Got the bike out for 100+ miles today! Whoot! Helluva a good ride and so much fun.

It was suppose to rain Friday and/or Saturday. It never did. But the roads are in pretty good shape as far as the dirt and road salt.

I was exiting a roundabout (Rkt ..heading east on Union Chapel, exiting south onto Deibold) at somewhere around 30 mph. In the middle of the lane was a huge pile of road sand and salt from winter. Over time cars pushed a bunch of this shit into a pile which covered probably 1/2 the lane. At any rate, I was leaned over to make the exit when I saw this pile of shit and pretty much knew there wasn't anything I could do to avoid it.

I stood the bike up. I knew I could survive the sand after standing the bike up, but now I would run straight into a huge enforcement island which guides traffic (separates the lanes of the adjoining road). I knew I had to brake. I hit the front break, and as I knew would happen, the front tire locked up the instant it hit the sand pile. Immediate it started to wash out from under the bike. This no fucking joke, I'm guessing the tire deflected around 1 foot to the left total.

I did NOT grab the brake though, that would've been my end. Fortunately, as I made it through the slide and sand pile the front tire gained traction again, and I was able to continue slowing and turning to avoid the enforcement island and it's 6-8" curb. Instinctually I put my foot down when the front washed out but that was a really stupid thing to do. This all probably happened in about 2 seconds. I could see in my peripheral people in the car turning into the roundabout realizing that they just about seen a motorcycle accident.

I'm so glad you are okay. This type of thing is what made me decide to put ABS on my NON ABS bike.

"This type of thing is what made me decide to put ABS on my NON ABS bike"...okay...this deal here would maybe benefit some here.Can you talk about how you did this,and maybe describe the process(and ECU deal)?I would have loved to have had ABS on my 2012.Probably would have saved me totaling the poor thing.I do believe all the fitment points and such are in the 2012 frame.

@Vic...glad you pulled her out.Shit happens quick...good job;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 3/15/2015 @ 7:31 PM *

Thanks guys. I hope we all have a safe year.

As far as ABS vs. non-ABS, I don't think it would've made any difference. After all, I didn't actually wreck. In this situation, I think the only thing that saved my ass was situational awareness and somehow making the right decisions. Relying on ABS would not have been the answer.

It really happened fast, probably 2 seconds from the time I saw the sand pile to the point of being through it. I do believe an ABS bike would've still lost traction too as I think I although I had stood the bike up, I was still leaning a little. I think I had to be turning or it would not been possible to avoid running into the enforcement island.

There's no doubt I think some riders would've had an accident in this situation. I was damn close, once again not really sure of how I got out of it none the worse.

And that is why this time of year I always ride like there is a gravel/sand/salt pile and huge humongous pothole around every turn. Because there usually is. Glad you are okay.

Keep looking forward through the turn, and never target fixate.
Look where you want to go, and you'll get there.

No Dis, Vic. Just giving my Homeboys A heads up. Keep your eyes on the horizon. Best to ignore the gravel, Sand, salt, leaves, oil, ladders, mattresses, dead squirrels, banana peels, McDonalds burger boxes, and just keep your eyes on the exit.

Glad you made it out Vic. Shit gets hairy quick in the early Spring with the slick stuff out there.

Glad you came out OK!!! I'm still kinda unfamiliar with a lot of FW so not real sure where you were. I hit some wet leaves in a curve out by Leo last fall, exciting few seconds of flat tracking a ZX! Thought I was going to need a crowbar to get the seat cover out of my ass.

Vigilance pays off!

LOL first glad you made it through unscathed, Vic. Second I had a similar situation happen at the height of summer last year. Coming around my favorite corner I take almost every day I ride (usually two or three times), there's a 20 foot patch of gravel that spilled over the sideboards of a truck. Thank God it wasn't too thick. I really didn't have time to do anything but loosen up my line a little and roll back on the throttle. I wiggled right through it like a fish. It was less than a second. That was actually kind of exhilarating. I normally want to slow down and take a deep breath but that time I wished I could have gassed it right out of that corner onto the expressway. I still have a healthy fear of cops though.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/15/2015 @ 9:25 PM *

Glad you, and your expensive bodywork, made it out of that unscathed!

^^dont ride till late April. I value my plastics too much. If anyone is out now, the salt on aluminum parts will be exciting. Imagine taking a sand blaster to your lower cowl. I'm going to fight the urge and wait it out. I think 5 good hard rain days will clear most of the debris!

* Last updated by: Wolfman on 3/16/2015 @ 6:18 AM *

That stab with the foot probably saved you from going down. Sometimes the quick natural reaction is a good thing.

Mad

"This type of thing is what made me decide to put ABS on my NON ABS bike"...okay...this deal here would maybe benefit some here.Can you talk about how you did this,and maybe describe the process(and ECU deal)?I would have loved to have had ABS on my 2012.Probably would have saved me totaling the poor thing.I do believe all the fitment points and such are in the 2012 frame.

If the 2012 has the opening in the battery area for the ABS pump, then I'm sure it can be done. I believe all European models had ABS in 2012. If so, then I bet its the same. There are also two screws in the front frame collar that the ABS lines mount to that would have to be there as well.

* Last updated by: dehaile on 3/16/2015 @ 1:08 PM *

Whether you made out ok or not, only your wash lady will know for sure.

Keep looking forward through the turn, and never target fixate.
Look where you want to go, and you'll get there.

No Dis, Vic. Just giving my Homeboys A heads up. Keep your eyes on the horizon. Best to ignore the gravel, Sand, salt, leaves, oil, ladders, mattresses, dead squirrels, banana peels, McDonalds burger boxes, and just keep your eyes on the exit.

Glad you made it out Vic. Shit gets hairy quick in the early Spring with the slick stuff out there.

Well I don't take it as a dis so much as a huh? Trust me someone hitting that pile of sand unaware was going down, especially at 30 mph leaned over 15-20 degrees.

I rode through there again today. Originally I thought I made one mistake, but it turns out I made two. Neither have anything to do with looking through a turn and target fixation. Good tips though, hopefully that standard for every rider's course (both are beginner concepts taught in the earliest stages of MSF).

Glad you came out OK!!! I'm still kinda unfamiliar with a lot of FW so not real sure where you were. I hit some wet leaves in a curve out by Leo last fall, exciting few seconds of flat tracking a ZX! Thought I was going to need a crowbar to get the seat cover out of my ass.

Vigilance pays off!

Nice Rkt glad you made it out!

Use google maps, it's a great way to learn roads and plan trip routes.