Got creamed on Thursday

[aliensatemybuick]

Went out for short jaunt in the morning to meet a friend for coffee and a roll; guy turned left in front of me on the way home, causing m to drop the bike. I had slowed down when I saw the guy coming from the other direction and about to turn (just not ebough I guess). We managed to avoid hitting each other..thankfully Broke a few ribs, got some roadrash, and a contusion. But I can say based on the other people I saw in the hostpital truma ward that I was (apparnently) very lucky. I wish i can say it was the first time I fell victim to the dreaded "left turner" (nearly the same thing happened to me on a different bike 21 years ago.) I am 50 now, have to wonder if I will ride again.

Amazingly, the bike is nearly undamaged, but for some road rash on the left side crashbar and scuffed fairing edge (see pic). I have a spare crash bar, and some gold trim that I used to repair some road rash on the other side. Being that it is my Dad's old bike, there is no question that I will repair the damage. The joy I have derived from finding, buying back and riding his old bike after a 24 year gap is hard to describe. I fear that joy will be replaced by fear now. I am not getting any younger, and can't relay on being able to heal as well the next time...assuming I am even as "lucky" the next time. It just sucks. Thanks for listening.

What I will say about the fairing is it is amazing how it and the crash bar (OK, engine guard) sacrificed themselves to probect the bike, and me too (quite likely keeping me from being pinned under the bike). In the case of the fairing, the damage was almost nonexistent. It is a testiment to its superb design.

 

[aliensatemybuick]

Apologies for spelling...I am on painkillers. BTW, anything other than the edge scuff you see on the left fairing is just a reflection. Tyical of us types is to be more worried about the bike than ourselves, huh?

 

[SuperSheavy]

That sucks. I hope you get to feeling well soon. I just had my first ever spill in the street a few months ago. Was trying to jump out in front of traffic from a driveway and slipped my back tire, causing a high side. I was only going about 2 or 3 MPH, and the only injury was a burn on my shin. It still made me skittish to get back on, and darned near terrified whenever I had to lean. My bike is my only ride, so I spent a whole day that I had off in an Albertson's parking lot doing 8's and leaning till the pegs scraped. Had to get back in the saddle or walk everywhere. Lol. Still, I think it made me a better rider, and it was nowhere near as bad as your spill.

 

[Kynan C.]

Wow, that is not fun. I am glad to hear that you are recovering and doing better. Cracked ribs have got to be the worst, it even hurts to breath. Looks like the bike did better then you.

I have been riding since 15 and have only had two small crashes (knock on wood). One was on my buddies Honda CB360T, when I was learning to ride a "bigger" bike. I went to turn around at streets end, and I hit the front brake, and that was it. Went down, broke his mirror and turn signal off. Second time was a bit more scary, I got caught in a rut near the edge of the road, and it rode me all the way into the side of a dirt cliff wall thing. I couldn't get out of the rut. when I hit the dirt wall, it broke my bars, brake handle, turn signals front and rear, and scraped up my leg. Lucky for me I was close to stopped by the time the rut ran me into the wall.

Recover fast friend.

 

[aliensatemybuick]

Thanks for the encouragement. I don;t actually have too may cyclist friends (ones I did are now out of it). Also, the wife is already told me she;d like me to stop (though she did say it was my decision). Had to run it past some likeminded people. Funny thing is I generally have a short radius and ony take the bike out for short trips on local roads, only with the occaisional exception. Figured that way I'd avoid trouble. yet it found me anyway.

 

[Kynan C.]

I have had a few close calls over the years. The scariest one was when I got the speed wobbles. I thought I was a goner! It really does put you in check, thats for sure. I tend to "try" to stay out of the cities and spend most of the time in the mountains, and on non busy routes.

Typically I say... When I rode Mexico on the dual sport it was super populated, then nothing, not a person for a hundred miles.

What I have found with motorcycles is that they have a magnetic pull back to them, even after a bad experience. Get healed up and healthy again. By then you will have an idea what you want to do.

 

[Larry Fine]

I am 50 now, have to wonder if I will ride again.

I'm 61, and have been riding since my 18th birthday (not including my first ride/first crash on a friend's CB-100). I have been down maybe ten times in my life, although never at high speeds. But, I have never wondered whether I will ride again, as I know I will never stop. (Well, not never. )

Please heal well, take your time, don't blame the bike itself, and start again, even if easily at first. Learn from what happened, but don't fear and avoid it. If you stop riding, the devil wins.

 

[brianinpa]

Damn...That just sucks! I hope that you are feeling better.

 

[aliensatemybuick]

Well, here we are 9 days later after the accident. I am healing, slowly. Was able to replace the left side crash bar (had a spare). Was also able to do a decent repair to the fairing edge trim, using some leftover gold trim I had used to repair the other side after buying the bike. Did not come out quite as good as the other side, but it is serviceable. Have a left side mirror on order as well, as the orginal apparently hit the ground. There is s slight scuff to the clutch lever ball end, but mild enough that I can look past it. So the bike is healing, too. I even took it out for short spin up and down my dead-end block, and it seems to ride true and straight, so no obvious damage to the rims, forks, or frame. I feel a bit better, though still not sure how I wil deal with oncoming traffic moving forward (with abject terror?). Wife was less than pleased about my short trial run today, haw haw! Anyway, I am serious that I am more than a bit fearful that the "next time" I won't be as lucky.

ON EDIT: Uploaded a third photo (this one a closeup) showing my second attempt at fariing edge repair; I've decided I can live with it as is.

 

[BeachedSquirrel]

I'm glad to hear you are recovering well. One of the down sides to my current job is I work a lot of accidents and when it's involving a motorcycle, I always cringe. We've had a couple of fatality motorcycle wrecks this year and I had to work a wreck last month where a guy went down and ended up getting airlifted out.

On a side note, in the 80's my dad was involved in a motorcycle wreck. He was on a bike with his older brother (my uncle) when they crashed. My dad didn't sustain much for injuries but his brother was a total mess. The story goes my uncle died three times on the way to the hospital, but medics were able to resuscitate him each time. Every since that day, my uncle has been on disability. My dad told me many times over the years he has always wanted to get back on a motorcycle, but when he looks at his brother, that feeling goes away.

I hope your recovery continues to go well.

 

[Vetter 81]

Went out for short jaunt in the morning to meet a friend for coffee and a roll; guy turned left in front of me on the way home, causing m to drop the bike. I had slowed down when I saw the guy coming from the other direction and about to turn (just not ebough I guess). We managed to avoid hitting each other..thankfully Broke a few ribs, got some roadrash, and a contusion. But I can say based on the other people I saw in the hostpital truma ward that I was (apparnently) very lucky. I wish i can say it was the first time I fell victim to the dreaded "left turner" (nearly the same thing happened to me on a different bike 21 years ago.) I am 50 now, have to wonder if I will ride again.

Amazingly, the bike is nearly undamaged, but for some road rash on the left side crashbar and scuffed fairing edge (see pic). I have a spare crash bar, and some gold trim that I used to repair some road rash on the other side. Being that it is my Dad's old bike, there is no question that I will repair the damage. The joy I have derived from finding, buying back and riding his old bike after a 24 year gap is hard to describe. I fear that joy will be replaced by fear now. I am not getting any younger, and can't relay on being able to heal as well the next time...assuming I am even as "lucky" the next time. It just sucks. Thanks for listening.

What I will say about the fairing is it is amazing how it and the crash bar (OK, engine guard) sacrificed themselves to probect the bike, and me too (quite likely keeping me from being pinned under the bike). In the case of the fairing, the damage was almost nonexistent. It is a testiment to its superb design.

Not sure if it's Ok to ask if you were wearing a helmet at the time?

After looking at your last picture I dont think you had to lay your tank down!

Beautiful looking ride.
High 40's F here in IL

 

[aliensatemybuick]

Thanks. I was wearing a helmet, it is the law here in NJ, but I would wear one even if it wasn't. It hit the ground, has some scratches, so glad for that. Not sure I know what you mean by "laying my tank down".

Guess I should mention, now just over 2 months on, I am doing well. Even took the bike out for short ride around the block a week ago. Felt good.

 

[Kynan C.]

Thanks. I was wearing a helmet, it is the law here in NJ, but I would wear one even if it wasn't. It hit the ground, has some scratches, so glad for that. Not sure I know what you mean by "laying my tank down".

Guess I should mention, now just over 2 months on, I am doing well. Even took the bike out for short ride around the block a week ago. Felt good.

Glad you are doing well, and recovery is coming quickly. How was riding the bike? Any weird feelings?

 

[Vetter 81]

Thanks. I was wearing a helmet, it is the law here in NJ, but I would wear one even if it wasn't. It hit the ground, has some scratches, so glad for that. Not sure I know what you mean by "laying my tank down".

Guess I should mention, now just over 2 months on, I am doing well. Even took the bike out for short ride around the block a week ago. Felt good.

For some reason your bike just looked BIG and that I wouldn't think anyone would want to pull out infront of you.

I have an Windjammer V and just sent out my order for LED turn signals front and rear and tail/stop LED bulbs.

Still researching for an LED head light - Just to be seen better.

Glad to hear your able to get a ride in yet.

The rain has stopped here, I think, and hope to get out this week yet!

If I can ask again about what kind of helmet you were wearing and if you are thinking of a new helmet at all?

 

[BeachedSquirrel]

Guess I should mention, now just over 2 months on, I am doing well. Even took the bike out for short ride around the block a week ago. Felt good.

Glad to hear you're doing well. I too wear a helmet at all times while riding; and wouldn't have it any other way. I've seen first hand what wearing a helmet can protect you from when motorcycle is laid down.

 

[aliensatemybuick]

I was wearing an HJC half-helmet. It has some light scratches on it, but dince it hit the ground, I will be buying another to be safe.

As for my ride last week, I must admit, I hit a rut in the road at one point (was only about a 1-2 mile ride) and the bike wobbled a bit, and the sensation scared me for a second. I may have some fear issues to work out (fear of dropping the bike, fear of other vehicles on the road).

 

[Scott-E]

Still researching for an LED head light - Just to be seen better.

Switching to an LED headlight is going to be a problem with any Windjammer fairing. Truly bright LED's need a large heat sink. Some even need a fan to help carry away the excessive heat they produce. This requires a heat sink attached to the rear of the LED mount that extends inside the reflector and lens. There is not enough room between the back of the light and the fairing for that heat sink. There are H4 LED lights that do not have a heat sink that extends behind the light but those LED lights are no where near bright enough to be seen in daylight or see where you are going after dark. The only solution would require a liquid cooling system that would pull the heat out and transfer it to a remote mounted radiator located just below the fairing where it would be exposed to an unobstructed flow of air.

 

[Larry Fine]

What about making a hole through the headlight shell and, if necessary, the fairing behind it (I'm thinking 'a 2-inch hole-saw for the heat-sink above)?

A gasket could be fashioned to seal the space between the housing and the fairing to keep rain and wind out, I imagine.

Disclaimer: I have not looked behind the headlight of my, or any, fairing.

 

[Scott-E]

What about making a hole through the headlight shell and, if necessary, the fairing behind it (I'm thinking 'a 2-inch hole-saw for the heat-sink above)?

A gasket could be fashioned to seal the space between the housing and the fairing to keep rain and wind out, I imagine.

Disclaimer: I have not looked behind the headlight of my, or any, fairing.

That's going to restrict air flow. That heat sink needs open space so heat can be dissipated. The light pocket in a Windjammer fairing is just barely large enough for the headlight socket Craig designed the fairing around. I don't think he ever thought his Windjammer fairing would still have an avid following of users 45 years after he designed it. If he could have looked into the future I'm sure he would have made that pocket just a little deeper and perhaps employed a small vent that would provide air movement behind that light socket. Back when he designed the Windjammer the only headlights available were sealed beam. At that time 7" sealed beam Motorcycle rated head lights were limited to 35 watts due to the limited available power from generators on Motorcycles back then. They did not have rare earth magnets like we do today. Heat was never a problem with those sealed beam filament type lights or even the 60/55 watt halogen lights we have today. The only solution I can see is switching to a 5 3/4 inch headlight and fabricating an assembly that would adapt that headlight assembly to the mounting points in the fairing for the original Vetter mounts so the new assembly can be adjusted horizontally and retain the beam up/down adjustment knob in the fairing. The resulting gap would allow plenty of air flow for a 5 3/4 LED headlight. Unfortunately the cost would be more than anyone would want to pay simply due to the limited market for it. The best thing to do is simply keep your old 7" H4 Halogen head light. Perhaps in the future we might have a 7" LED headlight assembly show up with heat sinks mounted in the assembly with an integrated front mounted vent system that is the same size as current 7" head lights.

 

[Dave Ireland]

I use one of these...

And there's a 2"dia hole cut into the rear of the outer headlamp bowl. It might have squeezed in, but I didn't trust it to do so without damage, especially when the adjuster would be dragging it up and down against the shell. Also, the hole allows the feed cable and connector to be easily got at.
Ignore the totally bogus claims of lumen output on that box - all I can say it, it's 'adequate' and then some
Probably at least twice what the H4 lamp was putting out.
With these, you have to trust in a bit of luck that the position of the LED elements is close to the original position of the filaments, and that the overall reflector / lens and LED combination is good. Some combos just aren't and you will dazzle oncoming drivers, while thinking you've got plenty of light to see by. Ironically, if you had a good combo you'd have much more light to see by, as much less of it would be shooting off in uncontrolled directions.

The lamp unit I'm using is from an '80s Shogun, and is reckoned to be as good as anything produced by Cibie back in the day - Koyto cranked up some early CAD software to do it, and did rather well, by the looks of it. As a result of these being fitted to a million vehicles, they're unrecognised for what they are, and are as cheap as chips in your breaker's yard.
The Autopal one mentioned above is also reckoned to be a good one - as it should be, since it is a straight copy of one Cibie made forty years ago.