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Geforce
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 12:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I got these really freaking awesome new sliders to put on my wife's bike. Keith from DHM sent them to me and I put them on Wednesday night. The next morning the sun was out, a little cold but I decided to ride the wife's new 2009 XB12Scg to work and let it stretch a little.

Got to work and it was about time to head home and meet up with the wife and take her to the Infant Birthing classes on post. So, I headed out and took a longer route home to burn up a little extra time I had and enjoy this sweet little ride.

I approached a corner I have been through many, many times. There is an MP training facility adjacent to it and there were 100's of fresh trainees out and about doing drills and receiving classes. I looked through down at my speed and brought it down from 40 MPH to 15 MPH to enter the corner in first gear. I offset my weight and loosened up on the grips and began my line into the corner. Throttle is smooth, speed is steady, and I see the exit...wait what is that in the road? Looks like a big puddle of, OIL?

Two options... go wide, or cut in. Going wide will throw my line off too much and put me into oncoming traffic. Adding a bit more lean and weighting the inside foot peg might get me by it narrowly and I can be safe.

I decide to lean in a bit more and that's when I heard the foot peg scrape. No worries I tell myself, keep it smooth and...sh!t. The handle bars suddenly kicked to the left and I feel the bike starting to wash out from underneath me. Hold on to it, I tell myself. Then I feel the pavement so I tucked my chin to my chest, and like a good paratrooper, kept my elbows high around my face and watched the bike separate as we slid across the banked pavement. I roll once to hop up on my feet and run for the kill switch and key off. Bike was dead by the time I got there, so I reach down and lift it back up and move it away from the road and put it down on the side stand. I glance around to make sure that nothing had come off the bike or myself to interfere with traffic and begin to check myself out.

I looked down at my right boot and noticed the scuffies and my torn ACU pant leg. A group of Soldiers came rushing over one with a medic bag to check on me. They all asked dif I was ok. I replied... sure, but my wife's bike isn't. The medic made me sit down and he swept my lowers and found a single quarter sized amount of road rash on my right knee. We flagged an MP down to log the accident for my insurance and I began to fill out paperwork.

The little Buell had taken a graceful spill, and she held up pretty well. Thanks to Keith, the replaceable delrin slider buttons are only going to cost me a few bucks to replace and they protected the swing arm and forks very well.

The right mirror, front brake lever, and right frame puck all took a little damage. The most expensive damage I believe will be the exhaust. The rear cylinder tube took a bit of rash on the fall which dented it slightly. The hand grip was unscathed save for the plastic end cap. And lastly, the floppy turn signal is slightly scratched.

All in all, I am plenty ok. The accident was slow speed and thankfully no oncoming traffic at the time. I was wearing the Buell Textile Adventure Jacket and Buell Gore-Tex gloves at the time along with my SHOEI helmet. Only minor damage to the right palm of my glove, my uniform and the desert boots I had on. For those of you who dip, my Copenhagen can kept my right calf from rubbing the pavement. That little tin lid is scratched up like crazy.

The phone call to my wife was interesting. I explained first that I was fine and that she should not wait for me to go to the Birthing class just in case the bike won't start or I have to go home to get the truck and haul it home. She wasn't concerned about the bike so much. She was upset that I had "wrecked" her bike and was going to miss the class.

So, like a good man, I put my gear on and started the bike up after a good inspection to make sure the forks weren't bent or wheels damaged, no fluid leaks... I rode it slowly the rest of the way home and parked it in the garage.

I am trying now to figure out if I should claim this or just repair it and drive on. I don't think the damage will exceed my $1000 deductable anyways, and I'd prefer not to claim it being no others were involved and the damage hopefully won't be that expensive.

The good thing is, the MP walked out to the road and verified that a road hazard was present that added to the loss of control of the vehicle. That is noted in the accident report.

Not the first time I've been down, probably not the last time, but I am blessed to say that it was one "better" times. The awful sound of the bike scraping across the pavement was all I could hear during the ejection maneuver. I would have been wearing my textile pants as well, but they are awfully hard to put on over a uniform. I am just glad that the truly the only thing that is damaged is my pride. ; )

I will try and post some pics tonight.

Damage List:

Right Rear Slider
Right Passenger Foot Peg
Right Foot Peg
Brake Lever
Exhaust Headers
Right Frame Puck
Right Handle Bar End Cap
Right Mirror
Front Brake Lever
Right Front Turn Signal
Right Front Slider

Oh and Keith... I swear to you I wasn't trying to TEST out your equipment. Thank you though for such wonderful stuff. When you come up with a slider to prevent the exhaust from getting rashed let me know. I will be one of the first to buy it. Maybe a guard? I'm sure if my Buells could talk, the 1125r would be pointing and laughing at the bloody nose I gave the little one. And she'd be blaming rider error and stupidity.

Thanks for reading.
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Froggy
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 01:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

You mentioned that stuff got scraped. Anything broken? If not, slap on a new frame puck and call it a day. Do what I do and say the half missing foot peg is due to your insane lean angle. : )
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Geforce
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 01:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Everything is still in tact. It just needs to be readjusted and cleaned off.

The only worry I have is the exhaust, the rest of it is still functional. For my wife's sake I will be taking it up to the dealer to have the bike looked over and everything checked. The guys at my local shop are great with this stuff, even on Buells.

I hear ya though. Most of the stuff is just blemished now, but fully mission capable. I feel obligated to repair it considering the wife hasn't ridden much since homecoming because she is pregnant. Her bike is a MAY 2009 Scg. : (
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Buewulf
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 01:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Glad you are OK.

With a 1K deductible, I definitely would not bother reporting it to insurance unless you discover some pretty serious damage. Personally, I would make the bike pretty again, especially one that new. It's ridable, so just fix it bit by bit over time if cash is tight. Perhaps the header rash can even be sanded down and then have the whole thing coated in ceramic to cover it up (unless it is dented badly)? Then you'd have a better header than you started with for less than a new one.

Oh, and the "extreme lean angle" excuse probably won't fly for the header!
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Treefrog
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 03:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Glad you are ok. If the pipe is too scuffed up to coat, but not dented too bad, wrap it.
Just remember, it doesn't have to be at 10/20 standard to be FMC. Of course your wife may not agree with that.
Enjoy the nice weather at the Wood.
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Theironmaiden22
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 05:12 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Did the same thing on my scg, except it was gravel I slid on. Some bicyclist slid into a turn on the sidewalk and threw gravel all over the road infront of me, so I didnt have a choice of wether 'hmm, go in tight or loose and hit traffic'. Scratched the shit out of my 'antennae' mirrors and broke the lens on my turn signal and scratched the frame puck. Nothing done to the headers, all I had to do was unwrap the headers and re-wrap them again, DEI Titanium wrap saved my headers except for a little ding from a rock.
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Augustus74
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 07:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Fix it yourself!
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Geforce
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 07:20 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

We got a battle plan hashed out. I think the only things I will ask the dealer to do is a complete inspection to make sure nothing is cracked or tweaked that I haven't caught. The majority of the damage is easy to replace items that I can do, one upgrade/replacement at a time.

If I could find some traction foot pegs I'd be in really good shape. That and a good solution for the mirrors. I haven't liked the mirrors to much anyways.
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Augustus74
Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 07:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

A bike shop that builds race bikes (drag or circuit) could help with the frame.
Everyone who has them, seems to like the Aprilia(Truono?) mirrors.

(Message edited by Augustus74 on November 20, 2009)
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Skully
Posted on Saturday, November 21, 2009 - 10:50 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Cory!

I'm glad that you are ok! Going wide and into oncoming traffic could have been a much worse outcome.

BTW, we are working on a right side slider for the engine/headers.

Keith
DarkHorseMoto
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Dancing_dogs
Posted on Saturday, November 21, 2009 - 12:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Good to know Keith!! I love my slider and hope I never need to test them.
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Geforce
Posted on Saturday, November 21, 2009 - 03:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Keith, that is good to hear. Put me down on the list and I'll pick em up when you are done with them!

Here are some pictures.


Right Side


Rear Slider


Front Slider


Puck


Exhaust


Mirror-Front Brake-Grip
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