RSV4s can fly, just not very far
Discussion
Ok, so today was going very, very well right up until I came off the RSV4. Fortunately both me and it survived to tell the tale. So without further ado, here it is for your amusement, abuse, ridicule or all of the above:-
The run up. A pretty innocent looking bend. Shortly before this shot I'll have just passed a BMW and given it a BIG handful in 2nd gear. Perhaps too big as it was very quickly apparent that I was going too fast and braking too late.
Looking back at where I was coming from.
This is when I knew it was all over. I'd been hard on the brakes. The rear was light as all the weight was over the front of the bike, so it was snaking around all over the place. So much so that the very nice couple in the BMW even commented on it. Rapidly running out of road and it is clear I'm not making the bend. Seeing the gravel getting closer I stand the bike up so I hit it straight and hope for the best.
Looking back at where I was coming from...now out of control. See the tyre mark? That's me that is.
This has been affectionately named 'the ramp'. It's hard to tell from the picture, but this is quite a bit higher than the grassiness below. It's also full of small treestumps and rocks. At an estimate I'd say I hit this at between 30-40mph. For those smart enough to be working backwards, no, you don't get to know my speed at the start of this ridiculous chain of events.
If the previous picture was 'the ramp' then that makes this 'the landing pad'. I somewhere in amongst the bumpy, lumpy grass rather than the broken down branches in the background. Looking at this picture now an it is worrying the number of big rocks that are peaking into view. I didn't hit any of them (as far as I am aware). Remarkably I was still on the bike when we touched down and I'm pretty sure that was when my right leg took a big hit. Even more remarkable was that I was still on the bike 0.5 of a second later which may officially make me one of the only people in Scotland to jump an Aprilia RSV4. Nitro Circus here I come.
Just as the bike was coming to a halt, and literally just as the thought 'I'm going to get away with this' went through my head, the front wheel dug into a hole and deposited both me and the bike onto the springy grass on my left hand side.
The aftermath 1: Looks pretty good, just a bit dirty. You can see the snapped/cracked fairing. This is the only damage that the bike took. Given that the bike ended up lying on its left hand side this must have happened when it landed from its maiden flight.
The aftermath 2: Close up on the cracked fairing. The call is already in to try and sort me out with a replacement.
The aftermath 3: If you are going to crash, crash onto good old Scottish countryside that can also double as a bouncy castle. Nature's bouncy castle.
The only damage to me is a gash to my leg and a swollen calf. This is a few minutes after the 40 mile ride home. The ride was ok, if a bit sore, but as soon as the boots and leathers came off the swelling started in earnest. And yes, legs do come that pale north of the border.
The run up. A pretty innocent looking bend. Shortly before this shot I'll have just passed a BMW and given it a BIG handful in 2nd gear. Perhaps too big as it was very quickly apparent that I was going too fast and braking too late.
Looking back at where I was coming from.
This is when I knew it was all over. I'd been hard on the brakes. The rear was light as all the weight was over the front of the bike, so it was snaking around all over the place. So much so that the very nice couple in the BMW even commented on it. Rapidly running out of road and it is clear I'm not making the bend. Seeing the gravel getting closer I stand the bike up so I hit it straight and hope for the best.
Looking back at where I was coming from...now out of control. See the tyre mark? That's me that is.
This has been affectionately named 'the ramp'. It's hard to tell from the picture, but this is quite a bit higher than the grassiness below. It's also full of small treestumps and rocks. At an estimate I'd say I hit this at between 30-40mph. For those smart enough to be working backwards, no, you don't get to know my speed at the start of this ridiculous chain of events.
If the previous picture was 'the ramp' then that makes this 'the landing pad'. I somewhere in amongst the bumpy, lumpy grass rather than the broken down branches in the background. Looking at this picture now an it is worrying the number of big rocks that are peaking into view. I didn't hit any of them (as far as I am aware). Remarkably I was still on the bike when we touched down and I'm pretty sure that was when my right leg took a big hit. Even more remarkable was that I was still on the bike 0.5 of a second later which may officially make me one of the only people in Scotland to jump an Aprilia RSV4. Nitro Circus here I come.
Just as the bike was coming to a halt, and literally just as the thought 'I'm going to get away with this' went through my head, the front wheel dug into a hole and deposited both me and the bike onto the springy grass on my left hand side.
The aftermath 1: Looks pretty good, just a bit dirty. You can see the snapped/cracked fairing. This is the only damage that the bike took. Given that the bike ended up lying on its left hand side this must have happened when it landed from its maiden flight.
The aftermath 2: Close up on the cracked fairing. The call is already in to try and sort me out with a replacement.
The aftermath 3: If you are going to crash, crash onto good old Scottish countryside that can also double as a bouncy castle. Nature's bouncy castle.
The only damage to me is a gash to my leg and a swollen calf. This is a few minutes after the 40 mile ride home. The ride was ok, if a bit sore, but as soon as the boots and leathers came off the swelling started in earnest. And yes, legs do come that pale north of the border.
Ritchie335is said:
Good news that your fine and the bike is ok(ish)
Nothing worse than that sinking feeling when you see the verge getting closer.
I once wrote off a TZR125 doing exactly the same.
Wearing shorts, tee-shirt and trainers.
Wearing leathers and boots definitely saved my leg big time. The impact point is where the armour of the leathers and the armour of the boots overlap, and it still took a big hit. Pretty sure I'd be looking at a badly broken leg if I hadn't been kitted up. That said, I wouldn't have been riding as enthusiastically if I hadn't been kitted up, so it's swings and roundabouts really. Nothing worse than that sinking feeling when you see the verge getting closer.
I once wrote off a TZR125 doing exactly the same.
Wearing shorts, tee-shirt and trainers.
moanthebairns said:
I'm totally dissapointed.
that's not even a f
king corner!
even if you hit it at 130 you'd struggle to call that a corner!
you and prof prolapse need to start looking where yous are going!!!
MJDM is right, it is really a Monaco-esque hairpin. Honest. To be fair, the pictures don't show the true nature of the corner, but it is still a pretty piss weak corner to bounce off on. that's not even a f
king corner!even if you hit it at 130 you'd struggle to call that a corner!
you and prof prolapse need to start looking where yous are going!!!
The main thing is you survived and know where you went wrong. A massive learning experience to be sure.
Modern sportsbikes (most bikes really) are so much more capable than most of us and that corner you think you are going too fast for is actually nothing for the bike to negotiate...if you give it a chance. Only when you are at full lean with body and bike parts dragging should you ever consider "bailing out".
That said you are taking it a lot better than I would. Good on you.
Modern sportsbikes (most bikes really) are so much more capable than most of us and that corner you think you are going too fast for is actually nothing for the bike to negotiate...if you give it a chance. Only when you are at full lean with body and bike parts dragging should you ever consider "bailing out".
That said you are taking it a lot better than I would. Good on you.
I'm not convinced 
i reckon you could go round that in three figures easy, in a fking freight rain!!!!
looking at it if I was a co driver I don't even think I'd bother with a pace note for that.
maybe you have to see it though, I'm being kind with that though
I can just imagine your pace note
100 kl5 (D/C) fk 50J->R2 DECK
for those who don't know pace note short hand
100 metre kink left
don't cut corner use all of road
fk, am insured is the bike insured, how far is the nearest a+e
50 metres jump into a world of pain
jokes aside glad your ok. hope the leg isn't too sore.
i reckon you could go round that in three figures easy, in a fking freight rain!!!!looking at it if I was a co driver I don't even think I'd bother with a pace note for that.
maybe you have to see it though, I'm being kind with that though
I can just imagine your pace note
100 kl5 (D/C) f
k 50J->R2 DECK for those who don't know pace note short hand
100 metre kink left
don't cut corner use all of road
f
k, am insured is the bike insured, how far is the nearest a+e50 metres jump into a world of pain
jokes aside glad your ok. hope the leg isn't too sore.
Dare2Fail said:
LoonR1 said:
I don't get it 
Is the moral of the story that RSV4s can fly, but can't go round a slight kink in the road?
Clearly the moral is:Is the moral of the story that RSV4s can fly, but can't go round a slight kink in the road?
RSV4s can both fly and corner
I can fly but can't corner or ride in a straight line and based on this accident Id be no good at scaletrix
LoonR1 said:
Dare2Fail said:
Clearly the moral is:
RSV4s can both fly and corner
I can fly but can't corner
You're taking it very well, I'd be a bit upset to say the least.RSV4s can both fly and corner
I can fly but can't corner
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