Yesterday was a rough day ! Set out with a local sport bike club on a great ride to Mt Baker WA but never made the peak. A sharp left hand hairpin nearly whiped the rider in front of me and it did get me, I laid her down low side ... I am pretty upset about the whole thing. I dont think there is much I could have done different but it doesnt make the reality any easier to swallow.
So here is the list of parts I know I need ...
windscreen
nose cone
left fairing
right fairing
tail fairing
left mirror (however I have the gsxr mirror swap all ready to go so no need to buy parts here, lucky i didnt get around to installing them yet.)
And whats worse, I thought at first it was cosmetic damage only but on the way home I noticed that the bike runs in a straight line with the triple clamp off center to the right and when i got home I can see the front wheel vs. fender alignment is off so there is some other damage. I am no mechanic but I think that can only mean forks or fork damage, can forks be straightened if they are only slightly bent or is it a replacement only kinda thing ?
Also what is the paint code/name for the silver 03's ? Is it sword silver ?
Anyone know of a good source for parts ?
Oh ... and as far as rider damage, I got off lucky, although I wasnt traveling very fast anyways. I caught my left foot between the bike and the road so that punched through my boots (thank god I wear riding boots) so I have a cut and a sprained ankle. I bounced onto my back then somersaulted to the side and sprung to my feet (the guy behind me said it looked pretty cool) so I have a little rash where my jacket rode up and not another mark on me. My helmet has a small nick in it and my brand new jacket has a dull spot on the back where it rubbed the road for a few seconds only so nothing major there.
I am not worried about the cosmetics but the fork damage has me really concerned. The thought of calling the insurance company has occurred to me as I am sue in their stupidity its a write off but I know the cosmetics are under a grand to fix, I need to get a handle on the front end damage now. And I dont really want an at fault accident on my record.
Thats my story of woe ... almost made it through the first season without any drama, but no such luck ! Any advice and parts help here is appreciated.
Cheers
PS. As of yet I havent told the wife ... she isnt a fan of the bike in the first place and I am torn between fessing up, as we dont keep secrets, or just continuing to back out of every room for the rest of the week so she doesnt see the rash for a week and fixing the bike. This sucks !
First Rob now you. Sorry to hear about the low side. I'll look for parts here in Seattle area for you if you want. Glad you weren't hurt. You might as well tell the wife about it and if she insists either the bike is going or she is, then tell her how much you will miss her. Just kidding, trying to lighten up the moment, you know what I mean?
Anyway, I'd like to know more about the moment of the crash so we here on VFRD can better understand the dynamics and be better prepared ourselves. Was there bad surface? any sand? did you lean too far? did you scrape the pegs for a few seconds first? how far did the footpegs fold up, etc. Was it a decreasing radius corner? off camber? cold tires?
Ok, I'll shut up for now and go try to find some parts for you.
Glad to hear you are OK and sorry about the damage. I'd recommend telling the wife ASAP. Made the same mistake once. Didn't work out too good in my favor.
Bad news, Sir! Hope you mend quickly, and find some parts for the bike.
As for the forks, more'n likely you'll find that they're just twisted in the triple clamps, so don't panic just yet. It's actually not that easy to bend them, unless you somersaulted the bike, or hit something head on. Plus they're actually fairly readily straightened, unless the fork tube is creased, in which case the chances are there's HUGE damage to the rst of the bike, the frame, etc., which is not the case with your crash.
I'm glad you're okay. I've low-sided a bike, too (so I know the feeling.)
Your bike is Force Silver Metallic (NH411M). Sword silver didn't come out until 2008 and is darker than what you've got.
There's a guy in the VFRD classifieds right now selling a near-new, complete set of sword silver bodywork (and his prices are pretty good.) I'd buy his stuff and then sell your tank and front fender on this forum, eBay, etc. As for your front forks, my hunch is you're probably gonna need some new ones. For these I'd not only check eBay and both VFR forums, but also all of Craigslist (http://www.searchallcraigs.com/) and motorcycle salvage yards.
I once lived in Seattle and took the following picture in British Columbia. See if you can guess where it is.
That bites!! But thank the gods you are AOK... could have been much worse from what I can gather... bikes can be fxed, humans sometimes can't.
I don't know enough about how insurance works in the US so I can't comment on that.
I front-ended my 2003 VTEC into a guardrail and bent the forks and the lower triple tree. (Lots of fairing damage, and front lenses among chunks of other stuff). If Enzed is right you'll be lucky and can just aline everything back up... although I tend to think at least the fork tubes are bent... no all that expensive really, considering (only referring to forks here)... usually it's just the fork tubes (upper part)... so you can get a hold of some new ones or second hand ones or even buy the whole fork assembly second hand and just whack it in... if the lower triple and/or upper triple are bent, get these with the whole front fork assembly second hand... you can save loads doing the work yourself (looks like you've got local help on offer).
Fess up, chin up... play the crash down... explain you were going reasonably slow, not being a squid, not sure why it happened, but theses thnigs can happen and u wear gear and ride with responsible people and big accident's happen to people who take big risks... say you're very embarrassed if she gives you a hard time and you'd really appreciate a hug and explain how it won't affect the family economy, you'll make sure to pay for it by your own means (extra hours or insurance) and be taking a rider's course and taking it even easier from now on and then cross your fingers and be a saint for several months...
Good luck, speedy recovery to ya!!
There are only two types of riders.. those who've crashed and those who will...
In my experience, you really need only loosen the triples and then align the front wheel (works best with 2 people). If that doesn't cure it move on to more money thoughts. The rest is just parts and you can take some time to gather those. As far as your wife? Since I have had a few of those I would not offer advice in that dept unless you are looking for a divorce. LOL. Good luck in the domestic department. Part of why I am single now.
Thanks all for the kind words. While out walking the dog in the sunshine I fessed up and told the wife the story, she was WAAAY cooler than I had feared. Heck she hasnt even asked how much the repairs will be yet :-) And thats all good cause hiding the limp of the sprained ankle wasnt easy.
As for the story here is a more detailed version (pics will follow this week)...
The cruise was from Vancouver Canada to Mt Baker WA. The ride was unevent full for most of it and the pace was quite moderate, most of the 8 riders have less than 3 years riding so we weren't in a hurry. Conditions were good to great in spots. As we started up the mountain the tree cover prevented the roads from drying up so in spots it was still damp but only in infrequent spots. We were behaving ourselves, passing on dotted lines only and sticking pretty close to the limits. The windy road up the mountain is a GREAT ride lots of corners, no real long straights so speeds are relatively low, slightly undulating roads and lots of pretty blind corners and one lane each way all the way up. I was riding 7th in the pack, where I like to be near the back and the guy behind me was the lvl 3 occupational first aid attendant and in no hurry so I had all the room I wanted with no worries about what was happening behind me. The guy in front of me was on a new Kawi and definitely a rookie rider like myself.
Now the incident ... we entered into a tight right hander (relatively flat) marked for 15mph. It was a blind corner with trees and mountain running up the on the right and a drop off on the left. The Kawi entered the corner with a wide entry cutting across the lane as he went around the bend in front of me utilizing the whole lane. I entered similarly starting near the center line and cutting across the corner trying to find an apex. I was leaned over but not terribly aggressively as I am a novice and still looking for comfort in tight corners, no peg dragging here, and relatively centered in the seat. As you get 1/2 way through the right hand corner and around the mountain you can see that the road immediately enters into a tight left hander with the roadway running over a running stream about 10 feet below. The left hander is a tight curve that turns back almost 180 degrees and heads up the mountain so its a slightly banked corner and a slight uphill run. On the right is a concrete barrier preventing "things" from falling off the road and into the stream 5-10 feet below, the left side is a drop off, unprotected other than a small curb. I came out of the right hander after a wide/apex/wide type of corner and judged that I needed to be back on the outside (right) of the lane to get a good line at the left hander and get a run up the mountain so I continued pushing right to move from the outside of the lane back to the inside and get a good angle at the corner. However as I did that and started to straighten up and push left to start the corner I saw the kawi get real loose in the corner ahead of me and nearly spill making the left. He had braked harder than I thought as he rounded the right hand corner before and I was maybe 20 feet behind him now. I then spotted a TON of gravel sprayed along the inside of the lane, right where I was headed, right where the Kawi had gone through. I couldn't straighten the bike up and brake hard as there wasnt space between me and the barrier for that and over the barrier was a drop (at the time I had no idea how far it dropped off either) so the only conclusion I could draw in the split second I had was to push the bike left, aim for the corner, aim for the middle of the road (there werent any oncoming cars thankfully) and pray a little. The rest is simple, no luck and lots of gravel ! I tried for even throttle and even turn angle to keep the bike as steady as possible but the rear started to break loose on me regardless, and the bike went down. I wish I could recall if I panicked when the rear slipped but I don't honestly know if I grabbed any brake (rear or front) which would have made matters worse for sure, but I dont think so. The rear slipped out while I was leaned a fair ways over and its wasnt a long way to fall. My left foot got trapped under the bike, I fell to my back as the bike slid away, then (according to the rider behind me) I spun to my side, rolled, somersaulted and landed on my feet a few feet behind where my bike came to rest along the barrier wall. And then I did what seemed natural ... ran to my bike !
I will post some pics this week but the left fairing is badly scrapped and the mounting tabs are likely broken. The nose cone is scraped along the left side. the headlight is fine, the front fender might have a small scrape. The right side fairing seems to have popped out as a result of the impact so its cracked in a few places and the rear cowl is cracked on the right but no scrapes. The left peg has a rash but its slight and the clutch lever is bent inward a little. The left mirror snapped right off at the base and the windscreen cracked in 3 pieces.
So I take full responsibility for this one, 7 out of 8 riders managed the corner so clearly I am the reason I went down. The road surface was dry, the gravel was a real problem and I wasnt familiar with the area so I was likely going too fast for conditions if I have to boil it down.
Sucks ! I am just praying that the forks are ok and just need an adjustment as I wasnt going very fast so the impact along the barrier for the front wheel would have been slight. the cosmetics I can manage ... as long as the wife doesnt ask how much the repairs are :-)
Yeah I sent him a note but its really the right side that needs replacement the left and nose and probably tail are repairable as they are scratched. That is IF the left side mounting tabs are still in tact.
Shouldn't be a total loss...I got my estimate for left side damage...including gear, but not counting replacement (55% of cost for repairing) of nose and tail piece, plus nothing on the right side, came to under $3K. I would imagine that unless you have fork damage you are looking at about $3300.
[image: View Post]EmeraldVFR, on Sep 13 2009, 04:44 PM, said:
There's a guy in the VFRD classifieds right now selling a near-new, complete set of sword silver bodywork (and his prices are pretty good.) I'd buy his stuff and then sell your tank and front fender on this forum, eBay, etc. As for your front forks, my hunch is you're probably gonna need some new ones. For these I'd not only check eBay and both VFR forums, but also all of Craigslist (http://www.searchallcraigs.com/) and motorcycle salvage yards.
If he still has these you are much better off buying his bodywork than the spare plastics I have... The OEM screen would be good, though. Is your front cowl and front fender damaged?
You should post some pics!
And, I forgot to mention this earlier, but the main thing is that you're okay!
[image: View Post]motorhead1977, on Sep 13 2009, 08:21 PM, said:
[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Sep 13 2009, 08:08 PM, said:
And, I forgot to mention this earlier, but the main thing is that you're okay!
Yeah, me too. Good you came out relatively unhurt. Good that your wife was cool too. She sounds like a keeper. :fing02:
+1. Glad you're OK. Also glad the wife is cool, and that your bike can be repaired. Good on ya for wearing gear, too! :)
Glad your OK,,,, Glad you are ready to get it fixed quickly and get back out there and learn from it.
What group did you ride with.. I never saw anything posted on locals that there was a Mt baker run :(.
If you need a hand with some repairs i have a big hammer and lots of beer.
[image: View Post]Axel_7, on Sep 15 2009, 08:57 AM, said:
Glad your OK,,,, Glad you are ready to get it fixed quickly and get back out there and learn from it.
What group did you ride with.. I never saw anything posted on locals that there was a Mt baker run :( .
If you need a hand with some repairs i have a big hammer and lots of beer.
Thanks mate I appreciate the support. It seems that I am going to be letting the bike park for the rest of the season and will take my time with repairs. I live in an apartment building so its tough to find space to do work on the bike. i have found a left and right fairing on ebay in good condition that I think I am going to buy right away however there is a local guy selling those Chinese replacement plastics and I am tempted to get a set with a tank cover and try that route.
She will be back next season for sure ! I am now strongly considering picking up a cheap CBR600 in the off season and making it a track bike so I can learn about handling next season. I have a lot of hours in a car, lots of track time (amatuer) and I firmly believe that that is the best way to learn. We`ll see if I can talk my buddy into it over the next couple months now.
[image: View Post]VFRCanuck, on Sep 15 2009, 12:46 PM, said:
She will be back next season for sure ! I am now strongly considering picking up a cheap CBR600 in the off season and making it a track bike so I can learn about handling next season. I have a lot of hours in a car, lots of track time (amatuer) and I firmly believe that that is the best way to learn. We`ll see if I can talk my buddy into it over the next couple months now.
Paging Sebspeed...
Probably a good call on fixing it slowly. Looking at my extra plastics and what it would take to ship them, then have you paint them, it looks like the only thing I have that might help you would be the windshield, let me know if you want it.
[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Sep 15 2009, 10:02 AM, said:
Paging Sebspeed...
Probably a good call on fixing it slowly. Looking at my extra plastics and what it would take to ship them, then have you paint them, it looks like the only thing I have that might help you would be the windshield, let me know if you want it.
Thanks Ryan, at 6'5" I dont think a stock screen will make me happy for long so I might as well be patient and get a double bubble or a touring screen, I appreciate the offer though.
Am I to assume that Sebspeed will be able to assist in this in some way ?
I fear the day I go down... I imagine its alot like riding a bicyel you either have wrecked or will... If I go down the wife will pull the plug on the bike :(
Put some frame sliders on they seem to help. I specificly looked for a biek with them already on when I bought mine.
Always could get some blinging eBay kit... They have some neat ones. I like the Repsol and the black flame ones :cool:
[image: View Post]GGray, on Sep 15 2009, 11:02 AM, said:
Dam hope you feel better.
I fear the day I go down... I imagine its alot like riding a bicyel you either have wrecked or will... If I go down the wife will pull the plug on the bike :(
Put some frame sliders on they seem to help. I specificly looked for a biek with them already on when I bought mine.
Always could get some blinging eBay kit... They have some neat ones. I like the Repsol and the black flame ones :cool:
I feared my wife would react exactly that way but instead she has been SUPER cool !
I will do frame sliders, if they could have been installed without cutting the fairings I would have done em months ago, sadly I looked at them and decided they were too much work for me to be able to do so I passed on em.
I am talking with a local guy that imports the same kits as the ones on Ebay, tank cover and all so I am seriousily thinking about going that route. However I can pick any paint scheme I like so there are just too many damned options. I tend to think the VFR looks too touring to paint out like a pocket rocket despite how cool may think some of the kits look.