Kootenay Tour and the Crash

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo161/Ride4LifePhotos/KootenayTour2010July018.jpg
Diablo Dam, west end of North Cascade Highway

I'll tell some of this from my perspective and let the others chime in where they want. Jeffviffer has the story within the story concerning the crash. Let me back up a minute.



North Cascade Highway east end before dropping down into Methow Valley. A stop at Washington Pass overlook
http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo161/Ride4LifePhotos/KootenayTour2010July019.jpg

Not everyone in our group made the long 500ft trek to the overlook

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo161/Ride4LifePhotos/KootenayTour2010July022.jpg

And here is part of what they missed

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo161/Ride4LifePhotos/KootenayTour2010July020.jpg

I met the rest of the guys from up north in Marblemount and we rode on out to Diablo Dam took pictures and proceeded to have a spirited ride across the North Cascade Highway an on into Winthrop where the brew pub refused to open a half hour early, so we ate and drank a bit at the Mexican restraunt next door. Oh well.

We continued on to Tonasket where I went due east and Jeff took the group on some twisty roads he'd found on a map, watch Jeff and the Maps. I didn't want to arrive too late and had some stops in mind that I missed before. I rode highway 20 to Kettle falls and turned north to Northport and had a great IPA at a brew pub that is moving out of town because the town is all but dead. I took the Waneta crossing, very twisty road to the border, and got searched. Never had that treatment on the Canadian side. Oh Well. Took a side trip to Trail, BC a smelter town and had spaghetti and this famous place called the Colender. Great food, but I was nervous for my luggage hanging on my bike. It was 5:30 on a Saturday and nobody in town, I expected to see tumbleweeds blowing down the street.

I ate and rolled into Nelson, stopped at a health food grocery store, got off my bike and hear something familiar, gear driven cams. It's half the group and they are looking for the rest at a gas station. Amazing coincidence again. What's with Karma and VFRD riders? I stayed at Toad Rock Motorcycle campground in my tent the others stayed at Ainsworth Hot Springs. We met up in the morning at Kaslo, had breakfast and headed for the ferry at Farquier, don't even try to pronounce it. One guy in our group tried and we had to get a medic to untangle his tongue. Tony had ridden out from his place and met us at the Mushroom Addiction cafe in Farquier so that was cool and he knows the road back better than us and told us the pavement was fantastic. So we ate and pull in line for the free ferry behind a half dozen vehicles and there are 14 VFRs in two rows, more cars behind us and then two young guns on a GSXR 1000 and R-1 pull around the cars and get in the back of our group of bikes. Someone from our group, I think Ian, made a prediction that they would crash.

At the wait for the ferry, you can barely see the GSXR rider at the back with the yellow hard pack

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/oo161/Ride4LifePhotos/KootenayTour2010July044.jpg

So we load up on the ferry, I'm in front and we all start finding our rythym and picking up speed. We're descending a long downhill with a hairpin left with a concrete barrier wall. Jeff and I usually run up front and he loaded toward the back and I'm looking in my review mirror hoping he will make his way forward. We're all doing a pretty good rate, but not anything near racing. I want Jeff to get in front of me because he has a radar dectector and so I see him coming and wave him on by, he goes by and I see the two crotch rocketeers screaming past him. I can't believe they are approaching the hair pin corner so fast, Physics says no! The guy in the GSXR barely makes it around the corner, the R-1 skids, gets sideways, and hits the concrete wall at a very fast rate. I can't watch to closely as I'm already into the corner and trying to slow down to stop and Jeff and the yellow GSXR roar off up the hill. I mistakenly think Jeff didn't see the crash but he did but told us he couldn't watch it or he would have hit the wall too.

The guy found a lot of luck in the middle of his stupid accident. The bike hit the concrete guard wall and exploded straight up into the air and the guy flew off over the wall and landed somewhere behind it. When I got my bike parked, I turned and looked and everybody behind us, they guys in our group are helping this guy up and checking him over. He was dusty and dazed and had some abrasions, but otherwise ok. He landed on sandy soil. His legs didn't get caught between his bike and concrete wall. His bike was totaled. The front was just hanging in unregognizable pieces of plastic. His spectacular crash happened right in front of everyone who was on the ferry, we were all coming down a long straight away with a hairpin turn with a concrete wall. You'd think that would be a good place to slow down.

So a guy stops with a pickup and offers to haul the guys' bike back to Vernon so we all lifted it onto the wall and then into the truck with the bike on it's side. An EMT happend by and checked out the rider, and he got in the truck too. There were no cops or ambulances or tow trucks, just people helping people.

But what about the guy on the GSXR, you're wondering? Well, this is where Jeff comes in. He has the story within the story and you've got to hear it from him. Let's just say he done us VFR riders proud!

Pictures to follow, but I didn't take any of the crash, I think someone else might have.

the guy got lucky could of been allot worse.
try not to follow rider in front or you may end up riding into a wall as well, look beyond the guy in front and ride your own line. one of the reasons i like riding with you guys is everyone rides within their limits.
best part of any ride is getting home at the end of the day safe and sound.

Anybody got any crash pics so we know what not to do? :squid:

Do tell about the Gixxxer guy Jeff

:lurk:

I've never seen Jeff mad before, knew what went down couldn't have been all that good. Leave it to Jeff though to catch the guy... a couple of times. :fing02:

As the brother of the fallen rider, I just want to say 'thank you' to the group and especially to Jeff for stopping to assist. Happy to report that the R1 rider is shaken but healthy -- not so much can be said about the bike though. If there's a lesson to be learned, it's to ride within your abilities when on the street. Save the showmanship for the track. The R1 used to be mine -- I rode it for three years without incident but it's a beast that needs much respect. Unbelievably the bike starts and runs smoothly.

Thanks again to all.

http://www.harvcravendesign.com/assets/DSC_2487.jpg
http://www.harvcravendesign.com/assets/DSC_2485.jpg

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:23 PM, said:

As the brother of the fallen rider, I just want to say 'thank you' to the group and especially to Jeff for stopping to assist. Happy to report that the R1 rider is shaken but healthy -- not so much can be said about the bike though. If there's a lesson to be learned, it's to ride within your abilities when on the street. Save the showmanship for the track. The R1 used to be mine -- I rode it for three years without incident but it's a beast that needs much respect. Unbelievably the bike starts and runs smoothly.

Thanks again to all.



Hello,

Well, I'm very, VERY happy to hear that the rider is ok. Thank you for the update, we sure appreciate it. I wish we had met with your brother under a different set of circumstances. Being shaken is expected, it was a pretty good tumble. Sure scared us all!!! Sorry about the bike, but if this crash saved his life because of the lesson learned, it will be a good enough reason to have destroyed it. Even though this is none of my business, may I suggest full riding apparel if he ever gets back on the saddle (leathers, back protector, etc. even for the street)? Jeans (he was wearing jeans, right?) just don't cut it.

Good luck and I hope that he recovers quickly.
Christian

PS I will once more suggest that a new riding buddy may be in order. It took him a long time to noticed that he crashed and then, from what I understand, he left him by himself in the pick up truck on his way to the hospital to ride with some of us. With friends like that, you don't need enemies!! But, again, this sure is none of my business and people do what they want.

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:23 PM, said:

As the brother of the fallen rider, I just want to say 'thank you' to the group and especially to Jeff for stopping to assist. Happy to report that the R1 rider is shaken but healthy -- not so much can be said about the bike though. If there's a lesson to be learned, it's to ride within your abilities when on the street. Save the showmanship for the track. The R1 used to be mine -- I rode it for three years without incident but it's a beast that needs much respect. Unbelievably the bike starts and runs smoothly.

Thanks again to all.


Glad your brother is ok. Thanks for posting. Jeff took off after the Gixxer guy and tried to get him to stop and turn around. The guy waved Jeff off and took off again, Jeff continued pursuit and caught him again and waved him down again, the guy flipped him off, according to Jeff and Jeff gave up and returned to the accident. Everybody in our VFRD group and all the folks in vehicles on the ferry went to your brother's aid. Thank them and the guy in the pickup and the EMT. Your brother is lucky to be alive. The Gixxer guy and Jeff pulled into a station parking lot and worked things out, apparently so all's well that ends well.

I felt really uncomfortable later as my 30-year-old son just bought a new 2009 R-1 and you can bet he's already heard about this and now I'm sending the pictures you posted. I can't believe it's running.

Again, I don't know how you found this site, but thanks for posting this.

Lee

[image: View Post]PolarBear, on 20 July 2010 - 03:32 PM, said:

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:23 PM, said:

As the brother of the fallen rider, I just want to say 'thank you' to the group and especially to Jeff for stopping to assist. Happy to report that the R1 rider is shaken but healthy -- not so much can be said about the bike though. If there's a lesson to be learned, it's to ride within your abilities when on the street. Save the showmanship for the track. The R1 used to be mine -- I rode it for three years without incident but it's a beast that needs much respect. Unbelievably the bike starts and runs smoothly.

Thanks again to all.



Hello,

Well, I'm happy that the rider is ok. Thank you for the update. I wish we had met under a different set of circumstances. Being shaken is expected, it was a pretty good tumble. Sure scared us all!!! Sorry about the bike, but if this crash saved his life because of the lesson learned, it will be a good enough reason to have destroyed it. Even though this is none of my business, may I suggest full riding apparel if he ever gets back on the saddle (leathers, back protector, etc. even for the street)? Jeans (he was wearing jeans, right?) just don't cut it.

Good luck and I hope that he recovers quickly.
Christian

PS I will once more suggest that a new riding buddy may be in order. It took him a long time to noticed that he crashed and then, from what I understand, he left him by himself in the pick up truck on his way to the hospital to ride with some of us. With friends like that, you don't need enemies!! But, again, this sure is none of my business and people do what they want.


:+1:

Glad that I could do what little that I was able to, I am glad that your Brother is OK :fing02:

[image: View Post]PolarBear, on 20 July 2010 - 02:32 PM, said:

...may I suggest full riding apparel if he ever gets back on the saddle (leathers, back protector, etc. even for the street)? Jeans (he was wearing jeans, right?) just don't cut it.

He was wearing Draggin Jeans with Kevlar reinforcement, purchased only the day before. Nothing beats leather though. On tours it's what I choose to wear.

[image: View Post]choco, on 20 July 2010 - 02:36 PM, said:

... I don't know how you found this site, but thanks for posting this.

He mentioned the VFR group riders, so I presumed to check online for a VFR forum, and here I am... took less than two minutes to find the thread.

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

[image: View Post]PolarBear, on 20 July 2010 - 02:32 PM, said:

...may I suggest full riding apparel if he ever gets back on the saddle (leathers, back protector, etc. even for the street)? Jeans (he was wearing jeans, right?) just don't cut it.

He was wearing Draggin Jeans with Kevlar reinforcement, purchased only the day before. Nothing beats leather though. On tours it's what I choose to wear.



Hello,
Ok, fair enough. My mistake. Just trying to be helpful. Thanks again for posting here.
C

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

[image: View Post]PolarBear, on 20 July 2010 - 02:32 PM, said:

...may I suggest full riding apparel if he ever gets back on the saddle (leathers, back protector, etc. even for the street)? Jeans (he was wearing jeans, right?) just don't cut it.

He was wearing Draggin Jeans with Kevlar reinforcement, purchased only the day before. Nothing beats leather though. On tours it's what I choose to wear.

[image: View Post]choco, on 20 July 2010 - 02:36 PM, said:

... I don't know how you found this site, but thanks for posting this.

He mentioned the VFR group riders, so I presumed to check online for a VFR forum, and here I am... took less than two minutes to find the thread.


I see, anyway, make your brother read this story that appeared today on VFRD also. This could be your brother or me or any VFRD member that looses it. Very tragic!

http://www.vfrdiscus...409#entry722409

I am humbled to be loosely associated with such a group of guys and gals...way to do us proud guys.

[image: View Post]PolarBear, on 20 July 2010 - 03:45 PM, said:

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:42 PM, said:

...may I suggest full riding apparel if he ever gets back on the saddle (leathers, back protector, etc. even for the street)? Jeans (he was wearing jeans, right?) just don't cut it.

He was wearing Draggin Jeans with Kevlar reinforcement, purchased only the day before. Nothing beats leather though. On tours it's what I choose to wear.



I was the first one over the wall and was expecting blood and much worse. To my surprise he was getting up! I asked him to stay down and asked his name. His lips moved, but no sound came out! I asked again and the same thing happened. Then I remembered the earplugs! I pulled off my helmet and plugs and asked again. "My name's Victor!" I figured it couldn't be too bad if he was already frustrated with me.

I agree about his choice of friends. The other rider didn't stick around and sure didn't slow down after leaving the scene.

[image: View Post]HC748L, on 20 July 2010 - 03:23 PM, said:

Unbelievably the bike starts and runs smoothly.


Well, it was running great when I shut it off!

Mistakes were made including myself. I think its time to close this thread and remove it from front page and talk about our great road trip.
Again HC i wish your brother a speedy recovery.

[image: View Post]jfviffer, on 20 July 2010 - 04:26 PM, said:

Mistakes were made including myself. I think its time to close this thread and remove it from front page and talk about our great road trip.
Again HC i wish your brother a speedy recovery.


</story>

Well I had a friggin' good time. I'm home now and have to work eight days in a row and grumpy because I want to go bacl out.