28 years of riding and I finally crashed...

[palerider]

It was bound to happen. 28 years of riding on the street and never once had I been down. I have always considered myself a good motorcycle rider, safe and reasonable in my decisions on the road. And today none of that mattered.

This afternoon I left my house on my 2008 FJR1300 to test out my new G4 headset. I figured I'd take a quick 10 to 20 minute ride to make sure the level s were set and that the unit would work well. After 5 minutes heading east from my house towards the city, I hung a u-turn and headed back towards home, happy with the new gizmo.

At the light for my home I stayed in the traffic lane and checked my fuel gauge, figuring I'd top off the fuel at the WAWA at the next intersection. Heading towards the left turn lane, I got a bit of sunlight in my face, but it wasn't enough to not be able to see, but enough to not be able to see the 2 foot wide swath of oil/diesel/coolant/ slick as snot stuff that was all over… Someone had dropped fluid, and a lot of it, all the way thru the turn lane, and thru the intersection, and then on up the highway as far as the eye could see… I hit the "stuff" just as I leaned over and then I went down, hard. The bike slid thru the intersection and came to rest in the oncoming traffic's left turn lane. I slid to a stop about 100 feet before it. And then it got quiet.

I'm laying on the pavement in this "stuff" thinking what the hell is this and WOW my ankle hurts… As I try to get up, the pain from my left ankle is on 11 and I fall back clutching my boot. I'm down for the count… Oh yea, my right knee is ON FIRE… WOW, hmmm I'll just lay here and

wait for someone to finish me off…

Some nice folks help me out while I was laying on the pavement. Nice gentleman in his miata and a nice guy in the oncoming traffic. They actually got the rescue folks in action, and also directed traffic around me. They also got my motorcycle upright and moved to the parking lot of the gas station I was heading to. They even retrieved my iPhone so I could call my wife. She was there within minutes… The scene was 1 mile from my house, and you can imagine how devastating it would be for a wife to see her husband laying on the pavement in the highway, being "back-boarded" for the trip to the hospital.

To give you a sense of the mess that was in the road, the department of transportation was called out to clean up the mess…The rescue crew were slipping and sliding loading me into the rescue squad. So although my relatively new to me motorcycle was dropped by me, but not by my fault. I honestly don't know what I'd have done differently…

So the nice folks with the rescue squad load me up and stick my arm and pump me full of "stuff". I was admitted to the hospital and my wife was there with me, worried out of her mind. We're greeted by a psychotic patient screaming to the top of her lungs. For the next two hours that's what we could hear, before they finally transported her to the "facility" across the street. And then of course there was the corpse in room #9… Yea I was feeling kind of like a bad twilite zone episode… So they take me in and xray my left leg, and my lower back. After an assessment, it was clear I had a bad sprain on the left ankle, a bruised back, and a nice raspberry on the right knee… My blue jeans gave me what is essentially a rug burn there… Bottom line is I got off real lucky.

As to the damage to the bike, well I can't tell you. The bike was towed. We know the left side hard luggage took a beating, and although I have frame sliders installed up front, I'm guessing the left side bodywork probably took a beating. I'm just hoping the framework didn't take a beating. I'm also hoping Cletus and his towing service didn't do more damage. I'll find out tomorrow.

Damned sore tonight… Ugh…

Mike

Glad you're okay to tell the tale. And you're not alone. I had a VERY simiiar accident on a decreasing-radius onramp. Leaned over, hit roadsnot, and down. Let us know how the bike is.

 

[LAF]

Here are my wishes for a speedy recovery.

Any crash you can type after is a good one. Heal well.

It has been six months since I could ride after a 65 mph get off. I go for my second neck operation Wednesday, and my first was last Tuesday. C1 and C2 are broken and a screw from the front of my neck did not work, so now pins and rods from the back of the neck on Wednesday.

Point is we NEVER know what the road brings us. You can not anticipate everything, and a road condition you describe is about as sneaky as it gets. I will tell you trash trucks are notorious for unnamed substances flowing from them after rains and in corners. Could have been anything though.

I have been riding about as long as you and this was my first also. So I guess we got that out of the way so life should be good.

Again you are the main event here, and the bike is what it is. I know it is tough looking at the bike and seeing what it looks like but I still have not looked at a picture of my totaled BMW to this day. She was toast and I was too. I needed to dwell on my 0 mile '10 FJR and getting well enough to take it for a ride.

All the best and heal right and well, do NOT push it!

 

[Joker]

Hope you get well soon and get back in the saddle!

 

[LagerHead]

Yep, it definitely sucks. But it could have sucked much worse. Heal fast, ride faster. :lol:

 

[dcarver]

Damn. No fun at all. Get well quick.

 

[EEZY E]

Im glad you are doing OK..Oil slicks Suck :angry2: At least you still have a sense of humor. I did not think that reading about an accident post that I would be laughing. But take care and get well soon.

E

 

[Tom Edison]

Good for you it is only sprains and bruises. You'll live to ride another day.

 

[Nikk]

Wish you and your ride a speedy recovery!

 

[Mike Kelly]

Two updates from yesterday's accident...

I got a chance to inspect the motorcycle when we dropped the key off with the towing service. They're going to drop it off in town with a Progressive Ins. approved repair faciluty... The bike had frame sliders on it from the previous owner, and other than damaging the slider, destroying the mirror and the hardbag on that side, the bike looks new... Those framesliders are worth every penny and boy I'm glad I have them.

The other thing is that I just got back from seeing an orthopedic specialist. I have torn ligaments in the left ankle. I'm in a walking boot, which helps with mobility!

Thanks for the well wishes gang, really means a lot!

Mike

 

[FJR Bill]

Two updates from yesterday's accident...

I got a chance to inspect the motorcycle when we dropped the key off with the towing service. They're going to drop it off in town with a Progressive Ins. approved repair faciluty... The bike had frame sliders on it from the previous owner, and other than damaging the slider, destroying the mirror and the hardbag on that side, the bike looks new... Those framesliders are worth every penny and boy I'm glad I have them.

The other thing is that I just got back from seeing an orthopedic specialist. I have torn ligaments in the left ankle. I'm in a walking boot, which helps with mobility!

Thanks for the well wishes gang, really means a lot!

Mike

Ahhh..Good news, thanks for the update. I've gone down 3 times in 47 years of riding and in each case it was because of an unexpected slippery wet surface while in a turn. You are down before you even know what happened. No chance of recovery, just hope you don't slam into something. Luckily for me I never got hurt but as a result I will not go into blind turns at high speed like many of my friends. I slow untill I can see the road surface around the bend before I hammer it. I know this doesn't apply to your situation but want to remind folks that the highways are not racetracks and watch for the unexpected all the time but more so while cornering. So happy to learn you and the bike are ok.

Bill

 

[SacramentoMike]

Happens damn fast, doesn't it? I've noticed that myself. And no, I don't want to talk about it. :angry2:

Anyway, condolences and gratitude about the level of violence you did on yourself. At least you came out better than that poor guy in room 9.

(BTW, I had Progressive after a couple incidents; they treated me GREAT!)

 

[Texan]

Clearly nothing you could have done. So sorry to hear about your spill. I hope you make it another 28 years without a fall.

And next time, riding pants, for your wife's sake. I always put on the aerostich. It only takes 10 seconds and it hangs next to my bike.

 

[Bugnatr]

Hope you heal as fast as you went down. Do you know what brand sliders are on the bike? Keep us posted on Progressive's response.

 

[Bounce]

Glad to hear you're (relatively) ok. You didn't say what kind of boots you were wearing when you went down. We got that you were in jeans, so we understand the strawberry and how that happened. Learning from others is the best way to learn, so thanks for sharing.

Here's to a speedy recovery from you and a good settlement with your insurance company.

 

[Mike Kelly]

With regards to gear, I have an excellent selection of gear that I normally ride with, 99% of the time. I have a Tourmaster Centurion 1 piece suit that I commute in. I also have a CORTECH riding jacket that is longer than a sport jacket (but not a full adventure jacket) which I was wearing during the crash, and I have a full Fieldsheer Ti-Air Jacket/pants set I wear in summer. I own FOUR sets of motorcycle boots, including a set of SIDIs, a set of WINTEX Rain boots, a set of AGV race boots, and a pair of ICON Chuckas. And I'm GUILTY as charged,

So here's the deal... I had just installed the G4 headset on my helmet and we'd been home from hiking for about an hour when I decided to go "test" my headset volume out. I told the wife "I'll be back in 10-15 minutes" and threw on my CORTECH jacket (has armor in it) and my gloves and helmet. Because I was only going down the street and back, and wasn't planning on hot-footing it, I didn't stop to put my boots on. I went 1/2 mile in one direction, confirmed what I thought was correct with the headset, hooked a u-turn and came back to the exit for the road my house is on. At the last moment I decided "Go to the gas station and top off with fuel for tomorrow". So I proceeded the half mile to the gas station exit and made the left and fell in the interection... And there you have it... I was wearing hiking boots. I've been riding for 28 years and have ALWAYS commented on the value of good gear over cheap or no gear... And I fell. Had I wore a full length boot, I'm guessing I may not have injured myself as much as I did. The ankle high hiking boots did me no favors... And it was all because I was "just running out real quick." I can also tell you I'll be unloading the Icon Chuckas... I don't wear them much anyway. But make no bones, I won't be found in this position again. Having good boots at home is really the smack in the face from me to me... Ugh...

State Police called me last night to inform me I wouldn't be charged, and also to confirm that the stuff on the ground was motor oil and that 1/2 mile of roadway was impacted with the stuff. He said it was obvious that nothing I did contributed to my accident. Progressive had the tow company take the bike to one of their collision centers (which is 20 minutes from my house) where they are assessing it. Fortunately, the NADA is $10470, which is about $2470 more than I paid for it, so if they total it, I'll be shopping again for a new bike... Might just wait for the new FJR if that's the case (assuming something in the frame is damaged that isn't visible). But I doubt it is totalled. So far Progressive has been great to deal with in this situation...

Mike

Glad to hear you're (relatively) ok. You didn't say what kind of boots you were wearing when you went down. We got that you were in jeans, so we understand the strawberry and how that happened. Learning from others is the best way to learn, so thanks for sharing.

Here's to a speedy recovery from you and a good settlement with your insurance company.

 

[Mike Kelly]

https://www.premiercycleaccessories.com/FJR_1300_06_10_Frame_Sliders_p/17031.htm

Those are the units I have on the bike. They'll be going back on the bike, too!

Mike

Hope you heal as fast as you went down. Do you know what brand sliders are on the bike? Keep us posted on Progressive's response.

 

[supertankerm60a3]

I am sure you know the "Old Saying" There are those who have (gone down) and those who will. I have the dubious distinction of crashing twice... this year! Once going through a landslide cleanup and once during a thunderstorm. I guess each has his own set of "surprises" waiting.

Either way, Glad you were able to limp away.

 

[bgross]

Sorry to hear the story of your get-off, and glad that your injuries weren't more severe.

Also glad that the Divine Spectator was content with a nice hard slide and didn't require you to perform as a speed bump.

Hope to hear of a speedy recovery, a quickly repaired bike and you back in the saddle soon!

 

[dcarver]

I appreciate honesty in a report, and this one is smack full of honesty. Kudos.

We all *sometimes* ride without full gear.

It's a risk - and this time you got 'caught'.

So be it - I'll not wear ATGATT to go 2 miles down the road.

If I get 'caught'...

well, so be it.

I'm relieved to know you are OK -

Heal up, ride again.

 

[Bounce]

Thanks for the heads up about the gear at home v the short trip.

They told me that 90% of all wrecks happen within 25 miles of home.

So I moved.