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Old April 19th, 2015, 06:00 AM   #1
Conundrum
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Not 100% in the game at the time.

Got her back in 2010 brand new and had done a lot of work to her all by myself. Needed to get to go make amends with a friend after a massive fight so i took to the streets with a head clouded full of emotion.
Stopped at traffic lights behind a long line of cars (about 6 which is a lot for where i live) waiting to turn right and cross some train tracks. The light turned green and 3 cars made it but the 4th just sat there doing nothing, by the time someone beeped at him to move him along he was just able to move up to the line as the light turned red. Next light change a white 4 wheel drive just behind the guy up front just beeped the second the light changed, i followed a black great wall ute at a pretty slow speed round the corner, the second he had his wheels straight again he tried merging into the lane to the left but mounted a cement island so backed off and merged the second he was in front of the island. The white 4 wheel drive had already merged in front of the black great wall, i merged into the lane behind the great wall to prepare to turn a corner after the next set of lights which i check out in advance to see the light just turned green and only 3 or 4 cars were taking off in the 3 lanes available.
At first i didn't see any point in slowing down as the cars that were stopped at the lights had already taken off and gotten to speed and i was planning on merging once again into the far left lane. After passing the other side of the lights and getting about 10 meters i glanced to my left to see if i could make the merge into the far left lane which i couldn't, when i looked back up i saw the white 4 wheel drive slam on his brakes for no apparent reason causing the black great wall to do the same. Unfortunately as i was ultimately just that little bit too close and not 100% switched on i was probably about half a second too late in getting to the brakes so just yanked the hell out of that lever in an attempt at avoiding hitting anything. I low-sided, bike went off in one direction and i went off in another doing about 60kph, stupidly, only half protected, boots long pants, gauntlet gloves and my beloved Shoei helmet.
First thing i recall after hitting the asphalt pretty hard and started sliding on my side was "this doesn't feel as bad as i thought it would" i turned myself onto my back with my arm to finish sliding and wonder what was in my bag that was digging into me when i thought it was empty. Came to a complete stop and just laid there for about 5 seconds or so to decide what i was going to do next and make sure everything important was still attached.
I sat up after the 5 seconds to see a bunch of people running over to me saying not to get up but i insisted i was fine. Still sitting in the middle of the 3 lanes i took off my helmet to see the damage, it hit hard on the side near the chin under the visor leaving a few scratches up the side of the fiberglass and heaps on the visor. i got up to see 3 or so people standing my bike up to roll it over to the side of the road, (i went further then it did by the way) i met up with my bike where people were handing me names and numbers saying they saw everything. Initial quick check over of the bike and there was the usual stuff from going down on its right side, bent handlebar, bent rear brake lever, the pipe looked a little scratched up but that thing is hella tough, indicator gone. Looking down at the cover for the front sprocket i noticed oil leaking out from somewhere and strangely my left mirror was nowhere to be seen, just the glass bit that is, the rest of it was still there even looked to be pointing in the correct direction.
The driver of the black great wall was the first to me as he said he saw me go down in his mirrors and watched me slide towards the back of his ute, but he was able to continue rolling forward cause the wonderful person in the white 4 wheel drive that locked brakes for no reason just took off.
A person working in one of the shops near by who heard the crash was the first person i know of to call an ambulance. The first to arrive was a fire truck, then the medics, then the police. Once the medics gave me a quick look over they asked me if i wanted to go with them to the hospital as at that point i was the only one knowing how i felt. So i declined as i didn't want to draw anymore unwanted attention to the situation.
The police then called me over to where they were talking to the driver of the black great wall where they just told me they were not going to file a report because nothing had to be towed and no damage was caused to anything but me and my bike, but if they wanted me to have them file one it would just say i was following too close... "Cool, no worries, have a good day officer!"
I then had a chance to exchange details with the black ute driver where he filled me in on what had happened with the 4 wheel drive, him just taking off and the fact that the cops were more interested in finding out if my bike had done any damage rather then if any damage had been done to me... Priorities man!
He was then nice enough to give me a lift home where i discovered hes actually a really nice guy, 10 years older then me and he was considering that his first accident. Considering i have had my bike now for 5 years and have been riding it every day as my primary mode of transport, then before that was driving all sorts of cars also on a daily basis for around a decade, with this being my first accident i think I'm doing not too badly.

Upon getting home and seeking my own personal medical advice i learned i had dislocated my hip a bit and my shoulder, also fractured my hip.

A question I've been getting a lot since my accident is weather or not this is going to put me off riding. This experience has been a very educational one teaching me how much i really do love motorcycles, the freedom and the thrills and that i never want to give up riding them no matter how many times i might crash. I just hope that should the potential crash ever be really bad they are still able to patch me up to a point where i can still ride.

As for the bike, I've had a good friend and her motorcycle mechanic partner go have a look at it to give me the prognosis. He seems surprisingly confident that it will be back on the road in no time. So if he is true to his word, and i can trust him as much as my friend says i can, the only thing that's going to be holding me back is saving up for a new Shoei helmet, why would i want to own anything else now after one has saved my noggin, and felt like a 10ft wide cushion strapped around my head in the process. AMAZED!

Will post a photo of the damage done to the helmet if anyone is interested.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this if you did, hope you found it somewhat entertaining/educational/enlightening.
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Old April 19th, 2015, 06:58 AM   #2
kdogg2077
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Glad you're OK. As far as wrecks go it could have been alot worse. At least your bike didn't hit anyone or any cars. That would have been a mess. Has your insurance been helpful?

So how bad is your hip fracture? I lowside once and got some bruising on my hip. Since then I've thought about getting gear with better hip protection. Do you think you'll be getting some pants with hip armor now?
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Old April 19th, 2015, 07:30 AM   #3
Conundrum
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kdogg2077 View Post
Glad you're OK. As far as wrecks go it could have been alot worse. At least your bike didn't hit anyone or any cars. That would have been a mess. Has your insurance been helpful?

So how bad is your hip fracture? I lowside once and got some bruising on my hip. Since then I've thought about getting gear with better hip protection. Do you think you'll be getting some pants with hip armor now?
The hip only really hurts when i cough, laugh or bend in any way other then a very particular way.
The problem i have always faced in this town and have noticed a lot of other riders are the same, is that because its so small you spend most of your time doing well under 60kph if not just stopped at stupid traffic lights that don't trip for bikes. With temperatures in this town averaging around the 30-40 degrees Celsius for around 9 months of the year i have twice at the beginning of my riding adventure 5 years ago spent 10 minutes getting all geared up, 10 mins to warm up the bike, by that point im already sweating like no-body's business. I would get to cool down slightly here and there but when i got to my destination i would end up throwing up from heat-stroke.
Simply just got to the point where trips were not long enough, nor would i reach a high enough speed in which i felt the need for armor. I have general rules i set myself like gloves being a must, as well as boots, however i dont wear motorcycle boots, just military spec things with no steel cap toe. But if i know im going to be going on a ride that will take me up to 100kph for more than 10 mins i will wear the same textile jacket that i got when i got my bike all that time ago, its got a back plate, shoulder pads and elbow and forearm pads.
Ive always kind of skimped on most my safety gear EXCEPT my helmet, gloves and boots. But once i finally get around to upgrading my motorcycle license so i can get a bike i actually fit on without either looking like a giant or making the bike look like a toy then ill actually take pride in my protective gear as i plan on doing a lot of traveling.

Oh and as for the insurance thing, here in Australia there is sorta 2 kinds of insurance, the first kind is compulsory third party insurance which you automatically get every time you pay your registration. That just covers damages you do to others. Then there's the insurance you go out of your way to pay for with different levels of cover for different stuff, i kinda decided not to go for that cause there's things about my bike that well... should i ever need the insurance company to give my bike the once over for either the initial quote or to inspect the damages... well lets just say it would be way more trouble then its worth
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Old April 19th, 2015, 02:21 PM   #4
Conundrum
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The one thing that actually keeps going through my mind is weather or not oggy knobs/chassis sliders would really be worth it ultimately. I have dropped the bike before in a really stupid situation (at a stand still sorta) and pretty much the same things happened, bent handlebar, bent rear brake lever, busted indicator. After finding out my local authorized dealer was selling the right handle bar for $150 i opted for woodcraft clip-ons so i could replace the bars cheaply should the need arise.
Doing all the research im able to do with the pathetic internet i have at the moment, all ive really been able to come across is people either praising them for looking awesome, or cursing them to the ends of the earth swearing they can make things worse. Never actually was able to find a picture of a ninja 250 after a slide with the sliders.
But the way i feel about it after the accident, provided there are no nasty surprises hiding in wait for me, is the price im going to pay in parts to get the bike back on the road is possibly cheaper then getting the sliders replaced after a fall and what ever else gets damaged that the sliders dont protect, like your handle bars..
Really dont know what to do..
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Old April 20th, 2015, 10:10 AM   #5
flitecontrol
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Good to hear your injuries are no worse than they are.

Sounds like allowing more following distance might have been helpful in this situation.
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Old April 20th, 2015, 02:14 PM   #6
Conundrum
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flitecontrol View Post
Good to hear your injuries are no worse than they are.

Sounds like allowing more following distance might have been helpful in this situation.
Without a doubt! I noticed a thread somewhere on this forum about what we have learned from our falls. Other than reminding me of things i already knew, it really made it clear to me my complete disrespect for my own life or safety. Didn't really bother me at first till i kept going over in my head how things could have gone had things been just the most insignificant amount different. I came to terms with my life a long time ago, i don't think i've got it in me to come to terms with another persons life.

Many thinks to be had while the bike is fixed and a new helmet is found.
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Old April 21st, 2015, 01:16 AM   #7
flitecontrol
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I've come close to eating it several times. The dumbest, and scariest one was due to my inattention. I was on the Honda Rebel, which is significantly wider than the Ninja. I had plenty of following distance from the vehicle in front of me. Speed was 45 mph on a two lane highway on the outskirts of town. The foot and a half wide shoulder wasn't paved and led into a ditch (typical older Louisiana state highway). Ironically, less than a half mile further, the road has paved shoulders as wide as the travel lanes. I guess it was cheaper to purchase the right-of-way where there were fewer houses.

Anyway, I took my eyes off the vehicle to admire the scenery. When I looked up, the vehicle was stopped in the road ahead talking to a vehicle stopped in the oncoming lane. That's the first time I realized none of his brake lights worked! He was probably slowing down when I last saw him, but with no brake lights and still enough distance, I didn't realize it. I initiated a quick stop and quickly realized I couldn't stop in time. Running into the ditch didn't seem like as good an option as trying to slip between the stopped vehicles, which is what I did. Made it through with little space on either side of the bars but fortunately no contact. Immediately pulled over at the first opportunity. I was badly shaken by what just happened and was mentally kicking myself for my stupidity in allowing it to get to that point.

Not sure how long I sat in that parking lot, but it was long enough to get my head on straight and continue to my destination.
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Old April 21st, 2015, 03:47 AM   #8
Conundrum
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My only real near miss was what made me get the feeling my bike was a bit small on me. Going at super slow crawl speed getting ready to turn down a street after a car passes in the opposite direction with plenty of room for me to make it before the next car passed, begin powering on at the same time as my eyes dash from the back of the passing car to the line i usually take around that corner to see the driver of a 4wheel drive looking in the opposite direction to me "sneaking" forward.. his entire car was over the give way line. with the slight lean i had for the corner and the bars not being straight tapping the brakes as hard as i did made her start going down, but because i was doing such a super slow speed natural reaction was to put my foot down, managed to keep a grip on the handle bars whilst holding the clutch and brake in and just brute force it back upright on one leg. the driver did the whole wave while mouthing sorry, i just shook my head in confusion and continued on.
No idea what that was about, there's no way he couldn't have seen me with how long he was waiting for a break in traffic and how long i was in front of him in the turning lane at crawl speed.
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Old April 21st, 2015, 07:49 AM   #9
flitecontrol
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I've had several cages do similar stuff. I think they do it because they know the rider will yield. Just like a semi pulling onto a road when there isn't enough room to do so without interfering with existing traffic. Who's gonna argue with a semi?
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Old April 21st, 2015, 09:46 AM   #10
liberpolly
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I've had people blankly stare st me and still cut in front. One time I caught up with one, and the guy was mortified - his brain honestly filtered me out. I do SMIDSY maneuver every time now.
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Old May 11th, 2015, 11:07 AM   #11
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I'm sorry to hear about your injury and the damage to your damage. It sounds like you are mostly OK and will be back to riding again soon. It's important to look at what happened and take steps to prevent its reoccurence which it sounds like you are doing. That which does not destroy us just makes us stronger and better.
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Old May 11th, 2015, 04:03 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Conundrum View Post
......... Needed to get to go make amends with a friend after a massive fight so i took to the streets with a head clouded full of emotion................ i glanced to my left to see if i could make the merge into the far left lane which i couldn't, when i looked back up i saw the white 4 wheel drive slam on his brakes for no apparent reason causing the black great wall to do the same. Unfortunately as i was ultimately just that little bit too close and not 100% switched on i was probably about half a second too late in getting to the brakes so just yanked the hell out of that lever in an attempt at avoiding hitting anything.............
- Do not ride when under emotional or physical stress or over-heating.

- Cover your brakes when glancing back and get ready to brake and/or swerve when turning your head and eyes back forward.

- Keep plenty of distance from the preceding vehicle. Know exactly how much distance you will need to fully stop.

- Brake softly when in a hurry to stop.
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Old May 11th, 2015, 07:26 PM   #13
Conundrum
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Motofool View Post
- Do not ride when under emotional or physical stress or over-heating.

- Cover your brakes when glancing back and get ready to brake and/or swerve when turning your head and eyes back forward.

- Keep plenty of distance from the preceding vehicle. Know exactly how much distance you will need to fully stop.

- Brake softly when in a hurry to stop.
Excellent advice, thank you all very much for all the well wishing and words of wisdom. Every day is a learning experience, as well as every crash
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Old May 11th, 2015, 08:08 PM   #14
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Excellent advice, thank you all very much for all the well wishing and words of wisdom. Every day is a learning experience, as well as every crash
You are welcome

These websites have lots of useful information about how to prevent crashes:

http://www.msgroup.org/articles.aspx

http://roadsafety.mccofnsw.org.au/sitemap.html

Most crashes are optional.
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Old May 12th, 2015, 01:16 PM   #15
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Most crashes are optional.
^ I like this!
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Old May 15th, 2015, 07:02 PM   #16
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Speedy healing and feel free to make it hurt as much as you want by laughing. Smiles have healing properties.

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