I crashed with slow wits and slow speed

[dbx]

Here is my shin 24 hours after the accident, all cleaned up and much smaller. Hard to get a perspective, but it was smarting...

That should buff out.

Coincidentally, I was almost in the same position as you a few weeks ago. I had a destination in mind that required climbing a steep-assed hill that started off with gravel but quickly became golf ball sized rocks. The rear lost traction so my forward momentum quickly died, then trying to hold my position with the front brake turned out to be impossible as I slid backwards about 30-40 feet with the front wheel locked the whole way. If there had been the least little bit of mud I would have done worse than you. Get well soon, glad you didn't lose the leg!!

 

[rogdeb]

Here is my shin 24 hours after the accident, all cleaned up and much smaller. Hard to get a perspective, but it was smarting...

Oooowwww !! --- looks real familiar though. Deb's right leg looked the same after our low side in '04, after a 2" piece of rock pierced it above the knee. She feels for you. Hope it heals quicker than her's did and you don't get any secondary trauma wounds .................. sorry ! Too much info?

 

[kolonial72]

My favorite part of the original post was at the end after describing this really nasty incident and the injury to his leg and how he can't hardly stand, he throws in the obligatory, "How have you been doing?" That right there is funny, I don't care who you are.

Shiney, that leg looks diseased. Hope you're alright real soon.

As for your purpose of posting, you say that it was in hopes that it helps someone else. I take this to mean, "Don't ride a muddy, puddle-hole, steep road you've never been over if you are on a street bike." Or words to that effect.

 

[DrFaulken]

I am sorry for your dismount. The pictures definitely made me cringe a little. I am glad you got your leg checked out and I hope you have a full recovery. Lastly, sorry about your bike. I know it's just "a thing" but motorcycles can be more than that, too. Best wishes and sorry.

 

[Fred W]

Oh Shiney One...

The drop really sucks man, and center punching your shin bone, well that's the worst part. You can always get some more parts for the feejer. But man, dropping your girl on that tame little section in the picture? Yeah, I know mud sucks and all, but were you trying to roost around thru the corner, power sliding like a speedway bike, or what? I mean, hell's bells man... that road was flat!!

[Obligatory muddy road story]

Last year I was exploring 2-up on my Feej and the GPS said there was a shortcut between Campton and Sandwich, NH. Yeah, it's a dirt road, but we have lots of those around here. Mostly they are fine and you see some of the best country out on the dirt. Besides, it had rained the day before, so the dust would be down, right?

So anyway, we get up the road a bit and there's a big National Forest sign welcoming us to the "Sandwich Notch Road" and telling us about how it's all historical and stuff (I think they meant hysterical). Another mile or so up this road we go past an elderly couple out walking their dogs. They gave us an odd look as we passed them and waved tentatively as we passed. I thought, hmmm... their weird.

After another mile or two I discovered why as we reached an even more "vertical section" of the trail. I mean, like dirt bike vert, with big ravines carved into the roadway by the previous night's rain. STUPID me, I get about half way up a gigunda ride in the road before I realize, "****, this pig isn't going to make it up."

Both brakes on, slide back about 20 feet, unload the missus and attempt to back into a 3-point turn on the side of a freeking muddy cliff strafed with with those 6" deep ravines. Got that porky ***** turned around and wifey back on the pillion and down the hill we go again. I am truly amazed to this day that we didn't fall off the side of that mountain of mud. Had we gone over, we would have slid for at least 20 yards and I have no idea how we would have ever righted the bike.

When we passed that old couple again while retracing our steps, they laughed at us and waved far more vigorously than before.

[/Obligatory muddy road story]

So yeah, there are other people out there doing stupid stuff like that on their FJRs.

Hope that helps just a little with your (mental) recovery!

 

[gr8eyes]

Ouch, Shiney, heal quickly. You now have a better understanding of how the FJR handles in the mud.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Ouch!

It's amazing that you were punctured and still managed to get a photo of the downed feej. It's amazing that you were able to hoist the feej with a wound like that. That must have hurt like hell.

Heal quick an heal fully.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

My favorite part of the original post was at the end after describing this really nasty incident and the injury to his leg and how he can't hardly stand, he throws in the obligatory, "How have you been doing?" That right there is funny, I don't care who you are.
Shiney, that leg looks diseased. Hope you're alright real soon.

As for your purpose of posting, you say that it was in hopes that it helps someone else. I take this to mean, "Don't ride a muddy, puddle-hole, steep road you've never been over if you are on a street bike." Or words to that effect.

:thumbsup:

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Oh Shiney One...
But man, dropping your girl on that tame little section in the picture? Yeah, I know mud sucks and all, but were you trying to roost around thru the corner, power sliding like a speedway bike, or what? I mean, hell's bells man... that road was flat!!

That was what peeved me off. The hard part was over and I was going around the last puddle. I relaxed 'cuz I had done the obligatory 5 point turn with the rear tire stuck and spinning while on a 30% grade, finally doing the back and forth move to get going over grass and rocks praying I didn't bust the pan, then down the muddy track on a too-steep grade around the exploding volcano, avoided the mountain lion and the bears.... then easy going right?

BAM! Damn Michelin tire let me down. Yeah, that's it, it was the tire's fault. I was going to the right and a bush would have scratched my nice paint so I called it a little close, and the damn Michelin couldn't hold the bike on the line I was riding and slid out. I should write a letter!

[/Obligatory muddy road story]....

So yeah, there are other people out there doing stupid stuff like that on their FJRs.

Hope that helps just a little with your (mental) recovery!

Not really.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Ouch!
It's amazing that you were punctured and still managed to get a photo of the downed feej. It's amazing that you were able to hoist the feej with a wound like that. That must have hurt like hell.

Heal quick an heal fully.

Last update and I guess we can let this thread die a merciful death...

I saw the doc this afternoon. He says my toes are going to turn black and my calf and shin all kinds of pretty colors, but I should be ok. He put me on antibiotics and asked if my wife was telling me to quit biking (Nope! That's why we aren't divorced ;-))......

The muscles are complaining pretty loudly but I'll be fine. I have the bike going in Friday to be checked out and aside from riding it over, hope to get a brake pedal and mirror on her and get going again in a week or two.

I figured pictures might tell a better tale... and it gave me time to figure out what the hell to do.

Thanks all!

 

[Fred W]

Ha ha... yeah.

That's why Michelin didn't call them "Pilot Offroad 2's"!!

Heal fast.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

I guess this will be the last update.

I was finally feeling good enough to bend down and look at things closely with my favorite mechanic doing the same. Results:

Him: "I can't believe that brake pedal didn't break and your bone didn't too." "You picked this thing up in mud?!"

Damage:

Left mirror toast. Thanks publicly to Aichu for shipping me a very fine quality used replacement before I even sent him the check (at a discount price for sure).

Brake Pedal toast. I scored one on ebay.

Bolt holding lower left fairing missing. Scored a bag of misc. nuts and bolts from an '05 FJR on ebay from the same seller and shipping free.

left bag rashed. found two local painters that do good work or will send to Garauld this winter. Live with it for now.

left upper fairing has scratches along the sharp edge by the storage box. Again live with it until I can get it painted.

Left R&G racing slider got the top rashed like the bike landed right on it. Did a great job sacrificing itself. Replace in the winter.

Kevlar jeans have a small hole 2 inches below where the Kevlar stops, and my shin got punctured: live with it.

Gear is muddy. I remember Tim Bates posted once how he cleaned and reconditioned his Olympia Jacket, which I will do with mine soon.

Gas smell in bags from a previous mishap. heard using some powder clothes detergent with some water making a paste will get it out.

No other known damage. I think I'm out $125 so far plus painting costs after the season ends. Not bad considering.

And my shin is a pretty multicolored series of hues and my calf and foot are turning black. Spasming like hell and hurts worse than Monday. But I rose a little today and will ride to work Monday which was my goal!

Not bad and lessons learned. Buy a KLR next. Might just keep going for some more dams....

 

[madmike2]

Dang....old people learn slowly....

[SIZE=8pt]...he says, speaking very quietly because of the mounting evidence of his own mishaps.[/SIZE]

Isn't it funny how those "little" injuries used to heal in a few days. Now it takes a few days before all the bruising rises to the surface and weeks before the pain subsides. Serves you right, you olde pharte!

1.) Repair the FJR.

2.) Go shopping for a dual sport.

3.) Don't crash the dual sport like some other forum member did.

Uhm...er...at some point we are supposed to have great wisdom. It seems that you (like me) are still collecting the wisdom by making bad decisions.

Seriously, heal quickly and add this experience to your "bag of tricks" (of things not to do).

 

[DT Rider]

Finally found this thread thanks to another rider, and I would like to say I too was very sorry to hear about the mishap (bike and personal pain). The photos tell it all...goodness. Thanks for sharing. I can't imagine that much mud and an FJR. I did ride dirt bikes but 40 years ago...LOL And I'm not sure I would have tried that. But then I am only 5000 miles into getting to know my FJR and I wouldn't take it places I would take my Royal Star, because of that. You did pretty good getting as far and back as you did on that road.

To let others know that asked on the road to Owyhee... it is paved all the way to the dam and then some, even up above a little, to a view point. It is a beautiful dam and has a glory hole. Just be careful going the last stretch to the dam and it's blind conrers for oncoming down hill traffic. The campers and trucks take their side out of the middle and there is no shoulder. The route is pretty simple. to the dam ... map it... ignore the GPS...LOL Also as you mentioned, there are tips on the roads to all the dams either on the dam pages themselves or in the forum ride reports. Check em out before you ride.

Take care of yourself... heal quickly and ride again.

DT Rider - 9002

PS... We have an excellent painter here local that does great work as well as custom paint jobs and design... Johnson Auto Body. When you get to that part.

 

[GPRIDER]

Not that it makes much difference at this point, but I put the old FZ1 mirrors on my 08. They do fit and you don't have to look at your knuckles or elbows anymore. Hope you are healing up. I crashed pretty bad in May of last year. Broke my arm pretty bad. It's healed but the steel plates and screws they put in to brace it still bother me some.

GP

 

[Silver Penguin]

Ouch! It takes a mixture of courage, cojones and some measure of insanity to see the FJR as a dirt bike. And on a muddy trail too? That took guts! I'll bet there aren't many on this forum with spectacular pix like that. What an adventure!

Hope you and the bike feel better soon. Is there perhaps a dual sport in your future? They're a lot lighter to pick up when they fall down.

 

[Patriot]

Buy a KLR next. Might just keep going for some more dams....

ah, a mere passing comment and the future is predicted :yahoo:

 

[YukonG]

What a story...

 

[Vesparado]

Glad you are ok take care of the nasty hole in your leg. I give it to you for taking that bike on that trail. I think it's time you look at a KLR 650

Matt

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Well I picked up the KLR (black 09) yesterday and put 50 miles on i -- it WAS serendipity, I had no real plans to buy one until one was siting on the showroom floor while I was waiting for the FJR to get some work done I wasn't comfortable doing.

Rode the FJR to work today. My leg has a pretty big ding in it for a while but works fine and my toes are almost totally pink again (had been black). My back has been more problematic but MM2 is right... it takes longer. It won't keep me from WFO8 this year.

As to cojones, I respectfully disagree; I was stupid, ill prepared in planning, used poor judgement and let "get-there-itis" make me impulsive. And I didn't have a paper map for backup -- never again.

But I will be getting a couple more dams as I can. I've DECIDED...

Thanks for all the concerns, but I'll be fine and the FJR is rashed but running. I will check out a couple painters suggested locally, if I don't like their work I'll be checking into Garrauld or LDRyder's guy. that will be this winter... got farkles to buy first... lol