Ruttly
Serious Thumper
Offline
Thumpers Rule
Posts: 5109
Manteca , CA
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Narrow downhill twisties are the hardest to judge. Your focused on the road as you should be , but doesn't leave much time to glance at speedo. Downhills you are almost always going faster than you think , excellent time to use trail braking and sooner the better. I bet that turn being somewhat blind has eaten many a rider , looks like marbles on both sides and bad shading at different times of day. Shade throws off your depth perception off and the OLDER you are the longer it takes for you eyes to adjust from sun to shade. Not picking on you Springman , talking to all including myself. Just a few things to keep in mind. Ride smart , ride safe ! I crashed on a road I had ridden up and down hundreds of times. Up was easy to go really fast but down was the bigger thrill/challenge. Huddart Park Road in Woodside CA. Riding a 78 Yamaha SR500 pumped to a 540cc with carb ,cam ,header , shocks on PIrelli Phamtoms. Just finished warming up the tires going up the road as a old pickup was coming down off of Skyline Hwy 35 pulled over for a minute so the truck could get down the hill and not slow me down. Very narrow two lane super twisty and heavily shaded. Turn around head down hill after the first 4 or 5 turns I start smelling gas , slow to look at my carb nothing leaking back on the gas , then I see it to road is glazed with gas from the pickup that had no gas cap. Too late the bike is side ways right and road turning right and going way to fast but managed to rear brake it and get thru the turn but now bike is sideways left and road now turning left , my tires are melting into butter from the gas , unable to save it this time road going left solid rock cliff straight ahead with a ditch before it,time to put her down as bike is almost straight made the snap decision grab the front brake and lay is down on the left side and get away from it. Sliding down the road looking for cars coming from behind while sliding to a stop looking at the SR sliding into the ditch. Totally amazed I didn't start a fire. Minor bent clutch lever and a couple grind marks here and there. Me didn't feel a thing but the adrenaline rush till I stood my bike up and my left little finger mangled by the clutch lever, next day I find out broken in two spots , but that day pulled it straight and rode to the nearest liquor store a half pint of I forget what and a forty. Moral of that long a$$ story is I couldn't see that gas glazed road in the shaded areas and smell gas slow down !
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