So I threw my bike down the road. My 1st one really, not bad considering I have been riding on and off since I was 14. It was one of those simple chain of events that lead me to having a bruise the size of my hand on my hip/ass. I was riding along a service road that ran parallel to the highway with a T intersection that went under the highway. I thought the road went straight ahead to join the main road, but at the last second saw a 'No Through Rd" sign so had to turn down the stem of the T and go under the highway. I braked and turned late, was probably carrying a little too much speed but the corner was do-able. As I lent in a bit more the front wheel hit a patch of gravel kicked out by passing trucks and the front wheel went in less than a blink of an eye. Next think I know I'm lying on my back looking up at the 200kg lump of bike that is now sitting at an angle that the engineers never envisaged a KLR should be ridden at. I know this because the motor stopped running soon after I found my self in the predicament. I was turning right from the left lane, as that's how we roll here, and the bike rolled onto the right side, slid on the pannier, crash bars and handle bars, until it came to a rest with both wheels pointing to the sky and carefully balanced on the rear rack, screen,handle bar and one mirror... oh, and me lying on my back waiting for it to fall on my head while I cursed my stupidity. I should have just braked in a straight line and done a U turn. After lying there for a good 10 seconds doing a quick systems check and arm/leg BIT (built in test):huh, I give the bike a boot with my right leg and it falls flat again and I extract myself from under the wreck. The bike looks alright so I wave to the semi driver that is patiently waiting in his truck for me to clear my carcass off the road, give him the thumbs up and proceed to push my now less than pristine example of Kawasaki's finest to a spot where I can get the front wheel pointing in the general direction that the front bars and guard indicate it should be pointing. I was a bit disappointed that no one actually asked if I was OK, one car even drove around me while I was on the road. 15 minutes of ginning around with the spanners in the stock tool kit got the front pointed in generally the right direction and found the good 12mm spanner that I have been missing for the past 18 months. From there I attempted to drain the carb, but failed due to the Allen Key set I have in my tool roll being located with the rest of my tool roll on the shed floor at home, but the bike started easily enough anyway once it had been left standing for a bit and I rode the 60km back to work. So far the damage list is as follows: 1. Mirrors, left one broked, right one scratched up and stem bent. 2. right fairing cracked where the screen attaches 3. scratched up screen, but only at the very top edge 4. pannier scratched/gouged up, but only on the top of the lid and the handle snapped off. 5. pannier rack a bit distorted 6. jacket elbow pads gouged from the slide 7. scuffs in the shell of the helmet from me banging my head on the ground due to my stupidity. 8. leather steel cap work boots worn through to the toe to the steel cap and that was gouged up too. 9. big bruise to the hip/ass interface So in summary, make sure your head is in the right place before riding, ATGATT and all that, if you don't think you will make the turn you probably won't.... and racing go karts immediately before riding is probably not the best preparation. I have a few images of the damage, it is nothing spectacular but the gouged up upper surface of the carry rack was a bit of a surprise. No pics of the crash scene either as of all the days to have left my phone at home. Bruises have faded and Santa bought me some new mirrors and stuff to get the bike back on the road. Straightening up the fork clamps was the hardest bit, that took some serious work with a shovel!
Do I properly understand that the bike ended up fully upside-down, with you still "riding" it? Where was the camera for that?????
Well, I was lying in close proximity with 1 leg under the seat, so near enough to riding it. I need to invest in a GoPro
Getting on or in any vehicle immediately after racing go-karts makes one feel invincible since the karts are capable of such spirited maneuvers. Glad to hear you are in one piece. It appears you are the type of rider that sticks with the bike til the very end.....me too. If god wanted riders to let go of bikes early in a crash - he wouldn't have put handlebars on them.
i'm trying to learn to let the bike go when i stack. two cases of broken bones to date because i stayed with the bike...
No I didn't bail out because I didn't have time to think about it. I kept the brakes on in the hope of riding it out, then it was all over in the blink of an eye and next thing I looking up at the underside of the bridge.
