My 1st on track crash :-( The shinny bike not so shinny now

[nhbubba]

Saw the pictures on FB. Heartbreaking. Glad you're okay and walked away. The damage sucks though. I have also been there. .. Not that that helps any.

This is how your "eye" for motorcycles begins to change. Shininess gets replaced by durability, expensive replaced by affordable, pretty replaced by purposeful. There is nothing finer than a well prepped track motorcycle to my eye.

[CBR929RE]

doesn't look so bad really. doesn't Suzuki just use a bunch of plastic pop rivets to hold the tail together? new headlight and slap the bodywork back on. scratches just add character.

[Paul_E_D]

I should add - out of lean angle and touched something hard. If he tensed/etc I didn't catch it in the video. I'm also not a good enough judge of body position to know if he could hang off more to keep the bike more upright, etc.

If he hit hard parts bad enough to throw him down, we would see/hear it. What we know:

Mistake 1: He came in too hot
Mistake 2: He let off the brakes well before he fell
Mistake 3: there were some inputs rough enough to cause him to lose traction after the bike was halfway around the corner

This track is billiard smooth with ultra high grip. The most likely "cause" of this crash was charging the corner and panicking. The rest of the details don't really matter. The lesson here is for Josh to brake sooner, or carry those brakes deeper in to the corner. For now, my money is on braking sooner.

[CBR929RE]

and trying to remain calm and forcing yourself to look through the corner. its saved me a few times

[nt650hawk]

+1 B.

maybe if he did the Marquez and dropped his head and shoulders down (Raise the bike) instead of raising the head up (Lowering the bike) things may have been different.

agree with palu in his diagnosis. looked too hot entering in.

[GixxerJosh]

That is my thought, I should have dropped down really low and relaxed. I think I flinched when I saw the ground getting really close really fast. I wish I would of just relaxed and got low, I may have scuffed an elbow and made it through

[tsorfas]

This is how your "eye" for motorcycles begins to change. Shininess gets replaced by durability, expensive replaced by affordable, pretty replaced by purposeful. There is nothing finer than a well prepped track motorcycle to my eye.

you need to copyright this Paul

[Pittenger5]

When the hell does it move from expensive to affordable?

[nhbubba]

My track bike cost 20% of what my street bike cost, even before you consider all the upgrades I had to throw at the street bike. With a better rider and some fresh tires the track toy would probably have been competitive entered into LRRS the very next weekend. It was anything but shiny.

Pauls' post carries water, feeds the poor with it, even makes some tasty wine.

[Paul_E_D]

When the hell does it move from expensive to affordable?

This is relative. there are 800 dollar rearsets made for bling, and 350 dollar rearsets made for crashing. Etc.

[TheIglu]

When the hell does it move from expensive to affordable?

Oh how soon one does forget racing an EX500.

[carsick]

And fiddy dolla rearsets that can be straightened and have lotsa spare parts. Or so I've heard.

[GixxerJosh]

Happy to say the rearsets still function and only scuffed one peg. The nose and tail took the hardest hits. It kinda got tossed nose and tail

[tsorfas]

Time for a track bike!

[shortbus]

Once you track it crashes get much less expensive, I say full blown track it up.



That disaster will only cost about 200 bucks to fix back to better than it was before (+100mph into the ground at turn 1 in NH)

The leathers are complete crap... see if Eric has any more vanson suits left or something. I'd make that a priority.

[Philkinson]

What size suit do you wear?

[nhbubba]

I have been advised that it is a good idea after a crash to loosen all of the pinch bolts on the front end and give the bars a couple good bumps while holding the front wheel stationary, then re-torque everything to spec. This ensures the forks do not bind.

I did not after I crashed my SV the first time. Later PK's man couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with my front end when I asked for suggestions at a track day. Front end felt like it was filled with jelly-jam.

[tropicoz]

That bike still has both wheels, you're good to go! Seriously though, fix er up on the cheap and get back out there. What size (height weight) are you? I have a spare older suit I can let you use for a bit if you need to get back out there.

I've been there before

[BMMCBR]

I've been there before

I bet that bike turns left really good!

[tropicoz]

I bet that bike turns left really good!

Shiiiiiiit, that thing didn't turn anything but my stomach at that point, LOL.

[BMMCBR]

Shiiiiiiit, that thing didn't turn anything but my stomach at that point, LOL.

I bet! Your bike was the first "yard sale" story I ever heard I think.

[GixxerJosh]

What size suit do you wear?

I will have to look when I get home, 6 foot tall 200 lbs. I popped the seam on the leg and ground a hole on the arm

[GixxerJosh]

I have been advised that it is a good idea after a crash to loosen all of the pinch bolts on the front end and give the bars a couple good bumps while holding the front wheel stationary, then re-torque everything to spec. This ensures the forks do not bind.

I did not after I crashed my SV the first time. Later PK's man couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with my front end when I asked for suggestions at a track day. Front end felt like it was filled with jelly-jam.

I will prob send the bike to Peter K when I get all the plastics off and such

[GixxerJosh]

That bike still has both wheels, you're good to go! Seriously though, fix er up on the cheap and get back out there. What size (height weight) are you? I have a spare older suit I can let you use for a bit if you need to get back out there.

I've been there before

Ouch, Poor GSXR

[GixxerJosh]

http://www.ridinginthezone.com/1-rea...es-in-corners/

Ken turned my crash into a good blog read!