[Thomas12477]

Hay,
Long story short, the roads are slick af when it rains for the first time and I lost traction on my frunt wheel going around a righthand corner. I felt something weird, and went to pull over and the bike went out from under me. I live in a rual area so lucky I didn't meet oncoming traffic. The bike kinda did a sick grind on the side of the road, where it meets the ditch, I did a quick shaka bra before turning to a fresh grind spot, Than I stoped, my bike kept going into the ditch than stoped. was like "mfer" than i slammed the ground with my fist, than got back on it and drove it back home, was the first corner from my house.

I bent the bracket on the right side that holds the water tank. Brain storming ideas on how to get it bent back before I end up buying a new one.

I also poped out the exhost copper washer, but I've been experiencing an unavoidable popping so its probably been going out for awhile. Exhost is loose.
The nut on the back wheel is missing material, but I can live with that for now.
I had to re ajust the back wheel to get the chain to run strate.
I need new foot pegs, to much material Is missing for me to feel comfortable holding my f. A. Up lol.
Rear brake pedal needs replaced.

Waiting for the copper washer before a start it back up.

Hope I can cetch everything, the bike has 5k miles on it.

 

[ymracing]

Sorry to hear that, crashing happens. Glad you're ok. Bikes can be fixed cheaper than people, and with much less pain...

 

[Intruder]

Engine crash bars are cheaper than replacement parts.

 

[SirMarksAllot]

Glad you walked away wiser, and with only injury to your pride. I don’t know your experience level, so this might be a silly question. When you felt something weird, did you apply the front brakes? Washing out the front wheel happens if you apply front brake too hard too quickly. Especially on any surface other than clean dry pavement.

If it was a braking error, then there’s lots of videos on YouTube regarding progressive braking. When I returned to riding last year, after a twenty year hiatus, I spent allot of time in an empty school parking lot practicing turns and panic/progressive braking.

Good luck with the repairs, and if you post photos of the damage, the guys on here will help you know what other hidden damage (if any) to look for and how to fix it. I would suggest that if you are learning, do the structural repairs, and ride with the cosmetic damage as you hone your skills.

If you’re an experienced rider and I’m off base, no offense intended.

It’s not IF we go down, it’s when. Everyone does.

Edit: I missed it in the title that you’re a new rider. If you can’t take a course in person, watch videos, and learn and practice what you learn until it’s automatic muscle memory. Cheers

 

[Thomas12477]

Glad you walked away wiser, and with only injury to your pride. I don’t know your experience level, so this might be a silly question. When you felt something weird, did you apply the front brakes? Washing out the front wheel happens if you apply front brake too hard too quickly. Especially on any surface other than clean dry pavement.

If it was a braking error, then there’s lots of videos on YouTube regarding progressive braking. When I returned to riding last year, after a twenty year hiatus, I spent allot of time in an empty school parking lot practicing turns and panic/progressive braking.

Good luck with the repairs, and if you post photos of the damage, the guys on here will help you know what other hidden damage (if any) to look for and how to fix it. I would suggest that if you are learning, do the structural repairs, and ride with the cosmetic damage as you hone your skills.

If you’re an experienced rider and I’m off base, no offense intended.

It’s not IF we go down, it’s when. Everyone does.

Edit: I missed it in the title that you’re a new rider. If you can’t take a course in person, watch videos, and learn and practice what you learn until it’s automatic muscle memory. Cheers

No brakes where applied, when I felt something weird i took the corner real easy while I looked down and around and when I looked up i seen my path was about to go into the other lane so i leaned just alittle more and blam I was on my ass lol it was the first rip of the day out of my drive way. After the first rain last year. I was going like 35mph

But I need ot develop my riding funtamentals for sure. I went down previously, from not braking correctly, I totally panicked going around a lefthand corner and went off the road, and for some reason thought it would have been a good idea to lock my back re up and swing it around, like when I was a kid lol.. that one I was going like 10 mph so I didn't really do much damage. But that was a learning experience, a wake up call I need to chill out and learn to brake. I'm still new but I know not to slam on the brake and to use more frunt, and load the shocks.

Oh yea forgot to add, a biker stoped to make sure I was OK, and to inform me my tires need replaced. Which I'm about to do.


When I took my driving test there was a swerve drill, that was allot of fun,I also did allot of close cornering and looking where I'm going, u Turing before the actual test in parking lots to get a feel for the klr.

 

[SirMarksAllot]

Bad tires and freshly wet pavement are no bueno for sure!

 

[Reveille]

Based on your description, it sounds like the painted center line is the culprit and worn out tires. Those painted lines can be slicker than donkey snot after a rain. Glad you walked away.

 

[klr4evr]

Glad to hear you are okay. Bikes are made every day, bodies not so much. Curious about your rider training and experience. Corners are a new riders kryptonite. Watching a new/inexperienced rider take a corner can be scary. I see it all the time behind my house. Watching a bike rider go around the corner is pretty good indicator of their experience.

 

[Gen3piglet]

No brakes where applied, when I felt something weird i took the corner real easy while I looked down and around and when I looked up i seen my path was about to go into the other lane so i leaned just alittle more and blam I was on my ass lol it was the first rip of the day out of my drive way. After the first rain last year. I was going like 35mph

But I need ot develop my riding funtamentals for sure. I went down previously, from not braking correctly, I totally panicked going around a lefthand corner and went off the road, and for some reason thought it would have been a good idea to lock my back re up and swing it around, like when I was a kid lol.. that one I was going like 10 mph so I didn't really do much damage. But that was a learning experience, a wake up call I need to chill out and learn to brake. I'm still new but I know not to slam on the brake and to use more frunt, and load the shocks.

Oh yea forgot to add, a biker stoped to make sure I was OK, and to inform me my tires need replaced. Which I'm about to do.


When I took my driving test there was a swerve drill, that was allot of fun,I also did allot of close cornering and looking where I'm going, u Turing before the actual test in parking lots to get a feel for the klr.

In every mistake made, there is a lesson to be learned. I've made my fair share over the years. Confident I'll make more before I'm maggot food. Doesn't matter what the experience or skill level. There is always something to be learned or at least improved upon. I will never forget the equation I self-taught myself at the age of 13 on my first bike.
Dirk bike + shorts = bloody mess.

 

[Timlang60]

Glad to hear you are okay. Bikes are made every day, bodies not so much. Curious about your rider training and experience. Corners are a new riders kryptonite. Watching a new/inexperienced rider take a corner can be scary. I see it all the time behind my house. Watching a bike rider go around the corner is pretty good indicator of their experience.

It's both stunning and frightening, the sheer number of newer riders who don't know about countersteer, and think steering at speed is accomplished solely by leaning via weight shift. Every time one of those guy's eyes widen in wonder when I explain why and how it works, I think to myself, "How are you still alive?"

 

[RHodgins]

In every mistake made, there is a lesson to be learned.

If that's true I'm a stable genius!

 

[Timlang60]

If that's true I'm a stable genius!

Judging by the paradigm, there are very few people who aren't 🤣

 

[PeteK]

Two kinds of riders: Those who have dropped their bikes, and those who will. Some of us have to do it every few years to re-learn.

 

[RHodgins]

every few years

Lucky bugger. I usually relearn that once or twice a summer. If you're not falling down, you're not pushing hard enough (or so I tell myself)

 

[SirMarksAllot]

Lucky bugger. I usually relearn that once or twice a summer. If you're not falling down, you're not pushing hard enough (or so I tell myself)

Once you get over 50 you start thinking about if it’s really worth doing the dumber stuff you used to do, because it hurts more/longer if you aren’t “as good as you once was”😉🤣 See photos below from 1989. Me and my best friend since 1981, @charlieellis19631 doing questionable things🥴🤣

 

[a4twenty]

Bad tires and freshly wet pavement are no bueno for sure!

I'd add cold to the front of that statement as well.

tires need to be warmed up to get the best traction, take it easy for the first few miles.

with 5k on the bike id be surprised if you needed a front tire but if they're original, the back is likely long gone.

roads are especially slippery at the beginning of a rain in an intersection from the oils left on the road by idling cars.

35 mph, around a corner, in the rain is too fast even with good tires and especially for a novice rider.

when you felt something weird, you should not have been looking down / around but instead kept your eyes focused on where you wanted to go and adjusted your riding (straightened the bike up and off the throttle ) to bring the bike to a stop. have you heard of target fixation? essentially, your body will steer you where you're looking. if you look at a lot of accidents it often appears that the person just drove straight into the other car, because they did. the driver panics and stares directly at what the don't want to hit and their body takes them there. if instead you look at your escape route the outcome is quite different, especially on a motorcycle that can change speed and direction much faster than a car.

my guess would be that the weird feeling was a loss of traction on the rear wheel. looking away caused you to veer off course, luckily there where no cars there. then trying to correct your course too vigorously for the conditions caused you to lose traction again.

lots of lesson to be learned, happy to hear you walked away and are ok. ill second... third... taking a motorcycle safety course. they will teach you drills to home your skills, then its up to you to practice.

 

[RHodgins]

nce you get over 50 you start thinking about if it’s really worth doing the dumber stuff you used to do, because it hurts more/longer if you aren’t “as good as you once was”😉🤣 See photos below from 1989. Me and my best friend since 1981, @charlieellis19631 doing questionable things🥴🤣

I'm over 60 and I was never as good as I once was. That doesn't prevent me from doing questionable things.

 

[SirMarksAllot]

I'm over 60 and I was never as good as I once was. That doesn't prevent me from doing questionable things.

I guess “Fire in your bones”, or bongs, knows no age limit🤣👍🏼😉. I hope I still have gusto into my 60’s and 70’s and 80’s…..

 

[Thomas12477]

I'd add cold to the front of that statement as well.

tires need to be warmed up to get the best traction, take it easy for the first few miles.

with 5k on the bike id be surprised if you needed a front tire but if they're original, the back is likely long gone.

roads are especially slippery at the beginning of a rain in an intersection from the oils left on the road by idling cars.

35 mph, around a corner, in the rain is too fast even with good tires and especially for a novice rider.

when you felt something weird, you should not have been looking down / around but instead kept your eyes focused on where you wanted to go and adjusted your riding (straightened the bike up and off the throttle ) to bring the bike to a stop. have you heard of target fixation? essentially, your body will steer you where you're looking. if you look at a lot of accidents it often appears that the person just drove straight into the other car, because they did. the driver panics and stares directly at what the don't want to hit and their body takes them there. if instead you look at your escape route the outcome is quite different, especially on a motorcycle that can change speed and direction much faster than a car.

my guess would be that the weird feeling was a loss of traction on the rear wheel. looking away caused you to veer off course, luckily there where no cars there. then trying to correct your course too vigorously for the conditions caused you to lose traction again.

lots of lesson to be learned, happy to hear you walked away and are ok. ill second... third... taking a motorcycle safety course. they will teach you drills to home your skills, then its up to you to practice.

Looking back on it, I shouldn't have looked down and around but safely controlled the bike and pulled over first. At the time I was like wtf do I do? Guess that's where classes and experience comes in. I'll look into classes

 

[Timlang60]

One of the things you should do when it starts to rain is stay on the edges of your lane (the 'wheel ruts' as it were), and avoid the middle. With modern, newer cars, it's less of a problem than it used to be but there are still vehicles on the road dripping oil and/or transmission fluid, which - of course - ends up primarily in the middle of the lane. When it starts to rain, this floats up on top of the water creating a super-slippery condition. The paint lines can also get slick when wet, bet to try to avoid running on them during a turn, also.