Well there's a saying, there are those riders who have been down, and those who haven't. Here's my story after about 2 months, 2 weeks riding.
I've always considered myself a safe person and try to be extra-careful on the motorcycle since I happen to love my body and will try to protect it at all costs.

I went out for dinner at Pollo Tropical at the Tower Shops on University. I had the 1/4 chicken combo mambo, with my sides being black beans n rice and i had the yucca with garlic sauce. I then headed north on University, then East on Broward, to South of 441.
Happened tonight at about 11:50 pm infront of Gunther Mazda (close to boat center) I was making a left hand turn , from south 441 into a side-street (the street just infront of riverland road) to come home, and looked trough the corner, had my line of travel planned and slowed down, downshifted and leaned in. The turn started normally and then there was a reflector in the road (at the edge) that caught my eye. I remembered we go where we look, so i knew i would have ended up at the reflector and possibly the curb and a post.I cannot recall if there is a post there or not. I think reflexology or over-reacting caused my right foot to lock up the rear brake and I low-sided at about 5-7 mph. I could feel the point and the milli-second where i was in control to the point where I could do nothing. Its a terrible feeling. The bike just kept going straight and all i could do was watch as I fell. The bike stopped about 6 feet from me, yes you guesed it.. on the reflector. There were no cars in the immedate area.. two or three of them passed me, laying on the middle of the northbound lane of 441. One car even started honking for me to get the bike out of their way.  Two other vehicles did stop to make sure i was ok after I stood up the bike.
The cause of the crash was all me. The road conditions were normal, I had taken that turn several times and never had an issue. I take full responsibility and there might have been a case where I was riding beyond my limit.

Damage report - scratches on both left turn signals , handle-bar bent, bar-end scratched, clutch lever ground, engine case scratched, circular suzuki logo missing. Thankfully the tank of the bike and other body panels were not affected.

Clothing damage - First Gear REV-X jacket's outer layer had about a 1" rip on the left elbow, jeans - severly grazed at both knees, Sidi tempor boots - deep grazing. The protected parts of my body are feeling no pain and there are no marks or rash. I slid about 3 feet after going down.
Inury report - a dime-sized cluster of three tiny round bruises on left knee, and a 1"x1.5" area on right knee thats scratched.

Funny thing is as I was riding on Broward blvd, I came up and rode over some loose board and other debris that was on the road, thinking how beneficial the motorcycle safety courses were. Even ordering a pair of leather motorcycle pants today.
The hardest thing now is to find a meaning in all this -- was this a sign that i should live a more careful life, or should i still pursue my dream of riding a 600cc supersport bike in the future? I did say a small prayer tonight, thanking god for watching over me as it could have been much much worse.
Im just really mad at myself, since I am now without any form or transport , and the money has been tighter than ever. ( truck in workshop for 5 days now - not starting, and car's transmission grinding) :x

hey man, almost everyone goes down at one time or another.  i think the saying you were looking for is that there are some bikers who have gone down, and others that will.  you've been riding for a little over 2 months you say?  that's within the time frame of most likely accidents.  you slide a bit at under 10mph, that's a pretty easy lesson right there my friend.  don't take it as a serious get off of bikes, it's just a gentle reminder to stay safe and keep your eyes on the road.  hey, you should be glad you learned that lesson at under 10mph instead of knee downing a corner on the highway and flying off.  best up luck with healing and the bike, and lets try and keep it rubber side down from now on; i know after my little spill i do.  

Sorry to hear that. It is a test, be patient. Remember you are never given anything you can't handle. Speaking of handle, how badly bent are your handlebars? If they're not too bad, you should be able to ride/limp to work for a few days.

The good thing is that you analyzed the situation after the fact and you know what you did and now you know what to do in the future.

Glad you weren't hurt too bad.

I'm glad you're OK too. You might try whacking the bars with a hammer to straighten them enough to ride for now. I used to use the hammer trick on my dirt bikes.

I am glad you are ok.  I ride with full gear all the time so I am protected as much as possible.  I have been thinking on how to protect the bike as much as possible in case of a fall.  Would frame sliders or engine case guards have prevented damage to the handlebars or the bike?  Those with experience please advise.  I believe this would make a very important mod, especially for new riders.  I would put this mod up there at #1 for any new rider.   Any recommendations.

Thanks

How was the chicken?

Sorry to hear about the accident... and glad to hear it wasn't too serious!  I was in Ft. Lauderdale a couple months ago, and I know what you mean about those reflectors.  Even though I was in a car, I thought they were kinda dangerous for bikes.  What do you guys out in Cali do about those dots they use for lane markers?

As for the damage, I'd go and try to straighten the handlebars a little, just so you have transportation.  Order a new set of umm.. Bikemaster bars (they're not expensive at all) get a drill, and swap your bars.  Everything else should be okay to ride, just fix those up when you have a little cash

Engine case guards are a good idea, jag69 They'll save your engine in a lowside... well as long as the bike doesn't roll over tankside.  I put my case guards on after I had my accident  

Thanks.  The more I think about it the more I believe it is a must for new riders.  Dreaming about different tires, more power, etc... won't do you any good if the bike is damaged from a lowside or kickstand failure

Thanks

Quote from: TurkinaWhat do you guys out in Cali do about those dots they use for lane markers?

I just ride over them when I lanesplit.

sorry you went down. don't worry about it, most people drop it in the first couple of months, (i know i did). thats why you try to be safe, wear gear, keep it slow, and don't ride a 600 sportbike with expensive fairings and lots of kill ya potential until you have more experience.

riding around in a parking lot to get the slow speed stuff better is a good idea. there are lots of good books out there too, especially Keith Codes twist of the wrist II.

and one last thing, the brakes are rarely the correct answer, especially when you are going slow. as the motocross guys say "when in doubt, gas it"

Thanks for the comments and support. They've helped a lot. Today I took a closer look at the bike - the speedometer 's housing is also cracked, and i can recall last night the light didnt come on.
The crash happened at the moment I started accelerating at the apex, and trough the turn.
The chicken was good, infact i went back there today to celebrate the crash not being worse and me being here to cross-analyze it  

Been there, done that (two Sundays ago).  I'm gonna need to see the doctor about my knee--  after the swelling has subsided the parts on the front aren't where they belong.  Not much pain though, unless I kneel on it.  Damage report on the bike was about the same, except on right side.  Tach/speedo cover is about $32.00 at RonAyers.com