my old gz may be smashed up pretty good

[dannylightning]

i heard that it got laid down last nigth after a car pulled out in front of my friend, i also hear he is in the hospital for surgery.

hopefully that is just a rumor about the hospital but i know he did wreck the bike. i heard he laid it down to keep from running in to the guy that pulled out in front of him,

[Water Warrior 2]

Ouch, hope your friend is not too badly hurt and has a speedy recovery. As for laying down a bike to avoid an accident, that is the wrong way to stop a bike. An upright bike stops best.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Ouch, hope your friend is not too badly hurt and has a speedy recovery. As for laying down a bike to avoid an accident, that is the wrong way to stop a bike. An upright bike stops best.

my friend spoke with his wife. guess he is having surgery and will be in the hospital for a few days, guess his leg is pretty busted up. i guess she said he laid the bike down while trying to avoid hitting the lady, don't know if he lost control and went down or he thought it was the thing to do.

rubber will stop faster even when skidding, compared to a hunk of metal sliding across the ground..

worst thing is he works at a ufc style training gym as a instructor, and he fights too so that is gonna put a double hurting on him. i kind of feel bad for selling the guy the bike now.

[Water Warrior 2]

He should be in good physical condition which will help his recovery. Don't feel bad about selling him the bike. It was his choice to buy it. I am sure he knew some of the risk involved on a bike.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by dannylightning

guess his leg is pretty busted up. i guess she said he laid the bike down

Sorry to hear about your friend. Was there an engine guard on the bike? When that car sideswiped me, earlier in the year, the guard got badly bent, but it saved my leg when the bike went down. I wouldn't EVER ride a bike without a guard. Like I've said before, in England we call them "crash bars" not "engine guards", because guarding the engine is secondary to guarding YOU.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by alantf

Sorry to hear about your friend. Was there an engine guard on the bike? When that car sideswiped me, earlier in the year, the guard got badly bent, but it saved my leg when the bike went down. I wouldn't EVER ride a bike without a guard. Like I've said before, in England we call them "crash bars" not "engine guards", because guarding the engine is secondary to guarding YOU.

I'm not sure where I stand on engine guards/crash bars. There was a study done, and I don't think it was part of "The Hurt Report", about the effectiveness of these accessories in preventing injury. Interestingly, and somewhat dishearteningly, it came out as about a wash. It seems that the leg injuries that engine guards prevent are about offset by the more serious hip injuries they cause by altering the angle of the bike in the laid down position. I don't remember the particulars, but they had the numbers to back it up. As a matter of fact, I believe I read that that's when they started calling them engine guards rather than crash bars. I'm not sure if I could ever find that study again, as I have no idea where I read it. I do know that every dealer I've ever spoken to about it has warned me that engine guards protect the bike, not the rider. They do make a handy place to put highway pegs and extra lights, though. The extra lights might keep you out of an accident, so you have to factor that into the equation. I've had engine guards on some of my bikes, but none of the current ones.

EDIT: I just did a little quick Google research and looked at a few sources. It was "The Hurt Report" that concluded that "Crash bars are not an effective countermeasure..." due to increased injury to upper legs, thighs end etc. However, this is not by any means settled research. Other studies have had very different results. One more recent British study found just the opposite result. The manufacturers seem to be in agreement in not believing crash bars prevent injury on balance. Harley Davidson actually recommends against crash bars on its bikes for police duty. Of course most police Harleys have them anyway, as they need them for mounting lights and other accessories. So, I guess in this case, since the experts don't agree, you have to go with your gut feeling. The one thing I got from looking at the various sources is that, whether crash bars help, hurt or do nothing depends entirely on the nature of the accident.

[dannylightning]

Originally Posted by alantf

Sorry to hear about your friend. Was there an engine guard on the bike? When that car sideswiped me, earlier in the year, the guard got badly bent, but it saved my leg when the bike went down. I wouldn't EVER ride a bike without a guard. Like I've said before, in England we call them "crash bars" not "engine guards", because guarding the engine is secondary to guarding YOU.

no crash bars were on the bike, not sure of the bikes condition, neither is my friend or his wife. some one they knew was there when it happened and took the bike to their house. but getting it back and the condition of it is is the least of any ones worries right now. but the accident was the ladys fault i assume since she pulled out right in front of him, so if it is really tore up insurance should cover it.

the newest news is that he my friend will not be able to walk for at least a month they are saying. and in 3-4 months he will be able to go back to any regular activities. no road rash, or any other injuries just a badly busted up leg.

he rode a scooter around for a long time till it got stolen and than he bought the gz so he does know the risks but i still feel kind of bad about it. not to any major extent, i know its not my fault. just the little feeling in the back of my mind that i sold my friend a bike and he wrecked it and ended up in the hospital kind of makes you feel a little bit lousy.

[mrlmd1]

I have a feeling this could start an argument, change that, a discussion. But, like you said. it depends - on the nature of the accident, ie., speed of travel, and a host of other factors. Sometimes they will protect you, other times, maybe not. I'll leave it at that, although if I had a choice, I'd have one on the bike to try and keep my legs from getting crushed or burned or scraped worse with the bike's weight sliding on top of it along the road. To each his own and there is no right or wrong in this.

[dhgeyer]

Danny,

I can understand your feelings, and I'd probably be feeling the same way. I don't think you should worry too much about it, though. As you say, your friend is a grownup and knows the risks. You sold him one of the easiest to ride and most controllable bikes there is. Had he been riding something bigger or heavier (or faster) it could have been much worse. So you didn't really do him a disservice in any way at all.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by dhgeyer

So you didn't really do him a disservice in any way at all.

:plus1:

And just a quick comment on "crash bars":
Bigger is not necessarily better.

If you have a bike with a LOW clearance to start with......like the smaller Honda Shadows.....and put a BIG crash bar on it ........then you may be prone to catching it on the CURB if you are leaned just a little bit and cut the corner too close. Now I understand why some are T-shaped; wider at the top and narrow at the bottom. I had a large bar on the GZ too and never noticed that posssibility but I think it might have been there too. Maybe not having to lean the GZ to get it to turn was a factor.

Been riding for 40+ years but it was a BIG "Aw crap" moment when I almost did that. I suspect the result would be quite different than just scraping parts on the pavement. I SURE don't want to find out. I'm taking my corners a little wider now! :shocked: