Very close call - almost crashed

[Paulie]

Good save!

A few yrs ago I took a 15mph blind R 90* at ~30, gassed it out of the corner, fwip, splat, lowside.  

I left the bike laying in the very quiet country road & just hadta walk back to see WTF was back there. The entire lane was covered in sugar sand, ~ the same color as the road, practically invisible. Prolly woulda saved it if I'd crossed the DY.

[MDHCO]

Sounds like it was a near thing.   You can second and third guess yourself, but you kept it up and didn't hit anything.    

Had a similar moment, running over Squaw Pass with a friend on a Blackbird a few years ago.   Had to push hard in the corners to make-up the ground I lost everytime we hit a straight.   Caught some gravel mid-corner, the back came around, caught, and snapped back so fast it was over before I had time to react.    Didn't leave the lane, but thought about that one for a long time.  

[JETSET]

I'm glad you made out OK.The pucker factor came into effect.Its hard to shake those natural insticnts but it can be done,and change your drawers.  

[JETSET]

Not only a helmet, but a high vis jacket that can be seen from space!
Seriously, glad you're OK! Continuing to lean the bike over when things get squirrely is hard to do. But probably the best course of action. I remember my WV moment last year on the way to Indy. Remember the uphill right hander, when I was over so far and I hit the frame on the Road King? The backwheel kicked out to the left. I don't know how I didn't go wide on that one.
I think Chris's idea about the Lee Park is a great one. I know I would benefit from it.

Nice Avatar  

[kendenton]

Nice Avatar  

Nah, I liked it better when he was using one of my photos as his avatar - like you are

[Justin]

Unlike everyone else who's posted, I'm not so sure this was all that incorrect.  He didn't know what he hit, the bike was weaving all over the road, and the oncoming lane was clear enough to use to stabilize the bike.  What if it a tire had been cut?  Then his only chance of avoiding a crash was exactly what he did.  I think I would have used as much of the available road as I needed to get the bike under control, just as he did.  In an emergency, any rule can be broken.

I disagree... he said he was in a turn, and therefore most likely did not know if there was a vehicle coming the other way. Also, he indicated that a vehicle did come the other way and had to take emergency measures to avoid him. If that vehicle had arrived just a bit sooner the outcome could have been very different; this was a case of good luck IMO. I've had tires jump out 4 feet on the road and re-grip safely (although it left stains). Assuming you are not riding at 90% + on the street, you should have room for corrections within your own lane.

[Lon]

Delayed apex turns are your friend.

[EricJ]

  Holy cow! I really can't add anymore to the conversation that already hasn't been said. I really glad to be reading the best case scenario and glad you are OK.

Eric

[atljr]

Yes, glad you made it out ok and can share the experience. It's good to see the feedback.

[Nodaclu]

Also had a similar experience a few months back.

Not much speed, (only about 25mph) but hit a patch of gravel in a shaded spot at the apex of a goat trail on a group ride. I thought only my front washed out, but the guy behind me told me later that *both* wheels slid.

As the bike started to wash out, I could hear two voices in my head - one was my MSF instructor screaming at me to "Stay off the brakes! You'll only make it worse!" The other voice was my own yelling "It'll catch. It'll catch. Don't do ANYTHING until it catches."

The moment I felt traction return I smoothly and carefully stood it up. Only when I had it mostly vertical again did I dare to hit the brakes. Talking to the guy behind me later, I said I felt like I'd made a beginners mistake hitting that gravel. His response was that "A beginner doesn't make that save. A beginner either hits the brakes and low-sides, or hits the throttle and pitches himself in a high-side when traction returns".

I always wondered how I would respond to my first true pucker moment. The knowledge that I made fairly good decisions under the circumstances made it a lot easier to get back on the bike the next time.

[GasGauge]

"and I was the last one to see him alive"

Hey...that would have been my line!  

Ken - I'm glad I don't have to take credit for those word!

[sagerat]

If you'd been on a sidecar, you would have just laughed it off and continued on your merry way...catching up with your sportbike buddies approximately nine hours later.

Been in a similar switch and I basically did...nothing.  Just kept looking through the turn and refrained from any braking and kept rolling on the throttle.  I'd like to think staying constant in terms of turn line and throttle was due to ice-steady nerves rather than mental paralysis.  

Anyway, to quote my pilot dad, any landing you can walk away from was a good landing.  Glad you saved it.

[NearlySeventy]

Hey...that would have been my line!  

Ken - I'm glad I don't have to take credit for those word!

No, that would have been my line riding right behind you guys - maybe a couple times!! A memorable trip!!

[Mastros2]

Glad everything went well Ken.  

As for the track days, I am going to either Lee Parks or Team Promotion in 2010.  If you want, pm me and we'll schedule a class together over the winter. Maybe get more stn-ers to go?

[jesse0192]

Good save.  If you ran in to the same situation today, you'd handle it mo' better--that's what you can take away from this incident!  I can relate.  I'm sure lots of us have learned by getting lucky once or twice