Who on here has laid down a motorcycle?

[Switchblade]

About two years ago, some douchebag construction worker in an F350 fuckin around with his dumb phone decided to move his truck right into my lane to his left. When his truck hit my handlebar, it made the bike do a tank slap, and down I went, face, shoulder, then knees, rolled and came up BAM...WTF??? into a soft/hard what the hell did I just hit? A pair of arms in a blue vest and badged shirt had seen what was happening, pulled his SUV up to block oncoming traffic lane and caught my ass so I didn't come out of the roll into oncoming traffic.
The bike was fine. The clip ons have anti vibe kits on the ends, one got rubbed. Me? A nice messed up knee, a faceshield on my helmet that was AFU(NOTHING is more disconcerting than seeing the tarmac come up nice and clear, then a huge scratch/swipe across your face that fortunately is not your face!)

To this day, I ride my own ride, watch for anything that looks like it may jump out in front of me(usually a dumb cunt with a dumb phone), and have been again, pretty lucky. Every once in a while, a guy in blue waves to me and gives me a nod. He's damn good people

 

[Tough Guy]

Been there done that bout four times... No big damage to me. Wanna be a sissy and die in a car crash or you wanna die like a man on a motorcycle? You end up dead either way. Think I'll keep riding and go for dying of old age.

 

[gray1974]

Two days after and I have come to realize I don't bounce back like I did when I was younger.

 

[Deadshot2]

Two days after and I have come to realize I don't bounce back like I did when I was younger.

Sometimes it's hard to bounce back even when your young. Even if you do, for some damn reason all those earlier wrecks send reminders in the form of arthritis which can be just as painful as the original aftermath.

I'm a "walking weather forecaster" now. Can tell two to three days ahead of when a storm is coming

 

[HD1911]

Crashing just flat out sucks....

 

[FNARSHOOTER]

Had a few no major damage .Ride everyday mostly test rides of customers bikes. Worst wreck was on a 4 wheeler 2nd worst was a snowmobile. I would never quit riding. But have taken to living in less populated locations .Like most things that suck it's the people that you run into that bring the suck. Lost a lot of brothers over the years some in wreaks some in other ways. I say live like you want .If it brings you joy embrace it. When the good Lord wants you he will take you home. If you waste your life trying to prolong it you are already dead. Besides all that with a custom Harley even a ugly bastard like me can still screw hot chicks half his age. That is if the weather sucks too bad for a motorcycle ride.

 

[sqidd]

Just laid mine down this afternoon. Hurts like hell. Gravel is not the friend of the motorcycle enthusiast.

You do know they make stuff called "gear" right? I know it can be a PITA getting geared up for every ride. But not as big of a PITA as skin grafts, etc.

I was a Pro level roadracer for 10 years. Been down more then a few times, three of them at over 180mph. Walked away from all of them and never once had any road rash.

I don't ride much anymore on the street. But if I do I wear a minimum of a two piece suit with light armor, gauntlet style gloves with armor, boots with armor, back protector and a good helmet.

Crashing is actually kinda fun when you are all geared up.

 

[40xs]

I came off mine at about 70 mph. The bike flipped about 8-10 times. I rolled end over end what seemed like 12 times. My kidneys hurt me for about 2 months after that/ Both knees were showing through my pants, both shoulders bare. knuckles bleeding and dirt under my fingernails from trying to grab something to stop me from rolling and sliding. the next morning when I woke up in bed I really didn't feel that bad until I tryed to raise my head to get up. the only thing I could move was my eyeballs without hurting like hell, all over. I felt like I had fallen off a building.

 

[SniperCJ]

I don't think you will stay married 32 years at that rate. If you are not married then you can speak as a macho man. What older more experienced fellows may tell you is that if your wife tells you not to do something and you do it anyway - you will have to listen to her saying "Well I told you so" if everything goes south on you. This is worse than a broken wrist, road rash, or any other physical pain. I would rather have no Christmas presents than have to admit my wife was right when she reminds me she had warned me not to do that stuff I do.

Naaaa, Im married. We just dont make a habit of TELLING each other what to do. Fortunately my wife rides too, so M/C's arent an issue. Other than that, we'll discuss and if one or the other still feels that strongly about the issue, it'll probably happen anyway.

 

[Switchblade]

If you ride two wheels, it is not if, but when. When it happens the first time, it sucks. When it happens anytime after that, same story, it sucks.
To date:
1982 Honda CB650 cafe racer, slipped and dropped on a crosswalk in an Oahu rainstorm
1988 Yamaha 125 Enduro(A friends) had a pick up truck run my off the road...that guy had a recent history of four bikes. He was hunted down, beaten up and his truck basically destroyed and made unusable for weeks to months by 10 guys who owned and rode bikes every day
2007 Buell Blast, two years ago

Will that be the last? I sure hope so. Will It probably more than likely happen again? NO! I refuse to give myself that particular self fulfilling prophesy!

 

[corey4]

first bike that i killed was 3-21-01. i just turned 21. i never rode a bike before, hell, i never even operated a clutch. a buddy of mine had to ride it home from the dealership. it was a brand new 2001 kawasaki ZX-6R. i had exactly 256 miles on it when the road turned left but i kept going straight. i did a header into the guard rail at about 60mph. the bike was trashed. i had a concussion, separated shoulder and a good bit of road rash. the leather jacket i had wasn't a bike jacket. it was just a leather jacket. it ripped to shreds. my arai helmet got trashed too. the lady i flew in front of told me i hit head first and skipped across the intersection. i still have the gravel in my left hip, both elbows and both knees.

about a month later, i got the insurance check, and went right back to the dealership, and got another brand new 2001 kawasaki ZX-6R.

mid may of 2001, i was making a right hand turn into a parking lot, switched on the turn signal, flashed my break lights 3 times, slowed down for my turn...BAM!!!! fucking bitch t-boned me. sent me 15' down the road. i got up to go kick her in the face, then the pain hit and i fell like a ton of bricks. 3 cop cars, 2 ambulances showed up. all i had was a broken foot peg. her grand am had a smash head light, smashed drivers side quarter panel, smashed hood, and smashed bumper.

7-15-01, i was ripping wheelies on my way home. i got a little throttle happy and looped out. the bike fell on top of me, i only had a t-shirt, shorts, no gloves. had a helmet thank god. that arai got beat up too. i rolled thru 2 4x4 mailbox posts into my neighbors yard. i had road rash on 80% of my body. the only places i didn't have road rash was on the inside of my joints. behind my knees, elbows, arm pits, in seam. that bike died a horrible death too.

so, i got the insurance check from that one too. but i held onto it this time.

bike 3 was an 88 honda hurricane 600 i bought in fall of 2001. i learned so much on that bike. i actually learned how to ride, instead of thinking i knew how to. i sold that to a kid i worked with. he hit a telephone pole, killed the bike. nick was ok, barely any rash at all.

bike 4 was a 2000 gixxer 750 i bought used in july of 2002. my favorite of all time. i put 8000 miles on it the rest of the year of 2002. i dropped it at the end of the block in november. i am not sure what happened. cold tires, gravel, too much lean angle for 25mph, i dunno. no rash, minimal bike damage. bought a new shifter, clutch handle and ram air duct. in 2003, then came track time!!! i highsided at 80mph, i was a little sore, but no big deal. the bike was beat up a bit though. i just drilled holes and zip tied the fairings back to the bike. all of the mounting tabs were broke. i can truly atest that 1/4" zip ties can hold the fairings to a bike at 170mph, just in case anyone wanted to know. sold it in 2005.

had a few bikes in the mean time. another 88 honda hurricane, a suzuki TL1000R.

bought a 99 hinda F4 in 2006. i have always like that bike since i first laid eyes on it. low sided at the track twice. sold that one in 2009, and haven't ridden since. (other than taking buddies bikes for a quick sortie around the industrial park a few times) too busy with owning a business.

next year though...i will have one again.

 

[UNCIVILIZED]

BTDT a few times. Luckily with mostly just mid grade dings, & some road rash (despite the jacket). I just cannot understand what guys who routinely ride without helmets are thinking.

 

[sqidd]

first bike that i killed was 3-21-01. i just turned 21. i never rode a bike before, hell, i never even operated a clutch. a buddy of mine had to ride it home from the dealership. it was a brand new 2001 kawasaki ZX-6R. i had exactly 256 miles on it when the road turned left but i kept going straight. i did a header into the guard rail at about 60mph. the bike was trashed. i had a concussion, separated shoulder and a good bit of road rash. the leather jacket i had wasn't a bike jacket. it was just a leather jacket. it ripped to shreds. my arai helmet got trashed too. the lady i flew in front of told me i hit head first and skipped across the intersection. i still have the gravel in my left hip, both elbows and both knees.

about a month later, i got the insurance check, and went right back to the dealership, and got another brand new 2001 kawasaki ZX-6R.

mid may of 2001, i was making a right hand turn into a parking lot, switched on the turn signal, flashed my break lights 3 times, slowed down for my turn...BAM!!!! fucking bitch t-boned me. sent me 15' down the road. i got up to go kick her in the face, then the pain hit and i fell like a ton of bricks. 3 cop cars, 2 ambulances showed up. all i had was a broken foot peg. her grand am had a smash head light, smashed drivers side quarter panel, smashed hood, and smashed bumper.

7-15-01, i was ripping wheelies on my way home. i got a little throttle happy and looped out. the bike fell on top of me, i only had a t-shirt, shorts, no gloves. had a helmet thank god. that arai got beat up too. i rolled thru 2 4x4 mailbox posts into my neighbors yard. i had road rash on 80% of my body. the only places i didn't have road rash was on the inside of my joints. behind my knees, elbows, arm pits, in seam. that bike died a horrible death too.

so, i got the insurance check from that one too. but i held onto it this time.

bike 3 was an 88 honda hurricane 600 i bought in fall of 2001. i learned so much on that bike. i actually learned how to ride, instead of thinking i knew how to. i sold that to a kid i worked with. he hit a telephone pole, killed the bike. nick was ok, barely any rash at all.

bike 4 was a 2000 gixxer 750 i bought used in july of 2002. my favorite of all time. i put 8000 miles on it the rest of the year of 2002. i dropped it at the end of the block in november. i am not sure what happened. cold tires, gravel, too much lean angle for 25mph, i dunno. no rash, minimal bike damage. bought a new shifter, clutch handle and ram air duct. in 2003, then came track time!!! i highsided at 80mph, i was a little sore, but no big deal. the bike was beat up a bit though. i just drilled holes and zip tied the fairings back to the bike. all of the mounting tabs were broke. i can truly atest that 1/4" zip ties can hold the fairings to a bike at 170mph, just in case anyone wanted to know. sold it in 2005.

had a few bikes in the mean time. another 88 honda hurricane, a suzuki TL1000R.

bought a 99 hinda F4 in 2006. i have always like that bike since i first laid eyes on it. low sided at the track twice. sold that one in 2009, and haven't ridden since. (other than taking buddies bikes for a quick sortie around the industrial park a few times) too busy with owning a business.

next year though...i will have one again.

May I suggest another sport? Maybe bull riding?

 

[Name Enough]

There's no such thing as 'laying down' a motorcycle.

On the street, 'Layin' 'er down' is a euphemism for a low side crash due to too much back brake, grabbing the front brake, or insufficient maneuvering.

I have crashed many a bike, on the track and otherwise. Lowest speed: 25 mph. Highest speed: An estimated 130 mph. Most of them were my fault.

But I have never "had to" lay down a motorcycle.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
He knowith of what he speakith.

 

[NMMX]

There's no such thing as 'laying down' a motorcycle.

On the street, 'Layin' 'er down' is a euphemism for a low side crash due to too much back brake, grabbing the front brake, or insufficient maneuvering.

I have crashed many a bike, on the track and otherwise. Lowest speed: 25 mph. Highest speed: An estimated 130 mph. Most of them were my fault.

But I have never "had to" lay down a motorcycle.

Well I certainly didn't think I had to, but the transmission oil all over the road from a garage truck told me otherwise.

 

[corey4]

May I suggest another sport? Maybe bull riding?

nah, i'm good.

 

[Jethro3898]

first bike that i killed was 3-21-01. i just turned 21. i never rode a bike before, hell, i never even operated a clutch. a buddy of mine had to ride it home from the dealership. it was a brand new 2001 kawasaki ZX-6R. i had exactly 256 miles on it when the road turned left but i kept going straight. i did a header into the guard rail at about 60mph. the bike was trashed. i had a concussion, separated shoulder and a good bit of road rash. the leather jacket i had wasn't a bike jacket. it was just a leather jacket. it ripped to shreds. my arai helmet got trashed too. the lady i flew in front of told me i hit head first and skipped across the intersection. i still have the gravel in my left hip, both elbows and both knees.

about a month later, i got the insurance check, and went right back to the dealership, and got another brand new 2001 kawasaki ZX-6R.

mid may of 2001, i was making a right hand turn into a parking lot, switched on the turn signal, flashed my break lights 3 times, slowed down for my turn...BAM!!!! fucking bitch t-boned me. sent me 15' down the road. i got up to go kick her in the face, then the pain hit and i fell like a ton of bricks. 3 cop cars, 2 ambulances showed up. all i had was a broken foot peg. her grand am had a smash head light, smashed drivers side quarter panel, smashed hood, and smashed bumper.

7-15-01, i was ripping wheelies on my way home. i got a little throttle happy and looped out. the bike fell on top of me, i only had a t-shirt, shorts, no gloves. had a helmet thank god. that arai got beat up too. i rolled thru 2 4x4 mailbox posts into my neighbors yard. i had road rash on 80% of my body. the only places i didn't have road rash was on the inside of my joints. behind my knees, elbows, arm pits, in seam. that bike died a horrible death too.

so, i got the insurance check from that one too. but i held onto it this time.

bike 3 was an 88 honda hurricane 600 i bought in fall of 2001. i learned so much on that bike. i actually learned how to ride, instead of thinking i knew how to. i sold that to a kid i worked with. he hit a telephone pole, killed the bike. nick was ok, barely any rash at all.

Damn.
2001 was a rough year, huh?

 

[corey4]

only cuz i was an idiot and thought i was a hard ass.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

May I suggest another sport? Maybe bull riding?

If at first you don't succeed... skydiving is not a sport for you.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[McCrazy]

Dislocated my shoulder and destroyed the ligament connecting my left thumb to my hand in a dirtbike accident on a motocross track.

Couple years later I was on my R1 and hit some gravel from a dirt road right before a sharp turn on a country highway and went down doing about 70mph. Broke my collarbone in to 4 pieces and broke my right thumb. Was wearing full gear though and literally didn't have a scratch, just the two broken bones. My bike cartwheeled through the front yard several times and was in about 5 pieces when my wife arrived on the scene.

I always caution people considering riding of the dangers and also tell them to me the enjoyment is worth the risk.

Have a close family friend who is also a nurse and she refers to motorcycles as "donorcycles".

 

[Deadshot2]

So how about some stories of crashing on your motorcycle while carrying a firearm. Like the one I heard from a guy who was riding his dirt bike while carrying a single action revolver. When he fell, the dirt he was sliding on caught the hammer, the holster kept the cylinder from turning, and now the revolver wants to drop the hammer between two cartridges.

I used to carry a 686 with 6" bbl in a shoulder holster while dirt biking. Quit doing that after I took a tumble and ended up with a bruise that looked like the map outline of Michigan. Felt just about as large too

 

[bogeybrown]

My first and only attempt at riding a motorcycle was on a bike owned by a (then) buddy of mine who was a former Pagan out of Virginia. I had NO idea what I was doing and gave it a "little" gas: popped a wheelie, shot completely across the street from one parking lot through a parking lot across the street, in between two apartment buildings and managed to lay it down as I hit a barbed-wire fence.
I managed to tear loose the breather on the carbuerator (sp) and cracked the rear mechanical brake, but was completely un-injured. He made it very clear that he'd have been happier if I'd damaged myself instead of his bike.
With my prior success I'm thinking of buying my first bike (at age 40) and seeing exactly how slowly I heal these days.

 

[gray1974]

Bought a pair of chaps yesterday. Wish like hell I had bought them a week earlier.

 

[Deadshot2]

Bought a pair of chaps yesterday. Wish like hell I had bought them a week earlier.

Rule #1 of street riding, "The more layers of clothing/gear you wear, the fewer layers of skin you'll loose". I just shake my head when I see someone riding the freeway wearing shorts, flip-flops, and a wife beater. Well at least their ears are safe under the helmet

 

[Decoy]

Was a high speed get off, wadded a set of full leathers but no skin

 

[Graham]

Who on here has laid down a motorcycle?

Was a high speed get off, wadded a set of full leathers but no skin

For short trips to the leather repair shop duct tape can be your friend.

Because if you aren't coming off it you aren't learning how to ride to the edge of its performance envelope. And if you never learn its limits, or develop your own riding skills, then you might one day mistakenly claim that you had no choice but to 'lay 'er down'.

 

[wilecoyote]

...Because if you aren't coming off it you aren't learning how to ride to the edge of its performance envelope. And if you never learn its limits, or develop your own riding skills, then you might one day mistakenly claim that you had no choice but to 'lay 'er down'...

^^^^...this , be a chopper,a race bike,or a moped

 

[gray1974]

There are a lot of people on here with more experience and much more skill than myself. I have a question for y'all. What can be done when you are leaned into a curve and your front tire hits gravel. Tuesday was the second time this happened to me.

 

[flounderv2]

Yup.. Dirt Bikes, Streetbikes, TrackBikes. Been there done that.

Onboard camera from Mid Ohio from the day I crashed.
I was running pretty good as you can see in the vid. Until the end when I tried to pass a guy and cut off too much of the race line while being way too hot. Bottomed out the front by getting heavy on the brakes and started to chatter and that was all she wrote.
MidO - YouTube

 

[Busby.]

I used to race WERA back in the day. Came off a CBR 600 at 120 mph going in to turn one at Memphis Motorsports. Too much front brake and I tucked it. Was only on pavement for about 20', then slid on the grass for probably 75 yards while tumbling like gumby. The leathers saved my ass (literally). Had them stitched back up at the
track and after spending all night putting the bike together, finished the race the next day.

Went down on the street a few times as well. The track is the safest place for me.

 

[Graham]

Who on here has laid down a motorcycle?

MidO - YouTube

Your lines looked good, but more than once you got held up in traffic. Some of those guys had no idea where they were going.

Mid Ohio is one of my favorite tracks. That turn in the back section, after you exit Thunder Alley, has very little camber or elevation change and it's fast. It can suck you in. And there simply aren't that many lines through It. I haven't crashed there, but If it makes you feel better I have had more than a few off-track excursions where I got punted off the track at that very spot, or cut the corner and ran through the grass on the exit.

Before they fixed it, there used to be a crack in the pavement under the bridge right on the racing line at turn one that would seep water after a heavy rain. I hit that one day at about 130mph and lost the rear. It was a very gentle lowside... That is until I hit the gravel trap and did a rag doll imitation into the fence. I was lucky: That is probably the one spot at Mid Ohio that has anything close to what one could call runoff room.

 

[Exo]

Please tell me your speedometer is in kph and not mph...I saw 160 through a turn...are you crazy!?! I like fast and everything but that's nuts!!!

Sent from my galaxy s3 aka the iPhone destroyer

 

[GunMax]

Not yet and i hope i never do!

 

[flounderv2]

Please tell me your speedometer is in kph and not mph...I saw 160 through a turn...are you crazy!?! I like fast and everything but that's nuts!!!

Sent from my galaxy s3 aka the iPhone destroyer

This is America.. MPH my friend. That's actually not all that fast for the kink at Mid O. Ive hit faster through there but it will exponentially add to the pucker factor when you get to the brake markers at the end of the back straight.

Here is the same bike, same corner after the rebuild. Unfortunately, that little tumble cost me 2 fractured vertebrae and 2 bulging disks. My hobby is collecting hobbies and Im a bit of an adrenaline junky. My friends used to describe me as a walking Mt Dew commercial. (Trackbikes, Dirtbikes, Skydiving, Pilots License, Aerobatics training, etc. I just want to experience as much as possible and will try anything once. The more adrenaline it provides, the more I typically love it. (Notice my sig)

Turn 1 at Mid Ohio

 

[flounderv2]

Your lines looked good, but more than once you got held up in traffic. Some of those guys had no idea where they were going.

Mid Ohio is one of my favorite tracks. That turn in the back section, after you exit Thunder Alley, has very little camber or elevation change and it's fast. It can suck you in. And there simply aren't that many lines through It. I haven't crashed there, but If it makes you feel better I have had more than a few off-track excursions where I got punted off the track at that very spot, or cut the corner and ran through the grass on the exit.

Before they fixed it, there used to be a crack in the pavement under the bridge right on the racing line at turn one that would seep water after a heavy rain. I hit that one day at about 130mph and lost the rear. It was a very gentle lowside... That is until I hit the gravel trap and did a rag doll imitation into the fence. I was lucky: That is probably the one spot at Mid Ohio that has anything close to what one could call runoff room.

Yeah Mid O is a great track and my "home" track. I finally sold my track bike this year due to work and hardly being able to get to the track. As much as I loved it, I only miss it on occasion. I started to realize that if I crashed again with my back the way it is that I may end up in a chair so I made the smart choice for once. (Sold the bike, bought a SAC 6.5 CM. haha)

 

[corey4]

There are a lot of people on here with more experience and much more skill than myself. I have a question for y'all. What can be done when you are leaned into a curve and your front tire hits gravel. Tuesday was the second time this happened to me.

experience for one, maybe a little bit of luck as well. learning how to deal with unhappy relations between the tire and the road and a pissed off bike. it also depends on how fast you are going, the lean angle and how loose the gravel is.

i have been ripping thru turns while some asshole is cutting grass and blowing it all over the road. 2x4s, rabbits, garden hoses strung across the road, pot holes, tar snakes, just to name a few. i have hit them all.

if you are just out putting around on a cruiser, than you may never learn the limits and how to deal with a squirrelly pissed off bike.

 

[corey4]

also, it is hard if not impossible to teach someone something that is intuitive and instinctive. like when you slip going down a hill while hunting. you stumble, but you keep your feet under you studder stepping while your upper body is twisting to keep your balance.

or, when you fall but don't spill a drop of your beer!

 

[gray1974]

also, it is hard if not impossible to teach someone something that is intuitive and instinctive. like when you slip going down a hill while hunting. you stumble, but you keep your feet under you studder stepping while your upper body is twisting to keep your balance.

or, when you fall but don't spill a drop of your beer!

I can fall and not spill my beer no problem but damn if I can keep from spilling my bike.

 

[Cartman]

Your lines looked good, but more than once you got held up in traffic. Some of those guys had no idea where they were going.

Mid Ohio is one of my favorite tracks. That turn in the back section, after you exit Thunder Alley, has very little camber or elevation change and it's fast. It can suck you in. And there simply aren't that many lines through It. I haven't crashed there, but If it makes you feel better I have had more than a few off-track excursions where I got punted off the track at that very spot, or cut the corner and ran through the grass on the exit.

Before they fixed it, there used to be a crack in the pavement under the bridge right on the racing line at turn one that would seep water after a heavy rain. I hit that one day at about 130mph and lost the rear. It was a very gentle lowside... That is until I hit the gravel trap and did a rag doll imitation into the fence. I was lucky: That is probably the one spot at Mid Ohio that has anything close to what one could call runoff room.

Very cool stuff Graham. You win this round: my wife probably wouldn't even let me try track riding like that.

experience for one, maybe a little bit of luck as well. learning how to deal with unhappy relations between the tire and the road and a pissed off bike. it also depends on how fast you are going, the lean angle and how loose the gravel is.

i have been ripping thru turns while some asshole is cutting grass and blowing it all over the road. 2x4s, rabbits, garden hoses strung across the road, pot holes, tar snakes, just to name a few. i have hit them all.

if you are just out putting around on a cruiser, than you may never learn the limits and how to deal with a squirrelly pissed off bike.

That's me. Though my 1150RT is not a sport bike, it is fairly sporting for being a big heavy bike (hence: Sport Tourer), but is very compliant on a variety of surfaces. I try to have fun, and yes you can lean in turns on an RT, but at this stage of my life and the bikes I ride I do as much as I can to make sure I never learn the hard way my, or my bikes', limits. I'm not sure if that makes me old or boring. Sigh...probably both. My wife gave me clearance to get a sport bike a few years ago and I was actually thinking of getting a liter bike. Reading a lot of the stories here I'm probably better off that I didn't as I have a few spinal issues that would make learning the limits the hard way a rough proposition. Like I said before, I don't have friends that ride and Motorcyclist magazine doesn't spend a ton of time on stories of disaster. Reading about guys more experienced then myself going down drives home how bad juju can happen to anyone. And while you can anticipate and prepare for it, you just can't stop the idiot who suddenly crosses the street right in front of you.

 

[TNT]

There are a lot of people on here with more experience and much more skill than myself. I have a question for y'all. What can be done when you are leaned into a curve and your front tire hits gravel. Tuesday was the second time this happened to me.

Key to this is not be leaned over very much, and don't jerk the brakes. If you haven't seen it, "Twist of the Wrist 2" is a DVD (and book) that is fantastic for covering the basics and explaining why. Good body position can help you keep the bike more upright through a turn at the same speed if you were leaning hard and crossed up. Throttle control is also crucial for maximizing traction in these situations. Speeding up or slowing down costs traction. It's one reason why you don't generally see anyone jamming on the brakes or slamming on the throttle at the apex. When leaned over farther (less traction) + gravel (even less traction), you have very little left over for changing speed.

 

[corey4]

My wife gave me clearance to get a sport bike a few years ago and I was actually thinking of getting a liter bike.

if you know how to ride (not you, but in general), all you need is a 600.

riding a slow bike fast is way more fun than riding a fast bike slow.

think of it as being proficient with a 22 at 100 yds.

 

[corey4]

I can fall and not spill my beer no problem but damn if I can keep from spilling my bike.

it happens. don't beat yourself up.

 

[MilDot1960]

The first time I came off I ended up with GangGreen from gravel Rash, I left it too long to go to the Hospital and they said another 24 hours and they were going to cut my arms off,

Then the next time I came off I was doing 97mph thats where the speedo got smashed and stuck and I flew through the Air and slid 257yds, I was wearing a full face helmet but I still fractured my head in 6 places and when I woke up in hospital and opened my eyes everything was Purple, I took the skin off my Ass wrecked my cowboy boots and badley smashed my left arm, and 6 months off of work I thought it was time to find another mode of transport.

John

 

[Deadshot2]

There are a lot of people on here with more experience and much more skill than myself. I have a question for y'all. What can be done when you are leaned into a curve and your front tire hits gravel. Tuesday was the second time this happened to me.

You hope you have a large bottle of pain killers at home, your cable TV bill is paid up, and you have a few good books to read. You also quickly pray that it will only be bruises, not broken bones.

Plan on spending varying amounts of time in a hot bath or on the couch watching TV while icing down the more painful parts

This all assumes that you actually crash. Sometimes one can luck out and only end up with a need to change their shorts.

 

[steve123]

Not a low side but I can't resist telling the story.

I had a brake malfunction at 185 MPH. It happened near the end of the strait at Firebird raceway in Phoenix AZ about 5 years ago during a track day.

You know how at track days how you get faster by the end of the day...also braking as late as possible. Well it was time to haul the bike down so I depressed the front brake, annnnd brake noworky ??? !@#$%^, I tried rear brake for .5 second, (ever tried to stop a sport bike with a rear brake?) then back to front brake, front brake lever fully depressed now, front brake comes back "full on", you guessed it = Steve's flying over the front of the bike at a estimated 150 MPH. I still have this video in my mind of looking down and slightly back at a smoking front tire, LOL.

I passed out when I landed on my head and slid for a good 100 yards. There was almost no surface area left unscratched on my leathers. I slid in about every direction possible. Of course all my other gear was ruined too. Fortunately the bike landed perfectly upside down on top of the tank with the continuation of force snapping off the subframe. Bike then went over to the left side for a good old fashioned surface grinding.

Thousands of $$$ later I fixed the bike (GSXR 1000) about 95% and paid mucho medical bills.

I got a slight concussion, a elbow grinding and two broken fingers on my right hand. No injuries in my back or neck. Everybody I've ever talked to said it was a miracle I didn't get killed with a crash at that speed. My Mom always said I had a hard head, LOL, I guess she was right! That day, about the time of the crash, my wife told me she felt moved to pray for me, I'm really glad she did.

Anyway that day was the probably funnest day of my life and one of the worst too.

After it was fixed.



I have a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 cruiser sitting in the garage collecting dust. Sport bikes ruined me, cause riding anything else is boring to me.

 

[flounderv2]

The first time I came off I ended up with GangGreen from gravel Rash, I left it too long to go to the Hospital and they said another 24 hours and they were going to cut my arms off,

Then the next time I came off I was doing 97mph thats where the speedo got smashed and stuck and I flew through the Air and slid 257yds, I was wearing a full face helmet but I still fractured my head in 6 places and when I woke up in hospital and opened my eyes everything was Purple, I took the skin off my Ass wrecked my cowboy boots and badley smashed my left arm, and 6 months off of work I thought it was time to find another mode of transport.

John

You sound like you made really poor decisions while on a bike. Probably for the best you stay off them.

 

[MilDot1960]

You sound like you made really poor decisions while on a bike. Probably for the best you stay off them.

It was not my Finest hour, I remember looking down on the street light and if I had not suffered enough the police Lady park her patrol car Bumper right above my head and she took my helmet of and lifted my head and I got another Lump when she hit my head on the Licence Plate.

there was two cars racing up this hill and the only choice i had was to go between them after that i remember the front wheel hitting the curb then I was flying through the Air, I bought another bike years later but i was not happy on them anymore.

John

 

[MarinePMI]

I think just about everyone who's owned/ridden a bike has laid one down. (A matter of "when" not "if".)

I don't ride anymore; not after getting hit by a drunk driver, almost having my left leg amputated and spending a significant amount of time trying to heal.

Do I miss it, hell yes. Will I get on another one. Nope. At some point, after hitting your thumb with a hammer several times, you learn to put the hammer down.

 

[Graham]

Who on here has laid down a motorcycle?

Steve123,

LOL!

There's nothing quite like squeezing the brake lever going into turn one, only to find out that your front pads abandoned the bike somewhere around the start/finish line.

That's the moment I realized that I could go into turn one at Barber with an entry speed thirty miles per hour faster than I thought I could.

Live and learn. In that order.

 

[steve123]

Steve123,

LOL!

There's nothing quite like squeezing the brake lever going into turn one, only to find out that your front pads abandoned the bike somewhere around the start/finish line.

That's the moment I realized that I could go into turn one at Barber with an entry speed thirty miles per hour faster than I thought I could.

Live and learn. In that order.

Dang... and you made it around the corner?

The fast guys, and just guessing, could maybe do 105 on the turn at the end of the strait at firebird. 90 was about tops for me.

I wish I had been able to try some racing tires on my GSXR to compare to my street tires.