Unlucky with gravel.

[Løckøut]

It's how I laid my first bike over the first time, and now my most recent bike for my second fall. I was leaving the fair, about 5mph. Was setting up to turn into the entrance, which was ten to fifteen feet furter than the exit, saw I was about to go into oncoming and went to make a semi-sharp turn... on the only patc of gravel in the vicinity. My luck. Plopped right down, put a dent in my right exhaust, couple scratces on the body, a nice sliver out of the top right side of my front fender, handlebar and clutch lever got some damage, and my front wheel was way out of alignment with my handlebars.

Stood up, put the front wheel between my legs and manned it straight [Finally put my gym work to use in real life], hoped on the highway and rode home fine. Only a miniscule ras on the forearm, elbow was chewed up a little bit. Noting crazy; gloves saved my palm, helmet saved the slight thud. All's good... just frustrating.

[csmith12]

You ok and should be all easy fixes at least.

[Motofool]

Sorry to read about that mishap, Josh

[crazymadbastard]

Glad you're ok, I try fooling around at low speeds with gravel- fun but def would not like to be leaned into a turn and getting into it.

[Løckøut]

Much better turn-ou than my first bike... 98 suzuki dr-650DS, 35mph, gravel at the top of a steep hill on an unfamiliar trail. Locked the front brake up ( this was my second time riding my bike). Laid right over, rolled off my elbow, apparently did some ninja roll and landed on my feet at ten mph and ran after the bike while it was still sliding. Got it shut off right befoe it stopped sliding, too. Needless to say, my father was impressed... but the body work, turn signals etc. were pretty messed up. Sold it to my father for 1000 and never saw it after that. Shoulder still has a scar from the gash, whole right lat was tore up since i was only wearing a t-shirt. Helmet saved my head... wish I got that roll on camera though, my dad had never seen someone take a fall so gracefully. heh

Two years later, Ive got the ninjette. Elbow's almost ealed up completely, bike's damage isnt really noticable save the dent in the exhaust. But -I- can see it... you guys know the feel. Still my daily and still kicking

[Mocha Man]

Good to hear everything turned out okay!

[Klondike1020]

I feel ya man - that loose gravel will get you time and again.

glad your ok

[JohnnyBravo]

I almost hit a rock the size of my foot today... Wonder how that woulda turns out at 55 or a lil faster? I'm not a big fan of gravels an rocks

[akima]

Glad you're ok.

* stares skeptically at the word "unlucky" in the post title *

[Thorgrim]

Speaking as a mostly-dirt rider, the best way to ride gravel is WFO in the turns and using the throttle to steer, use the ends of the straightaways to scrub off some speed - nearly the opposite of what tarmac teaches us. Gravel eats hot shoes and squids for that very reason, everything seems backwards when you're pushing it. Exceptional skill in throttle control pretty much trumps all other skills. I don't hate gravel roads for their lack of traction, I hate them for their variability. If I knew that the texture of the next turn would be like this turn, I'd pin it. Not wise in the real world, though.

[akima]

WFO?

[Alex]

Wide ***ing Open. (full throttle)

[akima]

Ahhhh, thanks!