So after putting 1500km on the bike and feeling like i needed to upgrade to a 600cc the ninjette put me back in my place.

I was coming around a sharp curve and noticed a lot of lose dirt and gravel on the side of the road extending out 3 or 4 feet. Instead of leaning harder to take the corner sharp i let off the throttle and applied some breaks which had the effect of standing the bike up, so now i was heading straight for the crap i was trying to avoid. The next thing that happened was a locked up rear wheel and i started to low slide but recovered just in time by throwing my weight to the other side of the machine.

I couldn't save it the second time though and it went down on its right side, it all happened so fast. I don't even know how the bike ended up on its right side but i had rash on my left side. The right blinker smashed and there is some minor rash on the side and exhaust. I'll try and upload some pics. I felt like a complete idiot but at least it was a learning experience without too much damage, other than my ego.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6128/may2009001h.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=may2009001h.jpg)

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/3263/may2009003.th.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=may2009003.jpg)

anyway to fix the scrape along the edge?

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/283/may2009005z.th.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/my.php?image=may2009005z.jpg)

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/796/may2009006.th.jpg (http://img30.imageshack.us/my.php?image=may2009006.jpg)

are these streaks wax marks?

Stuff happens, dude, and it has nothing to do with bike size or experience much of the time. Glad you came out ok- don't feel like an idiot. My MSF instructor said he had just taken a fall on some wet leaves the day before the class.

Stuff happens, dude, and it has nothing to do with bike size or experience much of the time. Glad you came out ok- don't feel like an idiot. My MSF instructor said he had just taken a fall on some wet leaves the day before the class.

that reminds me, at my msf course one of the instructors was showing us how not to ride and he ended up wiping out. i just feel like this was a stupid mistake that i should have avoided.

Crashing will happen. I am glad to hear that it was relatively minor and that you did not get hurt.

It is not if... it is always when..

Glad your okay and it is just minor damage.

yeah it for sure could have been a lot worse i guess, i just noticed a new spot of road rash on the plastic. is there any easy way to fix this to look unblemished without buying a whole new piece of plastic?

where can i get a replacement turn signal? maybe i should try for some flush mounts now that the opportunity has presented itself, lol.

I got way more damage that by just dropping it on the garage floor. U are very lucky. Glad your ok.

I got way more damage that by just dropping it on the garage floor. U are very lucky. Glad your ok.

yeah i kind of sacrificed my body to minimize damage to the bike :o i fought to keep it upright until i went from 60km/h down to 1-2km but just didn't have the strength at the end to keep it from going down. if the back wheel never locked i would have been fine.

now that i just washed it down i noticed there is rash on the back of the right mirror, on the end of the right handlebar and along another piece of the side plastic but still minimal for what it could have been.

What i like most about the black bike is they hide the cracks and scratches well...on my bike anyway.

Crashing will happen. I am glad to hear that it was relatively minor and that you did not get hurt.

I hate to disagree, but crashing shouldn't happen. Hopefully experience will prove me right. The more experience you get the more you will be able to expect situations and handle them WITHOUT CRASHING.

Glad you're OK!

I'll give you $25 for your bike.

I hate to disagree, but crashing shouldn't happen. Hopefully experience will prove me right. The more experience you get the more you will be able to expect situations and handle them WITHOUT CRASHING.

Glad you're OK!

I'll give you $25 for your bike.

I started riding dirt bikes when I turned 12, and street bikes when I turned 18. ..I am now 36. I will agree that the more experience you gain, the more prepared you are when something happens. However, it is widely understood that it's not if you crash, it's when. I've had three crashes so far on the street, two were all by myself and one involving a car, all of which I got through without injury and not a whole lot of damage to the bike. I have also had a lot of incidents where I came close to crashing, but experience and being aware of what is going on got me through.

CC Cowboy, I sincerely hope your theory holds true for you. Yes, crashing shouldn't happen, but it does.

Glad your okay Jack. Doesn't look to bad. Maybe few hundred pounds and she be good as new.

I hate to disagree, but crashing shouldn't happen. Hopefully experience will prove me right. The more experience you get the more you will be able to expect situations and handle them WITHOUT CRASHING.

Glad you're OK!

I'll give you $25 for your bike.

In an ideal world, sure- crashing shouldn't happen. However- gravel, wet leaves, crazy drivers, unexpected anything- that does happen, and crashing is something even insanely experienced riders deal with. I have a friend who's pretty experienced, does track and so on, and had a wipeout due to a *flipflop* in his lane.

What i like most about the black bike is they hide the cracks and scratches well...on my bike anyway.

:o :happy110:

Glad you're OK. The worst enemy out there is our complacency. The more experience we get, even if it means a bit of road rash, helps to keep us alert for the times when there's a big pothole up ahead with our name on it. Take care.

what does everyone think about using these flushmounts to replace stock turn signals?

http://www.newportcycleparts.com/categories/electrical/turn_sigs-flush.htm

2 flushmounts would be about the same price as getting a new stock assembly.

The more experience you get the more you will be able to expect situations and handle them WITHOUT CRASHING.

Bingo! :thumbup:

Jack, As long as they are legal--go for it. You do want good visibility. Sorry to hear about your crash. I have been extremely lucky/fortunate to not having had the experience of crashing in 50 years of motorcycling and 46 years of driving a car. I have over time developed some techniques that have helped me a great deal. I have, however crashed three times on my bicycle and gotten messed up pretty well.

what does everyone think about using these flushmounts to replace stock turn signals?

http://www.newportcycleparts.com/categories/electrical/turn_sigs-flush.htm

2 flushmounts would be about the same price as getting a new stock assembly.

i like the flushmount III...i want some now

i like the flushmount III...i want some now

those were also the ones which caught my eye

U from London canada or London england?

canada

Cool. If all goes well with my suv i should be in mississauga around the 13th of June and going to the North east rally from there on the 19th.

yeah i kind of sacrificed my body to minimize damage to the bike :o i fought to keep it upright until i went from 60km/h down to 1-2km but just didn't have the strength at the end to keep it from going down. if the back wheel never locked i would have been fine.

now that i just washed it down i noticed there is rash on the back of the right mirror, on the end of the right handlebar and along another piece of the side plastic but still minimal for what it could have been.

Glad you are ok. Remember you can always replace parts of your bike, but not parts of your body. Don't sacrifice the body to save the bike.

I started riding dirt bikes when I turned 12, and street bikes when I turned 18. ..I am now 36. I will agree that the more experience you gain, the more prepared you are when something happens. However, it is widely understood that it's not if you crash, it's when. I've had three crashes so far on the street, two were all by myself and one involving a car, all of which I got through without injury and not a whole lot of damage to the bike. I have also had a lot of incidents where I came close to crashing, but experience and being aware of what is going on got me through.

CC Cowboy, I sincerely hope your theory holds true for you. Yes, crashing shouldn't happen, but it does.

I've been riding 43 years and I'm 29. I never think about crashing when I think about going for a ride. I always think about crashing when I'm on a ride. I always think about what is around the next corner (road conditions, parked cars, cows in the road). The only way anyone ever crashes is riding over their head (be it road conditions or lack of experience). I always think about other drivers, or riders, trying to take me out and I always think about how to prevent it.

To be asinine about the theory, if you went on a ride and only rode 5 to 10 miles an hour the entire ride, do you think you would crash? Unless some jerk rear ended you for going to slow you would probably have a safe ride (boring but safe). Now apply this to all rides. Most people don't crash from going too slow.

Hopefully this is your last crash. I'll still give you $25 for the bike. I'm talking cash.


In an ideal world, sure- crashing shouldn't happen. However- gravel, wet leaves, crazy drivers, unexpected anything- that does happen, and crashing is something even insanely experienced riders deal with. I have a friend who's pretty experienced, does track and so on, and had a wipeout due to a *flipflop* in his lane.

My flip-flop! Does he still have it?

Wet leaves, must be after a rain (or during) = ride slower expect wet surfaces. Gravel or dirt roads = know your surrounds (if you don't, ride carefully). Crazy drivers= carry a gun, I mean ride defensively.

Riding a bike is like flying a plane, always look in every direction (including up and down).

If riders think that it is only a matter of time. When that time comes they won't think of how to NOT CRASH but they will think that it's their time.

Yeah, understood. I just think the attitude that experience and care will keep you out of all trouble can lead to a feeling of superiority/invincibility that can be very dangerous.

Hopefully this is your last crash. I'll still give you $25 for the bike. I'm talking cash.


sure i'll take $25...

...shipping and handling will set you back $4800 though.

Yeah, understood. I just think the attitude that experience and care will keep you out of all trouble can lead to a feeling of superiority/invincibility that can be very dangerous.

+1

sorry... it's called confidence in being able to handle a motorcycle in an emergency situation that comes with experience. Also with experience comes the fact you and you alone are in total command of the bike you ride. If you aren't able to see as much as possible of potential hazards on the road, perhaps you just need to gain more experience to gain that confidence?

If I ever crash on a street bike, I would rather it be me trying to control the bike to that very last instant instead of giving up in my mind because I've resigned myself to the "fact" that crashing is done by everyone that rides a bike and it's "my " turn. That is only an excuse/belief for those that have crashed. Better still... avoid situations that put you in potentially hazardous conditions/positions and don't become a factor in an accident.

I learned that an accident is the culmination of a series of events leading up to it. Eliminate any one of those events and you break the path that led to the accident. Being able to "see" that event as one on a path that will result in an accident is something one must develop to recognize. Unfortunately, the most common way to develop that skill is through experience.

http://www.oshatrain.org/courses/pages/702m4.html


Don't get me wrong, I crash all the time on my dirt bike... but that's because I do push past my limits to find out where that "edge" is and how to react to possibly save it. I highly recommend a dirt bike for anyone thinking of getting a street bike.... in fact, I think it should be mandatory to ride dirt bikes for a year or more before applying for a street bike license, but I don't make the laws.

I agree master Kelly.

so i called a local cycle shop and they want $46 for one oem turn signal, rediculous. i opted to go with these instead,

http://www.importationsthibault.com/2008/moto09_page.php?langue=en&page=202&ac=1

the 04 Oval Toxic lamps, clear with black backing, they look a lot shorter, the guy said they look good on the bike, we'll see in a couple of days when they arrive. $20 for 2 is a lot better than $46 for one.

they also could order these oval L.E.D. lamps which look great but $60 is a lot for turn signals (oval II super led)

http://www.importationsthibault.com/2008/moto09_page.php?langue=en&page=200&ac=1

sorry... it's called confidence in being able to handle a motorcycle in an emergency situation that comes with experience. Also with experience comes the fact you and you alone are in total command of the bike you ride. If you aren't able to see as much as possible of potential hazards on the road, perhaps you just need to gain more experience to gain that confidence?

If I ever crash on a street bike, I would rather it be me trying to control the bike to that very last instant instead of giving up in my mind because I've resigned myself to the "fact" that crashing is done by everyone that rides a bike and it's "my " turn. That is only an excuse/belief for those that have crashed. Better still... avoid situations that put you in potentially hazardous conditions/positions and don't become a factor in an accident.

I learned that an accident is the culmination of a series of events leading up to it. Eliminate any one of those events and you break the path that led to the accident. Being able to "see" that event as one on a path that will result in an accident is something one must develop to recognize. Unfortunately, the most common way to develop that skill is through experience.

http://www.oshatrain.org/courses/pages/702m4.html


Don't get me wrong, I crash all the time on my dirt bike... but that's because I do push past my limits to find out where that "edge" is and how to react to possibly save it. I highly recommend a dirt bike for anyone thinking of getting a street bike.... in fact, I think it should be mandatory to ride dirt bikes for a year or more before applying for a street bike license, but I don't make the laws.
I'm sorry? Please point me to where I said anybody should ever just "give up and accept they're crashing"? My point is that *nobody* can ever guarantee they will be crash free. Experience helps; experience is valuable. Care and attention to driving, plus experience, go a long way towards ensuring your risk is lowered. Even experienced and highly trained racing professionals still crash. You cannot ever guarantee your safety; riding (and life in general) is all about the risk you accept. You do your best to minimize it, but you can never be 100% secure. Nobody on the road should ever feel like they are invincible; that leads to complacency.

Nobody on the road should ever feel like they are invincible; that leads to complacency.

no one here ever said they were invincible. complacency is an entirely different matter.

Glad to hear you are okay. I also crashed on the 24th. I tried not to, but the wind won. Must have been a bad day for Ninjettes.

Glad to hear you are okay. I also crashed on the 24th. I tried not to, but the wind won. Must have been a bad day for Ninjettes.

Katlyn - you go to explain that a little more or leave it hanging there like the elephant in the refrigerator?

Katlyn - you go to explain that a little more or leave it hanging there like the elephant in the refrigerator?

Well me, the hubby on the Spyder, and my girlfriend on her Spyder, were heading down to the Bay Area Ninjette ride in Livermore on Saturday morning and at about 9:45AM, after riding through VERY high winds (gusts of 50MPH or more I'd say) I decided to pull over and take a rest at the top of the pass before proceeding. I was pratically being lifted by the air and thrown around. I just about nearly stopped from 55 MPH on top of the hill when the wind caught the bike again and the bike caught the edge of the curb forcing me to lay the bike down. I scratched up the fairing really bad, bent my rear brake pedal, scratched the edge of my mirror, broke my fog light, scratched up my exhaust real good, and lost the lens and bulb out of my front signal. We had to leave the bike up on the mountain for hours while we went all the way back home (over a hour away) to get the car and the trailer.

We met the ride group at the ride start (which was about 6 or 7 miles from where the crash happened) then headed back home. After a 1/2 hour of trying to load the bike on the trailer in the high winds and cars flying past us less than 5 feet away at 60 MPH+, we had to call CHP for assistance.

I'm working with the insurance company now, but don't know anything yet.

That is just so bad - glad you are OK though. That had to really be some gusty wind to toss you and the bike around like that. Where were you the wind finally got you?

That is just so bad - glad you are OK though. That had to really be some gusty wind to toss you and the bike around like that. Where were you the wind finally got you?

It was actually on the 23rd (Sat) not the 24th like I said.

I was at the top of the last hill (Vasco Rd - about 6 miles north of the 580 junction). I just couldn't take it and it seemed like the safest place to stop and pull over as the shoulder was the widest here and it was at the top of the hill. The turbines all around me were spinning like crazy. I should have known not to go that way... it's always windy up there.... which is why the turbines are there.

it is widely understood that it's not if you crash, it's when....... Yes, crashing shouldn't happen, but it does.

Wise words.


All of my mistakes are caused by overconfidence, and not being enought carefull.

I just don't feel like crashing! I guess it's each to their own.

agree with KKIM on the dirt bike riding experience. More variables, sure no cars, but much more surface differences (sand, water, slick spots, holes, bumps). Having off road experience makes you better able to handle terrain variations. Not saying it makes you perfect, but any other 2 wheeled experence can only help. Thats why sand on the road doesn't bother me. That doesn't mean I couldn't go around a corner and slide out on it, but when I see it I slow before I hit it, my turns are less leaned. Its adapting to the environment.

Also don't let experience = complacency. Keep complacency in check.

Kkim and CC Cowboy are right. One moment of not paying attention to all sides, up/down, front/back can lead to consequences. Glad you are okay and minimal damage on the bike. That is repairable, you sometimes are not... the experience learned here only sharpens your insight to riding safe.

While I don't have the motorcycle experience that Kelly, CC and others have they are really pointing out one thing that I have learned in life; every action has consequences.

Most of the time in our daily lives we don't think of each action we take in that manner, but then, most of the things we are doing do not have the potential dangers of our chosen sport unless you happen to be in law enforcement, fire, pilot, etc.

As a non-motorcycle example the plane crash in NY from icing is an example of an inexperienced crew that failed to follow so many existing procedures and rules from proper use of check-lists to maintaining proper cockpit decorum to just plain not thinking about the consequences of full flaps on a plane that already had ice build up on the wings.

If you were to search all the threads on this forum for "mindset" or words to that effect I'll bet you would find a lot of "us" new riders commenting about how our thought process changes when we swing a leg over our bike each time; new thought process, new parameters, new what ifs. To me that is part of this learning process that is being referred to as experience.