Getting back on after your first accident.

[Phreon]

This past Friday on my way to work, I headed down the hill out of my neighborhood towards the highway feeder road (west side of Cincy).  I was on the Nighthawk 750 instead of my Vulcan as I leaned in to make a semi-hairpin left i have many times before.  I completed braking, was in the right gear, had my hand off the clutch and didn't touch the brake at all in the bend. As I rolled on the throttle (no sudden moves), the back tire gave up in a "How the hell is this happening?" moment. It was a pretty slow speed moment (15 mph?) and my gear did it's job - I have a tiny rash on my elbow, a bigger one on my knee (jeans didn't burn through, but left me raw anyway) a sore shoulder from the impact and a purple, fractured pinky from being crushed between the clutch lever and bar. I got off light, but the Nighthawk predictably has bent bars, destroyed lights and clutch lever, rashed pipe, and absolutely mangled Hondaline luggage rack/seat (bummer, that part is hen's teeth).   A guy stopped to help me; once we got the bike lifted and I cleared the flooded carbs, it fired right up and I limped it back home.

 

Maybe I got the wheel on damp center line paint or the suspicious dark patch in that spot, but it happened so fast, I'll probably never know exactly what happened.  Anyway, I've been telling myself I feel fine except for the bruises and such, but I've passed up a few fine days and chances to take the Vulcan for a spin. I'm ticked off that it happened in the first place, undid much of the work I put into the Nighthawk and and am kind of thrown for a loop in the mystery of what actually happened. I think being "spooked" is starting to set in. What the h3ll do you do with that? I love riding and am not going to quit.

 

On a related note, once I got used to the Nighthawk's higher center of gravity, it actually seems more stable, planted and predictable than my Vulcan (but a pig when trying to transition from left to right at any speed).  I have about a year's worth of riding under my belt. The power delivery feels smooth and pretty easy to manage on the NH 750, but are there any gotcha's to moving to a bike like this a newer rider like myself might not pick up on?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

 

[Calinazaret]

No matter how good you are, how good your bike is or how good conditions are things like this will happen. My first few times dropping the bike didn't affect me much, but last year when I broke my shoulder definitely got me.

What most people will probably say is just keep going. The truth is once you know what it's like to go down you'll never un-know it, but if you do your best to just carry right on I think the trauma will be lessened.

I had to wear a sling 24/7 for two months after I broke my shoulder, but the instant I could lift my hand to the throttle I was out again. I'm glad I did because I recovered just fine and if I hadn't just gotten right back in the saddle I may never have ridden again.

[Calinazaret]

And I haven't been anywhere near as fast since my break, not even beginning to be close, but for me riding is more about just enjoying myself now.

[JackFlash]

My first spill was 40 miles from home.  Luckily,

I could ride the bike home.  Get back on the

horse that threw you off and show it who's boss.

 

I've learned that keeping it upright as much as

possible, instead of the extreme leaning I loved 

playing with, is a more sensible cornering

posture.  I'm still learning though.

 

>>  As I rolled on the throttle...Maybe I got the wheel

...(on that) suspicious dark patch...

 

Might have been a touch of oil or fuel.  Be careful.

Edited June 8, 2014 by JackFlash

[ReconRat]

Nope. Just learn from it and get back on and ride. I went down on ice one morning. More annoyed than anything else. Fought it all the way down and took a hit on the knee trying to spare the bike. Spun it on the clutch cover, so only had to replace that.

 

The leasons learned were: "take it easy on cold tires" warm them up first- engine can performance "jump" when the computer kicks in. Most engine management computers are in limp home rich mode for a few minutes after starting - and... wet wheels can freeze up when they spin, if it's at near freezing temps outside.

 

A few weeks later I spun a power slide 180 in the same intersection... same deal

 

Riding in freezing weather with a lot of torque is tricky.

[Phreon]

I won't be getting on the same horse immediately. "BeaterHawk" needs some help, but the Vulcan 500 is waiting patiently in the garage. The "upside" is I went down on "BeaterHawk" (which is a bummer) instead of the '500 which would have been tragic (nice paint, in good shape).

 

In typical bachelor style, I went rummaging through the dirty clothes pile. The jeans I wore that day have an oil stain on the butt I didn't notice. Pretty big clue - the only place it could have come from is the pavement.

 

BeaterHawk don't have no stiiinking computer, just quad carbs.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Phreon

[mojocho]

It's natural to be hesitant. Best advice is learn or figure out what went wrong. How old are the tires. Was the tire pressure checked.

IMO, getting back an sooner rather than later is best. My first crash was due to gravel on the road. To this day I'm unusually cautious around gravel. But I got back on and started to educate myself on gravel. I'll never be 100% confident but I'm ok with that. Another time I crashed a new bike when I took a left turn to fast and hit several ruts on the road that messed with my suspension which was still stock. Now I take ringer in setting up my bikes suspension.

My point is, learn what caused it, whether it is is mechanical, environmental, out mental. Attack the issue. And then move on. Don't just get back on the horse. Assess, resolve, attack.

The longer you wait to attack the problem the more doubt settles in.

[Hoblick]

I have been down on the track a few times, on my old f4i, crf250r supermoto. Dislocated a shoulder each time. And countless times on the mini track with the xr100, and nsr50. Get back up and keep going. Proper gear is a must. Never went downinthe street thank god. But either way dont let it freak you. Things happen. Gear up and ride on

[Moto-Brian]

The ones where it was your fault are easy to brush off and learn from and move on.  The ones that were a result of another rider are the ones I always had a tough time dealing with.  I've had a share of them all from slow to high speed and not remembering much.  Some hurt, some didn't.  Some still haunt me while others were easy and had me laughing.  Some took friends away from us and I've seen some terrible results of crashes. 

 

All in all, the haunting ones still linger and are hard to keep in a dark place.  But, the bottom line is to LEARN from them.  You did something to cause it.  If not throttle, no brake, no off throttle, something caused it and 99% of the time, it is human error.  Typically, it is from off throttle or rolling on and not feeling the rear becoming loose until it is too late and you're on your head...

 

Jump back on, grab that damn thing by it's bars and teach it something. 

[Tonyblaze]

I've been riding for just over two years and haven't been down yet but I know its coming. Started on a SV650, now I'm on a Street Triple. My best friend has ridden for years and got caught at a blind intersection by a SUV running a red light. Bent him up pretty bad and took him 4 years to get back on. He said he was always scared after the accident but once he got back on the joy of riding pushed the fear down a bit. Everyone is different. I think the common thread is to get back on, take your time and feel what's best for you. Gear up, ride safe.

[drc32-0]

I believe in getting back on,but educating yourself on the hazards of riding should be part of that process.When I crashed my Nighthawk I had a couple of injuries(broken collarbone,bruised optic nerve) that kept me off of the bike for a couple months and allowed me the time to do some reading.I strongly recommend Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough,he covers a lot of the bases on being safe on the street.Looking through The Hurt Report can give you some ideas on some of the most common types of accidents and probable causes even though it's an old report.Good motorcycle magazines like Motorcycle Consumer News have monthly articles on safe riding.Use as many sources as you can think of to educate yourself and make it a continueing process.

 

It's been over ten years,and 150,000 motorcycle miles, since my cash and I read something on motorcycle safety at least once a month.I just scheduled an ARC class for August.

 

Riding a motorcycle is a high risk activity!!!The consequences of even a minor error can be catastrophic.You can't eliminate all of the risk,but through education,gear and skills training...you can put the odds a little more in your favor.

[HeavyDuty]

Been riding over 40 years on July 2 2010 at 7:37 a young girl on a cell phone ran a stop sign from behind a tractor trailer 10 feet in front of me I T-bone her at 45mph I remember everything all I thought was dam this is going to hurt. The bike hit her right front wheel well I came off the bike over the right handle bar I had on a leather coat but the mirror cut thru the coat and ripped thru my stomach and broke off inside me my right hip hit her fender and drove the hip ball thru the socket I somersaulted over the car and landed on my left hip scattering it The girl panicked and stepped on the gas I got my hands up on her front bumper and she pushed me about 10 feet across the parking lot the only thing that stopped her from running me over was my bike it wedged under her car and lifted the wheels off the ground. After everything stopped moving I tried to get up but that was not happening Some people came over and asked if I was alright and I asked for my cell phone it had come out of the holder and was gone they asked why do you want the phone I replied to call 911 I told everyone not to touch me and played dead until the cops got there the first cop on the scene was my oldest son He thought I was in shock but I told him I was ok and what good would my panicking do or help I figured stay as still as possible until to paramedics’ got there To make a long story short my youngest son was getting married in 8 days and I made it to his wedding. Not the Drs orders but with lots of good drugs I made it. Now I’m back to 100% and loving every minute of riding don’t let fear stop you from doing something you love the first place I rode my new bike was thru the intersection where it happened

Edited June 9, 2014 by HeavyDuty

[Phreon]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm sure human error was to blame. Driving past the same spot on the way to work the next day, I noticed the pavement is darker in that spot - probably oil/scum.  But I shouldn't have been in that zone anyway, on a "new" bike, cold tires...  

 

Jeeze HeavyDuty, that's one hell of a story. Mine is a tiny scuff in comparison - if the wx cooperates, I'm going to take the Vulcan to work tomorrow. Same route, different bike. 

 

I've read Proficient Motorcycling a couple times and was sure to take the MSF BRC last year. I've been thinking about taking the next course this year; the 'hawk wouldn't be a bad machine to do it on.  Just need to get 'er back on the road.

[BDBGoalie]

I've been down plenty, on the track and on the street. All were a result of my pushing the limits of the situation or not adaquately reading the situation and adjusting for it. Most were lowsides, and I don't try and save the bike in those situations. If it's gone I let it go because its just money and major injuries aren't worth getting tossed trying to save it. I've had two highsides, one slower speed caused by morons in the riding group and one because I got cut off on the freeway and the guy slapped his brakes.

 

I think one of the most important things is to get back on a bike quickly. The longer you wait the more time the fear will set in and be an obstacle for you. However, if you hop back in the saddle while still focused on the fear of making the same mistake you likely will make the same mistake or another because you are not comfortable and focused on errors rather than riding. So it is a two-headed coin, and you shouldn't try and go full bore right away again.

 

 

All of my accidents were avoidable IMO and I think learned something from each of them.

• I accept that riding may involve crashing.
• I accept that others may hit me or cause me to crash and that is out of my control. I can mitigate a lot but the danger is still out there.
• I wear all my gear every time. I've crash tested most of it and I have confidence in it's damage mitigation abilities.
• I ride with a large safety bubble and always have my head on a swivel.
• My focus is always on riding and what is around me. I never ride with music.
• I avoid riding with people I don't know. If I can't avoid it I try and ride trail.
• I respect the warm up time of cold tires and the limitations of cold weather riding.
• I can't take roundabouts at race pace. Kneedragging on the street is bad.
• I always expect and plan for people to do the worst in every situation.
• Whenever someone new starts riding I drag them to the MSF course. If nothing else it is a good refresher for me and keeps them alive longer.
• I minimize stupid things on public roads. No endangering others for the sake of my fun.

Edited June 9, 2014 by BDBGoalie

[Phreon]

What is average warm up time for street tires? Think 50 degree morning, 30 mph and under for 3-5 mins, 35-45 for 2 mins, then highway.

 

Many thanks.

[vf1000ride]

My first street crash was back in 1997.  Wrecked a 1977 Honda CB750.  High sided it after washing out the front end on a huge pile of stones mid corner.  I hit the street face first and was unconscious in the middle of the road for close to a minute. It was also my first ride in an ambulance when people truly looked concerned.  Lucky to have had a full face helmet and although not the greatest but at least some gear.  Came out of it with a bad concussion and whiplash in my neck/shoulders, minor rash on my knees.  Bike was totaled as it tumbled several times.  Wish I still had the helmet, it broke the chin bar and visor and cracked the forehead back to almost the center of the top of the helmet.  They cut it off me after they had me in the neck brace and strapped on the board.  Been wearing high end full face lids ever since.  I'm ugly enough as nature made me.

 

Took about 2 years to get another bike and get back in the game.  I've had several bikes since then but can't imagine giving up on riding at this point.

[Gixxus Christ!]

First off, get some proper riding pants. I have a pair of kevlar - reinforced jeans I've crashed 3 times. Some of the denim is gone but the kevlar is 100% intact. You do not want to burn through a pair of jeans, and it don't take long to do it.

That being said, my confidence in my abilities was definitely knocked down after I low sided into a ditch a fee years ago with a bunch of guys from here. I was trying to keep up with the big boys and for most of the ride I was doing really well...but it only takes one. Bald back tire didn't help much, neither did coming into a decreasing radius turn too wide. I have never rode as hard as I did that afternoon. I'm getting close to where I was back then, but I definitely have a mental block now when it comes to really pushing my bike through the twisties.

[Tonik]

What is average warm up time for street tires? Think 50 degree morning, 30 mph and under for 3-5 mins, 35-45 for 2 mins, then highway.

 

Many thanks.

 

Not sure, but it's really fast.  If I drive from my house to the gas station that is less than half a mile away...my tires have picked up between 3 and 4 lbs of air pressure. So it is really quick.

[Helmutt]

Sucks to dump a bike. I've done it once and that was on my first streetbike ( KZ550 ) as a teen, a few ill placed rocks at mid corner about 35mph is all it took. I faired well enough, my left leg was sprained from groin to ankle, but the bike took a header into a pole. The headlamp, gauges, and front fender were toast and right side case got shaved a bit. I fixed it back up and sold it. Didn't ride street again for the next 10 years ( mainly due to lack of money thanks to my ex, and my daughter being born also kept me grounded a bit more ) but I stayed active with dirtbikes that whole time.

Shortly after my "true" wife and I met, I was in a good financial position so I bought my dream bike - a '97 YZF1000R. Took to it like flies to shit. Loving every minute of it since. I wasn't scared to get back on a street bike, I was just poor, living at home with the folks, and so deep into guitars/equip that my money was spent up as soon as I got it. I went back to dirtbiking simply due to it being inexpensive.

Like these guys are saying, gear up and get that Vulcan out for some post dump rehabilitation. Take it slow, think ahead, and let muscle memory set back in. You'll be back to normal in no time. Good luck

[Phreon]

I rode the Vulcan 500 in to work today. I was a little squeemish in some curves, but just let the bike do what I know it can do. And yes, there's a big patch of scum on the road right where I beefed it on the Nighthawk. I picked a bad line on a "new" bike and paid for it.

 

I do have a pair of Kevlar lined jeans, I'm wearing them right now. The problem is that in 80-90F weather, I'll die of heat stroke wearing them. Thick denim with kevlar reinforcement strategically placed doesn't breath. Plus, they really don't do anything to protect against impact like the pads in my jackets. These jeans do have pockets for knee pads, but with the loose cut, there's no hope they'd stay in place when you need them.

 

 It seems there are many more options for protecting one's upper body, with not much in an equavalent level of protection for the legs unless one jumps to full on riding pants or a suit. What is available to protect the legs that can be quickly removed or is cool and wearable all day? Are there quick donning overpants? I can't walk around the office looking like Speed Racer; I've considered getting a pair of Kevlar khakis, but I suspect I'll have the same heat problem.

 

I'm thinking of taking the next MSF class (beyond the BRC). If I can get BeaterHawk fixed up in time, it'd be a good machine to take the class on and a way to get reaquainted with it.

 

Thanks

Edited June 9, 2014 by Phreon

[Tonik]

I do have a pair of Kevlar lined jeans, I'm wearing them right now. The problem is that in 80-90F weather, I'll die of heat stroke wearing them.

 

 

Mesh pants and commando. Or mesh and shorts.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Tonik

[vf1000ride]

What is available to protect the legs that can be quickly removed or is cool and wearable all day? Are there quick donning overpants? I can't walk around the office looking like Speed Racer; I've considered getting a pair of Kevlar khakis, but I suspect I'll have the same heat problem.

 

Thanks

 

My latest riding pants are the Fieldsheer Mercury pants.  They are a pull over textile overpants with armor in the knees and hips.  The legs unzip on the outside edge from your feet clear up to the top of your legs so you can get in and out of them while leaving your shoes and pants on underneath.   I wear them to work in an office environment and can take them on and off quickly so I don't have to wear them all day.  They have vents to unzipper on the thighs and you can unzip the legs some for cooling but they don't vent as well as I would like on the hottest days. You will know your wearing protective gear, I prefer having the better protection of a good set of pants though.

[JackFlash]

Take a look at these.  I got them from Iron Pony.  They are in the $200 range.

 

http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=237&cat=4

 

 

They match my riding jacket.  I can zip them to it in the back, if I want to.

They have a quilted lining for cold days, which zips right out.  Then there

is a rain lining for wet days, which zips right out.  Then there are panals

on the outside that zip off to expose a mesh that lets air through.

 

I've only worn them with jeans, but would feel comfortable wearing less

under them.  They zip up from the bottom to easily allow you to get them

on and off with your boots on.  They also zip downward, I suppose if you

had a need to get inside from top of your leg.  There are foam pads on hips

which I put to the test one day.  I was only a little sore for a few days.

And there are hard knee protectors that can be easily adjusted to three or

four positions based on your height.  The side zips also have flaps with

Velcro that keep the rain from creeping through the zippers.

 

I wear these in colder weather.  I suppose I should wear them more often.

I forgot to mention they have reflective piping up the sides, so you can be

more easily seen at night.

.

Edited June 9, 2014 by JackFlash

[redkow97]

Like Ryan said, I have been down three times on big bikes at the track.  One of those was a dumb (slow) crash in the grass.  The other two could have been pretty bad, but thankfully weren't.

 

Beyond that, I have gone down more times than I can count on the XR100. 

 

Learning to get your confidence back is much like any other skill - it takes practice.  But I will say that riding in fear of crashing is almost a sure-fire way to crash...  I don't think I could do this on the street, but my last XR crash, I went down after running over the bike of a rider who crashed in front of me.  I got back on the bike and turned faster laps than before the crash.  I wouldn't have been able to do that a year ago.

 

That said, you don't need to rush yourself back.  Try riding on some roads you know, with surface conditions you trust will be decent.  You can't make yourself forget that you crashed, but until you're thinking about turning instead of not crashing, it just won't feel right.  Good luck. 

[Phreon]

Those pants you posted look interesting. Honestly, I should probably see if Joe Rocket has anything that matches what I have. Yeah, I know they're loved by some, hated by others. My Phoenix 5.0 summer jacket *seemed* great with full elbow/shoulder/back armor and excellent ventilation, but as it's designed, the elbow is too loose for me even when snapped as tight as I can get it - the elbow protector rolled away and left my sharp elbow to burn right through the surrounding cloth.  My other jacket however, a Comet, is great. Leather on the shoulders and outer arms, heavy cordura everywhere else and cut much better. It vents well enough, but not for 80F+ riding.  I need to look for a better hot weather jacket too.

 

I should take my Vulcan to the west of Cincinnati, around North Bend / Harrison's tomb.  I know that area quite well, having ridden the Vulcan there extensively. That could be a good confidence re-booster.

 

Thanks