First crash since 1997
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 15
From: West side of indianapolis
First crash since 1997
I have a 2019 Street Glide without ABS and I was riding on Ralston Road on the far southwest corner of Indianapolis and came over a hill and a farm implement and pick up truck were in the road. I grabbed the front brake hard, it was a panic stop but it was a panic situation. I.mean it was right there. I went down immediately. It was only an instant from the time I went over the hill until I hit pavement.
I was wearing a modular helmet which I honestly don't wear a lot of the time and it took about three hits, I still had a concussion and I don't think that I lost consciousness but I couldn't remember what day it was or month or even season.
My bike is insured and still rideable just the fairing and saddle bags and crash bar and a few more scratches and my knee is going to need work. I'm retired so I'm not going to miss work or anything. I'm OK.
I was on a country road and there are deer on it and people backing out of driveways so I pay attention, I know some one that lost it all near there, it was a nice sunny day. It was Dec 3rd and 53 degrees.
I don't know what I could have done differently. I.may have overreacted but it happened really quickly. I guess it's just the risk we take. I know, no pictures it didn't happen, but I don't want to try and hobble out to the garage. I just wonder if I made a mistake.
I was wearing a modular helmet which I honestly don't wear a lot of the time and it took about three hits, I still had a concussion and I don't think that I lost consciousness but I couldn't remember what day it was or month or even season.
My bike is insured and still rideable just the fairing and saddle bags and crash bar and a few more scratches and my knee is going to need work. I'm retired so I'm not going to miss work or anything. I'm OK.
I was on a country road and there are deer on it and people backing out of driveways so I pay attention, I know some one that lost it all near there, it was a nice sunny day. It was Dec 3rd and 53 degrees.
I don't know what I could have done differently. I.may have overreacted but it happened really quickly. I guess it's just the risk we take. I know, no pictures it didn't happen, but I don't want to try and hobble out to the garage. I just wonder if I made a mistake.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,410
From: Jackson, OH
Well first, really sorry for your pain and injuries but also grateful you weren't disabled or worse. Prayers for your rapid recovery my friend.
I'd be the last guy to say you did something wrong. Obviously you didn't do everything right or you wouldn't have wrecked yourself. I fully understand how it can happen having been there myself at times. Your post makes me glad I've got ABS and RDRS on the 2020. I don't look at technology as a parachute....more like an aid to hopefully never need the parachute. Nothing supplants riding skills and good decisions. I believe in time you'll examine all this and figure out the things you could've done differently...and you'll make adjustments to be an even better rider.
I'd be the last guy to say you did something wrong. Obviously you didn't do everything right or you wouldn't have wrecked yourself. I fully understand how it can happen having been there myself at times. Your post makes me glad I've got ABS and RDRS on the 2020. I don't look at technology as a parachute....more like an aid to hopefully never need the parachute. Nothing supplants riding skills and good decisions. I believe in time you'll examine all this and figure out the things you could've done differently...and you'll make adjustments to be an even better rider.
Last edited by StoneTrekker; Dec 9, 2021 at 06:52 PM.
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 15
From: West side of indianapolis
Well first, really sorry for your pain and injuries but also grateful you weren't disabled or worse. Prayers for your rapid recovery my friend.
I'd be the last guy to say you did something wrong. Obviously you didn't do everything right or you wouldn't have wrecked yourself. I fully understand how it can happen having been there myself at times. Your post makes me glad I've got ABS and RDRS on the 2020. I don't look at technology as a parachute....more like an aid to hopefully never need the parachute. Nothing supplants riding skills and good decisions. I believe in time you'll examine all this and figure out the things you could've done differently...and you'll make adjustments to be an even better rider.
I'd be the last guy to say you did something wrong. Obviously you didn't do everything right or you wouldn't have wrecked yourself. I fully understand how it can happen having been there myself at times. Your post makes me glad I've got ABS and RDRS on the 2020. I don't look at technology as a parachute....more like an aid to hopefully never need the parachute. Nothing supplants riding skills and good decisions. I believe in time you'll examine all this and figure out the things you could've done differently...and you'll make adjustments to be an even better rider.
It was one of the machines that they harvest corn with which is as wide as the road and a pick up truck going one way had pulled over to let him through and the farmer was thirty percent off the other side of the road. There was no avoiding it or evasive maneuvers or.anything like that
I've had a parachute fail before
Last edited by coltsfan; Dec 9, 2021 at 07:32 PM.
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 15
From: West side of indianapolis
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,410
From: Jackson, OH
From a somewhat technical perspective: If you had just crested a hill and (having found the road blocked) did a panic-grab on the front brake....you likely had a greater chance of wheel lockup. That's because your bike was probably 'light' after topping the hill and before leveling out. I know of a couple who died in that scenario. They crested a hill and tried to brake...lost it...went off road into trees and both were killed at the scene.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 421
Likes: 218
From: Lowcountry
Glad you're ok enough to reflect on it. Sounds like you did as well as you could, it's tough to practice panic situations just because. We can't do the slide on the street and there are just too many scenarios to predict while riding, we just react and hope for the best sometimes.
Carry on and good luck, pay attention to yourself because of your confusion after the fact.
Carry on and good luck, pay attention to yourself because of your confusion after the fact.
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Supporter
Joined: May 2010
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From: SoCal
Accidents happen...glad you are not too worse for wear and able to post about the event here. Wish you the best in getting the bike back into shape.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,528
Likes: 647
From: Saint Charles, Missouri
Rear brake lock-up, bike will slide, front brake lock-up, bike goes down as you cannot control the front end once it's locked up. That is the situation where ABS can save you and the bike because it won't let the front end lock up.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,385
Likes: 1,416
From: Northern NJ
I put 65k mikes on my 2017 with ABS. I always try to ride it like I don't have linked ABS brakes; I don't want to ever hear it kick in, because when it does: you have already screwed up. That said, my ABS has kicked in about 4 times (once it was the front brake). I suspect that had I not had ABS, at least one of those times, I would not have recovered and would have gone down. I would never buy a bike without them.
Last edited by hairymoth; Dec 9, 2021 at 08:39 PM.
