[DillPickle311]

You’re destined to go down! IT could be your last time to ride or even draw a breath but it will happen. I certainly hope you never experience it and if so, you learn from it. I know! You or someone that you know have been riding hunnerds of years and a gazillion miles and not a freakin scratch. Yippee!

I expected it because I’m compelled to ride every day for at least a little while to relax.

A week ago after my normal daily excursion I thought about going home but decided to do a little quick wrap around(down the road and circle back home). I saw up ahead what looked like rain but gambled as in many other times. It had just started raining right before my exit off the interstate. I downshifted to 5th and released a little too quick. Rear tire caught just enough to get loose and it was all over. I went into the wet grass on the right and ended up on my back looking over at my valk on its right side a few feet away and by this time raining like crazy. Got lots of help from kind folks. Fast forward…

Went via ambulance to hosp and after all the scans, got two fractured ribs, bad bruising on right side along with grassy road rash which hurts like he11, and enough aches and pain to keep me pondering this ordeal for quite a while.

It will be around 6K to fix/replace all the junk on the valky. Hey! But there is more…

The scans indicate a mass in my noggin bout the size of a grape and high paid hand wringers are wanting a go at it. Got to have another MRI in couple of weeks and we go from there. I actually think that little grape IS my brain! LOL! I always thought it was at least pea sized.

I’m not worried, nervous, scared, or dreading it. I’m living my best life right now y’all and if this leads to a door on this side of heaven to step thru, I am more than ready to leave this old world and see Jesus. I LOVE my life but I know I can’t hold on forever.

I remember some of my little rides thinking that if I died right now, I’m already in heaven. That’s how much I enjoy riding motorbikes. Enough of that!

One more comment concerning the clutch on the valk. I was always aware that the drive caught quickly when letting out the clutch and thought that I’d gotten used to it. Henceforth, IF I happen to be on slick roads after a rain… ABSOLUTELY NO DOWNSHIFTING. If I would have just slowed down and then downshifted right before stopping, you would not have seen this thread. So I, of course, learned from this.

 

[Poncho]

they say that when flying any landing you can walk away from is a good one. glad to read this from you and not a second hand account. downshifting?.. engine braking can be done in the gear your already in. just roll off the throttle. the proper way to manage your energy is small movements. read a book, Racing in the Rain. I cut teeth driving on snow and ice. small changes, smooth changes, look where you are going because you are going where you are looking. say hello to Jesus for me.

 

[KUGO]

One more comment concerning the clutch on the valk. I was always aware that the drive caught quickly when letting out the clutch and thought that I’d gotten used to it. Henceforth, IF I happen to be on slick roads after a rain… ABSOLUTELY NO DOWNSHIFTING. If I would have just slowed down and then downshifted right before stopping, you would not have seen this thread. So I, of course, learned from this.

So glad that you came out of it with a good prognosis and even better attitude. I hear people constantly say, "ride it like you stole it." I ride it like I'd like to see home and hearth at least one more time. Does that mean I don't get grins or get on it when I feel like it? No, of course not. It means just what I said.

When I first got this bike its engine braking power was noticeably more than any other bike I'd ever had. Just assumed it was because of six pots versus fewer. Just last week I was going about 30-35, decided to turn in to a place on the right, thinking I was in third gear before I downshifted. OOPS! I'd been in second and shifting to first was a surprise, requiring an apology to my wife. (I have a gear shift indicator that I bought last year and still haven't installed. It's in a box with several other items. Winter projects I never got to.) I looked into slipper clutches and then realized that the problem was me, not the bike. Constant vigilance! Which is one of the main reasons I enjoy riding so much: it requires me to pay attention to what I'm doing instead of what crap I'd be thinking about if I was home and not riding.

Again, heal well and heal fast!

 

[STLLOU]

Sorry to hear about this DP. I've went down hard twice in the last 40 years of riding so I know how much it hurts so thanks for the advise that may help from going down again.
Am I hearing it right that they may have found a brain tumor? If so your accident just may end up saving your life.

Speedy recovery and keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

[DillPickle311]

Sorry to hear about this DP. I've went down hard twice in the last 40 years of riding so I know how much it hurts so thanks for the advise that may help from going down again.
Am I hearing it right that they may have found a brain tumor? If so your accident just may end up saving your life.

Speedy recovery and keep us posted on how you're doing.

Yep! What concerned me was when surgeon said there was inflammation around the tumor.

I am glad to have it discovered and of course would make a great story if it is one of those "good thing you found it early" deals and we get it out without too much interruption with my great intellect.

 

[Geepers]

...the proper way to manage your energy [in the wet] is small movements....small changes, smooth changes...

Yup.

 

[Geepers]

Constant vigilance! Which is one of the main reasons I enjoy riding so much: it requires me to pay attention to what I'm doing instead of what crap I'd be thinking about if I was home and not riding.

Great summary. Thanks.

 

[Crabballs]

Man, glad you are alright! I've been doing lots of riding in the rain, strangely I really enjoy it, especially since it is so hot. I definitely don't make sudden moves or do anything to break traction. This bike does really well on wet roads.

 

[DillPickle311]

This bike does really well on wet roads.

Well! I just put a Dunlop 200 tire on rear month or so ago and afraid this may have contributed to my accident. I've noticed a couple of times where I've lost rear grip. It got me this time.

 

[Thebrain]

I like to think everything happens for a reason DP. Maybe this is the Valkyrie telling you to get your noggin fixed so you can have many more miles of smiles. Wishing the best!

 

[Geepers]

...I downshifted to 5th and released a little too quick. Rear tire caught just enough to get loose and it was all over...

I see so many riders who don't rev match when down-shifting. You can't "release too quick" if you've matched the revs. At the risk of insulting the intelligence of the readers of this forum I'd thought I'd share the mental picture I use regarding this process. It might help someone who doesn't get how it works.

There's two components involved in this: the engine and the drive shaft.

When you pull the clutch you separate the engine from the drive shaft.

Although now disconnected from the engine, the drive shaft is still spinning fast because it is being turned by your rear wheel and you're still rolling along at 60mph (or whatever). The engine however is now spinning slowly because when you pulled the clutch you rolled off the throttle.

Before you let the clutch out again you need to PICK UP THE REVS to match the fast-spinning drive shaft or something's gonna give.

And that something is invariably going to be your rear tyre. It will break traction - especially if the road's wet and there's not much traction to start with.

If you pick up the revs on the throttle to exactly match the speed the drive shaft is spinning, you can literally just dump the clutch (even on a wet road, ****, even on ice!) and nothing happens. No jerking, the bike just keeps rolling smoothly down the road.

With practice you do all this virtually simultaneously, in the blink of an eye. And, for me, it's the funnest part of riding - and the part I'll miss most when we're all electric!

Hope this helps someone.

PS...practice this CAUTIOUSLY if you're not used to it...don't "dump the clutch" on a down shift at 60mph if you're not used to it. Practice at slow speeds.

 

[Geepers]

I suppose I'd better add to my post above that it's NEVER a good idea to dump the clutch on a down-shift on ice!!! No one is good enough to that safely - you would only have to be out the tiniest bit on your rev matching and you would lock the rear tyre. I was just pointing out that theoretically it's possible

 

[Geepers]

If you know you need improvement in this area practice this routine:

Pick an empty, straight stretch of road, get up to 45mph (70kmh) in 4th then downshift to 3rd then 2nd, then back up thru 3rd to 4th again, ALL THE WHILE KEEPING YOUR SPEED A CONSTANT 45MPH. You should also be able to do it with no discernible jerkiness. To an outsider with the sound turned off, it would appear you are just continuing to glide along at 45mph, even though you are in fact very busy.

After a while you can literally whip up and down the gears like this in very quick succession with complete smoothness. It can ONLY be done though by rev matching on your way down. I practice this all the time. I'm not bad at it but it's really one of those life-long learning things. The "high bar of seamlessness demonstrated by Reg Pridmore" as Jim Ford says in his book, The Art of Riding Smooth. Best book on street riding I've ever read BTW. So many others are track-oriented which often doesn't translate directly to the road where we actually live our lives. Check it out if, like me, you're always striving to ride more artfully. To Jim, riding is "performance art" and I guess I tend to view it the same way. Of course, as always, each to their own.

 

[Sleepngbear]

First off, glad you’re mostly in one piece after that. I’ve been down a couple of times, though not as hard, and it’s always a bit sobering and thought-provoking, not to mention ego-bruising. Thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery, and that that grape is nothing more than a grape, and you’re back in the saddle soon.

 

[JackB]

Sorry to hear about your misshave take care of yourself first the riding will happen once your heal.

 

[Poncho]

downshift? why? this engine particularly and most/many have plenty of engine brake capabilities w/o downshifting. just roll off the throttle. the faster you are going, the more engine brake available so be gentle in your roll off. I was flying at 130 once and realized that life was too precious for me to be doing this insane activity (chasing my brother). So I gently rolled off the throttle and let it slowly lose speed and energy. The only time I need to be in triple digits again is anything over 5k foot above terra firma. altitude is insurance, more flying mantra.


the lesson we should all take away from this episode that DP suffered is that down shifting and at speed is not only extremely risky it is also not necessary.. Once you've brought your land missile down to reasonable speeds and engine revs, you can use your engine to further brake your bike , but that is generally happening at moderate speeds. this motor has so much torque beginning at idle and modest rpms that you can leave it in a higher gear and still do very decent roll on maneuvers..

 

[sanmo]

DP, rotten luck with the motorcycle mishap, but if it led to early detection of the problem lurking inside your noggin....(last week I recall seeing a post which referred to your accident but did not see any further details).
Good luck with everything. Hope to be reading about your speedy recovery and riding soon. Jesus can wait.

 

[Geepers]

...down shifting and at speed is not only extremely risky it is also not necessary...

Not extremely risky if done right.

Not necessary? No, nor is riding itself. But it 'aint 'alf FUN!!!!!!

 

[Geepers]

Should add that Poncho is right about downshifting being riskier the faster you're going. This beast of a bike will not be very forgiving if you mess it up at high speed. But I'm not talking V.Rossi stuff here - just a fairly sedate dropping down through the gears to bring your bike's speed down without riding the brakes all the way. As I said, practice it at slowish speeds until you're good at it before trying higher speed stuff. Or don't do it all. It's "my thing" I guess. I must admit I love the challenge of bringing the bike down from 110kmh to a full stop in a fairly short distance yet only having to lightly dab the rear brake for the last 10m or so. This bike has such incredible engine braking it's just fun to use it! Each to their own however. Rule 1: Never Do What You're Not Comfortable With. Or, as the FarRiders that Ox belongs to say: Rule 1: Get Home Alive.

 

[Geepers]

I know a lot of guys say "why downshift and (potentially) put extra wear and tear through your transmission? Just use your brakes. Brake pads are cheap, transmission re-builds aren't". It probably is the most sensible. Listen to Uncle Poncho folks. Uncle Geeps is gonna shut up now. Here's to a good outcome for you DP