An end to an otherwise perfect day

[russell_bynum]

A bit of background...

 

My Family lives in the Dallas area. We trailer whenever possible to avoid having to ride across boring/hot/etc roads. We have a dog. OK...now you're all caught up.

 

So...we trailered both bikes from Socal to the Dallas Area. Dropped off the truck/trailer/dog with my parents, and rode to Un.

 

The first day was from their house East of Dallas to Taos, NM. It ended up being a shade over 700 miles, mostly boring, flat, and straight. This was my second trip on the Tuono, and it would be my longest day.

 

As it turned out, almost everything was fine. The bike is comfortable enough for me to ride tank-to-tank, which means I'm stopping every couple of hours. I get more airflow than I did on the RT, and more than Lisa does on her RS, but that doesn't bother me. I switched to a ZeroGravity "Sport Touring" windscreen after Torrey when I discovered that 80+mph airspeeds caused severe ear pain due to my helmet moving around and putting pressure on my earplugs (Arizona Al customs). I also switched from my RF1000 to one of those "cheap" Korean helmets, this one made by Scorpion. As an aside (and a mini-gear review), the Scorpion is very high quality. It vents better than my RF1000, the shields can be changed almost as easily (it is a similar design, but the Shoei is marginally faster), the shields have an anti-fog coating that actually works, it has a removable, washable liner, etc. As far as I can tell, the only difference between this $200 Scorpion and a $500 Arai, is $300. It also fits me better than my RF1000, though that's a personal head size/shape thing and not a specific gripe against my RF1K.

 

Anyway...after about 4 hours on the bike, my ears were bothering me. We needed to make time, so I switched to Hearos since they're much softer than the custom plugs and therefore more tolerant of pressure on the ear. That worked fine and we finished the ride without incident. I didn't have tunes or V1, but it was a fairly short ride at that point (only about 500 miles to go), so it wasn't a big deal.

 

We landed in Taos at the Cheap Bastard fleabag motel and met up with Howard (PhillyFlash). That night, we enjoyed mediocre Mexican food and superb company.

 

After dinner, I started playing with my helmet and determined that the source of the pressure was the cheek pads of the helmet. I few minutes with my leatherman, and I had removed enough foam from the offending area that I thought it would be fine.

 

The next morning (Monday), the three of us set out towards Gunnison together. It was one of those "perfect" rides. The weather was as good as you could ever hope for, the scenery as we went from Taos up into the mountains, over Wolf Creek Pass, etc was breathtaking, and the company can not be beat. On top of all of that, my motorcycle and I were in perfect harmony. My earplugs didn't hurt anymore thanks to the foam-ectomy in my helmet. The helmet wasn't moving around at speed thanks to the new windscreen. The suspension was mind-bogglingly good...supple and complaint over bumps, but planted and controlled in the corners. I'd learned the bike enough that all of the controls were exactly where I reached for them. My iPod was cranking out some great ride tunes in between the fun twisty sections (I turn it off in the twisties because it messes with my concentration). My other electonics (FRS and V1) were working flawlessly. In short...everything about the ride was perfect.

 

We stopped in Creede for lunch and I had a pretty decent Bratwurst (I figured since I'm riding an Italian bike, but going to a BMW gathering, if I had some brats, it would even the score a bit. ) and we enjoyed more great conversation. Howard and I both remarked on the fact that this was the slowest ride he and I had ever been on together. Usually, we're a bad influence on each other and wind up riding like certifiable hoons. With the exception of me on a brief section of Wolf Creek Pass (I just couldn't help myself), we were running a very sedate and relaxed pace. It was nice enjoying the scenery and swooping through the curves rather than burning them at warp speed.

 

Just before mile marker 60, things went bad.

 

Lisa had been riding uncharacteristically slow on this part of the ride. Even at our relaxed pace, Howard and I were pulling away a bit, so I had slowed down to let her catch up. we were approaching a right-hander where the exit was obscured by trees on the inside of the corner. There also appeared to be some dark stuff on the inside of the turn, where you'd go if you were making one big arc out of the corner. The "dark stuff" looked like old spilled oil or something like that...probably nothing to worry about, but I figured "why chance it?" Plus, I wanted to do a late apex so I could see where the corner was going before I committed to it and got on the gas. I vaugely remember riding this road when we were at Un1 and I don't recall any suprises, but again...Why chance it?

 

So I stayed out wide next to the double-yellow, and I stayed out of the gas as well, continuing to bleed off my speed. When I saw the turn start to open up, I figured "OK, that's it...let's go." I countersteered to tip the bike in and gave it a very small amount of throttle.

 

The next thing I know, the front end has washed out and I'm going down. I tried two things to save it: First I tried "picking it up", which is basically pushing the bike up and away from you while you keep hanging off. (I wasn't really hanging off...just doing the Riding Smart "kiss the mirrors" thing.) The second thing I tried was pushing with my inside knee. At the track, sometimes you can save a front end slide when you've already got your knee on the ground by pushing out with that inside knee to stand the bike back up. Sometimes it works. In this case, I probably didn't have a chance anyway, and with my Roadcrafter (designed to grab the road and slow the rider down as quickly as possible vs. a knee puck that's designed to slide easily) I was basically yanked off the bike.

 

We separated and I rolled onto my back to maximize surface area.

 

I stopped sliding pretty quickly since I was only going ~35mph when I came off, but the first thing I noticed was the double-yellow was on my right, which means I'm on the wrong side of the road. Fortunately, I could see well up the road at that point, and could see that it was clear. Thankfully, nobody was there when I came off or I would have slid into them.

 

Howard passed by me before I even stopped sliding, and Lisa passed a few seconds later.

 

Since there was nobody coming, I took a few seconds to take inventory. Everything seemed OK, except when I tried to sit up, it felt like my right shoulder was pinned down. I tried to move it and could tell that it was dislocated. (This would be my 5th dislocation. The first was caused by a rear-end hit-and-run accident when I was on Lisa's K75 back in October of 2002. In July (I think) of 2003, I had surgery to correct the problem since it kept popping out when I'd put a jacket on, take my Roadcrafter off, etc. After surgery and a bunch of PT, we seemed to have the problem resolved...until now.)

 

I pulled my arm across my chest and cradled it with my left hand as I sat up.

 

The first thing I saw was the wheels of the Tuono sticking straight up in the air. Then I saw Lisa making a U-turn and getting into some gravel at the edge of the road...and dropping her bike (at 0mph). I remember saying "this sucks".

 

Howard got to Lisa about the same time I did and he righted her bike, I popped my shoulder back in, then we walked down to survey the Tuono.

 

It had come to rest about 10 feet down an embankment and was inverted, resting on the handlebars, tankbag, and seat bag. On the surface, it didn't look TOO bad...all of the major parts were still attached and more or less pointed in the right direction. We flipped it over and let it rest on the sidestand while we surveyed the damage. Lots of cosmetics...scratched up fairing, broken windshield, scratched tank, scratched tail section, broken mirrors, etc. The important bits of damage seemed to be the torn-up radiator and the broken front brake lever and reservoir. Without either of those things, the bike wasn't going far. (also, with the bike upside down, the rear brake got air in it, so we basically had no brakes at all.)

 

Some Harley riders who passed by stopped and helped us push/ride the bike back up to the road.

 

Nobody had a cell signal, so we got one of those "here, hold my beer and watch this" ideas. It was only 1.5 miles to the summit, and it was all downhill to Lake City. I can ride the bike 1.5 miles to the top of the pass (it will not overhead in that short period of time), then shut it down and use the clutch for engine braking to control speed on the descent. (I warned you...it was a "hold my beer" idea.) We suited up with Howard in the lead, me in the middle, and Lisa sweeping. Since I had no mirrors, I twisted my head/torso to the left to see if there was traffic, and when I did that, my shoulder popped out again. With more than a few bad words, I shut the bike down, dismounted, and had Lisa yank my shoulder back into place. (in retrospect, I think it probably wasn't really in place after the first time)

 

Obviously, I was going nowhere. Lisa and Howard rode down to Lake City to call the HQ and see if anyone had a trailer and could come get me. I believe Fernando took the call, and made it his personal mission in life to get a trailer up to me any way possible. Eventually, he found Rob and Sue Stevens (Scout6 and Scout7) who had a nice enclosed trailer. Rob loaded up in the truck and hauled ass in my direction, even though we had never met in person, or even really exchanged any posts on the board.

 

Meanwhile, Lisa stayed at Lake City and Howard came back up the hill to wait with me. While we were waiting, Jamie, Leslie, MikeRC, and KTsRidin came by. They all stopped and we chatted for quite a while before they headed on down the hill to pick up Lisa and finish the ride to Gunnison.

 

Howard stayed there with me until Rob arrived (several hours since it was a long drive and slow going in a truck with a trailer), then he too headed home.

 

We loaded the bike in the trailer, Rob got me situated in the truck, offered me all manner of refreshments, goodies, and medication (one thing I learned in this ordeal...the average BMWST.COM UnRally attendee has a frightening stash of medication. ) then we headed home. Rob and I hit it off right away and talked about everything from the war in Iraq to stand-up comics.

 

As we were trying to figure out how to get me and my wounded bike home, my Mom decided to drive our truck/trailer up from Dallas to pick us up...which was much appreciated.

 

With those arrangements worked out, we rented a Jeep from the Gunnison airport, and proceeded to have a ball. Tuesday, we spent the day with Tasker and Knappy exploring the Black Canyon of the Gunnison from Steve's truck. Wednesday, Lisa and I took the Jeep up over Kebler pass and had lunch in Paonia before heading back to the HQ. I hope to have another post sometime soon with pictures and stuff from Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

 

So....what happened? Why did I crash?

 

There was gravel in the middle of the lane, and it was the same color as the road, so I never saw it. What happens, is the right rear wheels of the semi trailers drop off into the gravel shoulder when the truckers come around these bends. When they go back into the road, it pulls gravel with them. Then the cars come along and push the gravel out of the wheel tracks and into the center of the lane.

Normally, I'm looking for that kind of thing (it's very common on the road between Crawford and Gunnison, for example), but since it was the same color as the road, I never saw it. Even when I went back later and looked, I didn't see it...until I stepped on it, slipped, and just about fell on my ass.

 

So...I came into the turn wide and slow, stayed in the left wheel track and out of the gas as I sized up the turn to see what it was going to do, then when I saw it opening up, I tipped it in...right across the gravel in the center of the lane. The front washed out immediately (Howard said he saw the bars turn sharply to the right) and I was down before I knew what had happened.

 

I've been over this and over this in my head and while there's zero question that "hitting gravel in a turn and crashing" is Rider Error, I'm not really convinced that I did anything particularly wrong. I was not going fast (35-40mph...the turn was posted at 25mph), I was taking a conservative line and stayed out of the gas until I could see where the turn was going, etc. I was nailed by a hazard that I never saw, even though I was specifically looking for it. In a nutshell...sh*t happens.

 

My gear, once again did it's job. My Alpinestar leather/goretex boots (the same ones I was wearing when I was rear-ended and crashed the K75 back in 2002) are suffed, but OK. My Roadcrafter burned through in the elbow, knee, and butt, but protected me...I didn't get a scratch...or even a bruise. My Joe Rocket GPX gloves are a bit scuffed, but totally servicable. My Scorpion helmet got a very light abrasion on the chinbar, but the underlying structure seems OK (i.e. you can press on the scuffed area and it doesn't give, crack, or otherwise feel any different than any other part of the helmet. Basically just took off the decals and the top layer of gelcoat in an area about the size of a quarter on the right side of the chin.

 

As for my shoulder...those that have been around here a while know that this is a recurring thing for me. The first time was when I was rear-ended on the K75. After that, I'd put a jacket on, take my roadcrafter off, etc and it would pop out. In July of 2003, I had surgery to tighten things up and that seemed to do the trick. I just saw my Doctor here and he didn't find anything terribly wrong and wants me to start PT to start getting things back into shape and to "road test" the shoulder to find any inherent instability.

 

I haven't had a chance to dig into the Tuono yet to see what else is broken. My plan is to assess the damage, and if there isn't anything hideously wrong other than the radiator and front brake bits, I'll fix the stuff that prevents it from being ridden right away, and work on the cosmetic bits like the fender, tail section, and tank later...most likely by buying bits and pieces on eBay, the "for sale" section of the Aprilia Forums, etc.

 

My roadcrafter will go back to Aerostich for repair/replacement, and I'll find a sticker to put over the scuffed part on my helmet. Assuming there isn't anything terribly wrong with my shoulder, that should have me back in business.

 

Other stuff:

 

The V1 was on a Tech Mount on the bars and took a pretty good beating, but still works. These things are incredible...a year ago, it was run over by a 1-ton Dually pickup and loaded horse trailer (long story...ask me some time when I've had one too many sips of Dick's family Bourbon.), and now it acted as a frame slider...and the damn thing just keeps working. Incredible.

 

The bike had a full set of luggage from RKA including a tail bag and seat bag (those of you who saw me at Torrey saw this setup) as well as saddlebags. The right saddlebag acted as a frame slider and basically saved the pipe from any real damage. They're a bit chewed up, but should still work fine. The tankbag and tailbag were part of what the bike was resting on when it landed inverted. The mapcase of the tankbag got a indentation in it from the rocks it was resting on, but that's it. This is really good quality stuff and I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

 

 

 

I'd like to thank everyone who offered their well-wishes and support, but I especially need to thank:

Lisa and Howard, who dealt with everything at the scene (and Howard for staying with me up there for hours).

Jamie, Leslie, Mike, and Kirsten who stopped and stayed with Howard and I for a long time offering moral support.

Fernando, who coordinated the rescue efforts from the HQ.

And Rob, who dropped everything to drive an hour and a half each way to help someone he'd never met.

 

Here are some pictures for your viewing (dis)pleasure.

Here's the approach to the corner. No big deal.

 

Another shot, closer to the impact point.

 

Anatomy of a crash. Click here for the full-sized view. The circle in the bottom-left is the gravel I hit. The large rectangle is the front tire's skidmark. The small rectangle is the frame slider's impact point. The arrow shows the path the bike took as it slid.

 

Here's where the bike left the road and started tumbling

 

Here's where it landed.

 

Some shots of the damage. Front view. Fairing, windscreen, fender, etc are damaged.

 

More damage. Here's the shreaded radiator. the slider seems to be worthless since it just folded back and left the radiator exposed.

 

Here's the main frame slider, which worked great.

 

There's a small dent in the can. No big deal.

 

Here's the crack in the tail section and some scuffs on the saddle.

 

 

But it could be worse...this memorial was about ten feet from where the bike landed.

 

 

 

Click here for a closeup of the gravel...even when I shot it with an 8 megapixel camera at fairly close range, then cropped the full-sized image down, it's still hard to see.

[Joel]

Glad this wasn't worse, but damn.

 

Sh*t happens, indeed. That one just isn't fair. Another reminder that nothing can be taken for granted. See no evil? Maybe, maybe not.

 

I hope that shoulder heals up well, and the Tuono patches up well.

 

No more additions to your handle. Better stop at 2.

[Tony_K]

Russell,

Sorry.

 

I had heard of the spill but wanted to wait until you had the time to tell the whole story. That gravel is near impossible to see even in the large photo.

 

I guess we both have projects now.

 

Please take care of your shoulder and yourself.

Tony

[Pilgrim]

And your moniker is, uh, "Bounce", I believe?

 

Jeez, Russell, be careful, wouldja? Glad you're okay. I've been over that road several times over the decades and it seems there's always something to pucker your sphincter at some point or another.

 

Pilgrim

[gottago]

Boy I'm sure glad your Ok for the most part. When you said your shoulder popped out twice I thought I was going to be sick. Take care and heel quickly.

[azkaisr]

I rode home that way and stopped to see it for myself. There was NO way that I would have handled that turn differently from your description had I not heard the story at dinner.

 

Kaisr

[Kathy R]

What an excellent report. Your detail is incredible. Yup, your moniker is appropriate. May you always bounce dear. Bless you and all who were there for you. A special blessing on your sweet Lisa who had to witness the crash. HUGE HUGS to you all.

[90%angel]

Unfortunately, "sweet Lisa" started a good finger-pointing lecture to hubby (when she found out he was not seriously injured). Something about "You should slow down, you always ride too fast" or something like that!

 

However, when I learned that he did everything right, and was NOT speeding, then my anger turned to fear. Sometimes, sh!t just happens. That's a risk we take as motorcyclists, I suppose.

 

I am glad Howard was there to help pick up our bikes. Yes, I'll admit it, I dropped mine too!!

 

I was trying to be all professional and calm, as taught in Jamie's first responder class - "take care of you and your bike first." So I saw that Russell was still sitting in the road, and I went to flip a U-turn so I could go back and stop traffic. Well, I made too tight of a turn, and got leaned over a bit too far. Had I not been worried about Russell, I may have saved it, but my leg was shaking and we went over. No damage (other than to my pride), but Howard had two bikes to help pick up now!! (We wanted him to get his workout!)

 

Thanks to everyone that helped. And thanks to Jemie for leading a nice sedate ride to Gunnison from Lake City. Just what I needed after being spooked by the crash. Nice to have Mama Hoon watching over me as well, and I got to ride with Kirsten!

 

So the trip didn't go exactly as planned, but we still had fun. I just hope his shoulder is better in time for our track days in September! (Or I might be forced to ride his sessions for him...you know, I sacrafice to do my part!)

[Les is more]

As I recall, that gravel was tiny and round like treacherous little ball bearings. It was in a stripe parallel with the lane and danged hard to see.

 

Again, I'd relieved that you're okay, Russell and I sure hope the shoulder can be made right as rain.

[SageRider]

I'm just glad you bounce so well. Sure beats other possibilities.

I think you've bounced enough for a good long while now...

Glad you were not more seriously injured and were able to salvage your Gunny trip.

(and it does suck!)

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

Thanks for the write up Russell. Why do you suppose the slider protecting the radiator failed? Did it get struck by a large rock on it's side or was it attached to a weak point? I can imagine that sliders might fail when exposed to unusual hazards, like tumbling down a rock strewn slope for example.

[ericfoerster]

Here is to a speedy recovery for you and the scooter

 

Better treat Lisa and Howard to a nice steak dinner for assisting in the post-crash care

[Steve1962]

Russell ,

Relieved to read that you and Lisa are ok after the spill , thank goodness there was no other traffic about at the time .

 

Here's hoping you are back on the road soon .

 

Steve

[russell_bynum]

Why do you suppose the slider protecting the radiator failed?

 

Because it's a sh*tty design.

 

Basically, this is one of the "they all do that's" about the Tuono.

[sfarson]

Good post and sorry about the incident. Notable having friends and family to help out. As it is said, with friends and family, one is never poor. Noting the cause, tis true... majority of Colorado roads have gravel or dirt on the shoulder and vehicles cutting corners kick it on to the roadway. Subsequent tire tracks can leave a gravel path sometime visible and sometimes not. I see it so often I often take righthanders without crossing the center of the lane because of the presence or potential presence of gravel/grit. Sigh.

[russell_bynum]

Jeez, Russell, be careful, wouldja?

 

Well, that's what pisses me off...I WAS being careful.

 

Howard said the last though he had before he saw me hit the ground was "Russell sure is going slow in this corner." Slow in, late apex, staying off the gas until I could see where the turn went...I was doing it all "by the book".

 

Oh well. One of the universal constants is that people who ride motorcycles sometimes fall down. Otherwise known as "sh*t happens".

 

 

I've been over that road several times over the decades and it seems there's always something to pucker your sphincter at some point or another.

 

The last time I did that road, it was at Un1 and we were leading a ride with a bunch of interesting folks. One of the most humbling moments in my life was when we came to construction and the whole road was gravel. I slowed down. Just as I rolled out of the gas, Paul Mihalka flew by us, pitched it sideways like a dirt tracker, and dissapeared in a cloud of dust and a big rooster-tail....all with his "OLD FRT" license plate taunting me.

 

Another frustrating thing...probably 60 bikes went through there as I was sitting by the side of the road, and none of them had any problems. A few were going slower than I had been going, but most were going faster. I just picked exactly the wrong spot to initiate my turn. Three feet sooner or later (+/- 0.06 seconds) and I would have been fine.

[Francois_Dumas]

Glad you're (relatively) okay, Russell.

The gravel stuff is my worst nightmare, especially when high up in the mountains where pretty big drop-offs are awaiting for the unwary In winter they actualy throw it on the roads ON PURPOSE (to beat the slippery ice) in the Alpine countries.. and although they collect it with sweeping trucks in Spring, there's always a lot remaining, especially in Spring time and early Summer.

 

I vividly envisaged what can happen, and your story just confirms it.

 

When I see some of the 'GS Guys' thunder through the bends on some of my favorite roads up there, I always wonder if they have more grip than me, or are just being lucky.

 

I'll continue to be very cautious (and don't care if people call me SLOW).... and try and stay upright.

And it still might not save me, judging from your report......

[Mike O]

Russell,

 

Chatted briefly with you at Un dinner. Your tale brought back lots of memories of my similar event almost a year ago doing the same thing in our Co. Mountains. I posted it (with pics) here as "How to Low-side an RT For Dummies".

 

I've warned myself, warned others and hope my ride tale and yours will provide folks a reminder that sometimes it doesn't matter how you ride, the road can come up and slap you down...and like happened with you, it can occur in the blink of an eye.

 

Here's what I learned from that accident:

 

- First and foremost, be patient. The time I saved speeding past the plumber was lost as I slide down the road.

- Understand that road conditions can change (like sand) in the blink of an eye.

- What was safe 100 ft ago, may not be, 100ft from now.

- Slow down through those quick uphill turns

- If I’m having trouble negotiating the turn, you can bet other cars are as well. Watch for them.

- Better to shift a little weight to the front rather than the rear on these quick uphill turns.

- DON’T try to catch the bike as its sliding down (you’re 6in circumference ankle is no match for a 600+lb bike!)

- ATGATT really does make ALL the difference.

 

Glad this wasn't worse. And ATGATT saved you as it did I.

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

[Whip]

Glad you didn't get hurt too bad and made the best of it with the Jeep.......I'm lookin forward to the pix.....

 

When leaving Gunny... Greg (Limecreek) and I ran into the same kinda of gravel situation...by then we had been flying for 4 days and were way slowed down.....so as we passed the gravel in the middle of the lane we had both stayed in the left and right wheel tracks and missed it totally....the same thing could've happen....

 

Whip

[Lone_RT_rider]

Sorry to hear about the gettoff man. It does sound like you slowed down and really tried to do everything right. That's what makes it really suck. Heal that shoulder and be thankful for those that were there for you.

 

Shawn

[David]

Wow. That picture really does point out the matching gravel color. Let's start a petition that requires bright green gravel on all curvy roads.

 

I still feel a little stupid about sending that note to your Blackberry, right after it happened: "So, you having a good time?" I hadn't heard at that point. Oops.

[ChrisNYC]

Dang, Russell ... glad you're (mostly) ok. As for the bike, "parts is parts", that stuff can be replaced or fixed.

 

As for the accident, that's the kind that scare me (like deer-strikes): You're going along, doin' everything by the book, and then BAM!

 

Thanks, anyway, for posting all the details ...

 

 

------------------

Chris (aka Tender Vittles )

Little '77 KZ400 in the Big Apple

Black '99 RT for Everywhere Else, such as ...

[Gleno]

 

You mangled my Tuono?? I should dislocate your shoulder.

 

Hella write bro. Whatta story. Glad you're here to talk about it. I've seen some Co cliffs that would be less than appealing to go over.

 

Heal up, fix my bike, and lemme know if there's ANYTHING I can do to assist.

 

BTW...watch out for invisible gravel. It sucks. I saw some locally on July 4th that almost got me. Short slide, and somehow saved it. Be careful out there.

[Firefight911]

Russell,

 

Knock it off!

 

Man, there is no other way to put it other than, that SUCKS!

 

Sometimes you do everything right but the day still goes wrong.

 

Hurry up and get back in the saddle. If you need a Makita and a couple long screws for the shoulder I am sure we have someone on the board who can do the work!

 

Glad you're ok. Thanks for sharing as we can always learn form each other.

 

Hmmm, as I recall there is an FZR that you could ride?!?!?! Oh, Lisa . . . Honey . . . Ummm, can I PLEASE have the keys to the FZR?!?!?

[Ken H.]

Thanks for the great write up and assessment Russell, we all benefit from this kind of 'tell all.'

...that's the kind that scare me (like deer-strikes): You're going along, doin' everything by the book, and then BAM!

You know, you're right. And I keep wondering more and more - how do we have any fun on these things any more? Maybe I'm just getting skittish in my old age, but it seems like the increasing prospects of going down is situations such as Russell's get-off, when you are doing everything right (to say nothing of when you screw up), make this type of "hooning" we do less and less attractive.

 

I mean when I heard day-one at UN IV that Russell had gone down, I thought, if someone like Russell can go down, what chance do us rank amateurs have in a place like this?

 

OTOH, I guess by-and-large we survive it to ride and enjoy it all yet another day. And giving it all up isn't attractive either.

 

It's a real quandary though.

[BrianT]

Wow, glad to hear your ok and the bike is fixable. Hadn't heard about this until just reading this ride tale. This sounds exactly like the crash Denny and I had on the way to Torrey a few years back with the sand we couldn't see, so I definitly know the feeling. Rest up and if there's anything Meghan and I can do, just give us a ring.

[lawnchairboy]

#1 glad you are OK

 

#2 THANKS for posting for everyones' benefit

 

#3 I use a scorpion helmet also and am quite happy with it.

 

chris

[BereIsland]

Hows your shoulder?, is it getting better?, hope you mend quick.

 

Steve

[Pilgrim]

Jeez, Russell, be careful, wouldja?

 

Well, that's what pisses me off...I WAS being careful.

* * *

Otherwise known as "sh*t happens".

No criticism intended, Bounce. Your description makes it clear you were doing it by the road safety book. As you note, Shi*t happens.

 

But jeez - be careful, wouldja?

 

. . . Just as I rolled out of the gas, Paul Mihalka flew by us, pitched it sideways like a dirt tracker, and dissapeared in a cloud of dust and a big rooster-tail....

 

That reminds me of my first exposure to one of the realities of motorcycling back when bikes had stone wheels.

 

An older friend (a real geriatric, probably 50 or so) took me on my first out-of-town trip from El Paso up into the mountains of SW New Mexico. He was on a '69 750 Honda and I on a '70 Honda 450.

 

I lost sight of him around a curve on a narrow two-lane road, and when I came around it, there he was, crossed up in a lane covered with sand washed off a hillside, handlebars nearly at full lock, with a roostertail of sand flying. I knew I was gonna die, but by going out into the other (blind) lane, I got around without falling down.

 

It was at our "change the skivvies" stop a mile down the road when he introduced me to the mantra I repeat so often: "Don't go around a blind corner faster than you are willing to fall down or run into something."

 

Which is not to say you did. The story was just brought to mind by your description of Paul's riding. Dick Shipley, the old fart I was with then, might well have been Pau'ls older brother, judging by the way they ride.

 

Pilgrim

[murrayg]

YIkes!! invisible chat. Just what I need. I'm glad that you and the dream machine can be patched up. I was affraid for you going to track schools, buying the dream machine, giving into your innerhoon. But like you say, stuff happens. In this case it is stuff that you can handle. Godspeed in your recovery.

 

Thanks to everybody who looked after Russell and Lisa. Once again you demonstrate why this is a great community.

 

Evil"G"

Ok enough of this sincerity crap. Will you stop this bouncing stuff? You're scaring the @#$!#* out of the rest of us and we aren't going to take it anymore. Either learn to ride the thing or get four wheels and a driver.

 

Ahhhh, Murrayg here again, and I'm sorry about that. I missed my meds, and well Evil "G" is a result sometimes. I'm off for the meds right now.

[Couchrocket]

Holy Cow, Neighbor!

 

Not much to say that others haven't already said... oh heck, I'll say it anyway.. SO GLAD to hear that you're okay and that the bike is fixable.

 

I'm right in Sun City now, only a couple of minutes from you so if you want someone to help out on wrenching, I'm available at the drop of the proverbial hat.

 

Keep that shoulder calm for a while!!!!

 

Scott

[90%angel]

You know what is odd about this crash...I had a feeling something like this was going to happen all day. There was a lot of gravel on the roads, a lot of RVs spilling snot...I just had a bad feeling. That's why I was riding so slow! I thought the low side was going to happen to me!

 

(I'm a psychic; just not a very good one!)

 

There are theories that if he had been going a normal pace through there, he would have taken a different line and not crashed, but I'm gonna go with the theory of "good thing you were going slow waiting for Lisa or this would have been a whole lot worse"

 

[Patallaire]

Russell, sorry about the crash. Been down that road, it is beautiful when it is not covered in Stones. You were so cautious, it seems out of character, but maybe that is what saved you from a real painful day.

The bike can be fixed, your ego will return.

[murrayg]

You know what is odd about this crash...

 

Evil "G" says, "Ahh Russell was going slow? When does Russell go slow? I think it's a plot by Russell and Howard, so that we won't get on our high horses about speeding. Evil "G" I'm Free to be ME. Snap, here they come with little blue pills. Holl'r."

[big-t]

 

Comon Russell,..Yer yankin our chain...35 in that corner?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just kiddin

 

 

Sorry to here about the getoff,Glad to hear your allright

 

 

 

I wondering if the performance/stiffer suspension contributed to the slide? I'm thinking a softer setup like the RT might have mushed thru the gravel with minimal slide?

 

When I rode David's at El Paseo, that thought was on the back of my mind.The stiffness makes it corner and feel like its on rails,but the whole time I was wondering what kind of reaction I would get if it got into some gravel.

 

 

 

 

Anyway I'm glad your ok

[leikam]

Bounce, bounce indeed. Glad you got that out of your system while good company was around.

[GelStra]

OK, Bounce goes down. Tony K goes down....on Bounce's old bike. Coincidence? (Cue the theme to "Twilight Zone.") Maybe it's time you both just wised up and got GS's!

Glad you both will be back in the saddle.

[russell_bynum]

You mangled my Tuono?? I should dislocate your shoulder.

 

After Lisa and Howard headed down the hill, I sat down on a big rock surveying the damaged bike and pondering the meaning of life.

 

One of my first thoughts was "Gleno is going to kill me." Closely followed by "Then Sammy's gonna bring me back to life so that HE can kill me."

 

Thanks for the well-wishes, bro. We'll get the Tuono put back together and terrorizing the streets soon enough.

[edge51]

Russell - glad you are ok, hope the shoulder mends once again. Gravel is a constant danger and it is too bad that it got you this time. I hope the bike gets well quickly also.

[MikeRC]

Thanks for putting this all down, Russell. Jamie was leading our group into that same corner, and the first clue I had of a problem was Jamie's brake light staying on "late" - he took the inside tire track and I took the outside one but either of us could have been off road if our tires were just a few inches out of those tracks. Then I look up out of the corner and see Howard and then you. Since I was looking at the left side of the bike I didn't even notice the damage at first.

 

Heal well, hope to see you again at Torrey or a future "Un".

 

Mike Cassidy

[philbytx]

Hi Russell,

BTDT and know exactly how you feel. Even down to the shoulder as for years my left shoulder pops out (and I can pop it out ) on a regular basis due to some old rotator cuff/muscle damage they can't fix!

 

I hit some gravel last February and was stuck in the Texas hills with an unrideable bike also with no cell signal!!!

 

Here's a small quote from my ride tale

quote

 

I must have run the whole incident through my mind a zillion times while I sat by my wounded bike for about 4 hours. If...., If...., If..., If...! Well after a zillion if's I know one truth....you can "if" yourself into the nut hatch but you must ACCEPT the end result and move on. That's why they call them "accidents" .....Now I just have to stop flagellating myself (I am so bloody anal after all) and just get on....

 

unquote

My insurance claim was for $4350 when all was finished and, just like you, there was no major frame/engine damage and Darth is like new again. I still ride the hills, still do the best I can but brown stuff WILL happen. ATGATT worked just as well for me....zero injury to myself. My missus is also a rider (she totalled her bike last year ) and she learned to shrug it off and either accept "pilot error" or "brown stuff happens".

 

We all think we have some semblance of control over our lives but, in the end, we come to realize that we haven't got all the bases covered and never will.

 

Just fix 'er up, get back on and enjoy your bike and the planet mate...

 

I was just thankful that you weren't hurt.

[weaselwayne]

Why did you do this? You knew it would hurt. Sorry about your get off. Glad your OK.

The Tuono justs needs money thrown at it to get well.

Bummer dude, get well and let us know if you need anything.

[RickP]

Glad you're OK, Russell. I had three deer encounters Friday in 350 miles. One made it to my elbow. All you can do is keep dodging or stay home. Fix it and keep dodging.

 

4 weeks to Mid-Ohio

 

-RickP.

[algover]

Gleno: .... I've seen some Co cliffs that would be less than appealing to go over.

 

Did anyone else pickup on this?

 

Russell: .... and with my Roadcrafter (designed to grab the road and slow the rider down as quickly as possible vs. a knee puck that's designed to slide easily) I was basically yanked off the bike.

 

What might have happened had you not been yanked off the bike?!! Probably would not have been much fun riding that Tuono over the edge!

 

We're glad to hear your shoulder seems to be getting better, Russell. We wish you continued quick recovery.

[Agent_Orange]

Looking over at that cross, in that same turn, would have put me in 'the twilight zone'.

Good after-action rep. Glad you're OK.

[KDeline]

This is exactly why I stopped riding agressively. No matter how good of a rider you are, the open road has to many things that cannot be controlled. It's just not worth it to me anymore. Glad your O.K.

[Mike O]

This is exactly why I stopped riding agressively.

I believe I understand your statement, but from Russell's description (and from my similar low-side), neither excessive speed nor agressive riding were contributors to our 'get-offs'. Mine occured at 25mph (or there abouts), on a right-hander and through barely visibile sand.

 

Certainly, one should only ride as 'agressively' as skill and conditions allow.

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

[russell_bynum]

This is exactly why I stopped riding agressively. No matter how good of a rider you are, the open road has to many things that cannot be controlled. It's just not worth it to me anymore. Glad your O.K.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. Since I started doing more and more track days, I've really slowed down a bunch on the street. I'll still wick it up a little from time to time, but for the most part, I ride a much more moderate sport touring pace.

 

And, at the time that I crashed, I was not riding agressively at all. I was doing the RidingSmart body position, and I was set up for a very late apex (I stayed out wide and slow until I could see what the turn was doing.) My pace was very slow, 35-40mph entry speed for a turn posted at 25...and that turn was easily a 60-70mph turn.

 

And I got nailed anyway.

[AdventurePoser]

Hey Russell,

 

Just saw this thread...glad you are ok, my friend.

 

Steve in So Cal

[gottago]

Even in my wildest dreams I never will be as good as Russell but because of his ride tale I was extra cautious (and yes slow) on our little ride in the twistys. So I want to thank him for his detailed description of his wild ride. Those pictures were in my mind on the entrance of every curve on the back roads this weekend. A couple of times I spotted trouble spots I might not have noticed if his story wasn't in my thoughts. This is what makes the board so great and valuble for novices like me. It's a learning experience every time I log on.

So here's to Russell and the board.