beatle
Junior Member
So I'm no longer one of the "riders who will go down." I was out for a ride with fellow forum member, Judd, in Western MD. Great roads, great weather, and relatively little traffic. We had ridden close to 100 miles or so when we came to a "surprise" T-intersection right after a right turn at the corner of Wolfsville Rd. and Foxville Rd. in Smithsburg, MD. We each locked up our rear tires, but I obviously didn't have enough front brake as I was likely going to head into the intersection. I went into a tank slapper at 20 mph or so and then was tossed off the left side of the bike onto my left elbow and shoulder. My left knee and hip also made impact.
Gear was an Alpinestars leather jacket, TCX x2 boots, Torque Kevlar jeans, and Held Phantom gloves. It all did its job, and I walked away without carrying any pavement with me, though I can tell on my knee and foot where the impact was. I've got a bit of a limp today, but will be okay.
As for the bike, I had Motovation frame and axle sliders which saved the tank and preserved most of the fairing. The stator cover, mirror, headlight, bar end, headlight mole, and rear plastic trim all got scratched up, and my turn signal popped off. A few of Judd's well-placed zipties got the signal back in place for my 70+ mile ride home.
I've been riding for a little over 2 years and though I'm better than I was when I started, I've never really gotten better at braking. I tend to lean on the rear brake more than the front - maybe this is just muscle memory from driving? I'll pick up some new pieces, turn a few bolts, and the bike will look better than before. :thumbup: I'll post a few pics later today.
Gear was an Alpinestars leather jacket, TCX x2 boots, Torque Kevlar jeans, and Held Phantom gloves. It all did its job, and I walked away without carrying any pavement with me, though I can tell on my knee and foot where the impact was. I've got a bit of a limp today, but will be okay.
As for the bike, I had Motovation frame and axle sliders which saved the tank and preserved most of the fairing. The stator cover, mirror, headlight, bar end, headlight mole, and rear plastic trim all got scratched up, and my turn signal popped off. A few of Judd's well-placed zipties got the signal back in place for my 70+ mile ride home.
I've been riding for a little over 2 years and though I'm better than I was when I started, I've never really gotten better at braking. I tend to lean on the rear brake more than the front - maybe this is just muscle memory from driving? I'll pick up some new pieces, turn a few bolts, and the bike will look better than before. :thumbup: I'll post a few pics later today.