Not good, what else is to be said...

[Wanders]

About three days ago now, I had just got back from an amazing trip to Cali, Frisco to be exact. Took the 5 from Seattle, went over grants pass, through the redwood highway onto the 101... man it was great! I was new on the bike no longer, my confidence was boasting having put on 4k miles without a single issue.

The following morning, having arrived home just the night before, me and my roommate decided to go for a quick ride before he took off for work. We have some decent roads nearby so we were off. Myself being proud of all I had done, learned to shift at higher RPM's and loving it accompanied with an overall confidence that shouldn't have been there.

As I mentioned above, I was leading, we were maybe 4 blocks from our house when he noticed me start to wobble... we were going no faster then 25 and I really am not sure what I did to start the wobble but when I stopped rolling down the pavement my roommate pulled up to me and said should I call 911!? I instantly cried no I think I just sprained it bad. To make a long story short, I broke the leg, not sure how bad the ankle is yet I go in for an MRI next week. Still alive and kicking, ruined my summer of riding though.

I replay it in my head again and again trying to figure out what went wrong and I think I figured it out. It was certainly error on my part, as much as I wish I could put it on someone else. So I think I revved to high and up shifted causing the front tire to come up off the ground and I am thinking when it set back down the wobble started causing me to high side. :cheer:

I was fully geared, with one exception.. I had on normal running shoes. I hadnt purchased boots yet. So yes, I wore the same shoes on my trip... My bikes totally screwed, like badly... thank god I put coverage on it. It will be at least 6 months before I ride again, sucks so much.

If you can think of something else I may of done to cause this aside from the possibility of gravel, which yes there was some... but that seems like a cop out to me, I really think this was my fault for revving to high in 1st before dropping it into second, yes kind of trying to show off.

I have to say though, my jacket did less then I had hoped. Its a First Gear jacket, there are much better available within the price bracket. It tore up my arm so ill have some nasty scars to remind me to keep the ego in check.

 

[buccs40oz]

glad for the most part you are ok.

 

[Wanders]

Could use a little more comforting haha, laying here in bed regretting even going riding that morning... Ive dealt with my share of pain, herniated disces, chronic pain, permanent siatic nerve damage... no need to go on as you get the point. My god this break is bad though! My left legs screwed from a non motorcycle injury now my right legs all phucked up so now I don't have a leg to put my weight on without going to la la land.

All I want to do is ride again, damnit.

 

[Steph]

Sorry to hear you broke your leg hope you get better soon. Can't help you with what happened ...never happened to me and I have launched and raised my tire....no wobble though

 

[Ryan T]

Man, so sorry to hear about the accident. Given the amount of data about the accident it seems a few issues were in play. I think a bit of over confidence was the initial culprit. Once your front came up and back down (and you not expecting it, nor training for it) you ended up being in foreign terrority and that's not good on two wheels.

You didn't mention anything about road conditions, if your tires had warmed up, or possible fatigue on your part. All these could have played a factor as well.

At any rate, I hope you mend quick and take it easy during recovery. Keep us posted on your progress.

Take care.

 

[FZ1inNH]

You tried to stunt with over confidence. That is the long and short of it.

Sorry to hear it happened and you got hurt. Glad to see you are able to type about it though!

The bike is replaceable but you are not. Heal up, get the insurance to take care of everything and try and learn from this. You simply need to respect the bike and what it has for potential which I am guessing you had never experienced before.

Hope you get better soon! Can you post some pics of the damage and the damage to your gear? Thanx!

 

[Wanders]

Thanks for the responses, actually helps to talk about it and so far I agree with all that has been said. Though the stunt wasn't intentional I did indeed end up on one wheel so I guess it is still stunting

As for pictures I can see if my buddy will take some and ill upload them, currently bed ridden aside from standing beside my bed to use the facilities. A extra large bottle, gatoraide if that's correctly spelled, lol. It's been four days now I think, all medicated and still can't handle it. Anybody with a broken leg remember the recovery time? It was a clean break, as far as tendons go I wont know till next week when they do an MRI. I just hope I didn't screw my entire summer of riding? Been told 6-8 weeks if its just the break... 6+ months if its ripped tendons, crossing my fingers.

As to tire warmth, nothing out of the ordinary... pavement was warm and I had gone on a ride prior to the accident while waiting for my buddy to get ready for work.

Road conditions were great, the one memory I have is seeing a turn ahead that I am very familiar with and then letting off the throttle. Does anyone know if going from 9k rpm in 1st to taking all pressure off of the throttle remaining in 1st is enough force to cause the wobble? Just been rethinking it again and again at exactly what went wrong. I am not at 100% certainty that the tire indeed was off the ground, this is just the most logical thing I can come up with. My buddy riding behind me said it was so quick he was unsure what happened, just that I hit my right leg as I came off and continued to roll 20-30 feet before stopping. Seems a bit far considering I remember looking down and I was in the low 20s.

 

[nf_FZ6R]

I am certanly no expert. And maybe shouldn't comment. But are you sure it was a wobble or did letting off the gas in 1st cause the rear wheel to lockup maybe for a split second? could have caused it to get just enough out of line that when you gained traction again you and the bike parted company.

 

[Wanders]

Must say that its certainly possible, I wont be playing in 1st gear once I am able to ride again which every day I lay here in bed just eats at me, I want to be out riding so bad. 4k miles after owning it a mere 3 weeks... Obsessed isn't even enough, I would almost settle for Addicted but still even that feels lacking. I simply love everything about riding, never have enjoyed anything quite this much.

So for those of you who are still reading this thread I have a question for you all. I wont start a new thread for it but if some people chime in and let their opinion be heard well, I would appreciate it a lot.

So now the question,

My mother has always been against motorcycles, incredibly so. Alright here is a bit of history about myself, I herniated two discs in my back, have chronic pain, numbness, muscle spasms and a whole bunch of other issues to go with those. So I went to my parents and said you know, I am 23, I've done everything I am supposed to do and this is the hand I've been dealt. My back is Royally Fuct, with little progress being made after two years of physical therapy, injections, surgery and anything else I am missing. I would like to buy a motorcycle and try to enjoy life, They weren't thrilled but I basically said there isn't a lot else to be done to me physically beside being chair bound the rest of my life which is unlikely enough regardless.

So as this thread started a few days ago I screwed up my leg, screwed it up pretty good even. She came to me and said that she doesn't want me to ride it anymore, going into detail that every time she hears me head out on the bike it puts her into extreme anxiety, to the point she worries I wont make it back. I guess I am unsure of what to do here, I want to keep riding, I think it's right for me to continue but I want some of you to chime in, am I being unreasonable? Please also keep in mind that when I was a kid, it was said if we were going to buy a bike it wouldn't be until we moved out as they wouldn't allow us to ride a street bike or crotch rocket while living with them. My parents are great, so I don't want anything like that said. Each one of them has bad history of losing someone close on a bike. Also there is no arguing motorcycles are dangerous...

As to how I messed my back up, it was a lifting injury. 45lb box, lifted wrong... main focus is on should I keep riding... don't let the back injury be a reason to not ride. The issue is that of my parents... I know I want to keep riding...

 

[antijoy]

I not totally sure what happened, not an expert by any means. Were you in the corner when you went down, or on a strait just after the corner? I would NOT say you were "stunting", but it still could have been bordering wrecklessness, I can't say.

It sounds like you destabilized the bike by chopping the throttle while the front end was light. The power of our bikes MUST be respected, quick throttle changes will shift the bikes (and riders) weight around quickly. Chopping the throttle (sharply cutting off the gas) in a corner can cause a deadly highside flip. If your on the throttle hard in a strait, then the weight will be on the back of the bike. This will lighten the front end, unloading the front suspension, and possibly lifting the tire. If the throttle is then cut off, the weight will rapidly shift to the front end. This can cause instability and even a "tank slapper", especially if the front wheel is not kept perfectly strait once the front end is light. The front wheel doesn't even have to be fully off the ground for this to happen.

I hope you heal up well, and quickly, but make sure to heal up fully before stressing anything. Keep your spirits up, and try to enjoy life, bike or not.

 

[audible]

Sorry you got hurt man. Confidence will get you everytime. Respect and a little fear will keep us in check. Heal fast. Have someone snap a picture of the poor FZ6...mostly paint damage...engine case covers????

 

[lonesoldier84]

well, that's just a part of being a biker! haha! it's no one fault! it can happen to anyone.. just be careful on your next trip!

well i certainly disagree with that. you should never ride past 80% of your ability. when you are you not only learn nothing from doing something right, you also dont know what happened when something goes wrong. you dont progress much up the learning curve when riding past 80% of your ability.

as for why it happened i am pretty sure you had your front wheel just a slight bit up in the air then saw a turn or whatever and brought it down abruptly and out of alignment possibly from preparing for the turn subconsciously beginning the turning motion or just had it out of alignment for whatever reason when the front wheel came into solid contact with ground again.

either that or you hit a tar snake or something that caused your front to front to be thrown out of alignment.

either way, post up some pics mate. when you get back out there keep your right hand in check. you are more likely to get in an accident in years number 2 and 3 than you are in your super-early noob years. congrats you are now a statistic. but at least youre alive. i realize 25mph isnt that fast, but imagine if it happened on a different road, even at the same speed with oncoming traffic.....you are very lucky. control yourself.

think of it this way....sure slowing down a little means less fun NOW NOW NOW!!!......but you will have more fun over the next 50 years or so than you could possibly have in one year of pushing yourself. if you had kept things under wraps you would stll be riding for the rest of the summer. a relatively short amount of adrenaline-fun robs you of longer-term fun......

maturity is NOT over-rated.

I am not perfect myself and am lucky not to have had the same thing that happened to you happen to me. That is why I am saying all this. I say it to myself every day and it helps me slow down.

that and i try to watch motorcycle accidents on the internet and instill in my mind the true vulnerability of riding.....so as to keep my otherwise boundless courage in check....for my own safety. That and I try to think about my family as im the only child. an extra bit of fun by being reckless is not worth it. not even CLOSE.

in spite of this sometimes i still feel guilty for something I did on a day's ride. But I am getting better as many of my rides I now come home knowing I may have been a bit quick at times but I was never past 70-80% of my ability and always was accounting for worst-case-scenario and varying traffic/road conditions.

it is a learning game my friend. you dont just need to learn the bike....you need to learn YOURSELF in a way never before asked of you. (wow that was deep im gonna write that down)

heart goes out to you tho bro. I seriously hope your break was a clean break.

 

[MarinaFazer]

it happens. Some of us just get scared when that front wheel comes up and others...well, obviously you figured that part out.

SOrry about the bum leg and ankle. Heal quick with lesson learned!

You can have 40,000 miles on your bike and still know squat about how to ride it...just fyi Use this bed time to read up the books like twist of the wrist II and what not.

 

[oldfast007]

So, here is what I think happened, setting it down too hard. Wheelie Speed Wobbles - VIDEO

I have had similar experience myself, without going down. Scary.

In the end. heal up, learn, ride again.:thumbup:

 

[skyjake]

It takes a lot for a person to add as much detail to as what you recall from this mishap. I'm truly sorry for what your having to go through and hope and pray you mend fast.

Probably, like you, I haven't been riding for a long time. The only experience I have that is similar is I was in 2nd gear, not long ago, and was pushing it very hard. As the bike got faster, it got more ahead of me, and the front end seemed to wobble a little. In my case, I think my weight got shifted to far aft and my front got really light or so it felt. After reducing power, I gained control and chalked it up to a 'learning experience' and was very thankful.

In regards to you parents, that is a tough call that only you can answer. I think you will have both pros/cons on that one. Yes, like you said, riding is probably more dangerous than other modes of transportation. I think all good riders are also good Risk Managers. They constantly manage risk prior, current, and the futures ones as quickly as they can be evaluated. I think seat time and experience is very important. I think it's prudent to learn as much as you can from others. With all that said, it sounds like you really love to ride regardless of your past. ALL, of us can identify with that. At the end of the day, it's your decision.

Again, I hope your Leg and angle get well fast. Keep your head up man...

 

[lonesoldier84]

also:

even if your front wheel is on the ground but you are accelerating quickly so much weight is off of the front that your suspension is fully extended which renders it unable to deal with changes in ground surface effectively.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Got any pics of your bike or your gear after the crash?

Get well soon. Thanks for posting.

 

[Wanders]

Hey, thanks for the comments, even the less supportive ones. As I was typing the original post the accident had just recently happened. All I knew at the time was the x-ray showed my fibula in two pieces, not a weight baring bone so not to big of a deal. It just hurt in spite of what I was being told, that fibula breaks aren't very painful.

The Emergency room doctor put me in one of the boots/splits and wrapped it with an ace bandage along with a few vicodin and said follow up with your doctor, just keep your weight off of it the best you can until then. At the time I was so loaded on Dilaudid I didn't even know I had an ankle, or a bone for that matter, telling me it was broken was absurd... so no discredit to the doctors, however I managed to tear the tendons and legiments from my ankle to my knee..

Longer story shorter, I now have two screws and an I believe - Titanium? - plate in my ankle. As to how it happened, at least what I have myself convinced of is that I let off the gas to quickly as someone above mentioned causing the tire to come down and my weight to shift simultaneously resulting in what is now in a cast. As for the road rash, I was fully geared with the exception of boots, but as I was rolling/sliding the arms of my armored jacket came up to my for-arm exposing enough skin to make me remember the incident, not to mention I get to go through the special line at the air port now


- For those interested in pictures, it's ugly. I am ashamed. First off, no frame sliders, not sure if I mentioned that or not... the gas tank has a base ball sized dent in it along with the paint being ground off. The right foot peg literally snapped off on impact, I am guessing around the time my leg did. Overall I am lucky to have been wearing my gear, I would be in far worse shape if it wasn't for my gear and I am sure you can imagine how bitter at myself I am for not having purchased riding boots, I was in running shoes. If any of you ride in a tee shirt, read this once more if you plan to continue doing so. This was my fault, if your confident enough to say no one on a cell phone, applying make up, feeding their kid whose screaming in the back seat will ever hit you, well maybe you will have to learn the hard way. To the rest of you, please, please wear your gear you paid hundreds for it and the one time you don't wear it, will be the time you wasted all that money.

Also, I don't have any time frame as to when but I will eventually post pictures of my gear and my poor baby. Those of you who were questioning the scorpion helmets, the 400 specifically though I would imagine they all pass the same specifications as the rest, worked brilliantly. It's a goner for sure but my heads still on and I don't think I eat my meals through a straw or anything :cheer:

- Also worked the issue with my parents out, no need to elaborate on the discussion but I will most definitely continue riding!

 

[manas12]

Congratulations on working out the issue with your parents! Heal soon and get back on the bike! Frame sliders..first mod to the bike.
The helmet is done...it is a one time use. If you go down in an accident, or drop your helmet otherwise, replace it. No excuses whatsoever.
Also on the plus side, your leg now has the strongest metal known to man :rockon:

Good luck :thumbup:

 

[Norm]

Heal fast my friend and I'm glad you will ride again. It was very gracious of you to post all of this and I will very much take to heart all that you have advised.