wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted November 19, 2007 09:51 AM
Stay Focused or Ride Slow, Dumb Ass.
OK, so this weekend I had my first run at a lot of really good twisties since I got my C14 in August and put 9k+ miles on it. My old V-Max group does this ride twice a year from Houston to Bandera on FR (about 300 miles) where on SA we spend the whole day riding some really good Hill Country / ranch roads (again about 300 miles) and back the same way on Su. There were about 15 V-Maxes, 5 sport bikes and 5 other types of cruisers. We always split into three groups, very fast, V-Max fast and those that just want to enjoy the scenery. The trip out and back is on back roads with some tight turns but a lot of 100+ mph sweepers. The Hill country roads have a lot of both plus some major vertical components. I rode with the fast Group out there and for a while on Sa morning. The two lead bikes were a YZF-R1 and a CBR1000-RR and their riders were no slouches. They were amazed (as was I to some extent) that I could hang with them. I never considered passing either of them but they never got more than 100 yards away from me. At rest stops they were looking for scrape marks on my hard bags and asking how I could possibly get that heavy fucker through the corners like that. I just smiled and told them It's a great bike and it doesn't feel heavy once it's moving. The other two sports bikes were 650's with less than impressive riders and we were waiting for them at the stops all the time. I hung with them again Sa morning for a couple of hours but maybe because of the beers I had Fr night, less than enough sleep and my 50 yr old body. I was finding it harder to hang with those two. Just didn't feel focused enough to run really hard. So I let them go and waited for the fast maxers knowing they would be really easy to ride with and they were, moving at a good pace but nothing to get excited about. Then somehow through some intersections and cars and trucks entering the road I got separated from them and ended up with the sightseer group. That was unacceptable to me as it felt like I was in a funeral procession. So I just stopped along the road figured I'd give them a 5-10 min lead then catch up with them. So I waited a while then saw yet another few bikes from out group coming in my rearview so I took off again in front of them. Sure enough just a few miles down the road from there my desire to ride fast and lack of focus came together on a really tight one. I came in too hot and let myself get too wide, got into some gravel off the road and stood her up. Went up onto an embankment and hit a low cut tree stump at about 30-40 mph which took the bike down hard on it's left side and chucked me off to land hard on my left side a few feet in front in front if it. Got up, I'm ok I thought, checked the bike, Shit left handle bar snapped in two. After a short while the group behind me stopped and helped me get the bike up and I could see, front fender wiped, radiator hole, Lt mirror and handle bar snapped off, Big dent in the gas tank, shifter snapped off, Lt hard bag wasted and basically all the plastic on the Lt side trashed. I came out ok except for a smashed finger, bruised rib and foot. The guys in the group were great, two of them immediately sacrificed the rest of the ride that day, went back to town and came back with a trailer to get me out of there. Another who trailered his wife's V-Max up let me use that trailer spot and ride her Max back home. Plus they all took me out and got me good and drunk that night. I'm guessing about 5K$ and at least a month to fix it if the frame and forks are ok. Shit, stay focused or ride slow, dumb ass.
I'll be back.
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
  
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daysoffIride
Novice Class
Posts: 77
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posted November 19, 2007 10:31 AM
Sorry to hear about your incident... I'm real glad though you are in fact OK.... Let the insurance fix the bike... It will be good as new in no time.....
Hope your ego heals as well, It would stick with me a while I am sure...
Good luck getting back on the road!!!!
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Present rides:
'08 ZG 1400
'08 KLR 650
'05 Prarie V- twin 700 Quad
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worm~hole
Needs a life
Miles to go before I sleep....
Posts: 10623
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posted November 19, 2007 12:37 PM
...damn, WG  ...crashing sucks...heal well...fix the bike....ride again...
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“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those
who would do us harm.”
-George Orwell
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fastestbusaaround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted November 19, 2007 01:47 PM
Bike can be replaced or fixed; you can sometimes be fixed depending on the severity, but not replaced (unless your wife thinks otherwise...LOL). Glad you're ok. Keep on ridin'!
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FYYFF!!!
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nabrxx
Needs a job
Posts: 2853
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posted November 19, 2007 05:03 PM
That shit sucks.....at least youre ok...maybe its totalled and insurance will get you another one.
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What we don't understand, we can
make mean anything...
src="http://www.bikeland.org/board/i
mages/smilies/smile.gif" border=0>
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wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted November 19, 2007 06:20 PM
Thanks Guys, I'll be back on it, or another one ASAP. Just changed my avatar to a pic of me on it about half an hour before the crash. Much better than my old one I think.
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
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Fatlab
Parking Attendant
Posts: 2
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posted November 19, 2007 06:55 PM
Son of a !! Hope all is well.
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wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted November 19, 2007 07:23 PM
Hey I just found where one of the guys posted some pics and details of our trip on another site. There's a couple pics of me and my crash site there and a video of the R1 and CBR 1000 doing a 180 mph (I'm told) fly by. Check it out if you like.
http://www.motohouston.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40976
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
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NinjaNick
Needs a job
'08 ZX14 (Blue)
Posts: 4558
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posted November 19, 2007 07:39 PM
quote:
http://www.motohouston.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40976
Assist 
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NinjaNick
Needs a job
'08 ZX14 (Blue)
Posts: 4558
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posted November 19, 2007 07:44 PM
Nice pics! Sorry about the wreck. Glad you're ok! 
I enjoyed this video:
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gpz1100
Expert Class
Posts: 147
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posted November 19, 2007 08:19 PM
Damnit, I hate reading posts like this! Just a few weeks ago another [local] ST rider on his st1300 got creamed by some ass that turned left in front of him. Still recovering today.
WG, glad you're alright. As already stated, bike is replaceable, you're not.
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted November 19, 2007 08:43 PM
Damn Sam, I hate that shit. Glad you are OK, but is still sucks that you got off. Hopefully the insurance company will take care of it, and all will be well. Crap.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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daysoffIride
Novice Class
Posts: 77
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posted November 19, 2007 09:45 PM
I don't think those guys are going anywhere near 180....... not even close.......
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Present rides:
'08 ZG 1400
'08 KLR 650
'05 Prarie V- twin 700 Quad
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wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted November 19, 2007 09:52 PM
Maybe not but that was a 65 mph zone and the car was way in front of them at the start of the shot and by time the camera panned around the first one was already well past it. They were moving pretty good.
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
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NinjaNick
Needs a job
'08 ZX14 (Blue)
Posts: 4558
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posted November 19, 2007 11:40 PM
 Edited By: NinjaNick on 19 Nov 2007 23:41
I've been at those speeds before and I guesstimate....160mph...yep...150-160GPS.  PROBABLY 180 indicated.
BTW wormgear, you sound like you're handling that concour really well, other than the incident. In time you will be back and doing it again, showing people it's mostly the rider, not the bike....well...unless you're on a hardly..lol
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stevewfl
Moderator
Posts: 27920
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posted November 22, 2007 07:44 AM
Glad you're ok.
Folks on litre bikes used to bee amazed when I kept up and had a knee down on the ZX14. The fact of the matter is though I can perform better on a litre bike, it doesn't take a physics major to understand the same rider on a hundred pound lighter bike will acheieve greater corner speeds. I tried to be careful and not be determined to keep the same cornerspeeds, some of the fast guys out there can ride a litre bike to its extent and the bigger bikes just can't corner at the same speeds.
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2010 Concours14
'08 R1 YAMAHA
ZX14 gone!
CBR600RR track bike
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texcoonazz
Parking Attendant
Posts: 13
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posted November 22, 2007 08:11 AM
Glad to hear you are OK. When looking at the photos the first thing I noticed was the area you landed had enough rocks to do some serious damage to a human.
The bike can be repaired or replaced.
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted November 23, 2007 07:25 PM
So wormgear, when are you getting another bike???
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted November 24, 2007 07:43 AM
ASAP but I don't know. The insurance guy looked at it yesterday but I haven't talked to him yet. The dealer who I thought would have had an estimate for the insurance, hasn't done their est. yet. I kinda doubt it will be totaled but I'm not sure. Since I own it outright I'll have options like having it fixed, buying the salvage and fixing it myself or trading the wreck for a new one. They have a new ABS model on the dealers' floor now that's looking real good to me. It's going to be a matter of time to get the parts and fix it verses money out of my pocket. Right now I'm on hold. It's a good thing the weather here sucks lately or I'd be camping on that insurance dudes doorstep.
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
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wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted November 24, 2007 10:26 AM
Well I just got the estimate from the dealer.... $13,368.14.
That ought to do it. Still have to deal with the insurance co. Hey anybody know how they depreciate a 2008 model that's not in any blue books yet? Dealer says they'll probably just pay for a new one but that seems a little too good to be true to me. I'll also consider buying the bike salvage and fixing it but I'd really have to make out like a bandit on that deal to make it worth waiting God knows how long for parts.
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
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gpz1100
Expert Class
Posts: 147
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posted November 24, 2007 11:37 AM
Wow... That's more than I paid for mine OTD (after small trade).
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fastestbusaaround
Needs a life
I eat Fish...
Posts: 7889
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posted November 24, 2007 12:10 PM
Edited By: fastestbusaaround on 24 Nov 2007 12:19
At 13k, it will be written off.
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FYYFF!!!
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TedG
Moderator
Posts: 8222
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posted November 24, 2007 12:14 PM
On a new vehicle with low miles they are pretty much obligated to get you a new one. You will be out the deductable. But a small price to pay when you consider you are still here to tell your story and not having to type with a straw that you hold in your mouth.
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Ted
2000 Green ZX12 sold
The fast color!!
Green 2005 ZX10R
2009 Concours Black ABS
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wormgear
Expert Class
Posts: 339
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posted December 11, 2007 10:54 PM
Well I'm back in business. Got my new ABS model today and as it turns out between the deal I made and the insurance pay off, I actually made $300. However full coverage insurance for me may no longer an option. I guess I'd better not crash this one, eh? It's really nice to be back on the C-14, What a sweet machine. Three weeks and three days was way too long to go without, but it made me appreciate it all the more. I'll be pulling the flies and putting on all my mods from the wrecked one in the next few days.
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GodDamnit there's always such a big temptation to be good, to be good! (Tom Waits)
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Hells Dark Lord
Needs a life
living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
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posted December 12, 2007 04:40 AM
congrats on the new bike....
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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