Dropped It Today

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Carnifex

Ka-Chow!
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
155
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Location
Woodland, DE
Rode to work today - beautiful day, about 50 miles each way, marred only slightly by a brief visit with a representative of the local constabulary in one of the small towns on the way. (said visit shortened by my presentation of my own credentials as a member of a significantly larger and more storied constabulary.)

Once past that inconvenience I was treated to some of the best riding to be found in the flat parts of southwestern Delaware - woods and long sweepers, if a little flat.

I take the last 6 miles on the dual highway in stride and pull off onto my little side road, and approach my driveway from the north. I'm coming up from the north, and meet my wife, who is coming up from the south.

Oh look!! My wife, I will wave like an idiot!

(have I mentioned yet that my driveway is about 700 feet long and stone - not paved?)

I'm busy waving, slowing down, trying to negotiate the turn from pavement into the loose stones that gather at the end of any stone drive.

Yea, that didn't work.

As near as I can tell I was still on the brake when I turned into the stones, the front wheel locked and slid, and the rear slid around, dumping me. That part is not too bad, but the bike ended up on my foot, trapping me.

I absolutely could not move - my foot was twisted and pinned under the right tailpipe. Which is hot, BTW. Really, really hot.

My wife jumped out of her car and was unable to move the bike, and luckily two guys in pickup trucks stopped and were able to lift it off me.

Nothings broken, on me - my knee is skinned, and my foot is burned (tho not bad) and bruised in 4 different spots - swollen pretty good also. My boots are torn all to hell and gone, but they are what kept me from a serious burn I have no doubt.

The bike is.. well - what you would expect from going down in loose stones and sliding. The right lower fairing is scratched all to hell and gone, as is the saddlebag, and I've got a little rub on the edge of the front fairing. Nothing's cracked, but it's not pretty anymore.

Anyone have any idea what the lower fairings cost to replace?

So there. you go. Lesson learned - pay attention, damint. I've got no one to blame but myself.

 
That sucks. Sorry for the bike, glad to know you mostly OK. Now at least you have a good reason to ignore the wife in the future...

"Sorry, but if I listened to what you were saying just then I might have fell over." ;) :D

 
A repaint job on the sidecases and fairing would probably be cheaper than new ones.

Oh, and sorry to hear about your drop. Been there... done that... had the scratches to prove it.

 
you can view part prices and order parts at

www.FJRgoodies.com

It's a Yamaha OEM ordering deal...fairly cool and pretty darn expensive parts you're looking at there....sorry and I hope you heal fast.

This is why your wife should always wear a helmet with a bike to bike radio so you can say hello without waving. Granted she may look funny driving around with it on, or even worse in the grocery store but it is all about safety. :agent:

 
Man that bites nasty tasting things....musta sucked to be trapped and twisted and getting burned all at the same time, everything going to heal up ok (with the burns and such)?-hope so

 
Carn

Gland your not too busted up! Congrats to the proper clothing saved another rider going to the hospital eh?

If there are no cracks on the plastic it's cheaper to get it repaired and re painted any decent spray painter could match the paint and no one would be the wiser.

Good luck!

 
Make it a good opportunity for that custom paint you've been thinking about.

 
That sucks. Sorry for the bike, glad to know you mostly OK. Now at least you have a good reason to ignore the wife in the future...
"Sorry, but if I listened to what you were saying just then I might have fell over." ;) :D
funny!

 
Hey try ebay if the parts you need can't be painted. There has been a flurry of FJR parts on there lately. Anyone missing an '03 FJR?

 
The "in front of the wife bit" is especially bad since she doesn't like the idea of a bike in the first place.

I'm better today - not nearly as sore as I thought, but still hurting some.

I am going to try the paint - and yea, I was wanting custom paint.. yea.. yea.. I did it on purpose, so I could get into the paint shop.

Of course that won't be until after riding season is over, so I get to ride around scratched up for a few months.

 
You'll be showing off your BATTLE SCARS!

(Just don't tell them the gravel drive won....)

 
Sorry to hear about your mishap, glad you're okay and the bike isn't too bad off. The greatest thing about your post was how you conveyed your experience; you made a bad thing, not so bad, with a great attitude and smile. Kudos to that. :thumbup:

 
Was this an ABS machine? Would it have mattered at all? I haven't tried my ABS in gravel yet and don't really plan to unless some idiot with a GPS says "we've got to follow this gravel road, my GPS also says so :clap: "...and I'm completely lost and my GPS says the same thing :)

I mean you would have paid an extra amount of $$ up front for ABS, that would stop you from waving at the wife and just getting off to say, "I'm a very safe rider that's why I don't take my hands off the grips when I riding honey"

 
Tell the wife taht the damage to the bike isnothing compared to the joy of being able to wave to her :D also any chance ofgetting a copy of those larger credentials ;)

 
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