Where the f*ck is the bike?

[805gregg]

I'm glad you are ok Joe, thank god for good gear, wow you always want a picture of your crash scene, but that was spectatular, so are you still going to DV? and isn't that DR something, a crash like that and still going, Suzuki should use that in their sales video

[TrophyHunter]

I think all the descriptors have been used, but egads comes to mind.

Your experience has cemented the fact I want my SPOT on my person...not the bike. I don't know where yours was, but if it was on the bike, it may have been even longer before the button got pushed.

I ride enough around drop offs that this sent chills up the spine. SPOT going on body...ASAP.

So glad you're able and willing to share the crash. Just incredible stuff.

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by joefromsf

.... Sorry folks, I'm not quite superman. ...

Close enough, though!

Originally Posted by joefromsf

...With only one bike between us at the moment, we're forced to get a room at the more expensive motel next door to the hospital.

I'd think after your incident, even a stay at the Ritz wouldn't need further justification.

[joefromsf]

Originally Posted by TrophyHunter

I think all the descriptors have been used, but egads comes to mind.

Your experience has cemented the fact I want my SPOT on my person...not the bike. I don't know where yours was, but if it was on the bike, it may have been even longer before the button got pushed.

I ride enough around drop offs that this sent chills up the spine. SPOT going on body...ASAP.

So glad you're able and willing to share the crash. Just incredible stuff.

SPOT has been on my body since day one for the reason you mention. I used to carry it in my jacket waist pocket, but since I had just added the tracking option I needed a location with better view of the sky. Luckily my hydration pack has a small pocket at the very top that has worked perfectly.

[jbcaddy]

there are really no words that cover that quick ride down. If it had not been you that started this thread, I'd have expected much worse when you fell over sideways after sitting up. I was amazed that you got up and made it up the slope to the road. Heal well and quickly

[sandsman]

Wow is the only word to come to my mind. So I take it that you are still on the road right now. That this just happened within the last couple of days. Well if you are able to continue on this ride, you must know that you have an angel that is right there with you. Watching the video, I knew you had to have some major injuries, yet basically you were just bunged up a bit. Well safe traveling for the rest of your ride.

[lmychajluk]

Originally Posted by sandsman

.... That this just happened within the last couple of days.....

Did it? The pics on p.3 were dated 9/12?

[ER70S-2]

Originally Posted by TrophyHunter

Your experience has cemented the fact I want my SPOT on my person...not the bike. I don't know where yours was, but if it was on the bike, it may have been even longer before the button got pushed.

I ride enough around drop offs that this sent chills up the spine. SPOT going on body...ASAP.

So glad you're able and willing to share the crash. Just incredible stuff.

I always send my Sister an OK on the SPOT, just to let her know I'm rollin'. The map pocket in the tankbag was convenient for that, especially since the buttons are 'soft' and I like to watch to make sure the OK is being sent. I'm going to try it on the front of my coat where I can see it and push buttons. Hopefully the signal will be able to get past me.

Originally Posted by joefromsf

SPOT has been on my body since day one for the reason you mention. I used to carry it in my jacket waist pocket, but since I had just added the tracking option I needed a location with better view of the sky. Luckily my hydration pack has a small pocket at the very top that has worked perfectly.

I'm makin' adjustments.

[joefromsf]

If you've ever had badly bruised ribs (or worse) you can probably relate to what I went through. Afraid to cough, sneeze, laugh or even take a deep breath because of the pain. Basically, anything involving your core abdominal muscles also hurts. I'm a side sleeper, but couldn't sleep on either side. But I was willing to act like I might still continue the ride, so our task the next day was to retrieve my bike and luggage and evaluate its roadworthy-ness. And I had to get a follow-up x-ray late that afternoon.

We checked out of the motel, but left Darrell's luggage in their storage room. If we needed to stay in Price another night we'd find a cheaper motel. BTW, since the crash was my screw-up, I was covering all motel and food costs for our stay in Price, as our preferred accommodation was a flat spot on the ground.

I got to ride as a passenger on Darrell's DR650. Like me, he had removed his passenger pegs so it was a pretty uncomfortable ride. When we got to the sheriff department office in Castle Dale, the parking lot was empty, and I feared our trip was for naught, as it was September 3, the Labor Day Holiday. But the door was open and there was a phone to pick up. Somebody answered, I explained why we were there and he came out and led us to the storage garage. He opened the bay door and the bike fired right up. We moved it outside along with my luggage and we gave the bike a thorough examination and fixed things as best we could.

We spent 3 hours working on the bike and we lucked out as it was on the shady side of the building.



Off the top of my head, here is what we worked on.

• Straightened bent front fender stabilizer as best we could.
• Adjusted rox risers, handlebars, handguards and handlebar controls.
• Adjusted bent turn signal brackets
• Adjusted bent luggage racks
• Had to remove the headlight bracket and straighten it out.
• Checked lights, headlight and one turnsignal were out. Replacements sourced from autoparts store.
• Straightened bent rear brake pedal.
• Discovered one of the rear subframe cross brackets was busted. Stabilized with hose clamps from autoparts store.

There were some things we couldn't fix there but they weren't showstoppers.

• License plate light was broken
• Gas tank mounting bolts were slightly bent.

Normally I do all my own work, but we needed to be expedient, so splitting the work made sense. Except where an extra set of hands was needed, we worked on different parts of the bike, and I had absolute trust in whatever work Darrell performed.

Oh, and another minor miracle. I was able to resurrect my GPS. It wasn't pretty and it wouldn't be waterproof but it worked.

[cme4lyt]

Joe,

Great to hear that you are OK. That was quite a scare and you came thru' it pretty well.

Riding with friends is a must for me. I very seldom, if ever, ride solo because of incidents like yours. You just never know when lighting is gonna strike....

Look forward to seeing you at Mendo 3. I'm sure you'll have some great camp-fire tales for us all !

Take Care....Jonathan

[sandsman]

Originally Posted by lmychajluk

Did it? The pics on p.3 were dated 9/12?

I see the dates now......

[ER70S-2]

Originally Posted by joefromsf

Oh, and another minor miracle. I was able to resurrect my GPS. It wasn't pretty and it wouldn't be waterproof but it worked.

I love my 276C, the grand daddy of the 478. I'm not sure what I'm going to use when it dies.

[Cabrito]

Man-O-Man....

Glad you were okay. That video is insane...

[sportrider]

Wow! Glad to hear you made it through that horrible accident.

[sparklr]

Originally Posted by Lutz

"Oh F@%K!".

Is it too early to add my two cents? From the video at the time of crash, I see fingers on neither the brake nor clutch. If they had been, I believe you would not have gone over that edge. Instead, I see your hands instinctively clenched tight to the grips as you lose control...too late to get your fingers to the right places and doing the right things. Always cover the brake and clutch...this video is a good, if extreme, illustration of that lesson. (I say this not as a comment directed at you, but for the benefit of anyone reading. Please no one twist this into a negative).

While I understand the logic behind your comment I don't necessarily agree with your perception of the event. If you would review the video again and consider the time interval that elapsed, between loss of control and the plunge there wasn't much time for a decision to be made that would have resulted in a more positive outcome. The brain has to make an appropriate response before the muscles carry forth the action. In this case perhaps the saving grace may have been the inability to slow down, which may have resulted in a different outcome altogether. Fate RULES once in a while.

Covering the brake and clutch is great in theory, again not likely to have altered the outcome. I think this notion is more relevant for the street and track. Some of us like myself who have small hands find this almost impossible, not that we are white-knuckling but more comfort and security related. Couple that with a heavy and laden steed it becomes evermore increasingly difficult, especially on challenging terrain.

My response was meant to be informative not argumentative. I would hazard a guess that many of us here don't or can't continue the brake and clutch cover method for any lenght of time. This is more of a SHIT HAPPENS moment and there is something here for everyone to learn. Thus I wait for the OP's version of events.