New owner and a high side and an indestructable motorcycle

[mbsween]

Hello,
I'm the owner of a new to me 2004 R1150R. I'm a long time rider (30+ years) of various brands, mostly Kawasaki, but I also own a Buell X1. I ride them a bit (115K on the 83 KZ750, 50K on the 2001 Buell) .The 2004 had 9000 miles on it when I bought it last year from a BMW mechanic here in Webster (Rochester) NY .

Great bike, I've always love airheads (took my road test on an R90/6) but wanted something a little more modern. I don't miss the warm up on the FI bikes.

I'm a reasonably competent rider, I do track days, but don't really push it hard on the street. I'm also a big fan of gear having met the road a couple times in my travels.

Anyways I was riding with friends in southern Ohio on 555 doing a bunch of twisties with roller coaster like hills between them. Very fun road, I'd recommend it if that's your kind of riding. We had done a fair amount of riding , probably 50 miles or so of, that morning, when we came to a downhill right hand corner. The actual spot is here.

I'd estimate I was doing 35-40 when I entered the turn, the lead rider had just gone through. The turn in was uneventful, and I remember picking the throttle up and the next thing I know the bike yaws violently to the left, then to the right and up we go. It happen so quick I don't really recall it. I flew behind the bike rolling slowly in the air. It was pretty surreal, till I realize the ground was coming up and this was going to hurt. Hit, bounce, roll, hit bounce roll, then slide. The bike did the same , of course managing to hit both sides. The amazing thing was it was still running after all this. The rider behind me helped me get the bike back to the side of the road. I was banged up, but the Aerostitch and the poor AGV helmet took the bulk of the punishment. My magnetic tank bag was 20 or so feet off the side of the road in a field. The bike had landed in the middle of the road.

The damage assessment was amazing , scratch saddlebags, ground down windshield with bent mounting frame. Rash on both valve covers (the protective plastic pieces helped). Rash on one of the oil cooler covers and some minor rash on the bar ends/levers. Nothing actually broke. My friend on the Gold Wing behind me estimated my max altitude 6-8 ft off the road. That's a pretty indestructible machine.

After awhile of collecting my wits, I rode the bike another 50 mile to a hotel, recuperated, then road 500+ miles back to Rochester the next day.

I've since put 3500 miles on the bike. One thing for sure is I'm still learning the whole parallever suspension and throttle control on this bike. I always feel ham fisted with the controls compared to the other bikes. The lack of front end dive takes some getting used also.

I was replacing the battery tonight and broke a quick connect. Found this site , awesome info, and thought I'd share my experience. Anybody else ever fly on of these beasts?

[Xdot]

Wow! Quite a story and glad you were okay. One more tribute to ATGATT. I've heard these RBikes are tough. Never imagined they were that tough.

For the rest of us, any indication as to what happened to initiate the left yaw? Gravel? Oil patch?

Welcome to R1150R.net!

[Hawkman]

I high-sided my 2003 Roadster in 2007. I was overconfident as a new rider and carried too much speed into a curve with a downhill slope. I got spooked and hit the brakes while in the turn going about 30. Bad idea. The back end slid out to the right, bounced and skipped to the left and sprung me off. I managed to roll off the road after realizing that there was a 560 pound beast sliding behind me. Nothing broken on me and the jacket and helmet did their job, but the bike was slightly worse for wear. I managed to ride it home. The entire right side was mangled. New valve covers, handle bars, both mirrors, rider and passenger foot pegs and mounting plates and a real nice ding in the tank. It was an expensive lesson, but one well learned. Plus the ding on the tank is still there to serve as a reminder.

[mnnden]

Scary!!! glad you are OK!!!, Well written, Thanks, mnn

[towerworker]

Yup, been there twice. First time I walked away, bike hauled away. Second time I'm hauled away (ambulance--snapped leg in two places) friend rode bike home for me. Little road rash on valve cover and system case. Little bit of paint fixed valve cover, little bit of epoxy fixed system case and alot of titanium rod and stainless steel fixed me.

wayne

[riceburner]

Glad you're ok.

One I'd advise against btw, (if you want to keep the bike), is going head on into anything. A direct frontal impact will be taken by the Telelever swinging arm and it'll push back in the engine cases - wrecking them. Instant write off (I've done it twice now.... Wrote off a Land Rover the 2nd time. )

[mbsween]

Thanks guys,

I think what caught me was either some horse sh*t in the road or just a very slippery part of the corner combined with lean angle and me picking up the throttle. If you look at the Google link you can see where a car/truck had issues and locked them up. I'm not sure if I can post a picture. Another rider with us on a K1300 took some good pics, you can see them here

A funny part I left out is the guy behind said I was still trying to reach the handle bars while in the air. Wish he had video!.

I agree on the gear part, any time I'm remotely thinking about riding hard it's leathers or the 'stitch.

[Lion_Lady]

Looking at the gravel pull off on the outside of that corner, I wonder is you hit a layer of bit of sand/grit as you rolled on the throttle.

P

[angellr]

A good example of ATGATT. Glad you are OK and that your ride is completely rideable.

[towerworker]

That bruise looked very painful! Bet you were sore the next morning. Glad you subscribe to ATGATT.

Wayne

[R1150Rclean]

Your lucky you did not get hurt worse, I ALWAYS look at the road just in front of my tire when going through a turn (while also looking through the turn, hard to do both sometimes). About a month ago was making a right hand exit turn off of a main 60 mph road onto a wide side street, as I was sweeping into the turn saw something in the center line, which I hit, rear tire slipped out to the left. But because I saw it I was off the throttle. Straightened up the bike and slapped my foot down to keep the bike up right, coasted the rest of the way through the turn. Turns out some contractor had spilled vermiculite all across the turn, and car's tires had made it collect in the center in a pile. That is one reason I do not have a windshield/fairing, it blocks your view of what is right in front of your tire since your looking over the top of the windshield.

[mbsween]

R1150R clean,
everything I've ever learn tells me to keep my eyes up and forward in a corner. Meaning you're covering ground too fast to see, and react to, anything that's less than 10 feet in front of you. The first rider went through the turn fine. He was on a Vstrom with on/off road tires, so I felt I had nothing to worry about. I was literally 5 seconds behind him at < 40 MPH so I was pretty close. Again the likely cause is too much lean angle, too much throttle and something on the road that wasn't obvious.

The again it shows you how much I know

[tlwood28]

Glad you are ok and appreciate the report. Good to know these things...I think

[R1150Rclean]

R1150R clean,
everything I've ever learn tells me to keep my eyes up and forward in a corner. Meaning you're covering ground too fast to see, and react to, anything that's less than 10 feet in front of you. The first rider went through the turn fine. He was on a Vstrom with on/off road tires, so I felt I had nothing to worry about. I was literally 5 seconds behind him at < 40 MPH so I was pretty close. Again the likely cause is too much lean angle, too much throttle and something on the road that wasn't obvious.

The again it shows you how much I know

Fairings can cover the road 30-50 feet in front of you, and I was about 40 ft away from the turn when I saw the raised center line. When I took the rider safety course to get my motorcycle license "again" the instructors taught us to look through the turn and I do, but I then refocus on the road surface ~20-40 ft out to look for debris and I can see it at speed. If you took just a slightly different track than the leader, then your path could of passed over something slippery that the leader did not.

[Biff's R]

I know 555 well, and ride it a lot. You can never let down your guard. I remember that corner due to the Amish church up the hill. It is one of the areas that can be littered with a few road apples. They are slippery. Glad you and the bike were okay.