How I destroyed my first bike

[outblasted]

(Alright, this turned out to be a bit longer that what I planned)

I was traveling northbound on CA35, not far from CA9 (google maps link)... Lovely Sunday morning... First time on this road.

After negotiating a left and a right turn, I saw a white line approaching my front wheel from my right...

I knew I was going uncomfortably fast.

Slowly but steady the white line was getting closer, and closer, and closer... Until I went of pavement, experienced a crazy wobble, and the world became an one smudged oil painting being waved in front of me quicker than I could register what's on it. All I knew was that I'm crashing, that the sharp pain in my right shoulder probably means I've dislocated my shoulder (again), and that I was still moving.

After I stopped, I stood up, looked at my bike laying in the middle of the lane. I saw fluids dripping all over the bike. I approached the bike, turned of ignition key, and went off pavement, knees shaking, no pain, just the realization that I've crashed, my buddy is far up ahead on the road, I've ruined his Sunday ride, and there is my bike on the road. Front wheel was misaligned with handlebars.

A car that I've passed a minute ago approached, stopped. Two gentlemen asked if I'm OK, and helped me to get bike of the pavement. As I pulled its front wheel I've realized two things: the wheel is not really connected to the bike, and my shoulder really hurts. A couple cyclists stopped at the scene, one of them went to a fire station up south.

Firefighters came, checked me out. CHP came, checked me and the bike out.

Bike was a mess, and I was lucky to tell everyone that I was completly OK (except for the pain in my shoulder, I couldn't really lift my straight hand to the chest level, but they didn't need to know about it -- last thing I wanted was to go to a hospital).

Good thing I had not an expensive bike - stock, new, 2013 ninja 300. Overcharged for maintenance, overcharfed for destination and assembly fees. No abs. My first bike. Could've been the last...

Its parts were scattered for good twenty meters (60 feet)... Although some plastic I found wasn't mine - there were a lot of plastics from cars.

I could not believe that happened to me after 2 years of almost daily commutes (10 miles on 101 and back, one 35mph turn on a ramp), 3 track days at Laguna seca, planted a knee on a kart-track at a cornering school. And about 3-4 months break in riding just before the incident.

I've investigated my leathers for damage - none found. Alpine stars jacket and track pants did well. Dianese back protector with scapula blades, tailbone, and a waist belt did well. Dianese racing gloves did well. One of them tore at a place where sharp part of plastic reinforcement has cut through the leather because of prior use, but there was a second layer of leather underneath (I wanted to get a warranty repair on that, but was too lazy to go to D-Store in SF). D-air boots did well too. Shoei RF-1100 did well. Lost top-left vent cover. The heavily scratched visor gave me pictures of my faces left on the asphalt. I'm happy I had a full face helmet. Other than damaged helmet, torn glove, minor damage on a boot, and some dirt on the jacket - everything was fine.

I couldn't derive much of what happened by looking at the gear. I was sliding on my left wrist, and on my face. I hit dirt with my right shoulder. I hit dirt with top-left side of my helmet. That's about as far as it goes.

So, what did I do wrong?
- I was riding at speed beyond my comfort level on an unfamiliar road (overly confident).
- I've fixated on the white line instead of actually making the turn.

What did I do right?
- Used full gear.

 

[danate]

Sorry to hear about your accident. I'll start with the fact that you are having pain. You should go get checked out ASAP both for your own good and to show that you sought medical attention after your crash in case you have any injuries that end up being costly.

From what you wrote, it sounds like you went wide and off the pavement, though you said your bike was laying in the middle of the lane. Were you cornering when this happened and started going wide?

I know details are hard to remember sometimes, but to try and break it down a bit can be helpful to you and to other riders.

 

[Craneboy]

What is a "white lane"? And if you mean white line, are you saying that you continued turning right after exiting the right turn and went off the road and crashed onto the right shoulder?

 

[outblasted]

Thank you for replies, and sorry if my post isn't very informative/helpful from crash analysis point of view. I can edit out unnecessary details (e.g. who brought firefighters, how leathers did, my previous experience, etc) and only leave crash-related details only if you think it's more helpful.

danate,
I really appreciate your concern abd advice. Luckily, I don't have pain anymore; I had it at the day of the crash and a couple days after. I do realize that the right course of actions was to seek medical attention right away, but now (a week later) it seems irrelevant.

The bike came to rest in the middle of the lane after crashing onto the shoulder;I think it bounced back onto the road.

I think that I was exiting the right turn, and failed to initiate left turn on time. I think I was leaning left when I noticed that I'm going wide.

Craneboy,
I meant "white line", not "white lane". Sorry, edited.
I'm not quite sure if I continued to turning right for too long or if I failed to turn left quick enough, but I did crash onto the right shoulder.

 

[DataDan]

[Your OP says it was a left-right, and post #4 says right-left. I'm assuming right-left.]

As I understand the situation, there is a crucial perception and a crucial action.

At some point in the right (first curve of the ess), you saw that it wasn't just a single curve but was followed by a left. Do you remember that moment, and how did you react?

Then in the transition a strong steering input would be needed go from leaning right to leaning left, especially considering the higher than normal speed. What did you do?

 

[outblasted]

[Your OP says it was a left-right, and post #4 says right-left. I'm assuming right-left.]

Ok, it was left-right-left. I've done the left, and I've done the right (or so I thought), and I crashed at the upcoming left. Here is the exact location of the incident: google maps

...you saw that it wasn't just a single curve but was followed by a left. Do you remember that moment, and how did you react?

I don't remember that very well. If I were to speculate, I think I saw the upcoming left, changed my body position for the turn, saw the shoulder approaching. I believe I initiated left turn because I saw the white line over the front wheel. I remember this picture very well -- the white line above the front wheel.

Then in the transition a strong steering input would be needed go from leaning right to leaning left, especially considering the higher than normal speed. What did you do?

I now think that I've just leaned over to the left side. Most likely I did not counter steer at all.

 

[Maddevill]

I'd bet you experienced what's known as "Target Fixation". That's where you go where you are looking. You entered the corner above your comfort speed. You run wider than normal so you look at where you ARE going instead of where you WANT to go. You follow your eyes off the road. It's happened to all of us. Once I almost watched myself right off a track by looking at the guy who just crashed in front of me sliding off. Keep your eyes tuned to your desired destination.

 

[outblasted]

Attached are some images of the wreck.

 

[Maddevill]

Damn! When you wreck a bike you don't screw around!!!

 

[danate]

Sounds like you were in a classic solo motorcycle crash: running wide in a turn. Since you say you could see the white line getting closer, that leads me to believe you were looking at it instead of looking through the turn.

As was said, in "target fixation," you will travel towards whatever you are looking at. If you are looking at the white line, you will naturally steer towards it.

The second you noticed that feeling of going wide in the turn (probably saw the white line in your periphery), you should have turned your head and looked as far through the turn as you could and given more countersteering input. Look left, push left until you are through the turn.

 

[matjam]

Well, 'nuff said, really.

So ... getting back on the horse?

 

[outblasted]

So ... getting back on the horse?

Yep -- looking for a used R6 to ride it on track.

 

[mototireguy]

Damn! When you wreck a bike you don't screw around!!!

Damm that's the definition of a wadded bike.

Glad you're ok. for wearing the right gear.

 

[outblasted]

Folks, thank you for the replies, and for confirmation of the target fixation as the main cause of the crash.

I appreciate that you took time to go through the post and shared your questions and findings.

 

[DefyInertia]

Not to pile on, but definitely target fixation. You will enjoy and learn a lot at the track and it will get you over the initial fear associated with jumping right back on after a crash like this.

 

[DataDan]

OK, target fixation. Now let's talk about how to prevent it.

Going through that 3-turn sequence in street view, I see that it isn't an S-curve as I assumed in my previous post. There's a short but distinct straight between the right curve and the left where you crashed. So your concentration probably lapsed slightly in the time available to set up for the left, and the next thing you knew you were looking at the fog line on an intersecting path.

The cure is to improve your visual skill, in particular to develop a habit for using your eyes to lead you through a turn. See this post for example. Or read the chapter on vision in Code's Twist II. Or watch the Twist II video. Or read Nick Ienatsch's chapter on vision in Sport Riding Techniques.

Knowing how to use your eyes is only the beginning. You have to practice doing it in EVERY turn. It's through repetition that the habit develops. At first, you'll have to slow down so you can think it through step by step. But as the habit becomes ingrained, the visual process becomes automatic and you will naturally speed up

 

[dammyneckhurts]

Well said Data Dan.

Target fixation is frequently a result of problem, not the cause of a problem.

The cause is not knowing how to use your eyes. Knowing the right thing to look for at the right time is key.

 

[outblasted]

The cause is not knowing how to use your eyes. Knowing the right thing to look for at the right time is key.

Hope your neck is better. I don't agree with your cause here, partially because I believe I knew what I am supposed to look at - "look where you want to go", " look through the turn", etc... Buy somehow I've failed to do that. This hints me that knowing what do to isn't sufficient - one has to develop skill that would allow him or her to apply the knowledge timely.

 

[latindane]

Hope your neck is better. I don't agree with your cause here, partially because I believe I knew what I am supposed to look at - "look where you want to go", " look through the turn", etc... Buy somehow I've failed to do that. This hints me that knowing what do to isn't sufficient - one has to develop skill that would allow him or her to apply the knowledge timely.

Yup; and DD has already pointed out how:

...
Knowing how to use your eyes is only the beginning. You have to practice doing it in EVERY turn. It's through repetition that the habit develops. At first, you'll have to slow down so you can think it through step by step. But as the habit becomes ingrained, the visual process becomes automatic and you will naturally speed up

 

[Honey Badger]

A skill that can help prevent target fixation is to practice moving your eyes. I find I actually have to think about this, and when I do it, I can sometimes find weaknesses in my "vision," for example, at my last trackday I found one corner in particular I didn't want to move my eyes far enough ahead. If I wasn't specifically practicing moving my eyes from one reference point to another and back to my location and back out, I would never have realized that on that one corner, my tendency was to bring my vision too close and leave it there.

When you're on your bike, think about moving your eyes a bit. I thought I did this (glancing at side streets/cars/etc) but forcing my eyes to move around was/is a new thing that I'm finding isn't as natural as I thought it was.