Wrecked my bike...

[Maximus_imp]

My beautiful CB1100 - only 3.5k miles on her - wrecked.

I recently went on a group ride with a couple people I knew and many I did not know, and about an hour and a half into the ride, I misjudged a curve and low sided.

The right side of my tank was really banged up, and my handlebars were badly skewed, but several guys in the group worked together to bend the bars back into rideable-ish shape. Since we (my husband was on the ride with me) were northeast of Carson (no cell signal), we couldn't call for a tow; and because there was no other major damage to the bike, we decided to ride it back about 20 miles where we might get a signal. Actually, my ribs and right knee were so beat up I couldn't wrestle with the torqued bars, so I rode my husband's ZRX and he rode my CB.

We ended up just riding the 80 miles back home (couldn't get a signal where we had stopped) and took the bike into our favorite shop (Vicious Cycle). Damage estimate from both the shop and our insurance totaled the bike (just $1.5k functional damage and over $9k cosmetic damage).

We took the payout and bought back the salvage, so the functional and a little of the cosmetic damage is being fixed and I should get her back in a couple weeks, but I so wish I had made better choices and this had never happened!

As for me, I did crack a rib (just a hairline fracture thank goodness!) and did some tissue damage to my knee, but aside from LOTS of bruising and soreness, I got very doggone lucky!!!

Keep safe out there, everyone!

I'm glad that you're healing and that you'll be back riding the CB again!
Amazing to me how a perfectly functional motorcycle can be "totaled" on cosmetics alone.
I low-sided my 1200 Bandit on the Ortega a few years ago and I seemed to have more fun riding it after I got the "crash" out of my system. I didn't file an insurance claim, just fixed it myself and rode it, scratches, dents and all.
Thanks for sharing your story.

I'm glad that you're healing and that you'll be back riding the CB again!
Amazing to me how a perfectly functional motorcycle can be "totaled" on cosmetics alone.
I low-sided my 1200 Bandit on the Ortega a few years ago and I seemed to have more fun riding it after I got the "crash" out of my system. I didn't file an insurance claim, just fixed it myself and rode it, scratches, dents and all.
Thanks for sharing your story.
I envy your mechanic skills, Haystack!

As hubby and I are are pretty new to bikes (been riding about 3 years), our mechanics skills are fledgling as well. Apart from basic maintenance and some small repairs on our older bikes, we just didn't have the know-how to manage some of the repairs my 1100 needed. Time and practice, right!

I always cringe when I read stories like this.
Of course I think of the rider first (and I'm super glad you're OK for the most part), but picturing a smashed up/damaged CB is not an image I like to think about.
Get well soon!

Thanks much, Rocky.

Add me to the list of those who are sorry this happened, but glad to know that you escaped with only the injuries that you did suffer and nothing worse. I hope that the folks over at Vicious take good care of your CB and that both you and the bike end up in a fine state of tune when all is said and done.

My thanks, Guth. Fortunately, we've worked with Vicious several times before for my '82 and James' 2000. Good folk there, and Joe's a good wrench.

Despite the mild-ish injuries, I've already been back on the road. I've been out on my husband's ZReX several times since my crash (he's such a nice guy!). I didn't want to wait too long before getting back on a bike after a crash like that because it's just to easy to start developing fears.

Glad you are OK.

My beautiful CB1100 - only 3.5k miles on her - wrecked.

I recently went on a group ride with a couple people I knew and many I did not know, and about an hour and a half into the ride, I misjudged a curve and low sided.

The right side of my tank was really banged up, and my handlebars were badly skewed, but several guys in the group worked together to bend the bars back into rideable-ish shape. Since we (my husband was on the ride with me) were northeast of Carson (no cell signal), we couldn't call for a tow; and because there was no other major damage to the bike, we decided to ride it back about 20 miles where we might get a signal. Actually, my ribs and right knee were so beat up I couldn't wrestle with the torqued bars, so I rode my husband's ZRX and he rode my CB.

We ended up just riding the 80 miles back home (couldn't get a signal where we had stopped) and took the bike into our favorite shop (Vicious Cycle). Damage estimate from both the shop and our insurance totaled the bike (just $1.5k functional damage and over $9k cosmetic damage).

We took the payout and bought back the salvage, so the functional and a little of the cosmetic damage is being fixed and I should get her back in a couple weeks, but I so wish I had made better choices and this had never happened!

As for me, I did crack a rib (just a hairline fracture thank goodness!) and did some tissue damage to my knee, but aside from LOTS of bruising and soreness, I got very doggone lucky!!!

Keep safe out there, everyone!

What have you determined to be "better choices"?

After a year, or so, of group rides with a local club, and witnessing all the accidents that occurred as less experienced riders felt compelled to keep up with the pace, I began to ask myself why I was riding with the pack leaders, at that kind of pace on the street, to start with. My "better choice" was to stop doing group rides, before it bit me, as well. Swapped my crazy bike for the more serene CB, and it's willingness to entertain at a relaxed pace. Now, it is just me, or me and my closest buddy on rides.

What have you determined to be "better choices"?

After a year, or so, of group rides with a local club, and witnessing all the accidents that occurred as less experienced riders felt compelled to keep up with the pace, I began to ask myself why I was riding with the pack leaders, at that kind of pace on the street, to start with. My "better choice" was to stop doing group rides, before it bit me, as well. Swapped my crazy bike for the more serene CB, and it's willingness to entertain at a relaxed pace. Now, it is just me, or me and my closest buddy on rides.
Great email, DGS, and thanks for sharing info on your group riding experiences!

My better choices...

1. Pay attention to your instincts! Right from the start of the ride I had some serious reservations about the leader's choices - he was all over the road, constantly way over the speed limit, not signaling his intentions ahead of time so following riders knew where he meant to go, etc. if I had listened to my instincts to bail at the beginning, my wreck would not have happened.

2. Ride within your abilities! Even though I knew this one, I didn't follow it. I was too worried about keeping up at the front of the pack, and I pushed myself more than I should have!

3. Avoid group rides!!! This was my 2nd one, and like the 1st, it was billed as "casual." Consistently traveling at an aggressive pace is not my definition of "casual." In fact, neither group ride was casual at all, although I did a better job in the first one of riding within my abilities. I was absolutely and completely responsible for my crash, yet the riding style set by the group was not safe or smart and certainly influenced my riding choices.

Luckily for me, I lived to learn!

Glad to hear your OK Max. What a trooper, 80 mile ride home with a cracked rib, i know just coughing hurts like heck with a rib injury. Get well soon.

Thanks, CIP! I've been told by several people that rib injuries are painful to heal from and no argument from me! Not being able to take a deep breath without some pretty significant pain definitely sucks! Lol

At one of the numerous "pain" rest stops on that ride home, I asked my husband if it made me an a$$ that I was really enjoying the ride back home...LOL... We were both relieved that I was! :-)