Long OES Frame Sliders

[DennisJ]

I dropped my '09 during a collision avoidance swerve 4/11/12. Not sure what happened but theorize that when I swerved left to avoid a Jeep Cherokee approaching from the right my front tire (Bridgestone 023-GT w/~6000 miles, 30 psi, wet road) was on a white line. Dumped on the left side so plastics took a beating, helmet left side damaged about ear high and is toast. Lost consciousness a couple of minutes, maybe longer. Broke pelvis in two places, 4 ribs top left,left clavicle for second time on a motorcycle.

Left crankcase cover and oil filter ground to new profile. Left Regular length OES Frame Sliders installed day after I took delivery of new bike in May 2010. B'day present to myself. Best present ever

Anyone with experience with the new 1/2" longer Long version of the OES frame slider shown on their site?

https://www.oesaccessories.com/

Dennis

 

[A41Billy]

Wow Dennis, sound like you got roughed up pretty good. So did the slider save some damage? How fast were you going? I have the original OES sliders on mine. Hope you have a quick recovery.

 

[DennisJ]

I believe they did. The left side slider has a lot ground off. I haven't seen the bike yet, only pictures taken by the GEICO adjustor. Bike is repaired and waiting for me at dealer. No frame or suspension damage according to long time Yamaha tech who has done all the work on the bike since new in 2010. I need to contact him today and request complete flush or brakes and clutch hydraulics. Two years of Seattle winters are hard on hydraulic fluid.

I hope to be released from rehab on 5/29 0r 5/30. Depends on orthopedic evaluation of pelvis on 5/22. If positive I will have a week to get my walking back up to a reasonable level so I can go back to work. Expect to start riding again mid-June after more strength building work for legs and upper body.

 

[DennisJ]

Speed was approx 20mph through intersection area while setting up for a near 180 degree right turn with a merge lane coming in from the left. I'm always very cautious through this intersection which I transit almost daily during my commute.

Dennis

 

[user 28803]

Damn, man. I'm glad you're on the road to recovery. I have the long sliders but havent tested them yet.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I installed the extended length OES on Dad's FJR and put the MC Enterprises rear crash guards on at the same time. It doesn't look bad at all. I asked him if I could knock it over to test our work and he called me some ugly names. Today while we were riding I asked him a couple of times if he wouldn't mind leaning just a bit further over in a curve so we could test them out. He made the helmet speakers on my Cardo G4 miserable with the words he used at me.

I am sorry you crashed, I wish you the best in your recovery. Glad you are here to tell us about it.

 

[r1byker]

I just learned something about frame sliders. I went down at the racetrack with the R1 a couple months ago. I took it to a guy up in Napa, Ca who straightens all things bent on a motorcycle. Turns out he had to straighten everything on the bike except the main frame; rear subframe, forks, swing arm, triple clamp were all bent.

As he looked over the bike he pointed out the right frame slider down by the clutch; he said that was the one slider I should have on the bike. He pointed to the one on the left side that is positioned high attached to the engine mount. He suggested taking it off or cutting it shorter significantly. It turns out that, at the race track anyways, frame sliders are what cause bikes to tumble once they go off the track into the dirt. Those are the bikes with the worst damage, frequently cracking the frame at the engine mount.

For the street, it's a different situation; since bikes generally don't go off into the dirt, the frame sliders will do a good job of protecting the bodywork as it, perish the thought, slides down the road. But if it catches a curb or goes into the dirt on some country road, then the same rules apply as to the racetrack. Obviously, sliders are awesome for slow speed tipovers but as speeds increase, it seems like the potential increases for actually causing greater monetary damage than not having them.

So it's an interesting conundrum; go for a longer slider for more protection in slow speed accidents and tipovers and risk possibly catastrophic damage (bent or cracked frame, bike tumbling) at a high speed get-off? I guess I'd go with the shorter slider.

 

[DennisJ]

R1Byker, thanks for the interesting comment. The only two accidents I've had, one in the early 70's and the recent one were both at low speeds and I really hadn't thought too much about a higher speed crash. I wonder though if the damage at higher speeds would result in the bike being totaled. Bill for this one was right around $6,500 paid by GEICO with no problem. I was more concerned about having totaled the FJR than I was about my injuries until the pain settled in and I learned how long rehab was going to take. The OES long slider is 1/2" longer so I can see how the increase in leverage could result in larger forces. Gives me something to think about during the next two weeks before I am released. Thanks

 

[Redfish Hunter]

My logic with the frame sliders was that in a high speed crash, to hell with the bike. I don't care if it gets totaled or not. I decided on the longer sliders because the $$ damage in a simple parking lot tipover was ridiculous. It is disgusting when you scratch up a nice bike and its all your fault. The longer sliders were just extra insurance for that. Also, in my experience FJRs with their weight forward bias are not ideal for gravel driveways with steep inclines and rain washed ruts. This can also result in unsightly scratches to the paint.

I hope your rehab is going well. Hope you can get back on a bike soon.

 

[Brobee]

Good topic here. Dennis - I too am in recovery after a car turned right on top of me and totalled my 2009 GSX650F out on May 11th. I "walked" away with just a broken tibia that had to have a plate screwed on. Since then, I've decided that my replacement bike is going to be a 2011-2012 FJR and frame sliders are going to be the first farkle. I know it is a little premature, since I can't even swing my leg over a new bike yet, but I'm excited. Between the spec sheets and what folks have posted here, it seems like a fantastic tourer with good ergos.

Good luck with your recovery! I feel your pain...literally.

P.S.: Are you getting any crap about wanting to get back on a bike right away?

 

[DennisJ]

Mom has chipped in but she didn't understand in '64 when I first started either. One or two others. You either get motorcycling or you don't. I leave it at that and move on.

You won't be disappointed in either year, it is a great bike. About the only thing I won't do with it is ride gravel/mud trails which are plentiful here in the PNW. Everything else it handles with ease and comfort. Dennis

 

[bucky]

I think when a bike goes down at medium to high speed it is going to get beat up pretty bad no matter what. It is the low speed or no speed tipovers that can cut down on repairs with sliders of any kind. I guess that is why you should buy comp/collision insurance if you can't eat the cost of your bike from an accident or comp claim. I don't carry comp or collision on any of my bikes but I do carry underinsured coverage with property damage up to $15k. It's cheap, about $30/yr total for the 3 bikes. I figure most likely if my bike goes down at speed it will not be my fault that caused it. So in that scenario one way or the other I am covered for the bike.

 

[DennisJ]

I carry Comp and Collision with a $500 deductible. Cheap insurance and 500 is about 1/2 of what I maintain in my bike maintenance account.

 

[Goodman4]

On topic, I am ordering the longer OES frame sliders today. On the tangent topic, I wonder how much sense full-coverage insurance is. I had a $2500 repair (not FJR) in 2008 and the amount they raised my insurance per year for three years added up to just about $2000 dollars more than I was paying. I have $500 deductible so what did the insurance get me other than cash flow? It dropped back down to the great rate it was and is at as soon as the accident was off the three year books. I'd have probably not spend $2500 to fix it as I could have had them put a used tank on and not replaced everything that was scratched just a bit. Anybody else experience this, or is this just my insurance company?

And get well soon, Dennis. Don't rush the recovery. Get all the way better and do what the docs say to maximize the healing so you can ride well into retirement without as many aches and pains.

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

I had a low-side, low speed slide in Arkansas 5 or 6 weeks ago (I have the Motovation frame sliders), and scraped everything up, but it was rideable. Staying on subject, the frame sliders kept the large side panels completely off the pavement. The crank cover got ground down, but didn't go through. I am going to put something on the new cover that will add some more coverage, since if that grinds through, you're stuck where you're at.

As far as insurance, I have a $1,000 deductible. I added up the discounted parts cost from Ron Ayers, and am having a local boat/motorcycle repairer repaint my saddlebags. The total will be in the $1,300 to $1,400 range. I decided to not risk turning it into my insurance, and having my rate jacked. If there was more damage, or I had to pay full Yamaha retail, I would have started a claim.

 

[user 28803]

Last weekend the longer (extended) sliders kept my left fairing out of the gravel. Best farkle I've installed!

 

[Fly Bye]

Hoping I never have to use them I installed OES extended sliders on my '08.

They look great not obtrusive at all and the guys at OES were great to work with.

I received them two days after placing my order.

 

[FJR Bill]

Great thread. Another argument for frame sliders or other protection products is that while on a trip far from home they may protect brake levers, shifters etc that if broken would cause great delay on returning home. The FJR is a heavy beast and I don't want a drop to severly impact my long distance adventures. Bill

 

[DennisJ]

Update. About 17 months since my accident in April 2012. Recovery went well and I was riding again by the middle of June. Proceeded to drop a heavy piece of wood on my left foot in early September so was in a walking boot cast for another 7 weeks. Missed almost all of the 2012 good riding weather. Bike was good as new when I picked it up at Adventure Motor Sports in Monroe, WA where I take it for service since I bought it there.

I have a memory loss that wipes out the the actual accident and time up to the point the EMT's were looking at me on the ground. Frustrating in that I don't know exactly what happened and where I could have responded better. Almost all the damage to the bike and me was on the left side so I think it is likely that I managed a high side. The pelvis fractures are typical for that type of impact according to the Orhopedist at VA who took over my treatment. That and the left clavice fracture and the damage to the left side of my helmet make me think I was up in the air a couple of feet before I hit.

Just under 21000 on the bike now, this has been an excellent summer in the Northwest and we still have some to go. I plan a day trip on 9/1 over the North Cascades to Twisp, down to Blewett pass, Cle Elum and back to Mercer Island. Should be a nice day as temps east of the mountains have come down from the 90's.