High sided today

[rmcnelly]

South of Northwest River State park, on some farm roads with some tight curves. Was turning right, thru a tight 15 mph turn, got on the gas hard, the back end stepped out, hooked up, and suddenly I was doing the MotoGP high side dance with my butt in the air, and still hanging on to the handlebars.

Once the bike hooked up, it headed into the turn, into the (very narrow) ditch at an angle, the front wheel went down into the ditch and stopped, the back end came up, and I continued over the bars and landed on my head on the grass at the edge of the road, and then I rolled a bit. The bike was still upright since the ditch climbed up higher than the road. The back end was up the slope and the rear tire was hanging free with the wheel spinning. I took me a bit to get up because it felt like my spine was crushed when I landed on my head.

Turned the bike off, walked back down the road, and saw the small gravel my rear wheel had spun on when I got on the throttle to power thru the turn. Pulled the bike away from the slope to get the rear end down, got it started and rode it out of the ditch. The right radiator shroud is pulled back and torn. The lower shroud mounting tab on the radiator is pulled 90 degrees back. I cleaned all the weeds and grass out, and knocked some of the mud off. Grass is wedged between the front rim and the tire.

The right handlebar mount appears to be bent back towards the tank and has the bars all cockeyed. I think I can pull it out, and try bending the bolt back straight. I think the aluminum tab on the radiator can be bent back in line with a couple of large crescent wrenches. Other than some light scratches in the plastic, and the busted shroud, the rest of the bike is fine.

Helmet has some very light grass scratches above the visor where I landed on my head. Gloves, and aerostich did their jobs, I can see where the 'stitch saved my right leg and knee some rash. The right Sidi Champion boot's toe is scuffed. My camelback is fine, and my fanny pack with a cell phone holster on it held up ok. The GPS stayed in the RAM cradle and was still on.

My spine still hurts, so I parked it in the garage, and took some aleve. I think I'll go lay down for a bit, but I know I'm gonna be stiff when I get up. I'll check in later.

[Twiztted]

Dang sorry to hear that man! Hope you feel better soon. Sounds Cliche' but the bike is just a easy (monetary fix) your not so easy to fix but you sound like you made out very lucky. Im still healing from an #hole who pushed me off the road by taking my lane on my '06 Gixer 1K. Totalled the bike and I am still slightly limping from going evasive and endoing from a tree root on the side of the road at around 40mph. Consider yourself lucky...heal up....and get back in the saddle bro ?

[DougJ]

The dreaded highside... I hate those.

I highsided a Buell one time and slammed my head into the ground so hard I was spitting blood. Torn sinus from the impact I assume. Rode the bike 80 miles home... ?

[Neil Claydon]

Glad to hear you and the bike are mostly ok, and will live to fight another day.

But tomorrow you will fel a little

Neil. ?

[rjsurfer]

Take it easy for awhile, tomorrow might be the day ? for pain.

Glad you were properly dressed....

Ron W.

[rmcnelly]

Thanks for the empathy and encouragement. My spine just below the shoulder blades still hurts, but laying down helped.

I'm glad I didn't do this on the ST1100, the damage would have been severe on that bike.

[Duken4evr]

Aleve is the best. Keep taking those and here's to a speedy recovery.

Sounds like you managed to combine the highside with a flying W! Last time I did one of those, I separated my right shoulder. I was screwing around in some tall grass. The traction was ultimate. I was doing 3rd gear circles seeing how far I could lean it over. I did not see the log in the grass. I may have well hit the eject button. The embarrasing thing is, this all occurred within 50 yards of my truck ?

[rmcnelly]

Aleve is a lifesaver :-)

I'm still not sure what happened when the bike hit the ditch. The top of the front fender is scratched up enough for me to think it came very close to flipping over. Perhaps it expended the rest of the energy in ejecting me :-)

The shroud mounting tab on the radiator bent back easy, and I used a hair dryer to heat up the shroud to bend the backward fold out of it. I think the shroud caught the side of the ditch and was peeled back.

I think I can use some plastic repair to use on the back of the shroud where the break is. Anyone have some recommended plastic repair stuff?

[rmcnelly]

Got the handlebars straight again. Loosened the bar clamps, and the rubber mounts, and tightened them all back together so it was straight.

Bike looks like a dirt bike now with all the scratches in the plastic ;-)

I've got a 3.9 gal clarke tank on order w/TT, so I'm not all that concerned with looks.

[jlusk]

Sorry to hear about your get-off. High sided my RZ back in 1986, almost hung up the riding gear for good. The bike can always be repaired, that being said keep a good eye on yourself. Any numbness or tingling and you need to get down to a doctor and have him check out your back. Spent a few years in Yorktown racing around in high-speed boats, had a few crew members get compression fracture and blown disks just from the boat slamming on the water. A lot less stress then you just took landing on your head after a high side. Take care and I hope you are back in the saddle soon, to many great roads in Virginia to miss before winter sets in.

[rmcnelly]

Thanks jlusk, I'll follow your advice and see a doc if any numbness or tingling shows up. I'm hoping to get down to Deals Gap this year with the SM.

[Pockets269]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Glad you seem to be alright. Rest up so you can get back on that horse. Sucks when the tire won't grip when you want it too or grips when you don't want it too.

[flameoff]

Go To The Hospital

Go To The Hospital

Go To The Hospital

Go To The Hospital

[rmcnelly]

"Go to the Hospital"

I'm feeling better this afternoon, washed the bike and went back out for a ride. The plastic weld didn't hold on the shroud, so I'm trying JB weld tonight. I'll probably get replacement shrouds anyway.

I will go to the hospital if things don't continue to improve. I'm stubborn and stupid about hospitals, and once went for 24 hours with an 85% collapsed lung.

[Neil Claydon]

I'm stubborn and stupid about hospitals, and once went for 24 hours with an 85% collapsed lung.

That's OK, we don't use all of them anyway

Glad your on the mend

Neil. ?

[rmcnelly]

The second time the lung collapsed (2 years later), I was a little more prompt in seeking medical attention :-)

They stapled off the scar tissue at the top of the lung, and it's held ever since. Took a bit longer to recover since they pried the ribs apart to get up in there to do the work.

Hope this doesn't start an injury thread :-)

[Neil Claydon]

Hope this doesn't start an injury thread :-)

Now the last time I had an unplanned dismount, I broke, no nevermind.

Lets just say I was for a while

Neil. ?

[flameoff]

You may have a fracture in one of the bones in your back or neck and I'm sure that you don't want to end up paralyzed. Is it worth the risk to not go