So thats why you don't brake while turning...

[mlondre]

Here's a quick rundown of this past Saturday.  Overall it was a good day, with just a one (thankfully) minor inconvenience.  the times are estimates.

1:00pm - i put on my leathers and gear and hop on my bike for a fun afternoon ride
1:15pm - i leave my house headed towards Alice's
1:30pm - i pass a friend headed south on 85 towards saratoga / hwy 9.  he is in a subaru with his mountain bike on a rack on the back and later tells me he saw me pass him.
1:45pm - i flash peace signs at the majority of bikers while i head up hwy 9 to skyline.  they flash them back.
2:15pm - i pull into the big parking lot / show room up by the deli near Alice's.  a guy on an R6 walks up and says "beautiful bike, i've always wanted one of those.  mind if i get a picture?"  of course i let him, compliment the flames on his fairing, then take off down 84 towards 280.
2:30pm - i pass a lady loading her crashed bike (i think it was an SV650) into a truck while taking a sharp turn probably a bit too fast for me.  turns out she rode her bike off the road just minutes before i got there.  i know that you're not supposed to use your break in a turn EVER, but i think, "hey, just a little tap wont hurt."
2:31pm - stupid move.  the next thing i know, i fall off my bike forwards while going about 25.  the bike lands on the back of my left leg and i slide forward probably 10-15 feet.  luckily i'm wearing good pants (thanks to cyclegear's 40% off sale a month ago!) and the leather and reinforced knee take the brunt of the slide.  unfortunately my jacket doesn't zip to my pants, so my left hip got a bit scraped up and bruised.  my gloves protect my hands just like they are supposed to, my left boot got fairly scraped (though its still very wearable), but most importantly my head doesn't touch the ground!  i'm blessed that i wasn't forced to test my head's safety in my X11, and more blessed that i don't have to buy a new one!  there isn't a scratch on my helmet!  my jacket also has some sweet battle scars on it now.
2:32pm - the lady loading her crashed bike runs out into the road to guide traffic around me while i hop to my feet, pick the bike up, and roll it off the road.  her husband helped me get situated.  i'm lucky they were there to help calm me.  thanks kim and oleg!  they offer me water and look at the scrape on my side.  they said it didn't look good, but it didn't hurt much.
2:33pm - i assess the bike for damage.  i'm pissed at myself for being stupid, but kind of excited that i successfully (and luckily) dropped my bike without injuring myself or the bike too badly.  my left footpeg broke off, the handlebars are bent, the only scrape on the tank is from the bent handbars.  my left handgrip got shaved a bit, and there are very minor scrapes on the left mirror and front tire fairing.  the shift lever got bent in an inch or so, and it looks like the carbon fiber termi on the left side might have taken a slight hit.  i'll have to get them repositioned.
2:34pm - i talk shop with the couple, examine the crash site, examine her crash site, and sit in the truck before trying to ride my hobbled bike back home.  the bike turns on like a champ, and i think there is enough of a stump left of the footpeg to perch my foot on.  they offer to drive me home and leave my bike for someone to pick up, but i think i can make it home. 
2:45pm - to split the difference, they follow me back down 84 to make sure my bike is riding properly enough.  i get to the bottom, wave thanks to them, and start my journey back to san jose.  i was going to take side streets home, but the bike felt good and i decided to take 280 back down, sticking to the speed limit in the far right lane.
3:15pm - i arrive home, grateful to be alive and more knowledgeable that accidents can and do happen, and not just to other people.  they say you're not a motorcyclist until you drop your bike (maybe just to make you feel better), but i'm stoked that my first (and hopefully last) fall was so minor. 

now to just get it fixed and get back out on the road for more fun!  [moto] i'll probably be signing up for a class this summer some time to help me get more comfortable in my turning, as that would have eliminated the desire to apply the brake around the turn.  my side is sore as can be, but its a good reminder for me.  my EMT brother-in-law stopped by last night because he heard i dropped the bike.  when he saw the scrape he said "that's it!? c'mon, that's nothing!"  i have to agree with him.  he said he's seen downed bikers with inch deep scrapes across their whole side, and probably worse than that, so its a good reminder that it could have been a lot worse.

[DanTheMan]

wow! sounds like your alright with a few battle scars to prove it.


Trail braking (braking while turning) is an important skill to have while riding. Unfortunately you just learned that too much braking while turning will put you on your  . I think the Keith Code books are a good read for more education on the subject.

oh and welcome to the club

[desmoquattro]

Glad you made it out of there relatively OK.

[mostrobelle]

You were going about 25, tapped the brakes and ate dirt?  In the same place another lady had just eaten dirt?  Normally I'd say that you just ran out of skill & pavement, but in this case, maybe there was something on the road??  (If not, just roll with it.  There's always oil, gravel or an old lady's yappie dog responsible for my get-offs.)   

[sugarcrook]

Sorry to hear you went down, but it sounds like the gear saved you quite a bit of pain.  

[Cynic]

Glad you're ok!

I got road rash on my side once cause my pant's didn't zip to my jacket...    I got new pants and a jacket cause that sucks.

[ro-monster]

Glad you made it through in one piece, and without too much damage to the bike!

[johnc]

you can learn the benefits of trail breaking (bones) if you go dirt bike rising with dtm ... just make sure to get the helicopter insurance 

wow! sounds like your alright with a few battle scars to prove it.


Trail braking (braking while turning) is an important skill to have while riding. Unfortunately you just learned that too much braking while turning will put you on your  . I think the Keith Code books are a good read for more education on the subject.

oh and welcome to the club

[ROBsS4R]

You were going about 25, tapped the brakes and ate dirt?  In the same place another lady had just eaten dirt?  Normally I'd say that you just ran out of skill & pavement, but in this case, maybe there was something on the road??  (If not, just roll with it.  There's always oil, gravel or an old lady's yappie dog responsible for my get-offs.)   

+1

I am a Newb rider but would a little tap do that?

[Popeye the Sailor]

+1

I am a Newb rider but would a little tap do that?

Just....don't do it. Sheesh.

[ROBsS4R]

So you advise for me not to try it on my way home tonight 

[mlondre]

You were going about 25, tapped the brakes and ate dirt?  In the same place another lady had just eaten dirt?  Normally I'd say that you just ran out of skill & pavement, but in this case, maybe there was something on the road??  (If not, just roll with it.  There's always oil, gravel or an old lady's yappie dog responsible for my get-offs.)   

now that you mention it, i think i remember a bob cat scurrying across the road in front of me just before going down, and also the lady's broken off side mirror on the side of the road reflecting sun into my eyes!

thanks for the advice about trail braking, i'll have to research that and see how it works, and maybe even get out on a dirt bike w/ friends one of these weekends to try it out!

[Michael Moore]

So you advise for me not to try it on my way home tonight 

I think the key word in the story is "tap", which to me implies a sudden application of brake, which is not good. At the best you stand the bike up and run wide, at worst you go down or run wide into oncoming traffic.

There's always oil, gravel or an old lady's yappie dog responsible for my get-offs.)  

You're forgetting big-ass bumps in the road, maybe? 

[somegirl]

Glad to hear your gear saved you!

[Desmostro]

Good that you came out relatively ok   

Sometimes learning comes with loosing some skin.