My first bin

[kave]

Came off my bike this morning. I was turning left into a gas station on Mt Wellington highway, and I saw someone waiting to turn right, slowed, and all of a sudden I was sliding on the ground. When I picked up my bike I noticed a large patch of diesel right where I lost control. Bike is fine, a few spots of minor grazing on the handlebars and tail-section, and on the side of the instruments. I am fine, a minor graze on my elbow. Visor popped off my helmet, but the helmet saved my head.
I guess I have learnt the importance of good gear, if I wasnt wearing my cordura I would be very sore now. Now have a tiny hole in the knee of my pants, but my armour saved me. I think I will have to be a lot more careful about keeping an eye on the state of the road, especially outside gas stations.

[Drum]

Bugger. Glad you're ok.

Time to get a new helmet eh.

[Macktheknife]

Well done for learning the lesson, bugger about the off to do it though! Very pleased to hear you are wearing the gear, good luck with the new helmet.

[vifferman]

Bad luck, Dude.
It gives me the shits the amount of crap on the road. Even though I tried to avoid all the scary-looking patches on the road this morning, my tyre was spinning up before I was halfway to work, so it must've sucked up something I missed seeing and rode over.

[jimbo]

Bad luck.Glad you ok.:scooter:

[Chickadee]

Sorry to hear of your spill but glad to hear you and the bike are okay.

Really puts the shits up you when you first come off a bike. Off to buy a new helmet and - have you done a RRRS course yet? Found it was good for re-building confidence www.rrrs.org.nz, courses are one a month from memory. Only $50 for a days learning and practical riding on an airbase out West.

Hope you are back out riding with a new helmet soon!
Take care
Chickadee

[tri boy]

Sorry to hear that.
Happens in a "flash". Not a lot you can do. Glad the riding gear passed the test.:yes:

[kiwifruit]

not good to hear, but least you are not badly hurt eh

hope you are doing ok now

[gijoe1313]

Poopers :no: Sorry to hear about your incident - glad you were wearing good gear and only ended up with minor owie ow ows! :sweatdrop

I guess you can use your helmet for other purposes now, and at least it gives you an excuse to shop for another helmet :pinch:

Did anyone stop to help you?

[Donor]

Something to be said for having all the right gears eh?

Get a new lid, and get back in the saddle, best thing for you... well, that and RRRS as a wise woman once posted...

[heyjoe]

hey Kave,

Sorry to hear about ur 'off'
Glad to hear u are not too damaged. I guess its helmet shopping time eh?
Hope u get back on the horse again soon and keep on ridin'

[Chisanga]

Bad luck mate but good you are ok. I was amazed at the amount of rainbows I saw on the road on my way to Uni this morning. I guess the first decent rain in a while brings it all out.

[kave]

I was quite suprised that the traffic was just driving around me, not stopping to check if I was alright, but a good guy walking along the footpath checked that I was still alive and not badly injured which restored my faith in humanity.
It looks like the bike may be a lot worse than I thought, riding it home from work today I felt that I was having to steer to the right to go in a straight line. Possibly bent the forks, anyone know how expensive that is? Booked in for an insurance assesment, so I guess I will know how bad the damage is by Friday. I might have to look into replacing my 50 cent malaysian tyres as well, just to help prevent incidents like this. Bugger.

[moT]

Just Hack it get on that bike and go thru that diesel again and again until you dont come off lock up ur breaks on it make sure u let that diesel know that it made a bad choice makeing u come off! when i come off i go back and do it again until i have conqured it it always works

[Chisanga]

Just Hack it get on that bike and go thru that diesel again and again until you dont come off lock up ur breaks on it make sure u let that diesel know that it made a bad choice makeing u come off!

It may just be me but I don't think that this is the best advice in the world.

[moT]

i do it whenever i come off if something you do makes you come off do it again and again faster and harder and make sure you dont come off like comeing off on a gravel road i know now how to ride in gravel v well 1. doesnt make you scared of whatever you came off on 2. increases confidence 3.it may seem crazy but it works 4. if you come off more than 5 times retrying sleep on it and do it again tomorrow

[moT]

by the way this excludes collisions with cars

[Chickadee]

Hi Kave,

Your forks - possibly the stanchions have twisted around within the triple clamps. Quick fix, is to face your bike - front wheel between your knee's, and give it a short sharp twist on the handlebars (opposite way that you kissed the deck). And then take it for a quick spin to see if it helped straighten it up. Tip from Hubby (McJim) by the way. We've had this experience.

If you're not sure and want to give it a go - send us a PM, we're in Botany Downs.

Cheers
Chickadee

[Chisanga]

Hi Kave,

Your forks - possibly the stanchions have twisted around within the triple clamps. Quick fix, is to face your bike - front wheel between your knee's, and give it a short sharp twist on the handlebars (opposite way that you kissed the deck). And then take it for a quick spin to see if it helped straighten it up. Tip from Hubby (McJim) by the way. We've had this experience.

If you're not sure and want to give it a go - send us a PM, we're in Botany Downs.

Cheers
Chickadee

I vouch for this method... McJim has straightened my forks with this method to great success :)

[beyond]

Shit Phil, it happens to us all at some stage. Just as well it wasn't a high speed one but now you know why I harped on about decent gear.

Always by the best you can afford cos on a bike that's all you have between you and serious inury.

Chikadee is right. The forks have twisted in the clamps. In a low speed off this can happen on the smaller bikes. Shove the front wheel up against a post or wall and give it a sharp twist in the opposite direction. You can normally gte it fairly right but on your next service get them to check front and rear alignment and ask them to check it out.

It takes a good collision or real hard whack to get your forks out of alignment on a permananent basis requiring straightening or such like so don't sweat it.

Oh, course you will find out now your corduras aren't waterproof anymore around the knee area :( Bummer but at least you have a knee cap mate

[Cynos]

i do it whenever i come off if something you do makes you come off do it again and again faster and harder and make sure you dont come off like comeing off on a gravel road i know now how to ride in gravel v well 1. doesnt make you scared of whatever you came off on 2. increases confidence 3.it may seem crazy but it works 4. if you come off more than 5 times retrying sleep on it and do it again tomorrow

What? Has anyone ever explained gyroscopic force to you Tom?

[Big Dog]

Came off my bike this morning. I was turning left into a gas station on Mt Wellington highway, and I saw someone waiting to turn right, slowed, and all of a sudden I was sliding on the ground. When I picked up my bike I noticed a large patch of diesel right where I lost control. Bike is fine, a few spots of minor grazing on the handlebars and tail-section, and on the side of the instruments. I am fine, a minor graze on my elbow. Visor popped off my helmet, but the helmet saved my head.
I guess I have learnt the importance of good gear, if I wasnt wearing my cordura I would be very sore now. Now have a tiny hole in the knee of my pants, but my armour saved me. I think I will have to be a lot more careful about keeping an eye on the state of the road, especially outside gas stations.


How very refreshing. An I binned thread that does not go on and on about it was someone elses fault and got straight to the point of understanding your lessons.

Good work.

[skidMark]

youve popped your sliding down the road cherry.....ive dun it 9 times now! lol

[Big Dog]

Just Hack it get on that bike and go thru that diesel again and again until you dont come off lock up ur breaks on it make sure u let that diesel know that it made a bad choice makeing u come off! when i come off i go back and do it again until i have conqured it it always works

Not smart in traffic.

Learn to ride in slippery conditions is great advice.
Repeating a negatively rewarded action on what sounds to be a busy road without getting further information may work (eventually) but could also see him badly hurt or even killed. Or he may just spend all of his remaining confidence failing to learn.

[skidMark]

shit u guys are really digging into poor tom.

[Big Dog]

shit u guys are really digging into poor tom.

No more than I would to my best mate or someone I have never met (as is the case) if he offered advice that was potentially fatal.

This is not personal. There are just some things I cannot leave to run their course.

[Biggles08]

It looks like the bike may be a lot worse than I thought, riding it home from work today I felt that I was having to steer to the right to go in a straight line. Possibly bent the forks, anyone know how expensive that is?


Hi Kave, hard luck on the bin. I've bent my forks in the past and had them straightened by a crowd down in Cambridge called 'wheel and frame NZ.' They did an awesome job and it only cost $40 per fork and $120 for the front rim. Very quick service too...I would highly recommend them if you need professionals to straighten them. Also, do you know if the front hit anything? If so you may need them straightened by a professional because despite what 'beyond' said earlier in the thread, when the bike hits something it is stopping quite a bit of inertia and doesn't need a big hit to do a fair bit of damage. Good luck with the fix.:yes:

[Disco Dan]

Shame to hear about your bin dude... never pleasant but it happens to even the most seasoned riders at some stage or another.

Remember you can usually 'smell' diesel which helps to avoid it. Petrol stations are pretty bad for it though!


My first bin...

[Cynos]

shit u guys are really digging into poor tom.

Not really. It was just this comment -



i do it whenever i come off if something you do makes you come off do it again and again faster and harder and make sure you dont come off like comeing off on a gravel road i know now how to ride in gravel v well


Now, I don't know all the ins and outs of the physics, but my rough understanding is that the wheels of a motorcycle are like a spinning top - the faster they spin, the more reluctant they are to fall over.

I'm riding on a gravel road on a road bike every day, so I've had some practise on this - at 30-40km/h, the bike's wobbling and dipping all over the show, at 60-70km it's far more stable.

But to extrapolate from that "the solution in life is to do it again faster" is just asking to be naturally selected against.

(And besides, it ignores the obvious point - at 60km you've got half as much reaction time as at 30km, ergo your bike may be more horizontally stable, but you could still end up in a nice deep bit of gravel which bins you, because you didn't have a chance to avoid it.)

I understand his point about not letting fear conquer you, but yeah, you shouldn't mistake a quirk of physics for your skills improving.

[Bruiser]

i do it whenever i come off if something you do makes you come off do it again and again faster and harder and make sure you dont come off like comeing off on a gravel road i know now how to ride in gravel v well 1. doesnt make you scared of whatever you came off on 2. increases confidence 3.it may seem crazy but it works 4. if you come off more than 5 times retrying sleep on it and do it again tomorrow


Just Hack it get on that bike and go thru that diesel again and again until you dont come off lock up ur breaks on it make sure u let that diesel know that it made a bad choice makeing u come off! when i come off i go back and do it again until i have conqured it it always works

Tom this just about qualifies you for an honours degree in poor advice!

To repeat any accident lead-in behaviour involving the same risks (diesel, traffic, etc) and advising a rider to "do it again and again faster and harder" is not only bad advice, it has the potential to border on suicide!

I fervently hope the moderators here see fit to add a bold notice to your posts that your advice and opinions should definitely not be taken seriously.

[Chrislost]

I was quite suprised that the traffic was just driving around me, not stopping to check if I was alright, but a good guy walking along the footpath checked that I was still alive and not badly injured which restored my faith in humanity.
It looks like the bike may be a lot worse than I thought, riding it home from work today I felt that I was having to steer to the right to go in a straight line. Possibly bent the forks, anyone know how expensive that is? Booked in for an insurance assesment, so I guess I will know how bad the damage is by Friday. I might have to look into replacing my 50 cent malaysian tyres as well, just to help prevent incidents like this. Bugger.

unless the bike actually hit somthing its unlikley, loosen the top trippleclamp bolts put the wheel between your legs and twist the bars untill straight again.
if a fork is bent you will not be able to steer one way, and you would most probably be able to see with your eye.
or you can sit on the bike and put it against a post or somthing solid...

also if it does turn out to be bent spectrum on barrys pt road in takapuna can sort it for you.

[kave]

I managed to straighten the wheel out after getting advice from this thread. Handlebars are slightly bent, but that doesnt seem to affect the handling.
I haven't lost confidence since my bin, but I have become more careful, and am reassesing how I brake, and how I deal with less than ideal road surfaces. I think wiping out was probably a timely reminder that I shouldn't let my confidence get ahead of my skills. Thank you all for the help and advice that you have posted here.

[Big Dog]

Depending on your circumstances you may wish to participate in the mentor rides on wednesday night.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=48933

[kave]

Almost a month on from my bin and what have I learnt?

I have learnt that my bike is not a high spec sportsbike, and as such the rear brake accounts for a significant amount of my braking ability, I was badly under-utilising the rear brake before my crash.

I have learnt that its better to keep an eye on the road surface, than to ignore it and end up getting a real close look.

I have learnt that even if its just a quick lunchtime run from work to burgerfuel, I still gotta dress for the crash, not the convenience.

I have learnt that state insurance are slack, no payout and its getting on to one month since the accident.

I guess I have been taught some important lessons, and I hope my minor bin has saved me from making a worse mistake at higher speeds. I have also learnt that it would probably pay to have insurance covering the cost of a rental, especially when the bike is my only transport.

[Biff]

I fervently hope the moderators here see fit to add a bold notice to your posts that your advice and opinions should definitely not be taken seriously.

Sorry bruiser - we can't do that. This is an open forum where everyone is entitled to express their opinion, providing they adhere to forum netiquette. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netiquette#Forum_etiquette)


As daft as the opinion may be.:yes:

[Steam]

i do it whenever i come off if something you do makes you come off do it again and again faster and harder and make sure you dont come off like comeing off on a gravel road i know now how to ride in gravel v well 1. doesnt make you scared of whatever you came off on 2. increases confidence 3.it may seem crazy but it works 4. if you come off more than 5 times retrying sleep on it and do it again tomorrow

That is so dumb, you must be trolling.
You do what you describe when skiing, when there's nice soft-ish snow to land on. Not when there's concrete about.

[sunhuntin]

Shame to hear about your bin dude... never pleasant but it happens to even the most seasoned riders at some stage or another.

Remember you can usually 'smell' diesel which helps to avoid it. Petrol stations are pretty bad for it though!


My first bin...

hehehe, funny.

ive never been alerted to any lost fuel on the roads surrounding my work, but have seen some decent sized diesel spills on the court. [dumass truckers who keep on pumping till it comes back all over everything, and then leave it for someone else to clean up. wankers]

i hose the court down when the size of the spill warrents it, or its dangerous in terms of slipping over. but, that means i have to cone off that pump, and its one of only 2 diesel pumps we have. with the wet, i spend more time catching my balance than anything else. hosing it down usually takes about 2 hours as well, to remove as much as possible.
last winter, we got a pack of scooter boys from the local high school. showing off, "revving" and pretending to take off, then stopping suddenly and whipping the front end up. one jerk did that and nearly went sideways. hehehe.

[twinkle]

i hose the court down when the size of the spill warrents it..........hosing it down usually takes about 2 hours as well, to remove as much as possible.

I'm hoping this doesn't end up going down the stormwater drain...

[Disco Dan]

hehehe, funny.

ive never been alerted to any lost fuel on the roads surrounding my work, but have seen some decent sized diesel spills on the court. [dumass truckers who keep on pumping till it comes back all over everything, and then leave it for someone else to clean up. wankers]

i hose the court down when the size of the spill warrents it, or its dangerous in terms of slipping over. but, that means i have to cone off that pump, and its one of only 2 diesel pumps we have. with the wet, i spend more time catching my balance than anything else. hosing it down usually takes about 2 hours as well, to remove as much as possible.
last winter, we got a pack of scooter boys from the local high school. showing off, "revving" and pretending to take off, then stopping suddenly and whipping the front end up. one jerk did that and nearly went sideways. hehehe.

The challange petrol station was absolutly shocking last time i was there.. the one after the greenhithe bridge on the shore next to wash world.... the entire forecourt was covered in diesel.... the dumb arse behind the counter tried to have a go at me when I began cleaning my wheels with the windscreen brush... gave him a right earfulll..... I was not impressed.... told him where I would stick the brush.....

[kiwi cowboy]

I was quite suprised that the traffic was just driving around me, not stopping to check if I was alright, but a good guy walking along the footpath checked that I was still alive and not badly injured which restored my faith in humanity.
It looks like the bike may be a lot worse than I thought, riding it home from work today I felt that I was having to steer to the right to go in a straight line. Possibly bent the forks, anyone know how expensive that is? Booked in for an insurance assesment, so I guess I will know how bad the damage is by Friday. I might have to look into replacing my 50 cent malaysian tyres as well, just to help prevent incidents like this. Bugger.

Get some desent tyres kave those cheepes are death traps. Had them on a cruser i had going to ch ch in rain scareiest trip i ever had aquaplained all over the place good to here u ok:Punk: :sick:

[_intense_]

damn man, bad luck there, note to self, take more care near gas stations. glad your intact though.