Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

cookeetree wrote:WTF happened???

Since this will keep getting asked until it's answered, I'll give a brief overview and leave it up to others to fill in details if they wish.

Riding south on the Putty, having just left Broke (with full tanks of fuel, as mentioned). Rider #2 overtakes Rider #1 on a short straight. Rider #2 hits the guard-rail on a right-hander, and both bike and rider bounce off, hitting Rider #1. Rider #3 dodges the still-moving wreckage. Rider #4 doesn't. The wreckage ends up in the centre of the lane, just around a sharp right-hander. Rider #5 plows into the wreckage from behind, under heavy brakes and ends up under a lot of tangled bikes. Rider #6 dodges the wreckage. Rider #7 also hits the wreckage, and ends up going over the guard rail and down a ditch. Rider #8 pulls up just before the wreckage (thanks to the quick-thinking Rider #3 running back and waving people down, to avoid more people plowing into it). All other riders pull up safely, well before the wreckage.
Everyone helps pull people out of the wreckage, which has caught alight.

MadKaw wrote:

Glen wrote:I heard somewhere that two blokes on some other kind of Kawasaki than the ones that burnt actually made it through the wreckage. Gee they must be like motorcycling gods. Is that true......

Yes this is true...
They have had monuments built in there honor, have been placed on a pedastal by all that know them and are bowed to when met....
Well they bloody should anyway.. Wouldn't you agree.??

Bet nobody can guess you two were Rider #3 and Rider #6
I will say you two were probably the most experienced and quickest-reacting riders there that day - I think your skills saved you both from the crash.


Things I learned from this:
In group ride situations, do not get bunched up closely when you hit the twisties and the pace increases.
Jumping hard on the back brake is both instinctive and dangerous - I try to practice emergency braking every now and then to try to prepare for the next time shit happens in front of me.
Do more track days - gotta get quicker reactions (well, that's one excuse)
Try to only ride with people who are insured.
Some of my riding friends were much better friends than I had realised until that day.

And the biggest thing I learned - Sometimes a small error, the sort of thing you'd get away with any other time, can occasionally have huge (and out-of-proportion to the mistake) consequences.

i think i remember reading a letter in AMCN about a big crash years ago, then when i heard of this i realised id read a letter about this event.....

Cath wrote: Bet nobody can guess you two were Rider #3 and Rider #4

Almost Cath, the slower of the motorcycling gods was in fact between riders #6 and #7 in your explanation...

The other biggie, and I think the one that saved me from ending up in the pile, is to look further ahead then the bloke in front of you.

Glen wrote:Almost Cath, the slower of the motorcycling gods was in fact between riders #6 and #7 in your explanation...

Thanks Glen. I edited my post with your info.
I agree with looking further ahead too - it's so obvious, but easy to forget.

I was involved in this - I believe I'm rider #5 in Cath's description of the events.
I came around the corner, saw carnage, braked and aimed for what I thought was a gap..... and that's the last thing I remember.

I had the worst injuries I think:
- 2 broken transverse processes (they're the bits hanging off your lower vertebrae)
- 3 broken ribs
- concussion
- severe burns to right inside thigh and left outside calf
- and a broken right femur - in 4 pieces (not the pelvis MadKaw)

I was in hospital for 3.5 weeks, after having received a femural nail for that fracture.
Was on crutches for ~4 months.
Back on the postie in 6 months.
On another ZX9R in 10 months
(And back in hospital with a broken back after 15 months.)

Yes it was a very bad day that I think everyone involved learnt something from.
ty
PS. believe it or not, my bike (Picture 011 in Dave's msg) was put up on an auctioneer site for $100

O.M.F.G.
The "Look further ahead than the rider in front of you" is a piece of advice that could save lots of crashes. I've lost count of how many times I've seen riders follow the guy in front straight off the road/track (both on & off road riding) I've even done it myself... once, I was lucky & got away with it & I'll certainly never do it again.

So it's finally been posted, and not before time. Well, I was also one of the riders involved, #1 in Cath's description. Yup, I (apparently, I have no recollection of the impact or the following 45 mins) copped a flying bike in the side . I'd always wanted to take a trip in a helicopter, but this wasn't the trip I had in mind.

I've got no hard feelings towards the poor bugger who hit me, and feel really sorry for the guys who crashed into the mess.

In terms of lessons learned .... well, don't let anybody past, small mistakes can have *massive* consequences, and the drugs are good

Well I always wondered when this story would be posted - thanks Dave.

Didn't rider #7 go back there after about 12 months and find his swingarm halfway down the ditch ??

Gosling1 wrote:Well I always wondered when this story would be posted - thanks Dave.

Didn't rider #7 go back there after about 12 months and find his swingarm halfway down the ditch ??

anothing down the ditch was found my me...

#7 was afraid he'd have bad memories of jumping down it

found his smouldered house keys, smoked out phone and swingarm

oh and one glove!

dave#3 wrote:Well, I was also one of the riders involved, #1 in Cath's description.

I wouldn't go hanging your coat on that mate, it's a pretty biased opinion!

aardvark wrote:

dave#3 wrote:Well, I was also one of the riders involved, #1 in Cath's description.

I wouldn't go hanging your coat on that mate, it's a pretty biased opinion!

Ahh, the irony of it all. #1 in her description, about #4429432787432874832748932743237183971234 in her opinion .... something to do with writing off two bikes to her none

ty wrote:PS. believe it or not, my bike (Picture 011 in Dave's msg) was put up on an auctioneer site for $100

Did someone buy it is the question?

Gosling1 wrote:Well I always wondered when this story would be posted - thanks Dave.

and the full details too..so I agree with you Gos
Dave ..brave move, eventually it had to be done




Smitty

Wow, when people origionally mentioned this story it didnt seem anywhere near this bad! Wow.... Im speechless.