ZREXER
Expert Class
Posts: 492
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posted June 27, 2007 07:59 AM
Rider Down...................Me!!
But not on the '14.
A local dealer had their corporate (bikes owned by Ducati, not the local dealer) Ducati Demo day on Monday. After riding the new 1098 and 1000 Supersport 'S' (the retro one), I was out on the S4S Monster.
After being on the bike less than 10 minutes, I had a cage decide to merge into my lane. I was very close to being side swiped, but grabbed too much front brake and ended up washing the front end out and going over the bars. Did not make contact with the car, but I had only inches.
I landed hard on my right shoulder and then head. I was wearing my JR armoured leather jacket, good gloves, full face HJC AC-10, boots and my riding jeans which have some armour in them.
X-Rays confirmed nothing broken in the shoulder, no ligaments torn, but very heavy bruising in shoulder and ribs in my back. I lost only a minor amount of skin on my right knee. My whole body feels like I was beat up with a baseball bat today! Tylenol 3's are my new best friend!
Cage, did not stop and no one got the licence number. An off duty nurse did stop and looked after me under the paramedics came and confirmed that I did not have any spinal trauma.
Lesson learned?
Be careful on demo rides guys. I had no experience on this bike and when I had to make a panic stop, I over used the front brake. The S4S has the top end Brembo's and they are like running into a wall as I found out the hard way. I was down so fast I did not know what hit me. In hind sight, I would have been side swiped if I did not react as quick as I did
The other lesson learned is that good gear really helped. I think I was going clost to 45 mph when I went down. All the gear held up really well. If I had on my leather pants I would not have lost any skin.
The only thing I need to replace is my helmet......................my jacket just has a bit of character now!
Based on the way I feel soreness wise, it will be a few weeks before I am able to ride.
The Ducati guys were very decent. I offered to pay for the damages to the bike as I hold myself accountable for what I do, but they were more concerned about me. Bike was not too bad actually. A bar end, brake lever, turn signal and a deeply scatched engine case and a broken rear brake lever and turn signal. One of the shop people rode it back to the shop.
Be careful guys, it really is a jungle out there!
PS: The 1098 is fantastic bike, handles like on rails, very torquey engine..............most fun you can have with your clothes on. One would look really good in my garage............
  
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1badzx12r
Needs a life
Posts: 8321
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posted June 27, 2007 08:12 AM
looks like you a candidate for ABS.... j/k
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S06nIz4scvI
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shawnski
Pro
Posts: 1809
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posted June 27, 2007 08:19 AM
glad u are ok and u are right it is a jungle out there.
another good thing that the bike u crashed was not your zx14.
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Stalwart
Needs a job
Posts: 3360
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posted June 27, 2007 09:42 AM
Mend well ZREXER, nice to hear your injures weren't severe!
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Stuart
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Ridin' the Trump train.
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bigdtd
Needs a job
Interceptors
Posts: 4209
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posted June 27, 2007 09:49 AM
this is the second wrecked a ducati post lately, could there be an issue????
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2006 Black ZX-14,6 inches over,16/42, flies out,BMC Street Filter,Brock's Street Meg,Brock's Radial Mount Strap,PClll with Race map,Dynojet LCD w/Techmount, ZX-14 fender eliminator,Pilot Power2CTs,Speedohealer,Pazzo Levers,Cox Radiator Guard, Garmin Nuvi 265WT
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Xtremespeed
Expert Class
Posts: 415
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posted June 27, 2007 10:43 AM
Glad to see you weren't hurt too bad. I had the exact same thing happen. Was told by the police that since the cage didn't contact me they were not at fault. Total bs if you ask me.
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When in doubt, Flick it!
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted June 27, 2007 02:13 PM
glad you are OK bro
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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FasterThanStink
Pro
Posts: 1218
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posted June 27, 2007 06:00 PM
I know first hand how you feel after a concrete body slam! Glad you are relatively unscathed.
I used the face first technique. I will never ride without a full face helmet.
____________
Speed has never killed anyone,
suddenly becoming stationary...
That's what gets you.
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RunningFree
Expert Class
Posts: 107
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posted June 27, 2007 06:14 PM
First: glad you're alright.
Second: was she cute?
Third: if so, did ya get her number?
Finally: sorry about the bike.
Congrats for riding in full gear.
p.s.: The order herein would have been different if you had gone down on your 14  .
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2006 ZX14 Black
2005 SV1000S Red
2002 VFR800A Red(sold)
The best part of repentance is the sinning
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ZREXER
Expert Class
Posts: 492
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posted June 29, 2007 12:28 PM
quote:
looks like you a candidate for ABS.... j/k
ABS probably would have helped in this situation. The biggest thing and my point was that if you are on a unfamiliar bike like I was is to be careful. The first hard brake I did was the one that tossed me. If I had been on my own bike, I know how hard I can hit the brakes as I have practiced threshold braking a few times to make sure I know what to expect at the moment of truth.
ABS has saved my ass a few times in my car on wet or icy roads.
You can debate forever that a super experienced rider/driver can out brake ABS on dry roads, but maintaining steering control while at maximum braking levels on wet or icy roads is something you can't do without ABS unless maybe you are in the top 1/10th of 1% of all drivers in the world
I have been riding 35 years and hundreds of thousands of kilometers,lack of experience was not my problem.
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dubious
Needs a life
Needs more time to ride!
Posts: 8442
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posted June 29, 2007 08:41 PM
Hah Ha .....
at least it wasn't yours!!!! bahahaahaaha
LOL
Glad yur OK Mark.
I was lafin about it being Argyles,
not your injuries or situation...
Glad your ok.
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flyboy
Pro
Posts: 1536
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posted July 02, 2007 08:20 AM
The first thing a pilot does when getting into a plane for the first time is to practice stalls to see it's flying characteristics. Maybe experimenting with brakes might be the way to go on a new bike--
Glad to hear you're okay.
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'There's more living in five minutes flat-out on a bike than some men have in an entire life'.
"The World's Fastest Indian"
One fast red ZX-14,
Three World and four National Land Speed Records,
One faster red and white Cessna Turbo 210
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