Crash Analysis: learning from our mistakes

[EvilSteve]

Glad you came out of it as well as you did NateDog.

[Popeye the Sailor]

                          How could it have been avoided: Probably the best way would have been to not ride so fast this early in the season on a road that I wasn't real familar with                   

DE, you've had four wrecks that I recall (old board and this one) in roughly a year.

If you make it through this, and don't slow down in the very near future, you are going to kill yourself.



You have a "spare" S4Rs. You can probably afford a track day. Please, please consider this.

[Buckethead]

Brief summary of the crash: Group ride with a bunch of sportbike riders with more experience than me. Took an unfamiliar left-hander too fast and the bike ended up in the ditch with me log-rolling down the pavement. Shifter lever is bent, seat cowl (Sport Classic 1000) has some rash where it meets the seat, and the left clip-on rotated probably 10 or 15 degrees counter-clockwise. Otherwise the bike is pretty much fine. No tank ding, and nothing on the tank even made it through the clear coat.

Had all my gear on and it did its job. Jacket sleeves/shoulders/back are scuffed, and there's actually a hole worn through on the top of the left shoulder. Landed pretty squarely on my left side and the Cortech riding jeans I was wearing probably would have held up better if I hadn't had a cell phone in my pocket. They shredded right over the pocket, but the pocket material is still intact and nothing in the pocket itself took anything more than impact damage. All of the seams and material on the jeans held except over the left hip pocket. Hands were tucked into my chest, so my Olympia gloves are untouched. Sparx helmet has a couple of minor scrape/dings, one over my left eyebrow on the visor, the other on the left chin and bottom of the visor. As soon as I get a copy of the police report I'll be sending it in to take advantage of their crashed helmet policy.

I ended up with a sore shoulder, a bruise on my left thigh in the shape of my cell phone, and a scrape on my right knee about the size of a nickel. It'll cost more to replace my jacket and helmet than it will to fix my bike. Bike and body will both be 100% before my pride heals.

Full writeup is http://ducatimonsterworldwide.org/index.php?topic=2565.0;topicseen

What you did right: Wore all my gear. Didn't try to stay with the bike. Tucked my arms and rolled.

What you did wrong: Riding over my head, mostly. Entered the corner too fast on a road I wasn't familiar with. I still have chicken strips, so I probably had another 10-15 degrees of usable lean angle. When I thought I was going to run out of road I looked at the ditch where I thought I was going instead of at the road, where I wanted to go. When I looked at the ditch, I rolled off the throttle.

How could it have been avoided: I was riding way over my head. If my brain hadn't been fighting with my ego, I'd have just backed off and let them roll off into the distance. I also panicked when I thought I wasn't going to make it through the turn and I rolled off the gas. Additional countersteer and roll on the throttle and I'd have made that corner with room to spare.

Lesson learned, and it would have been cheap at twice the price.

[DoubleEagle]

DE, you've had four wrecks that I recall (old board and this one) in roughly a year.

If you make it through this, and don't slow down in the very near future, you are going to kill yourself.



You have a "spare" S4Rs. You can probably afford a track day. Please, please consider this.

Yea, you're right. Don't know if there will be any track days or riding for that matter...saw the Surgeon that did my Thoracotamy( since I ended up with a punctured lung from one of the 4 ribs that I broke but it didn't show up on the CT Scan in the Emergency Room the day of the crash)  on this past Thursday as a follow up to the 5/7 Surgery and he told me I wouldn't be riding anymore this year. At soon to be 59 I am pretty devasted since all I really live for is to ride. I was pretty much disabled before I crashed since I destroyed my shoulder, hip, and knee joints Body Buildng back in the '80's.  Now they are full of Osteo Arthritis . At least I could ride a bike.

[Xiphias]

Brief summary of the crash

Lowsided while making tight left turn. I was going about 30 to 35 mph when I spilled the bike.  The pavement was clear so operator error was solely to blame. 

What you did right

I was dressed for the wreck - full leathers - not even a scratch.

What you did wrong

I got a little sloppy with the throttle - I hadn't touched the brake so I think the front tire lost traction. I was pushing beyond my ability.

How could it have been avoided

Better throttle control and entering the turn at a lower speed.

[Desmostro]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Yea, you're right. Don't know if there will be any track days or riding for that matter...saw the Surgeon that did my Thoracotamy( since I ended up with a punctured lung from one of the 4 ribs that I broke but it didn't show up on the CT Scan in the Emergency Room the day of the crash)  on this past Thursday as a follow up to the 5/7 Surgery and he told me I wouldn't be riding anymore this year. At soon to be 59 I am pretty devasted since all I really live for is to ride. I was pretty much disabled before I crashed since I destroyed my shoulder, hip, and knee joints Body Buildng back in the '80's.  Now they are full of Osteo Arthritis . At least I could ride a bike.

That's rough man. I'm starting to feel a little less like superman as I get older as well. Riding has been a big part of my life since I was a small child. Now I'm finding the need for seriously mellowing out is no longer a choice but my reality. I was off the bike for almost all of 2007 healing. Time for reevaluation and the "changing of gears."

[DoubleEagle]

That's rough man. I'm starting to feel a little less like superman as I get older as well. Riding has been a big part of my life since I was a small child. Now I'm finding the need for seriously mellowing out is no longer a choice but my reality. I was off the bike for almost all of 2007 healing. Time for reevaluation and the "changing of gears."

Old age Sucks !!! Especially when you think you have found your 3rd childhood. I started riding on the street in the 60's then to Motocross , then to Trails in the Wayne National Forest and riding the Ball+ Chain through South Eastern Ohio, then Crusin' until I got the BMW K1200S last Spring and also it was then I discover Ducati and got my 2 S4Rss and have been hooked on Cross County Road Racing and ordered a 1098 R and then the big "crash!" Even when I'm healed up I don't know how I can go back to riding like I was . It was such a "rush" but I kept pushing the envelope as I felt more comfortable with the speeds I was able to handle and I know me and I know the only thing that would draw the line would be when I hit the wall so to speak. All the protective gear you can buy can't save you everytime as I learned in this most recent crash. Can you "cruse" on a S4Rs or 1098R ??

[Desmostro]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Old age Sucks !!! Especially when you think you have found your 3rd childhood. I started riding on the street in the 60's then to Motocross , then to Trails .......All the protective gear you can buy can't save you everytime as I learned in this most recent crash. Can you "cruse" on a S4Rs or 1098R ??

Cruse - Maybe not on a 1098. But it doesn't have to be about pushing limits and hitting walls. I'm getting back out and just taking it easy. Its about picking perfect lines and elegant form, its about the swooping and zooming, not the racing. Not the triple digits, not the passing teenagers.

Having fun at my own pace.  [moto]
Just one more thing. When is the last time you saw a Ferrari race anyone? I never have. They got Schumacher for that. We got Troy Bayless and Stoner.  If you ride a Ducati, you don't have to prove anything IMHO, unless you're doing that for a living 

[DoubleEagle]

Cruse - Maybe not on a 1098. But it doesn't have to be about pushing limits and hitting walls. I'm getting back out and just taking it easy. Its about picking perfect lines and elegant form, its about the swooping and zooming, not the racing. Not the triple digits, not the passing teenagers.

Having fun at my own pace.  [moto]
Just one more thing. When is the last time you saw a Ferrari race anyone? I never have. They got Schumacher for that. We got Troy Bayless and Stoner.  If you ride a Ducati, you don't have to prove anything IMHO, unless you're doing that for a living 

One of my minor crashes happened one day when I really didn't feel into "racing the road "so I thought I was sort of just " crusin'." What happenens to me when I'm not out there going hell bent for leather I tend to let my mind wonder and take in the sights and  smells and on the twisties that can meam missing lines or stuff in the road that I would normally catch when I'm " In the Zone." I suppoose I will just have to find a way to ride slower but still have that " zoned in"  concentration of the road.

[Joshua]

I work out here in St. Helens, Or and I meet up with fellow riders in Scappose. He has been riding for about a year, I have been riding since Sept., and then his friend had bought his first bike the day before.(not the best combination of experince). We rode down HWY thirty and turned on to McNamme. I was in the middle of the two with the brand new rider behind. Everything was going good the guy in front took off and I wasn't even about to try and catch up with him but I did start to flow through the curve's pretty well. Now I was going down a short stretch and as I was just about to go into the turn I checked my mirror to see where the other rider was and I saw a headlight in the ditch. . That one second I had noticed that; I didn't even think about trying to make the turn, I just threw on my brakes and went in to the ditch. . I wasn't hurt , the other guy wasn't hurt. Which is the most important thing!

But I feel ashamed of my choice's. 
1. If he was hurt , and I got hurt I wouldn't of been able to help!
2. I should've concetrated on the turn and followed through with it!
3. Shouldn't of taken a brand new rider up Mcnamee!
4. should of reacted calmly and looked through the turn!
5. I reacted with out thinking first!

The bike got messed up a bit. the triple's were make the beast with two backsed, yet the forks are straight which seems odd to me. Axle was bent but the wheel and hubs were in good shape. Bent the Handle bars, which is the second time I make the beast with two backsed up the bars. Scott Araujo, thank you he way for  helping me out the first time. I went ahead and purchased the oem clip-ons from the original owner that I bought the bike from. I got Triples/axle from m9hundo aka GIL, which worked perfectly and now are painted black. And I went ahead and bought me some bar-end mirrors.
I didn't take it to insurance cause I've had two speeding tickets in the last year( not while on the Bike ) and I didn't want a higher preminum.
All I can say is that if I had reacted more clearly and was more focused on where I was going, I would of been able to help if needed.
I now know not to react with out thinking and to be more focused and ready for the unexpected. Good lesson, I should known better the first time.

[Desmostro]

I witnessed a crash yesterday http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=5194.0
that was almost me in the middle as well.

Stopped at a light, a rider was hit from behind at 40MPH by a Ford EXCURSION. A vehicle with a curb weight of 7,190 lbs. (3.595 TONS)
He left the scene strapped to an ambulance, but alive. Sorry for the dramatic descriptions, but I did the stoppie of my life to miss the drunk blowing through the light that caused this.
He had full racing leathers on with serious back protector and a very good helmet/boots. Though he flew almost 45 feet, and landed unconscious, there was no blood at all. That’s an amazing example of good gear.

What I learned:

EYES in the backs of our heads guys.

At the front of the pack, between cars is good. Eyes in the rear view until its stacked up.

The first hero off the line is going to catch the red light runner.

FULL GEAR ALL THE TIME.

Rush hour sucks. Cagers are out of their minds and out to kill at 4PM. Listen to the sirens every afternoon.

[2 Wheel Wanderer]

 Well I lowsided today. 

Brief summary of the crash

Basically I was exiting Hwy 101 south onto Washington Blvd in Petaluma (an off ramp that is very well used and has a lot of oil and debris caked on it). The recommended speed is 20 I was probably doing 30. The rear wheel came loose on me, I tried to plant my right foot to get it back but it didn't work. The bike slid away from me spinning on he frame slider until it came to a stop. I wasn't on the ground for maybe a couple of seconds when I popped up, looked behind me for cars, ran over to the bike, picked it up and rolled it over to the side of the exit.

What you did right

I was wearing all the gear. I was wearing Alpinestars SMX Plus Boots, Draggin Jeans(with kevlar lining and knee pads) Forcefield Body Armor shorts underneath the jeans, Dianese Back protector), Alpinestars jacket with armor , Racer gauntlet gloves and a Shoei RF-1000 helmet.

I came out of it without a scratch but Im sure Ill be sore tomorrow.

What you did wrong

What I did wrong was underestimate how slick the exit was. It is one of the main streets in Petaluma. What I think happened was the exit is so well used that even 10 MPH over the recommended speed along with the heat of the day made the asphalt very slippery.

How could it have been avoided

Go the recommended speed on off ramps. They are all well used and can get very slick, especially during hot days.

The damage isnt too bad. Bent suburban-machinery handlebars, CRG bar end mirror gone, speedy moto frameslider did its job, rear brake lever bent and ground 1/2 way down, carbon fiber muffler heat shield ground 1/2 way off and slightly damaged carbon fiber Termignoni pipes.

It sucks but I am ok and the damage isnt too bad so all in all I fell very lucky, it could have been way worse.

[venomousr1993]

Seems that frame slider has saved everyone's bike, but it is good to hear most everyone wears their gear too.  I cringe when I see shorts, tank tops, no gloves, and or flip flops...mostly GSXR guys.  I guess some frame sliders will be on order.

[slick]

Hi!
Good you didn't hurt yourself and your bike! 

Regarding frame sliders: as a newbie on a new Monster I also considered getting them but I heard/read that they can bend the frame.
Is this true at all or shall I get them without concerns? If yes which brand/type are best for S2R 1K?

[CDawg]

Regarding frame sliders: as a newbie on a new Monster I also considered getting them but I heard/read that they can bend the frame.
Is this true at all or shall I get them without concerns? If yes which brand/type are best for S2R 1K?

That is a religious question around here!  I think CycleCat was the only company that touted a break-away bolt to minimize the change of damaging the frame/engine mount.  SInce they are no longer in business, most/all the remaining manufacturers prodece the non-break type.