Just curious, are you a vn rider???
Yes I am. I bought my first bike in May, a `91 VN 750, with about 12k miles and straight stock except that it has a windshield. It had always been kept in a garage and never been laid down, there was barely a scratch on it. I only had it for about 6 weeks when I got too close to the guardrail on a 3/4 loop exit ramp and dragged my leg against it for 50 feet and ended up in the ditch. My leg was broken and my shoulders are still kind of stiff from taking most of the force of the landing with my hands and arms. Other than that only a few minor scratches and bruises. The bike came out with only minor damage. The fork tubes are twisted a bit in the triple tree clamps but my friend rode it home for me and thinks it will straighten out by loosening the clamps and giving it a little twist back. One of the windshield angle brackets is bent some, but can be bent back to a 90 degree corner with a little heat and some persuasion over the edge of a vice or bench.
Kind of ironic, I`ve had a m/c licence for 41 years, then 41 days after I get my first bike I have a wreck! My experience is really long but very thin. I rode 100 cc bikes of cousins and friends out on the farm as a kid, and used my brothers 650 Honda for a few weeks about 30 years ago while fixing my car. Other than that I can count on my fingers the number of times I`ve been on a bike. I also took the riders course just after I got the bike.
I did not start into the exit too fast, but decided to go a bit wider and deeper so that I would approach the apex later and have a straighter line into the exit. Then everything seemed to happen at once and because of inexperience I did not react instinctively but had to think about my next move. A small push on the right bar would have saved me but I think my mind or reflexes resisted and turned right which straightened me up and left into the railing. I also think that I forgot to look into the corner where I wanted to go and fixated on the rail instead. A rookie mistake with nobody else to blame. So I still can`t put any weight on the leg and it will be next spring before I can ride again, but I am looking forward to it and not feeling spooked.
I`m thankful that I got chaps and boots before the bike and that I was wearing them along with a leather jacket( not m/c weight though) and helmet. The rail wore two holes through the chaps and my injuries would have been much worse without them I`m covinced. All summer I`ve sat with my leg up by the living room window and turning to look every time I heard a m/c engine winding up. Most of the guys on cruisers were wearing at least some protective clothing, but more often than not the sportbike riders were in shorts, tee shirts and tennis shoes. They are young and feel ten feet tall and bullet proof I guess. Sorry for the long answer to a short question. Hope you have had a good summer for riding.:rockon:OlHoss:rockon:
