Pocono East
TPM "Supermoto" race (under 650cc and 2 cylinders or less)
October 4, 2008
Bike: 1990 Kawasaki EX500 (aka Ninja 500, GPZ500)
The green flag waved just as I clicked into first. Whoops. I grabbed a handful of throttle and feathered the clutch as best I could as a couple bikes whizzed by. I dropped to 6th as we came out of T5 (first turn of the race, having started on the oval straight) after starting 2nd. I was running behind an Aprilia RS250 and, after the first lap, it was clear I was a bit quicker than him. I made a small attempt at an outbraking maneuver going into the bus stop (T8?) but thought better of it and backed off. We got onto the normal front straight past the pits and I started braking for T1 just past the front straight kink. Then it happened.
I was hard on the brakes, standing the bike up from the right-handed kink for the left-handed T1, when suddenly, without warning, I was slammed down onto my right side at approximately 50-60 mph. I ended up on my back, sliding feet first. I lifted my head slightly and saw my bike sliding along about 15 feet in front of me. "Aww shit..." At that point I started thinking about trying to get up but quickly realized I was still sliding. When I was sure I had stopped, I hopped to my feet and walked off the track, glancing back at my bike another 25 feet away and at my scuffed leathers, utterly disgusted with myself. I thought for sure I wasn't braking as hard as I could and still had plenty of front grip left. It just didn't make sense.
Then one of the trackday coaches came walking over. He had seen the whole thing from merely yards away. After asking me if I was okay, he told me a supermoto a few places ahead had blown its motor and dumped the full contents of its oil pan on the track. Surprisingly, I found some relief in his explanation. It wasn't my fault after all, I just got unlucky. That didn't make me feel so bad because I've always known that is one of the accepted risks of riding on the track. It's certainly a safer enviroment than the street, but other people still make mistakes and machinery can still cause problems.
Immediately after going down my fingertips were numb but that soon subsided. The two main things that are still sore are my right knee and shoulder and, to a lesser extent, my neck, but I'm expecting all of that to feel better within a week. Fortunately no other damage beyond that, including no broken bones.
Bike damage report:
- hole in the water pump (it sits on the right side and sticks out a bit, very vulnerable)
- bent right handlebar and brake lever
- brake pedal tab ground down (the part you put your foot on)
- right side of upper fairing smashed (and fairing stay most likely a little bent)
- front right turn signal smashed (aftermarket)
- right-side exhaust bent in a little (I think)
- squeaky rear suspension (may be a result of the swingarm contacting the right-side exhaust can, I'm not sure yet)
Perhaps the funniest thing to come out of all of this was when the trackday coach mentioned above and another rider pushed my bike back to my trailer. They commented to each other on the difficulty they were having pushing it and the height of the bars. Both said they couldn't believe I could ride it the way I do.
TPM "Supermoto" race (under 650cc and 2 cylinders or less)
October 4, 2008
Bike: 1990 Kawasaki EX500 (aka Ninja 500, GPZ500)
The green flag waved just as I clicked into first. Whoops. I grabbed a handful of throttle and feathered the clutch as best I could as a couple bikes whizzed by. I dropped to 6th as we came out of T5 (first turn of the race, having started on the oval straight) after starting 2nd. I was running behind an Aprilia RS250 and, after the first lap, it was clear I was a bit quicker than him. I made a small attempt at an outbraking maneuver going into the bus stop (T8?) but thought better of it and backed off. We got onto the normal front straight past the pits and I started braking for T1 just past the front straight kink. Then it happened.
I was hard on the brakes, standing the bike up from the right-handed kink for the left-handed T1, when suddenly, without warning, I was slammed down onto my right side at approximately 50-60 mph. I ended up on my back, sliding feet first. I lifted my head slightly and saw my bike sliding along about 15 feet in front of me. "Aww shit..." At that point I started thinking about trying to get up but quickly realized I was still sliding. When I was sure I had stopped, I hopped to my feet and walked off the track, glancing back at my bike another 25 feet away and at my scuffed leathers, utterly disgusted with myself. I thought for sure I wasn't braking as hard as I could and still had plenty of front grip left. It just didn't make sense.
Then one of the trackday coaches came walking over. He had seen the whole thing from merely yards away. After asking me if I was okay, he told me a supermoto a few places ahead had blown its motor and dumped the full contents of its oil pan on the track. Surprisingly, I found some relief in his explanation. It wasn't my fault after all, I just got unlucky. That didn't make me feel so bad because I've always known that is one of the accepted risks of riding on the track. It's certainly a safer enviroment than the street, but other people still make mistakes and machinery can still cause problems.
Immediately after going down my fingertips were numb but that soon subsided. The two main things that are still sore are my right knee and shoulder and, to a lesser extent, my neck, but I'm expecting all of that to feel better within a week. Fortunately no other damage beyond that, including no broken bones.
Bike damage report:
- hole in the water pump (it sits on the right side and sticks out a bit, very vulnerable)
- bent right handlebar and brake lever
- brake pedal tab ground down (the part you put your foot on)
- right side of upper fairing smashed (and fairing stay most likely a little bent)
- front right turn signal smashed (aftermarket)
- right-side exhaust bent in a little (I think)
- squeaky rear suspension (may be a result of the swingarm contacting the right-side exhaust can, I'm not sure yet)
Perhaps the funniest thing to come out of all of this was when the trackday coach mentioned above and another rider pushed my bike back to my trailer. They commented to each other on the difficulty they were having pushing it and the height of the bars. Both said they couldn't believe I could ride it the way I do.
.
shame about ze bike.
Love the concept... hate the potential for body damage!