K11 Owners Group

Off the grid · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:55 pm Post subject: Reinforcement.

An "acquaintance" of mine, 19yo male was cut off by a pickup when he was doing 70. Apparently the truck was merging onto an expressway went across 3 lanes.

Anyway the kid swerved to avoid and ate about 20' of guardrail.

Bike: 2001 GiXXer (big surprise) totaled...forks driven into engine block.

His gear: Full face helmet, gloves, armored jacket, jeans and sneakers.

The latter portion of that sentence is the key part. Why?

Injuries: Scrape on elbow, otherwise intact......except for the left leg.
While not crushed, he did ride the guardrail with the leg between the bike and the guardrail.

Picture this....take a full sized basketball and cut it in half. Then place that basketball over your left knee with the top of the basketball starting at the base of the quadriceps and the lower portion on the tib/fib. That is exactly what it looked like...color, size and all. (keep in mind this is a skinny kid)

Moral? IMO this injury would have been much much less if he had been wearing a pair of riding boots (construction boots do not offer upper shin protection) and a pair of armored pants.

In fact I will go as far to say that he would have nothing but bumps and bruises if he was wearing full gear.

Instead he has hamburger for a knee. (MDs do not know if he will walk again, and if the skin grafts do not take he could lose the leg)

In closing, I am no gear nazi, hell I wear a 3/4 helmet most of the time. But this particular case was an eye opener.

So much so that I just picked up another pair of summer pants.

ATGATT folks, ATGATT.
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Bane of your existence since July 2006
2007 Triumph Tiger ABS. "Sabertooth"
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Flying Duck · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:09 pm Post subject:

I wear Draggin' jeans mostly. Feel somewhat naked in them though. NOBODY makes riding pants long enough for me. (32x34)

I do have one very nice pair of winter pants (leather butt, leather hips, leather knees, knee armor - made by Polo of Germany - VERY nice pants) that fit over my jeans but they're too hot for most non-winter riding. Scored them like new on eBay for only $100

Eventually I came to the realization that for warmer weather I'd have to go custom so I broke down and ordered some Motoport custom made for me Kevlar Jeans with knee and hip armor for $350. Shocked

Supposed to arrive next week.

http://www.motoport.com/Product.asp?Clv=102509

I'll report back in Product Reviews when they arrive - hopefully I'll never file a crash report on them.
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owrstrich · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:13 pm Post subject:

your acquaintance... although damaged... could have been chewed and spit out by some of the guardrails i have seen...

hope the docs figure it out so he can walk and ride again... this time on an abs motobrick...

keep us informed...

mr crab... that motoport is the ch1t... its our next west coast gear...

johnny
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