[JBarx]

First and foremost, I'm not posting this for sympathy or anything like that, I just want some of the newer riders (like me) to pay attention and if you've done the BRC, remember your training! And if you have gear, wear it!

Last Saturday it was about 90 and sunny and so I hit the back roads for some good riding. I was doing some "spirited" cornering on a two lane road, and I came up to a posted 20mph turn. I'm pretty familiar with this stretch - I'd say I've run it almost 2 dozen times - and I hit it pretty hard. I was doing 55-ish in the approach, backed off to about 30 into the turn, and leaned the sh*t out of it. I had the line down, but I caught peg and exhaust and I got spooked. I straightened it up a little bit which was taking me straight for the guardrail. I tried to feather the brake and get it back, but my front wheel caught the gravel at the edge of the pavement and I was toast. I knew immediately that I screwed up but it was too late. IF THE LINE IS RIGHT, YOU HOLD IT NO MATTER WHAT.

The bike threw me forward and to the left - after driving my groin into the gas tank - and I barrel-rolled onto the pavement. It was weird... the way I flew off I was facing the bike as it hit the rail and it was all in slow-motion. Then, everything sped up again and then I had just enough time to think "oh damn this is gonna hurt". I didn't have gear on - I don't own any yet, just a helmet. Ironically the piece of gear I could have used the most was a cup.

I came to, and I immediately felt like puking. I felt like I got hit in the nuts with a wrecking ball. My entire abdomen burned and I was scared that maybe I was bleeding internally. Then I saw my bike - which at the time was on it's side, pretty far away, but didn't really look all that bad. Apparently some cars had drove up and people had gotten out to help me. I tried to stand up but I kinda fell and at that point a lady called 911. I managed to compose myself and stand up. I was bleeding from the arm but other than that I couldn't see anything really wrong.

A couple of people picked my bike up because it was spilling gas everywhere, and then I saw what I was dealing with. Dented-up tank, slightly twisted and bent forks, and a shredded front rim/wheel/tire, just for starters. I was under the delusion that I was gonna ride the thing back home when I saw it on the ground, but I realized at that point I was sadly mistaken.

Then the cavalry showed up. The paramedics looked me over and I was, for the most part, not in too bad of shape. One of the neighbors walked my bike to their house, and then I had to deal with the police. This is where I lucked out - as he was getting ready to process my paperwork and give me a ticket, he got a call for another wreck with possible entrapment. He looked at me and said:

"It's you lucky day, son... no criminal record, a couple speeding tickets... do you want this to go away? Right now someone needs me more than you do, and if you don't want this to go to your insurance, I can take down your info and leave it at that. You can call me if you change your mind".

Ummm... I'll go with "Sounds good to me".

So, now I am officially a statistic. But frankly, I guess I am lucky to be alive. That could have gone a much different direction. Had the bike kicked me off a little more to the right I would have landed on the guardrail itself. That would have been ugly. At this point I need to figure out what I should do.

Here's what I need:

1. Front wheel
2. Front tire (at which point I would get a new rear so the tread wear matches)
3. New fork assemblies
4. Fork bridge
5. Gauge cases (just cosmetic)
6. Triple Tree (possibly)
7. Handlebars (bent)
8. Headlight (I would finally have a bona fide excuse to execute my dual-headlight mod)
9. Engine guards
10. Fuel Tank
11. Left side steering stop (that little flange welded to the frame to keep the handlebars from hitting the tank on full-sweep turns)

After giving it some thought, I'm only considering two courses of action:

1. Unload the bike for whatever I can get for it as-is, eat the debt, and start over with something else.
2. Fix it, make it better than it was when I bought it, and make any mods I was kicking around in my head. Go big, or go home.

On a side note - I also may have an opportunity for an unbelievable deal on a 2000 Speed Triple through my uncle ($5000 with 1690 miles), but that's a long shot. I know that's a big step up from a Honda 750, but needless to say some important lessons about restraint and discipline have been learned. If nothing else I could flip it for a nice profit to help with the Honda.

Anyhow, I totalled up some prices based on eBay auctions that had ended and other online sources and came up with roughly $1500 in parts, if I do all the work myself (outside of painting a new tank). That includes Michelin Pilot Road front and rear tires and a dual-headlight kit (see #2 above). That's about half of the $2900 I still owe on it.

I've looked online here: http://www.used-motorcycle-parts.org/directory.php and emailed a few salvage yards for a donor front end and/or piecemeal parts to start collecting the ones I need. I've also looked at eBay and Craigslist.

Is there anything else I can do? Am I missing anything?

Thanks, and be safe out there.

.JB

 

[YamahaFan]

Ouch! That hurt!

I got caught by the peg once but that was because the road was uneven so I was not down, just scared me a bit, and the time I fell down doing a turn I cracked the fairings (left side and front cowl), I sorta stapled them and ride as is because the set is around $480 (right side was cracked due to multiple drop at stop light/stop sign lol). I had the option to buy another bike with bad engine for cheap to salvage the parts but then I don't have the money yet. I think you can go that way, and craigslist is the best IMO. Just need something to tow the bike (which I also don't have)

YF

 

[Jethrol]

Wow...I'm glad you're not hurt worse. I've hit foot pegs before on turn and it's unnerving to say the least. It's really hard to hold a line when that happens so I can totally relate to your crash.

You got really lucky...as did I.

On Saturday, I was going to get some lunch. There was traffic and I was braking hard to make a turn. When I leaned my bike into the turn, with a little more speed than I wanted, I heard the grind of pebbles on the road. The kind of grind I've heard many, many times on my bicycle right before I lost the grip of a tire and dropped.

I immediately stood the bike up but I has heading right at a curb so I leaned it down again and just barely missed the curb.....I was literally like 1/2 inch from it. Needless to say, I was really scolding myself for being in such a hurry....it really could have cost me.

I'm not sure if you have a laced wheel or not but I would suggest buying a brand new wheel. Straightened wheels never work the same. On one of my bicycles, I bent the **** out of one in a crash and they straightened it for me. At race speeds, it was unstable and on one long ride, the wheel almost lost all thension and failed. It was awful and I had to finally just replace it.

Anyways, hope you get up and riding again soon.

 

[CB750F]

That sucks buddy but it was a good thing you weren't hurt badly. You may want to have the frame checked out to make sure it isn't tweaked. Best plan of action IMO is find another bike like it that needs a motor or something in the rear and use yours for parts. You probably won't get much for it as is and if the frame is tweaked, I wouldn't want to ride around on a fixed frame. I'm not exactly sure how long they made that bike where parts are identical but I would guess it was a hell of a long time being its a Honda standard.

 

[JBarx]

I'm pretty sure everything from the '91-'03 era Nighthawk 750's will work.

I don't see any deflection in the frame at all, besides losing that steering stop. I know that isn't too scientific and I need to have it looked at by a pro.

The more I think about this I am beginning to think the bike is a write-off. It's a real bummer, because at first glance it looks almost like you could ride it, but the little things keep adding up, and by the time I figure frame inspections, tire mounting and balancing, all the work involved... I don't know. I need someone more knowledgeable than me to look at it in person and give me an idea.

By the way, I told my story on beginnerbikers.org and for the most part, I took 12 pages of flaming for not wearing gear and trying to corner too hard, etc. Everyone there told me to get a Ninja 250 and go get lessons. I appreciate you guys not doing that. I know what I did wrong as it was happening, but my lack of experience kept me from preventing it. Now I know to dial it back a few notches. It's that simple. So I just wanted to say I appreciate you guys not preaching at me. This is just a heads up for other n00bs.

 

[YamahaFan]

first of all, you admited you made a mistake. Second, getting hurt and wreaked the bike is enough punishment, so beating you up with flames wouldn't help at all

YF

 

[JBarx]

first of all, you admited you made a mistake. Second, getting hurt and wreaked the bike is enough punishment, so beating you up with flames wouldn't help at all

That's kinda what I thought...lol. Apparently that logic doesn't work in other forums. I definitely learned you have to pace your development - rush it and you get hurt.

Here's pics of the Triple I hope to get my hands on within the next 6 months or so. The exhaust and cams were custom made. I don't know how I feel about the exhaust and the logo-less flat black paint, but I like it enough to ride it, for sure.

 

[YamahaFan]

HOLY ****! That black paint is uber! It's exactly how I like on my bike when I get my fairings: not shiny, rubber-ish looking, in fact that kind of paint give a solid look IMO. The bike itself is very nice too, I just don't like the nakedness of it.

YF

 

[JBarx]

Thanks, I think my uncle did a pretty nice job with it... although I can't figure out how that exhaust is working. Looks like duct tape in the pictures. I'll need to get a better explanation on that.

I like the naked steetfighter look an awful lot, it's just the highway speeds that beat you up so badly with it. Having a naked standard now, I really loathed the freeways. I could have gotten a windscreen but I avoided the 55mph+ areas in favor of the twisties. Plus, windscreens on Nighthawks look utterly dreadful.

It's one hell of a bike for 5 G. My uncle told me I'd be fine on it, it's actually a few pounds lighter than the Nighthawk and you just make sure you get it through your head that YOU control the bike, not the other way around. It goes as fast as you tell it to (generally speaking of course). He says he hardly ever even breaks the speed limit in his 'Busa. He also rides like a grandma, which explains why he's still alive, I guess.

Unfortunately, it's all basically moot right now. The guy doesn't want to get rid of it yet. My uncle says he's the kind of guy who's changing his mind a lot so he might want to unload it one day out of the clear blue. I don't know if I could let that bike slip by. I might even consider flipping it - but I think that be a little insulting if my uncle is going to try and get the guy to sell to me without clearing a profit. If I managed to get it, it simply could NOT go down. Period. Not an option.

Okay, dream time over.

 

[C50-Blvd.]

JBarx - Bummer about your bike, but at least you weren't seriously injured. It's ironic that I read your post today. I just bought my second bike this summer after a 16 year break from riding. As has been mentioned numerous times on this forum before, sometimes a little confidence - or overconfidence I should say - is a bad thing.

Similar to you, I took a short ride yesterday on some local back roads that I've traveled many times before. I entered a sharp 15 mph corner, probably doing close to 30 mph. I've been so confident with leaning the bike harder and harder that I didn't think twice about it. I too had the proper line and then... that dreaded grinding/scraping sound. I too made the mistake of straightening it up some. Luckily for me, the corner in question was right by the Hunter and Angler's club and there is a gravel area there. I ran off the pavement by a foot or two and was able to save it. After I got home and parked the bike in the garage, I tried to see what drug. I have floor boards on my bike, not pegs. They showed no sign of being drug. Not sure what component on the bike did drag - couldn't see any obvious sign - the exhaust is on the other side so that couldn't be it. At any rate, I was lucky. As you said, I should have held my line. I also need to dial it back a little. I'm over-driving my ability somewhat, and definitely the bike's lean angle.

 

[JBarx]

I like your approach better - I'll take a pucker moment over a laydown anytime! Glad you saved it. You still get the education you need without the financial sacrifice.

 

[Guest]

If I managed to get it, it simply could NOT go down. Period. Not an option.

Frame Sliders!


Glad to hear you're OK. Not many of us out here who haven't seen at least a little pavement up close.

 

[Guest]

By the way, I told my story on beginnerbikers.org and for the most part, I took 12 pages of flaming for not wearing gear and trying to corner too hard, etc. Everyone there told me to get a Ninja 250 and go get lessons. I appreciate you guys not doing that. I know what I did wrong as it was happening, but my lack of experience kept me from preventing it. Now I know to dial it back a few notches. It's that simple. So I just wanted to say I appreciate you guys not preaching at me. This is just a heads up for other n00bs.

I went over to check it out, what a bunch of idiots. They'd get eaten alive on some of the Harley forums. What's a guy with 42 years of experience doing on beginnerbikes anyway? Maybe nobody on the experienced biker threads will talk to him.

 

[JBarx]

Interesting read, isn't it? I really tried to keep my cool but after a while it just got to be too much. Some chick was criticising my mother and my "integrity" because I laid my bike down? I mean seriously... WTF is that?

Ahh... here it is:

I blame your mother for not beginning earlier with training in personal responsibility, integrity, accountability and corporal punishment. Seriously.

I can take a little heat here and there, but why voluntarily sit and read stuff like that? I lost a lot of respect for that board. Some people were trying to make me out to be the bad guy because I didn't curl into a ball and beg them for forgiveness for crashing my bike, and standing up to people when they were flaming the hell out of me.

Oh well. What can ya do. Not a recommended experience. At least you guys seem to have some decency about it. I mean come on, nobody feels worse about the whole situation than I do. I don't really need to hear it from a plethora of faceless internet posters.

Anyway, no word yet from any of the salvage yards. eBay is looking thin as well. I guess I have all winter so I can play the waiting game.

Is there any value in towing it somewhere and have someone give me an estimate to do the whole job? Is that something I should not even consider because of the cost? I'm not too sure what labor on bikes is like. I assume it's similar to cars and trucks though.

 

[Guest]

Good to hear you are alright and I agree... Some nice shiny paint can be nice but I really like flat black... Especially for helmets... But that could be my downhill skateboarding bias.... Flat black is in these days, shiny isnt.

 

[JBarx]

Well, another way to justify diving deeper into debt... the bike matches my flat black Shoei helmet. I guess it's meant to be!

Yeah right.

For now I guess it's the waiting game. See if I can find parts, or see if I hear about the Triple.

I did manage to get out on my buddy's GS500F for a few minutes, just to see if I haven't lost my ability to ride. Seems like I'm doing okay. I think after a half-hour ride I'll be back in business - I just need to shake off the jitters.

 

[Guest]

Interesting read, isn't it? I really tried to keep my cool but after a while it just got to be too much. Some chick was criticising my mother and my "integrity" because I laid my bike down? I mean seriously... WTF is that?

Ahh... here it is:

I blame your mother for not beginning earlier with training in personal responsibility, integrity, accountability and corporal punishment. Seriously.

Refresh my memory, you drank until you couldn't see straight, got behind the wheel of a Peterbilt, drove through an Elementary School run by nuns, and then finished the survivors off with a machine gun. Right?

 

[JBarx]

Refresh my memory, you drank until you couldn't see straight, got behind the wheel of a Peterbilt, drove through an Elementary School run by nuns, and then finished the survivors off with a machine gun. Right?

Well, yeah... naturally. What do you do for fun on a Friday night?

 

[Jethrol]

Interesting read, isn't it? I really tried to keep my cool but after a while it just got to be too much. Some chick was criticising my mother and my "integrity" because I laid my bike down? I mean seriously... WTF is that?

Ahh... here it is:



I can take a little heat here and there, but why voluntarily sit and read stuff like that? I lost a lot of respect for that board. Some people were trying to make me out to be the bad guy because I didn't curl into a ball and beg them for forgiveness for crashing my bike, and standing up to people when they were flaming the hell out of me.

Oh well. What can ya do. Not a recommended experience. At least you guys seem to have some decency about it. I mean come on, nobody feels worse about the whole situation than I do. I don't really need to hear it from a plethora of faceless internet posters.

Anyway, no word yet from any of the salvage yards. eBay is looking thin as well. I guess I have all winter so I can play the waiting game.

Is there any value in towing it somewhere and have someone give me an estimate to do the whole job? Is that something I should not even consider because of the cost? I'm not too sure what labor on bikes is like. I assume it's similar to cars and trucks though.

man that sux. Never crossed my mind to scold you or anything like that. I realize all too easily how it can happen to anyone!! That's what's scary because of how quickly things can turn against you on a ride with very little or NO warning at all.

I think those people are just getting their jollies by flaming people online. Pretty lame if you ask me.

Anyways, if I were you, I'd look in the phone book and talk to my friends to see if anyone knows an all around motorcycle guy that could take a look and give you an honest appraisal. He/she might be able to get it in working shape again but I think it's prolly a loss.

BTW, did you have insurance? If so, have you made a claim?

 

[Jethrol]

Refresh my memory, you drank until you couldn't see straight, got behind the wheel of a Peterbilt, drove through an Elementary School run by nuns, and then finished the survivors off with a machine gun. Right?

lol too funny