took a trip to the LBL (land between the lakes) last weekend.

now i have been riding my 09 ultra since last aug and have almost 15k on it. rode the previous 07 for about 13k. and put various miles on the sportster.

have riden on trips putting on 500 - 600 per day. ridden in rain, traffic, gravel, even some snow.

so wtf happened this last weekend.

talk about feeling old, feeble, terrified of everything and totally unskilled in riding.

i do have a fear of heights and so some of the bridges had me gripping the handle bars tighter.

but then the gravel roads, and this ain't illinois gravel, this is kentucky gravel, with large gravel mixed in the smaller gravel, ruts and a couple of rocks. i found those just completely ridiculous and could barely navigate them.

then coming out of one of the side roads and wanting to turn right on to the main road, there was a steep rise getting onto the main road. well i didn't want to stop on the incline so i decided to kinda get up and turn, not making contigency plans. so i got up and there was this car coming from the left. so i turned to the right to maybe hit the shoulder or whatever.
as it was, i managed to slow the bike and get it perpendicular to the road, only i was on the hill side and when i put down the right foot, the bike was leaned too much and down it went.

the bike not only fell on the engine and saddle bag guards but rolled more because of the incline so the fairing was in the dirt.

luckily, the only damage to the bike were some small, fixable scratches on the right side of the fairing and a small, again fixable, blemish on the left side of the tank. the audio connection on the gas tank didn't do so well as i ripped of the cord, but again fixable.

i had jammed my leg on something and have a deep gash on my shin bone, but it will heal.

the ego. it might never be whole again.

darn short stubby legs.

and then after that while attemptin a gravel road, i just totally lost confidence and just couldn't do it. i actually asked someone else to turn the bike around for me. how humiliating.

luckily a fellow rider had a lower bike ('99 honda shadow), which he let me ride while he took mine.

at that point, having to lower myself to riding not only a honda, but an old honda, i was considering ending it all.

riding that for about 1/2 hour on curves, etc (i actually do like the bike) i regained my composure and was able to get back on the real bike and continue on.

but like wow was that just a weird situation.

 

It happens, be glad you're ok. I've had a day or two where I've gotten on the bike, ridden 5 miles, and turned around - sometimes it just doesn't feel right. I'm of the opinion that if that's the case, it's better to not take the chance.

Then again, I've also gone out on rides to follow the leading edge of t-storms just for fun. Who knows?

Chris

 

I feel your pain. Here in Las Vegas every time you go out on the road you never know if it will be the last trip. I avoid the freeways at all costs and only ride on them if I absolutely have to. I had an 07 Ultra and I have short legs. I could not flat foot both feet and felt very uncomfortable on the Ultra. After about 11 months I decided to either trade the bike or give up riding. Well, I didn't give up riding and traded for a Heritage. Best move I ever did. I am very much at home on the bike and wouldn't give it up for anything. I guess my point in all this is, reflect back on what and where you just were. You were on an Ultra on a gravel road. An Ultra is a very top heavy bike and can be a bear to handle on the best of roads but on gravel you are just asking for the road gremlins to get you. Also, think about why you ride in the first place. I ride to relieve the stress,nothing is better feeling than throwing a leg over and cruising down the road with the wind and bugs. So, you had a bad experience, we all have them. Have a beer and think about why you ride, and then get on the damn thing and ride into the sunset. OK! LOL!

 

Get you a dirt bike and ride for fun in rough terrain. Dirt bike riding you wear all of your gear which is a confidence builder while really learning to ride. Wear all the gear dirt bike riding---all of it. You need a bike that fits you and you need to work on skills. Either get or make your bike fit your size and strength and learn survival. There are several riding courses to teach you how to handle big bikes. You put yourself in a bad situation and made poor choices. Glad your okay and will heal.

 

Sorry you had that experience, dude. Lots of guys have bad days from time to time - glad you will heal and the bike is not so damaged. Loose gravel roads are a problem for lots of riders - I hate them myself. My bike feels squirrelly as hell bouncing around through loose gravel - and thats going in a straight line. And I wonder how many of us have had issues when facing a steep rise to a left turn, where enough momentum to get you up the rise causes you to take a wide line on the left turn - and thats without the added issue of the car in the same intersection.

It's all part of the game. Hang in there and hope your leg heals up soon.

 

Personally, I would have kept that embarrassing tale to myself.

 

I don't even like dirt or gravel parking lots. I just don't do gravel roads, and I've been riding for 45 years, so don't feel bad. If I want to do dirt again, I'll get the right bike. I give you credit for even trying a gravel road.

 

May have been a bad day for you but, a great day for your riding partner who got to trade his 99 shadow for a 09 Ultra. WOW! thats a great trade for him.

 

Don't loose hope or your confidence, that would be a hard turn anyway,just like falling off a horse, you get up and get back on that S.O.B.
If worse comes to worse, find a way to lower yer bike, I know I need to have both feet flat to be comfy on the Fat Bob, bikes seem heavier than when I was younger, not just cause I'm an old fart, FXDF weighs 720 lbs or thereabouts, I remember my old FXRP ran like a scalded ape and seemed much more nimble and light. Get back on and ride that bitch.
Just don't over ride your self, like that hilly corner, stop early and get a good start so you can be rolling, also you said you were riding with somebody on a lighter bike? Let them run front for you in those situations.
Good luck and don't take any wait time get back on now! We need all the good riders we can get on the road.

 

A similar thing happened to me this weekend up on the Blue Ridge Parkway so I can relate to how you felt. I pulled into a scenic overlook that wasn't paved, just gravel. I wouldn't have gone in at all, but there were at least 10 other bikes in there so I figured it must be benign enough. Well as I was trying to manuver and park so as to not interfere with other parked bikes I got the front wheel turned and instead of turning dug in and the bike rolled right, I couldn't hold it and it settled gently on the crash bars. Of course doing this in front of a load of bikers I was mortified. A bunch ran over, help me get the FLHTCU upright and made sure I was alright. as I expressed my gratitude and embarrassment everyone of them said, "We've all done it too. This gravel's tricky." One of the wives even said, "I watched your foot slip on the gravel. No way you're going to hold that heavy bike up when your feet aren't under you." Helped make me feel somewhat better, but still....