crashhhhhhh

[smashbox]

well it happened.. i went down today on a group ride.. i want to first off apologize to those i rode with for going down, you know who you are if you're reading this.

here's how it happened. we went through a nice set of twistys all day long, took a decent left hander that increased in altitude before the road straightened up again. on the way back the leader of the ride mentioned how tricky it was down down the hill in a decreasing radius right hander. the first part of the turn wasn't so bad, and coming to the second part we were probaby going 35 or so, and the guy riding in front of me just went straight off the road and went down. i've never seen anyone go down and what did i do?! starred right at him!!!! so never the less i went down also. if i didn't target fixate on him and looked at where i wanted to go on the road, things would have been different. never the less, it happened. didn't hit the pavement thank god. i drove off into this muddy/grassy/rocky/sticky area.. stayed on as long as i could then jumped off..

i have a scratched stator cover, scratched/cracked right fairing, and some minor scratches along the right side. everything else is in perfect working order. i have the fairing off already and i'm going to go out and get some fiberglass repair to see if i can fix the right side up...

i'm ok, and so are the other guys who went down thankfully... other than some scratched plastics, and a bruised ego, the ride was amazing though.. pics are below.

[Scootimus]

Glad your alright! And the bike looks mostly cosmetic. Target fixation is a bitch.

[TalkofDC]

now your bike has character...

it's like to first scuff on a new pair of shoes...now you have a story to tel

[smashbox]

Originally Posted by TalkofDC

now your bike has character...

it's like to first scuff on a new pair of shoes...now you have a story to tel

that's the same thing i was thinking.. it was a learning experience to say the very least.. i felt like my eyes were popping out of my head watching the guy in front of me going off the road.. and then i did the same.

[Misfire]

Glad you are ok and your bike is realitively unscaved..

Target fixation will kick you in the balls...especially on a group ride while you aren't focused on yourself and your lines. Following someone else's lines and being too close will lead you where ever they go.. even off the road.


Crashing Sucks!

.

[BlackstarPowers]

Glad you OK man!As far as the plastics go,not that bad.The bike has character now..I dropped mine the first week I had it.I was doing maybe 1 MPH with both feet down in a gravel lot turning around and it slipped out and I grabbed the the top grip with both hands trying to avoid it but 400 pounds is 400 pounds.Minor scuffs on the lower fairing..got some touch up paint and clearcoated it.You could still kinda see it a little so I slapped the silver R&G stickers over it.The marks under the sticker are a reflection of the crap on the ground...notice the frame sliders that were sitting on my kitchen table the day it happened :/

[beowulf2k]

On the contrary...its actually your bike that failed you...GIXXER!..just kidding. You got freaked out is what you did. Your mind said, "if he didnt make it, then im not" which happens alot with group rides. I seen tons of guys go down after they see the guy in front of them lose it.
Panicked-never panick!

[Gaolee]

Your plastic is probably ABS. Use ABS pipe cement from Home Depot to glue it back together. Fiberglass resin won't necessarily stick too well. You WILL have to paint if you use ABS cement,though. It is black and stays that way.

[Mantis]

Could have been much worse, it could have been a left hand turn with a car coming the other way. Glad you're OK, the bike isn't too rashed up either.

[ducwho]

Sorry to hear. Glad you're alright. What roads in NJ were you riding on? I took today and tomorrow off of work for a wedding (actually on my way to its party now... I'll be late) and played with my motortoys in my usual NJ backroads during my free afternoon. I was out in my CGT at about 12 or so and saw a bunch of squids around my stomping grounds. Had my Duc there around 2. Perhaps I saw you and your group? Let me know which roads. I would have stopped to help if I saw you fall and would have had you and your bike transported on my dime because I personally know what it's like to eat dirt on these particular roads That is to say, I'll help so as long as I didn't think you were riding like a prick.

edit: Oh and if the person in the CGT looked like a douche, that was probably when I let a friend play with her

[cornell supreme]

I was in this group ride and i was the last guy to go down after smashbox. Well, the famous line of " you will go down sooner or later" finally happened to me today. Our little mishap totally caught me by surprise as I've been down these same "technical" roads at the same pace , 1 to 3 times a week religiously for the last 3 seasons.

Target fixation was the key factor in this crash. My sight was so fixated on the other riders going off the rode and I just followed. Smashbox you hit it right on the nail when you said I've never seen anyone go down and what did i do?! starred right at him!!!! so never the less i went down also.

It does bruise the ego a little since I know what i should have done to avoid this, but at the end of the day I'm glad everyone came out OK which makes up for the bruised ego. I think I jinxed myself as a neighbor who always see's me riding asked me last night "how long Ive been riding, whats the MPG, Insurance cost, MSF course, how miles I've done, and how many accidents" and I responded with "40mpg, 3 years, 32,xxx miles, and 0 accidents"......; and right after that statement I knocked on wood. So long story short , knocking on wood does not work

The bike is fine with a scratch or 2, missing bar-end mirror, and I sprained my ankle trying to keep the bike. Smashbox Thanks for helping me getting the bike back on the road. I would also like to make a note that I had full gear which kept my skin untouched or bruised.

[cornell supreme]

Originally Posted by smashbox

that's the same thing i was thinking.. it was a learning experience to say the very least.. i felt like my eyes were popping out of my head watching the guy in front of me going off the road and then i did the same.

Its defiantly a learning experience as I never had this happen in a group ride or even witness other rider go down, never the less the rider right in front of me.

Everything happened in such slow motion all i was thinking was: OH F*%k

[MJ939]

Damn... rough day. Glad to hear you guys and the bikes are generally OK. How many people went down all together?

Thanks for posting your experiences. Hopefully it will help the rest of us if we ever have a potential target-fixation problem in front of us.

[Mantis]

Originally Posted by cornell supreme

Its defiantly a learning experience as I never had this happen in a group ride or even witness other rider go down, never the less the rider right in front of me.

Everything happened in such slow motion all i was thinking was: OH F*%k

When I started racing I used to target fixate also. After seeing so many people crash right in front of me I learned how to concentrate on what I was doing rather than anyone else. I know street crashes suck more than track, but you need to remember that you can't do anything (for them or yourself) if you don't focus on riding for that moment. Try to drill into your mind that you go where you are looking, and next time you see a crash you won't even look at it, rather look where you want to go.

When I see people crash racing, I don't even really look, except maybe in my peripheral vision. I need to make it through the turn first before I wonder if the crash looks bad.

[lemosley01]

That's a kick to the nuts. Target fixation SUCKS.

It's like a train wreck - you know you shouldn't stare, but you just can't help but do it.