Road Hazard

[image: Attached Image: IMG00035-20100820-1700.jpg]Riding home from Iowa last Thursday I hit a 6x6 wood block while making a pass on an 18 wheeler. Eased the bike back over to the right hand shoulder when traffic cleared. Handling was ok until the bike slowed down, then it started a little tank slapper. The wheel was bent on the right side to the point that it was hitting the right brake caliper. Bikes in the shop, riding my trusty Triumph Tiger until I get the VFR back, On a side note, I wonder how the Tiger would hold up with her tubes and spokes?

Glad Thats all that happened :fing02: Glad you made it through ok!

Glad you are still able to share the story with us!

Debris is everywhere, be careful!

Its gotta be all the training and practice that kept you on 2 wheels.

Glad you're OK..........

Thanks, yeah I 'm ok ! It happened so fast I didn't have time to "do anything" but ride it out and try not to make it worse. When I pulled into the passing lane I didn't see anything in the road but then the car cut me off to pass the rig also and as soon as she got in front of me I saw her kind of freak out in her car and then felt a bump followed by a loud knocking noise from the bike, My brother was following me on his wife's 650Vstar and he said he felt something glance off his bike. The car never stopped as we eased our way back to the shoulder. I only had to ride beotch to Bethany, MO where my brother's wife met us with the pickup. :fing02:

First off, thank goodness you are OK. Second of all... you get around, don't you?

[image: View Post]timmythecop, on 28 August 2010 - 11:00 PM, said:

Its gotta be all the training and practice that kept you on 2 wheels.


It's all the gravel/creekbed/un-improved road riding that we do.

[image: View Post]motorman, on 29 August 2010 - 01:25 AM, said:

I only had to ride beotch to Bethany, MO

Oh, the indignity. Been there, done that.... be prepared for months of snide comments.



Again, I'm happy you rode that one out.

Very cool that you didn't go down and the bike is repairable.

And about riding beotch in Iowa, well a man has to do what a man has to do :laughing6-hehe:.

Take care!

Oh crap! :ohmy:

You've definitely got skills and glad the worst was riding two up. :fing02:

Nice job! Surviving that is the next best thing to not having it happen at all!

Riding 2 up sounds better than the other "term". We had been turning and burning all day long and I was just riding in more or less auto pilot(never good)complacency is a bad thing. First time in 10 years and 100K that a bike left me on the side of the road.
Had more problem getting hold on that. Iowa State Patrol was very helpful calling the tow truck and getting her off the road. :fing02:

Glad you survived that near miss unscathed!

I bought my wrecked speed triple with a similar wheel dent and the tire was ruined too; outside looked fine but there was a crack on the inner surface.

From a riding standpoint, I try to keep enough distance from the vehicle in front of me to be able to see under/through them. I realize this isn't always practical/achievable in heavy traffic situations but the bigger the gap the better. When you can't, stay in their tire lane and watch for suspension movements or swerving.

Good job of keeping her upright.

Somewhat related, I took a load of old kitchen counter material and some other junk to the nearest waste transfer station only to find out they were closed to the public. They gave me a map and directions to the next closest one. I followed their directions and found it ok, but noticed I could have made much better time by jumping on the freeway. I always strap down stuff in my truck and and I asked them at the other transfer station why they route people through subdivisions when the freeway was so much faster; I remembered a gruesome headline from a few months ago and suspected I already knew the answer. The reason, they told, me was that before when they routed people on the freeway, someone lost something on the way to their transfer station that wasn't tied down and it flew off and killed someone following. People need to secure their loads! One time I saw an empty pallet fall off a truck at 70 mph and skid to a stop in the center lane of I-405 (east side of Seattle) right behind a State Patrol car that was parked in the medium. I immediately called it in. I also was driving my work van and an ANVIL appeared in the center of the road and I straddled it. I hate to see anyone, but especially motorcycles, following too closely as cars will straddle an object in the road and a bike following too closely will not have time to react when it comes out under the car.

Good to hear you stayed up right, I hit a ladder across the road at 100Km/h on mine a few months ago, lucky no damage, and lucky it was across the road and not along although I may have been able to avoid it if it was. also my mate cleaned up a roo on his XR650R at the same speed 2hrs after getting it registered a few weeks ago, thankfully both our reactions were to gas it and ride over it and we both stayed up right...

[image: View Post]motorman, on 28 August 2010 - 09:58 PM, said:

Bikes in the shop........

Now you do know that we could have done all the work that the shop can do in my garage? Glad you make it out ok. That's another good reason to stay out of Iowa.

Glad things bounced in a good direction for you. That wheel will make a good trophy for the garage wall. It might be a good thing that you didn't see it coming and tense up on the bars. Did you suffer any body work damage to the lower cowls?

Dayamn!!! :ohmy:

Way to stay alive. :fing02:

[image: View Post]hondalover, on 31 August 2010 - 01:52 AM, said:

[image: View Post]motorman, on 28 August 2010 - 09:58 PM, said:

Bikes in the shop........

Now you do know that we could have done all the work that the shop can do in my garage? Glad you make it out ok. That's another good reason to stay out of Iowa.

Yeah, I could have replaced the front wheel, tire, RH brake caliper, and RH rotor but it sounded expensive so I let the insurance company have this one! I found out that I don't have towing and made a budget cut this year with all my clubs and mags. After I got home with the bike in the trailer, I had a letter from the AMA saying my membership had Expired. Could have used that one! The insurance guy was cool and said he could cover the tow bill with collision. :fing02:

[image: View Post]FotoMoto, on 29 August 2010 - 10:55 AM, said:

I bought my wrecked speed triple with a similar wheel dent and the tire was ruined too; outside looked fine but there was a crack on the inner surface.

From a riding standpoint, I try to keep enough distance from the vehicle in front of me to be able to see under/through them. I realize this isn't always practical/achievable in heavy traffic situations but the bigger the gap the better. When you can't, stay in their tire lane and watch for suspension movements or swerving.


Your post did me some good. I have a bad habit of riding right on car's azzes before passing in the twisties. It's going to bite me some day if I don't change my ways...... :fing02:

Gotta love this place..... :biggrin:

[image: View Post]motorman, on 28 August 2010 - 09:58 PM, said:

[image: Attachment] IMG00035-20100820-1700.jpgRiding home from Iowa last Thursday I hit a 6x6 wood block while making a pass on an 18 wheeler. Eased the bike back over to the right hand shoulder when traffic cleared. Handling was ok until the bike slowed down, then it started a little tank slapper. The wheel was bent on the right side to the point that it was hitting the right brake caliper. Bikes in the shop, riding my trusty Triumph Tiger until I get the VFR back, On a side note, I wonder how the Tiger would hold up with her tubes and spokes?

Holy moly! I'm glad (and impressed) you were able to ride it out.

[image: View Post]Bent, on 04 September 2010 - 10:33 AM, said:

[image: View Post]FotoMoto, on 29 August 2010 - 10:55 AM, said:

I bought my wrecked speed triple with a similar wheel dent and the tire was ruined too; outside looked fine but there was a crack on the inner surface.

From a riding standpoint, I try to keep enough distance from the vehicle in front of me to be able to see under/through them. I realize this isn't always practical/achievable in heavy traffic situations but the bigger the gap the better. When you can't, stay in their tire lane and watch for suspension movements or swerving.


Your post did me some good. I have a bad habit of riding right on car's azzes before passing in the twisties. It's going to bite me some day if I don't change my ways...... :fing02:

Gotta love this place..... :biggrin:


Riding up car's tailpipes is definitely a bad habit of mine, guilty as charged. I had a wake up call recently when I was riding one-handed behind a truck waiting for a passing zone. I didn't see the giant pavement juncture at a bridge and it proceeded to toss me in the air with only one hand on the bars. I managed to salvage a potentially nasty crash and have since vowed to allow plenty of room behind cars. :fing02:

[image: View Post]dutchinterceptor, on 04 September 2010 - 12:24 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Bent, on 04 September 2010 - 10:33 AM, said:

[image: View Post]FotoMoto, on 29 August 2010 - 10:55 AM, said:

I bought my wrecked speed triple with a similar wheel dent and the tire was ruined too; outside looked fine but there was a crack on the inner surface.

From a riding standpoint, I try to keep enough distance from the vehicle in front of me to be able to see under/through them. I realize this isn't always practical/achievable in heavy traffic situations but the bigger the gap the better. When you can't, stay in their tire lane and watch for suspension movements or swerving.


Your post did me some good. I have a bad habit of riding right on car's azzes before passing in the twisties. It's going to bite me some day if I don't change my ways...... :fing02:

Gotta love this place..... :biggrin:


Riding up car's tailpipes is definitely a bad habit of mine, guilty as charged. I had a wake up call recently when I was riding one-handed behind a truck waiting for a passing zone. I didn't see the giant pavement juncture at a bridge and it proceeded to toss me in the air with only one hand on the bars. I managed to salvage a potentially nasty crash and have since vowed to allow plenty of room behind cars. :fing02:


Ummm......ditto my post on that above..... again....:blink:

That could of been sooo much worse, I hit a badger once but luckily no damage, to me anyway

Glad you and your bike are ok!