first canyon ride

[Alan]

went for my first ride on a canyon ride today, the ride is fairly mild in comparison to some I've driven but still managed to go down.

I had already ridden the road one way and had just started on the way back and came into a corner a little hotter than i was comfortable with and in a split second had to decide to try and pull through or straighten up and try to stop. keeping in mind that the edge of the road was an almost shear drop off, i straightened up and tried to stop. and then my tires found the gravel :banghead: Tires lost traction and the bike went down i ended up laying on top of a handlebar and flopping over the bike. Luckily i lost most of the speed before I lost the bike and didn't slide much if any and stayed well enough away from the edge.

was able to stand up and pick up the bike. only damage to me is the bruise forming on my stomach and my elbow aching, my gear didn't have a scratch on it.

BUT

the bikes front end is twisted up. with the handlebars straight the front tire is off to the left at maybe a 20 degree angle I'm pretty sure the left handlebar is bent, I'm not sure where the twist is at but I'm thinking the forks. I'd appreciate any input as I'm fairly new to working on bikes. other than that there's scratches in the muffler and engine case paint but nothing too serious yet.

I'm kicking myself because i know if I'd have stuck with the turn I would have been fine >.<

 

[Anesi]

Wow that is so much like my trip into a ditch this fall, it's scary Glad you are okay :thumbup: Sounds like you were suited up?

Pretty much the same story. A little bit too much speed and lock-stare on the side of the road I was trying to avoid. I went down on the right side, slightly bending the right side of the handlebar and scuffing up the tank and engine a little. Should be fixable if yours is in anyway comparable. Handlebars will need replacing, though I was able to finish the season. But look at the bright side: you'll have the opportunity to get one of those sexy Rizoma bars :thumbup:

As for the bent front wheel, same story. I was devastated thinking my whole front end was shot - worst feeling ever, I might add. However, I had a friend of mine look at it, and he managed to straighten out the front wheel. The forks had not bend, they had only rotated sideways somehow making the front wheel go way out of alignment - so bad I couldn't ride it back But my friend got it aligned correctly and I have been riding the rest of the season, no problems But all in all, have a friend or dealership have a look at it, it might very well be fixable without replacing anything but the handlebar - which I am sure you can do yourself following the wonderful guides provided on the forum :thumbup:

/Anesi

PS: Be glad you went down on the left side that has the shade, when on the stand Mine is on the right side, right for everyone to pick :spank:

 

[Erci]

Sucks, but coming out of it without broken bones or lost skin is the important part!

To fix the front wheel alignment, loosen all the fork clamp pinch-bolts (both upper and lower clamp bolts which hold fork legs in place), align the wheel with the bar and re-tighten bolts.

 

[Nelly]

Sucks, but coming out of it without broken bones or lost skin is the important part!

To fix the front wheel alignment, loosen all the fork clamp pinch-bolts (both upper and lower clamp bolts which hold fork legs in place), align the wheel with the bar and re-tighten bolts.

Good advice,
I have done this loads of times on my courier bike (years ago).
A trick my dad taught me was. Don't loosen the pinch bolts to much. If its not to twisted you can also apply the front brake and bounce the front suspension a few times. This will often pull the wheel into alignment.

Glad to here the two posters are ok.

Nelly

 

[MagicMANX]

too bad you went down, I've been on that kind of situation where either you commit to the curve or standup and break, Once I read on a forum somewhere that the bike will always give you more lean angle than you think, if you feel like you're going too hot, and you have the space required to break, then do so, but if there is traffic, or lets say a cliff, try to take that curve with a little more force/lean angle, hopefully you will go thru it with just higher heartrate, but not on the floor, or crashing against someone.

One time, I was certainly speeding going thru a mountain, then I got to a very pronounced crest with a righthand curve, after going thru it, I got airborne by about 1 or 2 inches off the ground, this was mid-curve, when I got "touchdown" the bike swirved all around, and found myself with a truck coming the other way, I was about to make the same choice as you, but decided it was "safer" to try to take the curve anyways, if I skidded, it will be after the truck has passed, in the end, the bike gripped amazingly and got thru that curve with my best ever lean angle ever and an elevated heartrate (not doing that $#it again)

Just my 2 cents

 

[motojoe122]

Good to hear you are ok. Bikes can be fixed, humans....not as easy.