June 20th, 2013, 02:31 PM | #1 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Josh
Location: Los Angeles
Join Date: Aug 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250 - SE Black & Red Posts: 16
|
Taken Down Splitting
I was splitting lanes between the carpool and the #1 lane when a truck cut out of the carpool lane (no look, drift, hesitation), across two double yellows, right into my path. Traffic was slowed but smooth, and I was too relaxed, not minding the gaps. I reacted late, started to brake and realized I wasn't even going to come close to stopping short and tried to turn with the truck into the open space in the next lane. I ended right up next to the rear fender when the handlebars jerked. I'm not sure if there was contact, bump in the road or i just lost control in a hard turn, but after a quick wobble I low sided. Not sure what the exact speed was but I would say I landed going about 45. Kept my leg out from underneath the bike, landed on my shoulder and slid for a brief moment. Then tumbled once, caught myself on my back by bracing my elbows/arms, trying to make sure I didn't roll anymore. At that point my head did snap back a bit, not too hard though, and I slid to a stop. Quickly checked back down the road for oncoming cars, and then just relaxed for a second. Injuries minor. I have a somewhat bad shoulder from years of baseball, and it was a little tweaked from the initial impact but didn't hurt really that much, and not until the next day. Healed in a couple weeks (until i threw it out trying throw in a soccer ball with a bit too much gusto). Ended up with a little road rash on the side of my calf, which I've had worse playing baseball as well as a little on the sides of my wrists. I was weather a leather jacket (with elbow, shoulder and back armor), jeans, some light weight over-pants (with knee pads), and leather work boots. Driver never stopped.
Biggest lesson learned was never get complacent. Just because traffic is smooth doesn't mean people won't do really careless things. I know better then to not mind the gaps and to be better prepared for unexpected lane changes, no matter how illegal they are. I make this drive every day I just let myself to too comfortable. That and California cops are dicks to motorcyclists. He was more concerned with getting my back over to the right side. The first thing out of his mouth was can YOU move it. Not, are you OK, can you walk or any sort of concern for my well being. When I told him it would roll but it couldn't turn because the handle bar was pinned down, he was no longer concerned enough to help. Here's some pics of the damage. The estimates to fix came in at a high enough point that I decided to sell it if I could get enough for it (let someone else deal), which i did. Found a newer one in good condition. Color change =) Album: Ninja 250 Crash Gear did a great job. Small whole in the shoulder, and some scraps on the back, and nothing to my upper body. I think I can patch the shoulder and be good to go. Any concerns? The knee pads saved my legs for sure. But the friction burned through the nylon and jeans below the knee pad. I was wearing short/summer gloves, but kept my hands off the ground, so they came out pretty good. Just slight scrapes got through the gaps. Still wearable, but I will be looking for some light weight gauntlets when I can afford it. I feel like the helmet took more friction damage than anything. I've hit my head harder snowboarding. I haven't used it since, because I've seen and heard a lot of people state that you shouldn't really use a helmet after any contact, but would like to hear any opinions on this case. |
|
June 20th, 2013, 02:38 PM | #2 |
Que Buenos Son!!!
Name: Ryan
Location: Grovetucky, OH
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): Aprilia Shiver 750, Husaberg FE 450, Ninja 300 (sold), xr100 Posts: A lot.
MOTM - Nov '14
|
That sux bro, glad to hear you're mostly ok.
You slowed down and crashed still going 45?... How fast were you lane splitting?
__________________________________________________
Don't do something because it's easy,.. Do it because it's not! If you aren't going forward, then you're falling behind. "Drive it like you stole it"!!! |
|
June 20th, 2013, 02:39 PM | #3 |
wat
Name: wat
Location: tustin/long beach
Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much.
Blog Entries: 5
MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14
|
sorry to hear it bro. was this on the 5N near santa ana a couple days ago? i saw a blue ninja 250 crashed on the inside shoulder. maybe it was you? hope all goes well.
__________________________________________________
|
|
June 20th, 2013, 02:40 PM | #4 |
Boring is my middle name.
Name: Jason
Location: Bay Area, CA
Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250r Posts: 258
|
Sorry about your crash man. Hope you get your bike in order and your shoulder stops bothering you.
Sounds like not only were you not paying attention, but also splitting way too fast. You said you were braking and swerving and went down at 45 mph? So you were probably splitting at what, 55 mph at least. In my opinion the CHP guidelines are right in that splitting should be kept under 30 mph and no more than 10 mph faster than traffic. Sucks you crashed, but it was mostly your fault. |
|
June 20th, 2013, 03:01 PM | #5 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: dave
Location: Pasadena
Join Date: May 2012 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250, ZX6r, RSV4, Caponord Rally Posts: 267
|
Glad that you're not badly hurt but yeah, you gotta really pay attention when you're splitting. Don't go faster than you can react, watch those gaps, watch those heads inside of cars.
Pretty sure you already have all that figured out by now. Sorry that you said hello to the pavement, man. |
|
June 20th, 2013, 03:10 PM | #6 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Jake
Location: Columbus, IN
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Green 250 Posts: 58
|
Good to hear you're alright man! What kind of insurance did you have?
|
|
June 20th, 2013, 03:14 PM | #7 |
sail away
Name: Jon
Location: San Jose
Join Date: Jul 2012 Motorcycle(s): gixxer (sold), ninjette (upgrade!) Posts: 964
Blog Entries: 8
|
Your helmet is done. Heal fast buddy. We can all learn from your experience.
__________________________________________________
Unregistered found this post helpful. Track Day Preparation Checklist 1. Financial 2. Mental 3. Physical 4. Gear / Bike |
|
June 20th, 2013, 03:16 PM | #8 | |
Daily Ninjette rider
Name: Hernan
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: A lot.
MOTY - 2016, MOTM - Dec '12, Jan '14, Jan '15, May '16
|
Quote:
Very sorry about your accident, Josh
__________________________________________________
Motofool .................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí |
|
|
June 20th, 2013, 03:30 PM | #9 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Kelvin
Location: Vancouver
Join Date: May 2013 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250 Posts: 15
|
Always sad to hear another ninja down, but it looks like you've got everything handled pretty well so good on you!
Lane splitting always seems situational to me...I can agree if traffic's at gridlock but at city speeds seem a bit sketchy - no splitting whatsoever up North . |
|
June 20th, 2013, 08:34 PM | #10 |
ninjette.org sage
Name: Travis
Location: Washington, DC
Join Date: Sep 2012 Motorcycle(s): Suzuki GSX650F! Past: Kawasaki Ninja 300 (Sold); Triumph Street Triple (Sold); Kawasaki Ninja 250 (Sold) Posts: 664
|
Yup. Not even close to a questionable case. That one's a paperweight.
Glad you came out alright. Heal fast. Last futzed with by tnr4; June 21st, 2013 at 06:26 AM. |
|
June 20th, 2013, 09:55 PM | #11 |
-
Name: -
Location: -
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): - Posts: A lot.
|
Even with pictures this didn't happen. I've been informed numerous times right here on this very forum that lane-splitting is perfectly safe and nothing could ever possibly go wrong.
|
|
June 20th, 2013, 11:19 PM | #13 |
ninjette.org guru
Name: dave
Location: Pasadena
Join Date: May 2012 Motorcycle(s): ninja 250, ZX6r, RSV4, Caponord Rally Posts: 267
|
Bring up that specific quote please. Should be easy since you've seen it numerous times.
|
|
June 21st, 2013, 05:16 AM | #14 | |
ninjette.org member
Name: Steve
Location: Toronto, Canada
Join Date: Feb 2013 Motorcycle(s): '13 GSX-R600, '09 Ninja 250, 04 SV 650 (track) Posts: 157
|
Quote:
^^^ troll sorry to hear about your accident nitehawk. could have been alot worse, glad you are okay |
|
|
June 21st, 2013, 06:30 AM | #15 | |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Jason
Location: Norfolk, VA
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 EX250, 2014 EX300 Posts: A lot.
|
Quote:
its always up to the rider to manage risks, even if the cager is actively trying to kill you. whether or not lane splitting is involved doesn't really matter, if you think about it. the danger is still there.
__________________________________________________
Ethioknight Memorial Fund- Sticker sale http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=111700 |
|
|
June 21st, 2013, 09:12 AM | #16 | |||
ninjette.org member
Name: Josh
Location: Los Angeles
Join Date: Aug 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 250 - SE Black & Red Posts: 16
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
In my opinion, I blame myself. Sure, legally the person in the truck would be to blame and I hate the guy for what he did, especially not stopping, but its my life out there. I have to own up to what risks I take. |
|||
|
June 21st, 2013, 10:04 AM | #17 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Mark
Location: Portland
Join Date: Sep 2010 Motorcycle(s): Cheap Italian Suit. Otherwise known as Dew Kitty Posts: A lot.
|
Great attitude. Way to take ownership over what you can control. Who cares about the idiots out there that you can't control anyway.
|
|
June 21st, 2013, 12:48 PM | #18 |
crash 250, get supersport
Name: Richard
Location: San Diego, CA
Join Date: Apr 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250R SE (Sold 6/9/14), 2009 ZX-6R (Sold 6/25/14), Subaru BRZ Posts: A lot.
|
Sucks to here you went down. If traffic is moving at 45MPH, is there really a need to lane split? Traffic is moving at a decent pace at 45, I can understand if it was sub-20 or stop-and-go.
|
|
June 21st, 2013, 03:29 PM | #19 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Bob
Location: PA
Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300 Posts: 121
|
Edit: Nvm its not.
And sorry about your crash dude Glad you are okay! |
|
June 21st, 2013, 06:27 PM | #20 |
Jigglin' your Jiglets
Name: Sean
Location: San Jose, Ca
Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 K1300S, 2013 Ninja 300, 2011 Ninja 250R, Faster than Unregistered's ninjette Posts: Too much.
Blog Entries: 1
MOTM - Apr '13
|
That's what I was told about motorcycles in general!
__________________________________________________
If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs |
|
June 27th, 2013, 12:38 PM | #21 | |
ninjette.org guru
Name: Annette
Location: Los Angeles
Join Date: Aug 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2013 Ninja 300 ABS Posts: 270
|
@nitehawk - Sorry this happened to you and glad you're okay!! I don't mean to reiterate what others have already said, but I will, because I also live in California and I split lanes.
Here is the CHP guideline regarding speed: Quote:
__________________________________________________
"You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck." |
|
|
July 14th, 2013, 11:41 AM | #22 |
Limp Noodle
Name: Tyler
Location: Missouri
Join Date: Jun 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Ninja 250, Fastest Red money can buy Posts: 212
|
Lane splitting at anything over 15? Are you kidding me? You're not the ghost rider dude. Slow down, get a cruiser or something :P
|
|
July 14th, 2013, 12:29 PM | #23 | |
ninjette.org guru
Name: David
Location: Murrieta, California
Join Date: Jun 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250r Posts: 288
|
Quote:
Says the guy not from california ^^ You just don't understand ;P Sorry to hear about that though. Hope all is well now!
__________________________________________________
2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250r | Yoshimura Stainless Full Exhaust | Pazzo Levers | Puig Double Bubble | DynoJet Stage 2 | K&N Intake | |
|
|
July 14th, 2013, 02:28 PM | #24 | |
-
Name: -
Location: -
Join Date: May 2009 Motorcycle(s): - Posts: A lot.
|
Quote:
|
|
|
July 16th, 2013, 05:02 PM | #25 |
Your face
Name: Wes
Location: SF Bay Area
Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2014 Honda CBR650f Posts: A lot.
|
Granted, I'm still a n00b, so I have alooooot to learn. But it seems to me that this was 10000% preventable
|
|
July 17th, 2013, 08:23 AM | #26 |
ninjette.org member
Name: Sunspots
Location: Austin, TX
Join Date: Jun 2013 Motorcycle(s): 08 Plasma Blue 250 Posts: 56
|
Have had my bike for a little over 2 weeks now, been casually riding for little over a week now and I had my first close call light night. I was in the inner of 2 lanes making a left turn.
A SUV that was in the lane to the right of me, turns cuts me off in the turn and gets to the lane to the left of me. I was probably a foot away from touching the car with my front. |
|
July 17th, 2013, 09:24 AM | #28 |
ninjette.org certified postwhore
Name: Jason
Location: Norfolk, VA
Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 EX250, 2014 EX300 Posts: A lot.
|
There's always an exit.
__________________________________________________
Ethioknight Memorial Fund- Sticker sale http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=111700 |
|
July 17th, 2013, 01:58 PM | #29 |
Avid Kitteh Poster
Name: Justin
Location: Norcal
Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Yamaha TTR 50 SUCK IT Posts: A lot.
|
He went over a double yellow... I hate people that do that... Stay in or get out at a break.
__________________________________________________
I powdercoat stuff Help me pay for my addiction I say funny stuff. http://twitter.com/JustinPWNSyou sometimes... I write like a 12 year old too, http://justinpwnsyou.wordpress.com/ |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Lane Splitting Legalization | nickjpass | General Motorcycling Discussion | 49 | December 31st, 2014 06:47 AM |
Lane splitting - new report out of CA | Gregg_VA | Riding Skills | 7 | October 22nd, 2014 12:35 PM |
this is lane splitting. | Racer x | General Motorcycling Discussion | 34 | February 20th, 2013 08:47 PM |
Lane Splitting | MrTsquared903 | General Motorcycling Discussion | 20 | September 26th, 2012 08:17 PM |
Splitting hairs.... | headshrink | General Motorcycling Discussion | 22 | March 8th, 2010 09:43 PM |
|
|