Lowslide when going around a roundabout. I wasn't going too hot, I didn't brake and I didn't overlean. I blame the **** Bridgestone BT 021 tires. I had felt a bit of slipping before but thought it might be me getting used to the bike.

I consider myself to be a good rider and I'm VERY confident the Road 2's I have on my other bike would have made the turn. I checked the road afterward and it did look like it might have something slippery but nothing wet. It might have been a LITTLE bit damp but I can't remember.

The front suddenly went without warning and I fell mid corner, slid a bit and the bike went over curb, missed the pole (as far as I can tell, there were no markings on it) and landed on it's left with the front facing the pond. I saw a little bit of smoke and immediately ran over for the kill switch. Luckily I had no problem picking it right up. It took me about 2.5 hours to push the bike 3.8 miles (6.2 km) home. I got home at midnight and I was very thirsty and very hungry/tired (just came from Krav Maga practice and I was already tired and hungry on the way over there. :s)

The stator cover has a spit (no puncture or dent) in it and it spit oil all over the bike. The lights still turn on so I'm going to get a new stator cover and see if it still starts (I'm going to remove all the damaged plastics and see what needs replacing. As long as it starts up (no internals are bent) and the forks are straight it will be relatively cheap. I got this bike last Saturday and have only put 1000 km on it so far... I'm so sad. (First crash ever).

Any tips? If it fell over whilst running is there a chance it's hydrolocked or whatever it is that can happen? It's a 1997 carbed Bird.



(PS: The rash on the right side fairing was already there when I bought the bike.)

 

OH man! I'm soo sorry to hear about that. I know how excited you were. Luckaly it dosent look too bad..... hope her hearts still beating and she just needs a new set of plastics and shoes

 

if its your first crash, welcome to the club.

just start pulling stuff off. if you said the stator has a split in the cover, and it lost oil, don't try and start the bike with a split stator cover. if you really did lowside the thing, the bike is probably okay (forks, frame engine, etc.). too bad the gas tank has those dents in it.

glad you're alright. its a lil harder to get replacement parts for yourself as opposed to the bike, so be happy you're not laying up in the hospital.

 

Dude that really sucks and sucks even more knowing you literally just got the bike. When I laid my F4i down is cracked the stator open but there was no internal damage and the forks, rotors etc was all straight so it was pretty easy fix. Sorry you had to push the bike for so long. Pushing any bike for 2.5 hour would really blow. Sounds like the worst damage was done to your ego (I know that's how it was for me.) All I can recommend is get back on for F4, take it slow, regain your confidence and order parts asap cause looking at it banged up will just **** you off. Glad your alright.

 

Aww dude im so sorry to hear, I hope you can get her back on the road asap.
A dusty roundabout got me in march(on r2's), it fired up no prob and didn't hydrolock so you should be ok.

 

Thanks all. Yeah it's not my ego as in a "I'm too good to crash" type of thing but it just makes me sad to see it like that.

I started pulling stuff off and so far it's upper and side fairings (be be able te repair one of the side fairings), upper stay is bent but might be able to bend it back. Stator cover, left passenger peg is bent but I think I'll be still able to use the left exhaust.

Mirrors were ripped off but I still have them and I might be able to use some parts. I still have to check if the subframe is bent or if the left bent passenger peg just pulled the fairing down a bit. The rear fairing is fine. I will probably need a new front rim but rotors brakes and thankfully forks seem to be fine. I also lost the clutch lever but was going to replace those anyway. When I rolled the bike away I was able to put it into neutral which is good.

I found a cheap stator cover and will have to look for fairings. There was this one guy who had a front, side and rear fairing but they were gone already. I'll probably get some filler and repair the tank, paint it and keep it like that for the time being and replace it if I find a cheap tank. Does anybody know if the 24 liter tank of the later models fits the '97 (which has a 22 liter tank)?

Updates soon to follow. I need to get it up and running before the 12th of August since I'm going on a tour. Fingers crossed!

 

Nooo! Glad you are ok. Sorry that happened to you. I know you are upset, having just got the bike. Main thing is you're alright.

All is not lost. I think once you replace some things, you'll be back in business.

 

Yeah I'm alright and because of that I have other stuff to worry about. I just bought the bike and spend quite a bit on getting the hardluggage and other stuff. I just hope I can get the parts cheap and that I have enough funds to repair it enough to go on my trip.

I hopped on the F4 today and although I felt a bit nervous, I was ok. I rode over to where I wrecked and took the pictures in my first post. I then picked up my friend (she's my daily passenger, I pick her up from work every day). I feel fine on the bike again although I do feel slightly less confident (not about my abilities, but the road!). So stupid that I rode all year through storms, winter and even icy roads and wreck on such a stupid easy turn. I've googled some BT 021 reviews and a lot of people are saying they are fine when dry but as soon as it get's a bit damp they are horrible.. Hmm..

 

Dam bro sorry to hear that. I fell last year out of no were as well. Back tire locked up. It's hard trying to get your confidence back up or trusting the road. Yet if you keep just riding and working on fixing it, it will all come back to you. I had no damage to my bike and I laid it down at 30 miles a hour.

 

Its operator error, cant blame it on the tires.....