Dog 1, VFR 0... Hit a dog this morning.

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by Deadsmiley, Aug 1, 2010.

  1. Deadsmiley

    Deadsmiley Member

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    I was heading out a little after 6am this morning for a group ride. I got less than 2 blocks away and I hit a smallish dog at about 20 mph. I tried to avoid it (mistake) and the VFR and I went down. The bike slid on the right side about 20-30 feet and is pretty rashed up. Right side mirror, fairing, turn signal, case cover, fairing stay, rear rider peg and bracket, peg, rear brake lever, bar end, front brake lever, front cowl, and right side brake disk are all damaged in some way. Were the mirror bent back the Zero Gravity double bubble screen is scuffed.

    The Sargent seat and tank are untouched. The rear tail received very minor scratches, you can't really see them.

    I tumbled and rolled and ended up pretty much OK. I sat up and dog run off. He was a bit bent and later I found dog crap all over the brakes/rotor/fork. I think I literally squished the crap out of him. I hate that I hit the dog. I like dogs and they like me.

    A couple in an SUV was behind me and saw the whole thing. They stopped and asked if I needed an ambulance and helped me get the bike up. No ambulance required. I thanked them for stopping (especially since the bike and I were pretty much blocking the road!) and for helping me get the bike up. I briefly considered continuing on to my ride, but thought better of it since I didn't know the true condition of the bike.

    I was wearing Frank Thomas textile jacket and pants. They zip together in the back and I had them zipped up. The pants are nearly perfect. Looks like a little scuff. The jacket has a hole in the elbow exposing the padded armor, but looks pretty good otherwise.

    I was also wearing my Sidi race boots, Alpinestars GP Pro gloves and my Shoei X11 lid. The helmet got some rash in the faceshield but is otherwise fine. The gloves are fine. The boots got a bit roughed up and one of the vent sliders is torn off, but otherwise they are good.

    My injuries are pretty minor:
    I sprained my left thumb, probably from when the bars torqued over when I hit the dog.

    I think my right big toe go squished somehow. It looks like the toenail is probably going to come off later.

    I have a raspberry in my right hip where I hit the pavement. The riding pants did fine; this is more like a carpet burn where the fabric rubbed me.

    The right shoulder joint is a little tweaked, probably from where my right elbow hit the pavement. The jacket and armor did it's job well. My elbow is perfectly fine. Tore a hole in the elbow of the jacket though. I think I will try to find a patch with a dog on it. :crazy:

    I think the dog is toast. I went back to and talked to a few people that were out in their yards and nobody knows who's dog it is. I would like to speak with the owners about the damage to my bike you know?

    Here are ALL the pics:
    ImageBam - Fast, Free Image Hosting and Photo Sharing

    Here are some pics:

    Front (duh...)
    [​IMG]


    Right Mirror:
    [​IMG]

    Right fairing and engine case:
    [​IMG]

    Broken Mirror:
    [​IMG]

    Busted upper cowl and turn signal, the impact knocked the light bulb out of it's socket:
    [​IMG]

    Bent front brake rotor. How the hell did that happen???
    [​IMG]

    Right fairing, it's bad:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Helmet:
    [​IMG]

    Boots... I really like these boots, damnit!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Jacket:
    [​IMG]

    Pants, pretty much unscathed:
    [​IMG]

    Brake/Rotor/Fork, garnished with dog poop!
    [​IMG]

    Minor rash on right hip:
    [​IMG]

    The crash scene:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2010
  2. VFR-Viking

    VFR-Viking New Member

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    Dude, that effing sucks. I'd definitely be trying to find out who's dog. I am religious about not letting my dogs get loose because of situations just like this. I have neighbors who are the opposite and let their dogs wander and it's things like this that end up happening, and then everyone looks at you like the bad guy cause a dog is dead, even if it's its own fault for throwing itself in front of a large metal object that was minding its own business. Good luck!
     
  3. bitterpil

    bitterpil New Member

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    Just think that hole in your jacket is not in your arm and the scrapes on your helmet are not on your face and head. Good thing you had gear on. I feel sorry for the dog but better that you are ok. Not sure the owners are going to care much about your bike with their dog dead. Is there a leash law etc in your area? That would help your cause.
    You may want to contact shoie if they are like arai they will examine your helmet for free. Well, you have to pay shipping. May be worth $20.

    Thanks for the write up. It is unfortunate that you were in an accident but it is helpful after the fact to provide a performance assessment of your gear. It not only helps you but others.
     
  4. smoothrider

    smoothrider New Member

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    Glad you are mostly OK! I live/ride in deer and elk country (and everything else that walks or crawls) so I can relate...knocking on wood...now. If you have comp. coverage on your insurance, it should cover the damage of animal related accidents (mine does). Strange your toe got hurt in SIDI boots at that speed...
    Good luck on the recovery of bike and body.
     
  5. Joey_Dude

    Joey_Dude Member

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    A little tip, all your linked pictures show up as "hot linking not allowed".

    What you can do is go to the image on imagebam and get the BB-Code. Here is an example:
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Deadsmiley

    Deadsmiley Member

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    Thanks for the tip Joey_Dude. I was seeing the images just fine. Probably because I was logged in to Imagebam!:rolleyes:
     
  7. Deadsmiley

    Deadsmiley Member

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    Thanks for the support guys! I *ALWAYS* wear my gear. If it's too hot I don't ride. Really.

    As for insurance, I have liability only. I am pretty sure a bike this old would be totaled anyways. There is quite a bit of damage.

    I am thinking this is a good excuse the buy the non-condom mirrors! Not exactly the way I wanted to go about it, but hey...
     
  8. Rollin_Again

    Rollin_Again Member

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    Listen to my advice when I tell you NOT to ride the bike in it's current condition until you at least check the radiator fan assembly. Most people only pay attention to the obvious cosmetic damage and will ride their bike as long as there is no frame damage and it is not leaking. What many forget is that the radiator fan doesn't kick on until the bike gets to a certain temp which can take some time. I'm sure you can guess what happens when it eventually turns on miles from home and the bent fan blades come into contact with the radiator fins. You can easily cause $400-$500 dollars of additional damage by not taking extra precaution with this. Good luck with the repairs and I'm glad you are ok.

    Rollin
     
  9. Deadsmiley

    Deadsmiley Member

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    Thanks Rollin, but on this bike the radiator fan is on the left side and there isn't one on the right. :wink:

    So far, no fluid leaks of any kind.

    Gotta replace the front right rotor though. I won't be riding this for a while.

    None of my plastics were pristine when I got the bike but mechaically it is very sound. Got it with 15,000 miles on it a year ago May and I have 22,000 miles on it now. I fully intend to try to wear this bike out. It's a real pleasure to ride it on the streets and it surprised me at the track. :biggrin:
     
  10. Yonan

    Yonan New Member

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    Bummer. glad your ok though.
     
  11. Rangerscott

    Rangerscott New Member

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    Damn. Another 5th gen down. Glad you're ok. Frame sliders this time around?
     
  12. Deadsmiley

    Deadsmiley Member

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    Yeah, I was just thinking about that. I will have to look into it. I know it's not as straight forward as on my 954.

    Damn, I have BOTH bikes down at the moment. This kinda sucks. Ha!
     
  13. vfr sam

    vfr sam New Member

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    I have stock mirrors if you want. Just pay for shipping
     
  14. Rangerscott

    Rangerscott New Member

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    A lot o vfr riders seem to love Radars sliders over on vfrd.
     
  15. TOE CUTTER

    TOE CUTTER Mullet Man

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    Sorry aboot your mishap. Truely a shame and admire your attitude. I for one do not go for lawyers but if one of my dogs downed a rider I would cough up my home owners insurance in a heartbeat and hope you were made whole for your troubles. It is only fair and you should go talk to the dogs owner. My two cents.
     
  16. Fazer1Sniper

    Fazer1Sniper New Member

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    Bummer about the drop, dead. Had a deer strike several years back so I felt your pain. Good time to uprade the girl now! Was gonna offer you a right condom mirror but see I was beat to it.
     
  17. ictghost

    ictghost New Member

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    Glad you're OK deadsmiley. You have one of the best attitudes I've seen in a long time. It puts the minor problems a lot of us have in perspective. Hope your back on two-wheels soon.
     
  18. Lgn001

    Lgn001 Member

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    Once again, negligence strikes an innocent victim... Bummer! I wonder if the bent rotor was caused by a small dog body absorbing the impact, especially considering the, umm, evidence. Glad you're OK.
     
  19. gottaride

    gottaride New Member

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    that's a drag dude. Here's how you handle mutts.....when you see em' .............slow down nearly to a stop, it confuses the shit out of em'. When it's almost on you, tear off like a bat out of hell. Problem averted. Worked for me more than once. Good luck straightening everything out.
     
  20. Deadsmiley

    Deadsmiley Member

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    Very kind of you. I think I will pay for the 00-01 mirrors. Never liked the condoms and almost bought the newer ones twice.

    I really appreciate the offer Sam. Very cool of you. :cool:
     
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