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I guess it was my turn . . .

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  • I guess it was my turn . . .

    Oft said is that there are two types of bikers, those that have gone down and those that will. I’ve re-joined the former. The last time I went down on the bike was way back in ’79 after an afternoon thunderstorm in Pensacola. I re-upped my membership this past Saturday on the Skyline Drive.

    Chris and I had left Vienna early in the morning to join the Triples meet at Big Meadows. We had an uneventful trip to the drive, and enjoyed a vigorous ride up Rte 211 to the Thornton Gap entrance. Speed limit is 35 and I was pushing it a bit here and thereto get to Big Meadow; didn’t want to miss anything. The park service maintains the drive with asphalt and cinder patches. The low speed limits keeps the cinders from be blown off the road.

    We were doing pretty good avoiding the cinders until we passed Spitler Knoll. The road goes down into a blind right curve with an abundance of cinders. My line took me right into the middle of them. I guess I rolled off the throttle, felt the bike skid left and out from under me and I was one with the cinders sliding on my right side, wondering what my son was thinking of all this. Once I came to a stop, I tried to stand up but fell down like I was drunk. Waited a moment before trying again and walked to my bike to assess the damage. An Aramark employee coming the other way and had stopped asking if I was alright. Nothing seemed amiss. He helped me get the bike up and it fired right up.

    The damages from front to back; dinged and shaved headlight rim, broken front signal lens, shaved and now leaking master cylinder, shaved brake handle, broken mirror, ground down case guard, dangling aft turn signal, snapped off high beam switch and turn out tank bag point. My gym bag with my clothes and gear had fallen down between the bike and the ground and that got shredded as well as a Fairfax County Library book put probably protected further damage to the bike. The turn signals still worked so I taped the aft dangler back on the stem with some athletic tape.

    I sprained my left thumb, dinged my helmet and my jacket got some severe abrasions on the right arm. Got some scratches on my right leg and my gloves got torn here and there. Makes a pretty good argument for wearing protective gear.

    I limped into Big Meadow both literally and figuratively and finally meet up with the Triples group. A number of them had also encountered the cinders and knew what I was talking about.
    The engine, suspension and tracking felt sound, and the brakes and electrical worked. I got over my initial shock and felt the best thing to do was ride on. Some duct tape and electrical tape fixed things for the weekend and I enjoyed a nice ride with the group later that afternoon. Needless to say, I was real careful on Skyline Drive.

    Darrell
    Darrell
    78E
    80G project
    06FJR

  • #2
    "Never a dull moment..."

    Glad to hear that damage was minor for both man and machine.
    "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!' ('Bones' McCoy)

    Comment


    • #3
      OUCH

      Glad your ok New alot of the rds in the hills here have the same kind of stuff on rd ive done a few slides myself, no matter how careful ya are we all do get Bit from time to time.

      John
      79 XS1100SF 750 FD,Galfer Brake lines,ebc brake pads,Cross Drilled Rotors,TKat fork brace,bead blasted wheels repainted and polished
      80 XS1100 S Project gonna be a hot rod
      06 CBR1000RR sold!!!!!
      2000 Concours
      84 Kawi KLR600
      79 Yam XT500 Ouch it kicks back
      79 XR250
      Why is it that the smallest part can fly to the farthest part of the shop?
      John

      Comment


      • #4
        Glad you're okay!

        and Red Green would be proud...

        Some duct tape and electrical tape fixed things for the weekend


        and at the rate you're going... you should be good for another 29 years... right?


        Again... glad you're okay...
        81 SH Something Special
        81 frame, 80 tank and side covers, 79 tail light and carbs, 78 engine, 750 final drive mod, Geezer rec/reg, 140 mains, LH wheels


        79 SF MEAUQABEAUXS
        81SH Nor'eas tah (Old Red)
        80 LG Black Magic
        78 E Standard Practice


        James 3:17

        If I can make at least one person smile, or pee their pants a little, or maybe spit out their drink; then my day is not wasted.

        “Alis Volat Propriis”

        Yamaha XS 1100 Classic
        For those on FB

        Comment


        • #5
          wow, glad you're ok. Glad you were able to ride on. Wishing you and your machine a speedy recovery.

          BTW, what are cinders? Can you put that in Kansan?
          Ich habe dich nicht gefragt.

          Comment


          • #6
            Are you sure there wasn't an Armadillo involved? Anyway glad to hear you are ok and welcome to the Armadillo Club.
            Fastmover
            "Just plant us in the damn garden with the stupid
            lion". SHL
            78 XS1100e

            Comment


            • #7
              Glad you're ok Darrell.. Was your son following behind?
              80 SG
              81 SH in parts
              99 ST1100
              91 ST1100

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              • #8
                Cinders are pea sized aggregate, mounds of which will deny your ride friction in a turn.

                My son was following, but far enough behind to avoid the situation. He did say he hit some patches causing some fishtail action but I slowed for the patches I could see.

                Darrell
                Darrell
                78E
                80G project
                06FJR

                Comment


                • #9
                  ah, we call it gravel here. Sounds like they use what they call an "armor coat" on the roads here, spray the old surface with melted tar and spread gravel on it, then run a compaction device over it. worse than driving on a gravel road. I am dreading the spring when they do that crap to the roads.
                  Ich habe dich nicht gefragt.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Glad to hear that the mishap didn't lead to a hospital visit. Any time one goes down hard or soft, and discovers a ding in their helmet they must wonder if it would have been a life changing injury, if no helmet was worn.

                    Now that being said .. What is "cinder patches" on the road? I have not heard the expression. Around here they use "cold patch" on pot holes.
                    Glad your OK
                    Rob
                    KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN

                    1978 XS1100E Modified
                    1978 XS500E
                    1979 XS1100F Restored
                    1980 XS1100 SG
                    1981 Suzuki GS1100
                    1983 Suzuki GS750S Katana
                    1983 Honda CB900 Custom

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      truly xs-ive.....

                      hey there newc4....to be one with the cinders.....its like being one with the world....your eyes open up to see things you never have seen before.....like that mail box post that just slid past your right ankle......or the tree that just wiped out your bike as you slid past it.......glad 2 hear all is well......as far as standing after a dump, best advice is to just sit the h*ll down......road rash has been shown to affect the brain...the damages to the bike can be fixed, but i truly admire your "moxy" to immediately pull out the "fix all, as it is all i have on me, tape", repair the damage and ride on.......as far as the gym bag goes, ya might wanna consider riding more and working out less at the gym.....as far as the library book, who said reading was bad......protective gear......go ahead, be a fool and ride in shorts and flip-flops...hehehehehe...best part was to piece it back 2gether with what you had on hand, an still go riding......now thats what i call a "ride".......ride on brother newc4.....would be proud 2 ride with you any time....talk 2 ya later....ross
                      rebel devil
                      1979 xs 1100f standard
                      authenic historical vehicle
                      42°36'23.52"N, 82°52'44.78"W
                      "I'M IN MY HAPPY PLACE"
                      "i got 14 jobs mon....you only got 1 job....you lazy bones mon"
                      "if you don't wrench on it, get behind me satan!"
                      '96 venture cct.....installed!
                      stainless, braided, pvc coated brake lines
                      i can translate...deustch, nederlands, 汉语, 漢語, français, ελληνικά, italiano, 한국어, português, русско, español and most importantly, 日本語....

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hey Darrell,

                        Sorry to hear about your spill, but glad to hear you were not seriously hurt, along with the bike! I HATE GRAVEL!!

                        I took a small spill on my way to my first XS Rally to Alex. Bay, NY, bent turn signal, broke corner off of small windshield, slight rash on cruise pegs, but bent it back as straight as I could, and continued on. This is what real bikers do, get back ON!!

                        Wishing you a speedy recovery for you and the bike!
                        T.C.
                        T. C. Gresham
                        81SH "Godzilla" . . .1179cc super-rat.
                        79SF "The Teacher" . . .basket case!
                        History shows again and again,
                        How nature points out the folly of men!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          It's never a pleasant experience dropping ones bike and, - although in certain circumstances it can be rather amusing (as long as no one gets hurt) - doing so in view of a junior member of the family, can result in in ones ego being slightly bruised. At my age, it's certainly not something that I'm anxious to experience again anytime soon (though I must admit that I've dropped it... while standing still ).

                          That being said, I'm happy to see that neither you, nor your ride, appear to have suffered any severe or irreparable damage. .
                          And, in true cowboy form, you got right back 'in the saddle' and continued on... riding off into the sunset (oops , that's a movie I saw), continued on... to the Triples meet at the Big Meadows...

                          On a brighter note, you have given your son a valuable lesson in how NOT to ride and handle a bike on curves where the potential to come in contact with cinders (gravel?) exists. .

                          Now, repeat after me: " rubber side down... rubber side down... rubber side down... "
                          1980 XS11 LG (Diablo)
                          1980 XS11 G (Bagger)
                          1978 XS11 G (White Knight)
                          1978 XS11 G (Skeleton)
                          2016 SS (S.S. Flyer)

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                          • #14
                            Footnote... You've got company!

                            Spoke to my brother tonight, he informed me that he had just returned from a trip through Southern Ontario, Michigan and on up to Sault Ste. Marie. While in southern Michigan he stopped to visit some friends and, after informing them of his destination, they suggested that he take a couple of side roads that were both scenic and great bike roads. And, he was told, they wouldn't/shouldn't add any measurable time to his trip.

                            Well, as it turns out, while on one of these roads, which wound its way through a cottage country, as he was rounding a right curve, the front wheel of his '02 Gold Wing hit a patch of sand causing the front end to 'slip out' from under him (both he and his wife were on the bike). Fortunately neither one of them was seriously hurt but, while the damage sustained to the bike appeared to be quite similar in nature to what you experienced, Darrel, there is some damage to and beneath the fairing, the extent to which won't be known until he dismantles it for a better look.

                            I guess it's a good lesson for all of us to be aware, especially when traveling on unfamiliar roads... expect the unexpected and watch for and anticipate changes in road conditions, sand, gravel, pot holes, etc. It's not only rainy weather that can have us 'slip slidin' away'. Safety extends beyond the unobservant cage drivers, the responsibility which, rests solely with ourselves.

                            Let's all be careful out there.
                            1980 XS11 LG (Diablo)
                            1980 XS11 G (Bagger)
                            1978 XS11 G (White Knight)
                            1978 XS11 G (Skeleton)
                            2016 SS (S.S. Flyer)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Blind corners

                              Just be sure when going around a blind corner, always assume there is a refrigerator just out of sight in your lane..... or as in one case, a porta-john....
                              You can't stay young forever, but you can be immature for the rest of your life...

                              '78E "Pathfinder" Show bike...
                              Lovingly restored by Dave Delzell
                              Drilled airbox
                              Tkat fork brace
                              Hardly mufflers
                              late model carbs
                              Newer style fuses
                              Oil pressure guage
                              Custom security system
                              Stainless braid brake lines

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