All the Gear...all the time....

[Capn Ron]

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. . .

[simi_ed]

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.

[motohorseman]

Glad you're OK, sorry to hear about your accident.

I'm still not going to "gear up" though....

[Derek Young]

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.

[movenon]

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"   . Get well    

George

[Pat Conlon]

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

[1tinindian]

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

[Klavdy]

Welcome to the club,glad you made it in one piece.

[Capn 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.

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. . .

[CanDman]

Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing

.....if anything is going to happen...it's going to happen out there..........glad your ok mon capitan

[Capn Ron]

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!  

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. . .

[FJmonkey]

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

[FJmonkey]

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.

[Capn Ron]

Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing

.....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. . .

[CanDman]

Captain Ron's philosophy on sailing

.....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. . .

cheers my bro....hope to see you when I am out there in late March early April...
CanDman