gravel belly flops suck

I apologize ahead of time for any rambling.

I took a ride after work because the weather was nice and Carlisle was a parking lot because there was a wreck on I-81. I was rewarded with a cracked fairing, scuffed helmet, slightly dented tank where the fairing banged into it, and a bruised hand.

I was leaning threw a corner that starts as a short left hand sweeper then tighten at the end before it changes to a right hand sweeper but I forgot about it tightening up and was too far to the outside and it was too late to correct mid corner, so I straightened it up and slowed down to pull over. When I went off the road the pavement is a few inches higher than the ground. I dropped off the rode past the gravel and hit the weeds at the side of the field. My front tire slide in the weeds and I fell over at 10mph tops. It was on the left side so that's where all the damage was, I belly flopped half in the grass half in the gravel and bounced the chin of the helmet off the side of the asphalt. two trucks went by as I was picking myself up and neither even slowed down to see if I was OK.

Luckily my aunt slide off the road at the same place a couple months ago and totaled her jeep she was fine but she took out the barbed wire fence and bolder I would have hit.

here's the damage

Wow, thanks for posting. Definatley could have come out a lot worse.

Says a lot about a full face helmet with the chin guard. You might have been going to the dentist too if it wasn't for your chin guard.

yeah probably would has needed dentures would have been like falling teeth first into a curb.

Glad you're o.k.. That kind of stuff can happen so fast and unexpectedly that it's scary. As Vegasrider will attest, you're another example of ATGATT. :thumbup:
I had a somewhat similar experience earlier this year of an off road excursion in a corner whilst not paying attention. Luckily my old age and/or 40 years of riding experience saved me and I was able to stop on the gravel/weeds before I would have gone over a cliff.

Another one down,whats going on with all the '05's lately.
I,m glad you came out of that ok mate and +1 on full face helmets :thumbup:

Glad you're ok. So what did you learn today?

I'm confused by the comment you made about "being too far to the outside" as it seems that would have positioned you well for a later apex on this decreasing radius turn. Where were you looking and what were you doing immediately before you determined it was "too late to correct" midcorner?

Can you post a link to the google maps location?

DefyInertia said:

Glad you're ok. So what did you learn today?

I'm confused by the comment you made about "being too far to the outside" as it seems that would have positioned you well for a later apex on this decreasing radius turn. Where were you looking and what were you doing immediately before you determined it was "too late to correct" midcorner?

Can you post a link to the google maps location?

Click to expand...

the first corner between the barn and the house it is a little up hill and the barn blocks a little of the view. I was already too far leaned over so I straighten up and slowed down by that time I thought it would be easier to just pull over then keep going. I was wrong.

I'm gonna go take pics or a video thats the only way you get a good view it's deceiving.
Kerrsville Road, Carlisle, PA - Google Maps

I don't know why the quality sucks so bad but at about 15sec I think is where i went off the road. Oh and I learn no matter how well you think you know the road stuff can still surprise you.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbgQpRjACgQ]YouTube - P9070085[/ame]

Wow I had a similar experience this past Saturday, on a 15 mph curve in WV, minus the going down part thankfully, I didn't know the road so i was taking it easy, went into the curve and was on my way out of it, so i thought, then it went again quick to the left. I had it leaned over so far i thought I was gonna scrape or fall over, and was still drifting outside. I stood it up and thankfully had a big gravel parking lot to run out into once i got between a phone pole and a guard rail. I didn't fall but definitely needed new drawers after that. Glad your OK and that fence and boulder weren't there to greet you.

Could have been a lot worse, and thankfully you made it out of there relatively unscathed.

I notice in your signature that you're a:

sport bike rider with an off-road obsession

Click to expand...

Could that have had anything to do with you ending up in the field?

wolfe1down said:

Could have been a lot worse, and thankfully you made it out of there relatively unscathed.

I notice in your signature that you're a: Could that have had anything to do with you ending up in the field?

Click to expand...

could be I just forgot my knobbies lol.

yes they do!

almost same thing for me about a month ago....

out riding one early sat morn and on my way home, came around a slower speed (about 35mph) right hander on a back road near here. Leaned over slightly and doing my regular late apex, saw black gravel all through the curve and accross the road. decided that I couldn't stop without locking up the brakes, so would just cruise through without slowing down. As soon as the front wheel hit the gravel it slid out and I went straight down.

Bike slid across the road and hit the grass and flipped from the right side to the left side. I landed on my right side/chest and helmet. Enough cosmetic damage on my bike (2001 kaw zr-7s) for the insurance company to total it out. Also destroyed my nice Arai helmet. I got up with bruised ribs that kept me sidelined for about 4 weeks. Was able to ride the bike home.

Good news....insurance company covered the helmet for FULL replacement cost and I ended up with a settlement that paid me more than I paid for the bike last year . Thus I was able to replace my old helmet with a new one AND purchase the FZ6 I just got, with minimal outlay of my own money!

Wearing proper gear ALWAYS pays for itself!

Patrick

sounds like everything work out in the end for you and you weren't seriously injured.