crashed tonight - damage assessment

[tab1324]

I was humbled tonight by visiting the pavement around a corner. It was a simple enought intersection, I've gone through plenty of times. but this time was just after a misty rain when the road "looked" dry. As I approached the intersection I had a green light but traffic turning left (as I was) is required to yield to traffic in the opposite direction. There was a truck coming but he was far enough off that I could make the turn in front of him no problem. I had just ridden about 25 miles in misty rain and the rain had stopped here so the roads seemed to be improving. As I made the turn, I must have carried a bit too much speed and / or there was a slick tar spot or something and the front tire slid, the handlebars went hard over to the left and I dropped like a brick. Of course, all this happened in about 1/2 of a second. Too quick for me to react. I was only going about 10-15 MPH at best. I hit hard on my hip, elbow and fortunately, my helmet. I didn't feel the head impact but heard it. I only slid for about a foot or 2 since I was going slow. I just feel miserable about it. I don't know if it was operator error, or just plain bad luck. Probably a bit of both.

I have a few descisions to make regarding the bike. The bike hit hard on the left engine case and since the forks were hard over to the left, the left signal light and headlight got bent in a bit. After I picked the bike up, I got back on and rode it home but the handlebars weren't straight. I don't know if the forks are bent or the tripple tree or handlbars.... How can I determine this.

I'm pretty bummed. I am a rookie rider but had just put the 1000th mile on her on Sunday afternoon. Now it may be too much to fix, let alone the mental descision I have to face about getting on and riding again.

So, I may have a parts bike for sale or I may part it out. I also may fix it and sell it as a running riding bike or actually keep it myself if I can get over it.

Sorry for the ramblings, but I figured you guys would listen. Thanks.

Tom Brant
Brooklyn Park, MN

[Bill__Woods]

Hello Tom,
Most likey only bent the handlebars. If the forks are not straight the bike will not track straight. Does it pull right or left if you let go of the bars. I crashed mine going about 45mph a few weeks ago, deystroyed my handlebars - but the forks are still straight.
Here is my advice:
1. Get new handlebars
2. Get back on the bike and ride
3. Be thankful you did not get seriosly hurt


PS. When you fell down walking as a child, did you stop learning to walk? Everyone who rides Has gone down, or Will go down because S**T Happens.

Now get back up and go fix your XS11.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Tom,

They call it an Iron Horse don't they, so if you get thrown from your "Horse", you get back on!!! I've had 2 fairly disasterous type accidents almost totalling the bikes I was riding, but walked away from them with only bruises, both body and pride!!!! 1st one was within 1 month of getting my new '74 Yam TX500street
bike in '76 for H.S. Graduation, the second was in 1986 after coming back from Japan, cage turned in front of me, plowed into right front corner of car, bent forks into engine, flew thru my windshield and bounced of cage's windshield and fell to ground, brushed off the broken glass, and cursed a bit!

Shoot happens to the best riders, so now you know your normal!! I agree, most likely just the bars got bent, and they can be easily replaced. And if the front wheel got slightly bent,mis-angled, many times it's just a matter of loosening up the triple tree clamps and axle nuts and shifting things around until they are straight in line, then retighten! Turn signals and head light buckets can be found!

Chalk it up to experience, now you know not to go into a corner after a rain too hard, or apply the front brake in a turn too much!

[newmaac]

Tom, I am glad to hear that you weren't badly hurt.

Like it was said earlier, it is most likely that you just twisted tings up a bit.
By loosening the triple trees and the front wheel, you can often straighten-out the front end.
If you DO find that you need parts, I have forks, triple trees, and bars. You pick-up the shipping and I will give you whatever you need that I have.
Unfortunately I have sold all of my really nice turn signals, but I think that I still have a good straight set that just has some chrome pitting starting.

I have yet to go down myself, (knocking on wood here), so, I can not really give advice, but we always hate to hear of someone leaving the XS group.

Fix it, ride it, see if you are comfortable, and THEN make your decision.

[skids]

So, did you bust open the case? I recommend case guards. They save more than just the cases, my friend. You may have to loosen the clamps on the triple tree to adjust the alignment of the forks. I doubt there is any major damage. You can straighten the handlebar with a length of pipe after you remove the grip. If you never removed the grips before and you want to save them, you can try working in some WD40 to slip them off. Do not pry against the light switch housing or you can break off the light switch (don't ask!).

About the crash... You are OK. The bike is relatively OK. You made a mistake. Learn from it, dust yourself off, get back on. =:-)

[pathfinder]

Get back on it

Tab, sorry to here about your fall, glad your ok.
I saw a young guy on a brand new crotch rocket with paper tag. New rider, misting rain stopping for a traffic light, riding in the middle of the lane where its nice and oily, pulled the brakes and down he goes right in front of me. I stop to help, by the time I get there he's blaming everybody and everything. Very good points for you taking the blame. I helped him pick up the bike and talked him down. I talked him out of getting back on the bike right away. He really needed to calm down. I found out that he had never been taught to ride a bike in the first place. Basically he bought the bike, walked around it two or three times and got on and rode. Well the poor guy wasn't from around here and had bought the bike for basic transportation (in Houston not a really good idea for a newbe). Anyway the kid lived in an apartment not to far from me, and I taught him how to ride. Since he is so much younger with better and faster reflex's, he can now outride me anytime day, night, traffic or not, rain or shine. He has become one of the best and safest riders I know. Don't give up you have already shown the maturity it takes to ride a M/C. Give it a few day's and fix the front end. Then get on it and ride.

[2fast]

Get back on it!!

Hi Tom,
I would just chalk this up as a cheap learning experience. Nobody likes to dump it, and it is likely just lack of experience. You now have more experience and will learn from it. I would not hang it up because of this, it really could (and has) happened to a number of us. I have fallen twice. Once was very similar to your experience, but caused by light sand on a corner. The other time I was cookin along on Hwy 1 in California, having a little to much fun on the corners until I caught a footpeg on the pavement.....
I was not injured on either of these falls. A lot of that I credit to wearing a helmet and other protective gear. I never ride without a helmet, and a lot of that decision is based on these experiences. I believe anyone that thinks they are immune are foolishly overconfident.
If you have not taken the MSF classes, I would consider it. OK, I admit I have not taken them, but I am thinking about doing it. My son just started riding this summer and he took them as a condition of getting a bike. They offer beginner and advanced classes for about $100, pretty cheap.
If you want some help evaluating the damage, let me know. As you may remember, I live in the metro area. Be happy to stop by!
Brian

[pgg]

Tab the alloy sliders can slightly bend in a prang and the forks bind slightly on bumps and suchlike afterwards. Makes the front end feel a bit harsher.

[uk1.1s]

Shiny side down

Tom,

Sorry to hear about you dropping the bike. Like some of the other guys here I too have had some 'exploits' on the XS11.

Sounds to me like you hit a patch of diesel on the road - I hit a corner where I could smell the stuff and it was pooled all around (and I thought it was rain water!) Whilst I calmed down a bit at the side of the road cars were even spinning off on the stuff.

Lethal - especially on 2 wheels...... but taught me to look more carefully at wet lines in the middle of the road at junctions, especially near truck stops. As the road was wet for you - you probably had no chance to spot it was there until you were on the ground. Don't beat yourself up about going into the turn too fast - by the length of slid you had on the ground I'd say you were being pretty cautious - just unlucky.

Please get on and ride again...although you will find that you will ride a little like a grandmother on a Sunday afternoon for a little while...but that's natural and perfectly acceptable after a fall. You gradually relax with time... but keep riding or you'll just stay apprehensive.

Unlikely you have bent your forks - this usually needs a front impact and not the sort of glacing blow they have had from dropping the bike. I think the guys above have covered how to check above. You may have bent the bars a little or just twisted things up a bit - and can restore it all to being serviceable by loosening a few things off and re-setting them.

I still remember surfing my XS11 - sideways with the frame-rails sliding along the curb as the bike started to fall over and I climbed around it! Only just touched the car which had stopped at the side of the road, enough to rock it and surprise the guys inside who couldn't then see me as I was lying beside the bike on a nice comfortable grassy verge. ...Doh

[scalded dog]

Tom, fix the bike and get back on, a little over a year ago, I was cruising about 35mph, looked away, looked back, and the pick-up truck in front of me stopped to wait on traffic, to make a left turn, too late I saw it, had nothing I could do, I left the imprint of my body, and my xs 11, in the tailgate, nothing broken, just bruised, the fender on the xs 11, was bent to the point I had to take it off to ride home, I realized that I was fine, even after hitting a truck, I felt proud, being 48 yrs old and not breaking nothing, any accident, is bad, but it's all in how you look at it. We all have to go on to the next life somehow, that is a given, enjoy this life as long as you can, and don't live your life scared. Good Luck, Later 'Dog

[tfm3]

Haven't read any mention of one my most dreaded road hazards -commonly known to those of us who ride in drought states.Asphalt soaks up oils and fuels like a sponge and after a long spell without any significant precip that first good rain can pull all that slick stuff right up to to the road surface. Learned that the hard way in No. Cal. when we got hit with El Nino after a seven year drought.Anyway, like I mentioned in a post to the 'speed' thread in Mem. lounge a few days back I laid over my full dress '81 on loose gravel one night last week going @ 25 mph.
Picked 'er up and got 'er home before the bruises had time to register on my brain - took a deep breath and, well, figured I'm glad I got that outta the way. Hobbled out to the garage next day on crutches, literally hammered the bent hardware back into shape, reset the handlebar and mirror- all good. Need new highway pegs and left battery cover. Can't say enough about a good engine cage. Being an avid horseman [iron and animal] I also can't say enough about gettin' right back on. Just makes you a better rider in my opinion- a little respect goes a long way.

[grifff]

Tom

I only have about 20 miles on my XS. I almost dumped mine a week ago. I was turning at a corner stop. I thought i was pretty straight, but didnt expect the speed my back wheels slid about 2 feet and barely pulled it out. Been working on it shorts, sandles, and no helmet. Kinda shook me up. Went around the block saying to myself to dumb ............. Get back on it fix it up. I'm real excited to trick mine out. Its like having a muscle car.

[Materi]

Hey man...Thank goodness it wasn't any worse! I too am thinking the fuel thing on the road probably got ya....in fact just the other night......oh well, I'll save that confession for another thread. Anyway, your bike still loves ya, show him a little respect and straighten out the little tweaks and get back on and ride.

[buickyouth]

they say, there are those who have fallen... ...and those who will

Sorry to hear about your spill.
But like everyone says, don't give up the ghost just yet. You have an incredible machine that will stand back up when most others would just as soon be shipped off to the bone yard.
Furthermore, you have a thick network of other XS11 riders that all want to make sure our numbers stay as deep as they are.
And now for an inspirational quote from Zoolander.

BALLSTIEN
"What do we do when we fall off the horse, Derek?"

ZOOLANDER
"I'm not a gymnist, Maury."

BALLSTIEN
"We get back ON."

[Czekus21]

I always hate to here about someone spillin over. But, Like I told smbo when she was learning to ride, It's not a matter of if, It's a matter of when you go down. Hopefully you won't go down at hiway. Well she went down making a "u" turn accross a two lane. She didn't want to ride it home but she had no choice cauz I was on MIYAMI, and she was on her Kawi. Told her, suck it up, chalk it up to expierience, be glad you were going slow and ride on. She now has no quabbles about riding by herself. Hope you decide to keep on ridein. I can garentee that if you never ride agian, you'll miss it, and think about it all the time, and wonder, what if. The next thing you know you'll spend some $$$ on another bike but it wont be the same. KEEP HER, FIX HER, RIDE HER LIKE SHE WANTS TO BE RODE. Uh.. oh... Startin to get carried away here,