Details of my latest get off experience

Last Thursday 10-20-11 morning about 0830 I was northbound on I-57 headed into Champaign Urbana IL. My destination was in Urbana. As such I needed to merge onto I-74 eastbound.
It was raining a drizzling rain, more of a heavy mist than actual rain with the temps in the lower 40’s.
Northbound 57 approaching the off/on exit for I-74, it is one of those clover leaf deals where the traffic coming off 74 and the traffic getting of 57 have to try to occupy the same real estate for a brief period to head their respective intended directions. There was a box delivery truck in front of me and he slowed way down and merged into the joint on/off lane shared by both interstates. I made the decision to pass him which allowed me plenty of time and room to get back over onto the off ramp. I passed him successfully and merged over entering the off ramp proper.

As soon as I entered the off ramp and started into the apex of the turn I saw the oily sheen on the roadway. As soon as I saw it the front wheel of my Mistress started to push through. I had already eased off the throttle some so I chopped it some more and managed to get the bike upright and attempted to apply both binders. Both wheels immediately started to slide. Off the binders again and back under some semblance of control I started it back over into the apex of the turn. This new trajectory was taking me directly into a fairly stout looking sign post with an arrow telling me to continue my turn. It was apparent to me by this time that I was not going to keep the Wing on the roadway so I tapped the front brake to put her back into a slide (the only option available to me at this time to miss the sign) Once the mistress was pointed a safer direction I got her back upright and pointed her straight on over the embankment and got hard on the binders trying to keep them from locking up but slowing her down as much as possible. I ended up in a sideways slide headed over the edge. Just as the bike left the roadway my shoulder hit the pavement and I bounced. I don’t exactly know how but I bounced upright on the bike and it was straight again. (I think I must have gotten off the front brake but locked the rear as we went over) We were headed down into a big triangular median area that was absolutely a swamp from 3 previous days of rain. I saw what I was riding into and got on the gas thinking I better keep the big girl moving or I would be stuck hard in the mud.

There are a couple things wrong with this thinking, 1- I was already carrying enough speed to carry me through the worst of it. 2-this area had a raised section in the middle of it with the swamp surrounding it like a mote. The bike hit the side of the hill headed up and launched me off the machine thankfully dumping me in the swamp for a fairly soft landing. The bike continued on over the raised area into the swamp on the other side of the hill. Approximately 30 feet, then bogged down and stuck. My feet were under me and IO was chasing the bike before it quit moving. I managed to get it up and give it a once over then fired it up and made an approximate 300degree left hand turn around the high point and headed towards the most gradual exit area from the median.

As I was making my exit I was also trying to ride above the ruts cut by the running water and stay out of the bog as much as possible. In the process I was riding on the lower reaches of the same hillside I had flew over minutes before. This precarious riding soon had the rear coming around on me trying to get low center as all heavy objects do when there is absolutely no traction to prevent it. On the second come around it got far enough away from me that I was helplessly pointed uphill. This placement left me with about an extra 18 inches of void under the saddle. My legs are not long enough to reach so when the fat girl starts over all I can do is step off and let her go.

Now laying on her left side with the front wheel pointed uphill I can not get enough leverage to lift her. Luckily at this point a couple motorists (one being the driver of the delivery truck I passed) were there to help lift her up and held on to her while I mounted then backed her down the hill. They then walked me out back onto the pavement. I thanked them profusely and rode off. I started out tentatively to shake her down somewhat before I got back to riding. The shakedown felt good and I continued the 4 miles to my destination.

If anyone reading this knows these 2 fella’s (I am sure they have told their version) please forward me their info, I owe them a dinner and a big thank you.

It is really amazing how much information the brain can process and throw at you in a very short period of time. I not only processed what actions I needed to take but also that
“ this is going to hurt, damn I have to call the wife from the hospital again”
“I am so going to miss this meeting”
“so much for having stayed dry on the 75 mile ride up this morning”
“that sign will kill you”
“this is going to hurt”
“Soft mud, maybe I can ride it out….”
“how the hell did I get launched”

Plus a bunch of other tidbits that are not currently rated for public broadcast

Damage to the bike is very minimal, destroyed the baker leg wings, scuffed the paint on top of the right saddle bag(gives the ole girl character), and packed mud into every nook and cranny on the machine.
Me … I was stiff and sore for a few days but I am good to go now. I made it to my meeting on time. All day meetings in wet muddy clothes is no fun at all. I have since repacked my normally packed spare clothes for those days when chit happens.

Y’all have a great ride

See you out there
Smokey

I hope that you are keeping all these stories safe somewhere so you can put them in a book my friend ... glad you are able to talk about it.

I can picture it, but I would have liked to see it live. Glad your not hurt. Better give the misstress an extra kiss for taking care of you.

Jerry

Glad you are OK, sometimes it's safer just to poke along behind trucks...

Glad you came through ok,you seem to attract these experiences lately,hope that changes for you.Amazing what can happen in a few seconds,I second the book thing.

That was a hellofa read...I went down in 2004 going 65 /70 on a ol'backroad outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee hit gravel in a hilltop curve washed out of a driveway by heavy rain the day before....I don't remember s**t about the crash other than it hurt and I tore up a beautiful motorcycle. Sure glad you are OK . While I've got you here a bunch of us are ridin' down west of Nashville over the Vetrens Weekend you'll see most of the faces you saw when we rode to St. Louis,Mo to hose Sherman down.

glad to hear that you are doing well....i get a wierd feeling in the stomach at thought of anyone falling off of a motorcycle....but after reading that LONG post, i am glad you are doing well.

Smokin'joeVRCCDS#0005 wrote:That was a hellofa read...I went down in 2004 going 65 /70 on a ol'backroad outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee hit gravel in a hilltop curve washed out of a driveway by heavy rain the day before....I don't remember s**t about the crash other than it hurt and I tore up a beautiful motorcycle. Sure glad you are OK . While I've got you here a bunch of us are ridin' down west of Nashville over the Vetrens Weekend you'll see most of the faces you saw when we rode to St. Louis,Mo to hose Sherman down.

Joe, I will have to see what the work schedule looks like and will get back to you.

Larry

I now I'am new here but that event reminds me of that old saying about there are three types of riders , there are those who have went down ,there are those who will go down and there are those who will go down again.I'am one of those who have been down again,and again. But I'am glade you didnt get hurt to bad, so keep it safe and remember rubber side down and shiney side up.

Smokin'joeVRCCDS#0005 wrote:That was a hellofa read...I went down in 2004 going 65 /70 on a ol'backroad outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee hit gravel in a hilltop curve washed out of a driveway by heavy rain the day before....I don't remember s**t about the crash other than it hurt and I tore up a beautiful motorcycle. Sure glad you are OK . While I've got you here a bunch of us are ridin' down west of Nashville over the Vetrens Weekend you'll see most of the faces you saw when we rode to St. Louis,Mo to hose Sherman down.

Joe, the work schedule will not let me make that ride, but if yall want to ride up to terre haute indiana saturday night I am going to a "Here Come The Mummies" concert. They are a fun, funny funky sounding band. I would love to see yall just cant make the ride.

See you out there
Smokey

Reminds me of why I turn into a chicken on wet pavement. One ramp got me in the dry years ago due to blown sand - rode the bike into the guard rail sitting on top of it while it was on it's right side.
One night I got forced over by a car changing lanes without looking - I rode BETWEEN the ends of two guard rails in a triangle, hit a hummock and the bike went nearly straight up as did I - minus my bike. A couple were sitting in their living room saw me flying thru the air and came to get me out of the ravine.
Got fairly banged up on that one; forgot all about it until this story of yours!