I went down on 101 (May 15)

[sroberts152]

Hey all,

I haven't posted on here in a long time due to being really busy.  I thought I should post up a pretty scary and painful experience I had a few weeks ago.

Here goes:

I was riding 101 North between McKee and Old Oakland Rd./13th St. in San Jose and, according to my (4-8% high, according to the manual) spedo, was doing 70 MPH.  I was in lane #2 when I hit a patch of uneven pavement and my handlebars started slapping violently back and forth.  I couldn't get a better grip on the throttle due to the force of the tank slapper and all I could do was get off the gas and try to push the handlebars as hard as I could.  I tank slapped about 600 feet down the freeway before the front tire tucked all the way to the right and threw me high side over bike.  I went off just a little above parallel to the ground, grabbed my arms to my chest and let my body go limp.  I saw ground-sky-ground-sky-white smoke from the tires of the cars behind me-ground-sky-ground-sky-bike sliding past me.  I slid approximately another 100 feet.  I did a quick check to make sure my legs weren't broken, and that I was stopped.  I got up, ran-walked to my bike, picked it up and pushed it off the road. 

2 nice kids (early 20s) stopped and stayed with me until medical arrived.  They game me a towel to put on the cut on my arm and some Gatorade.  I never got their names or got to thank them.  They said I was really lucky because I was almost hit as I went down. 

Medical arrived with CHP.  I talked to them and they were all shocked at how well I was doing.  I called Mrs. 152 and she was up the street.  She came and got me and took me to the ER.  I walked in and told them I was in a 70 MPH motorcycle crash on 101 and they took me right in. 

To make a long story not so long -

Medical:
Nothing broken
Left elbow had a nasty deep cut that took 3 stitches
Left tricep had a major contusion
Left leg - deep road rash at the knee
Right leg - mild road rash at the knee and just above my boot line
Left foot - deep purple bruise on my big toe
General bruises up and down my left side

My head touched the ground only to scrape the vent on the front of my helmet.  No damage to my jacket on the back above my belt line.  Because of this, they did not c-spine me.

Gear-
Dainese Santa Monica Jacket with added spine protector
Alpinestar SVX5 Boots
Icon Timax Gloves
Helmet Shoei RF-1000
Jeans (I know, all this good gear and jeans.  I get it.  I don't need the people telling me I need to be in leather pants or a full suit).

Jacket held up well.  With the exception of the cut on my elbow it did what it needed to do.  I think the elbow was actually a tear in the skin versus an actual cut.  I had major trauma to my shoulder and the titanium plate there is completely destroyed.  I truly think that without this protection I would have broken or shattered my shoulder.  I am going to contact Dainese and see if I can get the jacket repaired shoulder, back and elbows.  I don't want/need it perfect, I just want it to be without holes.  I think most leather places could do the work except for the shoulder piece.

Gloves were great.  I love these gloves.

Boots did what I needed.  On the left one the toe puck and mount was completely ripped off.  These are a total loss.

Helmet.  Tuck and roll.  Save my helmet, save my head. 

Bike.  This is painful, but its a total loss.  The force of the tank slapper bent the fork stops causing damage to the frame, bars and both sides of the tank.  The peg and shifter on the left side were completely sheared/snapped off.  The hanger for the passenger peg bent and did damage to the swingarm.  Damage to the side of the engine.  The horrible thing is I had just got a set of Boomtubes and put them on the night before.  I had 4200 miles on the bike and only 30 with these pipes.

Here is the map from the where I started and where I stopped:



Sad thing is I usually ride in the carpool lane but since I DRIVE this section ever weekday I have become accustomed to driving in this lane.  Now its time to find a new bike.  I'm thinking Streetfighter.

This is an image of the road from where it happened:



Here are some pictures of the bike - first is the night before with my new pipes:











Images of my gear:









Images of me in the hospital:

[Michael Moore]

Wow. That's a harrowing story.

All things considered, you got off really lucky for a 70mph tankslapper freeway crash.  Given the horrible state of our freeways, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. Especially with the deep, wheel-swallowing ruts that run lengthwise for hundreds of feet.

Hope you heal up quickly, with best wishes from me, and I'm sure everyone else here.

[Raux]

sorry to hear about your wreck. I had the exact type of wreck 10 years ago. broke my left collarbone. landing on my elbow and head snapped it. you did well.

this is why i picked up a steering damper.

the only tidbit would give you about riding with jeans is pick up a set of Icon knee armor.

glad you faired well. the bike doesn't look that bad. lots of good parts on there

[sroberts152]

Frame, swingarm and engine all damaged.  The big 3.  Plus the tank, bars, peg and levers.  I think the quote was for $11,500 in damage and the bluebook value is $9000. 

I had been considering getting something to wear under my jeans and I will now.  I was on a 28 mile round trip ride to take a test and come home. My biggest turn was getting off the freeway. 

Everyone I have told about this, or has seen me or the pictures keeps telling me how lucky I am.  I agree I am lucky to be doing so well, but part of it was the gear and part of is that I am in pretty good physical shape and I was alert to the situation.  That jacket played a huge part in me being where I am right now.  That was a gift from my parents who still, after 14 years, hate that I ride motorcycles. 

[Raux]

suppose so. but make sure the insurance company gets the stock bike. not the boom tubes if they are good to go.

and if they don't care, the whole ride side of the engine would be great for a 696 owner. dry clutch, cover, side case etc. and the oil cooler. how bad is the swingarm? I know I'm being a vulture

and some people like the headlight for projects, and you have 1 good mirror, and and and...

i hate insurance companies getting the goods. i had a shop try to steal my bike in the end. bought it back for 1300 from the insurance company. plenty of good parts left.

of course if you aren't mechanically inclined or dont have the cash to get the new bike without clearing the old bike out... then letting a salvage shop take it whole wouldn't be a bad idea.

[sidm]

Glad you're okay. I work 2 miles from that part of 101 - it's scary how bad some of those lanes are.

Heal up quickly, and all the best for the new bike.

[sroberts152]

I talked to them and nothing aftermarket was covered.  I didn't take the pipes.  They sell for 1000 new, I would be lucky to get 600 for them.  I have the stock pipes still and those will go up if anyone wants them.  They sell for 1600 each new.  No aftermarket mirrors - they ripped off the ends of my bars during the slapping.  I have the stock mirrors, my touring seat, my carbon nose cone and the Duc.ee - http://www.motocreations.com/electrical.asp - off the bike.  

Insurance is taking the bike.  I can't afford to buy it back (I don't think) and fix it up.

Swing arm has damage.  The passenger peg hanger pressed up against it enough that it caused a chunk to be taken out of it, possibly causing structural damage.  

[sroberts152]

it's scary how bad some of those lanes are.

Heal up quickly, and all the best for the new bike.

Thanks.  I am still not 100% but I am able to work out now.  The road rash is almost gone (Neosporin and A&D Ointment were sent to us from the gods). 

I'm most likely going to get a lawyer and take the issue up with the state.  There is no reason a rider with 14 years experience on a new, well maintained street motorcycle should ever have to endure what I did on a straight piece of freeway at the marked speed limit. 

[Raux]

IMO you won't get much for the stock pipes (some have sold for $100), you'd get more for the boomtubes with Duc.EE.

good luck with the new bike. Streetfighter huh? nice!

[sfarchie]

Wow, glad to see you're doing *fairly well* considering. Too many similarities here!

- I totaled my 1100S (I wanted to see what was at the bottom of the 20' ravine)
- my insurance didn't cover my mods, but they let me take them off. Still trying to sell my full termis for cheap
- same Dainese jacket now (I went down on the Laguna Seca jacket & only got scratched up)
- went for the Streetfighter after the tour

Glad to hear the jacket did its job. Not that I want to find out myself, but I'll go with your crash test results.

[desmoquattro]

Glad you're OK.

[somegirl]

Sounds like a really scary crash, I'm glad you survived relatively unscathed.   Good luck healing and sorting everything out.

[r_ciao]

glad that you are o.k.  in fact, you are really lucky.
tank slapper at 70 mph?  that's scary!  can anyone explain how to prevent one and what to do when it happens?

gear.  i have Draggin Jeans.  they are kevlar reinforced and then i wear knee and shin guards under them.  good to know your other gear did their job.

replace with a Streetfighter?  cool! 

[johnc]

glad that you are o.k.  in fact, you are really lucky.
tank slapper at 70 mph?  that's scary!  can anyone explain how to prevent one and what to do when it happens?

had a tank slapper on a sport classic, three years ago while in italy on the WPM trip.  was riding in group formation (120 club presidents, double file ... on one of the superstradas heading to rome from umbria, doing a little over 140kph (about 90mph) on a VERY straight section of the superstrada.  i was riding right behind the two lead ducati DOC employees, with the rest of the 120 club presidents behind me.  for anyone who has not riding in italy, the main roads are pothole and rut free, except for about 100 yards on THIS superstrada, which i did not see until i was already in them at speed, as the two lead riders split just before, and i was not paying attention (so, mia culpa).

anyway, everything went in ultra slow motion, just as the front started to slowly pivot from left to right to left repeatedly ... and i started to think "hmmm ... if i can't stop the tank slapping, i can push the bike to the left, and slide on the smooth, soft dirt on the roadside" ... then just as the front end slappers started to get more violent, i realized that there were 120 other ducatis right behind me, and i did not want to be the minchione that caused a giant wreck on WPM trip that year ... so ... i remembered the motocross technique to stop tank slappers:

• stay on the gas, don't use the front brake
• stand up on pegs
• move ass as far back over the rear of the bike as possible to lighten the front
• when bike's front end is lofted, straighten the bars and lock elbows to hold front straight
• stay on gas until through rough section

it worked for me, but YMMV  

everything started moving fast again once i initiated the above, and i managed to save it at speed.

mark duncan was riding directly behind me on a multistroodle. when we stopped about 20 kms later for gas, he bumped my back tire to get my attention and asked if i needed to change my leathers because he thought for sure i was going to loose the bike in the tank slapper as it was so violent.  he advised that not only the forks were moving side to side, but the entire front end was moving a foot side to side.

since then, i have stayed the hell away from sport 1000's  

[Popeye the Sailor]

Glad you're alright!