beastwood Posted February 9, 2015 #1 Posted February 9, 2015 I commute daily to work on my V-Star 650 Classic. Six and a half years on the same route just to keep things simple. Here is what I believe happened three weeks ago ( some parts are just missing from memory). I lane changed into a sudden slowing of surface street traffic, locked up the rear, went sideways, and upon stopping, got thrown off the motorcycle. My V-Star 650, not the Venture. This resulted in breaking two bones in my left hand. All safety equipment worked well, full face helmet, leather jacket with armour, quarter chaps, good leather boots. My gloves could have done better perhaps if they had cushions above the knuckles. I realize I should not have got on the rear brake in that scenario. The bike survived very well, bent footrest bracket, broken turn signal, one or two scratches. I have two pins inserted in my left hand and it seems to be healing up well. I just shared this because, from what I have read since, in a tight quarters sudden stop, it may be better to stay off the rear brake entirely to avoid the issue of lock up.
slowrollwv Posted February 9, 2015 #2 Posted February 9, 2015 Sorry to hear of your crash but glad you are OK, Same thing happen to me a couple years ago. I hit a little harder than you though. I was wearing a 3/4 helmet and it did its job or I would not be here. It was split from front to back. Did not have armor on just Chaps and a vest. Four broken ribs, a bruised lower back, and a severe concussion. The bike had bent handlebars, cracked inner fairing, bent crash bars on right side and road rash on the outer fairing along with the right lower fairing. It and I was up and running with in two weeks
CaptainJoe Posted February 9, 2015 #3 Posted February 9, 2015 (edited) Sorry to hear... Wondering out loud... can you get Kevlar brake shoes for the rear of a 650... would help with the locking up part. I've got them on my RSV and they work great! Skydoc? Edited February 10, 2015 by CaptainJoe
Chaharly Posted February 9, 2015 #4 Posted February 9, 2015 I commute daily to work on my V-Star 650 Classic. Six and a half years on the same route just to keep things simple. Here is what I believe happened three weeks ago ( some parts are just missing from memory). I lane changed into a sudden slowing of surface street traffic, locked up the rear, went sideways, and upon stopping, got thrown off the motorcycle. My V-Star 650, not the Venture. This resulted in breaking two bones in my left hand. All safety equipment worked well, full face helmet, leather jacket with armour, quarter chaps, good leather boots. My gloves could have done better perhaps if they had cushions above the knuckles. I realize I should not have got on the rear brake in that scenario. The bike survived very well, bent footrest bracket, broken turn signal, one or two scratches. I have two pins inserted in my left hand and it seems to be healing up well. I just shared this because, from what I have read since, in a tight quarters sudden stop, it may be better to stay off the rear brake entirely to avoid the issue of lock up. Went through a similar thing. I just wish I had something to point out as the fault to the accident. I have 2 broken wrist bones too but only one pin. Hit the ditch at about 50 and honestly couldn't have turned out any better. And slowroll it sounds like you got REALLY messed up! Did you hit something after it went over?
Oldodge Posted February 9, 2015 #5 Posted February 9, 2015 beastwood thanks for posting and I wish you a quick recovery.
slowrollwv Posted February 9, 2015 #6 Posted February 9, 2015 No the only thing I hit was the blacktop. Bike was lying in the middle of the road when my friends got turn and back to me. From the skid mark the bike was about 30 feet down the road and I was about the same from the bike. I didn't come to till I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
cowpuc Posted February 9, 2015 #7 Posted February 9, 2015 Indeed Beast, THANK YOU for posting this up, hopefully we folks who are about to drag our bikes out of storage and hit the open road again will take note and take time to get used to our brakes again.. Going out on a limb here in the spirit of the open discussion that your post inspires, it would interesting to know if you may have experienced what some of us old timers call a "high side".. I have seen it happen (and experienced it enough times to know high siding is never in a riders best interest) many times - usually on an MX track - and can attest that the event can cause broken bones. Locking the rear brake, having it slide and than going over the side that is in front of the bikes forward motion (usually gives the feeling that the bike is "throwing you" - I noticed you used that to describe your accident) would be what a few of us old geezers would call a "high side". High siding is a no-no, its not always avoidable and can happen rather quickly - especially if your in a rear brake lock up situation - have the bike into a little slide and than unknowingly release the rear brake,, whamo - instant violent high side.. I am sorry to hear about, no matter what caused it, your ordeal. I too hope and pray you heal quickly and fully! Prayers Up! Puc
Yammer Dan Posted February 9, 2015 #8 Posted February 9, 2015 I've been down a few times and brakes are a lot of help in getting out of control and sometime in control. They can be your best friend or worse enemy.
CaptainJoe Posted February 9, 2015 #9 Posted February 9, 2015 (edited) Sorry to hear... Wondering out loud... can you get Kevlar brake shoes for the rear of a 650... would help with the locking up part. I've got them on my RSV and they work great! Skydoc? Kevlar brakes aren't as grabby... a light rear end and grabby brakes aren't good... Here are the EBC Kevlar Brake Shoes, From Dennis Kirk, these are for a 2005 Yamaha 650 Vstar custom for 58.99: https://www.denniskirk.com/ebc/kevlar-brake-shoes.p194952.prd/194952.sku Your classic should take same brake shoes...(if it's a 05) Brake pad writeup: Which Brake Pads to Choose? Organic Sintered or Ceramic | eBay Edited February 10, 2015 by CaptainJoe
Chaharly Posted February 9, 2015 #10 Posted February 9, 2015 No the only thing I hit was the blacktop. Bike was lying in the middle of the road when my friends got turn and back to me. From the skid mark the bike was about 30 feet down the road and I was about the same from the bike. I didn't come to till I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Wow you really hit hard! Glad to hear you made it through all that! And still riding tboot!
CaptainJoe Posted February 9, 2015 #11 Posted February 9, 2015 Sorry to hear of your crash but glad you are OK, Same thing happen to me a couple years ago. I hit a little harder than you though. I was wearing a 3/4 helmet and it did its job or I would not be here. It was split from front to back. Did not have armor on just Chaps and a vest. Four broken ribs, a bruised lower back, and a severe concussion. The bike had bent handlebars, cracked inner fairing, bent crash bars on right side and road rash on the outer fairing along with the right lower fairing. It and I was up and running with in two weeks Typical West Virginian.."country boys can survive" lol
slowrollwv Posted February 10, 2015 #12 Posted February 10, 2015 Typical West Virginian.."country boys can survive" lol Yeah more stubborn than smart. Should have stayed off at least three weeks.
CaptainJoe Posted February 10, 2015 #13 Posted February 10, 2015 Yeah more stubborn than smart. Should have stayed off at least three weeks. Me to...Yuk, Yuk:thumbsup2:
BlueSky Posted February 10, 2015 #14 Posted February 10, 2015 Wishing you a quick recovery. A similar accident happened to me over 20 yrs ago. I was riding on a two lane road when it started to rain. So, I braked intending to turn around and go back home which was just a mile or so back. this was a 83 750 Virago with rear drum brake. I also just passed a home that had a clay driveway and there may have been clay on the road. anyhow the rear locked up immediately and started to swing out to the right. The bike was going down on the left so I released the rear brake and the tire caught keeping me from going down but then it was going to roll over to the right so I jammed the rear brake and the rear broke loose and I let it go down on the left. May have been okay but I stuck out my left foot like an idiot trying to catch the bike and only succeeded in catching my left foot between the road and the spinning rear wheel. I picked the bike up and pushed it into a driveway and laid down. It took a while before I could get up witout blacking out. Then I rode it back to the house bent handle bars and all. It broke my small lower leg bone clean at the ankle joint. A week in a splint and on crutches, 3 weeks in a walking cast, and they took it off. It hurt for much longer but I was lucky to get back on my feet that quickly.
beastwood Posted February 10, 2015 Author #15 Posted February 10, 2015 I just hit the street, and made one roll.
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