Tighter Shock and a bad wreck!

[jfz6]

Ok I know this sounds crazy but in the shock setting poll I posted someone said something about setting the shock to 7 because it would pull a wheelie better. I saw that a lot of people are talking about ride hight and what not. I ended up changing my setting to 5 because I am about 280lb/127kg/20 stone and the ride felt much better.

The area I commute in is filled which rich snobs with big SUV's and a lot of little old retiree's who drive all over the road with lots of twists and turns. Needless to say I have had a couple of times when I had to really put the brakes on hard.

The other day it happened again I am coming up to a stoplight that is green and all the cars have pretty much gone through. This big black SUV is going through the light and I glanced away for a moment and when I look back I see this little head pop-up in the drivers seat with the cell phone to her ear and in the middle of the road with no cars coming in the other direction and she doesn't have her blinker on I realize that this SUV is not moving at all but instead she is waiting to turn. What does she do? She puts on the brakes!

I slam on mine and the next thing I know is that when I am applying pressure on the back brake nothing is happening because my tire is in the air. Now I am flying through the air like superman, listening to my bike flipping behind me when POW!! BODY HITS GROUND!! Then there is a lot of screaming- not from me because I could not breathe.

So what I am asking is- If my shock is....was set to 5 and my seat was riding higher could this have caused my wreck? I have tried to do an "endo" or a "stoppie" before and I could not do it.

A few days after posting the poll I set the shock to 5 I fly off going 45mph/72kph like I weigh 25 pounds!! Is there any relation????

I am just wondering. I have had two trips to the hospital because of it bruised spleen and ribs. Cartilage has become seperated from the wall of my ribcage?????? ( I've never heard of that but it hurts) My knee is all mangled and road rashed and my whole leg is like a swollen elephant's trunk. Worst thing of all is that I might not be gracing the pages of the FZ6 forum anymore as my bike is in shambles. I have insurance but I will not be able to afford another FZ6. At least Geico said they would reimburse me for a new helmet.

I just still cannot believe it. My poor knee, my poor spleen, oh dear god my poor FZ6!!!!! My poor riding skills. "Nothing makes a man feel so weak than the pain of overconfidence." J. Sharbel aka jfz6

 

[Whirlygirl]

Wow - I can't really answer your question about the preload setting, but I'm sorry to hear about your crash. I came very close in a similar situation the other day, but was just lucky enough to stay upright and keep both wheels on the ground. Glad you're "okay" in the sense that your walking and posting. Heal fast and get that bike replaced asap!

 

[thatguyx]

I doubt that your get off was caused by adjusting the preload of your rear shock, although it may have been related... the biggest issue is your riding. Do you practice emergency braking? At 280lbs you're probably best set at 7, but your spring still wouldn't be enough for your weight. My understanding is that going down the preload at your weight from 7 would actually lower the rear ride height. By going down to 5 you made your suspension even worse, how this effects the rear coming up i'm not 100% sure, cue Defy or Ped.

The biggest problem with the scenario was not being aware of the situation (hard to know, but always suspect snobs (or anyone for that matter) will be an asshat, and pull dumb sh*t like that.) Next was over doing the front brake, too quickly. How fast were you going before you applied the brake and how much space did you have between said event? If it all happened last second, then there's not much you can do besides look out for it in the future. However, in the time you looked away, you may have covered the necessary space you needed to come to a stop. Quick stops/Panic braking/Emergency stopping should be something you practice regularly. As for trying to do an endo or stoppie, that really comes down to the rider and how he handles the brakes. I'm at 175lbs and I'm comfortable bringing up the rear when i'm bored... a friend of mine is probably 250-280lbs and can stoppie his SV650 no problem. It really comes down to you working the brakes.

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but more importantly glad you're relatively OK. Heal up, practice some quick stops and swerving, grow cynical about other drivers being idiots and not trusting them, and get back on the road soon.

 

[Raid The Revenge]

I wish you'd wake up the next day with all your problems gone and a new FZ6. Whatever color you want. Shock preload set to the perfect one for you; whatever it is.

 

[pedwards89]

Real sorry to hear about your wreck & I hope you recover quickly.

However, have to echo what Thatguy said, it sounds like lack of concentration / experience that was your down fall. The FZ has plenty of braking power to pull the back wheel of the ground even with a big lad like yourself on board. It sounds like you snatched the front brake & locked up, by then the outcome was inevitable.

Thats all easy to say from the comfort of home. We all suffer from lapses of concentration and / or do dumb things from time to time, you just got unlucky.

If you get another FZ6, consider the ABS version (mine is fitted with ABS) & here's why; they say that an expert / experienced rider can brake faster, smoother, with more feel on a non ABS machine. And that's fine I have to accept that. However, I wish I was a MotoGP God rather than think I am. I have to acknowledge I'm not that good, I'm just an average farty and I know that ABS has saved me wrecking at least 3 times in the last year.

Here endeth the lecture. Get well soon.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Like everyone said, you are okay. Yes, you are battered, bruised, scrapped and mentally shaken, but alive. Be thankful for that. Your bike can be replaced. There is a saying, there are two kind of riders, riders who have been down, and riders who are going down. You are not the first member here in this forum who have been down, nor you will be the last. Riding a bike is very dangerous, and this is a great wake up call for all of us. I want to say that I read somewhere that the average rider when they have an accident has around 3,000 miles logged, but I can't recall where to confirm that. Not sure how long you have ridden or how many miles you have logged, but I do agree with the other members, perhaps your emergency braking was more an issue rather than the positioning of the shock. However, you had mentioned your weight, which will make it tougher for the bike to stop. Like other have mentioned, you have to create the worse case scenario. And it appears that you had identified a possible trouble spot, but just lost your focus on it. I try to be aware of all the vehicles around me, what condition they are in, is it a piece of junk, or is it clean without dents. Is it occupied by one driver or are there several people in the car. Are the plates out of state, etc. Is it missing a mirror? Any kind of clue will help.

Just wondering how much safety gear you were wearing for the amount of injuries you had sustained?

Heal fast and thanks for posting. Don't be a stranger just because you are bikeless for a while.

 

[reiobard]

this is all very good advice and ideas, but to put your mind at ease... if your rear tire comes odd the ground, it has nothing to do with the stiffness. the braking with the rear tire is not all that great to begin with. If you hit the rear brake while riding along then it will lock up and drag along but you will barely feel it, the rear brake is more used as a control brake for slower situations.

I am sorry for your loss of the bike and i am also glad that you are relatively ok in comparison to how it could have been. if the bike is totaled be sure to take some pictures and we can help you determine if it will be worth more to you parted out or if you should just let the insurance take it. (Typically insurance companies will let you keep the wreck for a couple hundred $'s)

Maybe you can have a rebuild project as you are rebuilding your body.

 

[Doorag]

...I want to say that I read somewhere that the average rider when they have an accident has around 3,000 miles logged, but I can't recall where to confirm that.

Damn...I'm getting to the 3K mark. I should be careful.

I think it's sort of like skiing. People tend to get injured on the third day of their vacation. Day 1 is spent learning/getting cmfortable again, Day 2 is spent having fun, Day 3 is spent pushing the limit because of a good Day 2.

I guess biking is similar.

Glad to hear you're not too seriously injured.

 

[HavBlue]

First let me say I am happy to hear you are alive and on the mend.

As to whether or not the shock pre-load had anything to do with your accident I would have to say no. Panic stopping and controlled emergency braking are two completely different things. In the case of a sportbike where there is more relative weight on the front we are all well aware of the bikes ability to do a stoppie. There is literally enough braking potential on the front wheels of an FZ6 to flip that bike right over. Therefore, slamming on that front brake can be a really bad idea.

In a controlled emergency stop appropriate application of both front and rear brakes is a fundamental necessity if one is to attain the minimum stopping distance regardless of the surface conditions. At no time should either brake be locked up or skidding. If so, the control factor will be reduced dramatically.

Unfortunately, in your case I would suggest there were a couple of factors that caused to bike to flip over. First was an inappropriate application of available braking potential. Second was the shift in weight associated with the rider who in this case weighed roughly 280 pounds. When the front brakes were applied for a maximum effort the front forks began to dive and the rider's weight shifted forward offering an advantage to the front. By the time the rear brake was applied (late) the lift in that rear wheel had already started which then caused the rear wheel to become ineffective.

Looking at this incident from an objective point of view and based on the facts as they have been presented it is my opinion this was caused by (1) a lack of focus and (2) panic braking. This phrase from the original post says it all, "I glanced away for a moment." Rider's beware, focus can be your life and a single glance at the wrong time can often be fatal.

Get well quick and I hope you get back in the saddle soon.

Charlie

 

[HavBlue]

If you hit the rear brake while riding along then it will lock up and drag along but you will barely feel it, the rear brake is more used as a control brake for slower situations.

I am in total disagreement with this statement. The rear brake on my FZ6 will suck that rear suspension right down at any speed and when used in conjunction with the front brake offers a tremendous advantage in terms of minimum stopping distance. Without that rear brake the bike will "NEVER" attain its true potential. In other words, it's impossible to attain a maximum braking effort without the use of both front and rear brakes to their potential.

 

[wolfc70]

If you get another FZ6, consider the ABS version (mine is fitted with ABS) & here's why; they say that an expert / experienced rider can brake faster, smoother, with more feel on a non ABS machine. And that's fine I have to accept that. However, I wish I was a MotoGP God rather than think I am. I have to acknowledge I'm not that good, I'm just an average farty and I know that ABS has saved me wrecking at least 3 times in the last year.

Here endeth the lecture. Get well soon.

No ABS here in the US of A. On another note, I was always taught to apply the rear brake slightly before applying the front. This helps start the weight transfer and will help prevent the sudden dynamic weight shift you experienced. Granted during panic stops the main thing is to still apply brakes in a linear fashion, this will prevent grabbing a "handful" of front brake and kissing the pavement. Believe it on not many of us have similar situations, especially if moving up to modern brakes, while I have not gone over the bars, I have come pretty close.

And of course, glad you are ok. Hope you get back to riding soon.

 

[fudge_FZ6]

I'm glad to hear you got away with just a few bruises and scratches. I hope the new fz6 riders are reading this and realizing what this bike can do and what can happen in a split second when your riding. The best advise I got as a new rider was Act and think that everybody is out to kill you!!! The car behind you he's out to kill you the car 2 cars up is out to kill you. look ahead look far ahead. when you see a car coming up kinda fast to a stop sign get on the breaks and slow down. That has saved me a couple of wrecks. remember people just glance most of the time and it is hard for people to judge the speed of a bike compared to a car. another piece of advise look at what the driver in the car along side you is doing. if they are talking on a cell phone get the f*$# away from them. never stay in a drivers blind spot. here is a good rule of thumb always stay where you are able to see the turn signals of the car along side you
my last words of advise is always wear a bike jacket and helmet. like my girlfriend always says this is my boy friend skinless

 

[HavBlue]

I was always taught to apply the rear brake slightly before applying the front.

So were thousands of other people and it works exactly as advertised........

 

[dankatz]

I am glad you are doing ok. Rib pain can last for a few weeks and it sucks! I second wolf about being taught to apply the rear brake at the same time (or just before) applying the front break. Also, it would be useful to shift your weight back in the seat. In any case, being a Monday morning quarterback is always easier. Heal quickly!
Dani

 

[4fun]

Glad you survived! Hope you get back to riding.

As for everyone, use this as a wake up call to pay attention!

For us guys or gals, that dont ride during the winter maybe it makes sense to take a few minutes next ride to hit a parking lot and practice hard braking. I know I will. Although I am willing to help teach people good skills, I rather do it by not having you guys read about a mistake that I did.

Please Pay Attention.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Sorry to hear about the accident as well! Thankfully you'll heal!

I don't believe the shock setting had anything to do with this. This was you grabbing a huge handful of front brake when you were too close to the other vehicle.

Once back on a bike, you need to practice emergency controled braking. Best to do with something like caution tape stretched between two objects. Approach it fast and practice using both brakes. If you hit or break the tape, you failed to stop safely, but no harm done. Once you've mastered this, hone your skills once a year.

Post some pics of the bike... let's see what members have for parts you can use to rebuild the bike... unless the frame is broken or engine is cracked.

Heal up! Take care!

 

[Zack]

I am about to be new rider and would gladly pay for ABS upgrade if there was one for FZ6. To be honest post like this makes me think again about Suzuki 600 or 650 which is available with ABS and that upgrade doesn't cost too much anyway.

Zack

 

[Tailgate]

Well, it sounds like this would have been an accident whether in a cage or on an FZ6. Many years ago while traveling about 35 MPH on Fell St. in San Francisco I, in my '73 Ford Pinto, momentarily shifted my eyes from the road to my dash gauges. When I returned my eyes to the road a near-new Dodge Colt in my lane was completely stopped just over the crest of the hilly street and I rear ended. The "quick" glance to my gauges at the WRONG time resulted in me be caught with my pants down. And, I should have slowed down since there was a crest coming up hindering my view of a possible traffic problem ahead. I guess sometimes some of us learn the hard way.

 

[jamesfz6]

I am sure the stoppie you did was a direct result of panic braking. If you do not practice emergency stopping the right way then you develop the "lets grab all the front brake we can" habit. I am very sorry to hear about the bike and i hope you get better real soon. Also remember, some things are unavoidable no matter how much you practice.

 

[HavBlue]

I am about to be new rider and would gladly pay for ABS upgrade if there was one for FZ6. To be honest post like this makes me think again about Suzuki 600 or 650 which is available with ABS and that upgrade doesn't cost too much anyway.

Zack

Just a thought Zack but if you can not develop the skills necessary to operate the brakes without ABS what makes you think the same bike with ABS will make your skills any better?