I crashed my dream bike

[hppants]

Got up early this morning to do a little riding before the sun baked me. This is the 2nd time I ride the bike since buying it about 2 weeks ago. This is my 6th street bike, but by far the biggest I've every owned. Well, to cut to the chase - I lowsided her going about 40 mph in a curve to avoid hitting another vehicle. The accident was completely my fault. My crash gear saved my hide. I have a bruised left thigh and a blue big toe nail from pinching my toe on the fall. Othewise, I'm fine and I guess I'm thankful for that.

On the other hand, the bike is messed up pretty bad. I tore it down this afternoon, I need (in order of importance):

The bolt on frame piece that holds the instruments, mirrors, and front cowl

Left Mirror

The headlight assy (rear piece - looks like it snaps together)

Left windscreen arm that connects the windscreen to the windscreen motor.

Left upper cowl plastic

Panel B on the black dash panels

Left lower cowl piece (big plastic piece)

Left motor cover (crank cover is rashed)

Left saddle bag is rashed (blue part - can that be replaced in lieu of the entire bag?)

I'm going to fix the bike, but to what extent I'm not sure. The bigger decision is - am I going to give up my passion because I don't want to die? Time will tell.

Anyhoo - if any of you have access to or can suggest where I can get these parts (other than the stealership off course), I'd be much obliged.

Be careful friends. It can all change in a second.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I found in one of your earlier posts that you ride an '05. Good information for anybody who might be able to offer some help with parts. Your crash doesn't sound like it was TOO hard on the bike, and it's great that you can fix it yourself (I hope)--and also that you rode it home and weren't hurt too bad.

A crash like that is a learning experience if you want to look at that way--helps define the limits of the bike and your current riding limits. You can change those with practice and training, of course. Hope you can take another run at all this before giving up on riding your dream bike. (It's mine too.) Good luck.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Crashing is a very disappointing, depressing and unnerving experience. It also includes some pain as well if you survive the crash.

Soul searching about your choice of hobbies is a natural and good thing to do...especially if it helps you to commit to gaining more training and instruction.

This can be a dangerous activity, as we are surrounded by others on the road that may not take it as seriously as we do. I, for one, do not know when I am going to punch out; could be tomorrow, could be in 30 years. Either way, I choose not to live life away from the joys of motorcycle travelling and touring. Too much fun and friendship and happiness is gleaned from this activity.

Life would be a dreary, drab, greytone without this experience.

 

[lonerider]

Glad you walked away from it- there are a lot that aren't that fortunate. As far as getting back on, that's your decision alone, you're the one that has to be happy with it. My philosophy: it can be a dangerous hobby, if one doesn't thoroughly enjoy it, it's not worth risking life and limb to do. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

 

[foxracer911rc]

I may have a left lower (big piece) for sale if your interested. PM me

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

I lowsided her going about 40 mph in a curve to avoid hitting another vehicle.

First of all glad your ok. It sounds like it could have been alot worse.

What other vehicle did you have to miss? Was he coming into your lane? What speed were you taking in the curve yourself? Did someone pull out of their driveway in front of you?

 

[PhilJet09]

Life would be a dreary, drab, greytone without this experience.

+1 That's how I feel to a "T".

Glad you came out okay and your bike is fixable.

 

[Monty]

Sorry to hear of your mishap but glad you're OK.

 

[madmike2]

I lowsided her going about 40 mph in a curve to avoid hitting another vehicle. The accident was completely my fault. My crash gear saved my hide. I have a bruised left thigh and a blue big toe nail from pinching my toe on the fall. Othewise, I'm fine and I guess I'm thankful for that.

First and foremost, you survived relatively unscathed.

Thankfully you made the decision to protect yourself to the best of your ability. :clapping:

At least you didn't get a ride to the "Get Well Quick" place! :blink:

Second:

The bigger decision is - am I going to give up my passion because I don't want to die? Time will tell.Be careful friends. It can all change in a second.

There are a number of us who have crossed that particular philosophical threshold and we DO understand.

I think Mark (wheatonFJR) said it best and I agree. I wouldn't be the person I am without the travel I enjoy, the sheer fun of riding and the wonderful people I've met while motorcycling.

On the other hand, the bike is messed up pretty bad. I tore it down this afternoon, I need (in order of importance):
The bolt on frame piece that holds the instruments, mirrors, and front cowl

Left Mirror

The headlight assy (rear piece - looks like it snaps together)

Left windscreen arm that connects the windscreen to the windscreen motor.

Left upper cowl plastic

Panel B on the black dash panels

Left lower cowl piece (big plastic piece)

Left motor cover (crank cover is rashed)

Left saddle bag is rashed (blue part - can that be replaced in lieu of the entire bag?)

I'm going to fix the bike, but to what extent I'm not sure.

Anyhoo - if any of you have access to or can suggest where I can get these parts (other than the stealership off course), I'd be much obliged.

You are also going to need the "Front Stay", that frame piece that holds the nosepiece, mirrors and instrument cluster/fwindshield. Trust me, it's bent. IIRC, they're over $550 from the dealer, probably around $350 from online parts sources.

I have one in my garage that has been repaired (mirror mount tang cracked because of heavy driving lights).

If you can't locate good used parts, do your shopping and comparing from the sources in the Online Parts and Farkle Sources thread by "yours truly". It's a great resource for issues like yours.

Good luck with your recovery and the bike's repairs.

Please don't make any rash decisions for a week or more. Let your system "normalize" so you will be thinking clearly. As I said, many of us have been-there-done-that. Even in the hospital I never considered NOT riding, much to the dismay and chagrin of my daughter.

This forum is a great support group for your mental recovery, your physical healing and for repairing your bike.

 

[TheZsdad]

Glad you walked away from your error. About giving up riding I'll share a little story. After a 20 year lay off I decided to get back into riding.

After taking the MSF course I went to test ride a then new ST bike. Got broadsided by a cager and it was my fault. A$$hole changed his mind.

I thought God was telling me I was to old for this. Took a little while before God's message became clear. It was don't count on a dog $hit slow

bimmer to get you out of a jam. Get something with some power. Your message may differ. Good Luck.

 

[garauld]

Glad you are OK. I can help you with the saddlebag lid (as in repainting it). PM me.

 

[VTFJR13]

. The bigger decision is - am I going to give up my passion because I don't want to die? Time will tell.

I think we have all had this thought after a crash. I can tell you I have had several crashes on my 86 FJ1200 and two bad crashes on my 03 YZF600R so I got that out of my way so when I got my FJR I hope to stop this trend. Between the two previous bikes I put 80k miles on them. I repaired them everytime. As long as I can get back on a motorcycle and ride I'm going to do it. There is no better way to travel and camp then on a bike. It is the reason I get up everyday and go to work. As some of the others have said I have met some of the most incredible people because of my motorcycles and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I'm glad your ok. Now fix your bike and get back on that horse and ride!

 

[rogdeb]

Crashing is a very disappointing, depressing and unnerving experience. It also includes some pain as well if you survive the crash.

Soul searching about your choice of hobbies is a natural and good thing to do...especially if it helps you to commit to gaining more training and instruction.

This can be a dangerous activity, as we are surrounded by others on the road that may not take it as seriously as we do. I, for one, do not know when I am going to punch out; could be tomorrow, could be in 30 years. Either way, I choose not to live life away from the joys of motorcycle travelling and touring. Too much fun and friendship and happiness is gleaned from this activity.

Life would be a dreary, drab, greytone without this experience.

Gotta agree here ... and glad you walked away from the accident.

 

[hppants]

I really appreciate all of the well wishes. You people are among the few that truly understand. We all know it's dangerous, we calculate the risk, and make our decisions. I'll take some time to figure this out - one way or the other. Right now, I've got too many thoughts running through my head. And I'm sore as hell.

I'm not here to preach. And I'm certainly not going to cast stones. But I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention ATGATT. My jacket, riding pants, and gloves were ripped to shreds. I slid at least 50 feet on the pavement. Not one pebble touched my skin. Absolutely no road rash. I don't think my helmet hit the road, but I have to examine it more closely. To each his/her own. If there was ever any doubt regarding ATGATT - I have none anymore. The crash gear works.

What other vehicle did you have to miss? Was he coming into your lane? What speed were you taking in the curve yourself? Did someone pull out of their driveway in front of you?

Here's where I'm totally honest and admit that this accident was caused by my own ridiculous stupidity. I'm approaching a posted 50mph curve at about 60 (typical). At the apex of the right turn, there is a side street to the left and a vehicle is in my lane starting to negociate his turn. I see him way in advance, and I slow down ever slightly. In my mind, I'm thinking that "I don't need to slow down any more, because he is going to turn and by the time I get there, he will be out of my way." WRONG!!!! He is taking way more time to turn than I planned for, and now I've got to slow the FFFF down or I'm going to hit him. I grabbed a hand full and foot full of brake. The rear brake on the FJR is 100000% better than my rear drum on my nighthawk. Admittedly, I had not gotten used to that. Anyway, you guess it - the rear end swings left (I'm in the middle of a right hand turn), I over compensate the bike, and when the rear end swings back right, it's too much for me to hold. I let the bike go, and down the belt sander I went. I hit on both my knees and spun around and slid the rest of the way on my left thigh and jacket sleeve. The old trucker got out and stood by me while the adreline waned. He then helped me pick up my bike, and I rode 40 miles home. I don't reccommend that (riding home after an off), but it wasn't too bad. When I got home, the emotions started - especially when I saw my 20-year old daughter's face. I feel that I've let her down. I was so mentally exhausted last night I went to sleep at 8:00 pm.

How stupid of me to guess what the other vehicle is thinking? I need to control what I can, and hope for the best on the rest. This accident was fully preventable. My wife says I do the same thing in the cage - I need to re-examine a lot of my habits. I have fallen before on the bike, but this one is really messing with my head.

You are also going to need the "Front Stay", that frame piece that holds the nosepiece

Yep - right you are - this is the piece I listed first (the frame piece)

I'm going to take a week or so, and then look at it again. I appreciate the offer for parts - I will be in touch after a little while. Thanks for letting me rant.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Here's where I'm totally honest and admit that this accident was caused by my own ridiculous stupidity. I'm approaching a posted 50mph curve at about 60 (typical). At the apex of the right turn, there is a side street to the left and a vehicle is in my lane starting to negociate his turn. I see him way in advance, and I slow down ever slightly. In my mind, I'm thinking that "I don't need to slow down any more, because he is going to turn and by the time I get there, he will be out of my way." WRONG!!!! He is taking way more time to turn than I planned for, and now I've got to slow the FFFF down or I'm going to hit him. I grabbed a hand full and foot full of brake. The rear brake on the FJR is 100000% better than my rear drum on my nighthawk. Admittedly, I had not gotten used to that. Anyway, you guess it - the rear end swings left (I'm in the middle of a right hand turn), I over compensate the bike, and when the rear end swings back right, it's too much for me to hold. I let the bike go, and down the belt sander I went. I hit on both my knees and spun around and slid the rest of the way on my left thigh and jacket sleeve. The old trucker got out and stood by me while the adreline waned. He then helped me pick up my bike, and I rode 40 miles home. I don't reccommend that (riding home after an off), but it wasn't too bad. When I got home, the emotions started - especially when I saw my 20-year old daughter's face. I feel that I've let her down. I was so mentally exhausted last night I went to sleep at 8:00 pm.

How stupid of me to guess what the other vehicle is thinking? I need to control what I can, and hope for the best on the rest. This accident was fully preventable. My wife says I do the same thing in the cage - I need to re-examine a lot of my habits. I have fallen before on the bike, but this one is really messing with my head.

It's good to be open/honest in situations like this both for yourself and for others to read and learn from. We can all get lazy in our riding habits or "assume" (which is always a bad reasoning tatic) one thing is gonna take place when in fact it is not. The down side is on a bike the consequences are alot worse than if we're in a cage. I'm so glad you were properly suited up. Road rash is no joke!!! My wife went down on her bike last Summer and has permenant scares on her arms (she had no broken bones, just road rash because it was almost 100 degress outside and only had jeans & a t-shirt on......she wears an armored mesh jacked in hot weather at all times now because she learned the hard way about road rash). She wishes she would have had 3 or 4 broken bones instead. Broken bones heal....road rash scars you for life.

So yes I believe in proper gear as well...that's 1/2 the battle. The other 1/2 to me is always to be vigilant, never become complacent, relax and enjoy the ride but be on full awareness and realize your surroundings at all times when your on 2 wheels and always err on the side of caution. I have a completely different level of awareness when I'm on the bike and when I'm in the cage. And even with all that sometimes we still need a little luck on our side every now & again.

Take some time, don't make any rash knee-jerk emotional decision about riding or quitting riding. However you might want to take an advanced riding safety course to build your confidence back and to help you "re-examine alot of you habits" as you put it if you feel it might help you.

 

[kolonial72]

Check out Gerauld. He's the paint guy (among other things) on this forum. He may be able to fix up that side case cover so's that you would never know anything happened.

 

[beachy]

im glad you came through ok.Last winter when I hit a deer it was a wake up call.I had to make THE decision for me it didnt take long.I love to ride and such a big part of my life I couldnt give it up but hey thats me. im glad your well. try partshark.com they had the stay for under 300

hope all turns out well for you

 

[hppants]

Once again, appreciate all of the good wishes.

Anybody ever try this outfit?

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ABS-Fairing-Yamaha-FJR1300-FJR-1300-2001-2005-1315Y-/260743957073?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb58d0a51

 

[allrider]

Once again, appreciate all of the good wishes.

Anybody ever try this outfit?

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ABS-Fairing-Yamaha-FJR1300-FJR-1300-2001-2005-1315Y-/260743957073?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cb58d0a51

I've been waiting to hear someone report on this body work and paint. They show a color combo that would make your FJR look like a MV Augusta in red and silver. That would be unique.