FJR does a Single Lindsey without success

[boardsNbikes]

Last Sunday, riding back from Newcomb's Ranch on Angeles Crest Hwy I put the FJR down. At about 50mph, I entered a semi-tight right handed sweeper with the mountains blocking the view. At about two-thirds through the turn, past the apex, there was a sedan parked with all of its wheels on the road surface. I started to take evasive actions, braking and starting to go wide to avoid the sedan. Then I saw two people walking between the sedan and the double-yellow line. The sedan was parked there because a further 100 feet up the road was a tipped-over RV. Nice place to park :angry:

Seeing the people made me go into panic mode and like an idiot, despite my MSF training and emergency braking practice, I stomped on the rear brake and started to slide the rear. Let me see if I can get this accurate. The rear slid to the right with the front to the left; I compensated and the kept the rear locked; the rear slid a bit to the left with the front to the right; I compensated once again but as the rear slid to the right one more time with the front to the left the rear tire finally hooked up and tossed me to the ground.

It was a high-side like crash but with slow speeds and without me being catapulted into the atmosphere. The bike landed on the right side, rolled once and stopped on it's left side.

Personally, I was wearing my Aerostich and rode the crashed bike back to my house. Injuries were limited to a sprained left knee and a right hip contusion. I'm thankful for that. The Aerostich is unscathed except for parts of the reflective panel on the back.

Thanks to the rollover, the FJR has some significant body damage: both saddlebags scratched, windscreen damaged beyond repair, both mirrors gone, left engine cover scratched, upper front cowling needs replacing, right exhaust scratched, rack scratched, one MOKO slider sacrificed and helmet damage. Motor, suspension and frame seem okay.

Anyway, any thoughts on how to report this to the insurance company? I haven't filed a single claim in 14 years of motorcycle coverage (different companies, though). There was no collision with other property (vehicle, fence, home, etc.) so is it a comprehensive claim? Is making a comp claim more likely to raise my rates? FWIW, I did a quick parts lookup at Ronayers.com and stopped when the total w/o saddlebags went over 1K. [1]

Carrier is 21st Century Insurance.

As an aside, the CHP officer taking my statement said I was going too fast if I was using words like "apex". WTF? :angry01: Makes me question their training. I'm starting to REALLY believe that being honest and accurate is not worth the effort. If I just said, "Uh...there was a big rock on the road and I hit it. It made me crash. I didn't even see the sedan in the road. What tipped over RV?", I'm sure it would be easier.

[1] I plan on calling Gary McCoy at University Motors for a quote and perhaps doing all the work myself to save $.

 

[fjrchooser]

Glad to hear you're relatively unscathed BnB ! And yes, big words will get you in trouble. If you'd said 'skilz' you might have been tossed in the slam.

Your insurance agent can advise you on the best way to file your claim. Pretty sure they won't hold it against you if you decide not to file-as long as you weren't ticketed.

 

[Randy]

Glad to hear you're relatively ok. Best thing you can do is call your insurance company and tell them the truth. If you were 'going too fast', you would have been cited, right? You weren't. You took evasive maneuvers to minimize damage to you and the bike and the result is a scratched up motorsicle.

>edit - put this out before seeing fjrchooser's post. would have saved some keystrokes had i seen it sooner

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Glad to hear you're relatively unscathed BnB ! And yes, big words will get you in trouble. If you'd said 'skilz' you might have been tossed in the slam.
Your insurance agent can advise you on the best way to file your claim. Pretty sure they won't hold it against you if you decide not to file-as long as you weren't ticketed.

fjrchooser is right. Contact your agent. This is why you pay premiums, and don't be so quick to assume the other vehicle, by causing a dangerous situation, will not be found at fault (Parking in a turn on a highway, for chrissakes?!).

I had a similar slow speed highside after locking the rear wheel of my cruiser in October last year. You are lucky, I broke my collar bone, compressed disks in my neck and had lots of bruising and a small spot of road rash. And my bike was totalled because the fork stop was nicked. My rates for my new '06 FJR is only $150 more -- and the claim ended up saving me $8000..........

As for the CHP.....he's an idiot.

As for locking up the rear wheel.... I feel for you, I've been riding a long time and did everything I knew I shouldn't; couldn't hold the slide long enough. That's one reason why I got the ABS, so I can sleep a little easier. Learn from it all and move on as soon as you can.

 

[gr8eyes]

Wow, that could have been alot worse BnB, I'm glad you weren't hurt worse. Sounds like you did well considering the situation.

This type accident makes be wonder what the outcome might have been if the bike had ABS?

Glenn

 

[GalaxyBlue]

Wow, that could have been alot worse BnB, I'm glad you weren't hurt worse. Sounds like you did well considering the situation.
This type accident makes be wonder what the outcome might have been if the bike had ABS?

Glenn

Glad your OK.

As a NON ABS Feejer rider, I guess thats the price we pay for being cheap asses and not boning up the extra $1100 for ABS.

Even though i have had some close calls, I still don't feel ABS would have saved me if i was in your situation. One never knows.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

Heal fast and get that thing back together and be at WFO!

Adam

 

[boardsNbikes]

Wow, that could have been alot worse BnB, I'm glad you weren't hurt worse. Sounds like you did well considering the situation.

Want to know what my last thoughts were just before I crashed? "Hey, I'm gonna save this" (no kiddin')

 

[Mike-H]

BnB....glad you walked away to ride another day.....cop said too fast? :blink: ....did you ask what to fast was ....if he/she put it in the report it could potential effect your insurance if they (the insurance company) see that....just FYI....glad your alright though....

 

[PerfectBlueride]

I am sorry to hear that you had a mishap, good luck with claim and healing process.

 

[boardsNbikes]

Your insurance agent can advise you on the best way to file your claim. Pretty sure they won't hold it against you if you decide not to file-as long as you weren't ticketed.

I wasn't cited at the crash site. Any chance that one's coming in the mail or with the CHP collision report?

 

[gr8eyes]

BnB, I had no such delusions before my low side at 70. As a matter of fact the last thing I think going through my mind was I'll miss my wife and kids. No kidding. It was 1.5 to 2 seconds between the time I realized I was going down until I was out, like I'd been hit by a Mike Tyson left hook. I was counting sheep for about 45 seconds.

Glenn

Get it fixed and ride again.

 

[boardsNbikes]

Heal fast and get that thing back together and be at WFO!
Adam

Thank you folks for all the kind words but thankfully, I was very lucky and heavy doses of ibuprofen is taking care of the pain and I should be alright within a week or two. I do know, however, that I don't heal like I did twenty years ago. Like any 40-something year old, I still think I'm 20-something. :ermm:

I'm off to WFO with the FJR if it's repaired and that's my intention. If not, can I show up on my SV650S and have you guys and gals take me in without too much laughter? :clown2:

BnB....glad you walked away to ride another day.....cop said too fast? :blink: ....did you ask what to fast was ....if he/she put it in the report it could potential effect your insurance if they (the insurance company) see that....just FYI....glad your alright though....

The officer did ask how fast I was going. I said "about 50" which makes it really about 47-48mph. The crash site was in between well posted 45mph zones and this section of ACH generally has a 55mph limit. I'll see what official report says in about 2 to 4 weeks (there's an accident report backlogged at the CHP).

 

[NoCage]

Ouch Boards...heal quickly. And the cage driver was stopped in the lane instead of to one side? It sounds like they're partiallly at fault.

 

[FJRottie]

Glad you made it out OK.

People litter the road and hog the road with no consideration of what their actions may cause.

Someone should have put a vehicle or a notice BEFORE the curve.

That's why spirited riding should be done at the track, protect thy self.

Many incidents lately....everyone watch out.

 

[Groo]

Glad it wasn't any worse... can't say why the officer was giving you grief if you were within the speed limits... :blink: Heal fast, and we won't rib ya (too much) at WFO if you're on the SV...

 

[Ari Rankum]

Wow. I feel for you.

You're right in your damage estimat - there's definitely three zeroes at the end of the bill. Don't take that to the Price is Right, though, because I'm afraid the first digit may be bigger than a one.

I agree with the others - talk to your agent.

As far as tickets go, I think the officer has a bit of discretion here. The other driver could be cited for contributory negligence, but it's a tough call on a mountain road with a crashed out RV on it. They should stop their car, but where? Less than 100 feet from the RV? I don't know. You may *also* get a ticket, even if the cagers get a ticket. If the officer feels that each of you was negligent - they parking on the road, you overdriving your sight lines, he can cite you both. If you're cited, and you disagree, you have the right to take it up in court. Until you receive a ticket, I wouldn't worry about it. Of course, you're incentivized to settle your insurance matters, should you file a claim, as soon as possible. One of the first questions they will ask is, "were you cited?" . Right now, it's certainly truthful to answer "no".

Should I expect Ralph Nader to be holding a press conference on the safety issues associated with FJRs?

 

[boardsNbikes]

As far as tickets go, I think the officer has a bit of discretion here. The other driver could be cited for contributory negligence, but it's a tough call on a mountain road with a crashed out RV on it. They should stop their car, but where?

The officer can't cite the other driver, the sedan parked on the inside of the curve, because the fuckers drove off after my crash. In fact my first words out of my mouth may have motivated their quick exit: yelling "Who the **** parks on the inside of a turn!"

Regarding where the sedan could park, there was a turnout with room for twenty cars on the outside of the of the same turn. :angry2:

As the only party there, I may be the only party available to be cited

 

[shu]

As the only party there, I may be the only party available to be cited

first, glad you are OK, and it really does sound like it coulda been MUCH worse. like into the back of the car?

second, it sounds like you did everything you coulda - i tell myself over and over that if the back gets outta line with the wheel locked, keep it locked, but if it won't correct, it'd be almost impossible not to let go and high side despite everything we know. that's one of the reasons i was glad the 06 came with the ABS, but like folks say, who knows if it woulda made the difference...

third, and to your point: there doesn't necessarily have to be ANY citation just because there was a crash of sorts. if the chippie was gonna tag you, you'd have known then and there on a moving violation. no worries.

well, not counting the bike and the bruises. and don't forget to claim your helmet. i did.

shu

 

[Ari Rankum]

As far as tickets go, I think the officer has a bit of discretion here. The other driver could be cited for contributory negligence, but it's a tough call on a mountain road with a crashed out RV on it. They should stop their car, but where?

The officer can't cite the other driver, the sedan parked on the inside of the curve, because the fuckers drove off after my crash. In fact my first words out of my mouth may have motivated their quick exit: yelling "Who the **** parks on the inside of a turn!"

Regarding where the sedan could park, there was a turnout with room for twenty cars on the outside of the of the same turn. :angry2:

Welp, that clears it up. In that case, I prolly wouldn't have used the language you did. I would have used a few more words in order to convey my meaning in way more appropriate to the situation, something like,

You fuckers! Who the **** parks on the inside of a fucking turn?!?