Two types of riders. . .

[n10sive]

80 views with 16 votes.  I know. . .
. . .we ask too much.

Damn telemarketers 

[XIII]

Crashes

1. 1st year - was following David L. to a group ride at night during Street Vibrations. He went through the back roads and turned a blind corner at high speed. I followed him only to find out that there was a stop sign right after the entry. I managed to finish most of my braking but still hit the curb and dumped the bike. Some scratches and a broken ego.
Lesson: It's a blind and unknown corner dummy! Respond accordingly

2. 1st year - The crash! - SSA group ride to Sierraville - uphill, blind, and decreasing radius corner. I was a noob then and couldn't make the turn. I stood it up and headed into the vast run in that I saw...only to be struck by a green camry. Broken right femur and a sliced upper lip. Nevermind the infection after surgery....
Lesson: Ride at your own pace!
Lesson 2: I love to ride! By the time my leg was healed up enough...my next bike was on it's way from IL 

3. 2nd year - Parking lot spill. Just a lowside because of some gravel. Why was there gravel (a substantial amount too...) at the parking lot?
Lesson: shit happens.

4. 3rd year - Thill lowside. Last session of the first day of STAR school. Keyword: last session. Just lost focus and went off track off turn 5. I kept it up until I hit what must have been a concrete access panel while front braking. The front slid and lowsided. No harm. A few scratches. I took pics:

The turn


The bike


And obligatory Pridmore pic

Lesson: this one is easy, know your limits physically and mentally and don't be afraid to call it a day when you approach those limits.

5. 3rd year - Cold tires - I wasn't even giving it much gas (I obviously did) until it just slid out from under me. Bent left grip. Replaced that and went riding again that night.
Lesson: Don't underestimate cold tires (extremely sensitive about it now)

6. My final crashes were at RFR.
a. I lowsided on the first session of the day while following Jerome. I just went in too hot and lost the front while trying to save it.
Lesson: Don't get caught up by another riders pace without considering your own skill set.

b. A lowside while wearing the yellow SSA shirt...ugh...that was humiliating. I don't remember much from the crash but it was because of overinflated tires. I remember being told something different by a tip online and it turned out to be 10 PSI over the track requirement.
Lesson: Get info from reliable sources instead of anonymous armchair racers...


Learned a lot over the years and wouldn't trade in my experiences for a squeeky clean record...well, I lied, I could do without the Sierraville crash..

[Justin]

KazeXIII
Excellent Sharing, Andrei. . . Thanks

[A DRAGON]

So many good lessons to be learned. To bad it has to be On The Job Experience.

1st Crash. Ran into a car T-bone. I was wearing my head phones because I wanted music when I rode it help me to relax. I was also learning how to keep one finger on the brake and one on the clutch at all times. It makes it quicker when you have to stop for an emergency.

I was watch the cars front wheel continue to turn and wasn't very good a stopping yet. pulled on the front brake but forgot to release the throttle. Bike continued to go forward in a jerking motion and I couldn't figure out why in such a short time. Low sided and hit the car in the right front fender in front of the front wheel. I was going to lift my arm up to protect myself. But decided to see what the helmet could do instead. ( Luckily it was the best thing to do.) If I would have used my arm I'm sure I would have broken it. As it was my chin hit the fender and I flew about 20 feet after contact. I was only wearing a nice Leather dress up jacket. Didn't receive any cuts or broken bones. Luckily.

Lessons learned: Never use head phones. I need to have 100% of my concentration on my riding. Leather jackets are nice but use the ones made for Motorcycles they are the best. Don't try advance techniques like a finger on the brake if stopping isn't a natural thing to do yet. Great Idea but not ready for it yet. I needed to learn how ride my bike better and have a better feel on all the controls.   ( I was definitely ready for a track day. But there was no such thing yet. I had to wait another 5 years before I would know anything about one.)

[SPL]

Looking at the poll, and couldnt help but comment on the 4 that voted "never been down"

I feel sorry for you guys! Its coming..


Alright but really I hope everyone takes from this thread. I know everything I learned over the years has still made me a better rider.  And Im still learning.

[Justin]

Looking at the poll, and couldnt help but comment on the 4 that voted "never been down"

I feel sorry for you guys! Its coming..

I keep looking at those 4.  I am wondering how many miles they have ridden.  You are right, though.

    I know two people who ARE reading this thread, and they are both learning quite a bit from the post.

[jlavallee]

I'm just saying that 'cause these goofballs on YouTube and BARF ride like they think their leathers are Ironman suits.

Believe me, I know all too well that leathers aren't Iron Man suits. If only they were.

However, in the instance where I got rear ended I was knocked out immediately on impact, the car unhooked from the bike, it fell on me and we slid 115 ft until hitting a sidewalk (what crushed my whole left shoulder) and sliding along that for another 20 ft. My suit had hard teflon type body armor sewn in and the left arm was worn through the outer leather and almost all the teflon (about 1/4) inch thick. That would of been my forearm in just a leather jacket.

With the trauma any additional issues would of probably been all that was needed to turn weeks a stay in ICU to one in the morgue.

[cobra23]

Biggest crash of all... (yup there be a "few")

1882 I am a bad ass rider on a shiny new 1981 Kawasaki GPZ 550. For you young fellas, that was the first production bike you could do a stoppee on.

Yep did me a mess of them stoppees.

It is evening, and I jump on the bike (with no helmet) and run down the street to warm it up. My helmet was in the driveway, I would a put it on in a few minutes, I was just warming up.

Ahh just one blast down the street. 1st gear...redline....2nd gear...redline...3rd gear redline.....(now I am linen up for a good long stoppee, you gotta be doin about 50 for a good one, I was doin 70mph.

Stab the front brake HARD!!!.....oops bike is gone. I mean I am in mid air, in the crouched position with no bike under me. I had hit some sort of sand on the road, being dusk the light was not good so I did not see it.

I finally hit the ground and slid a long ways. stood up thinking it was over, and started tumbling. Missed a telephone pole, all the while watching my new bike sparking, tumbling and totalling itself out.

Never again have I ridden without a helmet. I was not hurt badly.

You will never see me attempt another stoppee.

[youngster775]

Looking at the poll, and couldnt help but comment on the 4 that voted "never been down"

I feel sorry for you guys! Its coming..

I keep looking at those 4.  I am wondering how many miles they have ridden.  You are right, though.

    I know two people who ARE reading this thread, and they are both learning quite a bit from the post.

yes, yes, I am one of the two that reads and learns from this and all of the threads... and I also may ask way too many questions to everyone, but I like to learn... anyways, no I havent crashed yet..... and I do have quite a few miles under my belt, but those miles were 11 years ago! its like Im a born again virgin learning all over... and 11 years later it seems like a couple of my man parts have shrunk..... maybe its because I have a family now that love and care about me, and I for them...but Im ready to get out on that track and do it right... when I fall, I fall.... Im prepared for this dreaded day... thanks to all for sharing your experiences I absorb them like water to a dry sponge...

[Justin]

Youngster, you definitely are a sponge and nothing shrunk (probably) your brain grew and are mature rider.

My dad who was a very accomplished racer and an lifetime AMA member used to tell me
There are old riders, and there are bold riders, but there are NO old, bold riders.

You are doing everything right, ASK away. . .this is easily the most supportive group of riders I've come across.
I love the SSA.

[99 900ss duc]

i have crashed twice
1st i was coming home from work  early 80's on a gl500 silverwing, left lane 45 mph when a woman pulled out in front of me with no place to go to avoid broadsiding her. it took 4 guys to dislodge my bike from between her front bumper and front wheel, on an old ford ltd.  it stuck in so hard it didnt even fall over but front wheel was under motor and i flew off over the hood, mutiple sumersaults in mid air landing on my head, it cracked my helmet and jammed it down on my head cutting my nose slightly from the sunglasses. borrowed a buddies bike that evening and went on a 300 mile poker run the following day.  had i looked at her front tires i would have seen her pulling out.

2nd wreck a 84 honda cb900 custom, burned a valve under warranty, honda dealer  did valve job, i picked it up on friday evening and headed off to work, 6 1/2 miles later a valve keeper came off dropping the valve into the cylinder locking up the motor and shaft drive. i was in a good lean at 65mph on a good road when that happened, i slid some 208 ft on my head (according to the marks in the road) my helmet was worn completely away to the padding, leather jacket did help, i had some rash on my knuckles (even though gloves were unhurt) A rash on hip and on knee. i walked away and was at work an hour later.
i have a patch from the "saved by the helmet club"

hopefully i will never have to go through that again.

[BIG SPLASH]

Mine was very minor doesnt really count as a crash.A very very old woman was drivin in front of me and decided to come to a complete stop right in front of me, i just happend to look down at the speedo at the same time as all this was going on.When i looked up it was too late I locked up my rear and pounded the front as hard as possible then tried to guide the bike inbetween her car and the one next to her but didnt quite make it.I smashed my knee up pretty bad but the bike had no damage.But i know its only a matter of time after i make my current bike a track rider only.Should hopefully have a new daily rider pretty soon.

[Justin]

had i looked at her front tires i would have seen her pulling out.

That is GREAT feedback.  Hard to tell if a car is moving into traffic as you approach an intersection UNLESS you're looking at the wheels.    (This is why spinners should be totally illegal.  It gives the false appearance of forward movement to everyone)
Thanks for sharing something so valuable!!!

BigSplash... That definitely counts as an accident without vehicle damage. I'm glad you were 'ok.'

[99 900ss duc]

had i looked at her front tires i would have seen her pulling out.

That is GREAT feedback. 

learned that just recently from jerome

[Dragone]

When on track month in or out, I found myself falling down at least once a year.  Shit happens as they say, or rubbing is racing.