[Freakinout]

This is like two months old now, I posted it on KP, but I figured it could be put to use here too. TAKE YOUR MSF COURSE!!!!! :twisted: :twisted:



This is what I learned on my second day of riding, which was over a month ago. First off I'll say that I was about 400 miles in by my second day, I was also half way through my MSF course.

I was making a right hand turn onto a residential street off a 50mph main street. I would have noticed the gravel if the entire street hadn't been completely covered in loose pea sized gravel, needless to say my bike just kinda went to the left of me while I went to the right and I got to eat some lovely gravel. I was wearing my helmet, but being a dumbass squid I wasn't wearing a jacket or gloves. I did have boots and jeans on, the jeans saved my legs from looking like my hands.

I wish our local government would put tar down when they put the gravel down on the roads. That was a paved road too, it just had a nice top layer, 1/2 inch or more deep, of pea sized gravel (I really hate that stuff now.).

Lesson learned: ALWAYS wear your gear, I mean always. I learned it the hard way, you know, 3 weeks of healing times for the skin to grow back on my hands, and now the scars to remind me to wear my extra layers of skin.

 

[jimmy james]

I agree. Over here in the UK you can wear what ever you like as long as you've got a helmet on.
I once had a incident when a ford fiesta coming towards me hit my ZZR600 on a hair pin bend. I had almost worn a pair levi's that day but went for my leathers at the last minute. Only suffered bruising, but would probably have broken bones and major cuts if I had not been wearing my gear.
Worst part was the lid was only five weeks old and took the paint clean off the top.
At least it wasn't my scalp I suppose.

 

[Freakinout]

I agree. Over here in the UK you can wear what ever you like as long as you've got a helmet on.
I once had a incident when a ford fiesta coming towards me hit my ZZR600 on a hair pin bend. I had almost worn a pair levi's that day but went for my leathers at the last minute. Only suffered bruising, but would probably have broken bones and major cuts if I had not been wearing my gear.
Worst part was the lid was only five weeks old and took the paint clean off the top.
At least it wasn't my scalp I suppose.

gear is replaceable, scalp growing back would be painful for long periods of time.

I need to get myself some leather riding pants, most likely I'll get a one piece racing suit though.

 

[03SSgt]

how much damage did you bike take?

 

[Freakinout]

how much damage did you bike take?

one turn signal, and a little rash on the fairing. Its all better now.

 

[pbob]

this sounds some what familiar... i'm very new to riding, (900 mi) while on a poker run with some new friends (Desert Diva's, who are awesome ladies) we were being assulted by strong wind gusts on a single lane highway (95 Parker, Az.) while my buds were all on big cruisers, i was on my Vulcan 500, coming around a left banking turn a big gust of wind hit my bike, i was positioned in the right side of the lane going apx. 50 mph... it was like i couldn't get the bike to respond, i panicked and applied brake, which i know transfers weight to the front and i lose traction... why didn't i think of that at the time????? The rear end skidded out in some loose gravel at the edge of the road, and we slid about 10 feet more. Anyway i was very lucky considering the road and other possible outcomes. I had on my fullface, jeans, boots, gloves... but just a lite shirt, (it was hot) i had one minor scrape on my right elbow ( no embedded gravel) a little black and blue on my posterior, and some minor sorness, my bike has a scraped up pipe, a broken turn signal lens, and my shifter was bent in. My buds said i road the skid like a pro... i just know i didn't want to be skinned and kind of tucked my arms in close while holding on to my bike. I learned to ride where your most comfortable (lane position) don't panick, and remember not to jump on the brakes in a turn... as for the wind gusts, i'm pretty put off by this right now, my pals said you have to learn to ride in all conditions, and i know thats true. i'll be working on it.

thanks for listening....

pbob back in the saddle as soon as the sorness wears off!