jon hill

on saturday i thought that, as i havent come off a motorbike for over 7 years, it would be about the right time to throw the vtr down the road. Actually, i didnt really, but the effect was the same.

Tight left-hander between great barfield & great dunmow (for anyone who likes running up to fitching field...), dry road, medium speed, tip in and... run over an old oily rag. It was grey like the road so i didnt see it until i tried to work out what happened.

Anyway, front washes out and down i go - maybe 30 - 40 mph. Bike slides across road, hits kerb and bounces onto grass. I slide onto opposite side of the road and get up. Thankfully no traffic was coming, or i guess i would be here typing away.

damage - me, none whatso ever thanks to well worn ku****ani leathers and lots of kevlar bits. Bike - cracked crankcase cover, trashed fairing, mirrors, lights, gear linkage, footrests, hangers and exhausts. Dink in the tank and a scuffed frame. I'm also a bit worried that the sub frame has been bent.

So, next step is to find a second hand crankcase cover, probably drop it off with the guys who did the original engine work and we'll see if the crank is bent. Then I'll decide whether i'm going to put it back on the road or have a pure track-day bike. It was pretty mad for the road (race cans, ohlins, etc), so maybe this for the track and something like a R1150GS for the road is the way to go.

oh well, i'm fairly philosophical about it - been riding for maybe 12 years, toured, despatched, track-day'd, commuted, gone from two-stroke hooligan to advanced test & police trained. 7 years isnt a bad run without incident and i can only put this down as "one of those things"

jon

andyp

Glad to hear your okay mate! I know the feeling; sliding on your **** in slow-motion as you watch your bike sparking down the road.

I'll never forget the 'incredible hulk' effect of picking my old GSX-600 like it was a 125 scooter - funny how being on the wrong side of the road with cars comming towards you can focus the mind!

Hope you're back on the road again soon,

Cheers,

Andy

andrew6321

Jon,
Glad you're ok - shame about the bike!

I was looking at an R1100S for the same reason (I don't think I could live with a GS), but I got put off by the spindly forks. Got my heart set on the new '02 VFR now, so I can sell you a '99 TLR for a good price, if you like

Andrew

jon hill

yeah, the new vfr is also on the cards. there's a 1150gs round the corner from me thats had some work done, and looks barking mad. There's something about the 1150 that i like; its just such an unlikely bike and they seem to go well enough judging by some of the cylinder head scraping antics i've seen.

My wife has a 650GS and is looking at upgrading - its too small for longer journeys, and the vtr really was a bit stupid (less weight and more power than a 916 to put it in persective) so maybe the gs, but if that doesnt pan out then maybe a vfr

jon