is my knee, and a scar there wouldn't bee too noticeable. On my hip it's not too deep.
QuoteI'd suggest going to a doctor they might prescribe silvadene cream which will help with the burning
Great. I guess I do have some burns from the heat of the friction...I was mostly thinking about abrasions before.
Mate, you've got pain enough without beating yourself up about it.
It happens to the best of us, the bike is easily fixable, so look on the bright side.
BTW I've fixed a engine cover that looked just like that, although mine wasn't cracked -it would need alloy welding.
File the deep scratches out, then go through grades of wet 'n dry to about 800 then polish it and stick a rubber blind grommet in the hole.
Like everyone has said, dont beat yourself up too bad man. The damages to the bike are minimal compared to what they could be. I once rode off the side of the road on the freeway cause I wasnt paying attention... Felt like an idiot and got over it. Everybody crashes, getting back up and on the saddle is the most important thing.
Glad you are ok!!
i crashed once. dont be so hard on yourself i was nothing good came of it. i also was being an idiot. had bad rash on my ankle and hip and almost broke my pinky. you have way worse damage to the bike then i did but i wasnt caught off guard as badly. now you know what its like to crash and learned how to not do it!
Since every one is talking about their crash story's.... I had a 74 Yamaha tx500 (street bike) that I took on an atv trail following a buddy, well going around a muddy turn i flipped the bike on my self. My buddy Seen the entire thing, I think god I was able to walk away with Only a few scrapes and a burn. Some do us are bigger idiots, I was going to fast and used my front brake.
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Were you wearing any protection at all? I always wear my kevlar lined pants, kneed/shin guards and my heavy duty armored jacket and gloves for fear of moments like these.
QuoteWere you wearing any protection at all?
Geriecke (sp?) leather jacket with foam shoulder and elbow pads, Joe Rocket gloves with thermo formed knuckles. They did their jobs. My hands are fine and my shoulder took a slam (still sore) but practically no damage except where the jacket slid up. A bunch of the leather scrubbed off the shoulder, but the stitches held. I'll probably still wear it until I find a better one.
The HJC helmet should probably be tossed, but I didn't smack my head, just scraped up a 2-inch circle on the shell.
If I'd been wearing foam or plastic knee pads (or even Kevlar jeans) and had the jacked zipped to my pants so it wouldn't slide up, there wouldn't be any scars.
One of my boots got mangled pretty well, even picked up some "character". The paracord laces held the shoes on my feet but burned through, actually fused in a few spots.
(http://i.imgur.com/LiEBGJ8.jpg)
QuoteBTW I've fixed a engine cover that looked just like that, although mine wasn't cracked -it would need alloy welding.
That's good to hear. I figured that part would be a loss. I was just happy to see that the bigger pieces of the engine were OK. I don't know who I can talk to for alloy welding. Is that the usual sort of welding that they do for aluminum? I don't have any welding experience. Closest I've come is sweating pipes. I could fab that part in a machine shop though, if I can't find a replacement or someone to weld it. I can't weld but I know my way around a lathe.
That is an easy to find and inexpensive part. Sme people make solid aluminum versions that are more durable. Excluding the dent in the tank, it shouldn't cost too much to fix anything that needs fixing.
QuoteExcluding the dent in the tank, it shouldn't cost too much to fix anything that needs fixing.
Is it really necessary to address the dent in the tank? It was recently "restored and re-sealed" at great expense to the previous owner (so I'm told), so I think it might hold up OK, not spall steel into the gas. Maybe I should drain it just to be sure? It has a friendly red color on the inside which I guess is part of the treatment process.
Oh, and there's a photo I forgot to post. This heavy bolt is part of the bike, I think. What is it? The European guys picked it up from where the bike came to rest. The scraps of aluminum next to it are from the Suzuki badge on the side of the engine.
(http://i.imgur.com/TEWmaq0.jpg)
That's a bar-end - goes on the end of your handlebars. Mostly for weight at the end of the bars to reduce vibrations.
Thank you for sharing your experience, I believe many can learn from others in this way. It must feel horrible right now, but don't get down on yourself too much about. As one said before, the physical pain is enough self-punishment on its own - Just learn from it, take care of your healing, and get back on the saddle.
:cheers:
- Bboy
Hah! I didn't even notice the handlebars had a problem. But that makes sense, they would have caught a lot of friction.
Glad you didn't get hurt more seriously.
I've been in a bad car crash while racing (damaged spine to this day), twisted both ankles and broke both wrists while rollerblading (only one at a time!), broke ribs snowboarding (both sides in two consecutive runs).
The most important is not to let this traumatize you. Reflect on what you did wrong, make conclusions and remember the lesson. $$$ and time you spend on fixing the bike will make it sink in.
At the end of the day it will make you a better rider.
Thanks. I actually have a second bike to ride, a '00 SV650 that I bought when I wasn't sure I could fix the fuel supply problems with the GS. I think I'm going to get back in the saddle today, ride across town to a see some friends.
The road rash is healing nicely - my knee is fully scabbed over, just cracks when I walk around, which hurts but whatever. The scrape on my hip is healing more slowly. There's a 2-inch circle that just gradually weeps fluid. Today I tried to lock down the area around it so that there will be less stretching as I move around, but I don't want to put too much tape on the surrounding area so there's not much I could do.
The bruise on my hip came in beautifully. I think today may be "peak color," with a nice full spectrum from deep purples and gross brownish-yellows. I came away without any internal bleeding, thank god. The bruise is right near my kidneys, which could have been terrible. I made a note based on my belt loops of where there was interior pain upon pressure. The pain has been diminished each day, so I think I'm fine.
All in all, I got of relatively lightly despite putting myself in a thoroughly hazardous situation for no reason at all. Perversely, this has been a fantastic week work-wise, because the healing process in my knee wants me to spend lots of hours in a sedentary position (and I have a largely sedentary job where my performance scales nonlinearly with the time I invest -- the 61st hour is much more productive than the 41st).
you shouldnt let it scab over. it needs to be wet with anti bacterial cream and bandaged till its healed all the way and isnt weeping anymore. i had bad rash and i searched motorcycle forums and found this to be the best way. i have minimal scaring from it.
Please, don't listen to anyone but those who are telling you to GO SEE A DOCTOR. Period.
Quote from: Atesz792 on May 24, 2014, 11:46:21 AM
Please, don't listen to anyone but those who are telling you to GO SEE A DOCTOR. Period.
THIS ^^^^^^. cause daily visits to woundcare/hyperbarics suck ass. on day 15 out of 30 minimum. trying to kick a staph infection on right leg. silver nitrate works wonders. if theres anything that wont heal santyl works great, it attacks only dead flesh. DONT get any dead flesh Eh? get to a doctor. specially if its red around the scabbing or especially if it streaks in red. been there done that got the tshirt unfortunately. ill close with see a doc Eh?
As a nurse I can tell you it's in your best interests to get seen. Even if it's just for some tcp cream precautionary. Redness and itching isn't too bad. If it starts getting really hot or pulsating pain then you definitely need to get seen.
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The burns are healing pretty nicely now. At this point the real annoyance is just keeping them covered in a way that allows good range of motion.
Thanks for all your advice and help, especially
rexpepper651:
Quoteyou shouldnt let it scab over. it needs to be wet with anti bacterial cream and bandaged till its healed all the way and isnt weeping anymore. i had bad rash and i searched motorcycle forums and found this to be the best way. i have minimal scaring from it.
I have a strong sense that this was the right advice at the right time.