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Old August 12th, 2019, 08:46 AM   #1
adouglas
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My run of 32 crash-free years has ended

Eight days ago I crashed at the track and busted my clavicle. Unhurt aside from that.

Classic front tuck heading into Turn 1 after a long straight. I'd hit maybe 120-125 on the straight, banged two downshifts and estimate I was still traveling at 55-65 mph when the front let go. That was carrying too much speed into the corner and I was trail braking really deep. I released the brakes a bit too quickly, which unloaded the front end and the traction pie suddenly got too small to handle what I was asking it to do. 95 points of demand became 105 points and 0.6 seconds later my shoulder hit the ground. It happened so fast I didn't register the impact until after it happened.

Thanks to my airbag vest I avoided further injury despite going through a tire wall (NASCAR tires, which are relatively soft but they ain't no air fence). My face shield scraped briefly and I have rubber scuffs on the helmet from glancing off tires but I recall the entire sequence with perfect clarity. Zero head trauma.

The vest deployed 0.5 seconds after my shoulder hit and while it it could have triggered faster had my tether been shorter, I question whether it would have deployed in time even with the tether as tight as reasonable given the need to move. Slo mo video shows me hitting the ground 0.1 seconds after my butt comes out of the seat, which is necessary for inflation. Factor in the tether stretching to the trigger point (even set as short as practical), firing the mechanism and the 65 millisecond inflation time, and it's clear to me that the vest would not have been inflated by the time I hit.

I seriously doubt a tetherless system would have reacted fast enough to sense the impending crash and fire the airbag either, but I don't really know.

In any event, the impact was one that vests can't really mitigate... straight on to the shoulder, sending a lateral load across my chest and giving my clavicle a compression fracture with significant displacement and a loose piece floating around in there. My shoulder slider is scuffed from the hit.

I'm completely confident that the vest protected me from worse injury. I wasn't even aware of the fracture until I got back to the garage and people had pulled off my gear. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with adrenaline but no doubt the chest and neck support played a part in stabilizing things.

So at my age (60) and after such a long run of crash-free riding, it's easy to see how this might seriously rattle me and make me hesitant to get back on the bike. Not so. Knowledge is power. Having good video, knowing exactly what happened, why it happened, what I did to make it happen in the first place, and exactly what I could have done to prevent it puts my mind at ease. Had there been any mystery or doubt, it would have festered in the back of my mind and made me question every move going into a corner like that.

Had successful surgery on Thursday and am now in this awkward padded sling. The good news is that I didn't need a plate and screws. I've got a rod, which the doc says may get removed if it heals right. Don't know how long this will keep me down but it sure does look like the season is over.

Full-speed and slo-mo videos. These are 60 fps so six frames of the slo mo = 0.1 second. The slo mo starts at the instant my bars move, indicating the tuck, and ends as my right foot passes over the seat.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.
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Old August 12th, 2019, 08:52 AM   #2
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Sorry to hear my friend, heal up. Hope this doesnt get in your head and you come back better than ever.
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Old August 12th, 2019, 09:11 AM   #3
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Glad it wasn't worse.

Heal up!
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Old August 12th, 2019, 09:40 AM   #4
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Old August 12th, 2019, 10:43 AM   #5
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Old August 12th, 2019, 01:24 PM   #6
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Heal up quickly. I got taken out at the last race when rider on the inside lost the front and slid under me. I had my Helite inflate for the first time and felt pretty sure it was a worth addition to the gear arsenal despite the cost.
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Old August 12th, 2019, 02:22 PM   #7
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Based on Mr. Fist's crash, I have shortened the tether on both my bikes to the point they are stretching approx. 75% max when I lean off. I attempted to recreate (minus the crash) @adouglas' crash entry. I entered turn 1 at 125mph indicated, only had to drop one gear and trailed the brakes nearly to the apex. I cannot say for sure what exactly went wrong for him but I believe he may have been going faster than he thinks. I am not as skilled as him and there is no possible way for me to roll off, begin braking, turn in and all the other possible variables exactly as he did so he will have to tell us if my theory is possible. Whatever the case, he was really cranking thru that turn and we are all very happy that his injuries are minor (as minor as a broken bone can be).

Heal Quickly and hope to see you out there again soon!
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Old August 12th, 2019, 02:53 PM   #8
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Something to note: The slo-mo video can be a bit deceiving because of the perspective. The tether looks REALLY long before the bag pops, but you can see that the vest has inflated by the time you see the sole of my right boot.

Because I'm a card-carrying member of the Lollipop Guild, that puts my torso no more than a foot and a half behind the back end of the bike at activation. The vest really did go bang in a hurry.

And Ant: NO WAY are you really going 125 mph at corner entry (i.e. tip-in). Not even steely-eyed missile man Paul Duval can do that and he's a full 30 seconds per lap faster than me on the same bike! 125 at rolloff I get because I know that's what I'm doing -- it's the only time I actually look at my speedo. But 125 at corner entry? I really don't see it.

Here's a video of Paul following Ken last weekend in which you can see his speedo.

At the first X (before tip-in) he's already decelerated to 113 or so from a peak of 140, and deceleration began well before the marker cone on the right, starting where that fast-disappearing gravel patch is. I roll off about where he does but I'm going a lot slower there because that kind of speed makes me fraidy-scared.

At the cone he's doing 130 and still leaned to the right. First X, 113, still leaned right. Second X 99 and still leaning right, third X just as the bike comes over the top, 88.

At tip-in, after the third X, he's doing about 84, depending on how you define tip-in. Knee down happens at about 73.

By the time he reaches the first apex in the chicane he's doing 60.

And both these guys are FAST. I think that at max lean where he's doing 73 or so, saying I'm doing 60 is, if anything, very optimistic. And you know I'm faster than you through there (but not as much as you might think).

Have a look.

Link to original page on YouTube.

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Old August 12th, 2019, 03:20 PM   #9
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I really missed having you around on Monday, but I'm so glad you are doing ok!
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Old August 12th, 2019, 03:37 PM   #10
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Not to poke you with a stick, but the first thing that came to mind is this old discussion. But props to you for holding out for so long when I have friends that are already on, oh I don't know, #6 or so.

Glad you're ok dude. Collarbones... not a real big deal. Seems like the "consumable bone" in the human body designed to give out on impact, but heal relatively fast. Not sure what you mean by a rod in there, seems like everyone who breaks theirs is either a minor break and then they get a restraining sling (which really sucks because you have to wear it a long time) or a major break which then gets plated, which is great because you just get your arm in a regular sling, you can use it right away and it heals faster.

Mine was a major break, collarbone in 3 pieces so I got it plated. I was back on a bike pretty quick.

Air vests really seem like highside protection to me. I probably could have used one when I highsided. Broke 7 ribs in 9 places that day. Punctured a lung with one of my rib bones too.
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Old August 12th, 2019, 05:42 PM   #11
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Glad your good man... best wishes for a speedy heal time.

I don't have much time but. watch the full vid + 90sec secs before the down, why was your head humping/bobbing up and down like that? Listening to music or something else? It only happens a few times, maybe I am seeing more than what is there. Vids are like that...
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Old August 12th, 2019, 06:07 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas View Post
Something to note: The slo-mo video can be a bit deceiving because of the perspective. The tether looks REALLY long before the bag pops, but you can see that the vest has inflated by the time you see the sole of my right boot.

Because I'm a card-carrying member of the Lollipop Guild, that puts my torso no more than a foot and a half behind the back end of the bike at activation. The vest really did go bang in a hurry.

And Ant: NO WAY are you really going 125 mph at corner entry (i.e. tip-in). Not even steely-eyed missile man Paul Duval can do that and he's a full 30 seconds per lap faster than me on the same bike! 125 at rolloff I get because I know that's what I'm doing -- it's the only time I actually look at my speedo. But 125 at corner entry? I really don't see it.

Here's a video of Paul following Ken last weekend in which you can see his speedo.

At the first X (before tip-in) he's already decelerated to 113 or so from a peak of 140, and deceleration began well before the marker cone on the right, starting where that fast-disappearing gravel patch is. I roll off about where he does but I'm going a lot slower there because that kind of speed makes me fraidy-scared.

At the cone he's doing 130 and still leaned to the right. First X, 113, still leaned right. Second X 99 and still leaning right, third X just as the bike comes over the top, 88.

At tip-in, after the third X, he's doing about 84, depending on how you define tip-in. Knee down happens at about 73.

By the time he reaches the first apex in the chicane he's doing 60.

And both these guys are FAST. I think that at max lean where he's doing 73 or so, saying I'm doing 60 is, if anything, very optimistic. And you know I'm faster than you through there (but not as much as you might think).

Have a look.

Link to original page on YouTube.



AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD,
I was not, in any way, trying to imply that I actually took the turn at 125mph. I tried to follow what you described as closely as possible. I approached the uphill at 130+ and at my safety point (much before yours would be my guess) I rolled off, applied brake and began to turn. Like I said above, there is no way for me to accurately copy what you did it was just a fun experiment for me. I am no where near your level and am sure every single thing I did was earlier and slower than what you had done. Since I had just figured out how to stop my issue of the bike not turning half way thru the turn, I would not have enough confidence to try that turn at anything much north of 50MPH
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Old August 12th, 2019, 06:51 PM   #13
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I have a hit-air vest, but I think Alpinestar's system offers better protection, the only exception is the neck. A*'s system covers the shoulders and may well have prevented your injury, and it's (from reports) ridiculously, magically, good at knowing when to fire.

The reason I didn't get one is that they don't have a vest that will fit in both touring and sport jackets. All the sport jackets require their race vest and all their touring jackets require their street vest. I'm not about to buy TWO airbag vests, so I went with the hit-air.

Glad you didn't get hurt more, and I'm sure your airbag did help prevent more injuries too!
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Old August 12th, 2019, 07:51 PM   #14
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What about the bike?
Is it gonna be ok?





Glad you're gonna be ok!
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Old August 12th, 2019, 09:19 PM   #15
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Wow, you're a tough man. You took a real hard hit and have a good attitude about learning from the video.

Glad you are on your way to recovery!
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Old August 13th, 2019, 04:06 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by csmith12 View Post
Glad your good man... best wishes for a speedy heal time.

I don't have much time but. watch the full vid + 90sec secs before the down, why was your head humping/bobbing up and down like that? Listening to music or something else? It only happens a few times, maybe I am seeing more than what is there. Vids are like that...
Glad you spotted that. I saw it the moment I reviewed the video. I believe it was the bike pitching because I was releasing the brakes too suddenly.

I had a few moments that day that were similar. Trail braking, the bike not being happy with the way I was easing off the brakes and letting me know it.

In fact, JUST before this session I was talking to Ant about that and saying "Y'know, I can see how that happening in Turn 1 might wind up being my first crash." No lie.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 04:13 AM   #17
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What about the bike?
Is it gonna be ok?
The most important question!!!

Yeah. Amazingly little damage considering what happened. One frame slider is ground down maybe 1/3 of the way, there's rash on the fairing, the stator cover (a super-beefy Woodcraft full replacement) is scarred, the brand-new windshield broke when it hit a tire, there are some fresh ground-down spots on the pegs and the shifter took a hit but is still intact. But that's all... the clip-ons didn't even get touched. When we got back to the garage it started right up.

Oh, and there are several pounds of rocks in the belly pan that look like they came off of Wilma Flintstone's necklace.

My gear fared incredibly well too. Big scuff on my left forearm with a split in the leather over my elbow (need to think about that... looks serviceable but I might want to patch it) and scuffs on the shoulder where I hit. The vest is astonishingly unscathed aside from a tiny scuff. I can't figure that one out at all. Haven't looked closely at the gloves yet.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 04:14 AM   #18
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I have a hit-air vest, but I think Alpinestar's system offers better protection, the only exception is the neck.
If I had to choose, I'd take neck protection over shoulder protection every time. Injure the former and you might be in a wheelchair for life. Injure the latter and it's more like six weeks of inconvenience.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 04:29 AM   #19
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Not to poke you with a stick, but the first thing that came to mind is this old discussion.
Totally fair point! But I stand by what I said in that thread... I do not believe this was inevitable and I did not expect to crash, but I wasn't one bit surprised when I did.

No doubt you've also seen similar rants from me about pushing limits. The objection most had was that if you don't push limits and crash from time to time you don't progress.

Calling me out on that is, I think, more on point than the "those who crash and those who will" inevitability thing. And it's a valid hit. Was I pushing limits? Arguably yes. But I didn't set out to do that; I wasn't trying to poke the sleeping dragon to see what I could get away with. To me that's a key difference.

I always have and always will go out there to learn how to ride better, not get a warrior-mindset adrenaline rush from taking risks. I was trying to get the skill right and I simply screwed up. I straight up made a mistake that pushed the bike over the edge.

The thing I take away from this is that the faster you go, the smaller the margin for error. The exact same mistake made at a lower speed would not have resulted in tucking the front. I know because I've done it before and had a few "moments" where the bike said harsh words to me, including the same day of the crash.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 04:43 AM   #20
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I approached the uphill at 130+ and at my safety point (much before yours would be my guess) I rolled off, applied brake and began to turn.
I dunno. I think you're sharper on deceleration and downshifting than I am. I've been on track walks with you at Palmer, pointed out where I roll off and you were surprised I do it so early. My perception going through that corner is that I'm too slow and lazy with speed management and could roll through faster. I think I'm wrong in that perception, especially after looking at Paul's video above.

That's what I was working on in that corner... trying to tighten everything up and carry more speed. What it added up to in effect was charging the corner.

Per the post above the faster you go the smaller the margins get. Yeah I released the brakes too quickly but what came before that is important... I blew the timing and degree of acceleration in the first place and wound up going in too hot. That's what put me in the position of having to trail brake hard.

Slowing down more before tip-in equals less trail brake pressure, equals more traction, equals getting through the corner with the rubber still on the road.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 05:52 AM   #21
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Heal up quick! You are a real biker now that youve broken a collarbone!!
That one is next on my list... Maybe this weekend?
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Old August 13th, 2019, 08:59 AM   #22
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Above a few have commented on how tough @adouglas was after his crash and he noted that he had just told me he "could see himself crashing in turn 1". What he actually said about turn 1 was less a prediction as a recognition that he was pushing harder and things could go wrong. I cant believe neither he nor I recognized this and discussed what was happening and why. A failure on both our parts = lesson learned. I will take anyone's comments about "cornering issues" or "possible crashes" a little more seriously at the track from now on!

This second part is something @adouglas should tell you although I doubt he will. After he crashed and stood back up, he signaled the corner worker he was ok. Since it was the end of the session and his bike was safely behind the tire wall as was he, there was no call for a Red Flag to stop the session. He picked up his shattered windshield and rode back to the paddock in the flatbed truck. After his R6 was safely unloaded, he was discussing his incident with several of us who wanted to know what happened. When one rider asked him "are you OK?" he answered "I don't know". Once we helped him wrestle out of his suit and Boots, one of the riders with some medical knowledge began to check his shoulder. He asked @adouglas several times if he had ever broken his collar bone on the left side. @adouglas answered "no" and was then advised to report to the Ambulance for further examination. There was no more than a passing mention that his shoulder did not feel right and we had to stop him multiple times from using his left arm/shoulder to pick things up or help him get up. I know that adrenaline will mask quite a bit of pain but some of the credit has to go to Mr. Fists composition.

I hope you don't mind me telling this part of your experience.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 09:53 AM   #23
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If I had to choose, I'd take neck protection over shoulder protection every time. Injure the former and you might be in a wheelchair for life. Injure the latter and it's more like six weeks of inconvenience.
Yeah, that's my major hangup about the A*s (and Dainese) systems. They do get bigger around the neck, but not as much as the Hit-Air vests. Whether it's enough to limit neck movement or not, I can't really say. Difficult to tell from videos and pictures.
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Old August 13th, 2019, 04:12 PM   #24
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Owie! I'm glad it wasn't worse.
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Old August 14th, 2019, 10:59 AM   #25
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As I lay in bed at 4 am this morning staring at the ceiling (don't worry, it'll happen to you too when you reach my age), the thought suddenly struck me:

Once again, Keith Code is right. In the introduction to TOTW II, he talks about riding at 75 percent of your ability so that you've got enough mental margin to make progress.

I wasn't doing that when I crashed. I was riding at more like 85-90 percent.

Time to hit the books again....
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Old August 16th, 2019, 08:57 AM   #26
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Sorry to hear about your crash! 32 crash-free years though!? TEACH ME! (or, you must not be riding dirtbikes )
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Old August 16th, 2019, 10:55 PM   #27
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LOL... Nope, I don't ride dirty bikes.

It's really just a matter of riding in a sane and mindful way combined with a little luck that's kept me away from uncontrollable wild card incidents.

A debate I often get engaged in is the well-worn "there are those who have crashed and those who will" and "you have to push your limits to get better" thing. I don't buy into either argument. I believe it's a mindset thing.

If your primary goal is to go fast then yeah... you'll probably crash along the way. But if your goals are different it need not be so. That doesn't mean you won't become fast over time... it just happens more slowly.

In five years of track riding I've advanced from the slowest to second-fastest of four groups (my organization runs four groups, red/yellow/blue/black, slow to fast) without pushing to the ragged edge. If "you have to push to get better" were true I’d still be in red group instead of blue. Learn, apply, be thoughtful and progress happens. That may not win races but it does make you a better, safer, faster rider.

I'm inherently cautious and don't find benefit in pushing limits because I'm not a racer. My motivations are different. I'm out there to learn and become a better rider, not do whatever it takes to win regardless of other considerations. Frankly, I think I'd be a lousy racer for that reason.

Sure, what we do out there is risky... but approaching it from a place of mindfulness, clear-eyed assessment and risk management produces a different kind of riding. I'm no shrinking violet on the bike and I do enjoy riding fast but you're talking to a guy who wears full leathers on the street. Seriously... who does that? ANYONE you know? I can't remember the last time I saw someone doing it.

My off was not a case of pushing limits to see what I could get away with or how fast I could go. It was straight-up user error. What caught me was that when you go faster, the margins shrink.

IMHO the difference between a racer and a track rider is a warrior mindset. Racers are out to win, and everything they do is in pursuit of that goal. Pushing limits is required because the other competitors are doing it to gain an edge.

But as any thinking rider knows, you can’t win a track day. Therefore intentionally pushing to the ragged edge is pointless. Nothing to gain, a lot to lose. What rational reason is there to take such a risk?
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Old August 17th, 2019, 08:29 AM   #28
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But as any thinking rider knows, you can’t win a track day. Therefore intentionally pushing to the ragged edge is pointless. Nothing to gain, a lot to lose. What rational reason is there to take such a risk?
There it is, true wisdom. Thank you.
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Old August 26th, 2019, 01:50 PM   #29
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As I lay in bed at 4 am this morning staring at the ceiling (don't worry, it'll happen to you too when you reach my age), the thought suddenly struck me:

Once again, Keith Code is right. In the introduction to TOTW II, he talks about riding at 75 percent of your ability so that you've got enough mental margin to make progress.

I wasn't doing that when I crashed. I was riding at more like 85-90 percent.

Time to hit the books again....
@Misti
Oh wow, sorry to hear that you went down! I hope you are ok. Do you know what happened to cause the crash, besides was you say riding at a higher percentage of your ability and not leaving enough margin for error?

Lowside, high side, trail braking, exit of the corner, entrance, tank slapper? The first step in "hitting the books again" and improving is to sort out what you did wrong, what you could have done instead and then going from there.

I'll do what I can to help
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Old August 26th, 2019, 04:06 PM   #30
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Hey, not the kinda news I like to come back to! Glad your doing ok though! Heal up!!
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Old August 28th, 2019, 09:14 AM   #31
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Glad to hear you are ok. As always, I like your mindset.

I wear full leathers on the street and if I had a dollar for each time I was picked on or kidded about the fact, I would have enough money to buy new leathers.
It's not nearly as uncomfortable as people that don't wear leather think it is.
I actually get less physical soreness and fatigue with leathers vs jeans and t short.
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Old August 28th, 2019, 09:17 AM   #32
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I had a rider comment about my leather jacket this past weekend, too. I assured him it breathes nicely and is actually quite comfortable.

People can tease you all they like- you don't have to care about their opinion. It's your skin, and you're protecting it. Another of our riders commented the leather is your second, replaceable skin to protect your real one. I like that.
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Old August 28th, 2019, 09:48 AM   #33
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Oh wow, sorry to hear that you went down! I hope you are ok. Do you know what happened to cause the crash, besides was you say riding at a higher percentage of your ability and not leaving enough margin for error?

Lowside, high side, trail braking, exit of the corner, entrance, tank slapper? The first step in "hitting the books again" and improving is to sort out what you did wrong, what you could have done instead and then going from there.

I'll do what I can to help
Checking in and just saw this. Thanks for the offer and I'll take you up on it.

Beginning last year, my track riding got a lot smoother and faster. My organization bumped me up a group (they run four, and I got put in the second-fastest). I began to focus more on flow and carrying speed vs. honing of basic skills.

My first track weekend this year was Memorial Day, and it went very well. I really felt at home in the faster group and everything was clicking. Speeds were up and so were both comfort and smoothness.

The next outing was the day I crashed. Still feeling good, so I was working on smoothness, carrying more corner speed to reduce throttle transition-induced chassis input, trail braking deeper, etc.

I had a couple of minor "moments" earlier that day doing this. I wasn't intentionally pushing limits but a few times the bike let me know that I was releasing brake pressure too quickly when trailing off in the corner. Just a little bobble.

This very thing is what I believed nailed me. The crash happened into the uphill Turn 1 and my peak speed on the straight was about 125-130. I rolled off, banged two downshifts as usual and applied brakes. Because the corner is steep uphill, braking pressure isn't really high through there but I was faster than I had been at tip-in.

I'm positive that I made the same brake-release error as before but due to higher speed there wasn't enough margin left, so exit, stage right.

If you look at the video clips you can see my head bounce just a bit, twice, immediately before the front tucks. This, I believe, is the bike reacting to the too-abrupt release of brake pressure. I did not just let go of the brakes. I don't believe I experienced a classic Code-style triggering event that led to the braking error SR ... I simply made an error in execution. A hair more pressure would, I believe, have kept the front planted and I would have made the corner.

So my analysis is:
1) Line was good, basic approach to the corner (correct gear, decelerating, trail braking) was good.
2) Misjudged speed going in, which reduced margin for error.
3) Mistake in manipulation of the controls, which unloaded the front.
4) 95 points of demand on available traction became 105 points of demand because the contact patch got smaller due to my braking error.
5) Cue Fist of Angry God.

I know CSS instructors love to ask questions to get us to think, so permit me to anticipate the "what could you have done differently?"

My answer is to slow more up front so I don't need to trail brake as deep or hard. That gives me more margin even if the overall time through the corner is the same.


Aftermath:
My clavicle broke in the middle and there was a loose triangular piece floating around as well. The bone was displaced a fair bit... maybe a couple of centimeters... and the doc said one of the jagged ends penetrated the fascia. It wasn't compound... didn't penetrate the skin.

Surgery four days after the crash had him put a titanium rod into the bone to stabilize it while healing. I believe the plan is to eventually remove it, and x-rays show that the end of the thing is bent 90 degrees so they can pull it out.

Pain has been manageable (not a lot of meds needed and I can sleep) but it's a hassle. It feels like someone stuck a $#@*()#@ shish kabob skewer in my shoulder because, well, that's exactly what they did. When they remove it I'm going to ask if I can keep it and use it to roast weenies and marshmallows.

Still wearing a super-awkward padded sling and not allowed to lift my arm or drive for at least another three or four weeks. After that I don't know. My season is shot but there's a trip down to NCBIKE in October and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I wrote up a detailed report for Helite (the vest fared amazingly well considering I slid and punched through a tire wall) and to thank me they sent me a couple of replacement cartridges.

Bike is also in surprisingly good condition. It's not as pretty as it used to be and the Woodcraft frame slider is ground down but as far as I can tell, the only actual damage is a busted windshield. I have all the pieces and I plan to glue it, drill holes and stitch it together Frankenstein-style. IT'S..... ALIIIVVEEEEE!
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Old August 28th, 2019, 06:13 PM   #34
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I had a rider comment about my leather jacket this past weekend, too. I assured him it breathes nicely and is actually quite comfortable.

People can tease you all they like- you don't have to care about their opinion. It's your skin, and you're protecting it. Another of our riders commented the leather is your second, replaceable skin to protect your real one. I like that.
I wear full leathers all the time, and added an airbag vest this past spring, and I can honestly say that I've only ever had one person comment about my gear. I had just parked at FedEx and was getting myself sorted out when a young guy jumped out of the utility truck a couple spots down and jogged over to me asking about my airbag vest. He was quite interested in it and was planning to get one for himself.

That's the only comment I've had, maybe I just look mean or something. I did have a co-worker tell me that I was intimidating once, which I found pretty funny since the guy who told me that was at least twice my weight in pure ripped muscle.
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Old August 28th, 2019, 09:48 PM   #35
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Pain has been manageable (not a lot of meds needed and I can sleep) but it's a hassle. It feels like someone stuck a $#@*()#@ shish kabob skewer in my shoulder because, well, that's exactly what they did. When they remove it I'm going to ask if I can keep it and use it to roast weenies and marshmallows.

::snip::

Bike is also in surprisingly good condition. It's not as pretty as it used to be and the Woodcraft frame slider is ground down but as far as I can tell, the only actual damage is a busted windshield. I have all the pieces and I plan to glue it, drill holes and stitch it together Frankenstein-style. IT'S..... ALIIIVVEEEEE!
Roasting weenies with your titanium pin, ROFL!!!

Please post pictures of your Frankensteined bike.


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I wear full leathers all the time, and added an airbag vest this past spring, and I can honestly say that I've only ever had one person comment about my gear. I had just parked at FedEx and was getting myself sorted out when a young guy jumped out of the utility truck a couple spots down and jogged over to me asking about my airbag vest. He was quite interested in it and was planning to get one for himself.

That's the only comment I've had, maybe I just look mean or something. I did have a co-worker tell me that I was intimidating once, which I found pretty funny since the guy who told me that was at least twice my weight in pure ripped muscle.
I hear a lot of good things about the airbag vests. People swear by them.

A lot of people tell me they couldn't stand wearing gear in the heat. I do- I like my skin. I have enough scars already.
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Old August 29th, 2019, 11:59 AM   #36
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[COLOR="purple"]I hear a lot of good things about the airbag vests. People swear by them.
Since it was a lowside I didn't hit the ground all that hard (well, hard enough to break my collarbone, but whatever).

But look at the real-time video again and picture yourself going through that tire wall.

I have ZERO injuries other than the broken bone. Neck isn't sore, nothing.

Yeah, it costs.

Yeah, it's worth it.
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Old August 30th, 2019, 08:34 PM   #37
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I'm glad you're not badly hurt. I mean, a collarbone isn't anything to sneeze at, but you will recover, and it could have been a lot worse.

How bulky are they to wear? Is this a piece a person is likely to make an everyday thing?
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Old August 30th, 2019, 10:38 PM   #38
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Old August 31st, 2019, 02:58 PM   #39
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I'm glad you're not badly hurt. I mean, a collarbone isn't anything to sneeze at, but you will recover, and it could have been a lot worse.

How bulky are they to wear? Is this a piece a person is likely to make an everyday thing?
It adds a bit of weight, but you won't notice it after you put it on.
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Old September 1st, 2019, 12:47 PM   #40
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How bulky are they to wear? Is this a piece a person is likely to make an everyday thing?
I don't even notice it. The only downside is remembering to clip in.

Helite makes a street version that has even better coverage than the track vest.
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