joshuatest

Ok...

Well its been 2 weeks tomorrow since i went down on the SuperHawk...

I estimated my speed to be somewhere in the 70-75 MPH range when i went down, but after today's riding, I'm questioning if it may have been a tad bit higher.. (continue that point later)...

So... Friday, I called the Honda store, and my bolts (the one that tightens the clip on down, and the two that bolt the passenger peg mounts to the rear sub frame)... So i stopped down and picked them up... $14 worth of bolts lol. Anyway... when i got home, there was two boxes waiting for me... Both from Ebay vendors where i ordered multiple things from each... I had already received the left clip on from inderocker (BIG THANKS), and had picked up some new grips, so the left clip on was installed minus the bolt, and needed new clutch lever... I got my clutch/brake lever's, foot peg's, flush mount blinkers, bar ends ( which i guess was worthless), and a tank pad... The two bolts for the passenger foot peg mount where bent, so when i installed the new ones, it made the left side pipe pretty close to straight again, minus a crack in it of course... So i quickly installed everything...

Saturday was calling for 83 degree's, and mostly sunny... 5-10 mph winds at times... So VERY nice...

With my center headlight portion of my fairing zip tied in, i set off in full gear to ride to work today... 1st time really riding since the crash....

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on to the real story....
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who's got a back on story?

Let me tell you... Last night was kinda weird... I have had two other situations where i went down at low speed for stupid stuff... but nothing where I ever felt my life was in danger, or even anything worthy of causing injury's.... But this time... I honestly felt i wasn't sure i was walking away the moment that bike went into the drastic headshake, and i felt it going down.... Lucky for me, the next memory was sitting up on my sliding a$$, and reaching for some side of the road grass to stop myself... Which meant i was alive...

Honestly... the experience scared me... really did.... Made me stop and realize how much of a machine i was saddling up every day, and how quickly it could take over the control I though I had....

The feeling this morning... I guess I had this worried feeling, not about riding really.. not about crashing.... I was certain I was fine... BUT... I guess in the back of my head, I was nervous about taking the bike back up to highway speeds again... I guess in the back of my head, its like i know i've gone over the bike 100 times now, but i just kept thinking, i really hope I didn't miss something... I guess the feeling that I wasn't sure i could trust the bike mechanically, even though i knew it was fine.... what if some bolt i missed backs out... you know, stupid stuff that for some reason was just in my head... like on turns, slowing way down because i kept thinking, am i SURE the front wheel is ok... I don't know, it was just there...

Of course i'm still rashed up pretty good, and sore at that... So i was taking it slow anyway, as my body just doesn't want to move fast right now... Once on the main highway, I went from the 55-60 MPH speed limit area up to about 80, but not with drastic acceleration... just slowly crept up in speed to just do it.... And it went from 60-80 so quickly, and without any fast feeling, it makes me really question how fast i was going when i crashed.... I had just passed a guy... we where probably doing 60-65 anyway, and i downshifted, and rolled on the trottle long enough to have been in front of the guy, and merged back into my own lane... So how fast would i have gotten to at that point? not a clue.... and it scares me to think about it... but whats done is done...

As of today's ride... I've lost some nerve.. Not really scared of the bike, just lost some nerve for the time being... I am dropping the bike off at the honda dealer a week from Tuesday for the 1st service (500 mile fluids change), and they are gonna kinda once over it for me... So possibly i'll feel better with a second opinion telling me the bike is fine...

Bad crash, lots of rash, and back on the road inside of 2 weeks... am i doing good? or rushing it? lol

I guess i just wanted to vent the somewhat sick feeling i've never felt about my two wheelers in the past... Is this what everybody feels?

It surely felt good being back on the road today... I just felt like i was a guy on a cruiser riding though.... I took turns like it was my first day or something... Do i slowly regain nerve? or should i get out there and show myself i can still ride? I know i'm ok, i know i'm riding fine..... I just have that back of the mind feeling...

well.... thanks for letting me write a whole frickin book.....

cliby

sounds pretty normal. Just really take it easy for awhile. Go back to basics, practicing emerging stops, getting curves perfect. Don't push against the fear too much. You'll just make dumb mistakes, or a lot of negative imagery of all that could happen - next thing you know it happens. Please don't be offended but taking one of the MSF saftey classes is a great idea - if you've already taken the basic one, take the advanced one. You will without a doubt learn something and a good way to regain your confidence.

I also agree the superhawk for me is one of the most deceptively fast bikes I've ridden. the Vtwin, high-gearing for 5th and 6th and before you know it your at 80 and can't believe it. I came from inline 4's and so it was really a big change.
anyway, glad you are back at it. my brother lives in rochester NY - said it was 86 today!

joshuatest

thanks man... yes, weather was great today for WNY area...

I too have owned mostly Inline 4's in the past, and while they can get to high speeds fast too, they are much higher revving, which usually means you know your moving fast... The SuperHawk has a way of reaching those speeds without ever really letting you see/hear/feel the high RPM's and its not like the Inlines where you get to the peak ranges, and the bike starts coming alive... The SuperHawk kinda gives all around power all the time... So yea.... I am certain i was moving faster than i was today, and today i clearly read 80MPH... So who know's....

I've never taken any of the courses... I have been riding since a kid, and just never really enrolled in one, as they didn't require much for getting a motorcycle license when i got mine... and i just renew now, so its not like you have to fall into the same rules kids today have to...

But yes, i think i will enroll in one at some point soon..... I'm certain there is always something to learn..

and your probably right about not pushing it... I guess I just don't wanna loose my nerve completely... A buddy back in the DC area had his girlfriend go down a year or so ago, and still to this day, she tells me she still hasn't built up the nerve to get into corners like she used to... And they do track day's on a regular basis... She low sided, and now won't get down into the corners a year later... I guess i just hear that, and don't wanna let myself take it to easy, to long... and not be able to get back into enjoying the bike like i want to....

Hotbrakes

After being hit twice from behind by other bikes over the winter months, it has taken me several rides to get used to riding with people behind me. The first few rides I insisted on being in the back and would eventually get up to the front later in the ride.

And wouldn't you know it, my first group ride back on the SH, Reaper and I were riding with one of my idiot friends and my clutch bolt started backing out. I signaled to him that I needed to pull over so he jets in front of a semi to get in the right lane and as soon as Reaper and I get over he whips into a parking lot. The semi was a lot closer to us than him. Reaper went down right behind me in the sandy entrance. Luckily he didn't hit me. Scared the **** out of me when I looked back and saw him going down. But he was pretty much stopped so there was no damage and he didn't slide at all.

To help prevent these similar occurences, I am very picky about who I ride with, and establish control and basic rules when riding with new people. I also bought a pair of Scala Rider Q2 headsets so we can talk to each other. Those headsets are amazing and make rides much safer. Definitely worth the $317 for 2.

newb007