VFR Discussion Group -> Knees in the breeze... butt in the dust...

I'm OK... I rode Mr.RC45 home but my shoulder is sore... there I was on Ice House
road facing the last tight down hill corner of Alan's great West Coast VFRD meet...
I've got Keith (keithbob) in tow... I see that Gary (parkmeister) is ready with the
camera... I'm going to demonstrate the two step method and quick steer... so I find
my turn in point... and the moment I cross it I find my apex point... I apply one quick
steering input and begin to roll on the throttle... as my vision is pulled around the
corner I spot a black motorcycle and panic... I made a split second decision that this
bike and I were on a collision course... it was a mistake because the bike was
parked... no matter I grab the brakes and the bike squirms and bucks... mercy me
I'm ejected off the saddle and Mr.RC45 spins around backwards... I'm going feet
first and Mr.RC45 is going tail first... together we sail through the trees and down the
hill... we basically come to rest side by side in a thud... I'm OK and the bike is OK
although it takes a good portion of the VFRD horde to get Mr.RC45 back on the
road... (thanks guys...)

Keith was 10 feet away and can fill in the sequence of events from his vantage point...

Not all of the skid marks are mine... only the long "S" one marked with arrows... I
think this was made by my front tire...
[image: user posted image]


The landing zone... I think my back tire took the bark off the small pine tree...
[image: user posted image]

Damage...

Carbon fiber tail cowl was pushed against the frame rail and the impact broke the clear coat...

Carbon fiber exhaust can is cracked...

Mirror fell off...

Bars spun on the forks due to my weight transfer... (thanks Keith for having a 6mm
allen handy)

Back of my leathers show mild scrape marks...

Helmet shows slight scratches...

My shoulder is sore...

All in all I really do feel lucky to be alive... but I've paniced like this before... back in
88 I mistook a mail box along the side of the road for a deer and hit the brakes so
hard that I almost crashed then...

My apologies to the group for messing up the ride... everyone was riding so good...
my aim was to share what I've learned at the California Superbike School but all I
did was demonstrate what not to do... namely panic and hit the brakes...

My sincere thanks to Gary for escort home and the little brown pills (aspirin???)... oh
well it worked... it took us less than an hour to cover the 57 miles back to
Sacramento and home... it was a no nonsense "get me home before the pain comes"
type of ride... all I wanted was my sweet Mary and the Hot Tub and red wine in that
order... whoa what a weekend!!!

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology and the capability.

Better than he was before.

Better....

Stronger....

Faster....






















Oh, and I hope you feel better soon too Larry. goofy.gif

I was standing about 100 yards away from the corner and just saw a body and a bike flying across the apex of the corner then "melting" into the trees. How you managed to miss them ALL I cant understand. Did they teach you that "avoidance" in the Air Force or at the Track School!!!!! beer.gif
It was great to see you up and walking, memories of last years meet in Eureaka flashed into my mind.
Well that is two in a row for Larry, luckily Fred was "Cruzing" the whole weekend and got us some great pics on Friday like this before of Larry and Mr RC45 doing their stuff:

[image: user posted image]

Damn, Larry. Glad you're ok. Never expected this from, "The best of us", (NOT that I include myself in that list), but s#!t happens. Damn glad you're ok.

Worry about you. From the good folks I've met, on this forum, no appologies would be necessary.

Mr. RC, can be fixed. seems the biggest repairs are the exhaust and tail. The tail, (if not through the resin), can be dug out and re-cleared. The exhaust can be welded, ground and polished. Mirrors, dime a dozzen. Touch-up paint for the helmet. Leathers, stories to tell. Again, worry about you, 'caus I don't think there's anything you can't fix, or re-fab.

Heal!

Trav.

Here is the final turn, just prior to BLS um, 'adjusting' his line. Keithbob is hot on his tail.

[image: user posted image]

From this view, you can see what startled BLS. Keithbob is now hard on the brakes as BLS is off to the right, communing with nature.

[image: user posted image]


By the way Larry, the 'little brown pills' are some newfangled pharmaceutical. It's called ibuprofen and I think it's been around for oh, ten or twelve years, give or take. AKA Advil, Motrin... don't leave home without 'em!

...been having probs w/ the DSL, very intermittent, will post more pics soon...

see ya,

gary

Man....so sorry to hear about this but obviously am very glad that it wan't any worse.

Was that Kawy just stopped in the road like that or am I missing something about that pic blink.gif


Again, glad you are OK cool.gif

Das Bone, Jun 4 2006, 04:58 PMWas that Kawy just stopped in the road like that or am I missing something about that pic blink.gif
Again, glad you are OK cool.gif

I guess I instigated the whole mess. sad.gif

I was perched on the hillside with my camera waiting for the VFRD riders when the Kawy guy rode by. I startled him, too. He thought I was a downed rider and was circling back around to assess and assist as BLS approached. He heard BLS coming around the turn, so he stopped where you see him in the pic. He was on his side of the double yellow, at an intersection. The rest is history.

It's just amazing to me that things didn't turn out way worse.

I rode back to Sacramento with BLS, and I knew I was a slow rider, but jeezus! I pushed myself to the max to keep up with a guy who had just crashed and was riding a tweaked bike with a sore shoulder!

veefer800canuck, Jun 4 2006, 01:06 PMGentlemen, we can rebuild him.

We have the technology and the capability.

Better than he was before.

Better....

Stronger....

Faster....
Oh, and I hope you feel better soon too Larry.  goofy.gif

LOL

BLS I'm very glad you're 'okay'. You don't know me, of course, but I've read a lot of your stuff on this website and learned a lot from you. Hope that shoulder heals up soon. Good thing you've got a hot tub! +1.gif

parkmeister, Jun 4 2006, 05:24 PM 
I guess I instigated the whole mess.  sad.gif  
 
I was perched on the hillside with my camera waiting for the VFRD riders when the Kawy guy rode by.  I startled him, too.  He thought I was a downed rider and was circling back around to assess and assist as BLS approached.  He heard BLS coming around the turn, so he stopped where you see him in the pic.  He was on his side of the double yellow, at an intersection.  The rest is history. 
 
It's just amazing to me that things didn't turn out way worse. 
 
I rode back to Sacramento with BLS, and I knew I was a slow rider, but jeezus!  I pushed myself to the max to keep up with a guy who had just crashed and was riding a tweaked bike with a sore shoulder! 
 

Great pics Gary... I understand things more clearly now... thanks...

All thought VFRD rolls together as family... we are each responsible for our own
actions... there's no one to blame here except for myself...

Gary... you shouldn't allow anyone to pull you along... it's not safe... if you're not
comfortable with the pace just roll off the throttle and establish your own pace...
that's a clear signal any lead rider understands...

BLS,
Very glad to hear this wasn't worse. Sounds like the damage to the bike was less than some 0mph drops! Don't underestimate your shoulder injury and heal well.

Larry, I'm glad you made it home safely, and even more so that you survived that crash. I watched you and your bike go flying through the turn into the trees and thought the worst until you emerged, seemingly unscathed. That is one tough RC45 too.

Maybe you should consider riding that sort of pace only on the track, where trees are fewer. You might be with us longer.

Ackk, Larry! At least you're OK. Sore I'm sure.
Sorry to hear about the demonstration. 491.gif

Larry,

So glad you are OK...havent been on this DB in awhile, so you can imagine my shock when I saw your post.

Hope you are feeling good now. Bikes can be replaced, people can't!

cheers,

Steve in So Cal

ACK,

BLS, sick to hear aout you.............. & the RC......

Man I am glad everyone is OK. What a string of events....cause and effect.....ah well, Glad everyone is OK!

Ride Safe everyone, never know when them damn road gremlins is gonna show up.

Thought I already posted to this one.

That looks like a fun corner. I think I would have freeked out seeing that bike so close to the line also. Glad you are ok. Time to leave Mr RC45 in the garage and get another VFR for flogging.

So it was a "stinky" Inline 4 that spooked ya?

Hot tub, hot woman, alcohol and maybe a little ice. Recipe for a good evening!

Hang in there man!!

dutchinterceptor, Jun 4 2006, 07:08 PMSo it was a "stinky" Inline 4 that spooked ya? 

Sounds like Karma. Sorry Bls, couldn't resist.

Glad to hear your alive. I am curious as to what is the opinion for ABS in situations like this. I had to hit the brakes hard today around a curve from panic, and the bike chirped and scarred me a little but it just slowed down solid, while i tired to keep her as straight as possible. I dont know if it would have helped in your situation.....but I am thinking with the ABS, especially someone who is still inexperienced......it seems to be a good thing to preventing lock ups or panic braking. Just my 2 cents.

Glad to hear you are ok.
The two step does work and has improved my riding greatly.

Get well soon. beer.gif

Larry, I'm glad it's you telling the story and not someone else saying what happened ! That's a good start anyway. Really happy it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Heal that Old body and enjoy the fact you could ride home after that get off! fing02.gif

Larry,

Glad to hear you are ok and Mr. RC45 faired well too. I almost did the same thing except the bike was actually coming right at me or more correctly I was coming right at him. Managed to hold it upright and felt the blast of wind as we passed each other.

g_unit, Jun 4 2006, 07:26 PMGlad to hear your alive.  I am curious as to what is the opinion for ABS in situations like this.  I had to hit the brakes hard today around a curve from panic, and the bike chirped and scarred me a little but it just slowed down solid, while i tired to keep her as straight as possible.  I dont know if it would have helped in your situation.....but I am thinking with the ABS, especially someone who is still inexperienced......it seems to be a good thing to preventing lock ups or panic braking.  Just my 2 cents.

Who made the quip at the site... "just wait for the ABS suggestion"???

BusyLittleShop, Jun 4 2006, 11:00 AMKeith was 10 feet away and can fill in the sequence of events from his vantage point...

Just got home about 2 hours ago. It was a 578 mile day today, so everything is a little tight, but every time I do a 500+ mile day I love that Mayer saddle that much more.

Gary, I didn't know that you had photos of the two of us in that turn. Thanks for posting them.

I had a great view of Larry's get-off. But after looking at the two shots that Gary posted, I'm reminded that our memories of events aren't always very accurate.

I remembered seeing Larry start the crash process BEFORE I initiated turn-in, but that's clearly wrong. It appears I was already hanging off, well into the corner.

The remarkable thing is that since I had an extra fraction of a second to look at the situation, I was able to get on the brakes in a controlled manner and stop easily, then jump off and help Larry. Just that brief instant of time made all the difference. In fact, I got to Larry only about 5 seconds aftger he came to a standstill. I got there so fast that Larry looked around in the trees and asked where my bike had gone, thinking I had crashed with him.

What we did wrong was to come down into that lower section of road with too much speed. We ignored that there was a much greater chance of traffic down there, and sure enough, there was. Even though the Kaw was stopped, Larry had no chance to assess the situation, and hit the binders as hard as he could. After that, he was just a passenger (well, for a half-second, anyway). If it was a track, likely no big deal. But this was a road, and it's astonishing that he didn't hit one of the close-bunched trees on his way in.

What was cool was the way he and the bike parted ways, bounced in the dirt, and just sort of floated into the lower branches and disappeared. Horrifyng to see from right behind, but it somehow had a graceful look to it.

I've got lots of great photos from the meet, and I'll post some of them tomorrow with more of a write-up on our FANTASTIC time together. Thank you Alan and Beth!

Keith

If these things happen to superior riders, what does that predict for the rest of us wobblers? sad.gif Makes ya think, doesn't it?

Larry,

I have a question because mid turn surprise are one of my biggest fears outside of being squished by other traffic. I know you have gads more experience than I do and I might be able to learn something from this.

Looking at the pic of you entering the turn you have a great body position but are still mostly on the bike. I tend to ride like this myself (see some of the shots in my sig) mostly because I don't push it very hard(mostly) and feel that dragging a knee would be unwise on the street. But with that said I feel I can move more off the bike sometimes without reaching the knee down point. Do you think looking at it now that more body off the bike and less lean angle would have given you more traction to stop or was the situation beyond help?

From that second shot I can really see how that bike spooked you there.

Trace, Jun 4 2006, 11:31 PMIf these things happen to superior riders, what does that predict for the rest of us wobblers?� sad.gif �  Makes ya think, doesn't it?

Wobbler?? I've never wobbled in my life!! Weebled a few times but never wobbled. goofy.gif


I had that same thought upon reading this thread. Does wake you up a bit.

keithbob, Jun 4 2006, 08:11 PM
What we did wrong was to come down into that lower section of road with too much speed. 

Remember: Chicken strips save lives.

Glad to hear you're ok Larry.

good that you are ok Larry.

Hope you can put your bike back together quickly.

BusyLittleShop your posting & you know what mistake you made, which means no real ill effects & a good result in a bad situation. From posts you have made here & I've enjoyed reading you'll have your machine back on the road in all it's glory in no time.

I'm not getting any younger & can't really ride at night anymore except at speed limit because I can't see enough for my brain to twist throttle (day time I have 20/20 vision) & I realized that after smashing 6 ribs when I didn't see a bloody round-a-bout. We are human & make mistakes all the time it's just when on a bike sometimes what our brain say's is wrong which is a thing they try to teach at av riding schools but it's still hard to fight instinct.

Be well, be safe

RoY
(By the way didn't you hear a voice telling you to make me some rear sets, no not the one that said brake)

g_unit, Jun 4 2006, 10:26 PMGlad to hear your alive.  I am curious as to what is the opinion for ABS in situations like this.  I had to hit the brakes hard today around a curve from panic, and the bike chirped and scarred me a little but it just slowed down solid, while i tired to keep her as straight as possible.  I dont know if it would have helped in your situation.....but I am thinking with the ABS, especially someone who is still inexperienced......it seems to be a good thing to preventing lock ups or panic braking.  Just my 2 cents.

Nope, won't help one bit if braking in a turn, this isn't a car. Braking uses up available traction and can use up more than what is left after turning traction which results in a slide.

Don't hit your brakes around a curve, if you think you are going in to fast, just keep your hand and foot away from the brakes and lean more. As a new rider you can turn a lot faster than you think is possible.