I never thought I'd be writing something like this. We were cruising up the highway last Sunday heading to Vermont for some leaf peeping and the Vermonster mud truck rally. Going about 75 or 80 and the rear tire blows out on me. Bike started fishtailing so I grabbed a fistful of clutch and started pulling on the front brake trying to keep it up. Fishtailed back and forth for a while, swinging further each time, until finally it went all the way left to the stop... but I managed to keep it up for another pass. Swung back to the right to the stop, but kept going dragging my front wheel to the left. At this point we're probably doing about 35ish, so I tried to lowside it, but something bit into the pavement and we highsided. The bike landed on it's right side and just slid, it didn't tumble, we weren't going fast enough. I've been riding on the street for about 25 years, and this is the first time I've hit pavement. I was riding dirt bikes from the age of 12 till I got my license for street. I credit learning to ride on dirt for allowing me to keep the bike up as long as I did. You fishtail all the time on the dirt, so I didn't panic when it happened.
My girl somehow managed to get rash on the back of her half helmet and a 3" gash on the back of her head that took 12 staples to close up and the right side of her ass around to her tailbone is bruised and swollen. She must have come twisted and come down backwards. She was wearing a leather coat, leather gloves, jeans, boots, and her non-DOT half helmet. I ended up with a broken little finger, a couple busted ribs, right forearm swollen, right shoulder socket sore, a tiny patch of rash (3"x4") on my hip and a bruise that runs from my hip to my knee. I was in an armored leather jacket, leather chaps, leather gloves, boots, and my DOT half helmet. (Pic below) I came down on my right elbow with my arm bent in the position like I was riding which drove my arm down into my ribs, cracking a couple. I ducked my head to hit the pavement with my helmet instead of my face, so at least I'm still pretty! :doorag: I'm lucky as a lotto winner that I had gear on that morning. I can't count how many times this summer I rode that highway in nothing but a baseball hat and tank top. Saturday I went 200 miles up to a border town and back with nothing on! I had the helmet on this time 'cause we were heading over the border into VT, which is a helmet law state. If you click the pic of my helmet below, you can tell by the rash that I would have peeled my face off if I wasn't wearing it that day. It starts on the right side and rolls around to the front as I tumbled. I don't think I'll be riding without one again. It probably saved my life... it certainly saved me a scarred face.
There was surprisingly little damage to my bike. Both floorboards on the right are bent down, the fairing is rashed in the top corner and the mounting brackets are both broken, the right side driving light was twisted and actually held the bike up, the back of the light is dented and rashed. The light bar mounting bracket is bent and cracked, the right saddle bag is rashed, and both of my cupholders got bent. Also, the front brake lever is bent and the grip has a tiny bit of rash on it, but all told, I can pull the fairing and lightbar, replace the tire (and probably rim) and ride it like it is.
Wow, kudos on keeping it upright long enough to slow down as much as you did! Glad you guys are 'relatively' alright. Hope you both heal well. I still have some bruises & road rash healing from laying down my Shadow Spirit 1100 a few weeks ago. Bike was totaled, but finally gave me an excuse to upgrade to a VTX, as I'd been looking at them for a while. Anyway, glad you're able to type about it and get back on the bike. Like you, I used to ride in shorts and t-shirt on occasion (always full helmet though), and am now a full believer in proper protective gear.
Wishing you and her a speedy recovery.
Dang Handy1 !!! Glad y'all are okay considering what you went thru. We were out on the scoot last Sunday also but probably not close to your location. When things get back together, get your girl friend a DOT approved helmet, non-DOT's are illegal up here ~ might as well not even have one on, same price as far as ticket is concerned. We wear ours even in New Hampshire. Have you figured out why the tire blew out? What brand, how many miles on it? Just curious ..
Glad you both are OK. What happened to the tire? was it a puncture? This happened to me on the freeway going about 65, I hit a nail and luckily I was able to keep it up until I managed to get it to the side of the road. The tire more or less went flat rather than blew out. I have spokes and tubes, so I don't know if that is better or worse.
Thanks guys, the tire was an Avon Cobra that was due for a change, was planning on a new one over the winter, it was getting thin in the middle. I still haven't taken the tire off the bike, it's sitting too low to get my lift under it, and I'm too busted up to muscle it on there, so I haven't been able to inspect it yet. Not sure that there's enough tire on there to tell. I didn't hit a chuck of wood or anything, but a nail or glass is always a possibility. It happened as I was passing a car, I heard a pop and I thought it was the car making a noise, but then it got all squirrelly on me.
I am extremely lucky I was geared up. The fact that we both walked away with relatively no damage makes me say I had a good day last Sunday, even though we crashed. we also weren't run over by any cars, which is a bonus! I kept it up long enough that everyone had plenty of time to stop. People are usually cruising about 90 mph on 89, so that in itself becomes a serious danger when you hit pavement.
She does have DOT helmets, several in fact, they're just not as comfy as her non-DOT one was, so she always wore the non-DOT. I wonder if she'll start wearing one of her other ones now.
Glad you came out as well as you did. Reinforces my decision about gear and tires. I've actually had guys ask for my take offs (I often take off on spontaneous long trips, so I change them long before they are "shot") and I always say absolutely not. I was down real hard once back in '71 and, witnessed a horrible one with a pack I was running with up in Maine summer of '80. I always wear full gear, including a 3/4 approved helmet and goggles. With the tires, it's not just the tread that wears out. The actual structure of the tire fatigues from heat cycles and loading/flexing. I never ride a passenger but, have to imagine that it would add to the stresses on the tire. Thank God you were able to get the speed down before the SHTF. Just curious if you tried to apply any rear brake in an attempt to straighten her out? And screw trying get the bike up on a lift now. Just concentrate on giving your body what it needs to recover. Broken ribs are no joke, believe me. Trying anything physically demanding will only make them take longer to heel.
She does have DOT helmets, several in fact, they're just not as comfy as her non-DOT one was, so she always wore the non-DOT. I wonder if she'll start wearing one of her other ones now.
OUCH!!!!
Good job on the control, glad you both made it with only minor injuries..
Murphy s law applies...
I Had mine up to 110 MPH yesterday..
After I wondered what the "F" was I doing!!!!:banghead:
Like you I started out on the dirt as a teenager, then later motorcross for fun. So I understand how this gave you the skills to keep her up long enough for you to slow it down. So glad you and your lady are ok and walked away suffering only what you did. Here in Texas there is no helmet law, but I still ride wearing a helmet. The Houston weather gets so hot during the summer making it almost impossible to gear up in leather, so I don't wear it. But I do wear gloves and boots.
Prayers of thanksgiving should be flying today!
I wear a 1/2 helmet because I understand it gives a small degree of protection. Yet I won't wear a full face in the heat or otherwise
Usually leather jacket. Always jeans, proper riding boots and gloves. I hope I never have to find out if I made the right choice again, I was down at 70 mph when I was 16 and lived to tell the tale.
Thank God that you both will heal... Alabama allows non DOT approved helmets to be worn... But I think to much of this old noggin!
Don't even like to move my bike, around in the yard, without a lid....
Prayers for a quick recovery!!!
Glad you both are still able to talk about it! When you take the tire off smell the inside. I had a total rear blowout 2 up about 80mph around midnight in southern Idaho. Didn't see or feel anything from the road, HUGE hole in the tire tread. Was confused not having seen anything on the road. When the tire came off it was delaminated on the inside and reeked of burning. I checked pressure early that morning leaving northern Wyoming but I assume the tire was going flat at some point in the day/night and ultimately blew from the load and speed. Maybe the LT handles better than the X in that situation. Got squirrelly in the backend and just rode it over to the side. Not sure using the front brake is a good thing, just like coming down a very steep dirt hill, its ok if the back is all over the place just don't put the front brake on, let it roll out.
I'm glad y'all are OK. That could have been so much worse.
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