When not to Race a Harley Davidson Sportster

[Ulysses 31]

Today I decided (unwisely) to try and race a Farang riding a Harley Davidson Sportster (a red one) from the canal road intersection in Chiang Mai.
We set off from the lights engines roaring. All was well as his clunking machine (fast though it was!) couldn't weave and wend like only a CBR 150 could.
As we rode north on the canal road I left him behind.
However approaching the dogleg bend (before you get to 700 year stadium) I'd seriously fcked up. My speed was way too high to take the second part of the turn safely.
I had two choices, either stomp on the brakes fully and take the impact straight on (from the canal wall), or try and ride it out the corner.
I chose the latter reckoning a straight on impact would through me over the wall!
I'd just managed to make the corner 3/4 but my leg, pinkie finger and right foot got a damn good 'polishing' from the canal road wall!
The impact nearly had me half off the bike and over the canal wall!
Right trainers, worn through, right trouser leg ripped, right glove is a bit holed.
Leg is intact (no bones broken) but a bit scraped below the knee.
Bikes got a few wee scrapes on the front fairing but nothing more!
If the wall was lot rougher it would of been worse.
The Harley dude rode on by as if nothing even happened while I fended off the canal wall!
Ho hum, off I rode with my tail between my legs to the pharmacy
I think in the next few days I'll be looking at buying some proper racing protection.
The whole experience has taught me a few lessons out there.
One of them is not to race 800cc harley riders and watch out for those tight corner turns.
I've always maintained the heat factor out here restricts it's usefulness but having met the canal road up close I'm having a change of heart
Gotta watch our speed on those corners brothers, they are a widow-maker if you get them wrong.

 

[ray23]

Hmm!!!! sounds like a heavily populated area with traffic around.

Tore your pants scraped your knuckles. what if instead of the wall it had been pedesterians.

I believe you might consider thinking a little bit further then some protective clothing for yourself.

Now is there wasn't anybody else around I apologize.

If there were other people in the area, just hitting the wall you were lucky. You could have very well ended up sitting in a Thai jail for a very long time.

There are places and times for everything this doesn't sound like one for racing.

 

[Kiwi Cruiser]

An old biker told me this, when he was younger than I am now... 8)

"There's old bikers...
And there's bold bikers....
But there's not many old, bold bikers!"

Sounds like the "old biker" on the Harley was oblivious and blissfully unaware of yet another temporary "bold biker" citizen on a suicide mission...
:lol:

 

[Ulysses 31]

This was in the away in the sticks guys, if there was pedestrians around I wouldn't of even started it.

 

[Joko]

hahhahahah...Ulysses, good thing its a minor scraping. And we shall now name that turn after u..."Ulysses Wall' :lol:

If that HD guy had been riding the 883R series, things would have turned out differently...cos he would have been long gone after the lights changed colours :shock:

Keep the shining side up

joko

 

[ray23]

The stricks then you have my apology

 

[monsterman]

Sorry to hear you are injured , get well soon, not all sporsters are slow I used to tune and race them in BOTT series and drags , they can also be made to handle very well , lose 70lb of weight get 85-90bhp and then thet are superb fun.

jerry

 

[Ulysses 31]

Thanks for the support biker dudes.
It was Ulysses wall-grinder alright!
I'm glad I kept the blue wolf upright otherwise I'd be sending this post from the local hospital!

Yeah for sure that sportster could shift, it had acceleration that matched and surpassed my CBR big time!
The guy had less protection than I had on (he had a hat on and usual clothing)! But he rode more cautiously and took the corner with care (unlike yours truly!), the hogfather probably watches over him too
I wonder if he uses this forum....

My injuries are healing ok, no infection showing yet.
Just dented pride and some melancholy so far.
I'm confining myself to the apartment until I'm a bit better. The money I'm saving will pay for the new clothing and so on.
I'm deliberating on whether to even bother fixing the 2 scratches to the fairing. It's not an ugly bit of damage and is probably not even worth paying to get it filled and re-sprayed.
Anyone know of some decent spray shops in CM?

For sure I think I'll transfer some cash from the mothership back home to buy some proper bike protection for out here. 8)
It'll costs the earth but new limbs and body parts are quite rare so....
I've always preferred the middle ground opn biker protection but that scrape has taught me I'd rather be more protected and sweaty than cursing my foolishness from the hospital.

The weirdest thing is that only two days before the accident happened I'd embedded a video called Requiem for Bikers onto my website.
It's shows actual footage of some horrific bike accidents (before, during and the aftermath with Johnny Cash music playing) etc and warns other bikers to be careful out there etc.
Little did I know It was nearly me on the road like some of those poor guys!

 

[carson]

Ulysses 31,

You’re a good mate to tell the truth of what happened knowing the follow up replies would not all be sympatric to your cause; wish I could say I would have the courage to do the same about a near disaster on myself.
As a long past mentor of mine would ask after such an event (and I assure you I have had plenty) “DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING”? From your story it is obvious you did and now others can too.

A good post!

 

[ray23]

I'm not unsympathetic with the Op injuries, nor do I fault him for having a bit of fun. As long as he is not endangering others not involved it's really his business.

"the canal road intersection in Chiang Mai.
We set off from the lights engines roaring. All was well as his clunking machine (fast though it was!) couldn't weave and wend like only a CBR 150 could.
As we rode north on the canal road I left him behind."

I've only been to Chaing Mai once, what he described reminded me of the canal road going through the center of town. I was in a area such as he described and there was heavy treaffic and lots of pedestrians. Once he explianed that wasn't the case I sent an apoplogy.

The beauty of riding is we all get to do it our own way. But that doesn't mean we are not responsible for our actions.

I wish the op well and yes he learned somthing to wear protective clothing. That certainly a good idea if you ride on the edge or not.

 

[Ulysses 31]

Well said Ray!

On that note I've located a decent second-hand biker clothing market stall in CM.

Just got a decent leather biker jacket (tough and with some padding) for 1500 baht.

It's not super duper compared with the expensive lamilar biker armour but its a major improvement in other respects.
Boots are a bit of a problem as the sizes tend to be either too big or too small but the search continues

 

[penetrator]

Ulysses 31 wrote: Well said Ray!

On that note I've located a decent second-hand biker clothing market stall in CM.

Just got a decent leather biker jacket (tough and with some padding) for 1500 baht.

It's not super duper compared with the expensive lamilar biker armour but its a major improvement in other respects.
Boots are a bit of a problem as the sizes tend to be either too big or too small but the search continues

I'd imagine after your near miss your maybe in the market for a new pair of trousers/pants aswell. Not sure how good those Thai soap powders are at removing the stain you probably left in the seat of the pair you was wearing at the time.

 

[BignTall]

Hats off to Ulysses for having a banging good time thrashing the tits off his bike, overstepping the boundry a bit, scaring himself silly, and most importantly having the brain cells to reflect and learn upon the circumstance. Another pat on the back for bending it in rather than fixating on the wall and becoming a moisture spot on said wall.

I vote for an instant upgrade to "elder' for his insight .

 

[Ulysses 31]

penetrator wrote: [quote quote=Ulysses 31]Well said Ray!

On that note I've located a decent second-hand biker clothing market stall in CM.

Just got a decent leather biker jacket (tough and with some padding) for 1500 baht.

It's not super duper compared with the expensive lamilar biker armour but its a major improvement in other respects.
Boots are a bit of a problem as the sizes tend to be either too big or too small but the search continues

I'd imagine after your near miss your maybe in the market for a new pair of trousers/pants aswell. Not sure how good those Thai soap powders are at removing the stain you probably left in the seat of the pair you was wearing at the time.
You're half right Pen. The pants were shredded but I just got the knife out and cut them into a pair of shorts instead
I still need to buy some though and you've reminded me

It wasn't brown trousers-time before, during or after the the wall grinding, so sorry to disappoint you on that one pen.
I think most people when faced with death usually try and take action to avoid it. Filling your pants I think represents someone who has given up hope and accepts their perceived fate.

However I do know of one guy who did via pure terror alone....
He was some young guy working with my mate on a environmental clean-up at the local morgue. My mate was mock-seriously ballshitting him on that the place was riddled with demons, ghosts, deathly history you name it he said it!
Anyway to complete the 'prank' (and knowing his young friend was returning from getting some tools) he lay himself down on a one of the slabs in the basement and covered himself in a white sheet.
Down the stairs came the youth, as soon as he got close to the slab my mate sprang up like a corpse off dawn of the dead, and agressively lunged for him.
Apparently poor cnut collapsed to the floor in mute terror and couldn't speak for nearly ten minutes. He'd shit himself but my mate, to his credit, sent him into the shower decon unit to get cleaned up so the other workers didn't know. He'd of never lived it down otherwise!
I think in accidents they happen so fast theres no time.