Fell down went BOOM!

[gearman]

I bought a small convertable and it did not scratch the mc itch so I made a reverse trike.

[SIR REAL ED]

Man I’m so sorry to see this AM.   I glad your ok.  Motorcycle can be replaced body parts at our age not so much.

Yeah, nobody stocks that beat up old s**t, and even if they did, who would want it?

[SIR REAL ED]

Thanks guys for the kind words. Bert if you are going by GP take some extra shots of the Roamer as I like the looks of that bike.

Sounds like your optimism/confidence was not destroyed in the crash.  If my arms longer, I'd pat you on the back!!!

I don't know what your financial situation is, but small used bikes are sometimes so cheap, experimenting is possible.  Way back when I was riding a 1980 Suzuki GS1000G (600 lbs wet), I ran into an elderly friend on the Blue Ridge Parkway who was riding a Kawasaki EX 500.  He insisted I try it out.  What a hoot!  A few months later I bought one.

I never looked back.  The biggest heaviest bike I have owned since then was a V-Strom 650, which I now consider to be a cow.

Suzuki DR 650's are tough to beat.  If they are too tall for one's taste, that's fixable.  They also tip over well and crash cheaply.

Stay in the game as long as you still trust yourself.

[TN Mark]

Did you ride up into a 5”-6” rise or did you ride off a 5”-6” drop? I guess the  latter would be like riding off a curb. Was the difference in height parallel, perpendicular or at an angle?

That’s a lot of damage to the Eldo so it’s awesome you faired so much better.

All the best to you with the insurance company and your complete restoration, mentally and physically.

[ampm7]

They had paved one side of the road which I was riding and the opposite lane was the old pavement. The rumble strips were about 1 1/2' from the drop off. It was easy negotiating the drop off but once entering the front end crossed up and over I went. If I had been more perpendicular to the berm instead of parallel I might have faired better. I really like the bike but it is a heavy bike and not easy to move around. If I continue motorcycling I will purchase a much lighter bike. Under 500lbs would be good. Vintage bikes seem to be a lot less in weight and somewhat easier to work on. I am thinking 850T, CB750, BMW R100s etc. as the Eldo will be towed to GP Motorcycles next week and they will do an estimate for my insurance company. When I talked to them they had another Eldo that suffered the same fate as mine in their shop. Somewhat of a coincidence considering that there are not many around. I do still have the Ambo to ride but here in SoCal it is quite dangerous to ride without good brakes and we know how the Ambo is...     

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

There’s a spot on I-285 where there is a lip that large. I “found” it one day in my work truck. Unbelievable how fast it headed for the wall! If I’d been on my bike it would have been the same as you!

I’m glad you’re relatively unhurt. Whatever decision you make I’m sure everyone will support you.

[Triple Jim]

Glad to hear you came out OK.  Only you can accurately access yourself, but before you give up on riding, you might want to try out some sub 400 lb bikes.

Losing 100 lbs of bike weight is good for restoring confidence.

It's good for a lot of things.  I just bought a Yamaha MT-07.  It weighs right around 400 lbs. and is a real pleasure to ride.  I'll miss it, but I'm planning to sell my Mille now.

[SmithSwede]

This is the classic “edge trap” crash.   A single track vehicle will immediately lose stability if you try to cross a square cornered height of 3 to 4 inches or more at a near parallel angle.  The front wheel gets stuck and can’t move to stabilize the bike. Like you said, the result is immediate fall down/boom. 

Don’t mess with these edge traps.  They occur in road construction, rail road or subway tracks, curbs, etc. 

If you absolutely have to cross one, slow down and increase your angle of attack to closer to 90 degrees. 

I spoke with a Texas highway contractor last year.  He said that when they used to repaved a lane and left a 4 inch square cornered height different there were a remarkable number of motorcycle accidents.  Texas then changed the standard to mandate no more than a 3” difference and a required the use of a gradual “lip.”  No more motorcycle accidents. 

More generally, I suggest going on red alert whenever riding in a construction zone.  There is no telling what might be waiting to bite you. 

[wirespokes]

This ^^^^

Smith said it all - Nothing more to add.

[Moparnut72]

I have an Audace which is very similar to your Eldo. It has been a struggle for me to ride it around town, etc doing errands and short rides with several stops. I bought a V7lll Special for these duties. A very nice bike for a 75 year old that I enjoy very much for this kind of riding. I still have the Audace for road riding, I am just careful where I go to park it. I hope I haven't started something where more bike begin to appear, I understand that this happens to Guzzi owners. I love both of my bikes but they are intended for different kinds of riding.
kk

[coast range rider]

This is the classic “edge trap” crash.   A single track vehicle will immediately lose stability if you try to cross a square cornered height of 3 to 4 inches or more at a near parallel angle.  The front wheel gets stuck and can’t move to stabilize the bike. Like you said, the result is immediate fall down/boom. 

Don’t mess with these edge traps.  They occur in road construction, rail road or subway tracks, curbs, etc. 

If you absolutely have to cross one, slow down and increase your angle of attack to closer to 90 degrees. 

I spoke with a Texas highway contractor last year.  He said that when they used to repaved a lane and left a 4 inch square cornered height different there were a remarkable number of motorcycle accidents.  Texas then changed the standard to mandate no more than a 3” difference and a required the use of a gradual “lip.”  No more motorcycle accidents. 

More generally, I suggest going on red alert whenever riding in a construction zone.  There is no telling what might be waiting to bite you.

Great post. Thanks @SmithSwede

[berniebee]

Let Father Time heal the mental snd emotional shock you have just experienced, then listen to your heart👍

I second that. And as others are suggesting, a smaller, lighter bike can be a revelation.

The main thing is that you are in one piece. And that should encourage you, not discourage you.

[ampm7]

Well, I have had lighter bikes in the past but my problem is that I can't mount a high seat bike. Not at least until I get a hip replacement. I really like the Yamaha Tracer 09 but I went and got on one and had to have the salesman help me off the bike. A narrower seat would be a plus but my left leg is very weak and I know that I have to park the Eldo on flat pavement which is not possible in a lot of SoCal as much of it is hilly.One thing that is somewhat disconcerting is the excessive vibration at idle and slowing for a stop or coming off of a stop. None of my other Guzzi's did that. And Smith you are exactly right in your analysis as the berm was not gradual at all in which case I would not have gone down if it had been sloping. We'll see this next week what the Guzzi dealer says as to how much it will cost to put back together. This is probably going to be expensive...