Cruiser Bike - New to Motorcycling UPDATE: CRASHED

[xBiffx]

1/2 and 3/4 helmet potential consequences (collision with a "left turner").

Wow. Well no worries, I'm going full helmet.

 

[BoberFett]

Nice bike, congrats.

 

[xBiffx]

Nice bike, congrats.

Not mine just yet, but I will have her!

 

[Zenmervolt]

1/2 and 3/4 helmet potential consequences (collision with a "left turner").

I see people on scooters with little or no gear all the time and it always bothers me. Many of them wouldn't dream of being on a motorcycle because it's "too dangerous" but they're just fin riding around in shorts, sandals, and t-shirts with open helmets in heavy city traffic because they think a scooter's not fast enough to be dangerous.

People are really bad at risk assessment...

ZV

 

[xBiffx]

Aced the class which the driving portion was one of the hardest things I think I've done.

Also picked up a HJC SY-MAX III modular helmet in matte black. Love this thing.

Now for the bike later this week...will update then.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I see people on scooters with little or no gear all the time and it always bothers me. Many of them wouldn't dream of being on a motorcycle because it's "too dangerous" but they're just fin riding around in shorts, sandals, and t-shirts with open helmets in heavy city traffic because they think a scooter's not fast enough to be dangerous.

People are really bad at risk assessment...

ZV

I see guys on sport bikes wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops.

 

[Greenman]

I see guys on sport bikes wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops.

They're called "organ donors", and it's getting a lot less common. The Harley guys are picking up the slack, for reasons I'm not really sure of.

 

[xBiffx]

Well, got the bike yesterday. Put insurance on it. Got it home. Then decided to go out riding for a bit. Wouldn't you know, some asshole cuts me off while trying to turn left at a four way stop. I end up trying to brake before I get it straight and the thing lays right down on me. Other driver just drives away and doesn't even care.

Luckily the bike had crash bars which took the brunt of the damage. Other than that, the aftermarket light bar got bent up which ended up denting the right cover on the forks. The right saddle bag is very scraped and scuffed. And there is a minor scratch on the end of the exhaust.

I suffered a baseball size hematoma on my left shin and my right knew got banged up and also swelled up like a grapefruit. Got a few other minor scrapes and bruises but nothing major. Thank God for my safety gear. My gloves saved my hands for the most parts, my riding jacket saved my right shoulder big time as it was all scuffed up, and my helmet probably did the best job because my head immediately hit the curb when I finally came to a stop but luckily its just scratched. I think I'm more emotionally scared than physically at this point.

The fact that the bike was about 2hours old to me and the insurance policy was just over an hour old makes me feel sick about the whole thing. But the part that really gets me feeling sick is that about 10 drivers passed by and didn't even check to see if I was OK. A couple guys in a truck that were able 1/2 mile down the road stopped to help me up and get the bike off the road. They also verified what took place although they were too far away to get any pertinents on the other vehicle. Heck, that driver probably didn't even know what they did wrong or care.

Well, I'm gonna have to rethink this whole thing after this. I said going into it my biggest worry was all the other fucktards on the road. Seems those fears were justified.

 

[xBiffx]

By the way, here are pics from when I got it home before the crash.

I haven't got the stomach to take after pics yet.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Well, I'm gonna have to rethink this whole thing after this. I said going into it my biggest worry was all the other fucktards on the road. Seems those fears were justified.

Sorry to hear about your crash. Most riders will tell you it's only a matter of time. Sounds like you got one under your belt early. Thankfully you were not seriously injured. Now get back out there and ride.

The only other advice I can give to a new rider is to pretend every other vehicle is trying to kill you. It's defensive driving to the extreme.

 

[imagoon]

The only other advice I can give to a new rider is to pretend every other vehicle is trying to kill you. It's defensive driving to the extreme.

Quoted for the truth.

 

[pauldun170]

Wouldn't you know, some asshole cuts me off while trying to turn left at a four way stop. I end up trying to brake before I get it straight and the thing lays right down on me.

Well, I'm gonna have to rethink this whole thing after this.

Were you trying to turn left or did the asshole turn left?

Sounds to me like you had your first dumbass moment.
These dumbass moments are an important part of motorcycling. Its those dumbass moments that serve as protection against really bad stuff.

So...how do you like that 650lbs now?


I remember the first time I had to do the lift of shame. Fortunately it was late and no one was around to see it.

The second lift of shame (quickly followed by the 20 mile ride of shame) was screwing up a turn and focusing on the outside of the turn. That resulted in me riding off road and when I tried to get back in the road the lip of the road gently sent me and the bike spinning. This was on my old ZX-11 (600+lbs) so that was awkward lifting up. Broken shift lever made the ride of shame home a bit tricky.

You can now join the ranks of riders who tell new riders "Don't get a new bike for your first bike because you are going to drop it". That and "You will crash"

So...about this shin injury.
What riding boots were you wearing that you ended up with a shin injury?
You may want to eyeball that helmet and really think about how hard it hit the pavement. Even if it looks fine, a solid hit to the helmet could result in a compromised shell.

 

[Insomniator]

You gotta be insane to ride a motorcycle in a sea of cars, suvs, busses and trucks.

I have to assume the experience of riding must be AMAZING, or there are a lot of stupid/wreckless people willing to do it.

 

[Viper GTS]

Shouldn't you be replacing that helmet if your head hit the curb?

It probably saved your life if you were moving at any speed at all when that happened.

Viper GTS

 

[monkeydelmagico]

You gotta be insane to ride a motorcycle in a sea of cars, suvs, busses and trucks.

I have to assume the experience of riding must be AMAZING, or there are a lot of stupid/wreckless people willing to do it.

OP is in Iowa. It's a sea of corn not cars. I'm suprised his wreck involved another vehicle.

 

[xBiffx]

Were you trying to turn left or did the asshole turn left?

Sounds to me like you had your first dumbass moment.
These dumbass moments are an important part of motorcycling. Its those dumbass moments that serve as protection against really bad stuff.

So...how do you like that 650lbs now?


I remember the first time I had to do the lift of shame. Fortunately it was late and no one was around to see it.

The second lift of shame (quickly followed by the 20 mile ride of shame) was screwing up a turn and focusing on the outside of the turn. That resulted in me riding off road and when I tried to get back in the road the lip of the road gently sent me and the bike spinning. This was on my old ZX-11 (600+lbs) so that was awkward lifting up. Broken shift lever made the ride of shame home a bit tricky.

You can now join the ranks of riders who tell new riders "Don't get a new bike for your first bike because you are going to drop it". That and "You will crash"

So...about this shin injury.
What riding boots were you wearing that you ended up with a shin injury?
You may want to eyeball that helmet and really think about how hard it hit the pavement. Even if it looks fine, a solid hit to the helmet could result in a compromised shell.

I was turning left in front of a car that started going strait. The other driver probably had no clue what he did wrong.

I had on steel toe work boots. The injury on the shin was just below the knee so very high boots may or may not have mattered. Chaps on the other hand....

I am surely getting the helmet checked from what I learned in class. I think its probably ok because it felt mostly like a tap, it was just the angle that cause it to scratch a bit. But I am going to check it out in case anyways.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[xBiffx]

OP is in Iowa. It's a sea of corn not cars. I'm suprised his wreck involved another vehicle.

Honestly everytime I move to a new state I think I've encountered the worst drivers on the planet. But then I move again.... I wish there were no cars here and all I had to negotiate were corn fields. :whiste:

 

[twinrider1]

I see guys on sport bikes wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops.

Around here those guys have nice helmets....bungeed to the seat. :facepalm


OP, glad you're basically ok.
Had to chuckle at the 'how do you like that 650lbs now' comment.
Heal up. You learned a good lesson; you are invisible on the street.
See if your insurance will cover your helmet cost. It might be ok, but better safe than sorry.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

wow, glad youre okay. Ive had a few similar situations at 4-way stops. People are retards at 4-way stops.

Dont give up yet. Ive been riding for two summers now and I am IN LOVE with it. I get home from a shitty day at work, jump on my cruiser and just putz around for 30 minutes. It puts a smile on my face again.

Ive never laid down my bike, but have had a few close calls. One where a truck on the highways almost sideswiped me. Get a loud horn, Im sure mine saved my life there. Another time I was cornering pretty hard and didnt see a manhole cover mid turn... the rear tire lost traction on the cover and slid out... was able to recover though.

Eventually you will notice that your Cage driving will improve as well. Ive become much more aware of my surroundings, and more respectful of stopping distances.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Around here those guys have nice helmets....bungeed to the seat. :facepalm


OP, glad you're basically ok.
Had to chuckle at the 'how do you like that 650lbs now' comment.
Heal up. You learned a good lesson; you are invisible on the street.
See if your insurance will cover your helmet cost. It might be ok, but better safe than sorry.

Honestly, depending on how bad the damage to the bike is, I probably wouldn't even report it to insurance.

To the OP, I'm glad you're okay bro. Sounds like you locked the brakes and low-sided. Common rookie mistake. ABS probably would have kept you safe in this situation.

wow, glad youre okay. Ive had a few similar situations at 4-way stops. People are retards at 4-way stops.

Dont give up yet. Ive been riding for two summers now and I am IN LOVE with it. I get home from a shitty day at work, jump on my cruiser and just putz around for 30 minutes. It puts a smile on my face again.

Ive never laid down my bike, but have had a few close calls. One where a truck on the highways almost sideswiped me. Get a loud horn, Im sure mine saved my life there. Another time I was cornering pretty hard and didnt see a manhole cover mid turn... the rear tire lost traction on the cover and slid out... was able to recover though.

Eventually you will notice that your Cage driving will improve as well. Ive become much more aware of my surroundings, and more respectful of stopping distances.

I haven't either. I've had a couple minor tip-overs and been clipped by a car, on the freeway in rush hour traffic no less, but I haven't laid it down yet... knock on wood. I have about 7 years of riding experience and about 40,000 miles under my belt.

One thing I would recommend to the OP is that if you decide to keep riding, go to a parking lot and practice your panic stops. That way the next time you get into an "oh shit" moment with a car you will know the limits of your tires and braking ability. Brake lockups are the worst thing on a bike because it usually results in a sudden loss of control and a crash.

 

[xBiffx]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. At this point, I need all I can get.

I would agree, its sounds like I low-sided it with the front brake locking up while making a turn. My bad, but it still sucks that some asshole started the situation. But like all accidents, you remove one factor and the accident never happened.

I think the damage is going to amount to $1000-$1500 maybe even $2000 depending on labor. The saddle bag, light bar, crash bar, and fork cover probably together cost around $800-$1000. Plus the labor to change em out. I will check on the helmet, would be nice to get a replacement paid for (that's $300 right there). And also, I'd like it looked over by an expert to make sure that nothing else is bent or damaged. The large bolt holding the crash bar on the right side (and also holds on the floor board) was pretty bent and that concerns me. Granted the frame is much more sturdy than a long bolt but I want to be sure. I don't need anything else to think about when/if I get back out there.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. At this point, I need all I can get.

I would agree, its sounds like I low-sided it with the front brake locking up while making a turn. My bad, but it still sucks that some asshole started the situation. But like all accidents, you remove one factor and the accident never happened.

I think the damage is going to amount to $1000-$1500 maybe even $2000 depending on labor. The saddle bag, light bar, crash bar, and fork cover probably together cost around $800-$1000. Plus the labor to change em out. I will check on the helmet, would be nice to get a replacement paid for (that's $300 right there). And also, I'd like it looked over by an expert to make sure that nothing else is bent or damaged. The large bolt holding the crash bar on the right side (and also holds on the floor board) was pretty bent and that concerns me. Granted the frame is much more sturdy than a long bolt but I want to be sure. I don't need anything else to think about when/if I get back out there.

Insurance may just total it. How much did the bike cost? I'd take the saddle bags off and just keep looking on ebay for a set. They'll pop up eventually.

How far did the bike slide? Did any fluids leak out? Be glad you had crash bars or it definitely would be totaled.

Did you ride the bike back home? Does it ride okay? Sounds like most, if not all, of the damage is cosmetic. Would like to see some pics.

Then there is the hit your insurance will put on your premiums after reporting the accident. They'll likely jack up your rates if they don't drop you completely.

 

[xBiffx]

Insurance may just total it. How much did the bike cost? I'd take the saddle bags off and just keep looking on ebay for a set. They'll pop up eventually.

How far did the bike slide? Did any fluids leak out? Be glad you had crash bars or it definitely would be totaled.

Did you ride the bike back home? Does it ride okay? Sounds like most, if not all, of the damage is cosmetic. Would like to see some pics.

Then there is the hit your insurance will put on your premiums after reporting the accident. They'll likely jack up your rates if they don't drop you completely.

I paid $6700 although the bike is likely worth more according to NADA and KBB so I don't think a total is in order.

It slid maybe 8 feet. No fluids leaking. The damage appears to be mostly cosmetic. I'll try and get some pictures.

I rode it home after regaining some composure. It seemed to ride just fine even getting it up to 45 or so.

I don't think its going to be a large issue with insurance. Yeah, they could drop me but its my first incident. They know my record is clean.

 

[cabri]

OP is in Iowa. It's a sea of corn not cars. I'm suprised his wreck involved another vehicle.

Tractors are heavier than cars :hmm:

 

[hanoverphist]

left turns are the bane of riding for new riders, i think everyone on two wheels has either gone down, or almost gone down in the same situation at one time or another. count yourself lucky it was relatively low cost (to your wallet and body) and get back to enjoying your life.

i do like your ride, but i would have never paid more than a grand for a first ride.