I imagine no motorcyclist likes to see that as the subject line. I've read it many times on this forum and each time it's been a bit of a reminder to...put the damn gear on! I wanted to post this as it's fresh in my mind and might help to save someone's skin...literally...if it get's you to wear the gear.
We went on a great ride today...FJMonkey, Coreyoreo and I left from my house in Woodland Hills and tore up about 140 miles of *very* twisty roads in the Santa Monica Mountains! Some of the highlights of the day:
* Great company...Mark and Corey are just GOOD guys. Very much enjoyed the riding and spending the day with these fine FJ-ers
* Spectacular roads (all except Latigo Canyon which was recently re-oiled and graveled)
* Amazing scenery...Seeing Catalina Island poping out of the marine layer when we were at 1500 feet was pretty cool!
* Watching the racer types carve up "The Snake" on Mulholland...could have watched that all day!
* Great seafood lunch at Malibu Seafood on PCH
* Doing a low-side crash on Little Sycamore road
So, yeah...it was your standard day of riding around the coast. I have ridden every one of those roads at least twenty times. I wasn't pushing it...I wasn't in any sort of hurry...I just came around a nice right-hand sweeper doing around 35-40 and there was a line of dirt in the center of my lane. I say that and you might imagine I saw it and then things went wrong. Quite the opposite. I was merrily riding along and started to take this gentle, slightly uphill right hand sweeper on a perfectly smooth road and BAM!!, I was ON the pavement so fast, I had little idea what was even happening to me. About the time I figured out that I had just wrecked, I was in a slide...I had time to worry about that drag I was feeling on my right arm...the warmth I was feeling on my right knee...Why am I still sliding up the road?...I bet my bike is getting pretty banged up...I wonder if FJMonkey will see me in time...I wonder if I will end up in the other lane...I wonder if a random car will see me in time...why am I STILL sliding????
I Finally came to a stop with me and the bike laying on the road just slightly over the center line and fuel leaking out of the tank. I immediately got up and hobbled to the side of the road so I didn't get hit. FJMonkey then came around the corner on the ambulance followed quickly by Corey. I still didn't completely understand what just happened. FJMonkey ran down the road to stop traffic if there was any (there wasn't) and Corey helped me get the bike upright and out of the road. They were both asking me if I was okay. Still very confused, I promised I would take personal inventory once we were all off to the side.
The gear: I was wearing decent gloves, a pair of thick leather hiking boots, my helmet, a no-name $150 jacket with minimal armor and a pair of jeans. There you go. It was nearly 100 degrees when we left the house...I had very high end riding overpants in the Givi topcase that I figured I would put on when we got to the coast and it was cooler...I never did. It was so hot that on the jacket all the straps to position/tighten the armor were as loose as possible to get some air flow.
The crash: We spent nearly an hour at the scene taking inventory, bringing the heart rate down and figuring things out. The road surface was VERY smooth. So smooth that the tiny amount of dirt acted like ball bearings...I didn't stand a chance and was on the ground faster than I could even think. I paced out the marks and I slid 60 feet...UPHILL...before coming to rest. That all took about three to four SECONDS from start to finish.
The damage to the bike: Standard abrasions you would expect on the FJ...bent brake levers, fairing scoop and the like. Nothing that can't be sorted.
The injuries: Honestly, I feel very lucky. This could have gone MUCH worse!
My arm: I have a red/blood patch on my right forearm about the size of a baseball. This was caused by the friction of the inside of the jacket moving across my skin...There would have been much less damage if I had the armor-positioning straps TIGHT.
My knee: The jeans ripped (of course) and my knee got aquainted with the pavement. It's all surface abrasions and looks pretty nasty, but no real damage to the important parts.
The leg: Various abrasions here and there from four seconds of sliding. I had a USB thumb drive, a tube of Chap Stik and a Gerber locking knife in my right pocket of my jeans. I have a matching abrasion/bruise print of those three in my leg!!
My foot: The boots took a lot of abuse and actually wore through in one spot in the form of a tiny hole. The side of my foot has a tiny-hole size cut on the side of it to match.
The conclusion: Well, I guess it CAN happen to me...imagine that!! Beyond that, I am in some pain...which I think will be much worse tomorrow...My knee and arm look pretty nasty...I'll probably have a tough time sleeping without rolling onto something tender...I'll be hobbling around for a while and I generally feel stupid. Not for the crash...It can and WILL happen...but I wasn't wearing ALL the gear...ALL the time! If the jacket armor was strapped down properly, the arm would have VERY minor scratches. If I was wearing the overpants, I would have had ZERO injury to the leg and would ride again tomorrow.
Thankfully, I had FJMonkey riding the '85 Ambulance-colored FJ as first on the scene...and Corey right behind with a great attitude and a helping hand. THANK you both!!!
I had a great day, including the crash...but damnit...put on ALL...ALL...ALL the gear!!! Take it from me!!
Cap'n Ron. . .
Ron, that sucks! Glad you're OK, with minor scrape-age and scuffing. I hope your FJ recovers as well as you will. My low-side on the I-5 a few years ago did similar damage, a left side scoop and protector, a clutch lever and mirror, an oil pump cover and new flat spot ground into the left muffler, shifter and center stand.
Good luck & heal fast. I hope to out there with you & FJ Monkey soon.
Glad you're OK, sorry to hear about your accident.
I'm still not going to "gear up" though....
DAMN! I logged on this morning hoping to read a great ride report, not this shit! Sorry top hear this Ron, but glad you're mostly ok. Heal up quickly man!
Looks like you have another winter project ahead of you now. Let us know what parts you need.
Derek
PS: the title says it all... wear that gear guys.
Glad you are OK Ron ! I can relate, ask Mark. The bike is fixable. I have ridden many years and most of it "touring" type riding (BMW's) and to tell you the truth the "gear" thing was minimal in my life.
With the FJ I upped the "gear" thing a little bit and I have to admit I am glad I did even though it was at a lower level. Everything worked as advertised. I will comment that wearing jeans kinda sucks.... I had burns under my jeans with no physical tears on the outside of the jeans (jean burn). Will I continue to wear jeans on a bike, probably. Will I be looking for an alliterative, yes....
Heal up and keep looking on the bright side of things, you are here with no permanent damage, no on coming car involved , nobody else hurt and lots of friend's in the FJ community. And most of all no one there with a camera to post on "you tube" :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:. Get well :lol: :bye2:
George
I'm glad it wasn't worse Ron. Your point is well taken.
Isn't is surreal....one second you're leaned over in a sweeper, looking ahead at the apex and beyond... then the front end washes out next second and BAM!
Other than my 4 broken ribs (compression from my elbow) my gear saved my hyde in my low side.
I remember sliding down the road, belly down, feet first, looking out my helmet while the asphalt grinding off the chin bar .... and thinking... Gosh, that road looks just like my belt sander.... yea, a giant pissed off belt sander.
Heal well. Let us know what you need. Pat
Here's wishing the best Ron for a speedy recovery.
Shame ANY of us have to go down, but it happens.
Let us know if you need anything, I know I'll do what I can!
Leon
Welcome to the club,glad you made it in one piece.
Quote from: simi_ed on August 26, 2013, 03:12:06 AM
Ron, that sucks! Glad you're OK, with minor scrape-age and scuffing. I hope your FJ recovers as well as you will. My low-side on the I-5 a few years ago did similar damage, a left side scoop and protector, a clutch lever and mirror, an oil pump cover and new flat spot ground into the left muffler, shifter and center stand.
Good luck & heal fast. I hope to out there with you & FJ Monkey soon.
Hey Ed!
We were talking about you off and on yesterday...all good I assure you! FJMonkey filled me in a bit about your dad...I was sorry to hear that...Then about your '89...sounds like that might be rolling soon? At this point, your bike will probably be back to 100% before I am...But I look forward to riding with you!
Cap'n Ron. . .
Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcsr0wt4wk#)
.....if anything is going to happen...it's going to happen out there..........glad your ok mon capitan
Quote from: Derek Young on August 26, 2013, 08:47:39 AM
DAMN! I logged on this morning hoping to read a great ride report, not this shit! Sorry top hear this Ron, but glad you're mostly ok. Heal up quickly man!
Looks like you have another winter project ahead of you now. Let us know what parts you need.
Derek
PS: the title says it all... wear that gear guys.
Thanks for the kind words Derek! I'm sorry you had to READ about my wreck, but hell...I had to actually DO the pavement slide! :blum2:
As I understand it, I'm now part of a sub-group of FJ riders and feel like I'm in excellent company! I haven't even looked at the FJ today, but the initial pass yesterday has me in need of a front brake lever, rear brake lever, the little engine side-cover on the starboard side, a '92 colored starboard air scoop and a starboard slide protector. Man they put that thing in the right place...it was ground down to paper thin!
Cap'n Ron. . .
My pics of the ride... In no particular order, Flicker chose it and I am too damn tired to fight it...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36991650@N08/sets/72157635252482152 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36991650@N08/sets/72157635252482152)
Ron, paper thin is what your jacket liner took off you arm, you know what paper thin means... I posted my pics just a few moments ago. Let me know if you want the full Def.
Quote from: CanDman on August 26, 2013, 08:01:02 PM
Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcsr0wt4wk#)
.....if anything is going to happen...it's going to happen out there..........glad your ok mon capitan
Thanks CanDman...this just made my day. I'm a sailor and my "Cap'n Ron" nickname is what friends have been calling me ever since that Kurt Russell character. That meant a lot!
Cap'n Ron. . .
Quote from: Capn Ron on August 26, 2013, 08:19:28 PM
Quote from: CanDman on August 26, 2013, 08:01:02 PM
Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcsr0wt4wk#)
.....if anything is going to happen...it's going to happen out there..........glad your ok mon capitan
Thanks CanDman...this just made my day. I'm a sailor and my "Cap'n Ron" nickname is what friends have been calling me ever since that Kurt Russell character. That meant a lot!
Cap'n Ron. . .
:drinks: cheers my bro....hope to see you when I am out there in late March early April...
CanDman
Nice pics...........
Sorry to hear about your slide..........Glad to had some gear on though. It could have been much worse.
Looks like everything is easily fixable, including the rashing you took..
When I commute to work, I usually wear just jeans for pants. I still wear gloves, boots, jacket with armor, and helmet all the time.
When I'm going out for a "Ride" for sake of going for a ride, I wear my touring pants over my jeans..........
I never ride without gear.....
Quote from: CanDman on August 26, 2013, 08:28:11 PM
:drinks: cheers my bro....hope to see you when I am out there in late March early April...
CanDman
Stay in touch...We'll take you for a good run in the mountains...minus Little Sycamore Canyon! :biggrin:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Quote from: Pat Conlon on August 26, 2013, 11:55:16 AM
I'm glad it wasn't worse Ron. Your point is well taken.
Gosh, that road looks just like my belt sander.... yea, a giant pissed off belt sander.
Pat...That just cracked me up! It's rare to get a view going down the road from a 1" altitude...I can now tick that box and try not to do THAT again!
Cap'n Ron. . .
Quote from: Klavdy on August 26, 2013, 06:47:16 PM
Welcome to the club,glad you made it in one piece.
As I told George, I would have rather been let into the club by buying everyone a round of beer...Somehow this initiation has more meaning though.
Cap'n Ron. ..
Quote from: FJmonkey on August 26, 2013, 08:05:36 PM
My pics of the ride... In no particular order, Flicker chose it and I am too damn tired to fight it...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36991650@N08/sets/72157635252482152 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36991650@N08/sets/72157635252482152)
Great shots and it was even fun to see the slide zone. Y'know, looking at that closely, the track that cars are taking is WAY off center, to the right side (inside). That is what's kicking all that dirt into the "center"...I'm still looking at it and seeing maybe a 10" wide clear inside path that would have been safe.
Cap'n Ron. . .
Quote from: 1tinindian on August 26, 2013, 12:37:37 PM
Here's wishing the best Ron for a speedy recovery.
Shame ANY of us have to go down, but it happens.
Let us know if you need anything, I know I'll do what I can!
Leon
Uhhh, yeah...can you help me get this sock off my foot? I can't seem to bend this knee. Thanks! :biggrin:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Hey, Ron, really glad your on the mend & no other hidden injuries showed up. I'm glad I was there to help out as well as Monkey was. Just seeing what happened with my own eyes made me bump up "gear" to the top of my "need to buy" list.
GREAT pics Monkey, as usual, & a great ride it was for me as well. As a semi-newb, I was honored to ride & BS with a couple of FJ legends & the scenery was awesome!! From seeing a doe & her fawns in the mountains standing fearlessly right next to the road watching us rev past to watching the seagulls fly over the seacliff at Malibu, Zuma, & points beyond & all the twisties in between... Yup... that's what its about...
Corey
Gosh Capt. Ron, glad you're not too banged up.
Treat yourself to some engine bars.
Maybe a spa when you're not so raw.
You'll be right as rain in no time at all.
Andy
Quote from: andyoutandabout on August 27, 2013, 11:22:31 PM
Gosh Capt. Ron, glad you're not too banged up.
Treat yourself to some engine bars.
Maybe a spa when you're not so raw.
You'll be right as rain in no time at all.
Andy
Thanks Andy! All the well wishing here is quite touching...especially during the last two days sitting on the couch and I'm certain it's speeding along the healing process! :drinks:
I finally got up the emotional fortitude this afternoon to go look at the bike and make a list of all the parts to pretty her up again. A helmet cam is going on the list...I would have loved to have seen a video of the get off!
Funny thing about crashing your bike...it gives you lots of down time to...ohhh...surf the web looking for parts to fix the bike! :biggrin:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Quote from: Capn Ron on August 26, 2013, 08:51:09 PM
Quote from: 1tinindian on August 26, 2013, 12:37:37 PM
Here's wishing the best Ron for a speedy recovery.
Shame ANY of us have to go down, but it happens.
Let us know if you need anything, I know I'll do what I can!
Leon
Uhhh, yeah...can you help me get this sock off my foot? I can't seem to bend this knee. Thanks! :biggrin:
Cap'n Ron. . .
I'll be right over! :empathy:
Hey Buddy,
Sorry to hear about your unscheduled departure. :empathy2:
How are you feeling now? I know from my countless dirt bike and mountain bike dismounts, once the adrenaline and endorphins leave your body, and a couple of days pass, things start to feel a lot less pleasant.
If you'd like any rehab suggestions feel free to give me a call. :hi:
I got a really great Alpinestars jacket and leather pants. I found the jacket on a moto forum, 1000rr and the pants on CL. It is a challenge to wear them when it's hot. I don't notice them so much when I'm moving but in town I start to melt. I also find some internal resistance to wearing them when "touring" with Kelly on the back. Here is a ride last weekend on a fun loop from the house. :biggrin:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/9615623804_de483c882d_z.jpg)
I saw from the pics the Monkey was wearing his suit... and looking good! :good2: Wish I could have joined you guys.
Jeff
Cap'n Ron glad to hear you are ok and it wasn't worse. You will back on two wheels in no time.
Kurt
Ron,
Glad to hear that you will mend and that your FJ is not too bad! When I had my last accident the wad of keys that I always carry bit me. I am going to try to empty my pockets when I ride from now on.
Capt. Ron, I'm glad you're OK and hope you heal quickly. I appreciate your matter of fact testament of your incident. It can happen to anyone.
You don't seem easily discouraged. Kudos. And your advise is well taken. It'll make it that much easier when people look at me and say "...aren't you hot?" Well, yeah,.. a little. :-)
Get well,
Mark M
Glad you were able to get up and walk away. :good2: Also a testament of the durability of our FJ's, you were able to ride it away. :drinks:
I commute every day and always wear my armoured mesh jacket, gloves, boots and jeans. I know the pavement eats up regular jeans. Because of work, I wear are Arc Flash rated jeans. They are really heavy weight. I don't know if they would offer any more resistance to the pavement.
On weekend rides and longer touring rides, I always wear my armoured mesh pants and jacket, or if the weather is cooler my 2 piece leathers.
Fred
Hope you and the fj make a quick recovery mate :empathy: ,,, if you guys must wear jeans, give the kevlar ones a try , well worth the money ,, draggin jeans are brilliant
Quote from: fj11.5 on August 28, 2013, 05:15:40 PM
Hope you and the fj make a quick recovery mate :empathy: ,,, if you guys must wear jeans, give the kevlar ones a try , well worth the money ,, draggin jeans are brilliant
Thank you! I'm definitely recovering...albeit slowly. It's now day three of nursing this road rash and I'm thinking of going this route:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UrfN0mqOakQ/T5F3B3DSxxI/AAAAAAAAAo8/_CuTFRyaUUw/s400/bubble-wrap.jpg)
:yes:
Cap'n Ron. . .
That should help the bounce effect :biggrin:, will also make cool popping sounds
Quote from: Capn Ron on August 28, 2013, 05:53:24 PM
...I'm thinking of going this route:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UrfN0mqOakQ/T5F3B3DSxxI/AAAAAAAAAo8/_CuTFRyaUUw/s400/bubble-wrap.jpg)
Cap'n Ron. . .
Well, here is a live demo on how it works...
Toyota RAV4: Safety Wish (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYMVOICfgMM#ws)
Randy- RPM
Ron, if you had that when you went down, Corey and I would have been chasing your ass while you bounced down the canyons all the way to the beach... I did not sign sign up for that SHIT!..... Stick to real gear and don't bounce, or the next ride is off... :ireful: :ireful: :ireful:
OK, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX_YIr5CkDM
George
Quote from: FJmonkey on August 28, 2013, 06:38:25 PM
Ron, if you had that when you went down, Corey and I would have been chasing your ass while you bounced down the canyons all the way to the beach... I did not sign sign up for that SHIT!..... Stick to real gear and don't bounce, or the next ride is off... :ireful: :ireful: :ireful:
I was having the same thoughts about you guys chasing after a bouncing Ron. :rofl: :rofl2: :sarcastic:
Fred
Quote from: Derek Young on August 26, 2013, 08:47:39 AM
Sorry top hear this Ron, but glad you're mostly ok. Heal up quickly man!
Looks like you have another winter project ahead of you now. Let us know what parts you need.
Derek
Okay, so I took a full inventory of what's damaged...Then checked my own spares pile. Happily, I'm down to looking for just two things!!!
- The Air Intake Grill for the right side. It's part number 3XW-2837R-00-P1, but no longer available. I'd rather not go through the heartbreak of paint-matching so, if anyone has the '92 or '93 color, I'm desperate...name your price! :shok:
- A stock right muffler. Mine were almost factory shiny before the low-side...but now the right one has road rash just like me. :good2:
ANY leads on these would be outstanding! :yahoo:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Ohhh I can just see it now...almost as soon as ya walk in the pub...G`day Mate! (With tha obligatory punch to the shoulder)....poof Bop! :sarcastic:
Quote from: Capn Ron on August 26, 2013, 08:19:28 PM
Quote from: CanDman on August 26, 2013, 08:01:02 PM
Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcsr0wt4wk#)
.....if anything is going to happen...it's going to happen out there..........glad your ok mon capitan
Thanks CanDman...this just made my day. I'm a sailor and my "Cap'n Ron" nickname is what friends have been calling me ever since that Kurt Russell character. That meant a lot!
Cap'n Ron. . .
Ride Captain RideRide Captain Ride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh1g3wvO6EE#)
Kev
Yes!!! I have a mate who, many years ago!, was practicing wheel stands on a GPZ1000RX in a t-shirt!! &^%$&%$&$^ Needless to say, 20yrs later he still cannot raise his arm above shoulder height because of the scar tissue! and that was a 30KMH crash.
Quote from: Tom on September 04, 2013, 03:23:33 AM
Yes!!! I have a mate who, many years ago!, was practicing wheel stands on a GPZ1000RX in a t-shirt!! &^%$&%$&$^ Needless to say, 20yrs later he still cannot raise his arm above shoulder height because of the scar tissue! and that was a 30KMH crash.
Aussies... :mocking:
My mate Nick B(on another site) has some pretty good observations re the whole falling off caper,,,
"I had a fair bit of downtime during placement and etched out this. If it would please the collective, I can scrub it up a bit, find some references, and include some pretty pictures. Or I can go back to reposting dick jokes on 4chan.
What happens when you break rule #1?
This site is a place where you'll encounter some oft-repeated statements and questions.
If you're new here, and you decide that going for a ride with some of the inmates sounds like a splendid way to pass the time, then you'll be told the same two things. One is to show up on time, because no one will wait for you no matter how well you can provide excuses for poor time management. Two is to not break Rule #1. For those who aren't aware, Rule #1 is rather simple: Don't fucking fall off.
To best equip you, reader, with a working knowledge of what happens to those who break Rule #1, I have undertaken to examine what data is available and provide it to you in a creamy, gluten-free, easily digestible form.
Should you find that the bike has ceased handling like it's on rails, and that creamy wave of torque has chosen to dump you head over arse, there are three factors that will come into play: What you hit, how fast you hit it, and what part of your body you decide to hit it with.
There is one thing that in most situations you can't avoid hitting, which is the road. Due to the sheer fuckery of gravity, you will always find your arse sliding across the bitumen. When you hit the road, you will be subject to impact injuries as gravity makes you its bitch, and abrasion injuries as friction fucks your shit up.
The degree of impact injury when you encounter the road surface is less dependent on the speed you are travelling, and more dependent on which method you've used to break rule #1. If you've lost the front and find yourself lowsiding, chances are the impact force will be low, as you will suffer a gradual, mediated fall as the bike slides out from underneath you. A common injury encountered where individuals fall is a "FOOSH" injury, which refers to a "fall on outstretched hand" where your hand is used as a breakfall, resulting in the transfer of energy into the wrist, radius, and ulna. This can result in soft tissue trauma to the surrounding connective tissue, as well as fractures to the bone structures. This is not ridiculously painful, and the feelings of shame for ending up ass over tit will usually overwhelm any pain you will feel for a while. It will sneak up on you though. The upside of this, is that your arm absorbs a fair amount of the energy, so while you may need to switch wanking arms for a few weeks, in a lot of situations you may get away without any other serious injury.
If it's always a race (it is) and your ham-fistedness while playing racer has fed too much power into the rear wheel, you may find yourself losing traction then briefly regaining it. What occurs next is the cause for the utterance of "OH FUCK" from anyone observing your antics, as you are launched into a near-earth orbit before tumbling back to the ground. Alternatively, if you've been riding along and decided that you'd like to occupy the same space as, say, a car, some armco or a friendly kangaroo, you may also find yourself tumbling through the sky before impacting the road. Chances are that your impact force will be rather high in these situations, as your body has time to accelerate briefly before you impact the road. This is where you'll really fuck yourself up with a FOOSH injury alongside a broken collarbone, a fucked hip, or a head injury, depending on how you land.
And this is all before you start to slide.
Now that you've got a few nice fractures and some soft tissue damage to go with your wounded pride, we'll add some gravel rash to the mix.
Gravel rash, or road rash, occurs when skin is in contact with the surface of the road as the body travels at speed. The surface of the road is rather jagged at the micro level, and as you slide across it, your skin will be subject to an experience not far removed from that of cheese being grated. If you were moving the cheese at 60km/hr or greater. As you can imagine, you will lose a fair bit of skin as this happens. If you've managed to fuck yourself up with particular efficacy, you may also experience incredible pain as the surface of the skin is scraped away to the level of the nerve endings. Additionally, the friction will generate heat, which can lead to minor burns.
Serious cases of gravel rash can require skin grafts, as damage is done to not only the surface layers of skin, but the dermis below. This will mess with things like blood flow and nerve innervation resulting in the loss of the ability of the skin to heal. But hey, chicks dig scars, so you'll have that going for you, which is nice.
If you're wearing full leathers, decent textile, or some fancy Kevlar lined shit, chances are your gear will save you from most if not all harm due to abrasion. This gear is designed in a lot of situations specifically for its abrasion resistance. If you've got leathers, they do a beaut job of sliding along all kinds of shit while providing a barrier between your skin and that nasty, evil bitumen. This does still generate heat, however, and it's not unheard of for very minor burns to occur. If you have some textile gear, abrasion resistance varies greatly on the type and density (measured in denier) of the fabric used.
If you're cruising along with your t-shirt on, handing out tickets to the gun-show before you eat shit, well, now you have a date with the wire brush to remove little souvenirs from your freshly fucked-up skin. This is an excruciating process as a wire brush scrapes along exposed nerve endings and damaged skin, removing the little bits of gravel that decided to call your dermis home.
So after you have fallen down and rolled along for a while, all that remains is for you to stop. If you're lucky, this will be due to the friction between yourself and whatever surface you find yourself tumbling along. If you're unlucky, the environment will step in to end your tumble prematurely. This is where the speed you were travelling at before your riding glory so unexpectedly came to an end will come into play.
Motorcyclists are susceptible to a whole gamut of injuries when they come to a stop suddenly with the aid of the environment. Impact at speed to the head or chest can be life threatening. If you smash your noggin into a tree at 100km/h, you'll likely do some damage to your brain as it isn't capable of handling deceleration terribly well. Given the fact that it's consistency is close to that of cottage cheese, it will slam into the inside of your skull at great speed, which will cause damage to the structure of the brain, alongside swelling. As your skull is essentially a closed environment, swelling is generally agreed to be rather bad.
If you use your abdomen as an anchor to halt your progress, the outcomes can be varied. The biggest risk is that you'll cause trauma to your lungs or the surrounding pleura, either by smashing them around inside your thoracic cavity, or snapping off a rib and sending it on a bloody holiday to lungtown. This will cause a tension pneumothorax, where air essentially leaks out of your lung into the pleura, and isn't able to re-enter. The buildup of pressure will reduce the ability of your lungs to inhale or exhale, while venous return of blood to your heart is hampered as veins in your chest become kinked. Long story short, if someone isn't around to stab you in the chest, you're a wee bit fucked.
Best case scenario is that if you're playing a game of chicken with a tree, you use your legs or arms to soften the impact. You'll likely fuck them up rather completely, but you'll still live on as a mangled mess of bone and flesh. The higher the impact energy, the higher the chance of compound fractures, dislocation, and connective tissue damage. The degree of this will determine how well you're able to do every day things like eat, drink and take a piss.
If you've had a low speed fuckup, this is where you get up, brush yourself off, and prepare for everyone to ridicule you mercilessly. If you've highsided at great speed and slid into the Armco at umptillion miles an hour, this is where after you've come to a halt as a bleeding, horrific abstract of the person you used to be, you worry about blood loss. The ridicule comes if no one has to testify in court.
Internal blood loss is the big worry, as it's termed as uncontrollable bleeding. There is little that anything other than surgery is able to do to prevent the loss of blood inside your body. Use the time you have left to guilt everyone into not hitting on your missus.
External haemorrhage is a different kettle of fish, as unless you've managed to really do some damage to multiple sections of your body, it's the kind of thing where painful, direct pressure can usually stem the flow long enough for paramedics to pump you full of drugs and saline.
Of course, there is a way to avoid all this unpleasantness.
Don't fucking fall off.
Use the time you have left to guilt everyone into not hitting on your missus.
:rofl:
Dan
Classic...Mate absolutely classic. ...this one`s definitely going straight to the pool room. :drinks:
I always try to obey "Rule #1" :yes:
I have been obedient for over 10 years, hoping for many more years.... Crashing sucks :bad:.
Excellent write up by your buddy Klavdy!
I always thought not falling off your bike was a good idea...just NOW I'm being told it's a RULE??? If only I knew that ten days ago! :blush:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Quote from: Capn Ron on September 04, 2013, 08:02:55 PM
Excellent write up by your buddy Klavdy!
I always thought not falling off your bike was a good idea...just NOW I'm being told it's a RULE??? If only I knew that ten days ago! :blush:
Cap'n Ron. . .
I may not have been exactly on time for this but I did tell you that day (shortly after :blush:) that you broke the first rule... I am just happy that I did not break the first rule by hitting the same sand, you or your bike (one laying down, the other surprisingly vertical) when I came around the blind corner. That might have broken even more rules, damn, I was quite lucky... Corey as well... How is your knee doing?
Mmmmm, your excellent analysis of the whole thing Dr Klav scares the crap outta me. Will be getting some Kevlar jeans soon, as I know normal jeans don't cut it when sharp little rocks in the road are tearing at it. I haven't been down the road yet on a road bike, I did all my sliding along in my dirt bike/enduro days.
Accidents will happen of course, just have to be prepared.
im selling my bikes
Quote from: X-Ray on September 04, 2013, 08:21:10 PM
Mmmmm, your excellent analysis of the whole thing Dr Klav scares the crap outta me. Will be getting some Kevlar jeans soon, as I know normal jeans don't cut it when sharp little rocks in the road are tearing at it. I haven't been down the road yet on a road bike, I did all my sliding along in my dirt bike/enduro days.
Accidents will happen of course, just have to be prepared.
A convert, Yea :yahoo:, Ron's jeans did nothing to protect his knee, his textile jacket and leather gloves saved all but the top layer of skin (on his forearm that will heal way faster). His helmet was useless as he failed to make contact with the pavement with it. Even better...
Incidentally, he really liked them jeans.... RIP.... :empathy:
Due to my age I guess I should stencil Rule # 1 on my windscreen !!! Nice "safety briefing" Klav.....
George
Quote from: FJmonkey on September 04, 2013, 08:13:42 PM
I am just happy that I did not break the first rule by hitting the same sand, you or your bike (one laying down, the other surprisingly vertical) when I came around the blind corner. That might have broken even more rules, damn, I was quite lucky... Corey as well... How is your knee doing?
I think we all came out of it in great shape...myself included!
The knee is doing surprisingly well...thanks for asking. I spent about 7 days wrapping it up with a coat of Neosporin and gauze each night. These last few days, I've just left it open to the air 24/7. Scabs are painful because if you flex them, they crack and hurt like hell. Today is the first day I've been able to bend at the knee a full 90 degrees. This is a huge plus because I can now climb a flight of stairs normally rather than peg-legging it one step at a time! I hobbled across the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday and I looked like a Monty Python character..."Walk THIS way..."
The arm is healing as well, but has definitely been the worse of the injuries. It was a friction-burn on the inside of my jacket and beyond loosing a rather big patch of skin, all those nerves are exposed. Shifting the car, gripping a pen, cutting a piece of steak all flex that part of the forearm and it hurts like hell! Based on the healing progress thus far, I imagine I'll be pain-free in a few more days and then scab-free in about two-weeks.
I'm looking into wearing a skin-tight chafe-guard type long sleeve shirt under my riding gear to avoid this in the future. Sort of like surfers wear under a wet suit. I have a whole new appreciation for those who have gone down and a keen eye for other riders who don't wear any gear at all! :shok:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Dress for the Slide, not the Ride.
(Not that I do that...)
"I'm looking into wearing a skin-tight chafe-guard type long sleeve shirt under my riding gear to avoid this in the future"
Same here.... Jean burn is more painful than most would think....
George
Nobody has mentioned that most jackets and pants, whether they are leather, mesh, or textile do have armour in the Back, shoulder, arms, hips and knees. I broke rule #1 back in 1990. Wearing full leathers but at that time most leathers available to the general public did not come with armour. There were multiple broken bones due to Sudden Stoppage syndrome. Over all the leather did it's job and no road rash.
I agree with FJmonkey, ..... Crashing sucks :bad:
Fred
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/aviationfred/31_10_02_09_4_31_01_1_zpsd77652c7.jpg) (http://s119.photobucket.com/user/aviationfred/media/31_10_02_09_4_31_01_1_zpsd77652c7.jpg.html)
I'm slack about wearing gear around town but ALWAYS wear it on the open road, except once!
I clipped a concrete white post at 180 kph (hit the bars but missed my leg) and went down the road wearing jeans, sneakers and a cotton shirt. From what I have seen, our bitumen roads here at the time used a much coarser aggregate for a surface finish than in the States and they gouge as well as abrade, especially when it's just been laid, as this had, and the stones are still pointy.
It was an elevated section of road through a swamp and I was found 6 hours later when a truck driver saw me. He stopped and had a look from the roadside but didn't bother to make his way over to me. He informed the Police at the next town (no mobiles) adding there was no rush, it was no doubt only a body retrieval. It was dark by now and it took a another few hours to find me. They had not even called an ambulance at this point.
Obviously I was alive, but unconscious, and the cop told me later I was lying face down in about 6" of water with what was left of the chin of my full face caught on a tuft of swamp grass with the water just below my lips.
A twitch of my head would have seen me slide into the water.
ALL my clothing had come off except my underpants.
The attending doctor later told me he had treated some horrific road injuries in his time but had never seen anyone lose so much skin.
Full face helmets were new at the time (40 years ago) and I had just recently converted to one and people were still arguing over the merits of them.
To see the front of that full face could leave no doubt what a lifesaver these new fangled helmets were.
The reason I had no gear on? I was at the local bike shop, where I was well known, ordering parts for my bike. It was a beautiful day. One of those first Spring days after a long dreary Winter and I was cursing my bike being in bits. The owner offered me a used bike off the showroom floor to go for a quick spin down the coast and I jumped at it. No time to go back home and change. Not long after.......
If Klavdy chips in with "Show us the scars or it didn't happen" a viewing can be arranged at the FJ rally in March.
Noel
My Textile jacket had this thin CE approved armor that reminded me of the shit they sell to line tool box drawers. WTF is that??? So I upgraded the back protection when I found a real pad on sale at Cycle Gear... Marsh slapped me on the back at the WCR and commented that it was really hard and was surprised, I was vaguely aware of the impact. Guess it will provide some protection. I am looking forward to having a leather jacket with armor soon. The Red Power Ranger is always looking for upgrades to battle the powers of stupid... The battle will never end, I know..... Wish me luck...
Quote from: FJmonkey on September 04, 2013, 09:43:04 PM
The Red Power Ranger is always looking for upgrades to battle the powers of stupid...
One word... Motoport. Check it out, full Kevlar mesh with testimonials out the arse from many Rule #1 violators. Not cheap, but Wayne will make it exactly right for you and it is damned comfortable stuff. Also lifetime guaranteed repairable or they will replace it.
Klav copped a feel of my chest armor at the WCR and I didn't feel a thing... :blush:
http://www.motoport.com (http://www.motoport.com)
Frank
Quote from: Flynt on September 04, 2013, 10:03:03 PM
Klav copped a feel of my chest armor at the WCR and I didn't feel a thing... :blush:
Frank
Are you sure that was your chest area??? We all know and love Klavdy.... :shok:
Quote from: Capn Ron on September 04, 2013, 08:02:55 PM
Excellent write up by your buddy Klavdy!
I always thought not falling off your bike was a good idea...just NOW I'm being told it's a RULE??? If only I knew that ten days ago! :blush:
Cap'n Ron. . .
Don't pay to serious an attention to the finger waving....you just go back to my song I posted and Ride Captain ride......everyone takes a swim......in fact Sir Klav did quite the number on a pine cone sometime back...and well......he got an earful for that.....so......it's his turn now..... :ireful:.......just smile and wave.........and now that you know the rules.........welllll.......just throw them in the garbage !!!!!
CanDman
Quote from: CanDman on September 04, 2013, 10:08:48 PM
Don't pay to serious an attention to the finger waving....you just go back to my song I posted and Ride Captain ride......everyone takes a swim......in fact Sir Klav did quite the number on a pine cone sometime back...and well......he got an earful for that.....so......it's his turn now..... :ireful:.......just smile and wave.........and now that you know the rules.........welllll.......just throw them in the garbage !!!!!
CanDman
Klavdy may not be the sacred cow, Infidel comes to mind, but he is also a testament to ATGATT. I was there, his bike slid a few hundred feet and slammed into the mountain wall (rock wall) hard enough to bend his forks, break the front tire bead and tweak the frame. He was moving at a good clip when the dreaded Pine Cone checked his ride. I don't know how many feet he slid but he had minor injuries and is one more poster child proving that gear is gold when it comes to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)... Gear is worth it, the heat and comfort sucks, but when you get if off at the end of a ride, it is really cool.... :good2:
You are not special. You are not unique. If you ride your motorcycle....really ride.....It's not a matter of 'if' you fall off...just a matter of 'when'.
Falling off sucks. Falling off with proper gear still sucks, but sucks less...
One of my favorite stories from Jon Cain:
Jon, wearing all his gear, is out riding on a warm summer day when he pulls up to a signal and stops. A Harley rider wearing a tank top, shorts and a beanie helmet, pulls up next to him as asks, "Isn't it hot wearing all that gear?" To which Jon replied, "Yea, it's warm, until the time comes that you really, really need all this gear...then it's pretty cool."