Smith goes down on the MC

[Smith]

Had an accident on Thursday, wound up with a broken rib and a minimally damaged bike.  I am a BIG believer in full gear and frame sliders now.  You can read the whole thing at http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/showthread.php?t=79219 if you wish.

All you MCers get some full gear!

Steve

[crt360]

Glad to hear you came out reasonably O.K.  Your bike doesn't look too bad either - I guess those frame sliders work.  Fortunately (or not), I've done all my MC crashing on dirt.  I save the pavement for pedal-powered accidents.  

Heal fast, fix the bike and ride again.

[...has left the building.]

Good to hear that you're alright! Your rib will be healed up in no time.

Does the Sprint have a fairly flat power curve or is it more like a supersport?

[280plus]

Don't tell me let me guess, it only hurts when you laugh...

Glad you're ok!

[Guest]

I did almost the exact same thing last week, only at 30mph. I broke my clutch lever and did some minimal cosmetic damage. My jacket had some cool rashing on the forearm now, which I guess is good for some "street-cred".

I have found, at least for me, that crashes happen when things are going really great. The bike is handling good, your feeling good about everything, and you feel like you can just push that that little bit beyond your/the bikes ability. I havent ever recieved any warning signs for crashes, if I could see them coming I would avoid them.

I noticed the mention of your MP3 player. It seems that people are constantly getting injured from things in pockets. I still remember a thread on THR where people advocated carrying full sized pistols in shoulder holsters on bikes, ouch.

[Smith]

Dan, to answer your question I'd say it's VERY flat.  It's so flat that when you lay on the gas at 5k rpms I think you're putting near max torque (almost 80 ft-lbs) and almost all the HP too (123) so yeah, you can break her loose about anytime if you want to.

[Balog]

When I first read this thread title I thought you were using MC as a descriptor for a person ala MC Hammer; I was prepared to hear about your latest adventures "in da club" as the young people say these days.

Seriously tho, glad you're ok.

[BillBlank]

Stuff in pockets or rucksacks hurts. Bought a tailpack after I used a laptop as a back protector. Good crash bungs are great and happy to hear you're not in too bad shape either.

Anyone else notice the motorcycle topics popping up like the first buds of spring? You should ride through winter it's good for the soul (and the throttle control).

[Brad Johnson]

I dunno, I made a four-wheeler mad at me last year. I can only imagine what would happen if I only had two wheels under me...

[Guest]

Anyone else notice the motorcycle topics popping up like the first buds of spring? You should ride through winter  it's good for the soul (and the throttle control).

After this last winter in Seattle I think I'm better in the wet than in the dry. Only time I have crashed this year was on a bone dry evening.

[Smith]

Hell, I DID ride through the winter.  I've ridden 7k miles since October!

[BillBlank]

Well smith, I guess that must mean jesus just doesn't love you.  It's either that or it's his way of balancing out idiots like me that got away with it by dumping on someone the other side of the world.

Did you not fit those stabilisers that triumph ship with american market bikes?

I love my 750 but having ridden a sprint and other larger engined bikes I can see the appeal of a comfy cushion and that WOOOOOOOOOSH! you get with lots of torque. Any gearbox problems? heard rumours to that effect.

c_yeager I have to concur, I get used to feeling my tyres moving a little and get puzzled when they don't. I've not YET, crashed in the wet. To get the same feedback in the dry I have to be going a little bit faster, a road to Damascus moment that now see's me doing track days and trying to keep my road speeds in two figures.