PIE Run III R6 Down (56K Beware)

[sqvvcd]

I wanted to post seperately because of the photos and for those that rather not see the reck have a choice not to. Now for the important stuff...

Thank you God for watching over me and all of my rider's friends. I am thankful for walking away what could have been an tragic incident. And I am very thankful to have friends and people around that truly cared.

I will try to describe whatever I can remember from the incident eventhough I've played the "image" in my mind like a 100 times already, there are some moments I just don't ever remember happening. Since I was the last one in the group for that section of the road there were no other eye witness except God himself.

After Nathen (Low) went down it just happened that Doc and I were caught behind a van while the rest of the group went ahead. When we came up to this mild long sweap I was about 3-4 bike length behind Doc. And this was the approach to the incident. If you look closely to this first picture and trace the tar patch until the comes out to the middle of the road that was where I felt the front end slide from underneath. Didn't look how fast I was going but couldn't be that fast with Doc right in front (and Doc, I must say that you can sure handle that "747" like it was a small jet). This picture is looking back to where I came from.

As soon as I felt the front slide, then immediately a very violent wobble began and that was when I took my eyes off of where Doc was heading. I did not have time to adjust speed, brakes (that was a good thing I guess). Then this was what I saw and I was thinking oh F&*(*K. Right in the center of the photo is the path shown by the grass laying haft way down.

Proceeded by very violent tausing, tumbling (feelings only but didn't really remember seeing anything until my body came to a stop ( and it felt like if was never going to stop) and I was on my back. I never saw the next two pictures in my mind.

This next picture is looking back from where the Bike and I flew and where the bike landed. The bike was up side down with both wheels in the air 3 feet further away from where I was laying.

Laid still for a while because my head was still spinning. Finally got up and saw my bike's headers within one step distance with both wheel in the air ( somebody might have a picture of it still up side down). About a min. later Doc was just above the bankment and started looking me over. Doc. I don't know how to thank you for being there to calm my nerves, helped a lot just knowing you were there.

And here are the rest of the damage. This was an 05' Yamaha R6 Raven with about 1,800 miles on the clock. And yes the bike is fully insured!

In closing... I've come to the conclusion that it was half bad luck and half of rider's experience (or lack of). But then again I've read the leaning techniques posted many times and have practiced many many times. Could I have save that by staying in the lean and powered through the corner in hoping that the wobble would worked itself out.... maybe. All I can say is it was very violent wobble with very little time to react and very little road distance to react.

For those that have ridden with me (Low included) they know that I'm always the "conservitive" one in the group. Never take any un-necessary risk or only take calculated risk. That sweaper was easy, clear view, dry pavement there should be no reason (other that what I didn't expected) why I went down.

Nathen called when he got back to Houston and wanted to give me the card from the Houston group riders but I lost the remote (scattered and lost at the crash site) to the garage and couldn't get into my place. Seeing that he was in no better shape than I was and didn't want to make it worst for him and his wife I just told him we will hook up on Sunday if one of us can make it out of bed.

As for me, I'm sore just below the right knee cap and just a slight scrape. And the rest of the muscle are sore from riding. No headaches or neck pains. Pride is completely destroyed but happy to be here to give everyone a long *** detailed report.

Good night,

Again, I thank everyone that was involved for being there. God bless you all.

Last but not least, special thanks to HJC, Joe Rocket Super Moto jacket and gloves and green grass.

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

Glad to hear you're alright. Thank God there wasn't anything big and solid sitting outside that curve.



You know, there ARE easier ways to remove plastic for a streetfighter conversion...

 

[budzrex]

sqvvcd, sorry for your loss but I am glad you are alright tar snakes and rain can be a interesting combonation as traction goes away very abruptly on them when they are wet.

 

[Hemibee]

Thank you God for watching over me and all of my rider's friends. I am thankful for walking away what could have been an tragic incident. And I am very thankful to have friends and people around that truly cared.
.

You couldn't have said it any better. Glad to hear you are ok.

 

[terrebandit]

Important: Do you remember applying any brake while in the corner (front or rear)?

Glad your OK. You are very lucky. Last May I went down on a corner (wet road in NC) and took out a 4x4 fence post with my colar bone (The fence post won). Anyway, as I laid there, a thousand miles away from home, tangled up in barbwire, making sure I still had all my limbs, I felt the same thing as you.... thankfull.

Dave

 

[dower]

I had an 03 R6 until recently . I miss it dearly. I see another in my future. Don't tell my wifey.
I had a problem with headshakes (sometimes pretty violent) whenever I would go into a curve and roll off the throttle even slightly. The R6 is a very forgiving bike so it never really bothered me. I mention this to an instructor at Lone Star Trackdays and he suggested I have the suspension set for my weight and stop rolling off the throttle. Needless to say, I had the suspension setup (best $20 I've ever spent on a bike) and stop rolling off the throttle, never had the problem again.

Glad you made it out virtually unscaved. Sorry, the poor R6 had to ride in the back of a truck, on it's side.

 

[Doc]

I'm curious, as my mate John said the same thing. Just why are tar snakes so **** slippery ? I mean, it's freaking tar, it should grip just fine, and not be too different from the rest of the road surface, but I keep hearing they are like riding on ice when they are wet.

 

[kocook]

sqvvcd,

I hit one of those tar lines in that same curve. My front tire slipped a bit, also. I really hate that. The Beemer's long trail makes it less sensitive (good for street, bad for track), so no headshake.

As dower pointed out, rolling off the throttle (or even tightening your grip) in reaction to the slip, can induce a headshake while in a corner. I agree that having the suspension initially set for your weight should be done.

But the best $20 I ever spent was on Keith Code's "Twist of the Wrist, Vol II". You can get it at Cyclegear or Barnes & Noble; and, of course, on the web. Read Code's book while waiting for the new bike. If you are like me, this book will answer your questions and fears about curves.

Also, Track days with LSTD (sign up for the school) http://www.lonestartrackdays.com/ or RideSmart http://ridesmart.info/ will get you some first class coaching and chance to practice in a safe environment. You can rent the necessary safety gear from Patrick at http://www.motorcycles-unlimited.com/.

 

[Thermalser]

Yes, it was a very interesting ride for pie yesterday. After having Low bounce off me on his way down the road (literally) just outside of Fayettville on FM 1291 and then later on back tracking to find a torn up R6 on FM 969, all I can say is....I'm glad everyone got up and walked away relativaley unscathed! Things could have been a lot worse for the riders in both cases.

Shawn, I'm glad you are doing well. You were not riding above your skills at any part of the day as far as I could tell as I spent a little time behind you when I was sweeping. Maybe with a little more sadle time on the new bike you could have avoided the get off, then again maybe not. In any case I hope you can hop back in the sadle in the future and continue to enjoy the sport. I would be happy to ride with you again anytime!

 

[dower]

I'm curious, as my mate John said the same thing. Just why are tar snakes so dang slippery ? I mean, it's freaking tar, it should grip just fine, and not be too different from the rest of the road surface, but I keep hearing they are like riding on ice when they are wet.

I find those things are slippery when the road surface is hot. I simply ignored them for the longest time until I almost highsided after the backend slid around on me. I was clueless to what I had done to cause the slip then catch, until the guy behind me pointed out the tar snake. We returned to check it out and sure enough you could actually see where my tire had slipped in the tar. I think the road crew was a little over zealous when putting the tar down in that spot so it could've been just an isolated incident. Still I slow down when they are present. I'm just grateful it wasn't my front tire that hit it.

 

[Texas T]

Glad you are okay.

Some suggestions from someone who may not even be qualified as I've only got about 1400 miles under my belt on my two-week old ride...

1. Proficient Motorcycling I and II by David Hough. These are bathroom reading materials for me so I get at least a daily reminder of what I should be doing in certain situations. The books were beneficial twice yesterday.

2. Safety gear. Good helmet, good jacket, good gloves, but what's lacking? Pants and boots. You did well by winding up in the grass but imagine what those pants would have looked like if the sweeper was to the right instead of to the left and you went down on the asphalt. I can't tell in the photo if you're wearing Draggin Jeans or just regular ones.

3. And last... the honor of the Houston group was still upheld as I managed to make it all the way there and back by myself.


I "still" look forward to meeting you and the others from the Houston group in the future.

Best wishes...

 

[Texas T]

Just why are tar snakes so dang slippery ? I mean, it's freaking tar, it should grip just fine, and not be too different from the rest of the road surface, but I keep hearing they are like riding on ice when they are wet.

While asphalt has tar as a component, the actual tar strips don't have any abrasive/adherance properties the way asphalt does.

Similar to cement/concrete. One is a component of the other but wholly different strength properties.

If the road crews were to sprinkle small amounts of crushed gravel into the tar strips you'd have a similar surface but we all know THAT ain't gonna happen.

 

[buck000]

sqvvcd,

Thanks for sharing your story, and I'm glad things turned out relatively ok, especially regarding your life and limbs...

 

[bluedogok]

Glad you came through it relatively unscathed, too bad the bike didn't. Is it just me, or maybe some of it could be due to the inherent twitchiness of the R6 or most 600SS in general? It seems they are far less forgiving than some other bikes may be. I know my Sprint feels almost like a land barge compared to the more sporting mounts in either 600 or liter sized classes.

The tar snakes have compounds in them to bind together the tar and make it more resistant to weather extremes. It is just one more thing that road crews use that seem to only highlight concerns about car/truck use (or road longevity) while ignoring motorcycles altogether. The biggest problem is the differential of grip between the craggy asphalt (or chip seal) we have around here and the tar snakes. Plust they make the tar snakes usually wider than they really need to, all it is there for is to prevent water from getting through the asphalt to the base course and undermining the base.

Personally, I think the tar sealant and chip seal should be banned from use. If contractors built the roads properly in the first place they wouldn't need to do either. Asphalt fails due to a bad mix, applied too thin or more commonly due to an improperly prepared base. All of these are the contractors responsibility. I guess you get what you pay for by using the lowest bidder

 

[sqvvcd]

Kent and Stuart, glad to see you guys made it back before it rained. My friend (whom I ride regularly with) came out there pretty quick when he was informed that I went down hard. He rented that blue truck, flew out there and got me back to Houston before you guys even made back to town (informed by Nathan).

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions posted. I will defintely look into all the suggestions. I will face that corner again even if I have to go rent a bike and stair that demon in the eyes :angryfir:



-Shawn

 

[Kidder]

Shawn,

Glad you're okay. Hopefully you'll be able to remember a key detail later on that you can learn from. But, as people say, stuff happens sometimes.

So, what do you plan on replacing the bike with? Another 05 R6 Raven?
I'm assuming that bike didn't come stock with a steering damper. Will you consider getting one if you do get another R6?

Oh, and like someone said above, those tar snakes get VERY SLIPPERY in hot weather so everyone should keep that in mind as the summer approaches.

Here's praying for a dry, incident-free Pie Run IV.

 

[HiSPL]

I'm glad you came out alright....

I'm just curious, does the R6 have a steering damper on it from the factory?

I think all the race replicas should have one nowadays....

 

[VFRinAustin]

Shawn,

Man, gald to hear you are ok, sounds like a real life enlightening experience (had a few of those myself, although in a car)

Dont beat yourself up to much about that corner. During the spring and summer I ride 969 4-5 times a month and know that corner well. Coming in from Bastrop it is very poorly banked. Not really reverse bank so you could see it, just banked wrong and it has claimed many a cage as well as bikes.

 

[Gilk51]

R6 have a steering damper

When my son was shopping for bikes, he was comparing the R6 and the GSXR600 at the same shop. One item was that the GSRX had a steering damper but the R6 did not.

Not sure it would have made much difference here, though.

Sorry about the bike damage, but glad you were able to walk away.

I agree with Squeaky, having a Doc ride with ya is a good thing!

 

[kurt]

I think you could get $10 for the gas cap on e-bay. Not much else worth salvaging. Glad you are alright and I didn't have to send my boys and girls in the BYB (Big Yellow Bird) after you. Webberville is in Travis county.

 

[sqvvcd]

Shawn,

Glad you're okay. Hopefully you'll be able to remember a key detail later on that you can learn from. But, as people say, stuff happens sometimes.

So, what do you plan on replacing the bike with? Another 05 R6 Raven?
I'm assuming that bike didn't come stock with a steering damper. Will you consider getting one if you do get another R6?

Oh, and like someone said above, those tar snakes get VERY SLIPPERY in hot weather so everyone should keep that in mind as the summer approaches.

Here's praying for a dry, incident-free Pie Run IV.

Thank you for all the concerns. As far as the bike, it looks like it's a write off or atleast I hope the insurance will write it off. The oil was leaking from what I saw so I don't know if the motor has a crack or the oil cooler is damage. As fas as the steering dampers are concern, it does not come with it from the show room. I thought about putting one on but I was putting it off because I want to learn about my bike just the way it was made (I"VE LEARNED- DO YOU HEAR ME YAMAHA!!!!!). The 04' and newer R1 all came with dampers from stock.

As far as getting another R6 and raven at that (all of my BLACK vehicles had bad mishalf.... another long story) is yet to be determined. I was shooked up about this but I'm not scared about getting on the saddle again. If I don't make it back onto the saddle soon chances are it is because of using the money to get something else (down payment on a Vette maybe) or Insurance issue after this incident but for sure I will have to face that demon before I move on.

Base on what I can remember, I didn't apply the brakes, adjust the throttle or anything like that. I do remember squeezing the tank really hard to try to stay on the bike because of the violent wobble. Just from looking at the damage, the two sides weren't impacted too bad, very minor scratches. The front and rear are another story.... Head over heal tunble....

As far as the tar snakes are concerns. I knew they were slippery in the wet. In this case, the snake was small and few where I went down. I didn't even give it a second thought while I was taking that sweeper. When I used to live in Phoenix AZ, I do remember that the road got soo hot that it melts those tar where it will stick to your shoe bottom or spit it up inside your fender. They were so sticky (not slippery) that you would have a hard time cleaning it up on your car.

If I get back on another R6, most definetly the Scott's damper would go on (weather I go on the track or not). Or any middle weight model for that matter. That was one high point that made me buy the R6, razer sharp precission handling but never thought that it would come back and bite me big time (you live by the swords, you die by the swords) The next PIE run or any long/large group ride, padded leather pants (that was on my wish list). I had a good heavy padded hiking boots on and it protected my ankles pretty well on this ride (although it was not riding boots, it served it's purpose well over your typical tennis shoes, again it was on the wish list).

Now I need some tips on dealing with the Insurance adjuster. What can they do with about $1300 of after market reciept parts? I have full coverage with State Farm. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[bluedogok]

*** Triumph plug here ***

I think the main problem with most of the racer reps right now is they are made more for track performance than for real world riding when only about 10-20% of them will see any significant track time. I think even the SV650 probably has more representation at track days or local circuit racing that the 600SS bike do. That is one thing I like about the street or real world focus of the Triumph Daytona 650 and the soon to come Daytona 680. They are made with a more streetable rake/trail, wheelbase and powerband.

The main thing is to get the one that pushes your buttons, good luck with the insurance and new bike shopping.

 

[mlinkibikr]

Funny - after all these years of incident free riding I very nearly took a tumble as well. I saw the tar snake, I don't believe it was the tar itself but the crack and resulting 1/2" lift in the pavement that was the problem. Rather than I slide I experienced a very violent wobble, like somebody suddenly hammering the side of the frame - thankfully everything sorted itself out as quickly as it occured.

Message to me was that it ain't always the tar that's the problem, it can also be the crack that the tar is trying to cover (or disguise)!

Glad you are ok, sorry about the bike. Thanks for sharing your experience as hopefully we all learn from that.

Dave.

 

[whoa]

Now I need some tips on dealing with the Insurance adjuster. What can they do with about $1300 of after market reciept parts? I have full coverage with State Farm. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Hopefully there are some adjusters, or people with similar experience on this board. You definately need to bring extra features on the bike to the attention of the adjuster so they can take it into account.

Also look into other property items like helmet, jacket etc. I've had items like a damaged brief case covered by auto insurance in the past.

When you get your new bike, check into the cost for overage, a premium that covers the difference on a new purchase while you are upside down financially on the loan.

I've heard very good things about State Farm, hopefully you will have a very easy time dealing with them.

 

[HotChickenStrips]

Shawn, this is Leo, we went riding the Forest a few weeks ago, i'm sorry about your accident, i still remember you asking me about the pie run when you guys showed up at Po's...anyway, don't get discouraged, i've been down three times and still get up, dust myself off, and get back on the saddle.
Take care man, and sure God was watching over you that day.