dumped the bike....

So I finally had a bike accident. Hit a patch of ice on the road, only was on second gear so I wasn't flying but knee is f***ed up. My biggest fear right now is the bike. Headlight box is broken but still works, right turn signal is cracked. Well road it out today to see if anyelse is wrong and I do. Speedometer is reading wrong by 5-10mph and the bike makes a winding noise like turning some motor on brown current. Motor is fine as I can rev that up high but the noise comes when the bike is in motion. Thoughts?

 

man I am sorry -- hope your health isn't impacted too badly... sorry no good insights on the machine

 

Glad you're OK.

It sounds like you may have damaged the speedo or cable.

 

Well I laid it down on its right side and if anything I thought the carbs were bombed.

 

I was going by the fact that the sound you are worried about is related to road-speed, not engine speed.

Where is the "winding noise" coming from?

 

Hate to read you went down and messed your knee up. Hope you and the bike recover quickly.

 

RICE - for your knee (rest, ice, compression, elevation (above your heart)

Careful Inspection for your bike. Where did the major impact take place at? Was it mostly the right blinker and headlight frame. Describe the accident if you haven't blocked it out.

I'm betting the ground impacted up high and damaged your speedometer cable where it enters. If you can put it up where the front wheel is free to spin, then with no other sound around you rotate the wheel and listen for where the sound is coming from.

 

I try it soon but it does sound like coming from the front. From what I remember the front end took most of the brunt, the rightguard and foot pegs protected the right side, the brake fluid reservoir looks like it grinded but it's not compromised, thought there was some issues in turning but that was me. Possible bearings are shot?

 

The speedo is on the left; the bike went down on the right.

Dealing a "death blow" to an already marginal front wheel bearing is a very GOOD possibility; something that needs to be investigated.

Start by elevating the front of the bike enough to slip a jackstand under the frame/engine mount cross-tube between #2 and #3 headpipes, and do a front end inspection. Spin the wheel and see if that's a possibility. It still might be the speedo, just from the sudden stop/start/stop slamming but I would definitely check the wheel bearings. And the brake caliper/rotor/wheel relationship.

While you're at it, make sure the front wheel is still "true" and didn't get tweaked in the mishap.

 

Without seeing anything, I'd suggest looking at the forks and see if they are twisted/bent. Also, look at the front fender and see if it is rubbing on the tire.. Next would be to look at the caliper and see if anthing is twisted against the rotor and check the hoses to see if any of THEM are rubbing the tire. Check the bearings, and check the axle to see if it bent. That could cause the speedo pickup to read incorrectly. Lots of stuff to check.

Glad you're here.

dave f

 

This would include not only everything I listed but those items Dave pointed out as well. And stuff both of us might have missed-- as he said, we can't see it.

INSPECT IT CAREFULLY. Brightly lit area, be thorough.

 

So, ... you'll get-up early Christmas morning and hobble down to the tree to be with the family and share all that love and good joy.
The outcome might have been different.

You're undaunted.
Thinking about the bike rather than yourself.
Relax.
Take the rest of the month off from worrying about that bike and spend time with those who you have successfully scared the shit out of.

Look at the bright side.

Twisted, broken, damaged and shattered bike parts are a whole lot easier to cope with than twisted, broken, damaged and shattered parts of yourself.

Get well soon.

 

Ooh boy. Glad you're ok. Like the guys above said, the bike can be fixed. A little time and money and you'll be rolling again. Best wishes.

 

Seems like a good time to re-write the Christmas list.......take care of yourself first and then go fix the bike....glad you o.k. - I have spent 35 years of my life "fixing" people after accidents......trust me, bikes are easier.........

 

Take Ricks advice...you def were fortunate and no doubt, your family is now worried about the future while at the same time, grateful that you are mostly ok. We're glad that you're alright too.

Co sucks for riding in the winter (which starts in Oct.) anyway since it snows 28 hours a day, every day for 5 months a year<LOL>.

I was surprised that you would ride the bike to check for damage instead of setting it on the centerstand and popping the tank and covers off first to check. A damaged frame could have introduced your face to the ground again.

Hey Merc, are you a Dr or Nurse? Most people don't know to elevate above the pump.

jeff

 

I'm a biology major, course requirment same as pre-med. But I learned the RICE method from motorcross, enduro & mountain bike accidents. Painfully I've had a few, and the worst ones were from high speed endo's on the mountain bike. Also I sprained my knee badly the first time I went snow skiing. Thought I was ready for a black diamond on my third day-Wrong!

Similar to going out in the winter and riding/driving. Unexpected conditions lead to more serious accidents than most realize (brother is in insurance).

 

Hello,
Glad to hear you aren't permanently damaged ... I have to say though,. when the ice comes, I consider someone riding to be suicidal. With snow and ice, you need four wheels and a cage ... unless you have one of those bikes made for snow and metal spikes sticking out of the tires ...


You mentioned difficulty turning ... be certain to test/check the steering columns and bearings there as well as stuff regarding the wheel.

 

Alright guys im walking around since wednesday and should be able to run tomorrow. From my inspection (tell you the truth i ain't the total mechanic), forks are aligned, fender is fine, all hosing is connected, i haven't been able to check the rotation yet as i dont got the right place for that as i want to check if the drive system is making the noise. I'll electric tape the headlamp housing close until i feel like replacing that.

 

This may be a way out in left field long shot but.....
You fell on the right side so check your right hand control
for possible shorts.

I have a diff start switch then the one on the control.
Reason....mine got a small short and from time to time my starter
would engage while riding. Scared the hell out of me the first time
it happened, and the sound was close to what you've described.

 

Na it starts up fine, or same I guess, I first thought it was the alternator since the noise comes when driving and its not the starter as I used that once while in motion and didn't do nothing special.

 

Did the same thing on Monday morning myself. I went down on my left side with the bike on top of me. Hurt my left pinky and bruised my left shin. The most important part thou is that the bikes not damaged. What hurts the worst is that I finally got legal only last Friday!

 

heh heh, im semi-legal. Bike is registered and insured but i don't got the license endorsement, which is nigh impossible to get as it requires supervised driving and no around here can stupidvise me on how to drive a motorcycle or i take the $200 safety course . I got a driver's license so most i get from cops then will be bitching.

 

If you "tweaked" one of your battery connections, it can cause the alternator to "sing" (whine?) because of an increased load or poor connection.

Obscure but possible if your battery is on the right (and I suspect it is.)

 

Um, riding without a license is just like driving a car without one. It's documentation that the state says you are "qualified" to drive one (I do use that term in reference to the documentation, not ability). idk, maybe they are SUPER lenient in CO, but I'd imagine you'd get fined, and have to walk home if you were ever stopped. And you'd have to catch a ride to the impound lot.

Not only that, but how can YOU be insured if you AREN'T LICENSED? Insurance companies won't pay a DIME if you aren't qualified to drive the bike.

TAKE THE COURSE!!!! It's worth it, and you'll learn more in two days than you could on your own in 2 years. "Riding" a motorcycle isn't that hard, it's the defensive driving skills that are invaluable, and the sooner you take it, the fewer bad habits that you will have to unlearn.

Also, I dumped my bike on the right side and destroyed my front brake switch. Check all your signals and lights. It won't cause any noises, but it could be something you haven't noticed.

 

I did check the lights and they are damaged structurally, they work but they are crack and I need new housing for the headlight. Alternator one actually make sense, I swear I can hear it under me.

 

Or, if you don't take the course, and you don't have someone to ride with you, get your riding experience in quick and go take the test. I rode with someone once or twice, by myself the rest of the time cuz no one was available. Took the test and aced it. Been riding since. Over 10 years, I know others have been riding a LOT longer.

Long and short of it.......GET LEGAL. That way at least your butt is covered, regardless of whether anything actually gets paid or not. At least you won't be payING for something as simple as not having a certain piece of paper.

dave

Dave

 

. . . and the way to check forks is with the plate glass from a picture frame, laid against the fork tubes. The glass should not rock at all.

and - isolate the speedo by disconnecting the cable and riding the bike (when you can!) and see if the noise is still there. Process of elimination.

Be safe, my friend !!

 

Quick fact from the police captain, over half of Colorado bikes do not have a endorsed rider but they are ticketed far less than car drivers. Does the endorsement helps? Yes but it only proves that at some point the state determined you can drive it. Other than that it was insurance bullshit, police still determines whether or not you can drive even with proof. Then talking to my insurance agent, he says the only reason the endorsement exists was insurance which is offset by having one year of past insurance with no incidents.

 

Lucky you. In Arizona no endorsement = ticket plus an impounded bike that
you will not get back until you get the endorsement. Which means that you have to pay storage fees for every day you don't.

 

Motorcycle Foundation Class is usually pretty cheap. And they are offered in Westminster Colorado. Go to the following and choose Colorado for the state:

http://nm.msf-usa.org/msf/ridercourses. ... ourse+Info

Now, ask yourself why insurance companies credit you 2 years driving experience for completing this course? They must have a reason ...