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A few weeks ago I told of my "high side" crash and I was looking here for help in understanding what happened. I mentioned I had a new mapping with more torque and thought this may have contributed to my fall.
After talks since then with guys who have been through a lot, one of them asked several detailed questions. How did I ride when I first left the dealership? Did I know the temparature that day? Wet or dry? Sand and salt conditions. On and on. Lots of questions. What was I doing just before the crash? Then a light came on in this guys head.
Here's his recap. I left the dealer's with a new FI and mapping with the torque curve increased or coming in sooner. (Deadly move.) Low forty something degrees outside. Slow ride to get the feel of the bike again. Road for several hours, no problem. Getting cold, stopped at a restaurant for some hot soup. Apple juice! No beer. Stayed and talked awhile to warm up. When I left I was warm but my tires were cold!!! I left the driveway and got right on the bike with a flick on the throttle. (His theory: cold rear wheel instantly broke away and spins. I closed the throttle (not being an accomplished rider). Rear wheel grabs a solid hold on the pavement and in an instant jerked the bike into a vertical position and the inertia threw me off the high side.
Seems to match my recollection. So another lesson learned. Cold tires are a riders enemy! (Hey, racers have tire warmers for a reason.)
If this sounds reasonable, please pass it on to your friends to be careful in cold temps.
Ride safe.
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