F2 damaged and I'm sore.

So, I leave work early today so that I can go help my friend go look for his first starter bike. Since I have a little more knowledge then him and about 3000 mi more experience, I tell him that would.

Nearly as soon as I leave my work, a light changes and I lock up my rear brake, twice trying to stop going down a hill. I for some reason didn’t tighten up on my front brakes, guess it was the down hill thing making me feel like I would flip or something. I stop just a foot or two past the stop line. I chalk this up at the time, that my rear tire needs to be replaced (which is coming on Monday – actually 2 rears are coming but that’s another story).

So I jump on the highway…probably one of the worst highways in the state. No problems. I finally get off and I go to take this back road to get to his house. I’m not really familiar with it on the bike, but there are a couple reasonable bends in them. Then I come up to the last bend before the stop sign.

It’s a blind curve that ascends slightly then turns and starts to drop at the apex. Close to the top of the apex is a road off to the right. The recommended speed limit is 35 for this curve. No cars ahead, no cars behind. I shift to the right side of the lane to line up for my approach and slow down to 35 maybe 40 mph. As I’m approaching a tow truck coming from the other direction makes a left onto the road at the top of the curve. No big deal. At that point, I start to enter the curve, but the tow truck stops and then starts backing up. I’m like “nuts”

Since I already started my curve, I cut it in tighter to avoid getting hit, but I’m about to cross the double yellows and so I upright the bike to keep from crossing. I catch a glimpse of white to the right of me after the truck and I’m now completely screwed up for the curve. Instead of reinitiating my turn I brake to burn off the speed because now the side of the road is coming up fast. I notice that the car is a police car. I have no hope of staying on the road way, There is a drop of about 2 inches from the end of the pavement to a small outcropping kind of like a shoulder, I turn and get myself parallel to the road way, which immediately turns into grass with a slightly ascending embankment on the right.

Not a big deal, except that I’m thinking nuts… that police officer is going to pull me over. So I try to stop instead of getting onto the blacktop. Brakes immediately lock up on the grass and I’m on the ground.

I get up and see that the tow truck had pulled backwards into a driveway adjacent to the road he pulled in, in order to hook up a car and there are 2 patrolman looking down at me. I shut the bike off and get it upright. By that time one of the police officers pulls up behind me.

He comes up to me:

Officer1 (a little gruffly/accusatory): “What happened there?”

Me (a little defensively): “the tow truck started back out as I was going into the curve. I swerved to compensate. ”

Officer1: “What the truck wasn’t big enough to see?”

Me (a little calmer despite the comment): “He just pulled in and I didn’t expect him to stop and pull right out. I had the right of way.”

Officer1: “You tried to stop back up there and you ended up all the way down here?”

Me: “I was on the grass it kind of slid.”

Officer1: “Ok, don’t go anywhere I have to right a report.”

He takes my information out of my shaking hands and goes back and takes a look at the roadway. I think he was looking for skid marks, which there were none...that was all on the grass.

Other officer2 walked down to me and asks me if I’m alright. Says the bike doesn’t look too bad, some faring damage etc and then goes back up to the tow truck. He explains that they were just cleaning up another accident and were waiting for a tow truck.

Officer1 returns checks the bike quickly jots down some of the damage and gives me the report. I tell him thank you and sorry for troubling him. He says, don’t be sorry, it’s his job and then tells me that he will sit there and wait until I get moving.

Of course the bike starts, but I’m still a little shaken and stall the bike out twice.

All the way home I kept wondering if it always felt like this…is revving properly, just examining every detail of the ride.

So far that I can tell the damage is as follows: [ul][*]Front faring busted up where the fuse cover is located and directly under the right indicator. Probably needs replacing.[*]Rash on the indicator, right faring, access panel and muffler - none of which I really care about.[*]Bent rear brake lever (little harder to brake but still functional)[*]Slight rash on my 1” chicken strips [/ul]
Damage to me… [ul][*]Soreness on the right shoulder, bicep, forearm, inner thigh and ankle (I think I would have twisted or busted my ankle if I did have boots on – I ALWAYS wear full gear – Jacket, jeans, leather gauntlets, full face lid and leather boots)[*]Green skid marks up my jeans. Dirt on my jacket.[*]Bruised ego (again)[/ul]Could have been a lot worse, but could have been avoided. I kind of wish a patrol car was planted just before that blind turn to cause me to slow down more, prior to the approach. I have the feeling that the to truck didn't see me because I had already shifted to the right side of the road and was less visible...either way, it didn't seem like he checked before starting to back up.

Right when I start getting ahead in my finances, too.

 

Sometimes, when things happen, I think cops only see more paperwork.

Glad you're not too badly crumpled.

 

Well, considering some recent threads on here, I really think the cops were really good. I've actually only had one incident in my life where a police officer unjustly yelled at me. But my overall experience has been really good.

Oh and my inspection is a month past due...though it wasn't out of the lack of effort to get it done...I had the receipt with me, and i'm waiting on my new rear tire.

 

wow they didnt site the tow truck driver?

 

I kept waiting for you to say that the officer gave you a ticket and told you were being jack speeding jackass or defend the tow truck.

 

Best wording EVER!! sorry to hear about your incident Woo, but glad you could ride away. Chalk it up to a learning experience.

 

Friend had a 600 Smokin Joe, came into a corner to hot & rather than brake hard because it was raining at the time & didnt want to slide out, decided to go with straight ahead grass verge routine.
Same thing happened to him, cept he had three of his mates there to pay out on him big time.
I reckon he would have made the corner, but the rational part of his brain got caught up in the mix.
A lot of the stuff we do on a bike is instinct + commitment. It only takes a micro second of hesitation or distraction to totally stuff things up. Would love to have seen the look on your face when you hit the verge! "Going to make it!, no I'm not!, yes I am!" expression. Glad you ok.

 

Sorry to hear Woo. Glad you rode away tho

 

+1 always better to ride away then "get" a ride away..i know exactly what you mean about analyzing the way it runs after a crash or even a long time of not riding..

 

well the bike can always be replaced but you cant think about that every time you look at your bike