Don't you just hate it

[faffi]

-when you don't understand the cause of a disaster? Today I totaled my son's motorcycle, and I do not know why. I turned in, the front folded and down we went. Didn't speed, asphalt was good, tyres good, yet the thing failed to stick when I did a somewhat rapid change of direction. Got a beating myself; rib-cage front and back, neck and head, left shoulder and elbow, both hands, and right foot all took a hit. Only bruises and scrapes and aches, nothing broken. Tried to hold on to the bike first, then flew over a ditch and hit a boulder - you can see the impact zone - before being tossed further like a rag doll into a the wet trench. It could have ended far worse. Don't I look nice in mud 😄

 

 

[bornagainbiker]

Sorry about your crash, but glad to hear you are not seriously injured. 

[slangklamman]

crap. glad to see you are farely ok. bikes can be repaired/replaced. 

[i28]

dang, faffi.

good luck with healing.

[pjfz1]

Sorry to hear it.  I have to wonder if there wasn't anything on the road, ie: oil or suck that caused it?

[Cruizin]

Glad that you are ok man. Don't let it mess with your head, let it go and heal up. 

[shinyribs]

Good on you for gearing up. Very nice to hear your injuries are minimal, but do keep a careful eye on yourself as injuries sometimes take a day or two to show up- especially head injuries. 

 

Just to be on the safe side, I wouldn't let your boy borrow any of your bikes for a while yet. 😉

[dmoney]

Sorry to hear faffi. Glad you're ok. Also nice to see you were geared up as best as possible. +1 on the above post. I got t-boned by a van a few years back and i didnt feel too bad until about 2 days later. Make sure someone's keeping an eye on you. Hope you feel better soon ☺

[faffi]

Thank you for the nice words, people 👍

 

I feel pretty good, a bit sore and stiff only. My head is made of concrete - I once stopped a Volvo with my head  Always wore full gear, though - would not have been up and walking today without.

[robbo10]

I am very glad it was not worse for you. Get completely better soon.

[faffi]

Anyway, I went back to the scene of the crime today to pick up the bike, and learned that the cause most likely was oil on the road. Yesterday, it was hard to get the trajectories to match up. Not that I spent much time there, I was pretty eager to get home and out of the wet clothes - we had an hour's ride ahead of us.

Not visible on the picture, but I probably turned in hard on the oil slick and then stayed on the oil line as I went down, then headed for the ditch once I was well and truly on the ground. Also discovered today, upon closer inspection, that the helmet did indeed crack. 

I got off lightely, which is a first; I usually land in the worst possible spot and are lucky all the broken bones and smashed flesh can be mended, but this time I escaped the danger spots. I've also enclosed a picture with my foot to show the size of the part where I smacked into the berm before being tossed into a violent spin.
 

[Eastern Kayaker]

Glad you were able to limp away from this one. If you were a rider that does not wear a helmet, it would have been much worse, as you well know. Thanks for the update.

[faffi]

More pics - wheel is still pointing slightly to the left with the handlebars are full right. Brake discs are warped and there is no more hydraulic pressure - haven't checked what's the issue, nor do I care as this bike is not going back on the road. I did't notice the oil due to a low sun in front and if I'm honest I was too occupied not hitting the cattle guard.

 

[faffi]

2 minutes ago, Eastern Kayaker said:

Glad you were able to limp away from this one. If you were a rider that does not wear a helmet, it would have been much worse, as you well know. Thanks for the update.

Highly unlikely I'd survive sans helmet - I have a bump and an area is purple-red, and a cracked helmet is usually a clear sign of a split scull without the protection. And once again the visor saved my face - never could understand why people dare ride with open face lids.

 

[c0al67]

Safe bet that the helmet saved you. My dept worked a moped crash last year, guy was going about 30mp and is now brain dead from the impact. I've never been one to ride with no helmet and I definitely never will. I'm in full leathers for even a relaxed ride.

[Beemer]

Getting here kinda late but glad to hear you're still with us and hopefully, by now, healed up. I hit some lightly dirt dusted oil in a turn once and I went down in the blink of an eye, no time to react so it's not your fault. Not glad you wrecked but it's actually comforting to see that you went down in some softer grass & dirt. Not everyone is so lucky. Take care!

[r1limited]

Dang, Sorry but very glad you are ok,great argument for ATGATT!!!! Heal up

[r1limited]

Oh Ya, if you trained n a dirt bike this would not have happened

 

Kidding aside, looking back at the pictures I think you can see what happened.  Had an incident on the R1 when I went into a corner and had to lift the bike up and emergancy binders and all I knew going through gravel then landing in a small grass embankment.  Did not drop the bike or harm, basic instincts took over and was able to not hit the pavement.  Walking through the approach and viewing my line what I gathered happened was my front hit a road snake one of them crack filled snakes thatcan be a little slippery,  It was wide enough that when my rear hit it, the bike started to drift.  The Lesson learned "Pay More Attention and stay more vigilent on Street Surfaces as they are not a race track.

Ya know perhaps we should have a Analysis Forum for such discussions?

[Mr.Puss]

Damn Faffi, sorry to hear of your mishap here. Well, you're up and about and all appendages are right where they should be and now you've got a possible "Mad Max" project bike to work on and share time with your son while doing so.

Thank heavens for proper gear.

[motomeek]

Snap @faffi! Just saw this! Glad you were geared up. Oil is no joke. 

 

I've gone down on tar snakes (on a closed track), so I understand how it feels to have something happen and feel like you didn't do anything wrong. 

 

Speedy recovery! 

[faffi]

Thanks all. I've healed up fully. And R1 has a good point; pay more attention. I'm sure I could have avoided it by being more on the lookout. But this is only the 3rd time since 1980 that I've been taken by surprise at a fairly low speed: once when the road had frozen over while I visited my grandparents and I didn't notice, once when there was a huge frost heave followed by a dip that was nigh on invisible due to the flat light and now the oil slick I failed to see. When I think about all the fantastic things I've seen over the years while looking around a bit instead of riding paranoid, I must say it's been worth it. For me. But sure, if you ride sensibly and still manage to stay as focused as when you're fanging, you will be very safe. But will it be fun never to focus on anything but the road ahead?