[HasJuice]

First off, let me start by saying I looked around for a place to put this, and I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong spot.

I'm mainly posting this because I need like-minded individuals to toss words with as I'm completely flustered right now.

What happened? I was out in Yellow Point on a leisure ride and some light rain started. Fortunately I had all my rain gear on.
I took the Island Highway to get there, and generally traffic was quiet.
I get out of a school zone, with a van in front of me, and some sedan behind me.
Everyone was keeping fair space margins as we had just come into a very very tight downhill turn.
It was what you'd expect from a country road. Iffy pavement with a lot of Tar filling etc etc... Rider 101: Riding back brake downhill, turning, in wet. Is a horrendous Idea. OBVIOUSLY I did no such thing. The van ahead of me starts to stop abruptly, I pull the bike up going about 10kmh and slowly apply the front brake. Right foot is still on the pegs, there's no way I even grazed the rear.
I let out the brake and lean in to get into a good position for the 4 way stop at the end up the road.
Next thing I know, I'm sliding down the hill on my side as my Ninja flies out of sight. I blacked out or something similar for a little while and when I got back up I looked around, both drivers in front and behind me stopped and got out to see if I was alright.. so I get to my feet, the nice man in front of my walked my Ninja to the side of the road, it went quite a ways after I stopped.
Nearly had a make-out session with a vans bumper as well.

So what's the damage? First off, it runs.
The right brake pedal is ripped off. and my fairings are FUBAR.
My Exhaust is beaten up as well.
All in all, my right side is completely done for.
I HAD to ride it home, as from a currency standpoint I couldn't afford the $200 to tow it home.. and it still ran, shifted, and braked fine.
this, in hindsight may have been a bad idea. But I had to.

After a while of making sure all my gear was in good shape and there was no bodily harm, I asked the woman behind me, "Did you see what happened?"
She must have a family member who rides, because she described it exactly how I would need to hear it to understand.

She said something like this: You were riding along, space margins were fine, I saw you straighten out and your brake light came on, then you slowly turned and straightened up again, then your rear-tire slid to the left, then to the right, then you tipped right and slid."

Guys, I know I might take heat for saying this. But what the hell did I do wrong?
Is this a "Shit happens" moment?

anyway.. I waited for a friend to come drive behind me on my way home.
It made it home no-problem.. Damages seem (Aside from the brake pedal) to be purely cosmetic.

So what did I do next? I called ICBC!
Here were my options,

Insurance premium goes up 75% and degrades down to a regular amount in 3 years time. But they cover everything, which is a couple grand in damage.

OR

I pay for it all and don't make the claim.

Let me start by saying, why am I paying for maximum coverage when it does nothing for me? What would you do? I'm honestly asking this as I still am trying to decide. I'm opting for fixing the damage myself.

I personally am fine, a little shaken up, I'm sending my helmet in to Shoei to make sure it's still fine.. and my gear held up amazingly.
When I hit pavement, I was wearing a Shoei RF-1100, Alpinestars Sp-1 gauntlets, Sidi B2 boots, a Shift Airborne Mesh Jacket with a Rainproof jacket over top. And unfortunately blue jeans, which didn't even fray.
I also had a backpack on.

Everything is still usable, save for the helmet which I wont know about until Shoei gets back to me..

Wear your gear.
I would be shredded if I wasn't.


So now I'm faced with a mint F4i.. a cosmetically shredded Ninja, and standard insurance rates.
My confidence is a little bashed.. but I'll be back on 2 wheels without any hesitation soon.

It sucks... a lot.
financially I can handle the repairs. but who likes spending 4 grand on stuff like this?

Anyway, I posted this as I wanted to share with you guys,
I'm a little mentally exhausted.. and I apologize for anything I might have said against a rule or posted this in the wrong place.

If you've got something to say, let 'er rip. I can take it.
Anything anyone has to say is appreciated. Even if it's to poke fun.

I'm really not sure what else to say...

Rubber side down guys/gals..

HasJuice

 

[hondacbr26]

glad you are okay man! as for the insurance, i would calculate how much money you loss by the 75% deduction, and then compare to the damage cost. ( note : your 75% deduction will affect your car insurance as well. ) therefore most of the time claiming icbc cost more at the end... plus there won't be a record of the accident at icbc.

 

[Coastmaster]

Sorry you fell off. It happens. Don't let it happen too often.

 

[jermyzy]

Sorry to hear, at least you're okay though! That's why I put on frame sliders on my bike. When I lowsided with my 250, only a couple minor scrapes on the bike.

 

[kelaog]

Did you down shift at all? In the wet and higher rpms down a hill it's relatively easy to compression lock the rear. I know you blacked out for a second and it's pretty common in accident scenarios.

 

[guy_likewhoa]

if your rear tire slid left-right-fall, then one of 2 things happened. either you locked the rear brake or you were on the gas. since you don't remember ever touching the rear brake, i'm gonna have to go with on the gas which cause the tire to slide like that.

 

[HasJuice]

In response to Kelaog and Guy Likewhoah:
I remember being in 1st gear very light on the gas when I wasn't braking.

Would it be worth it to part-out the Ninja?
I don't think I'll be riding it much more anyway even if it were fixed.

 

[kerunt]

I don't think I'll be riding it much more anyway even if it were fixed.

You'll change your mind in two weeks flat . I thought the same thing when I went down.

 

[Jaybo]

you're in a perfect position. you now have a scratched bike, fix the brake lever and ride the shit out it.. track bike? spend the money you were going to spend on the repairs to maybe take an ART class or something as well?

 

[HasJuice]

Well, I have an F4i I've been itching to get back on.
I'm thinking maybe part out the Ninja and use the cash to get some sliders on the F4i and pay the bills

 

[schmii]

I was out in Yellow Point on a leisure ride and some light rain started.

First rain after a dry day causes oil to rise to the surface of the road. It won't last long but the first hint of moisture is deadly. Best bet is to stay away from the road's middle especially near stop signs.

we had just come into a very very tight downhill turn. Iffy pavement with a lot of Tar filling etc etc...

fresh rain, tight turns, downhill, tarsnakes this is getting interesting.

going about 10kmh and slowly apply the front brake. I let out the brake and lean in to get into a good position for the 4 way stop at the end up the road. Next thing I know, I'm sliding down the hill on my side.

10kph and "leaning in" may spell disaster. Without centrifugal force to lean against your best option is to counterlean (lean out of the turn) as though the bike were stationary. With a slight lean in you were probably closer to the tipping point of the bike.

Dragging the rear brake should always occur while braking. In an extremely light brake application it should be the first choice for exclusive braking (practice both, use both always, rear only in stop and go is better than front). When you drag your rear brake the bike handles better. When you vary the front lever only there's greater weight shifts and less traction on the rear wheel.

You were riding along, space margins were fine, I saw you straighten out and your brake light came on, then you slowly turned and straightened up again, then your rear-tire slid to the left, then to the right, then you tipped right and slid."

Sounds like following cars down a hill through a stop sign in a stop and go fashion. I don't understand the slide at indicated speeds so it's balance? Variable front brake weight shifts, leaning towards the tipping point, stiff concern due to conditions. Were you watching the pavement due to questionable terrain? Sounds like stiff concerned riding with an overcompensation? The follower pointed out you were leaning and standing the bike up so it sounds like you were rigid. First emergency response for a non-rider in a vehicle is typically stomp the foot pedal. How long have you been riding?

 

[rc604]

In response to Kelaog and Guy Likewhoah:
I remember being in 1st gear very light on the gas when I wasn't braking.

Would it be worth it to part-out the Ninja?
I don't think I'll be riding it much more anyway even if it were fixed.

As guylikewhoa said, your rear probably locked up given that you were in first gear, going downhill on a wet (slick) road.

 

[HasJuice]

Hey guys, Based on what the lady behind me said. It sounds like a rear tire lock, I agree.
I just don't remember doing anything that could cause that.
for clarity, I was straightening out, slowing my speed because it was a steep hill, letting off the brakes to turn as to stay in my lane, rinse, repeat.
It was on the second brake application a the apex of the curve that this happened.

 

[rc604]

It happens quickly...I've got a steep driveway, and the rear end drags if I try to coast down in first, even on a dry day. Get back on two wheels soon!

 

[seakrait]

i say fix it yourself and sell it for cheap. you'll still probably get more for it as a learner bike for new riders than as separate parts since most new riders will probably look for a new bike down the road so they aren't looking at the ninja as a long-term committment.

edit: glad you're okay though.

 

[[BlackDiamond]]

Sorry to hear, you'll be back up and running in no time, congrats for actually trying to learn from the situation.

I'd have to vote for the 1st gear downhill on slick surface being the culprit as well.

 

[ZipperZee]

Hey man, sorry to hear about the accident. Glad you're okay.

I remember my first ride out in the wet (just after the rain), rear tire sliding all over the place.

Don't think the stock tires do so well in the wet.

 

[Frank Einstein]

Are you sure you weren't following too close? From your near encounter with the Van's bumper it sounds like you were, particularly for the conditions you were encountering. Glad your alright, though. Get back on your horse as soon as possible and learn from what happened.

First off, let me start by saying I looked around for a place to put this, and I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong spot.

I'm mainly posting this because I need like-minded individuals to toss words with as I'm completely flustered right now.

What happened? I was out in Yellow Point on a leisure ride and some light rain started. Fortunately I had all my rain gear on.
I took the Island Highway to get there, and generally traffic was quiet.
I get out of a school zone, with a van in front of me, and some sedan behind me.
Everyone was keeping fair space margins as we had just come into a very very tight downhill turn.
It was what you'd expect from a country road. Iffy pavement with a lot of Tar filling etc etc... Rider 101: Riding back brake downhill, turning, in wet. Is a horrendous Idea. OBVIOUSLY I did no such thing. The van ahead of me starts to stop abruptly, I pull the bike up going about 10kmh and slowly apply the front brake. Right foot is still on the pegs, there's no way I even grazed the rear.
I let out the brake and lean in to get into a good position for the 4 way stop at the end up the road.
Next thing I know, I'm sliding down the hill on my side as my Ninja flies out of sight. I blacked out or something similar for a little while and when I got back up I looked around, both drivers in front and behind me stopped and got out to see if I was alright.. so I get to my feet, the nice man in front of my walked my Ninja to the side of the road, it went quite a ways after I stopped.
Nearly had a make-out session with a vans bumper as well.

So what's the damage? First off, it runs.
The right brake pedal is ripped off. and my fairings are FUBAR.
My Exhaust is beaten up as well.
All in all, my right side is completely done for.
I HAD to ride it home, as from a currency standpoint I couldn't afford the $200 to tow it home.. and it still ran, shifted, and braked fine.
this, in hindsight may have been a bad idea. But I had to.

After a while of making sure all my gear was in good shape and there was no bodily harm, I asked the woman behind me, "Did you see what happened?"
She must have a family member who rides, because she described it exactly how I would need to hear it to understand.

She said something like this: You were riding along, space margins were fine, I saw you straighten out and your brake light came on, then you slowly turned and straightened up again, then your rear-tire slid to the left, then to the right, then you tipped right and slid."

Guys, I know I might take heat for saying this. But what the hell did I do wrong?
Is this a "Shit happens" moment?

anyway.. I waited for a friend to come drive behind me on my way home.
It made it home no-problem.. Damages seem (Aside from the brake pedal) to be purely cosmetic.

So what did I do next? I called ICBC!
Here were my options,

Insurance premium goes up 75% and degrades down to a regular amount in 3 years time. But they cover everything, which is a couple grand in damage.

OR

I pay for it all and don't make the claim.

Let me start by saying, why am I paying for maximum coverage when it does nothing for me? What would you do? I'm honestly asking this as I still am trying to decide. I'm opting for fixing the damage myself.

I personally am fine, a little shaken up, I'm sending my helmet in to Shoei to make sure it's still fine.. and my gear held up amazingly.
When I hit pavement, I was wearing a Shoei RF-1100, Alpinestars Sp-1 gauntlets, Sidi B2 boots, a Shift Airborne Mesh Jacket with a Rainproof jacket over top. And unfortunately blue jeans, which didn't even fray.
I also had a backpack on.

Everything is still usable, save for the helmet which I wont know about until Shoei gets back to me..

Wear your gear.
I would be shredded if I wasn't.


So now I'm faced with a mint F4i.. a cosmetically shredded Ninja, and standard insurance rates.
My confidence is a little bashed.. but I'll be back on 2 wheels without any hesitation soon.

It sucks... a lot.
financially I can handle the repairs. but who likes spending 4 grand on stuff like this?

Anyway, I posted this as I wanted to share with you guys,
I'm a little mentally exhausted.. and I apologize for anything I might have said against a rule or posted this in the wrong place.

If you've got something to say, let 'er rip. I can take it.
Anything anyone has to say is appreciated. Even if it's to poke fun.

I'm really not sure what else to say...

Rubber side down guys/gals..

HasJuice

 

[michael]

Perhaps the compression braking, in concert with a little big of rear brake application caused rear tire lock up?

Could be any one of, or a combination of things. Most important is your survival.

Hondacbr26 is partially correct:

i would calculate how much money you loss by the 75% deduction, and then compare to the damage cost.

Yep. It's a mathematical calculation. The cost of repairs verses the cost of increased premium. Recall too, you may be capable of repairing professionally without the "replace most or all," that the insurer would do, if you're up to working with a good shop.

( note : your 75% deduction will affect your car insurance as well. )

Regretfully, this is false. The increased premiums will only affect the vehicle you've crashed, or it's replacement (if you cancel the plate). For example, if you have 3 vehicles, and crash one, but three times in a row, the increased premiums affect that one vehicle only, not the other two. (unless you cancel the insurance on that one, and don't replace it with another policy, then the premiums will be increased on one of the other vehicles). I recommend you talk candidly with you adjuster or an agent, on this.

 

[243Pete]

Good to hear you are alright and I'll hope you went to the hospital to have a quick check cause you blacked out. Any crash you can walk away from is a good crash cause a bike can be replaced and you can't.

Tar snakes, rain, oil, downhill terrain and a curve, not a good area to be riding.

My question would be did you hold the clutch in or played with the clutch(blipping the throttle to keep speed when downshifting) at the 10km/h speed? from what it sounds like... and this is only an assumption from what I've read, when you went around the curve the rear wheel of the bike slowly lost traction from maybe a tar snake, combination made from the engine trying to brake at a low speed of 10km/h and bang... rear wheel lock up and it slid out from under you like riding on ice.
I thought that most bikes would require you to pull the clutch in at under 20km/h cause the bike starts to stall when under those speeds.
Don't feel like getting roasted/ flames so if anyone can tell me wrong please do so.:coffee