Triumphrat

Nang · 09-06-2005, 08:56 AM

Bolted on the new Ikons on the weekend and went for a quick ride. Seemed to be an improvement but I was just out cruising not fanging. On a rode I know well I suddenly find myself at a corner going way too fast. Wasn't meaning to be going at anything but a leisurely pace so no idea how I managed to get in the situation. It seemed like I didn't notice the corner coming up and just didn't set myself to go round it - like I had a momentary blackout (which I'm sure didn't actually happen).

Decided to take my chances with a venture off the road as I couldn't see any hope of actually getting round the corner. Well naturally it was a bad choice (actually I didn't really make any choice, I just held on and hoped). After 25 metres of mud and grass I crossed a drive way and then hit mud and grass again and promptly went down.

I'm fine, just a couple of bruises but while sliding on mud and grass didn't hurt me the Thrux didn't fare anywhere near as well. Whole right side is scratched or dented. Front end is twisted and mudguard snapped. Headlight and instruments all scratched up and a few scratches on the tank and plastic sidecovers and right engine cases. I'm insured and the bike gets picked up and taken to the dealer tomorrow. Hopefully it will come back like it was before I ventured out Sunday. But given it didn't have even one scatch or mark on it I suspect it won't be in quite the same pristine shape again.

Since Sunday I've pondered what would have happened if I'd just leant it over and went for it. Maybe I would have made it. I've been riding continuously for 32 years and never stuffed up like this before. I don't push myself or the bike, I just usually go at a pace that gets the adrenalin flowing but not such that I consider I'm taking a risk. I'd feel better if could blame the road, the bike, the weather, a cage driver but I know its all down to me. Lesson learnt - concentrate, concentrate, concentrate.

Wooly · 09-06-2005, 09:19 AM

Nang,
Crikey, mate, what can I say?
So sorry to about busting the Thruxton like that, it's so easy to have that momentary lapse of concentration at just wrong moment and then - bang, she's gone.
I do hope they are able to repair it nicely for you, did you declare the shocks to the insurance company?
What a pity you didn't get time to even properly evaluate the Ikons.
Hate to hear of a fellow biker going down, particularly someone from our forum.

Nochicanes · 09-06-2005, 09:48 AM

Pilots call this kind of thing "target fixation". It doesn't seem to matter the level of experience it just happens.

It's hard to remember if you were simply just staring at an object post crash so it's hard to pin down exactly what happened.

This has happened to me (thank god for escape roads) so what I do is to make sure that I continually shift my eyes back and forth looking at two apex's pre-corner....it's the actual shifting of your eyes that keeps you from the fixation.

This is different than being speed happy where you just keep going faster and faster.........

DrEnglish · 09-06-2005, 10:20 AM

Broken record: Thruxton is a great bike but seems to have a moment during turn-in where it's easy to get into an understeer situation. The crash incidents on this board and my own experience lead me toward this way of thinking. It's not a design defect, just a characteristic of the bike's handling that one should be aware of. Glad you are OK.

Nochicanes · 09-06-2005, 11:06 AM

Quote:

On 2005-09-06 08:20, DrEnglish wrote:
Broken record: Thruxton is a great bike but seems to have a moment during turn-in where it's easy to get into an understeer situation. The crash incidents on this board and my own experience lead me toward this way of thinking. It's not a design defect, just a characteristic of the bike's handling that one should be aware of. Glad you are OK.

yeah, it's a double whammy..you dial in the fork harder and you've got a bias ply front which has a stiffer sidewall anyway. You come into a corner hard on the front brake and then trail brake the front and your asking for trouble.

I've just adapted by trailing only the rear and squaring the corner...slow in and steer with power out, it's kept me out of trouble.

CYNCRZR · 09-06-2005, 04:09 PM

I don't know guys...At the risk of startin the war :flam: ...

First, Nang said he wasn't concentrating and didn't notice the corner coming. Nuthin the bike can do 'bout that.

Second. I ride mine hard into corners. Hard on the front & rear. Banging downshifts and turnin in as I'm lettin off the brakes and have never experienced any tendency to under-steer.

7,500 miles and two rear tires and no "Oh Sh!t's" that weren't pilot induced.

Dr. E. - you gotta some for a visit lad, so we can go play on my favourite new race-track, er highway.

Nang -
"Lean, baby, Lean" or is that counter-steer. More often than not the bike is way more capable than we are, and untill you're scraping the hero pegs, it will stick.

Cheers y'all, Cyn-

DrEnglish · 09-06-2005, 04:55 PM

Quote:

On 2005-09-06 14:09, CYNCRZR wrote:
I don't know guys...At the risk of startin the war :flam: ...

Dr. E. - you gotta some for a visit lad, so we can go play on my favourite new race-track, er highway.

Nang -
"Lean, baby, Lean" or is that counter-steer. More often than not the bike is way more capable than we are, and untill you're scraping the hero pegs, it will stick.

Yes, I agree with all your comments re riding technique --the rider, not the bike, being the limiting factor 99.9%+ of the time--certainly is in my case.

I have just found that if there's any handling trendwith the bike, it's a tendency to stand up and run straight unless assertively heeled over. Of course, this also gives straight-line stability, so it's just a trade-off that the designers made in developing the bike's geometry. It's all about the trail, baby!

I'll make my way down to Atascadero sooner or later. Gotta arrange it with the boss...

Nochicanes · 09-06-2005, 05:51 PM

Quote:

On 2005-09-06 14:09, CYNCRZR wrote:

First, Nang said he wasn't concentrating and didn't notice the corner coming. Nuthin the bike can do 'bout that.

Second. I ride mine hard into corners. Hard on the front & rear. Banging downshifts and turnin in as I'm lettin off the brakes and have never experienced any tendency to under-steer.

7,500 miles and two rear tires and no "Oh Sh!t's" that weren't pilot induced.

Dr. E. - you gotta some for a visit lad, so we can go play on my favourite new race-track, er highway.

Nang -
"Lean, baby, Lean" or is that counter-steer. More often than not the bike is way more capable than we are, and untill you're scraping the hero pegs, it will stick.

Cheers y'all, Cyn-

I believe he said "It seemed like I didn't notice the corner coming up and just didn't set myself to go round it - like I had a momentary blackout"
So where is he looking? Sounds like he's looking at something else for too long. Fixation doesn't have to only happen when you are totally absorbed looking at the apex.

The question is, if that is the scenario, how to avoid it.

CYNCRZR · 09-06-2005, 09:29 PM

So Nang -

Was it "Fixation" or lack of attention that bit ya ?

Chicanes -

I wasn't disputing the target fixation phenomena, I was braggin on the fine handlin of the Thruxton... Thas all Mate!

Cheers, Cyn-

P.S. - Nang - Really glad you had a soft landing!

Dave67 · 09-07-2005, 05:49 AM

Sorry about the crash, nang

but on the bright side you are well and the bike can be fixed up.

dont stress too much over the bingle, just make sure you learn from it

heres to you being back on the road asap

:chug: