It Finally Happened(2)..

**Kwaka-Kid** · 30th December 2003, 12:03

This morning on the way to work i low sided my '88 VFR400

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turning right thru a green light from st lukes road into great north road, a downhill right hander in the rain @ approx 6am... As most of you know i recently put a brand new Sport Demon on the rear, and those of you that know that will also know how much i have cursed over the shit Metzler ME33 on the front end.. well it was about a 30kmph shit-all-lean 90degree dropping corner and i was 30% around it when the front tyre just let go...this is my first proper low-side... What was interesting was that i was wearing jeans, a jacket, gloves, boots and a helmet, and not one of these was damaged, the jeans in the right knee got black road rubbing marks but no tear, and damage to myself is just a purple knee with some cuts and black stuff (yet my levi red tags are fine?). damage to bike is the right hand fairing panel only pretty much, and only minor sliding scrapes... also it put 3 crack lines thru my right hand mirror tho but no external case damage, oh and the pillion peg bracket got very minor marks too... all in all a great cheap experience, and damnit i wish i had either got a crappy metzler on rear so that had of let go earlier and i could have done something, or put a sport demon on the front so again the rear would have let go first. Now the tricky thing about it? it was a genuine knee down/fairing slide and carry on going!! it was sliding along at like 5kmph when my right foot kicked out and put the bike back upright and almost whipped over to smack down on the left but stumbling on my left foot a few steps i just kept it up, and carried on my commute (obviously that bit was at like 3-4kmph). So yeah, yay im kinda happy and amazed that it only really hurt my pride more than anything and just put scratches on one panel... Heres to low sides!

**Motoracer** · 30th December 2003, 12:44

Sorry to hear about it but at least you don't seem that bumed. So are you still sticking your knee out with the pair of Jeans on?

**James Deuce** · 30th December 2003, 14:37

I lost the front this morning too, but managed to save it. Dropped the bike into the shop to get the carbs cleaned as they were hosing fuel (needle jets buggered from sitting around with a tank full of old fuel) from the overflows on both carbs.

Turned into Vivian St from Taranaki St, dodged the car that drifted out into my lane as we went round the 2 lane left hand corner and ran over the big metal plate (absolutely pouring with rain this morning) in the road I had been trying to avoid, while I was leaning. Felt it go, gassed up a little and drifted round the corner. I was very pleased with myself. Not so pleased with contents of trousers.

Bad luck Kwaka. Hope you get it all sorted soon.

**Kwaka-Kid** · 30th December 2003, 15:31

cheers dudes and yeah yeah its all good... and yeah im a little bummed motoracer, definatley some shame but i figure sweat it all out now

hehe, kinda happy in a way that i did minor damage.. didnt gas it, didnt use brakes, just slide the front and considerd stand her back up and going straight (like on pukekohe that time, and on my gpz750 once). but then i was just like, accept it, hope, and it may all turn out.. and it basically did, i felt like a pro even when @ slow speed i kicked the bike back up, okay it prolly looked newbie that i nearly fell over on the other side then but the happy thought in my head is that i got my whole fairing down in a corner and everything, and brought it all back up in a motion.. not exactly a flowing-perfectly motion but still

**wkid_one** · 30th December 2003, 16:21

Originally Posted by Jim2

ran over the big metal plate (absolutely pouring with rain this morning) in the road I had been trying to avoid, while I was leaning.

What the fuck is up with them putting those arse of a roading obstacle on corners anyway. There is a great big one on the roundabout at the north end of Upper Hutt and another on the Terrace where I turn out of my car park - WHY do to the insist on putting slippery metal plates on corners (on the road at all for that matter). What next: wet varnished wood at every intersection? Perspex covered pedestrian crossings?

Sorry to hear about the off KK - shit always seems to happen when you are just tootling along - never when you are truly punting (thankfully). Glad to hear everything is okay.......

**Andrew** · 30th December 2003, 16:57

Join the club!!

I've found that its ruined my confidence a little bit since low siding my bike. I don't have as much trust in my tyres and won't be trying anything too fancy until I've chaged the GPR80 on the rear to a sport demon.

Anyway glad to hear you're in one piece. Maybe you should consider protection for your legs. Question is, can you still call yourself a Westie when you're wearing complete protection?

**bluninja** · 31st December 2003, 07:03

KK, I'd bin those Levi red tags if I were you, they seem to have a fondness for tarmac

Glad there is no major damage to you or bike. Don't suppose it will slow you down at the racetrack though

BTW are you going to Taupo for the race meet on the 18th?

TTFN

**Big Dog** · 31st December 2003, 07:14

We've said it once we've said it a 1,000,084 times get good rubber on both ends, wear knee protection.

Glad to hear you are okay, even if the ego is in tatters from proving us right.... again.

**wkid_one** · 31st December 2003, 12:06

Originally Posted by Big Dog

We've said it once we've said it a 1,000,084 times get good rubber on both ends, wear knee protection.

Glad to hear you are okay, even if the ego is in tatters from proving us right.... again.

I must say tho that KK has come a long way from the 20 year old cross ply rear tyre on the front of the GPz with the seized left forkleg on that fateful ride to Paeroa races last year. Give him some credit - this time at least he KNEW there was something wrong with the tyre.

**Kwaka-Kid** · 31st December 2003, 15:09

haha cheers wkid.. and yeah blu i JUST got my leave approved for a 4 day weekend, fri-mon, so i can go to big day out too.. yay.. and yeah i cant wait to put a sport demon on.. it has definatly affected my confidence in THAT front tyre only, i still feel as soon as i get a sport demon on front i should be back to usual sorta confidence... or at least i hope.