Took a while but it finally caught up

The wife started trying to share her experience as a new motorcycle rider via YouTube, here is her channel.

For our wedding renewal honeymoon, we took a 3 week trip in June both riding FJRs. Awesome trip and she’s got TB of raw footage to sort through, but she unfortunately dropped her bike twice. She’s not hurt other than pride and some confidence both times was zero speed steep angle turn around related.

However this was supposed to be able my issue. Labor Day I went down on the road for the first time since I was 15-16 years old. Thats a great run and yes I credit God and my guardian angle for the run.

I am healing very well but the quote for repairs came back yesterday and I think the insurance will likely total it now.



So let the haters and expert commentators advise how preventable and what an idiot I was on this crash.

I have had plenty of close calls in marbles I didn't see, none caught me like yours caught you! You drew the short straw.

Salvageable? Yes
Will it look perfect? Money dependent
Can you do some of the work yourself? Huge $$ saver
Are the frame/ forks /swingarm /wheels straight post crash? 99.99% perfectly fine

This repair is all about the balance of time and money. How much of each do you want to spend?
Best wishes, glad you're safe, nice job wearing the proper gear.

Looks like the front tire washed out? Was it both tires that slid? Do you recall your brake application, if any? Not rear, obviously, because your foot came off of the peg.
Did you dab your foot to catch yourself, or did the toe of the boot hit and catch the road?

Edit: Looks like you went from the left side of the lane to the right side when the turn tightened up and the road dropped down. It also appears that you slid the back tire and then it ran out of room to lean, hit hard parts, and it jacked its own front tire up, letting the back end continue around.
I'm just trying to understand what happened so I can learn from it. I appreciate you posting this.

By the way, your wife does a great job with the video.

Wow ! glad you are safe

Neither hater or expert.
You did well, had the right gear on, (except now there is photographic proof why laced boots are not the best choice) and it appears you walked away.
If the machine is a write off, this is the best time of the year to be shopping for a m/c. (silver lining). If you have the inclination, buy it back and part it out.
Enjoy the fact that you are still all OEM parts and healing.

-Steve

WOW! Glad you're okay. Most everything is salvageable it's a matter of how much you want to put into it. The low side is mostly cosmetic, but when it flipped over it could have done more severe damage to the frame, etc. And it's usually cosmetics that are so expensive and why many insurance companies total the bike. Also if insured and they do total it, you can usually buy it from them for 20% of the value they paid out. You'll have a salvaged title but you can fix it up, maybe not was pretty, but you'll have a bike that runs etc, for cheap.

I'm of the camp of, It's not a matter of "if" you go down, it's a matter of "when". I know others will argue but this get off is a classic point, things beyond your control that you can't see. If you ride long enough and a lot, not like a few miles/year, the odds are against you. Just sayin'...

I got high-sided on my old GSXR1100 years ago hitting oil in the street. I couldn't figure out how I went down so easily like you, then I saw the start of the skid mark and it was like fresh motor oil was there. I fractured my arm on that one. Sold the bike damaged, the guy did a fantastic job repairing it.

Good luck to you, heal quickly, and ride safe!

VAcracker said:

The wife started trying to share her experience as a new motorcycle rider via YouTube, here is her channel.

For our wedding renewal honeymoon, we took a 3 week trip in June both riding FJRs. Awesome trip and she’s got TB of raw footage to sort through, but she unfortunately dropped her bike twice. She’s not hurt other than pride and some confidence both times was zero speed steep angle turn around related.

However this was supposed to be able my issue. Labor Day I went down on the road for the first time since I was 15-16 years old. Thats a great run and yes I credit God and my guardian angle for the run.

I am healing very well but the quote for repairs came back yesterday and I think the insurance will likely total it now.



So let the haters and expert commentators advise how preventable and what an idiot I was on this crash.

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So sorry this happened! Glad you are okay relatively speaking. I hit a large rock on the road while on a trip in Wisconsin, slipped the rear over a bit but thankfully kept it upright. Sometimes I don't think there's anything you could do when you can't see the hazard. Best wishes on a full recovery and hopefully this doesn't stop you from being back out there.

I was trying to figure out what happened too.

Frankly I was not committed to full lean and tip in yet. The view from the bike following while distance seems to show it go from minimal lean loosing it. I haven’t even dipped my shoulder or moved body for the sharp part of the curve yet.

Wife put together another short and it shows more road and angles.




I didn’t feel the bike go down I just realized I was under the bike. It was that fast.

Wow! That camera has an interesting way of catching the carnage!

Weird. When your foot went down I still don't see anything happening to the bike. Did the rear give out first? If the front had, I would have expected the handlebars/front wheel to turn the opposite direction.

My critique: You spend a lot of money on that FJR. Go spend a few $$$ on some proper riding boots WITHOUT laces. And higher quality riding pants. I don't care if they are motorcycle specific or not. Your boots and pants didn't hold up very well on a VERY minor get-off.

That sucks. Looks like a significant (yet repairable) amount of damage. One option that I have done in the past is to repair it myself. You can save a lot of $$$ off shop labor costs, and not necessarily replacing every scratched but functional part.

For example, in 2014 I had an incident with my '04 FJR. IIRC, about $5k in damage. I took that $5k from the insurance company and repaired it myself for about $1,500 I think. Then, a few months later same bike I low sided in gravel taking a left turn in an intersection. They totaled it. Gave me $5k again. I bought it from the insurance company for about $1,500 or so and repaired it myself though now it has a salvage title. 50k mile later I still have that '04 FJR. Oh, and at the time the FJR had well over 100k miles on it. That FJR has MADE me money!

Yup. Watching your second video the rear gave out first. If the front had given out first there is no way the bike would have gone right towards the inside of the turn. Weird. I would have thought that the front would have let go first.

Seemed to dive in pretty early for a decreasing radius turn. And it looks like a blind turn with that high grass.

SkooterG said:

For example, in 2014 I had an incident with my '04 FJR. IIRC, about $5k in damage. I took that $5k from the insurance company and repaired it myself for about $1,500 I think. Then, a few months later same bike I low sided in gravel taking a left turn in an intersection. They totaled it. Gave me $5k again. I bought it from the insurance company for about $1,500 or so and repaired it myself though now it has a salvage title. 50k mile later I still have that '04 FJR. Oh, and at the time the FJR had well over 100k miles on it. That FJR has MADE me money!

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Well dang! I need to start wrecking MY way to easy street, too.

Thanks for the input.

Yes the insurance totaled the bike. Some damage obviously not visible but shop said +14k for repair. Buy back would be in the 4K range. So letting them take it. Don’t have room for replacement plus wrecked bike. Got hosed on some accessories added but overall not an unreasonable settlement amount.

On fence about the laces. Agree there are some concerns and disadvantages but this was a very specific angle my ankle and foot slide in. Not discounting getting an all weather version of laceless boots as the ones I have are extra hot and good for cold and wet riding rather than everyday.

As for the slide I happened instantly without warning. Just went from min lean angle to down. Don’t remember the transition just realizing I was under the bike before the transition to the decreasing radius portion of the turn. As for foot I don’t know is that was involuntary instinct or toe grabbed and pulled off peg as bike went down. I believe it was the rear that gave of the ghost but could have been both.

This provides more views of the road

Whooshka said:

Seemed to dive in pretty early for a decreasing radius turn. And it looks like a blind turn with that high grass.

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It’s a long slight hander into a sharper ending

Depending on speed arguably dual apex.




Forgot to note direction of travel was too to bottom.

I'm glad you made it through the crash mostly unscathed and understand how fast the crash can be but for the love of Mike stay away from laces on shoes when riding a moto for many reasons. Yours came off faster than a Prom dress, I never even thought that would happen but now it can be added to the list of reasons not to wear laced shoes.

Reserector said:

Well dang! I need to start wrecking MY way to easy street, too.

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As irony would have it, I wrecked and totaled my FJR on October 6th. I'm just now able to sleep in my bed and not sitting up, due to a cracked rib.
I really need to keep some thoughts to myself.