Matt's March race, umm I mean crash

[svsrevlis]

So this month didn’t go so well. I arrived to the track Saturday afternoon with a crashed bike from Friday at Laguna Seca where I had done the Keith Code school. I had crashed in turn 6 at Laguna after turning in too early and running out of lean angle after trying to avoid going wide and off the track (sometimes just leaning more doesn’t work).

Anyways, I patched the bike back together - thanks Andy, Chris, and Kurt for some spares and tools! Sunday morning practice went well and I was getting comfortable with my pace. Even dipped into high .37’s without pushing too hard.

Then after a whole day of waiting around I was up for the last race of the day. I was gridded 11th and actually got a good start…might have even been in the top 5 for 30 -40 yards until the 600’s horsepower advantage showed. I was probably down to 13-15th by turn one. I made a pass in turn one and I think another in turn 2 (also got passed here as well). Then was kind of settling into place but wanted to get by one rider who was slightly holding me up. I got too caught up into the whole race and lost any fear of crashing. Then on the second lap I went flying into turn 8 and then with no warning my bars shot to the right and than back and for a split second I thought I was going to recover until I realized I was sliding/tumbling/etc. My guess is I tucked the front on some bumps.

I rolled and tumbled for what seemed like forever and have to admit for the first time ever I was scared. Everything hurt too much to get up at first, but I knew my neck and back were OK. Both legs and my left hand were in serious pain. I finally managed to get up on my knees to signal that I was alive and was worried about my wife wondering how I was.

I got a ride to the hospital where I was for 5 hours to get my diagnosis…fractures in my left hand. I saw a hand specialist on Monday and will need surgery once the swelling goes down. In the meantime it hurts like heck. I will probably have surgery next week sometime.

So, this is where some people pledge that they are done or what this will change about their club racing career. At first I was thinking that this is it, I have a wife and a child on the way and need to be responsible and give up the racing. As time has passed I don’t know if I can straight give it up, but I have to take racing into perspective. I am not nor will I ever be a pro. This is supposed to be fun, not seat of your pants win at all cost. I get a bit crazy when I am out there and want to pass everyone, even people on newer, better, and on faster bikes. I love riding because it takes me away, but sometimes it takes me too far away and to a place where I forget that it is a hobby not my career. So, the truth is, I will race again but it will definitely be with a different attitude…and it won’t be anytime soon as both myself and Matzuki have some healing to do.

And special thanks to Dan and Tim (not sure if they are even on this site) who helped Annette load the bike up afterwards. And last, but not least, all grammatical errors are due to the Vicodin.

[since413]

Glad to hear you are OK, 8 is a bad place to go off!

[Burke]

MATT!!! DAMNIT! I didn't even make it out to a race. heal up soon. I'll buy you lunch at work sometime soon.

[sr9004u]

Ok heres my pearls of wisdom.......I had my big wreck in 1999 right after my daughter was born, 2 weeks to be exact, rt broken coller bone, rt broken scapula and left wrist broken. I was home with my 2 week old daughter NO VICODIN because i couldnt just go goofy because of her.We were home together me and her for 6 months, i can still see my wife breast feeding her and feeding me a Big Mac at the same time.
I became the mom in every way which made my wife mad I managed and swore off riding.
I started again in 2002 and dont regret it a bit, Im a better rider than i ever was at 41yrs and am doing trackdays every month.When i heard you were racing I wonder how you pulled that off with a bun in Annettes oven, Do whats right for the family and enjoy your riding still..maybe just track days again!

[steveb]

Hi Matt,

I don't know you but it sounds like your head is in a good place.

If you love riding, I mean really love riding, your life will only seem normal a short time without bikes.

Racing may likely make you a better father and provider due to the carryover of the physical and mental energy you develop to race. This will give you an edge over others strolling through life, you know, the holy half dead who dread going to work.

Additionally, if racing makes you happy, you will be able to make a more happy family at home.

Heal quickly and enjoy the time at home while you can. You have a lot to do.

[Slaughter]

Can't hurry it.

You'll know what's right.

It took me exactly 2 years to get back to racing while I paid off a TON of medical and credit card bills.

Sure I missed the racing but I never missed a weekend at the racetrack those 2 years - even in the wheelchair.

Do what you MUST do - there are others involved. You have to feel good about your decisions when you look back a few decades hence.

Kel Carruthers said when Cal Rayborn was killed in an Australian club race that he was irresponsible to race with a family.

Don't know that I'd go that far - but I don't have a family either and am WAAAAY too old to start now.

[morbidelli17]

Originally posted by steveb
Hi Matt,

I don't know you but it sounds like your head is in a good place.

If you love riding, I mean really love riding, your life will only seem normal a short time without bikes.

Racing may likely make you a better father and provider due to the carryover of the physical and mental energy you develop to race. This will give you an edge over others strolling through life, you know, the holy half dead who dread going to work.

Additionally, if racing makes you happy, you will be able to make a more happy family at home.

Heal quickly and enjoy the time at home while you can. You have a lot to do.

What he said. And remember it's a club race. As Larry (the race director) used to say, don't do anything stupid for a shot at a $15 trophy. When you come back, do a couple things:

- Get your suspension set up as well as you possibly can. Spend the money with LE, Race Tech, etc.

- Get the best tires you can afford, and change them often.

You'll have more confidence, knowing the bike is capable of doing things you can't. Then take a riding school and learn to do this, step by step. Natural talents are few and far between. I learned what little I know the hard way, studying and practice.

[malkey]

Matt,

Get well soon mate. :D

[Kurt'sSV]

I wonder why you crashed in 8? It's not often that a slow bike crashes in that turn. Your tires were fine. Your suspension? Couldn't have been any worse than mine back when I was running 37's and 38's. The wind will tuck people's fronts, but it's just not that common on an SV. Sucks.

Don't suppose that brake lever I gave you survived the crash. :p

[Monsterdood]

Sorry to hear about your crash, good luck on a speedy recovery.

I know my SV went from wallowing and semi-unstable doing 37's to a lot more stable doing 34's with a few tweaks to the damping so take that FWIW.

And I climb over the front wheel as much as feasible to get some weight on it (through 6, 8, and 9) but I'm not an uber fast guy so what do I know.

The other thing Kurt is that he could be really slow every where else and really fast through 8?..... Not as likely but possible.

+1 to what Stevie-B said....

[Kurt'sSV]

Originally posted by Monsterdood

The other thing Kurt is that he could be really slow every where else and really fast through 8?..... Not as likely but possible.


I've followed him in practice. He's not. ;)

If you're slow everywhere else, you're 75hp SV isn't going to suddenly get super fast after turn 7. How fast you are in 5 and 6 determines how fast you are in 8.

[since413]

Sounds like somebody might have been hanging onto the bars a little. Ask Brienne how to tuck in 8. What seems to come naturally to some of us, takes a while for others. The bottom line is we get more comfortable and confident as we learn.

[steveb]

Seems to me there were several get-offs in T-8 last year with guys in the 35 to 40 range. Didn't Tom and Shandra both come off there? I'm thinking three SV riders went off in 8.

My guess is abrupt movement is what causes most developing riders to crash rather than the speed. Faster riders are smoother riders generally, or they get hurt before they get fast.

Suspension can cause loss of traction, but I've seen a dead stock SV on a track day go 1:35 or faster. May have had good tires, don't recall, there have been a couple fast guys who rode their SV to the track, roasted half or more of the intermediate group and rode home.

For me at turtle speeds, I can't keep good race tires hot, I wonder how many newer riders realize than can occur?

I was coached by some very fast racers to unweight the front wheel through 8 and 9 to keep from tucking the front, even to the level of sitting up to let the wind blast on my chest pull weight off the front. Now I hear from racers with lap times in the 30 to 35 area say ride the front wheel which now makes more sense. A skittering front tire isn't confidence inspiring.

This explains why "Ride with the Champ" or "TRE" makes sense to me. You have to coach to the level of the rider.

Monsterdood, thank you for mentioning getting some more weight up on the front.

Kurt, I'm guessing you're like my cousin. He can get on anything with one or two wheels and ride the shit out of it, doesn't matter if it is trying to swap ends, hop, jump and skip, he just twists the wick. Very cool skills.

[Tom]

Originally posted by steveb
Seems to me there were several get-offs in T-8 last year with guys in the 35 to 40 range. Didn't Tom and Shandra both come off there? I'm thinking three SV riders went off in 8.


It happened last Feb. in 550sbk. I was right on your tail, I don't know if I told you. That was when I went though a period where I was holding on way too tight on the bars.

As for weight on the front end, I feel a difference between a full tank of gas and one with less gas. For me, and in that turn, more weight on the front feels more comfortable.

And for the record, I didn't soil sample that time. :)

Good luck to Matt...whatever you decide.

[malkey]

Originally posted by Kurt'sSV
Don't suppose that brake lever I gave you survived the crash. :p Umm...

[malkey]

Ouch!

[morbidelli17]

Originally posted by steveb

My guess is abrupt movement is what causes most developing riders to crash rather than the speed.

Last year, Jim Rau came by me in practice at the entrance of Eight, and I was full of confidence and I thought, "OK, fucker, let's see if I can hang onto you." I did something aggressive and abrupt with my body and made a hard steering input, and the bike went sideways. I swear I thought I was gonna crash. I think abrupt steering inputs are definitely a cause of crashes, no matter what the speed.

[sr9004u]

Originally posted by malkey
Ouch!

That thumb will make you popular with the ladies:eek:

[svsrevlis]

Thanks for all the feedback…sorry I can’t reply to each post, typing with one hand is hard!

As for the cause of the crash Andy might be right that I was a bit tight on the bars. I had just come from the Code school and knew the importance of staying loose on the bars. I had really focused on this in practice and noticed that it made a difference. The problem is the race clouded my judgment and brought back some bad habits. I was also on tires that weren’t exactly fresh and I should have just been treating the race like practice and been focusing on being smooth. In the end I think this will make me a better rider…more patient and smoother, which will probably mean faster with less risk.

And regarding the idea of even quitting, Annette has nothing to do with it. She has been my biggest supporter in racing. She just wants me to try doing it without crashing, which I know can be done.

Thanks for posting up some pics Malcolm.

Kurt, as you saw the brake lever is toast, but thanks! I will get you back!

Andy, the footpeg you loaned me was unharmed and I can get it back to you as soon as you need it.

I have surgery scheduled for Monday afternoon. I broke the bones that control my last 3 digits near the wrist and they need to put pins in to hold them in place. I don’t expect to be able to ride for at least a few months.

Oh, and damn my hand hurts right now!

[Kurt'sSV]

Originally posted by svsrevlis
I was also on tires that weren’t exactly fresh

Your tires should have been fine.

[svsrevlis]

Originally posted by Kurt'sSV
Your tires should have been fine.

Well, coming from someone that doesn't use tire warmers and has a good 7+ seconds on me, maybe I can't blame my tires. Geez, Kurt first you say it probably wasn't my suspension, now you say my tires should have been fine. Pretty soon I am not going to be able to blame anything but myself! :(

[Mike1024]

mr stink thumb =) or mr pink thumb

[snootycat]

Just an update:

I have had both surgeries...first one to place pins in my hand to hold the fracture in place so it can heal. The second to take the pins out and free up scar tissue holding down my ring finger's tendon which was limiting it's range of motion. So now just physical therapy to get myself back in shape. Of course the bike is still needing some work and I can't afford to replace my gear and fix the bike all at once. I hope to be back in a few months. Maybe a track day on the CBR first to get myself back on a bike!

I should be able to ride in a week or two...nothing major, just up to the crest or something. I can't wait!

oh, I guess Annnette was logged in...that posting was actually me, and by me I mean Matt!