FJR Riders and crashing

[Mike-H]

So far most of the posts are rider error during riding hard.

Are you sure of this?

Not so much any more. It seems like a lapse of attention may be an even more common cluprit.

Like in my situation, I know passing was a rider error, because I wasn't putting safety first. But was passing that guy riding above my ability??? I don't think so, he was only going about 30.... :dntknw:

Wouldn't the riding above your ability thing be comfort level based & not speed derived?....

 

[keithaba]

So far most of the posts are rider error during riding hard.

Are you sure of this?

Not so much any more. It seems like a lapse of attention may be an even more common cluprit.

Like in my situation, I know passing was a rider error, because I wasn't putting safety first. But was passing that guy riding above my ability??? I don't think so, he was only going about 30.... :dntknw:

Wouldn't the riding above your ability thing be comfort level based & not speed derived?....

Yeah, but I think the point so far is, not all of the FJR riders who have crashed did so because they were riding beyond their abilities, or comfort zone or whatever we call it. (for example: entering a turn to fast and going off the road...... or hitting the throttle too hard coming out of a turn and going off the road....)

 

[Mike-H]

So far most of the posts are rider error during riding hard.

Are you sure of this?

Not so much any more. It seems like a lapse of attention may be an even more common cluprit.

Like in my situation, I know passing was a rider error, because I wasn't putting safety first. But was passing that guy riding above my ability??? I don't think so, he was only going about 30.... :dntknw:

Wouldn't the riding above your ability thing be comfort level based & not speed derived?....

Yeah, but I think the point so far is, not all of the FJR riders who have crashed did so because they were riding beyond their abilities, or comfort zone or whatever we call it. (for example: entering a turn to fast and going off the road...... or hitting the throttle too hard coming out of a turn and going off the road....)

So "rider error" or "brain fade" it is then?

 

[warsw]

1. Do FJR riders push this bike too hard? :bb: :bb2: 4. So far most of the posts are rider error during riding hard.

I find that when I am riding hard I make fewer mistakes. This is when all my sensors are working in the same direction and I am paying attention to what I am doing. I have yet to lay a bike down while on the move, knock on wood, but when I am just puttering around, looking at the scenery and paying attention to everything but what I should be (like riding the bike) is when I make the most bonehead mistakes. If I ever do go down, I have a feeling that it will be when I am just kicked back watching the scenery go by and do something stupid.

 

[petey]

Yes, mine was the cause of losing focus and looking at the ditch (fixation) for only a split second. I was abal to ride the bike home (250m), and wasn't hurt... because I was properly dressed. I do think that incident made me a better rider. :glare:

 

[FJR Gary]

I had my get-off a little over 4 years ago on my Bandit 1200. Totally my fault. I was riding too fast on a road I wasn't familiar with. I came up over a rise in the road for a railroad crossing and just about 50 yards past the RR tracks the road took a 90 degree right turn which I couldn't see until I was over the tracks. Needless to say, I was going too fast to make the turn and low-sided off the road. Minor damage to the bike, a few scratches and a broken turn signal stalk. I suffered a broken collar bone I'm sure that ATGATT prevented more serious injury.

Ever since them I'm much more conservative on unfamilar roads, or if can't see where the next turn is.

 

[RonBB]

I find that when I am riding hard I make fewer mistakes. This is when all my sensors are working in the same direction and I am paying attention to what I am doing.

+1 Exactly

 

[turbodave_98]

As far as what has caused my 2 crashes in the 40+ years of riding since 1955, I honestly say I was T-boned from the right both times by people that ran through stop signs off my right side. I was fortunate not to get seriously hurt and was not at all at fault. One crash came on a Yamaha DT 360 in Angeles City PI and on a Yami XT 750 in Tokyo Japan.

Being probably one of the most VINTAGE riders on this forum, I will let you know my riding philosophy; If it don't look right, considering the various conditions, I don't do it.

Did the same when I was flying in the USAF, in flying as in biking, there is an old wiseman's comment- "There are NO OLD Bold Pilots"

 

[Big Sky]

A pilot friend also has this saying, when faced with a crash situation: "Fly it till it stops." I've always held that the same idea applies to a pending motorcycle crash: "Ride it till it stops." I've seen a number of incidents where riders are off the road on big road bikes and just keep riding the damned thing, and in so doing wind up avoiding trees, rocks, and other immovable objects, sometimes coming to a stop upright.

 

[TruWrecks]

Most accidents, of any kind, happen when riders (drivers) aren't paying as much attention to the road as they should. A majority of the other accidents occur from people exceeding their "comfort level", going into panic mode, and freezing or over-correcting.

I made the mistake riding beyond my comfort level on a blind corner. I was braking so hard the wheel hopped out. At first I thought I hit a small rock. That put my path crossing the center line. The front tire locked up completely when it ran over the painted line. The bike laid over and I let go of it. That was the Busa. It was a total loss after hitting the guardrail. I tore the 3 ligaments that used to connect to my right clavicle.

Now that I have the FJR, i pay enter blind corners much closer to 7/10's than the 10/10's I was using up that day. I won't be making that mistake again anytime soon.

 

[GunMD]

"Ride it till it stops." I've seen a number of incidents where riders are off the road on big road bikes and just keep riding the damned thing, and in so doing wind up avoiding trees, rocks, and other immovable objects, sometimes coming to a stop upright.

Good point...I believe that Warchild has a good crash report to that effect. Something about a deer and a gun. Good reading.

:dribble:

 

[black mamba]

My passenger and I went down for one reason only.......very small " pea " gravel that you couldn't see. Luckily, I was only going about 35 MPH. No degree of riding skill could have prevented the accident. I was in a series of switchbacks, leaned over quite a bit, and all of a sudden I'm sliding down the road on my ***. Not that I wasn't aware before but I'm almost paranoid now about watching for crap on the road surface.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

"Ride it till it stops." I've seen a number of incidents where riders are off the road on big road bikes and just keep riding the damned thing, and in so doing wind up avoiding trees, rocks, and other immovable objects, sometimes coming to a stop upright.

Good point...I believe that Warchild has a good crash report to that effect. Something about a deer and a gun. Good reading.

:dribble:

Then of course, you'd want to bail and back paddle really fast to avoid going off this road

 

[mdisher]

Good topic, and somewhat timely.

I've been thinking about all the FJR's that have dropped like flies. I was right behind 05BlueDevil when he skipped his across the on-ramp.

I nearly dropped mine in a very similar situation the other day, front end started to wash as I hit gravel turning on to a country road. I jammed my left foot down and saved it. It's not necessarily wise, was just my reaction from years in the dirt. My leg was sore for two days. Damn these things are heavy.

I think at lean (and I wasn't all that leaned over) it doesn't take much to push these puppies past the gravity point of no return.

I don't know if it's their center of gravity or what, but they seem to be very susceptible to dropping like a rock with less front end provocation that a lot of other bikes. I dont know if it's the height, center of gravity being higher than most or what.

But it's shaken me a tad.

 

[evilmedic13]

Mine was completely my fault. Tires were probably too cold(35degrees f) to handle running over gravel, which I would have seen had it not been obscured by tree shade. Not to mention it could have all been avoided had I decided not to play around and instead had gone over the asphalt mound they call a speed hump out here(7ft wide by21ft long). It's just that I've ridden over those a thousand times,just not that one :headbonk:

Lesson learned,don't **** off unless you're REAL sure of the area, and run OVER the ******' thing instead of losing 40 days riding time.I'm lucky I didn't come out of it w/ a transport by my Fire Dept to a hospital for a broken bone. I did crash well though, tucked tight and tried to get out of low-siding into that Ford,but it happened so fast I didn't stand a chance. Also learned how to do a whole lot more to/for the bike than I ever imagined :yahoo:

All in all, it was my fault for being too comfy so close to home on an unfamiliar street and deciding to screw off w/ all the wrong conditions. Sometimes it's okay to be stupid, just not on this machine.

 

[Mr Zel]

Mine happened day after Thanksgiving last year only had my FJR a couple of weeks and just hit a little sand coming into a corner and not enough seat time on this bike and went off the road . With help with the great riders I was with my bike was taped back together and I road it home a long ride home with bady banged up bike 800 miles is a long way, after a spill that tweaked my back made me sore as hell. I have been riding since I was 14 years old and this is only my second crash other was when I was a kid and lacked sense, I am 58 now and think have gained some but this bike is the hottest one I have ever ridden and have learned to respect it a bit more, I love the bike and just got badk from 3000 mile trip to see my Mom in Florida last week bike is all fixed and the fall is just a bad memory hope to keep it that way!!! :bye:

Ziggy

 

[weekend rider]

It sure is fun to look back on your life in a reverse mirror and wonder how in the heck did I surrive.

This goes back about 30 years. I belongded to the Woodland jr. chamber of commerce group and they were putting on an event for the fourth of July.One of the events was several boxing matches and several jr. members were to get a portable ring for the matches . Some how some one dropped the ball but we still had plenty of time since there was going to be a hot air ballon hound and hare race . this is a first for this farming town as events of this nature. So I stepped up to the plate and built a ring for them with a couple of other people ,we got done just in the nick of time for the fights to start .. The workers reward was all the beer you can drink for free . Well I had my fair share. I made my way home with some help as some one else drove. I stayed home for a couple of hours and got on my bike a chopped Honda 350cc and about one half mile from my house I went around a corner in town doing about 10 1`5 mph hit some sand and went asphalt skatting with the bike. That was the first wreck on the road the first while I was still intoxciated. I only got a banged up little finger nail and that was it BUt I always wore a helment had long pants on and tennys and short sleeve shirt ......... Some kind of protective gear.

That was the first time with booze and the last time. And now I totally do not drink.

Was I smart, no, I would say kind of STUPPID.

I have not been down on the FJR but when I ride by myself I like to push the envelope .

From what I have read from what has been posted 99%of the incidents have been RIDDER error.

This bike has more potential than most riders out there.

And another thing, we as ridders hate to admit that we are wrong and find the most shallow excuse to blame it on. been riding and driving since 12

weekend rider

 

[SilveradoSlick]

I'm an expert, having crashed twice. One time was when I followed a guy going 25 (speed limit was 35) with his left turn signal on for over half a mile and finally tried to pass at a time when he finally decided to turn left. The other was when I was following a line of traffic with no intention of passing. It was a beautiful day and I was looking at something at the side of the road. When I looked forward I saw stopped traffic, grabbed a big handfull of front brake, and headed for the shoulder. Washed out the front.

Rider error and lack of focus were my sins and I'm not alone here. It seems like the majority of the FJR crashes I've read about did not involve riding beyond the rider's or bike's limits. Rider error, lack of focus, other vehicles, and road hazards have been the culprits in most FJR accidents.

 

[dfpextraordinaire]

:assassin: :assassin: :assassin: :assassin: every close call i have ever had or every time I have gone down i can take personal responsibility for the outcome. No matter what, we try to "blame", "point", or "justify" the "why" when in fact we know that it is that "frisky, young lion" inside of all of us who says calmly and decisively, no problem my friend...it can't happen to you! What a bunch of BS!!! I love and respect the power that this beautiful, blue wonder exhibits but at times i need to remind "the young lion" that "life can change in a blink of an eye" and those dreams of hangin' out with the grandkids can be much, much different than what we are hoping for... :angry2: :angry2: :angry2: , due to our inability to think clearly. Today, i had three close calls, left turn in front, a pull into my lane by a freakin' cage on the slab and a yahoo who didn't see me while comin' out of a Mikey Dee's. Everytime, i saved my own *** by not speeding, looking ahead and behind and not trusting any of them "cagers"! :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: It was a good day! Took her to the dealer for the 8000 mile service and not a scratch on her yet. Not cuz of them, cuz of me!!!

ride safe my fellow FJR bro's and keep the shiny parts, UP!!!

 

[FJRSTAR]

Bottom line;Unless your somehow taken out by someone/thing else, or some type of mechanical issue, it's rider error.

Rider error for sure!

How about fatigue mixed with alcohol and mary-jane (or vice-a-versa)?

Had a friend that had been drinking since early afternoon and passed out on an FJR about ten thirty that night going under the speed limit around a slight curve in the road and ran into a shallow ditch. The bike did an endo, was totaled and the rider walked into the ambulance after removing the other side case that was not damaged in the wreck. He offered the paramedics his cell phone to call his wife, so that she could meet him when he got to the hospital. Talk about having a guardian angel.