Crashed my RT

[JayW]

I was participating in a track day out-of-state yesterday and low-sided my beloved RT in a fast left sweeper. The bike and my riding gear was badly damaged. I am pretty stiff and sore but sustained no major injuries. I did require surgery on my right hand last night. Pandora's European Motorsports in Chattanooga, who sponsored the event, went way above any reasonable expectations to attend to me and get me to the medical help I needed. I am in their debt.

 

I am typing one-handed but will try to post more information, some photos and what I am learning later this week. Maybe the collective here can help me with that.

 

Jay

[Nice n Easy Rider]

Jay, sorry to hear about your accident. Hope that the surgery put everything back where it belongs and that you recover quickly. I'm sure it pains you to see that happen to your RT but perhaps it at least took the brunt of the low-side and spared you additional damage.

[tallman]

Hope you heal quickly.

Bike can be repaired or replaced soon enough.

Best wishes.

[MT Wallet]

Sorry to hear that. I hope you heal quickly. Good luck.

[Fubar]

Hope you heal quickly.

Bike can be repaired or replaced soon enough.

Best wishes.

Absolutely. Things can be fixed or replaced easily. People take more effort. Heal quickly, I hope. Don't push the recovery time.

[ltljohn]

Jay,

Glad to hear it is not major, heal quickly. The bike can be fixed.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Amen to all of the above sentiments.

 

????

Did your hand get trapped under your body or did you roll for a bit and bang things up with the flailing? Also, what were you wearing for gloves?

 

 

[Indy Dave]

Jay, sorry to hear of your mishap; glad things aren't worse. Hope you heal fully and quickly.

[TEWKS]

Take two aspirin and call me in the morning. D'oh, that's your line!

 

Sorry to hear Jay, hope you heal quickly.

 

 

Pat

[AviP]

I was participating in a track day out-of-state yesterday and low-sided my beloved RT in a fast left sweeper.

Jay, get well soon. BTW, what made you take a tourer to the track? They do make bikes for that kind of stuff.

[upflying]

Hope you heal quickly.

Bike can be repaired or replaced soon enough.

Best wishes.

X2, best wishes for a speedy recovery. Question however, does insurance cover collision damage sustained while riding at a track?

[Paul Mihalka]

Hope you heal quickly.

Bike can be repaired or replaced soon enough.

Best wishes.

X2, best wishes for a speedy recovery. Question however, does insurance cover collision damage sustained while riding at a track?

Probably not if you tell them...

[Dave_zoom_zoom]

So sorry to hear of your mishap Jay.

 

At least you did it while doing something you love to do. I believe risks must be taken in life. It has been said that the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

 

Good on you! You were out there being a part of life. Not just watching it go by.

 

My very best wishs to you!

 

Dave

[Twisties]

I was participating in a track day out-of-state yesterday and low-sided my beloved RT in a fast left sweeper.

Jay, get well soon. BTW, what made you take a tourer to the track? They do make bikes for that kind of stuff.

 

First, hope you continue to heal well Jay. I know that feeling of heartbreak when you see your bike beat up. It will, like the stiffness and soreness, pass with time.

 

I can't answer for why Jay did it, but at Miller Utah Sport Bike Assn holds a Sport Touring Advanced Rider Training course a few times a year. Our RTs have been out to it, and I even saw a Road King once. It's fun to take an RT to the track, and for those of us that can't ride bikes with forward ergos, it may be about the best thing we'll ever get to take.

[TyTass]

Jay,

 

Tremendously sorry for your troubles ... all of them, but elated your injury was not debilitating.

 

If it give you pain to look at your damaged RT, then ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't do that!

[CoarsegoldKid]

Ouch! Heal well and quickly.

[Polo]

Sorry about that. I'm glad it wasn't any more serious.

 

Speedy recovery.

[Sweendog]

Ouch! Get well soon, and as everyone has already said: the bike can be fixed; glad YOU are OK!

[Carl_T]

VERY sorry to read this.

 

Heal then fix, heal and fix.

 

Boy that sure does suck though. Many big get well wishes going out your way.

[aterry1067]

Adding my wishes to the many for a speedy recovery.

[SageRider]

Wishing you a speedy and full recovery...

[Mike05]

Jay,

 

Sorry for your troubles.

 

Heal well & fast.

 

 

[roadscholar]

Sorry to hear Jay. Don't worry about the bike, there are plenty more out there. Hope you heal up quickly.

 

 

[Kitsap]

Get well, ride soon.

[Matts_12GS]

Sorry to hear Jay. Don't worry about the bike, there are plenty more out there. Hope you heal up quickly.

 

 

What he said!

 

Be well Dr. Jay!

[eddd]

Bummer. Hope you mend quickly.

[dhanson]

You could have picked a slower section to get off!

 

Hope you heal soon, and have stories to tell.

[Vivat Veritas]

Jay get well soon. Let me know if I can help with anything.

 

Tommy

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Hope you heal quickly.

Bike can be repaired or replaced soon enough.

Best wishes.

X2, best wishes for a speedy recovery. Question however, does insurance cover collision damage sustained while riding at a track?

 

YMMV. I believe mine specifically excludes coverage if you crash while racing. The definition of "racing" may vary, but if you were keeping track of your lap times when you crashed, that might count, even if you weren't directly competing with someone else.

 

If you were just riding on a track, not racing, then I believe it's a legitimate single-vehicle crash on a private road.

[JayW]

Many many thanks for the encouraging words and support. It is a privilege to be in community with such a fine group of fellow riders.

 

I have had a couple of days now to think about the crash, sometimes even when I don't want to. I was at “Little Talladega", in turn 2 which is a broad left sweeper. I had gradually been increasing my speed through this corner and did not feel that I was near the safe upper limit yet. At the time of the crash I was passing the apex of the corner, had the bike well-leaned over, and my head, upper body, elbow and left leg were all positioned down and leftward, or at least these were my goals. My butt was also in the left half of the seat. I briskly rolled on the throttle as I left the apex to bring the bike upright again, but the foot peg was already scraping by that time. I maintained throttle, tried to lean off a bit more, and next thing I knew the bike was leaving me. A worker supervising that corner saw the whole thing and stated that the bike stepped out to the right toward the edge of the track, started to lift out of the lean, then fell over only after it left the pavement. I do not remember that at all, but have no reason to question his testimony. In any case, both the bike and I tumbled and rolled for 100 feet, if it was an inch, and I finally stopped. I saw stars and when they went away I noticed blood streaming from a hole in the back of my right hand. My left Sidi boot and AVG leather track suit bore most of the damage. My helmet is just a little bit scuffed. My right glove came off somewhere and still looks new.

 

Here is what I believe caused this crash, which was my fault:

1. Though the RT does have a larger lean angle than most any cruiser, it is not a sport bike and will certainly drag hard parts sooner than they will. Of course this can be partially overcome by proper body positioning, which is what I was trying to do, but my skills were obviously not sufficient.

2. I think my shocks contributed to the crash. My preferred setting for track riding is Two up/Sport to maximize the lean angle, but I am certain that the suspension was not that high. I started a recent thread here about the difficulty I was having getting a replacement pair of ESA shocks to change adjustment. 3 days prior I had taken my RT to my closest dealer, but they couldn't get them functioning either. I failed to adjust my speed and cornering strategies accordingly.

3. My gloves were the weak link in my armor. They were an inexpensive pair of Olympia Gels which had no gauntlets and were not well-secured to my wrist. I had another better pair with me, but chose to wear these instead for this session because they allow better airflow and are cooler. Dumb.

4. Part of the fun of a track day is the opportunity push the envelope a little bit, but I pushed too far and let the thrill of being back on a track cloud my judgment.

 

I only got a passing glance at my bike, but the estimate for repair is about $10,000, which is a lot more than a 6-year-old RT with 71,000 miles is worth. I feel like I have lost an old friend, but am truly grateful that I can anticipate full physical recovery. My confidence has definitely been shaken, and I have not yet decided if or when I will start riding again. My throttle hand needs to heal first anyway.

 

Jay

 

[dhanson]

Thanks for sharing, very good info for others for sure. Hope you heal soon.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I was at "Little Talladega", in turn 2 which is a broad left sweeper.

 

Track map:

 

 

Have I got the right track? Which one is turn 2?

 

3. My gloves were the weak link in my armor. They were an inexpensive pair of Olympia Gels which had no gauntlets and were not well-secured to my wrist.

 

I've always felt that any garment that simply "slips on" can just as easily slip off in a tumble. In particular, glove and boot retention are two things that have always concerned me. I've seen a few squid crash videos in which their sneakers came flying off at first impact. The boots I wore for the first 7 years of my riding career didn't hang on to my ankles as well as I would have liked, but my current boots - Sido Strada Tepor Evo - are better, much more form-fitting when zipped up. My gloves have wrist belts on them, as well as hard armor on the knuckles. I've never been worried about losing them in a get-off, and I'm confident they'd protect my knuckles from both impact and sliding injuries.

 

I feel like I have lost an old friend, but am truly grateful that I can anticipate full physical recovery. My confidence has definitely been shaken, and I have not yet decided if or when I will start riding again. My throttle hand needs to heal first anyway.

 

I can appreciate your sadness about the bike; after 70K miles of experiences you are no doubt bonded pretty well with it, and it's about how I've always imagined I would feel if I crashed. Glad to hear your body will recover, but if you've been shaken enough to question whether you'll come back to riding at all, it sounds like your mind needs some healing time, too. I don't mean that in a "you're obviously out of your mind to think about not riding" sense. Rather, it's only been three days since the crash, and whatever decision you ultimately make, I hope you can give yourself more time to mentally process the whole experience and come up with a decision you won't regret.

[JayW]

I was at "Little Talladega", in turn 2 which is a broad left sweeper.

 

Track map:

 

 

Have I got the right track? Which one is turn 2?

 

Yes. The one at ten o'clock. We rode counterclockwise and I ended up in the grass on the left side of the diagram.

 

Jay

[Nice n Easy Rider]

Jay, thanks for a very thorough analysis. Again, I wish you a speedy recovery.

[Fugu]

Glad you weren't hurt worse.

 

I went with different gloves after I wrecked my RT even though I sustained no hand injury and gloves stayed on.

 

As for insurance, Joe is on the right track. This will ultimately depend on the language in your policy. Read it.

 

If you have a number plate and are swapping paint for prizes you're racing. Short of that I think it's a matter of language in the policy and how they define "racing" or other terms as pertains to any exclusion.

 

If you'd like, I'd be happy to look at the language in yours and give you any advice I can from the inside perspective.

[AviP]

Ah yes! Gloves! So often overlooked in favour of styling and convenience. But thick leather is the bare minimum. A gauntlet will usually provide more security at the wrist. And hard reinforcement at the knuckles will prevent multiple fracture injuries from flailing tumbles. I personally use thick leather gloves with a gauntlet and soft reinforcement at the knuckles.

 

My overlooked protection in ATGATT is the pant. I wear jeans!

 

BTW, what was your speed Jay?

[JayW]

BTW, what was your speed Jay?

 

I was looking through the corner rather than at the speedometer, but I would guess 70mph plus/minus 10

 

Jay

[Urban Surfer]

Sure glad your going to be ok. You'r a brave soul to push such a big bike so hard.

Several years ago I had a nasty crash, on a fast bike, it took many years for me to get back on.(road surfing we called it) I watched the bikes come out every spring with envy. Then the disease finally took hold, and I went and bought a new RT.

You'll get back on. Heal fast

[DunRTer]

As shown by Joe, looks like you lost a tooth as well!!

[JayW]

As shown by Joe, looks like you lost a tooth as well!!

 

:S

[Agent_Orange]

It's gotta be an 'Aussie' thing. ??

 

Methinks he means the layout of the track looks like a tooth.

[Glenn Reed]

Methinks he means the layout of the track looks like a tooth.

 

Took me a second, but that's the way I took it too.

[MT Wallet]

I was inspired/motivated by your experience. I bought some crash bars off of an RTP. I hope I never have to use them.

[DunRTer]

Yeah, sorry for my strange sense of humor. 'Twas the shape of the course that triggered it.

[JayW]

No problem DunRTer. A good sense of humor is rarely out of line.

 

I drove to Chattanooga and picked up my broken RT yesterday. Here are a few pictures:

 

Here is me on the bike a few laps before the crash (photo courtesy of Pandora's European Motorsports)

 

 

Doesn't look too bad from this angle

 

 

The head protector was clearly not designed for this kind of tip-over

 

 

Ouch!

 

 

This look reminds me of my Jack Russell when she gets confused

 

 

I think the left handlebar hit first and broke right off. The clutch still works!

 

 

My AVGSport Racing Leathers, God bless 'em.

 

 

..and another.

 

The bike still starts and I think I could even sort of ride it if I could steer it. I dropped my collision coverage so it is my loss. I think I am going to just sell it as salvage, but have not yet decided how much I can expect for it or where to advertise it.

[Tank]

As shown by Joe, looks like you lost a tooth as well!!

 

:S

 

 

 

Can't be just a Aussie thing... I thought JayW should see a dentist.

Only I figured I'd keep such sick humor to myself.

 

Heal well

[BerndM]

WOW. that's some story Jay. I'm VERY happy to read you're mostly OK!!

My RT is just like yours, right down to the color. Now that I've seen what your's looks like after a crash, I'd like NOT to do that to mine, so thanks for the heads up view. It IS a sobering sight.

You mentioned about a 10K-Buck in damage????

It's hard to tell from the pics BUT it looks like mostly cosmetic rather than structural. (other than the handlebars). is that right?

If so, that's a real eye opener as to the cost of plastics.

Again, glad you're OK. Heal fast!

Let us know what your insurance company will do for you.

Regards

Bernd

 

[RodB]

If you look at the Jack Russel commented photo, you`ll see that there`s more than cosmetic damage.

I`m sure that the bike can be easily sold in whole or parted out. Maybe `Beemerboneyard`? Or maybe a garage sale outside the Little Switzerland Inn, in August?

 

Heal well.

 

 

[JayW]

Before this thread fades away, I would like to put in a good word for the owners of Pandora's European Motorsports in Chattanooga TN. John Prann, a mere acquantance prior to the track day, volunteered to immediately drive me the 5 hours to my home town so that I could choose my own hand surgeon. Otherwise I would have been away from my family and at the mercy of whatever orthopedist was on call at the local hospital. John was great company on the drive back to NC and would not accept anything in return for all his time and effort, not even a tank of fuel. My surgeon colleague took me straight to radiology and then to the OR as soon as I got to town, and 7 hours later I was home in my own bed. Indeed, I felt very well taken care of.

 

Jason Prann, his son saw to it that my bike and belongings were tended to. A fellow track rider trailered my RT to Chattanooga. Jason had his service technicians evaluate the damage and stored it for me until I was able to pick it up. None of my stuff, including my expensive camera gear, was misplaced. Again, no charge.

 

Pandora's has a top notch team and a great facility; well-worth a look if you are in the area.

 

I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I should get to replace the RT when I feel ready...stay tuned .

 

Jay

[tallman]

Jay,

That is surely good karma at work.

 

Replace the RT?

There isn't another bike to do that so you'll need another RT.

 

Now, if you want a different bike that's another story.

Best wishes.