just when I thought my luck couldn't get any worse
 

rode home today and after I stopped in at the shop to grab my caliper seals I got back on the highway. Well I have gp shifting and getting onto the highway for some reason when I meant to upshift I pulled up when I was HARD on the throttle and going into a turn. Luckily I realized INSTANTLY and held the clutch in and got in the right gear. Well I knew at that point things might get interesting. I've had gp shift for like 4 months now and not once screwed up and never think about it...


Well anyways fast forward to about 200 miles in. I had just stopped for something to drink and a cold milkshake :mrgreen: I hot tailed it back onto the highway and all the sudden I heard a *BANG* followed by noticeable power loss and I see smoke all behind me... Oh no!!! I kill the motor and get over... Well I get over and look behind me and see something hanging and I think... "Broken chain???" then once I get off I see a horrific sight... My helmet bag I had bungee netted to the back of my bike - the bungee broke and the bag fell back and into the wheel and which was causing all the smoke rubbing... Well also my fucking luck I had brake lines in there to swap on while I was home and that got all tangled up in the sprocket and chain. Here's the pile of crap that I pulled out...

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jomuller/P1010018.JPG

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jomuller/P1010019.JPG


And here's the brake line that got stuck...
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jomuller/P1010020.JPG


I was on the side of the road for maybe an hour picking up stuff scattered over the 1/4 mile of road behind me as well as getting things apart and making sure my bike was ok... Luckily the bike runs fine but has some cosmetic damage... The stuff I lost is: clear shield for helmet, front ss brake lines, rebuild stuff for front brakes, mity vac, a shirt, pair of socks, my toiletries, ripped up my sneakers real good (luckily they're old anyways), and probably something else that I can't think of. All my more important stuff and clothes actually were on my back so they were good. To get going again I stuffed my extra helmet on the side with clothes and tied my shoes to my backpack... Had to just leave a pile of busted of shit on the side of the road. What I was a lil pissed about is noone stopped, not a single biker... The cop that passed me didn't even stop :evil: The rest of the trip home was uneventful other then having to deal with a pack of squids weaving through traffic... I'll take damage pics of the bike tomorrow....

Oh man. I'm sorry but I had to laugh as I told my girlfriend this story and some of your other hard-luck tales. Usually I'm the one with bad luck--and I mean REALLY bad. I feel awful for you but I'm relieved somebody else is getting the stiff end of the stick for a change.

Well really my luck isn't as bad as another bud's with a superhawk. He lowsided it in about a month and a half of riding it new (03 leftover). Was definetely just old weak tires. had that fixed finally. Then 3 weeks after it was fixed some fools tried stealing it and messed up his brake rotor

Sorry to hear dude. Good thing all that stuff's replaceable.

Glad to hear that you are OK. I had a friend that stuffed his kevlar riding pants under a bungee net (very hot day). Well they worked out of the net and wrapped around the wheel. Completely locked the wheel up on his Blackbird. Had mucho quantities of smoke, but he managed to set stopped without crashing. You appear to be in a better mood about the whole thing than he was. :)

Stay away from everything brake related!!! :lol:

This reminds me of a joke...

This morning I woke up and turned the lamp on, and the switch fell off.
I picked up my suitcase and the handle fell off.
Later I opened the front door and the doorknob fell off.

Now I'm afraid to go to the bathroom!

:lol: :lol: :lol::lol: :lol: Good 1

well I realize that really it's just $$ and other then the scratches everything is rather easily fixed. Granted I never had MINT fairings but these 2 scratches are pretty big. Plus my baby is still running and it could've been way worse. And yeah there was LOTS of smoke

here's the pic of the scratches. the cowl cover was never perfect but not it has some nasty scratches
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jomuller/carnage.JPG

here's where the brake line got stuck in
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/jomuller/carnage2.JPG

You's a lucky boy. I don't think you'd be riding if the stainless lines found their way between the chain and sprocket.

they did. it ripped them in half

Another plus to having good torque. :lol:

yup. the marks on the plastics suck but at least rear plastics are cheaper to replace then a whole bike

DUDE!

Well I got one word for ya': tank bag. OK, that's two words. Get a nice BIG magnetic one as small tank bags are basically useless since their concept is to carry things.

ive got a large tank bag im not using anymore!
since the kawi has a half plastic tank

ill talk to you about that bag :o

In the next few days I should be getting a red seat cowl from a co-worker who sold his '02. I already have a nice spare so if you are interested in it let me know.

well that sucks but how is your chain and sprocket so clean...what lube do you use? Bel Rey?

just some spray on crap that was at the shop. I hadn't done it in awhile and it looked sad the last time I did it before this trip