Laid her down...it hurt

[Hammerhead1st]

So IM heading to work on my XS in VERY thick, heavy morning fog yesterday, doing what i can to see the road and keep my visor clean, and not get run over in the process. The road I travel is a scondary, with a few stop signs at major intersections. One of these stop signs is a complete surprise to anyone who hasnt driven the road before, as there is no warning for it. Drop down a hill and POP...there it is!

It got me yesterday.

In the fog, I knew it was coming up and I began to slow from the 50 I was doing to about 40. Peering through the fog, preparing for the stop sign, suddenly it was RIGHT HERE!!! Touched the back brake, wheel locked right up on the wet road. Let it go and straightened her out, looked both ways real fast to see if maybe I could blow the stop sign, but traffic coming from each direction told me I probably shouldn't. With no where to go, no outs, I only had one choice...BRAKES...

So I touched the front brakes a bit and then the rear...which locked up again on the wet, oily road. Immediately the thing went sideways and dropped to the ground before I realized that I had lost it. The bike went skidding in circles across the highway and I made the sign of the turtle as I used my back for a brake and did the whole "Wet Banana" thing into the middle of the highway. My leather saved my ass, my back, and my life. My helmet never touched the ground. I'm so happy my XS is nekked! I got up, picked up the bike, fired it up, and went to work, got there 6 minutes early.

My engine protector bars on the front saved the covers, my lights are already fixed and working, my windshield took a hit and has been removed for a while, and my clutch handle is a little worse for wear. Other than that...I'll take the bruise on my butt and the sore thigh muscles in each leg as blessings and testaments to my great luck in not being seriously injured. I can be happy with that. If the road had been dry, I may not have lost it, but if had been dry and I DID lose it, I'm certain I'd be posting this from the hospital on a laptop.

WEAR YOUR LEATHERS!!! KEEP THOSE SKID LIDS ON YOUR CAP, MAN!!!

This has been a public service message...

[MaximRider]

Gald to hear you are virtually unhurt. You need to take it a bit easier in fog, nasty stuff. Good thing the bike made it through too, someone could have just hit it too in teh fog. Anyway good story and better lesson.

[Wildkat]

Wow

Glad to hear that you and the bike came out of it with just a few bumps and bruises... and getting to work with 6 minutes to spare? You da man!

[prometheus578]

"Nice job, Hammerhead."

Glad you pulled it off OK.
Sort of fun, though, wasn't it, but not something one wants to do everyday.

[mro]

Sort of fun, though, wasn't it

Missed that part.
Am impressed how sturdy the XS is tho.
It's always better when your able to walk en talk about em after



mro
btw, been a bad year for some on another formum (SMC here in the Bay Area) Gal locked up rear brake on her sportster and turned it into a high side, landed on her head

[79XS11F]

Bummer .. Your lucky traffic on the cross road didn't run over you. Did you go but a loto ticket ... cause that was your lucky day ...

Rob

[skipt]

50 mph on a wet foggy day. Slow her down just a tad bro.

Very glad you came out all right.

Skip

[desert1]

Good news....

Good news is you walked away from it Amen and praise the powers that be....maybe a guardian creature of some description was in attendance.....note I've stayed away from mentioning religions and mythical beings ....good job Hammerhead!!
Bruce

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

A lesson for us all, fog is nasty stuff, makes everything slick and invisible. Glad you are alright. Another point for ATTGATT.

[Hammerhead1st]

ATTGATT?

LOL...no, wasn't for attention for sure.

It was wild, you all have a valid point about the speed, and after the fact, when I was able to ride away, I was able to think about the fact that yeah, it WAS kinda fun sliding like that. But it also opened my eyes to how precarious a ride can become.

As far as luck is concerned...well I'd rather be lucky than good. I take much pride in never making the same mistake twice. I do hold a lot of respect for the machine, but I refuse to let it scare me into riding like I'm going to shatter if I go too fast. One mishap doesn't make a retired biker.

I DO know how lucky i was, I realize after the fact that I should have been doing some things differently. Next time, I'll bite the bullet and just be late for work. Leaving early isn't an option... I put the bike back together and rode it 120 miles yesterday with some friends who just bought VMAX's. Although I can't make the ol girl run like the MAX's do, she certainly DID give them a good run now and then. Just can't compete with the V-boost and twice the HP out of the box. Had a lot of fun, though, found some awesome curvy roads out in the Springville area and rode them for all they were worth.

Broke a wire in the timing cover area though. Effectively ended the ride for me 40 miles from home. Had to truck it home and diagnose the problem this morning in daylight. Good news is, she fired right up and purred after fixing the break.

I guess the moral of the story is:

SLOW DOWN IN THE FOG, STUPID!!!!

[79XS11F]

Yeah ... Fog is the same as the first 15 to 30 minutes of rain or a constant light rain. It makes the road very slippery. Not enough water to wash the road .. .just enough to make it slick.
Rob

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

One more warning about fog, especially with Fall and lower temps closing on us, we need to remember that fog freezes really easy.

When I lived in the San Joaquin Valley, fog was an ever present fact of life between December and March. On the few ocasions that the temp fell to the low 30s, I'd look like a beer mug with all the frost clinging to my rain suit (yeah, fog gets pretty wet in a 10 mile commute). Needless to say, you gotta watch those bridges and painted lines kiddies.

[olebiker]

Glad you didn't get too bent. Happens quick don't it?

[greyranch]

fog

Glad to see you made it through Hammerhead.Part of the problem with these bikes is they are deceptively smooth and fast.You look down thinking your doing 30 mph and your doing 60 ! Take it easy and make sure your tires are in good shape.Good luck on your cruise later in the month.Wanted to go but my work schedule show we are working that weekend .

[Hammerhead1st]

Ahhh bummer! I´m working every wknd until then...save up a little money for the ride. Think I got SWMBO talked into an overnight in Utica if we have the funds. Bringing some friends from here in town, two of them just bought VMAX´s...an 85 and an 04. They look like the same bike sitting side by side. One of them used to own MY bike!!

Too bad you can´t make it, man. Not sure how many will actually show up, but it´ll be a lot of fun no matter how many are there. Its always nice to meet the folks who share your love of riding. At work, all the Harley guys look for me in the mornings now...they always know when the Ratster pulls in...BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB...WOMPAAA...BLUB BLUB BLUB BLUB...