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Dr. M
02-08-12, 01:40 PM
I'd previously had a SV for a good year, sold it to a chap on here and regretted doing so ever since. So Friday I took a 3 hour journey up to lancashire and purchased a beautiful sk8 sport pointy in black. Had some great little extras on it including a lovely carbon fibre scorpian can and lots of other little things here and there.
So yesterday I took the bike out for probably only the 6th time, the tyres weren't feeling too confidence inspiring (in addition to them being the crappy stock d220s) so I thought I'd check the tyre pressures and they were down to 28 both front and back. I hiked the front up to 34 psi and the rear up to 37 psi and straight away it felt a bit more stable. anyway...

It started to spit a bit so I thought I'd head back before it really started tipping it down coming back from Warwick to Solihull. I got about 2 miles from home and hung the bike over on a long right hand corner at aprox 50 miles an hour, a speed comfortably slow for the corner and everything was good... that is until the handlebars suddenly dropped into the turn and the front tyre slipped underneath me.
I head straight into the ground knees and hands making impact first and I started to slide, and I carried on sliding forcing myself to stop by forcing my gloves into the ground. Everything was happening so quickly and I could see the bike slide further down the road away from me... then bang, bang. The side of my body collides with the curb shortly followed by my helmet. Straight away I was in agony. I couldn't lift my body and there was no one one the road nearby, I started to panic only a few seconds passed by before a DHL van pulled up and the chap phoned an ambulance. Slowly more and more cars turned up trying to help out in anyway they could (if there was anyone here who knows of the people that helped me or even if they were there, Thank you!)

Anyway, ambulance came (50 mins later!) topped me up with morphine, strapped me up to a spine board and beckoned an air ambulance, that gets there a short while after (all whilst enduring my whining and moaning) and ships me off to the QE in birmingham.

So it's the next day and I'm out, no broken bones just a lot of soft tissue damage... that'll heal iA and a fractured heel. Which I can't understand? but anyway I'm out the other end and only on crutches for a short while. I can't ask for any more, I know there are a lot of atheists out in this world but for me, I can't thank god enough.

The leathers are all cut up (by the ambulance crew), the gloves are surprisingly only slightly damaged (Very impressed by BKS Stingray gloves, a bit expensive but they took most the impact and sliding and they held together!) and the helmet got a good mashing but surprisingly looks as it was just a bit scratched (thus I'd definitely be weary of buying a second hand helmet) but all in all, Not a scratch on my exterior, only a bit of damage inside!


One reason for me posting this on here is a request for a bit of advice - I've yet to see the damage to the bike, it was taken away and it should be dropped off sometime today. But depending on the extent of damage to the SV, what we be the best course of action? sell it whole on eBay, get it scrapped, sell it to a scrap dealer? or sell it for parts?

any advice would be appreciated. In all honesty I don't see myself riding again soon, mostly not for my self but for my parents. they were very against me getting a bike in the first place and I'm surprised they let me get the same bike the second time round. I just proved their worries but more so I can't put them through that again. I appreciate many of you will be completely against that and tell me to get back on the bike straight away, but I think while they're still around it's best if I don't.

Dan

granty92
02-08-12, 01:45 PM
ah sorry to hear this mate sounds pretty damm intense, crashing definately isn't fun but atleast your ok still, i'd see what prices you can get for spares and also what you can get for scrap, well done to the people who helped you out though, shows not everyone are dicks :D glad to hear your okay though

Dr. M
02-08-12, 01:47 PM
ah sorry to hear this mate sounds pretty damm intense, crashing definately isn't fun but atleast your ok still, i'd see what prices you can get for spares and also what you can get for scrap, well done to the people who helped you out though, shows not everyone are dicks :D glad to hear your okay though

Oh everyone who came by stopped, the bit that got me into a panic was that there was no one around at all, road was empty until that DHL van stopped then more and more cars came by one by one. thank you too

granty92
02-08-12, 01:49 PM
i lowsided on a long ish left and the road was busy ish and no one stopped until i flagged a friend down to stop, some people are not nice

Dr. M
02-08-12, 01:51 PM
i lowsided on a long ish left and the road was busy ish and no one stopped until i flagged a friend down to stop, some people are not nice

Flipping heck, that is a bit crap! I guess I was lucky then!

Fallout
02-08-12, 01:52 PM
Warm weather plus spitting = greasier than you expect it to be. Glad you got away with it mate, injury wise. Very lucky.

granty92
02-08-12, 02:01 PM
Flipping heck, that is a bit crap! I guess I was lucky then!
tbh i think i was lucky as i got up and walked off and only needed light repairs, no hospital treatment or anything

Elliott
02-08-12, 02:04 PM
Ive done very similar mate and I looked at what to do.

Its not economical to repair if its more than just fairings. So split it, I've made a fair wack of money from selling as parts.

If it is just gravel rash etc it'll be fine just repair it bit by bit

Dr. M
02-08-12, 02:06 PM
tbh i think i was lucky as i got up and walked off and only needed light repairs, no hospital treatment or anything
That's the thing, I couldn't get up. I tried as much as I could but my body wouldn't listen!
Warm weather plus spitting = greasier than you expect it to be. Glad you got away with it mate, injury wise. Very lucky.
I totally agree, Definitely didn't help and yeah feel very privileged to only be as bad as I am AH

sv_rory
02-08-12, 02:15 PM
Glad you're ok! don't give up on riding mate, you will regret it!

missyburd
02-08-12, 02:23 PM
Ooof sounds nasty. Glad you're not more seriously hurt, certainly looks like someone was looking down on you yesterday. As for not riding again for a while cos of your folks, don't completely rule it out. They might be around for a few more years than your bike itch can cope with. If/when you do decide to take it up again, maybe tell them you'll do a bikesafe course or similar, just to ease their minds.

Any idea what it was that sent you tarmac-surfing? Loose gravel, oil, anything?

Can't believe** granty's experience of nobody stopping, how on earth someone can drive past someone after an obvious accident is beyond me. Any off's I've had people have been more than happy to sort me out and make sure I can walk away.

**well obviously I can but don't want to :(

granty92
02-08-12, 02:31 PM
work bit was there was a busy mcdonalds drive thu and they just stared at me whilst i was trying to pick bike up

Jayneflakes
02-08-12, 02:48 PM
Sorry to hear of your off and am glad that you are not more hurt.

Hope that you heal fast. as for the bike, give it a couple of days after you have got it back before you decide what to do. Rebuilding can be fun and a way to up grade the bits you like providing the main bits are ok.

Good luck and all the best

littleoldman2
02-08-12, 05:46 PM
Glad to hear your on the mend. Think things through before YOU decide one way or the other about getting back on the bike. As a parent there have been many times I have wanted to interfere in my children's lives since they became adults but have resisted and have tried to support them whenever I can, even when I disagree with what they decide. I'm sure you parents will do the same should YOU decide to continue riding.

Fruity-ya-ya
02-08-12, 06:04 PM
Glad you came out the other end okay(ish).

Warm weather plus spitting = greasier than you expect it to be.

This caused my only off but i was going very slow so i/the bike were okay apart from a bend lever and a bruised ankle.
Heated and bent the lever.
Drank cider and rested the ankle.

Make sure you're fully fit before you get back on and make sure the bike is too ;)

andrewsmith
02-08-12, 08:12 PM
Sounds like you have been bloody lucky!

I came off in Cloud covering road pouring rain and its not nice
GWS

Dr. M
03-08-12, 08:47 AM
So bike got returned today (for a hefty fee) and it seems as if the bike only decided it would slide a bit down the road so the damage is purely cosmetic. Not a scratch on the frame, swing arm, rims, forks or anything like that. the damage is:
Completely destroyed, scratched up right lower fairing,
really badly scratched right side rear fairing,
quite a scratch on the clutch cover
quite a dent on the top right of the tank
and the right hand side clip on has snapped off taking the brake level in half (but amazingly has left everything attached to it unscathed, i.e. the fluid reservoir, all the switch gear etc...)
and the front fairing has cracked and scratched on the right (again, amazingly protecting the lights.
Oh and the exhaust is just missing completely...

I guess all that can be said for the none existent damage to the frame and swing arm... thank god for crash bungs!

Now a request for a bit of advice again...
What could I realistically sell the bike for, whole, considering the condition and the mileage being aprox 6250?
I do believe it runs, although haven't started it up.

Dr. M
03-08-12, 08:51 AM
Also thank you all for the replies, I appreciate everything!

oldlittleman2 I understand what you're saying, but there's only so many tears and anxiety you can force your parents through. Especially as my dad is normally the least emotional person in the world and to see him like that kills your inside! I'm not completely writing off riding, but whilst I'm hanging around at uni and what not, I think it'd be sensible.

Dan

Roberrrrt
03-08-12, 09:13 AM
Glad you came off relatively ok, crashing aint fun!

From what I gather, you'll make more money selling the bits than the whole bike, but I'm no expert.

Considered giving up myself earlier this year after being knocked off but shock horror I'm still on two wheels! I know exactly what you mean in terms of putting family through stress etc, but it's your decision ultimately.