[Marine]

I know how important it is to have a constant respect for the bike your riding, because without it you'll do something beyond your skill level. With that said, I'd like some of the experienced riders to share with us your "close calls" and all out acciedents to give a reality check to some of us not so experienced riders.

I've been riding for over a year now and besides my bike being dropped when I was cleaning it once (yes, I'm a dumb ass), I've never been in an acciedent. I consider myself a very safe rider, and perhaps a little lucky, but nevertheless, when I hear of other people's close calls and acciedents it keeps me honest with my skill level. Thanks for your future posts...



Edited by - Marine on 09/24/2002 22:36:51

 

[ripTOOL]

2 weeks ago we did a little charity run up in the mountain town where we ride the corners every weekend. Local folk where getting mad so we orginized a fund raiser. Met lots of people of all skill levels. Rode all day, crazy fast on some crazy curves. No one got hurt. As the day winded down, everyone headed home. Me taking my favorite known route of twisties. I noted to myself that the sun was low and in my face on several curves, making it hard to see into the shadow of the trees. So I took a normal pace through. Got home fine.

Come to find out, 2 guys I had met, were heading home in the same low sun, cant see into shadows type conditions. Aparently they just missed a curve and ran straight off a cliff. 1 dead instantly, other died in hospital.

It sunk in real good. There were several corners I went through that I couldnt see to far ahead. Think my luck and knowledge of the road prevailed. Was sad to hear that after tearing up some curves doing way over the speed limit, that something as simple as the ride home can get ya.

So pay 100% attention at all times to the road.

Other than that, Ive had many a time going in too hot and sliding the rear tire or getting halfway through a corner and see that you not gonna make it and you lean it farther than you ever have and hope it holds. So far I think not panicing and keeping focused on the road had saved me many times.

98 6R. TBR slip-on. No poser add-ons.

 

[aqon2welz]

Heading down a 6 lane raod, 3 each direction, I was in the middle lane. A Saturn was sitting at a side street to my right wanting to trun left. We looked each other right in the face. I glanced over to the left shoulder and moved over to the fast lane. What's right in front of me when I look back? Yep, that dam Saturn with the stupid BITCH looking right at me in horror. As soon as she saw me she hit the barkes, gotta love it when people think the answer to all situations in a cage is the brake. If she had kept going it would have been as big a deal. She was too far out to go to the left, I would have to go into on coming traffic. The ass end was half in the middle lane and completely in my lane. The thought of laying it down flashed as I throw the bike to the right with out looking and just missed the rear bumper by an inch or so.

That has been my closest call so far (insert sound of knocking on wood here).



It's days like this I wish I still did drugs!

Edited by - aqon2welz on 09/25/2002 03:56:57

 

[diirk]

Almost three weeks ago I was riding with a friend through some little driven mtn roads not to far from home. Very twisty, off camber, lots of fun. Anyhow I came a little hot into a very sharp right curve with a decreasing radius. Cliff on the right side, mtn on the left side, no shoulder. The bad part was the sand in the corner that I didn't see. Anyhow, I started to slow and lean into it but I started sliding and striaghtening up. Anyhow I ended up in the oncoming lane, no traffic fortunately, and in the non-existent shoulder for the oncomming lane. It was a small, 6" wide drainage ditch. Anyhow, I still ahd the bike up though it was really squirrely. In my mind I was thinking, "Whew, I got it, I got it." Then WHAM! Me and the bike are on the ground. Apparently, there was a boulder jutting out from the side of the mtn and I hit it with my left shoulder, bringing me and the bike to a dead stop. I got up and tried to pick up the bike but my left arm wasn't working right. My friend had stopped and helped me move the bike and then I sat down to discover that I broke my left clavical (collar bone). No other damage to me, and minimal damage to the bike. I was wearing a Joe Rocket Jacket with armor and CF Gloves. If not for the gloves, I would have busted up my hand too, based on the gouges in the CF on the gloves.
The moral being, know the road. I was riding within my limits but, not for the conditions.

Diirk

Diirk
'99 ZX6R
'02 Raptor
'01 Wolverine
'87 Radian

 

[grnzx]

I was new to the biking, and rode on my 750 Katana on a curvy road. The last curve before the road became straight, was too stiff, and I didn’t realize how stiff it was until I got to the center of it. I realized that I was too fast to take it, bit not in terms of the speed but according to my riding ability. That bike was big and heavy for me. I was afraid to lean, and since I was new I couldn’t really handle such an emergencies. My eyes wanted to look only to where I was going… ended up in the opposite side (oncoming traffic). Luckily noone was there, but it made me think.
I was there many times later on, and didn’t have the problem of taking this turn even at greater speed.

Another time when I was even luckier, and this will be with me as my luckiest day.
I bought zx6r, and rode every day for several hours to break it in. Was riding all around the state (NJ) enjoying the bike. This bike is no comparison to Katana. It light and nimble, and more stable. I was riding on straight road with good visibility. Straight ahead I saw a garbage truck slowly moving toward me. I was going about 40 mph, and as I came closer to it, I noticed that he’s preparing to make a left turn. By the time I was not far from him, he slowed down as he was waiting for me to pass. The next moment I was near him, and… he started to move for a turn. There was no time to brake because the stopping distance would be greater than the distance to reach the truck. At that moment I wasn’t really thinking, I was just driving by surviving instincts. I pushed the breaks first, but realizing that it’s too late for it, I suddenly accelerated very hard. Missed the truck maybe by less than a foot. Next, I saw a walkway curb in front of me. Suddenly leaned the bike to avoid running over it, and than I realized that it’s over. I wasn’t panicking at all, but after it was over this shocked me up.
I made a u-turn and ketched this truck further on, at some side street. I said that he almost killed me, and saw this driver was also shocked, and shouted “excuse me”. He was all nervous.
I turned around and continued to ride my way. After this, I was afraid to ride for couple of days. I never told this to anyone although it was hard to keep inside. I think that my guardian angel was looking out for me.
Keep it safe, it's jungle out there.

 

[silver_6r]

Last summer the sun was going down and it was becoming dusk out. I was riding casually on my 250ninja to my girls house. About 100 yards from her house, two deer cross the road right in front of me. They came out of the middle of nowhere. I swerved right but managed to hit one of the deer with my knee. I regained balance of the bike but headed straight for the gravel and dropped her going about 35-40 mph. I flew over the bike and got banged up pretty badly. I now stay away from the twisty back roads after the sun falls because that is when the deer tend to come out.

--- '03 zx6r

 

[Cambridgezx6r]

Forks of the Credit (a local Toronto area road that's twisty).

Me and a good F4 rider. We tear it up, slow at first, since the F4 guy (PEI boy, good guy even though me, the Toronto boy, can't understand 1/3 words he says!) hasn't been there yet.

We hook up with a couple of Czech guys. GSXR750 and F4i.

We tear it up again. The Czech guys push it hot. Too hot I'm thinking. I back off a mite.

Sure enough, the GSXR750 is in the grass on the third hairpin. It's his brother's bike! Doh. We get it on the road fast before a cage/local comes by and calls the cops. Fortunately he's okay and it's only plastic damage.

Ride your own pace. Don't get in too hot, else you WILL shred your bike and yourself.

'00 ZX6R silver

 

[Andy_7676]

went in to hot on my old ex500 and overshot a turn and wound up in some dudes diveway. Luclily I bled off alot of seed with some hardcore emergency braking I ankle hurt and the bike had a few scratches...


later I went in a turn to hot again and wound up in a guys lawn...I keep the bike up but not sure how...

learned that I need to ride within my limits...if I ever feel the "panic" come over me in a turn, I know I'm going to fast...

a year later I got my 6r and was riding with some buddies, was taking a right turn at an intersection about 15 or so miles per hour and lowsided. Me and the bike slid about 10 or so feet into oncoming traffic...luckily I was wearing my gear so I was basically unhurt but my bike was pretty banged up. The frame sliders saved me alittle bit of cash.

The lowside was from some light colored sand/dirt in the corner that I didn't think was enough of a hazard to slow down.

nowadays, I think everything on the road is a hazard...

I just need to learn to slow down on public roads and enjoy the ride...



My Drinking Team Has a Racing Problem!

 

[eltorito]

About three months after getting my 6R I was riding on this curvy road for the first time. That day I had, already, broken one of the firts rules I go by. I only ride agressively when riding with a partner. I am all about the buddy system!! About 10 minutes into the run I am feeling pretty confident (this ain't my first crotch rocket). I misjudged the curve I was going into. It was a lot tighter and turned into a very steep downhill. My first thought was to slow down as much as possible while trying to maintain some lean angle. I let off some throttle and applied some rear brake. I misjudged how much pressure to apply to the rear brake and my rear tire locked up. I uprighted the bike and knew it was time to do some dirt riding. I hit the curb and landed on grass (still upright) and jammed both brakes as hard as I could. My bike sunk in the soft dirt stopping just inches from the barbed wire. The only damage was a blown rear tire and a very bruised ego. That day I broke two rules, I rode without a buddy and was going too fast, too soon without knowing my environment. [^]

Let Saddam come and play!

 

[Andy_7676]

i dont think there is a day go by where I dont learn something new when I'm riding my bike...

just wish I would apply what I have learned

My Drinking Team Has a Racing Problem!

 

[Brian]

After nearly twenty years of road riding I consider myself very lucky to have been involved in only one major accident. Oh but what a dumb one when I look back.

My first bike a Honda MVX250 lasted about one month, as soon as I had passed my test on it (250 being compulsory) I was ready for a "big" bike, I had four weeks experience on the road and i was ready! So out I went and bought a brand new (demo model) GPZX750 Turbo, as the bike was a demo it was already run in and I could push it hard from the start and it went real hard for its day. After owning the bike for the whole of three days I was sitting outside a mates place, just about to leave for home, and he said "just how well do these things go?" my reply "watch This". I had had the bike up to well over 200Kph out on the open highway although i had not done an all out ball tearing start. Keen to make a good impression I took launched with the front wheel in the air, leaned well forward to bring the front down without backing off, redline into second gear front still in the air, redline 3rd gear front wheel back on the ground (I think)....... Not sure exactly what gear I was in at the time although I glanced down at the speedo and it had just passed the 190kph mark and I was still accelerating, I decided enough was enough and whilst the engine was operating at somewhere near redline I snapped the throttle closed, you can imagine what happened next. Rear wheel lockup is an understatement, it was like pulling the hand brake of a cage on at 200+, the bike immediately laid down and continued on its merry way grinding away on the pavement, luckily straight down the centre of the road without hitting a single thing. By the time everything came to a stop just over $3000 (Au) damage was done to a bike that had cost $4400 just 3 days earlier. But besides a lot flesh and a little bone missing from my right hip my safety gear had done its job and I had survived.
I learnt a lot of lessons from this incident although the one that sticks is how long it takes to heal when you remove some serious bits of meat from your body, I now never ride, no matter how far or how hot it is without full protection and I don't mean a rubber.

I am now a rider instructor with 20yrs riding experience and I still learn every time I sit on the bike. If you have become a bit complacent about your riding and are in need of a wake up check out the link below.


http://www.msgroup.org/CASESTUDY.html

Cheers.
Confidence and Ability should not be Confused.

ZX636-B1

 

[Andy_7676]

"GPZX750 Turbo, as the bike was a demo it was already run in and I could push it hard from the start and it went real hard for its day."

Hard for it's day, that thing goes hard now considering the amount of torque it produces thanks to the turbo!!!!

I can't beieve backing off the throttle cause the rear to lock up in a straight line like that....did you back off or chop it?

My Drinking Team Has a Racing Problem!

 

[scum182]

Two of them

1. In Las Vegas late Sept..it was about 110 degrees during the day..the oil on the road was on top of the road but you couldn't see it..so in a low speed left turn I found myself sliding across the road and watching the bike slide in front of me...the lesson learned was early in the trip when I stopped and put my foot down it slipped out from under me...so I was warned but didn't think about it...

2. Rain on the freeway off ramp...in South Calif they have big painted arrows...back tire slid out on one but was albe to recover...lesson watch painted surfaces in the rain

 

[Brian]

"I can't beieve backing off the throttle cause the rear to lock up in a straight line like that....did you back off or chop it?"

"Chop it" hmmm unknown term if thats the same snapping the throttle shut then yeah thats what I did. All I know is that it hit the deck before I knew what was going on...Ouch!


Confidence and Ability should not be Confused
ZX636-B1