Another Harley Bites the Dust

1149 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Blackbird, Aug 23, 2000

photobug

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2000

Went out for a leisurely ride yesterday, breaking in my Sprint RS, with my wife following along on her Buell Blast. We took Cienega Rd. past Hollister Hills to Highway 25 (a great road, if you happen to be in the area check it out). As we were crusing through the curves a group of 10-12 BMWs with a Triumph and a Harley mixed in passed us.

We caught up with the group at a turnout a few miles later and stopped to talk. It was the Sunday Ride group from Santa Cruz BMW/Triumph, where I bought both my bikes. They invited us along to King City for lunch, but my wife isn't comfortable riding long distances yet (it was only her second time out) so we declined. Sue and I hung around a few minutes after the group left, then headed south on Highway 25 toward Pinnacles National Monument. A few miles later I noticed fresh skid marks and dirt on the outside of a corner, then around the next corner saw a dust covered guy staring at a formerly pristine Harley.

We stopped and asked if he needed help. Fortunately, he was OK and the Harley was still ridable. He said he was going through the left-hander about 35 mph with the brakes on lightly (big mistake) when he ran over a sanding disc in the road. The front end washed out and he was on the asphalt before he could react. He even had the sanding disc as proof.

The one thing this guy did right was wearing a brand new Arai Quantum F helmet. The helmet was badly mangled, but his head was physically OK. He was pretty pissed at himself and at whomever dropped the sanding disc in the road, but his ego was more bruised than his body.

The moral of this story? Keep off your brakes in corners, and never borrow a Harley for a Sunday ride.

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"I was born yesterday, but I was up late last night."
Gary P. Nunn

[This message has been edited by photobug (edited August 21, 2000).]

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· #2 · Aug 21, 2000

After seeing that website with all the biker booby-traps, this makes you wonder if someone didn't deliberately put the disc in the road.

-Pete, the Conspiracy Theorist

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Rug Burn

· #3 · Aug 21, 2000

O.K., a Harley guy wearing an Arai Quantum helmet(much less any helmet at all) sorry but I gotta call BS on that one

Just kidding, I guess it could happen

I have often wondered what is the least amount on debris in a road that will cause you to kiss tarmac and at what lean angle. I try an avoid anything in the road but let's say you run over a piece of cardboard while leaning riding on the highway--what will happen? How about a trash bag, t-shirt, plastic 2liter coke bottle(already crushed flat) etc. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

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"If everything's coming your way-
you're in the wrong lane"

Clark

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photobug

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 21, 2000

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by RUG BURN:
I have often wondered what is the least amount on debris in a road that will cause you to kiss tarmac and at what lean angle.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I once went down when a dog ran out in front of me and I hit the front brake right as my front tire was running over a wet leaf. I was doing about 20 mph down a residential road, not even turning. Damn Suzuki 550ES had touchy front brakes anyway, and that wet leaf was the last thing I needed there.

A few miles before the Harley rider went down yesterday I went through a corner and noticed some sand in the apex. I changed my line and missed the sand. My wife went through the sand and said both ends of her Blast slid about a foot. She's been riding in the dirt , reading Keith Code's books, and just got out of an MSF course - so she knew not to panic.

I think the biggest mistake the Harley rider made (other than riding a Harley) was staying on the brakes in a corner. As soon as his front tire hit the sanding disc (one foot in diameter) his brake locked and it was over. Those of us on sport bikes and completing our braking before the corner would probably have driven right over the sanding disc, even leaned over.

How about the largest things you can hit and not go down? I once hit a deer on I-5 in San Antonio and didn't crash. The deer got up and limped off.

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"I was born yesterday, but I was up late last night."
Gary P. Nunn

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Rug Burn

· #5 · Aug 21, 2000

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by photobug:

My wife went through the sand and said both ends of her Blast slid about a foot. She's been riding in the dirt , reading Keith Code's books, and just got out of an MSF course - so she knew not to panic.

Damn, I probably would have messed my shorts on that one

How about the largest things you can hit and not go down? I once hit a deer on I-5 in San Antonio and didn't crash. The deer got up and limped off.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Damn, what were you riding, a Goldwing? That's my biggest fear when riding at night on low traffic semi-country roads. Could definently be ugly. Biggest thing I've hit was a big piece of carpet(i.e. Rug Burn-full story in ? of week forum). My leg hurt like hell but the bike was ok except for the shift lever.

Actually, I was talking about hitting debris without the brake on. Seems to me that even riding over something like that sanding disk while leaned over could cause a spill.

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"If everything's coming your way-
you're in the wrong lane"

Clark

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photobug

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 21, 2000

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by RUG BURN:
Damn, what were you riding, a Goldwing?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nope, I was on a Suzuki GS650E. The forks bottomed and I was sore for a few days just from hanging on for dear (no pun intended) life. The triple clamp dented the top of my horn from the impact. If I'd had time to react I would have grabbed the brake and the forks would have been collapsed before I hit the deer. Sometimes slow reflexes can be a good thing.

I've never had any road debris knock me down. I hit a huge pothole in Kansas City once, at about 75 mph on I-35. My Kawasaki 900 did a pretty good head shake but never felt like it was going down. I even ran over an armadillo once at over 100 mph and didn't go down. This was on a private airport runway, not on the street. I never drive that fast on the street.

They don't have armadillos at Laguna Seca do they?

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"I was born yesterday, but I was up late last night."
Gary P. Nunn

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His_Suzuki

· #7 · Aug 21, 2000

It's obvious that you guys have not seen our deer, here in Texas. They are referred to as large dogs by residents in the mid-western states.

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Todd Hoffmaster
'00 Katana 600
39 speeding tickets and now I have a V1.
Sorry, Officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.

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GreenNinja

· #8 · Aug 21, 2000

I ran over a cat on my old 600R about 7 years ago, stupid thing ran out in front of me as i rode home one night. I was doin about 50, and the cat missed the front tire, but got "scooped up" and then CATapaulted out the other side of the bike by the front lower fairing!

Made a nice CHING!! sound as i saw the cat go airborn, land and run away to the other side of the street.

I m not sure if it lived, but it was pretty funny. (luckily there were no cat guts left on my bike either)

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Fear Green.

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#2f4

· #9 · Aug 21, 2000

when i was about 13 years old (22 years ago) i had a 1970 honda SL70 ( wish i still had it )i used to run all over the neighborhood on that thing, well i was going down our hill at about 30, and the next door neighbors dog was accross the street, he allways used to bark at me, but since he was on the "wrong" side of the street, he had to cross to get home so he could bark at me ( do ya see where this is going ? ) needless to say i T boned him dead on ! i looked something like superman (until i hit the pavement) man i hurt BIG TIME ! road rash on all sides of my body, my sister pushed my bike home and i was hurtin for about three days, when i finally got out to see my bike, the one thing that I'll allways remember was the dog hair that was pinched between the tire and rim for about a 2" area.
oh and for the dog,...he came home after about two or three days.

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texas tornado #2

[This message has been edited by #2f4 (edited August 21, 2000).]

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TheToy

· #10 · Aug 22, 2000

I have had 2 slide spooks. one at night making a right onto (surprise) a gravel road at 60km/h. about 1 sec b4 hitting the gravel i went off the gas and tryed to be neutral about the turn. ended up looking like a dirt bike rider on a sports bike. other was in straight line. i was gunning my katana in the rain (like an idiot). went over a painted line and fish tailed real good (hurt my back). again i went off the gas as the bike went whacky. in both cases not being on the gas/brake or overly manipulating the lean/bars kept me upright. As i put it earlier be neutral with your input to the machine.

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Keep Your feet on the pegs and your right hand cranked!

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Blackbird

· #11 · Aug 23, 2000

I've hit two largish items on my bike. The first was a rock about 7cm tall. I riding through "the gorge" (of the Manawatu kind). People say it is a very slow, winding road. Not TRUE! It is a lot of fun, until you meet grandma going along at 40kph - there is little room to overtake - heaps of blind corners and all. Anyway, I was sitting behind this car - too close behind it, but I was really wanting to overtake at the first opportunity. I got virtually no warning of this rock sitting in the middle of the road, and I just basically rode over it. Gave me a huge fright and taught me not to tailgate, and to watch out for large debris on the road!

Recently I was riding at night overtaking this truck. All of a sudden my headlight lights up this little hedgehog directly infront of me - wouldn't have been more than a couple of metres infront of me when I picked it up. Bump, bump. Put a dent in my wheel though!

Thankfully I haven't hit anything bigger!

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Dave
CBR600F3

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