SuzukiSavage.com - I fell with the bike (little accident)

Lion

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I fell with the bike (little accident)
05/11/06 at 04:07:50

Today I was riding in the city where a lot of roads are under construction/repair nowadays. I followed slowly a car in the inner lane. A bus came out from the bus stop into the outer lane. The car started to brake intensively I don't know why because the bus had an empty lane to move in. I was riding at about 25mph and kept about 15 feet from the car (maybe it was the problem: it wasn't enough). As I pulled in the front break the front wheel immediately blocked on something (I think on some dust from the constructions) and the whole front slipped out to the right. I fell on the left with the bike and collided into the car's back a little.

Injuries on me and the bike: the inner lane was separated from the tram line with small concrete half-speheres. The tank fell on one of those and indented. The left footpeg became an L shape one. Front left blinker broke a little (as my pride too Wink

). I hit my head a little, fortunatelly I wore a closed helmet. I hit my shoulder but I wear a jacket with protectors. I hit both of my knees and my pen*s (oh that hurt).

Lucky things:
1. I always wear helmet, boots and jacket with protectors.
2. As the tram line is closed because of the construction and I fell on the tram line half, there was no tram traffic to hit my head off.
3. Not a car behide me went through me.
4. I was going relatively slowly.
5. The Savage is such a cool bike that it protected itself and me (footpegs and handbar).

This was my first accident and I think it was a lucky one.

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Don Steel

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #1 - 05/11/06 at 05:01:32

Sorry to hear of your fall Lion. At least you didn't get hurt too bad.
It'll make you ride a bit further back from now on, to allow for idiot reactions of Can drivers!! Although 15 feet at that speed doesn't seem too bad!

Over here in Britain the Police do a scheme called "Bikesafe" where they follow you on a ride and point out any bad points or show you how to take correct lines through bends. It can be a bit daunting with a cop bike behind you for 30 mins, but they are good fun and do improve your observations.

Although I passed my test in 1985, I have been on a couple of them so far, as I think it is good to keep on top of things!! Cheesy

. They do a workshop for I think an afternoon with classroom tuition and a ride out for £35, that I am looking to attend in the summer! Stay Safe!! 8)

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Lion

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #2 - 05/11/06 at 05:42:35

I think I will say a prayer for my luck however I am not religious.

I like that "Bikesafe" cop thing. I'm sure I would need at least one lesson now Embarrassed

Anyway I took 2 pictures:http://members.chello.hu/szep.tamas/Accident/index.htm

Poor footpeg and fuel tank :'(

But I'm happy I live! Cheesy

So life's going on: I'm gonna go for a Denso Platinum spark plug this day and order my new main jet.
I'm close to 40 and going crazy... God bless my wife and kids... Grin

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mornhm - FSO

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #3 - 05/11/06 at 05:49:21

Ouch, glad to hear you're OK. The MC can be repaired.

15 feet at 25 mph seems a little close. If I remember correctly 25 mph equates to over 35 feet per second. Considering good reaction times are .6 seconds you were putting yourself in a really difficult situation. The rule I learned was try to keep two seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you under optimum conditions increase that based on deriorating conditions (rain, fog, etch).

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Jim_R Ex Member	Re: I fell with the bike (little accident) Reply #4 - 05/11/06 at 05:50:01 U should check out Lancers gas tank for sale. I really think that your tank is pretty messed up. I dont know if u can bondo that big of an indentation. glad u aren't hurt
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Lion Full Member Offline Posts: 101 Budapest, Hungary Gender:	Re: I fell with the bike (little accident) Reply #5 - 05/11/06 at 06:10:59 Yes the two seconds work for me too. Unfortunatelly not this day. I hope the mechanic guy can repair my fuel tank. He did my colleague's tank too. (2 of my colleagues who have bikes already had simple accidents... Now I joined them.) Thank you all for feeling with me. Great community we have here.
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Reelthing

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #6 - 05/11/06 at 06:56:08

Glad your aok, was wearing your gear, and your ready to get back on the bike. Sand on the road is a difficult situation happens on these beach roads more than I'd like - about all you can do once you notice it is open the distance alot between you and the guy in front be very soft on both brakes and maybe favor the rear a bit more than normal - it will skid pretty easy but a rear tire skid is controllable where a front tire skid .... well you know....

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Savage_Rob

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #7 - 05/11/06 at 08:08:57

Glad you're okay. I did almost the same thing about 17 years ago but closer to 40 MPH and in light rain that had just begun instead of sand/dust. Same idea though. I'm surprised you didn't get a bit of roadrash on your leg by the looks of that footpeg. L-shaped is right. That's one reason I like a decent highwaybar and chaps or draggin jeans. You might post on the Marketplace for any small parts you need like that peg.

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starmom Ex Member	Re: I fell with the bike (little accident) Reply #8 - 05/11/06 at 09:07:41 Ah geez............ Im so glad that you are ok........ How freakin scarey! Now take a few deep breaths and jump back on that bad boy........................... sue
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Island_Biker Ex Member	Re: I fell with the bike (little accident) Reply #9 - 05/11/06 at 10:18:54 Glad you came out of it OK, metal may not heal as well as flesh, but bending meatl is really the better option.
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Lion

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #10 - 05/11/06 at 11:10:40

C'mon people, you all are so kind, really! Even my wife told me: "I told you that..." sh*t I was waiting for some "Ok, bad boy it's all right now, don't you fear, I'm here..." or so. Oh, geez... Grin

I have pain in all of my limbs, especially in my right(!) arm. Remember: I fell on my left side. I think as I gripped the brake I strained my arm muscles.
Some little injuries on my knees, shins, left shoulder. I was little bit dizzy all day because of the hit on my head. I should really buy a pants with protectors in it (and I will as I get to my money).

Going home from the office I was keeping twice more distance as I did it before. (Ok, ok, I was going between standing lines of cars... But who wants to wait always? Tongue

) I try to pay more attention to it from now on: safety first.

If you have a look at my fuel tank photo you can see the imprint of one of that half-sphere concretes. I thought what if my head was landing on that...

2 more thoughts:
1. I read that Savage's doesn't have a powerful break system and I think that is right. They don't have.
2. My mech replaced my front break-shoe to a new one a month ago. Maybe I have a good brake...

As I arrived home I told my story to my kids emphasizing that riding on a motorcycle is a very dangerous thing Grin

And I promised them to teach them the 2 seconds method too...

But here are good news (to me): I bought the Denso Platinum spark plug and chrome grips, and I ordered 2 main jets (135 and 137.5). I am waiting for the oil-spray for my sport air-filter. My Savage is a Phoenix bird type one: it gets hurt, it gets better 8)

OK. Hereby I give the name to my bike:

"Red Phoenix"

Watch my signature...

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mornhm - FSO

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #11 - 05/11/06 at 11:22:42

I think most people are being diplomatic - maybe too diplomatic. You should learn to do the two second rule before trying to teach it, or learn how to estimate distances better.

If you are now keeping twice the following distance as you said you had when you had your "little accident" you would be keeping 30 feet. This is less than 1/2 the two second rule, and would mean if you have average reaction times, if you started to react immediately when a situation in front of you occurs, you would be putting on your brakes at about the same spot that the situation occurred. Not a good recipe for staying out of accidents, I don't care how good the brakes are on the vehicle you are using.

Lion wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:05:

C'mon people, you all are so kind, really!

Going home from the office I was keeping twice more distance as I did it before.

1. I read that Savage's doesn't have a powerful break system and I think that is right. They don't have.

And I promised them to teach them the 2 seconds method too...

...

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Lion Full Member Offline Posts: 101 Budapest, Hungary Gender:	Re: I fell with the bike (little accident) Reply #12 - 05/11/06 at 11:27:02 There is a saying in my country: "The clever learns from other people's mistakes". Maybe today I wasn't that clever.
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thumperclone

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Re: I fell with the bike (little accident)
Reply #13 - 05/11/06 at 11:54:12

old flyers saying "any landing you walk away from is a good one"..least you can tell us your story and know what not to do..
my drive way is gravel i was pullin in last week and suzi just slid out right from under me i took two steps a was clear..
the engine guard and highway pegs took the brunt of
it,the pegs are angle adjusteble so i had to take it off and get the angle back to where i like it..yet to find any damage..
imo the engine guard paid for its self..

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vroom1776 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2110 Gender:	Re: I fell with the bike (little accident) Reply #14 - 05/11/06 at 12:39:38 good that you're okay. gonna have to replace the footpeg, though... it's cheap hollow steel and won't rebend w/ any integrity.
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