whoops, totalled the 12

[Mr C]

Well first, the upside - here I am to tell the tale

What happened?

not a clue, all I can say is complacency probably played a part.

All I can remember is taking a fairly steady start, nailing it through the quarter and settling into the bubble as normal, rev out in 5th, glance down at the rev counter, change up, look up and fuuuuuuck I'm heading straight for the left hand checker board

these are new...

big fuck off black and yellow things so you can't miss them (har har)

so I think I'm further left than I am right so I'll go left and miss the timing gear all together - have you ever really tried to swerve a bike travelling at 180mph plus - it just doesn't happen, the bike slowly started to pull left but with only a couple of hundred yards to go, it wasn't going far enough

I hit the left hand checker board on the left hand side (yes, somehow I was THAT far off line - I can't explain it, I've done dozens and dozens of flyers at Elvington, why was I so far off line

now I dunno how fast I was going but it wasn't far to the redline in top on 18:43 gearing, so my guess would be high 180s to low 190s ...

I must have shut off instinctively but I don't remember braking as the guys said my ticket was 160mph at time of impact


I physically went through the board, must be 3 feet wide and 6(?) feet high, mounted on what I don't know, a steel frame, dunno..?? Apparently I also hit the battery and lights which were under the board


anyway there's this almighty bang and I'm convinced I must be off, if not at impact then very soon after

but no, miraculously the bike stays upright, the front is shaking violently but still upright

now given that the impact must have lost 20 or 30 mph I'm still travelling at 130 + with the front of the bike shaking wildly and the trees approaching rapidly ... so I think "hmmm... looks like this is gonna end rubber side down after all, better get the anchors on sharpish", pull the lever and - straight back to the bar

ARSE

so now I'm riding a quivering wreck of a bike at over 100mph with no front brakes

so I apply the rear and luckily (considering the rad is spewing it's guts all over the track) that's enough to bring me to a controlled stop right on the corner

phew


So I kick the sidestand down, slip into neural and hit the kill switch, calm as you like, sit for a moment and then get off to inspect the damage


WOW


the front of the bike is totalled, no plastics left at all, clocks hanging off, screen resting on the tank, faring sidepanels completely gone, headlights in bits, but worse...

the front wheel has a huge chunk missing and the right hand disc has been completely torn from the carrier and is hanging loose, the caliper has sheared off completely and is hanging by the lowering strap and brake line

then I notice a shard of plastic stuck in my leathers just above the elbow so I pull it and it comes out covered in blood ... luvly, no pain though, none at all

I've got me lid and gloves off by now but I don't notice that my middle finger is starting to swell - It's not broken but must have been saved by the hard knuckle on my glove which has a big scratch and a few fragments of yellow on it, as does my helmet

so that's it

I have no explanation for why I was so far off line, probably just a lack of concentration

just goes to show that what we do demands 100% concentration

PS and I did a test run as well to see if the track was dry enough and safe to run on, so I can't even say it was because the boards were new

PPS three stitches where the plastic shard penetrated me leathers just above the elbow, a swollen right middle finger and a scratch round me neck that looks like I've been garrotted



a very, very good day indeed
____________________
187.3bhp = 201mph

[MarJay]

Pics please Mr C!

Really glad to hear you are Okay, sounds like a nasty 'un!

Wise man he say "If you crash its not so bad if someone captures it on video!"

I hope the damage is not too expensive!
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[TheShaggyDA]

Glad you're around to tell us. Anyone spectating to possibly shed light on what happened to you?
____________________
Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[Mr C]

got no pics of the bike, it's gone off to Malton in a van to John Warrington Motorcycles (anyone in North Yorks - he is a top man)

I do have a pic of where the screen impacted my neck though
____________________
187.3bhp = 201mph

[Gazdaman]

Christ, I've got an image of a biker shaped hole in a big board, cartoon style.

Sounds like you came off very lightly, good to hear you're ok, shame about the bike.

Gaz

[Mr C]

[steveh]

Glad your ok, hope the bike doesnt cost too much to fix, any injuries?


Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[tokarev]

Wow! That sounds really bad. It's good that your ok, going at that speed it could have been a lot worse.

At least you've got a cool story to tell in the pub!

Gonna put any pics up?

[Robby]

Cool.

Any vids?

[Fruit'n'nut]

Sounds like you were very lucky to get to a controlled stop, from your description of the damage to the wheel and brakes

Glad you're alright
____________________
Power Ranger

[tatters]

Glad your ok, hope the bike is fixable

(with that cut on the neck you look like that guy of highlander )
____________________
Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[yambabe]

So glad to hear that the damage is minimal to you - poor bike though.

Take it easy eh? xx
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Nighteyes]

Glad your ok........My hat goes off to you for keeping it together while going through that!
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My Precioussss!, My Bikes, The Lord & Master, Canis Lupus!
39. Something nice about the person who sent this to you? She's beautiful, funny, and has a huge heart.

[stevo as b4]

Bad luck eh! Glad to hear your ok man! I cant imagine how much of an 'Oh shit' moment you must have had when you realised you had no brakes to speak of at that speed!
At least before the smash the 12R was doing the job it was designed/meant to do so well!

[scottiel]

Screw the bike, your alive and thats what counts.

[Turbo Busa]

Bollox, glad you're ok Dave

[White Noise]

Sounds like a fucking nuts off! Glad to hear that you are well
How much is laundry bill going to be? triple figures
WN
____________________
Buy my wife: 96' Yam XJ600s (Diversion)
Wing Commander White Noise - SE Clique
Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

[.....]

Unlucky mate - Done very well keeping it rubber down Please tell me someone there had a video camera

But hope the damage isn't too bad when you get to have a look.

What did people who saw the accident say? After it all had happened and they realised no harm done to you I bet they ripped the piss out of you for hitting a big yellow board

[G]

Very nicely saved .

A lot more skill displayed than in your average drag race .

[Dom]

Wow, I bet there aren't many people who can say they rode through a head on collision at 180, then came to a controlled stop, put the sidestand down and didn't end up in intensive care or worse.

Nice one.

[Fortuna]

I would have passed out in fear.
Glad your ok.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Ouch. Glad you are OK. Is the ZX12R salvagable?

We were going to come up to Elvington today to play with the Bandit, but had too much to do.

Do Crowtree do leather cleaning?

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[divuk83]

Glad your OK Dave, you looked pretty shaken up earlier, hope all is well now.

[california_rookie]

Quite a story. Glad you've still got your head attached.
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[Bendy]

Well held sir.

Glad you're alright.