A sad day....
12-07-2009, 03:38 PM
#32
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Fulton, MO
Posts: 105,287
Holy crap, Steve! Are you okay? You never posted anything. WTF?
Doug & Don, going to San Diego. At this point in my career I go where they need me, and that's there. Not that I'm complaining, I've always wanted to live there, just now it'll be better with only the wife and me.
Doug & Don, going to San Diego. At this point in my career I go where they need me, and that's there. Not that I'm complaining, I've always wanted to live there, just now it'll be better with only the wife and me.
12-07-2009, 04:11 PM
#34
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SuperSport
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 987
12-07-2009, 04:15 PM
#35
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 987
This map will get you started:
12-07-2009, 04:48 PM
#36
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MotoGP
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 4,138
Well, it has been twenty years between me and my Type A. I'm glad you and the wifey can have some fun. It makes a big difference when the young-uns have heard enough, know it all, say things they will regret later and move out.
Whew, are they gone yet?
I have a client that after the kids (6 of them) were gone sold the house that they all grew up in. They bought some property in a quite little valley not far out of town. They built a beautiful 3000 square foot home, a triple garage, gardens everywhere for Madellyn.
It has one bedroom and it's occupied.
There's a furnished 200 SF apartment attached to the triple garage which is an eighth mile from the main house. It has lights but no water or sewer. You got a problem with your marriage? Stay home.
Looks like Steve took a pretty rough hit. I told him he would destroy the perfect right fairing that I sold him if he kept putting his fingertips down in the turns. Although, I must admit and to his credit - that is about the coolest picture to grace this forum since I joined.
But I digress
My years in Minnesota were tempered by the knowledge that the great slumber would be followed by the great awakening.
I also knew when it was time to get out.
Foggy in the morning but sunny and 65f in the PM.
Whew, are they gone yet?
I have a client that after the kids (6 of them) were gone sold the house that they all grew up in. They bought some property in a quite little valley not far out of town. They built a beautiful 3000 square foot home, a triple garage, gardens everywhere for Madellyn.
It has one bedroom and it's occupied.
There's a furnished 200 SF apartment attached to the triple garage which is an eighth mile from the main house. It has lights but no water or sewer. You got a problem with your marriage? Stay home.
Looks like Steve took a pretty rough hit. I told him he would destroy the perfect right fairing that I sold him if he kept putting his fingertips down in the turns. Although, I must admit and to his credit - that is about the coolest picture to grace this forum since I joined.
But I digress
My years in Minnesota were tempered by the knowledge that the great slumber would be followed by the great awakening.
I also knew when it was time to get out.
Foggy in the morning but sunny and 65f in the PM.
Last edited by nuhawk; 12-07-2009 at 07:27 PM.
12-07-2009, 05:55 PM
#38
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: altoona, pa
Posts: 2,934
12-08-2009, 02:39 AM
#43
Out of my mind, back in 5
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Location: Skurup, Sweden
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12-08-2009, 05:09 AM
#44
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SuperSport
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: In a van down by the river (I wish!)
Posts: 617
I'll be putting my bike up this winter for the first time in... six years? I'm not looking forward to it, but OTOH last year I owned a Buell and it spent four out of every seven days in the garage getting worked on anyhow 
R.
R.
12-08-2009, 07:58 AM
#45
Junior Member
Squid
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: San Antonio,TX
Posts: 14
Ironic
Tomorrow I will go for my first ride on my brand new to me Hawk. It should be 65 and sunny. I'm not rubbing your face in it at all. I actually am looking forward to talking with you about Hawks. I've owned 100+ bikes over the last 30 years and all I ever did to them was change the oil. The Hawk is a very different animal (pun intended). I will learn to wrench for the first time. I fully intend to do my CCT's and rebuild the forks for starters. I will check for the headlight relay and replace the wiring if not already. I have a really nice RV in the backyard and am 1 hour from the Hill country. So pull your bike out of that shed, load it in your truck and come and see me. 
12-08-2009, 08:59 AM
#47
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MotoGP
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: altoona, pa
Posts: 2,934
Away for the winter, ooooohhh no.
i can't do this and i live in PA. WTF. Maybe there's something wrong with me, but...........forget it, there is something wrong with me.
It's great to have a dual sport(purchased for a temporary ride when I demo'd the Hawk, but now permanent) for dirty roads and inclement weather. Either way, when that brief respite day comes along, I'm on the SH.
I have a pair of ATV handgrip covers to transfer from bike to bike to keep the hands warm and a head/neck cover for under helmet warmth. It's amazing what short winter rides can do for you.
12-08-2009, 09:06 AM
#48
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SuperSport
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: In a van down by the river (I wish!)
Posts: 617
My buddy used to ride his Hawk GT with studded tires through the entire winter in Maine. This is the same guy who bought a SR500 sight unseen in California, then rode it back. I think he stopped at Deal's Gap for a rally on his way back. Crrraaazzyyy.
BUT, who knows? If things go right, I might pick up a DP this year to ride in the snow. Problem is these short legs. My brother had a XT Yamaha and looked like a circus mouse mounting the thing. Maybe an old Honda 500?
BUT, who knows? If things go right, I might pick up a DP this year to ride in the snow. Problem is these short legs. My brother had a XT Yamaha and looked like a circus mouse mounting the thing. Maybe an old Honda 500?
12-08-2009, 09:24 AM
#49
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MotoGP
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: altoona, pa
Posts: 2,934
My buddy used to ride his Hawk GT with studded tires through the entire winter in Maine. This is the same guy who bought a SR500 sight unseen in California, then rode it back. I think he stopped at Deal's Gap for a rally on his way back. Crrraaazzyyy.
BUT, who knows? If things go right, I might pick up a DP this year to ride in the snow. Problem is these short legs. My brother had a XT Yamaha and looked like a circus mouse mounting the thing. Maybe an old Honda 500?
BUT, who knows? If things go right, I might pick up a DP this year to ride in the snow. Problem is these short legs. My brother had a XT Yamaha and looked like a circus mouse mounting the thing. Maybe an old Honda 500?
12-08-2009, 10:31 AM
#53
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SuperBike
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 1,315
Sorry I didn't post guys. Didn't feel much like sitting at my sloooow computer @ home and it was hard to keep my leg elevated at the desk.
Six weeks ago a few of my regular riding buddies & I were on our usual ride to the mountains. There's this sweet, smooth road out in BFE about an hour from town that we take to get there. Went around a long right turn & gave it just a tick too much throttle. The rear just went in a split sec. and it was asphalt surfing in a leather wetsuit.
I might have been fine except I slid foot first into a ditch. T-bone style. My right ankle took all the force. After a couple tumbles I was laying on the bank facing the road. I knew my ankle was f'd right away. Both leg bones broken at the ankle & discocated as well. Kind of weird seeing your foot pointed in a strange direction. Other than sore ribs, no other injuries.
You can see me in the pic if you look where the instrument panel is supposed to be. Got a helicopter ride out of it, too. The bike sailed into the woods & hit a tree. Glad I wasn't onboard at the time.
Two days later the surgeon put about 8 inches of metal in to hold the small leg bone together. And a screw to re-attach the end of the bigger leg bone that broken off. So it's been pretty much bed & sofa with my leg in the air since then. Just got back to work yesterday. Still not weight bearing on it yet, but I can move it a little bit.
Six weeks ago a few of my regular riding buddies & I were on our usual ride to the mountains. There's this sweet, smooth road out in BFE about an hour from town that we take to get there. Went around a long right turn & gave it just a tick too much throttle. The rear just went in a split sec. and it was asphalt surfing in a leather wetsuit.
I might have been fine except I slid foot first into a ditch. T-bone style. My right ankle took all the force. After a couple tumbles I was laying on the bank facing the road. I knew my ankle was f'd right away. Both leg bones broken at the ankle & discocated as well. Kind of weird seeing your foot pointed in a strange direction. Other than sore ribs, no other injuries.
You can see me in the pic if you look where the instrument panel is supposed to be. Got a helicopter ride out of it, too. The bike sailed into the woods & hit a tree. Glad I wasn't onboard at the time.
Two days later the surgeon put about 8 inches of metal in to hold the small leg bone together. And a screw to re-attach the end of the bigger leg bone that broken off. So it's been pretty much bed & sofa with my leg in the air since then. Just got back to work yesterday. Still not weight bearing on it yet, but I can move it a little bit.
12-08-2009, 07:38 PM
#56
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: altoona, pa
Posts: 2,934
I know you had a helmet on, so I ain't even gonna ask.
Something similar happened to me a while back. It was also on a RH curve and I also fucked up my right foot that got under the bike cause I went down so fast I didn't have time to unload. Copied this description from another thread.
I think I'm starting to understand some things that may finally explain a high speed lowside crash I had in 02 that totaled my hawk and destroyed all my gear. I was on a sweet back road I took to work daily that summer and entering a RH turn, open view, no traffic, no debris, smooth pavement, 80+mph. Tires were well warmed and warn(204 dunlop OEM), I went down without notice and drama, like i suddenly hit ice. I did my usual procedure which I perfected over the years of releasing the brakes as I entered the turn, then adding some throttle to equal out the suspension as I continued through the turn. After reading the Nick Ienatsch military training info:
Let’s again study the rider who gets all his/her braking done before the turn-in. As the front brake is released, the fork springs rebound, putting the bike in the worst geometry to steer. As this rider works within this technique, he/she will attempt to turn the bike quicker and quicker, trying to make up for the extended steering geometry with more and more aggressive steering inputs. The faster they ride, the wider the bike wants to run through the corners, so the harder they’ll try to steer. This rider will be forced to use more and more lean angle in an effort to “scrub off” speed with the front tire. Aggressive steering inputs and lots of lean angle... a recipe for disaster.
I finally realize that by adding throttle as the fork springs rebound(from releasing the brakes as I turned in) was similar to hitting the brakes and then throttling up to wheelie, thus unweighting the front tire causing the loss of traction and resulting lowside. I have lowsided several times over the years, but always explainable as a result of debris or water, I thought. Now I wonder that I may have made it through some of those turns had I not compromised traction by unweighting the front tire. Whatever, better late than never.
I don't know if this is similar to what happened to you but it's worth thinking about. i believe the only time I will use neutral throttle to even out the suspension without trail braking is if i'm on a downhill curve where weight bias is uneven to the front.
Heal fast with a couple thousand mg of vitamin D3 daily and exercise whatever you can as much as you can. We're thinking of you.
Something similar happened to me a while back. It was also on a RH curve and I also fucked up my right foot that got under the bike cause I went down so fast I didn't have time to unload. Copied this description from another thread.
I think I'm starting to understand some things that may finally explain a high speed lowside crash I had in 02 that totaled my hawk and destroyed all my gear. I was on a sweet back road I took to work daily that summer and entering a RH turn, open view, no traffic, no debris, smooth pavement, 80+mph. Tires were well warmed and warn(204 dunlop OEM), I went down without notice and drama, like i suddenly hit ice. I did my usual procedure which I perfected over the years of releasing the brakes as I entered the turn, then adding some throttle to equal out the suspension as I continued through the turn. After reading the Nick Ienatsch military training info:
Let’s again study the rider who gets all his/her braking done before the turn-in. As the front brake is released, the fork springs rebound, putting the bike in the worst geometry to steer. As this rider works within this technique, he/she will attempt to turn the bike quicker and quicker, trying to make up for the extended steering geometry with more and more aggressive steering inputs. The faster they ride, the wider the bike wants to run through the corners, so the harder they’ll try to steer. This rider will be forced to use more and more lean angle in an effort to “scrub off” speed with the front tire. Aggressive steering inputs and lots of lean angle... a recipe for disaster.
I finally realize that by adding throttle as the fork springs rebound(from releasing the brakes as I turned in) was similar to hitting the brakes and then throttling up to wheelie, thus unweighting the front tire causing the loss of traction and resulting lowside. I have lowsided several times over the years, but always explainable as a result of debris or water, I thought. Now I wonder that I may have made it through some of those turns had I not compromised traction by unweighting the front tire. Whatever, better late than never.
I don't know if this is similar to what happened to you but it's worth thinking about. i believe the only time I will use neutral throttle to even out the suspension without trail braking is if i'm on a downhill curve where weight bias is uneven to the front.
Heal fast with a couple thousand mg of vitamin D3 daily and exercise whatever you can as much as you can. We're thinking of you.
12-08-2009, 08:18 PM
#57
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 4,138
Yes, well, a discussion of rider technique is always a good thing but when I crushed my left ankle when I was 29yo the doctors were not mostly concerned about whether I would walk again - they were more concerned about the blood-flow to the bones so that they didn't die.
The bone people will tell you don't move it. The physiology people will tell you if you dont' move it, keep the blood flowing in and out, especially considering your advanced age, having your leg and rehabbing later is better than the alt.
It took them a week to get good x's, once we knew how bad it was and what it was . . . I filmed a road race at BIR 6 days later. We did multiple corners and setups. Six weeks later I shipped out to the Vikings training camp to shoot film for the coaches. You gotta keep moving.
All told, I was in a cast for nearly twelve months - phys therapy for thirty - 5% lose in joint rotation.
Pain pills will become a part of your daily diet. DO NOT let the docs give you the Tylenol version of Vicoden. Ask for the strong stuff because long term use of the Tylenol version damages your gut forever. And it never recovers.
I learned that after I wrecked my Superhawk in early 07 and bled through my *** for weeks before they changed my meds.
Happy hunting, Bro! Glad you were having fun. When I first started to read your post I thought trash in the road would be your demise. Silly me.
Silly you! Laugh everytime it hurts!
The bone people will tell you don't move it. The physiology people will tell you if you dont' move it, keep the blood flowing in and out, especially considering your advanced age, having your leg and rehabbing later is better than the alt.
It took them a week to get good x's, once we knew how bad it was and what it was . . . I filmed a road race at BIR 6 days later. We did multiple corners and setups. Six weeks later I shipped out to the Vikings training camp to shoot film for the coaches. You gotta keep moving.
All told, I was in a cast for nearly twelve months - phys therapy for thirty - 5% lose in joint rotation.
Pain pills will become a part of your daily diet. DO NOT let the docs give you the Tylenol version of Vicoden. Ask for the strong stuff because long term use of the Tylenol version damages your gut forever. And it never recovers.
I learned that after I wrecked my Superhawk in early 07 and bled through my *** for weeks before they changed my meds.
Happy hunting, Bro! Glad you were having fun. When I first started to read your post I thought trash in the road would be your demise. Silly me.
Silly you! Laugh everytime it hurts!
12-09-2009, 07:26 AM
#58
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 1,315
My Shark RSX was fine. Some scrapes on the right side of the visor & lost a little paint, but otherwise good. My guys went back & found my tank bag in the woods... that's where the hat came from.
12-09-2009, 07:45 AM
#59
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 1,315
Thanks nath981.
On mine I hadn't used the brakes at all. I've crashed this bike twice the same way. The other time was a trackday. (You'd think I'd learn!) Right hand turn, running fast, too much gas & the rear tire just washes out ASAP; traction at the front wheel was never an issue in either crash.
Crash notes: temps in the 40s so the pavement was cool; was running fresh BT021s with 42psi (rear). I used to run 36-38 psi, but on the last set I used the 42psi Honda calls for on the back & got an extra 3,000 miles out of the tires. If I had it to do over I wouldn't have run with 42psi.
On mine I hadn't used the brakes at all. I've crashed this bike twice the same way. The other time was a trackday. (You'd think I'd learn!) Right hand turn, running fast, too much gas & the rear tire just washes out ASAP; traction at the front wheel was never an issue in either crash.
Crash notes: temps in the 40s so the pavement was cool; was running fresh BT021s with 42psi (rear). I used to run 36-38 psi, but on the last set I used the 42psi Honda calls for on the back & got an extra 3,000 miles out of the tires. If I had it to do over I wouldn't have run with 42psi.
Last edited by L8RGYZ; 12-09-2009 at 09:01 AM.
