This far > < from losing my big toe.

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

All because I forgot to replace a tiny little split-pin.

I'd been doing up my GPZ ready for the winter. One of the jobs was to free-off and clean the rear drum brake. When I was putting it back together, I noticed that the split pin that stops the calliper bracing arm falling off its peg was getting pretty knackered, I left it off and decided to pop in past the ironmongers to get an R-clip for it.

Scroll on three weeks, I patched up the fairing, cleaned the chain and charged the battery then booked an MOT for tomorrow morning.

Heading off to my mates house on it tonight (he lives 1/2 mile from the MOT centre), approaching a corner and trailing the back brake slightly to steady the bike when there's a horrible clattering noise from the right of the bike. Something hits my right foot pretty hard, more clattering then silence. By this time I've whipped the clutch in, lifted my foot off the peg and am coasting towards someones driveway.

My first thought was that the chain had let-go (very similar noise etc.) but something hit my RIGHT foot Confused

. Look down at my boot and there is a three inch gash through the top layer of leather and the toe-cap of my combat boot, a quick poke about established that the inner layer of leather (and therefore my foot) was intact.

So what the hell happened? Where, for that matter, is my brake lever?

A quick look at the bike revealed the problem. I never did remember to buy that R-clip. The bracing arm had come off its peg so when I touched the brake, instead of slowing me down, the calliper spun round with the wheel.

Being still attached to the brake lever by the control rod, it started to wrap the control rod round the wheel spindle, ripped the bottom half off the rearset then spat the bit of rearset complete with brake lever onto the road. The control rod is wrapped round the wheel spindle four times. Like a giant spring.

Wheel was still turning so I headed home.

I've been very lucky. I was doing 80mph when that happened and the back wheel didn't lock.

I also now stand by British army issue combat boots on bikes even more that I did before. Whatever bit of metal whipped round ripped through a good 6-8mm of top-quality leather, it cut right through the toecap!

The bike will fix. It needs a new rearset, brake lever, control rod and actuator arm. I'll pop in past the breakers tomorrow some time.

Oh, and it needs an R-clip. Embarassed

.

veeeffarr · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2004 Karma :

Do Kwak's have chains on the right hand side then? :S

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

SoND · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Karma :

You could have stuck a nail in it and bent it for a temporary thing until you got a real one.

Those arent steel toe are they?
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I was just thinking. The stabaliser arm must have spun round with the brake itself (it is still attached to the brake calliper). That means a two foot long bit of flat bar flailed round the back wheel a total of four times, inches from my leg. Shocked

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2004 Karma :

Holy shit batman, you're a lucky bugger! Shocked

If you're talking about the reaction arm spinning around, that thing's like a blade! Confused

I think I'll go and check over all the nuts and split pins on the back end of mine... Exclamation

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mr.z · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Karma :

Crikey man! scarey stuff! amazing it didn't end up with a trip down the road sideways! wont be doing that again then Razz

Reminds me of the time i was riding along and the faring trim on the lower half was hanging down slightly (which i'd not noticed) @50 suddenly a meter and a half length of trim was ripped right off as it caught on a squirrel on the road decapitating the poor creature (already dead mind, certainly was after) properly spanged my leg which was protected by my sidis, think it would have removed some leg if i'd been a scally in trainers.. massiv SPANG and something twating my leg certainly made me jump..
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Finglonga · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Karma :

Jeebus you were lucky. Shocked

Good job you were not wearing bike boots or you would be limping now. Wink

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doggone · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 May 2004 Karma :

mikeoldcars · Scooby Slapper Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Karma :

glad your allright,
(ps did you know pratchett has a new book out called wintersmith with you know who in it) Smile

wilbur · Traffic Copper Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Karma :

Glad you are OK

But sorry a twattish thing to do.

Mate of mine (looks about 12 but is a member of CID) was doing the Brighton run when a car waved him over and his rear wheel spindle was half way out. Doing about 80 with the good lady on the back.

Ducatti so no split pin , just another rminder that torque spanners are not just a gimmick.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Ah the old "Forgot to replace split pin/buy R clip" Chestnut.

We've all done it. Well, I usually just use the old split pin anyway! Wink

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ColdInsomnia · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jun 2006 Karma :

Very lucky indeed Shocked

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colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

interesting lacing pattern
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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

paulthewitt · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 May 2004 Karma :

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

PsychoHippy · Jammy Git Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Karma :

It's the same lacing that I always use. It's something I picked up from my time in the forces, it means there is less pressure on the front of your foot so you can walk for longer in comfort Thumbs Up

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colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

im even more curious about it now
so is it that laces only cross to other sides on foot bit of boot, the bit that would be in a shoe, but the bit that goes up your leg, the laces go up the edges and dont cross over till you tie at the top ?

id like a pic or diagram

is it in this list of lacing patterns ?

https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm
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paulthewitt · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 May 2004 Karma :

i think colin has a lace fetish! Embarassed

(cue childish giggles!)

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

i think ive worked it out now.

as the foot comes up to meet the leg, the laces are just going up the sides and not crossing, and then go back to crossing higher up the boot not in pic

i might give this a go
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Clanger · Stirrer Joined: 27 May 2004 Karma :

Ooooooooh oooh oooh, sounds like it could've been really nasty!
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PsychoHippy · Jammy Git Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Strange amount of interest in my shoelaces Confused

Anyway, when I was in the TA, standing orders were that you were to lace your boots any way you found comfortable (90% of people 'off' with injuries were due to foot/shin related complaints, mainly as a result of ill fitting/badly laced boots). The only stipulation was that the lace shoud go over the top at the bottom two eyelets so a medic can easily cut it in an emergency.

They're crossed at the bottom to stop them slipping then 'speed laced' for the rest so they're quick to take on and off. They cross on the inside bhecause they are less likely to get snagged on the undergrowth.

Well, for those who have been waiting with baited breath:
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=9383