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So, aside from those that were at the BC Rally, who've all heard what happened, a couple of people actually PMed me asking for "Crash Details".. We all know how Americans love a good auto accident!
For my part, I wish I could say that I wrecked in a crazy "turn around and kiss your own ass" turn, or on a road that doubled back on itself behind a hill, or avoiding a deer or something, but I can't
What I can do is post my story in hopes that perhaps it will maybe show some newer riders what NOT to do, and that even guys who have been riding for a LOOONG time can still make treacherous mistakes in judgment while at speed.
Rose and I, aboard Essie (my 83 GS1100ES, my prized possesion, and the ONE GS that I would NEVER EVER pass along to someone else) and strapped with full saddlebags, a tank bag, a rack and backrest (thanks Mikey!!) and another, small tank bag that I rigged as a makeshift trunk to hold all my tools, along with Dogma (Dale) atop his 850GL, were coming up a favorite road of ours. We'd found Indiana 250 last year on the way back from BC Rally 09, which turned out to be pretty much a washout for the weekend, and absolutely LOVED it. The road itself is fairly well maintained, aside from the gravel shoulders (which, oddly, there was no gravel that I can recall seeing last year) that had obviously been washed into the road from the rain this year. The elevation changes rather drasticly from one turn to the next, and its nonstop high speed sweepers, chicanes, and super tight up and down hill decreasing radius turns. Basically, a corner carver's wet dream. Its not incredibly long, maybe 15-20 miles, but its some intense stuff, so after a bit, you're glad to catch a straight to get your breath back.
So, we'd been lucky this day. The weather was gorgeous for once, there were only two bikes, so we could HAUL ASS without feeling like we were leaving anyone behind. Mind you, I had actually dialed it back a couple notches because I had Rose on the back (not that she's scared of corner carving) and all that luggage (which was the first time I had mounted this stuff on the bike) so I was still trying to get a feel for the added weight of the bags. After a bit, I picked up the pace just a little, as I was starting to get into the zone, and get a little frisky. This was my first real hardcore carving ride of this young season, as its at least an hour and a half from our home to any decent roads, and I work so much, its hard to get away for a day or two to knock the winter wobbles off. Anyway, by this point, I was feeling pretty good, seeing the lines well, carying alot of speed through the corners etc...
We had run through almost ALL of 250, down to the last few turns. The last couple of turns on the road actually run through a lil sleepy town called Paris Crossing. The posted speed limit through this town I think is 45. We were probably doing 55. So not exactly legal, but not being complete ass hats either. We had just come through a series of esses, and quite a few had had gravel strewn through the center track. I had used my foot to point it out to Dale so he knew about it way in advance of setting his line. I tend to run pretty deep into the corners to aid in seeing all the way through them, i think they call it "Late Apex" or whatever. It feels natural, and I find Im able to carry more speed when I dont have to slow down to set up a blind corner. Im no "track" guy, its just stuff I either learned riding dirt for all my younger life, and stuff ive picked up over the years on the street. Little things like reading the terrain, reading the inside AND outside lane lines to assist you in knowing whats around the corner as far as whether or not the road falls away, the corner gets tighter, or looser, or what have you.. At any rate, gravel in the CENTER track of a corner generally hinders my lines very little. Unless, of course its right in the apex, where I start to come from the outside to the inside of the lane...
We came up to the last 'ess" turn. A fairly loose right then left. The only thing, looking back on it, aside from gravel, that would have posed a challenge at all would be that the left hander of the ess had a slight rise, and then quick drop on the back side. So early on you couldnt quite see where the road went on the backside of the left... I rolled the bike into the right hander, and once she was over, I started to look for my roll over point for the lefty. As I was picking the bike up, I noticed that the left hand turn had a side street coming out on it right in the apex. Just a little one lane residental access road. No traffic. I rolled the bike up and over to dive into the left turn. Then I saw it. At the end of the access road was a spray of fairly large gravel, then, what looked like smaller sandy gravel that looked like it had washed into the apex of the left hand turn. I immediately scanned for a avoidance route, but it seemed to be all the way through my line, the lane, and into the OPPOSITE lane.. Now alarms were going off.. I was probably doing about 45, and I immediately stood the bike up and was on the brakes. I wasnt about to roll through that sand heeled over at this speed with this much weight on the bike. Not happening. I had already played that game a couple years back in West Virginia and barely kept the bike upright. With Rose on the back, and loaded with gear, I wasnt going to try to right the bike should it lose its ass. It simply wasnt going to happen.
So I was upright and on the brakes hard. My rear brake has been problematic. I have bled the living crap out of it, and it still feels like complete mush untill its at the point of impending lock up. So I was on the rear as hard as I felt comfortable. Locking the rear is something I have done many times. And with just ME and no baby girl or gear on the back, its pretty easy to control. But I have never tried "panic stops' with the bike loaded, or with Rose on it. *Note to self: Practice this!!*
My FRONT brakes however, have become quite effective since I swapped to SS lines and a newer style MC with piston stroke adjustment. Its actually allowed me to fine tune the lever feel. Quite nice. But, I have never ever ever been keen on locking up the front.
It quickly became apparent that we were NOT going to have enough room to stop on pavement. So, I immediately scanned the horizon for my next option. There was what looked like a relatively flat, very wide lawn on the outside of the corner. This was where we were going. I felt, at worst, I would manage to slow us down enough that if we did go down, it would keep us alive, and hopefully relatively unhurt. At best, I'd manage to stop her. I had done this a time or two with a street bike and ME, and I had a LOT of dirt experience. So keeping her upright seemed plausible at the time.
I pointed the bike at what looked like the flattest part of the yard. What I DIDNT see was that just off the edge of the road was a very very shallow but wide ditch. Maybe 2 inches deep, but easily a foot and a half wide or so. Once we went off the edge of the road, there was a split second where I thought I was actually going to stop her upright, and I began contemplating how I was going to keep her that way once we stopped because it became instantly apparent that the yard was VERY wet, and VERY muddy. It was also at this time where the back wheel lost it, and slid out from under us. The next second, the front wheel went out along with it. In the "Bazilasecond" that followed, I simultaneously let go of the left bar, and loosened by grip on the tank with my knees. And for another bazilasecond, I was suspended in midair as the bike slid out from under us. In that time, I distinctly remember thinking "This is going to hurt...BAD" The next thing I knew, I was on my back looking up and seeing Rose literally go flying superman style over top of me and land half way on my leg and halfway in the mud. I laid there for what seemed like an eternity. I thought to myself: That really honestly didnt hurt as much as I thought it was going to. Out of the left corner of my visor, I saw Rose sit up like a shot. She was grabbing at her helmet, then realized she still had it strapped. I hadnt moved. She scrambled to grab my leg and shake me, as if to ask "Are you alive?" I picked just my head up and looked at her...
For my part, I wish I could say that I wrecked in a crazy "turn around and kiss your own ass" turn, or on a road that doubled back on itself behind a hill, or avoiding a deer or something, but I can't
What I can do is post my story in hopes that perhaps it will maybe show some newer riders what NOT to do, and that even guys who have been riding for a LOOONG time can still make treacherous mistakes in judgment while at speed. Rose and I, aboard Essie (my 83 GS1100ES, my prized possesion, and the ONE GS that I would NEVER EVER pass along to someone else) and strapped with full saddlebags, a tank bag, a rack and backrest (thanks Mikey!!) and another, small tank bag that I rigged as a makeshift trunk to hold all my tools, along with Dogma (Dale) atop his 850GL, were coming up a favorite road of ours. We'd found Indiana 250 last year on the way back from BC Rally 09, which turned out to be pretty much a washout for the weekend, and absolutely LOVED it. The road itself is fairly well maintained, aside from the gravel shoulders (which, oddly, there was no gravel that I can recall seeing last year) that had obviously been washed into the road from the rain this year. The elevation changes rather drasticly from one turn to the next, and its nonstop high speed sweepers, chicanes, and super tight up and down hill decreasing radius turns. Basically, a corner carver's wet dream. Its not incredibly long, maybe 15-20 miles, but its some intense stuff, so after a bit, you're glad to catch a straight to get your breath back.
So, we'd been lucky this day. The weather was gorgeous for once, there were only two bikes, so we could HAUL ASS without feeling like we were leaving anyone behind. Mind you, I had actually dialed it back a couple notches because I had Rose on the back (not that she's scared of corner carving) and all that luggage (which was the first time I had mounted this stuff on the bike) so I was still trying to get a feel for the added weight of the bags. After a bit, I picked up the pace just a little, as I was starting to get into the zone, and get a little frisky. This was my first real hardcore carving ride of this young season, as its at least an hour and a half from our home to any decent roads, and I work so much, its hard to get away for a day or two to knock the winter wobbles off. Anyway, by this point, I was feeling pretty good, seeing the lines well, carying alot of speed through the corners etc...
We had run through almost ALL of 250, down to the last few turns. The last couple of turns on the road actually run through a lil sleepy town called Paris Crossing. The posted speed limit through this town I think is 45. We were probably doing 55. So not exactly legal, but not being complete ass hats either. We had just come through a series of esses, and quite a few had had gravel strewn through the center track. I had used my foot to point it out to Dale so he knew about it way in advance of setting his line. I tend to run pretty deep into the corners to aid in seeing all the way through them, i think they call it "Late Apex" or whatever. It feels natural, and I find Im able to carry more speed when I dont have to slow down to set up a blind corner. Im no "track" guy, its just stuff I either learned riding dirt for all my younger life, and stuff ive picked up over the years on the street. Little things like reading the terrain, reading the inside AND outside lane lines to assist you in knowing whats around the corner as far as whether or not the road falls away, the corner gets tighter, or looser, or what have you.. At any rate, gravel in the CENTER track of a corner generally hinders my lines very little. Unless, of course its right in the apex, where I start to come from the outside to the inside of the lane...
We came up to the last 'ess" turn. A fairly loose right then left. The only thing, looking back on it, aside from gravel, that would have posed a challenge at all would be that the left hander of the ess had a slight rise, and then quick drop on the back side. So early on you couldnt quite see where the road went on the backside of the left... I rolled the bike into the right hander, and once she was over, I started to look for my roll over point for the lefty. As I was picking the bike up, I noticed that the left hand turn had a side street coming out on it right in the apex. Just a little one lane residental access road. No traffic. I rolled the bike up and over to dive into the left turn. Then I saw it. At the end of the access road was a spray of fairly large gravel, then, what looked like smaller sandy gravel that looked like it had washed into the apex of the left hand turn. I immediately scanned for a avoidance route, but it seemed to be all the way through my line, the lane, and into the OPPOSITE lane.. Now alarms were going off.. I was probably doing about 45, and I immediately stood the bike up and was on the brakes. I wasnt about to roll through that sand heeled over at this speed with this much weight on the bike. Not happening. I had already played that game a couple years back in West Virginia and barely kept the bike upright. With Rose on the back, and loaded with gear, I wasnt going to try to right the bike should it lose its ass. It simply wasnt going to happen.
So I was upright and on the brakes hard. My rear brake has been problematic. I have bled the living crap out of it, and it still feels like complete mush untill its at the point of impending lock up. So I was on the rear as hard as I felt comfortable. Locking the rear is something I have done many times. And with just ME and no baby girl or gear on the back, its pretty easy to control. But I have never tried "panic stops' with the bike loaded, or with Rose on it. *Note to self: Practice this!!*
My FRONT brakes however, have become quite effective since I swapped to SS lines and a newer style MC with piston stroke adjustment. Its actually allowed me to fine tune the lever feel. Quite nice. But, I have never ever ever been keen on locking up the front.
It quickly became apparent that we were NOT going to have enough room to stop on pavement. So, I immediately scanned the horizon for my next option. There was what looked like a relatively flat, very wide lawn on the outside of the corner. This was where we were going. I felt, at worst, I would manage to slow us down enough that if we did go down, it would keep us alive, and hopefully relatively unhurt. At best, I'd manage to stop her. I had done this a time or two with a street bike and ME, and I had a LOT of dirt experience. So keeping her upright seemed plausible at the time.
I pointed the bike at what looked like the flattest part of the yard. What I DIDNT see was that just off the edge of the road was a very very shallow but wide ditch. Maybe 2 inches deep, but easily a foot and a half wide or so. Once we went off the edge of the road, there was a split second where I thought I was actually going to stop her upright, and I began contemplating how I was going to keep her that way once we stopped because it became instantly apparent that the yard was VERY wet, and VERY muddy. It was also at this time where the back wheel lost it, and slid out from under us. The next second, the front wheel went out along with it. In the "Bazilasecond" that followed, I simultaneously let go of the left bar, and loosened by grip on the tank with my knees. And for another bazilasecond, I was suspended in midair as the bike slid out from under us. In that time, I distinctly remember thinking "This is going to hurt...BAD" The next thing I knew, I was on my back looking up and seeing Rose literally go flying superman style over top of me and land half way on my leg and halfway in the mud. I laid there for what seemed like an eternity. I thought to myself: That really honestly didnt hurt as much as I thought it was going to. Out of the left corner of my visor, I saw Rose sit up like a shot. She was grabbing at her helmet, then realized she still had it strapped. I hadnt moved. She scrambled to grab my leg and shake me, as if to ask "Are you alive?" I picked just my head up and looked at her...
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