First minor crash tonight

Creekside

Creekside

Joined
Jun 12, 2020
Messages
1,451
Location
SW Missouri
I want to start by saying two things here: 1. WEAR YOUR HELMET 2. for clarity this was my second time on this bike after owning it since last Monday and second time period on a highway bike. Inexperience was the main contributor to this accident with help from a wind gust.

I come here with my head hung low as I ditched my 2009 Sportster this evening. I was fortunate to walk away with some minor road rash and a minor concussion. I would have rode away if I could have stood it back up in the ditch. The bike has dirt/mud packed in some areas, broken left rear turn signal, broken left mirror, bent handle bar and a dent in the fuel tank. I'll fix the bolt on stuff this week and handle the tank later. I am learning to ride after growing up on 4 wheelers and trail bikes. The highway bikes have been a definite learning curve. My first ride down our country highway went flawlessly. Did some maintenance last week and took it out today. I ended up catching a wind gust and a combination of leaning the wrong way to correct and a panic/overcorrect resulted in me riding into a 4' deep ditch at 40mph or so. the bike was on the opposite slope on top of me and I was in the bottom of the ditch. Was able to kill it and get out from under it but had to call for help to get it stood up because of the angle. Ended up trailering it home as it was on its side past horizontal for 15-20 minutes. Want to let the fluids settle before it's started again. Hopefully have it ready to go again by next weekend and I'll take it into town to run around a little and practice control.

On a somewhat funnier note, I repair and operate OTR trucks and heavy equipment for a living. I can operate almost any piece of equipment you put me in but can't seem to keep a stinking motorcycle underneath me.........
 
Astro14 said:
Very glad you’re OK. Sounds like a relatively inexpensive lesson.
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Thank you, I hate it that the bike suffered from my inexperience but glad it went how it did. My dad raced motorcross when he was in his teens and 20s and said it was way better than his first crash. He has told stories of destroying bikes in races on the weekends and rebuilding them through the week to race the next weekend.
 
Wind is one of the hardest things to deal with on a bike. I have ridden hundreds of miles in high gusty winds. I was worn out after riding in it. I was on a heavy Electra glide and was blown all over. Sometimes riding at a 30 degree angle to compensate. Glad you are okay.
 
One you can walk away from, and think about later is always a good one. Sometimes, if possible, it's better to let the wind blow you over the road than to fight it. I was once hit by a massive gust coming through a cutting, it was a high crowned gravel road...anymore countersteer and I might lose traction on the front tyre, and a drop in the wind would shoot me across the road and down a vertical bank - so I let it blow me across the road, over a small ditch where I could stop safely.
 
As a former MSF, and roadracing instructor, my advice is to get as much riding instruction as you can. Nobody is born knowing how to ride. It is a continual learning process. Even the best MotoGP riders are always learning.

I recall one student that came out to an advanced riding class I was helping with. He stated he had 30 years of riding experience, and was only doing it because his wife had bought the class time as a birthday present. At the end of the class he stated he thought he had 30 years riding experience, but what he actually had was 1 year of experience, 30 times.

Glad you're okay.
 
I second the suggestion of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) classes. I took the basic class for instruction and to get my cycle license. Later, I returned and took the Advanced Rider Course. This class teaches more skills that are very helpful.

Never stop learning!
 
Agee with all the advice above. Wind gusts for motorcycles and small aircraft can be disconcerting. My scariest experience was once going through a long dark tunnel in the mountains of Colorado many years ago. It was bright midday sunlight as I entered the tunnel. I was wearing sun glasses and the helmet had a smoked shield. When I hit the entrance I immediately got vertigo and backed down on the throttle. My only orientation were the side marker lights on the tunnel walls else I didn't know where my lane was. To make things really dicey, there was a huge oil tanker truck right on my tail. If I had dumped that bike even at the slow speed I was going that monster behind me would have made me a greasy wet spot in that mountain tunnel.

The only riders that don't have a tale to tell are dead ones. 🏍️

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As a pilot, we are trained to assess the conditions prior to flying. We are also trained, step by step, to accomplish ever more difficult tasks. Motorcycling is no different. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Work your way up in capability and competence. Don't be over confident.
 
Glad you are ok. Ultimately the bike wants to stay upright and vertical, my experience is to keep a natural grip and relaxed arms on the bars. When the grip is tight and arms less than relaxed, per se, the wind hits, the wind is in control not the rider.
 
Once you get the bike going again, maybe do some practice maneuvers in a safer area. Get a feel for snapping the bike from a good lean angle to the other side and back, then do it in the wet! Practice trail braking to tighten your line in a curve, etc. Wind can surprise you for sure though.
 
Lyman said:
Wind is one of the hardest things to deal with on a bike. I have ridden hundreds of miles in high gusty winds. I was worn out after riding in it. I was on a heavy Electra glide and was blown all over. Sometimes riding at a 30 degree angle to compensate. Glad you are okay.
Click to expand...
I was riding west to east on that Interstate that runs to Winslow, Az. The wind was so bad I had to lean as hard as I could to keep it in a lane. The semi in front of me was struggling to keep it on the pavement much less a lane. I gave up and went back to Flagstaff. Never got to "stand on the corner in Winslow, Az".
 
Many riders with lifetimes of experience understand but cannot explain one of the most critical things you need to "Body learn" which is "Counter steer". Google it, study it, understand it and ...FEEL it. Simply put, as you go faster than parking lot speed the bike steering REVERSES! So to go RIGHT you must push the handlebars LEFT and vice-versa. Additionally as speed increases you MUST PUSH the handlebars HARDER to steer! Thinking that using your body to LEAN is recipe for disaster. The physicality of PUSHING the handlebars is something you should practice on when you have a bit of open road. Practicing and FEELING this effect teaches your body to react properly to emergencies or even strong cross wind gusts. Theres a stretch of road between Phoenix and Tucson with massive gusts. actively counter steering can overcome any gust although the bike can literally be leaning against it the whole time. Please continue to learn and be safe.
 
I learned to ride by jumping on a bike. Not the best way. Never had a wreck but I was lucky.
Why not take a mc class and get the knowledge others have already figured out.

I would also read this book; Proficient Motorcycling by David Hought. It's an excellent read.
 
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