ShinySideUpAZ
01-06-2008, 08:25 PM
Thought I would repost this. Two years ago the TOT-STers didn't exist, if it did I would have propbably been awarded a Gold Zippo. Thought I would repost for the benifet of others. The lessons I learned are still valid.
The original thread can be found Here (http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=119156#post119156)
[04-18-2006, 02:32 AM in the General Message Board]
Ok, I give this up as an information lesson for all. This weekend I dumped my bike Twice within 1 minute. I made 3 mistakes.
What Happened: A friend and I were exploring some of the side roads at Bartlett Lake north of Phoenix. We came down a road and over a hill to find the end of the tarmac. Wind gusts were 15 to 20 miles an hour Sunday afternoon, so the road was dusted with sand.
Mistake 1: The road was narrow with deep gullies on the runout and I didn't trust my wheel lock turning skills to try and turn around on the heavy incline on a sand covered road under power with my feet up. I elected to 'Granny Walk' the bike around. I'm 5'5" so I can only get the balls of my feet on the ground when walking the bike.
Mistake 2: While granny walking I left the throttle at the neutral position and just used the clutch to give my walking power.
Fall #1: While walking the bike aroung a strong wind gust blew me and shifted the bike to the left. My foot lost traction on the sand covered road and the bike started to fall. Because I was not holding the throttle open and revving the engine when I released to clutch to add power to pull the bike up, I didn't give enough throttle and the engine stalled. At this point the bike was past the point of no return. I tucked my legs back up on to the pegs and fell with the bike.
Mistake 3: The bike fell, I fell, and then rolled clear after landing. The bike was sitting pointed half way up hill on it's left side. I then immediately went to pick the bike up. I have always been told after a spill wait a couple of minutes before trying to get the bike back up. Adrenaline will be pulsing through your system and judgement and reaction times will be slow, but I right away picked the bike up.
Fall #2: Not thinking about how the hill I was on would shift the center of balance, I heaved ho and lifted the bike up past the center of gravity. Yes folks I threw my bike onto the other side. Once the bike got past the CoB all I could do was watch it fall onto the right side and bounce.
What we learned class:
Practice your slow speed wheel lock turns.
When ever doing any slow speed manuever always have the throttle cracked to at least 2000 rpms and work in the friction zone.
Always wait at least 5 minutes before trying to remount a bike after you dump it.
Closing:
I'm ok not a scratch, bike had only cosmetic damage to the highway wings, which I have already 'dremelled' clean (Good reason to not have coated or painted highway wings, RACKMAN HIGHWAY WINGS ROCK!). Scratched wing covers, I have ordered more from Rocket man. A couple of gravel divits on the bottom sides of both panniers, hard to see after I de-feathered the plastic and darkened with some paint. Some really serious scratchs on both of the mufflers which I can dremel and polish out. The Catalytic Converters seem ok.
NOTE: I would like to put an after market exhaust on, but I would like something that maintains the triangle shape. Yoshimura makes a line that looks good (TRS, TRC, or RS-5), but they don't list a fitting for the ST1300, I'm going to call tomorrow. Any other Ideas?
BTW: I don't consider it a mistake to running to the end of the road. This happens, and the nature of the terrain was that you had to come over the hill to see that the road ended. This kind of stuff happens all the time, and is a normal part of riding.
The original thread can be found Here (http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=119156#post119156)
[04-18-2006, 02:32 AM in the General Message Board]
Ok, I give this up as an information lesson for all. This weekend I dumped my bike Twice within 1 minute. I made 3 mistakes.
What Happened: A friend and I were exploring some of the side roads at Bartlett Lake north of Phoenix. We came down a road and over a hill to find the end of the tarmac. Wind gusts were 15 to 20 miles an hour Sunday afternoon, so the road was dusted with sand.
Mistake 1: The road was narrow with deep gullies on the runout and I didn't trust my wheel lock turning skills to try and turn around on the heavy incline on a sand covered road under power with my feet up. I elected to 'Granny Walk' the bike around. I'm 5'5" so I can only get the balls of my feet on the ground when walking the bike.
Mistake 2: While granny walking I left the throttle at the neutral position and just used the clutch to give my walking power.
Fall #1: While walking the bike aroung a strong wind gust blew me and shifted the bike to the left. My foot lost traction on the sand covered road and the bike started to fall. Because I was not holding the throttle open and revving the engine when I released to clutch to add power to pull the bike up, I didn't give enough throttle and the engine stalled. At this point the bike was past the point of no return. I tucked my legs back up on to the pegs and fell with the bike.
Mistake 3: The bike fell, I fell, and then rolled clear after landing. The bike was sitting pointed half way up hill on it's left side. I then immediately went to pick the bike up. I have always been told after a spill wait a couple of minutes before trying to get the bike back up. Adrenaline will be pulsing through your system and judgement and reaction times will be slow, but I right away picked the bike up.
Fall #2: Not thinking about how the hill I was on would shift the center of balance, I heaved ho and lifted the bike up past the center of gravity. Yes folks I threw my bike onto the other side. Once the bike got past the CoB all I could do was watch it fall onto the right side and bounce.
What we learned class:
Practice your slow speed wheel lock turns.
When ever doing any slow speed manuever always have the throttle cracked to at least 2000 rpms and work in the friction zone.
Always wait at least 5 minutes before trying to remount a bike after you dump it.
Closing:
I'm ok not a scratch, bike had only cosmetic damage to the highway wings, which I have already 'dremelled' clean (Good reason to not have coated or painted highway wings, RACKMAN HIGHWAY WINGS ROCK!). Scratched wing covers, I have ordered more from Rocket man. A couple of gravel divits on the bottom sides of both panniers, hard to see after I de-feathered the plastic and darkened with some paint. Some really serious scratchs on both of the mufflers which I can dremel and polish out. The Catalytic Converters seem ok.
NOTE: I would like to put an after market exhaust on, but I would like something that maintains the triangle shape. Yoshimura makes a line that looks good (TRS, TRC, or RS-5), but they don't list a fitting for the ST1300, I'm going to call tomorrow. Any other Ideas?
BTW: I don't consider it a mistake to running to the end of the road. This happens, and the nature of the terrain was that you had to come over the hill to see that the road ended. This kind of stuff happens all the time, and is a normal part of riding.