Unwanted gear test

Seismo · 05-08-2012, 06:38 AM

I really didn't want to have an opportunity to contribute to this thread but, here I am. I ride a 2009 KLR 650. And I'm a newbie at motorcycling having just started 7 months ago. I spent the past 4 days riding around the Texas Hill Country with a buddy of mine. We rode the Three Sisters for those of you familiar with this area. It's a challanging and scenic ride but we take it slow and had a great time.

Sunday we are riding toward the Austin area on Cyprus Mill Road. This leads to a creek crossing called Hammetts Crossing. Approaching Hammetts Crossing are several warning signs on the steep decent. It's a very steep switchback. We took it slow and had no problem. At the bottom, at the narrow bridge over the creek I took 2 seconds to admire the scenery. Looking back, those 2 seconds were a big mistake. I didn't appreciate that the ascent out of the creek would be as steep and twisty as the decent. I hit the switch back in too high a gear going too slow. So, as I started the climb I tried to change to first gear. Did I say I was a newbie? Well I started to stall so I gave it lots of throttle to rev the rpm's and engaged the clutch. When the clutch engaged the bike surged but in my focus on gearing my front wheel had turned toward the right and I was already near the edge of the road. Well, I left the road and fell 10-12 feet down the steep embankment. An area of dirt, limestone rocks and trees. I remember the bike surge and I remember thinking "Oh shit" but the next thing I remember is standing next to my bike in the grass near the bottom of the embankment. A bit dazed by the circumstance but not hurt at all. I look up and my buddy's Harley is on its side in the road. He saw me go down and stopped on the steep incline and couldn't get footing and the bike fell over. He was fine.

So we spent the next hour, with the help of an exceptionally nice passing motorists, getting our bikes up off the road and out of the embankment. My KLR had absolutely no damage at all. None. Skid plates, engine guards, Barkbusters and soft side saddle bags did a great job of protection. To fall 10-12 feet off road down an embankment with no damage is unbelievably lucky.

I was in full quad armor Motorport gear with a full face helmet. I was lucky in that I did not hit a tree. But there were rocks all around. I believe that the gear kept me out of the emerbency room. That and luck. I was already sold on AGATT and Motorport. Now I'm a believer with experience.

We got the bikes started, went back up the other side of the creek so we could have some momentum for the re-attempt at moving on. The second try, in 1st gear went fine and we went on our merry scary way.

Big newbie lesson. It only takes a tiny lapse of concentration at a critical time for things to go very wrong. With the 600 miles of twisty riding we had already done, I got complacent at a bad time and once in the bad time, didn't have the experience to get out of it. Now I have one more experience.

dashredder · 05-08-2012, 07:11 AM

Sorry to hear the story, but Im glad you and your bike are ok!

lemieuxmc · 05-08-2012, 10:52 AM

"Big newbie lesson. It only takes a tiny lapse of concentration at a critical time for things to go very wrong. With the 600 miles of twisty riding we had already done, I got complacent at a bad time and once in the bad time, didn't have the experience to get out of it. Now I have one more experience."

Whether you have been riding for seven months, seven years, or 47 years, this is always important.

Vigilance and discretion are often the razor thin margin between a close call and a trip to the hospital or the morgue.

Glad you weren't hurt, your milk crate didn't get broken, and you weren't psyched out.

05-08-2012, 06:38 AM	#1
Seismo ^OP n00b Joined: Nov 2011 Oddometer: 8	Unwanted gear test I really didn't want to have an opportunity to contribute to this thread but, here I am. I ride a 2009 KLR 650. And I'm a newbie at motorcycling having just started 7 months ago. I spent the past 4 days riding around the Texas Hill Country with a buddy of mine. We rode the Three Sisters for those of you familiar with this area. It's a challanging and scenic ride but we take it slow and had a great time. Sunday we are riding toward the Austin area on Cyprus Mill Road. This leads to a creek crossing called Hammetts Crossing. Approaching Hammetts Crossing are several warning signs on the steep decent. It's a very steep switchback. We took it slow and had no problem. At the bottom, at the narrow bridge over the creek I took 2 seconds to admire the scenery. Looking back, those 2 seconds were a big mistake. I didn't appreciate that the ascent out of the creek would be as steep and twisty as the decent. I hit the switch back in too high a gear going too slow. So, as I started the climb I tried to change to first gear. Did I say I was a newbie? Well I started to stall so I gave it lots of throttle to rev the rpm's and engaged the clutch. When the clutch engaged the bike surged but in my focus on gearing my front wheel had turned toward the right and I was already near the edge of the road. Well, I left the road and fell 10-12 feet down the steep embankment. An area of dirt, limestone rocks and trees. I remember the bike surge and I remember thinking "Oh shit" but the next thing I remember is standing next to my bike in the grass near the bottom of the embankment. A bit dazed by the circumstance but not hurt at all. I look up and my buddy's Harley is on its side in the road. He saw me go down and stopped on the steep incline and couldn't get footing and the bike fell over. He was fine. So we spent the next hour, with the help of an exceptionally nice passing motorists, getting our bikes up off the road and out of the embankment. My KLR had absolutely no damage at all. None. Skid plates, engine guards, Barkbusters and soft side saddle bags did a great job of protection. To fall 10-12 feet off road down an embankment with no damage is unbelievably lucky. I was in full quad armor Motorport gear with a full face helmet. I was lucky in that I did not hit a tree. But there were rocks all around. I believe that the gear kept me out of the emerbency room. That and luck. I was already sold on AGATT and Motorport. Now I'm a believer with experience. We got the bikes started, went back up the other side of the creek so we could have some momentum for the re-attempt at moving on. The second try, in 1st gear went fine and we went on our merry scary way. Big newbie lesson. It only takes a tiny lapse of concentration at a critical time for things to go very wrong. With the 600 miles of twisty riding we had already done, I got complacent at a bad time and once in the bad time, didn't have the experience to get out of it. Now I have one more experience.

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05-08-2012, 07:11 AM	#2
dashredder Just go. Joined: Apr 2011 Location: Chicagoland Oddometer: 40	Sorry to hear the story, but Im glad you and your bike are ok!

05-08-2012, 10:52 AM	#3
lemieuxmc Banned Joined: Mar 2009 Location: East La Jolla... it's just Clairemont!! Oddometer: 3,360	"Big newbie lesson. It only takes a tiny lapse of concentration at a critical time for things to go very wrong. With the 600 miles of twisty riding we had already done, I got complacent at a bad time and once in the bad time, didn't have the experience to get out of it. Now I have one more experience." Whether you have been riding for seven months, seven years, or 47 years, this is always important. Vigilance and discretion are often the razor thin margin between a close call and a trip to the hospital or the morgue. Glad you weren't hurt, your milk crate didn't get broken, and you weren't psyched out.