Topic: Freeway (Interstate) Safety (Read 5335 times)

erniezap · « **on:** May 14, 2007, 01:59:52 PM »

Saturday afternoon I was riding with 6 other bikes down the freeway when we had a breakdown. We all pulled over onto the shoulder to assess the situation. Unfortunately, the broken bike (mine) needed to be trucked since it wasn't able to move under its own power. While on the side of the road, one of the other rider's gloves blew off of his seat and was moving along the right edge of traffic. Even though we told him to forget about the glove, he attempted to retrieve it, causing the cars on the freeway to brake hard since they didn't know what he was doing. One car, which was behind a truck so he couldn't see, couldn't stop so he veered onto the shoulder to avoid crashing into the truck. He veered right into us! I don't know how he missed the bikes and us, but we had to scramble to avoid being run over! We almost lost our lives and/or our bikes due to someone worrying about a frigging glove! By the grace of god we were all spared, but it was a matter of inches! After getting the bike towed, we had a serious conversation about safety and getting everyone off of the road that doesn't absolutely have to be there, and if they want me to ride with this person again he will not pull a stunt like that again.

Bottom line people, the shoulder of a freeway or interstate is a very dangerous place so get everyone off that doesn't absolutely need to be there! You may want to reinforce this with the people that you ride with.

Smiler · « **Reply #1 on:** May 14, 2007, 02:04:06 PM »

I hope you didn't mince your words with him. having someone act like that in your group ain't very helpful, if you wanna get home in one piece.

greglyon · « **Reply #2 on:** May 14, 2007, 03:17:16 PM »

Thanks for sharing....
Excellent advise.

Boatman · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2007, 03:20:23 PM »

I'm glad everyone was ok.. Thanks for the safety lesson. Berms are not a very safe place. I always say a prayer for a person changing tires on the traffic side. Too many officers have been killed too this way.

JCZ · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2007, 03:25:43 PM »

I'm glad that nobody was hurt and no damage to the bikes (outside of the initial breakdown). The next thing that comes to mind is.........do I know this person?

Twolanerider · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2007, 03:39:50 PM »

Ernie, what failed on your bike?

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #6 on:** May 14, 2007, 03:58:13 PM »

Good advice, Ernie...it scares the chit out of me to be on the side of the interstate.

What broke on your bike?

VaEagle · « **Reply #7 on:** May 14, 2007, 04:56:09 PM »

I am glad no one was hurt.
I know things are going to vary since it's different for an organized run or event compaired to a small group of friends out for a fun run. On larger or organized runs we try to just have one or two bikes stop for a breakdown or problem they are usually in the back and the rest of the group continues on the run or they stop at the next safe place off of the roadway. That is when CBs help in keeping the group organized and safe. In our group we discourage everyone from stopping since it increases the chance of problems since someone may run into you if you try to stop not just cars or trucks either.

iski · « **Reply #8 on:** May 14, 2007, 05:03:05 PM »

Quote from: VaEagle on May 14, 2007, 04:56:09 PM

I am glad no one was hurt.
I know things are going to vary since it's different for an organized run or event compared to a small group of friends out for a fun run. On larger or organized runs we try to just have one or two bikes stop for a breakdown or problem they are usually in the back and the rest of the group continues on the run or they stop at the next safe place off of the roadway. That is when CBs help in keeping the group organized and safe. In our group we discourage everyone from stopping since it increases the chance of problems since someone may run into you if you try to stop not just cars or trucks either.

Glad to hear no one was hurt also.

On our organized rides the tail gunner will stay with a bike on the side of the road and the group continues forward to either the next stop or the next safe place to stop. Too many bikes on side of road = disaster waiting to happen. The group leader evaluates the situation at that point and someone stays or all go, depending on what happened, where, etc.

Too many times on the side of the road I have seen a cage cell phone yakker almost take bikes/cars out plus you have flying debris from passing trucks, etc.

ccr · « **Reply #9 on:** May 14, 2007, 05:37:16 PM »

Know the theory, thanks for the reinforcement. Glad everyone did indeed get off the highway with life and limb. Could have been a horrible tragedy. Hope you bike is getting fixed.

erniezap · « **Reply #10 on:** May 14, 2007, 06:41:14 PM »

I don't know what broke on the bike yet, but I think it has something to do with the clutch. It was feeling really weird so I decided to go home and park it, but I didn't make it. Jim just trailered it to his house so I should know more soon.

erniezap · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2007, 06:47:03 PM »

Check out this related thread...

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=13512.msg211243#new

HogDude · « **Reply #12 on:** May 14, 2007, 08:32:21 PM »

Glad no one was hurt !
Wow...

SOKOOLJ · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2007, 10:18:37 PM »

First, I wish your scoot a speedy recovery, 2nd, thanks for the safety lesson, I'm sure we all get a little complacent at some point, this just gives us that reminder. Just glad you all came out safe in the end, could have been a tragedy.

Ride safe

hd-dude · « **Reply #14 on:** May 15, 2007, 12:42:21 AM »

Picked up Ernie's bike today, Here is what happened:

First I pulled the derby cover and found the hub loose. I expected to find the nut backed off. Then i removed the clip that holds the clutch rod in and pulled the rod out. Looked inside to find the internal clip floating around (see pic). Checked the nut and it was tight. tried to loosen nut and the shaft just spun. I had to put the bike in gear to remove the nut with the imact wrench as that held the tranny main shaft. Normally the shaft is held by the clutch hub and locking tool.

hd-dude · « **Reply #15 on:** May 15, 2007, 12:45:46 AM »

Removed the primary drive and found that the clutch hub had no teeth left. All of them have been ground off. In the pic of the hub you can see where the splines used to be.

What I think happened is the clip failed and allowed the hub to move into the primary (it could not move out as the nut was holding it there) and this in and outward movement slowly ate away ate the teeth.

hd-dude · « **Reply #16 on:** May 15, 2007, 12:47:30 AM »

Here's a pic of the shaft with what's left a the clutch hub teeth remaining in the splines.
You can also see the ground up aluminum in the bottom of the primary.

Twolanerider · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2007, 01:09:38 AM »

Sorry to see all that Ernie. It'll end up being a pretty expensive three dollar clip. No unusal noises in the little while beforhand?

hd-dude · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2007, 01:24:44 AM »

Quote from: Twolanerider on May 15, 2007, 01:09:38 AM

Sorry to see all that Ernie. It'll end up being a pretty expensive three dollar clip. No unusal noises in the little while beforhand?

Yep, a new clutch pack and inner hub, about $350. The real odd thing is that the clip that failed is not a replacable part. It comes preassemble on the new hub.

Twolanerider · « **Reply #19 on:** May 15, 2007, 01:30:35 AM »

Quote from: hd-dude on May 15, 2007, 01:24:44 AM

Yep, a new clutch pack and inner hub, about $350. The real odd thing is that the clip that failed is not a replacable part. It comes preassemble on the new hub.

Hard to tell from the photo. The shaft is ok?

hd-dude · « **Reply #20 on:** May 15, 2007, 01:44:12 AM »

Quote from: Twolanerider on May 15, 2007, 01:30:35 AM

Hard to tell from the photo. The shaft is ok?

Seems to be. It was getting late but i wanted to get it apart to see what happened. I will get it all cleaned up tomorrow and verify. In all likelihood it will be fine. One benefit of having an aluminum hub

I will be pulling the stator rotor apart tomorrow as well and make sure no aluminum did damage to the stator or magnets....

Twolanerider · « **Reply #21 on:** May 15, 2007, 01:58:13 AM »

Quote from: hd-dude on May 15, 2007, 01:44:12 AM

Seems to be. It was getting late but i wanted to get it apart to see what happened. I will get it all cleaned up tomorrow and verify. In all likelihood it will be fine. One benefit of having an aluminum hub I will be pulling the stator rotor apart tomorrow as well and make sure no aluminum did damage to the stator or magnets....

That's good news. As long as no mass of debris collected in one spot and chunked something it's worth being optimistic.

General curiousity. Separate from the physical damage that came from it coming apart. Would be interesting to know how the discs themselves were looking with 30-35k miles on them.

Puzzled · « **Reply #22 on:** May 15, 2007, 08:14:56 AM »

That is odd. HD-dude have you ever seen anything like this before? Good thing for the alum hub.

erniezap · « **Reply #23 on:** May 15, 2007, 08:44:47 AM »

Quote from: Twolanerider on May 15, 2007, 01:09:38 AM

Sorry to see all that Ernie. It'll end up being a pretty expensive three dollar clip. No unusal noises in the little while beforhand?

No noises beforehand, and no noises when it let go. About 10-20 miles prior to it letting go, the clutch felt weird and it was hard to shift so I headed home. Obviously didn't make it

mr_magoo · « **Reply #24 on:** May 15, 2007, 09:09:41 AM »

Glad you all survived. Another bad place is stopping under an overpass to put on rain gear, very unsafe.

Fired00d · « **Reply #25 on:** May 15, 2007, 09:20:15 AM »

Ernie,
Thanks for the words of wisdom, and glad to hear that no one was harmed during this incident. Sorry to hear about your mechanical problems, that's a bummer. The experience you had with the dealer is commendable glad to hear that there are still some that understand the meaning of "Brotherhood".

I'm sure Jim will have you up and running in no time flat.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

erniezap · « **Reply #26 on:** May 15, 2007, 09:46:44 AM »

d00d,

I know what you mean. It's nice to get something other than "shut up and give me your money" for a change. I know where I'll be shopping in the future instead of the dealers that I've been going to.

With Jim there's never a worry. He came and got the bike yesterday, and he was as curious as I was to find out what happened. So far it's a clutch and hub if nothing else got ruined like the shaft and/or stator. It'll get the upgraded Screamin Eagle clutch with 9 plates instead of 8...

RJ749 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 15, 2007, 11:00:31 AM »

Good to hear that the bike and all the peeps will be fine.

I broke down once on an interstate bridge with no shoulder at night with no power.

It was eerie to hear the screeching tires as cars came up on me and then dove in the left lane as the went by. The 20 minutes for the tow truck to get there was the worst 20 minutes I can remember. We nearly got nailed multiple times waiting and when loading on the tow truck.

Hope Jim's got you going soon.

hd-dude · « **Reply #28 on:** May 15, 2007, 11:03:09 AM »

Quote from: Puzzled on May 15, 2007, 08:14:56 AM

That is odd. HD-dude have you ever seen anything like this before? Good thing for the alum hub.

I've seen clutches scatter before (mostly due to burn outs) but not one strip out like this.

mr_magoo · « **Reply #29 on:** May 16, 2007, 09:06:54 AM »

Ernie must have way to much power. That is interesting how it stripped the hub.

erniezap · « **Reply #30 on:** May 18, 2007, 02:05:00 AM »

Well Jim got the bike back together with an upgraded SE clutch and it's home where it belongs. It's amazing how much you can jones for a bike! Can't wait to ride this weekend!

RJ749 · « **Reply #31 on:** May 18, 2007, 02:09:59 AM »

Quote from: erniezap on May 18, 2007, 02:05:00 AM

Well Jim got the bike back together with an upgraded SE clutch and it's home where it belongs. It's amazing how much you can jones for a bike! Can't wait to ride this weekend!

We hear you and we know, so glad to know you can be in the wind for the weekend.

Hoist! · « **Reply #32 on:** May 24, 2007, 08:44:23 AM »

Wow, sorry about that mess Ernie and glad everyone's OK. I just caught this. Still catching up. I think its unusual to spin a slpined clutch hub. It happened all the time with the keywayed shaft clutch hubs on older models. You're probably done by now. If not, it's a good time to think about a Baker King Kong or Rivera Pro Clutch!

It was nice finding such a helpful dealer too. Good luck Ernie! Hoist!

SEULTRA · « **Reply #33 on:** May 24, 2007, 12:43:48 PM »

Thanks Ernie for the safety reminder! Excellent thought to get everyone behind the guard rail and out of harms way. That would be a terrible thing to get yourself and others killed for ... a glove.
Wife and I were riding this past weekend and saw a bike pulled over on the side of the hiway ... I slowed down to ask if they were OK and they were looking for a Doo-Rag that the rider had come off.... lemme see they cost what $6.95??? Lesson learned.

JCZ · « **Reply #34 on:** June 25, 2007, 09:47:10 PM »

I think Ernie has observed another hiway experience that he should share with us. Ernie.......... was somebody dirt biking on a SEEG this weekend? No need to mention names......the rider should remain anonymous even thow he's not a member of this site.

erniezap · « **Reply #35 on:** June 25, 2007, 11:14:24 PM »

Quote from: JCZ on June 25, 2007, 09:47:10 PM

I think Ernie has observed another hiway experience that he should share with us. Ernie.......... was somebody dirt biking on a SEEG this weekend? No need to mention names......the rider should remain anonymous even thow he's not a member of this site.

You're killing me!

I went on a "bachelor's ride" Saturday as my last organized ride as a single person. We left San Jose in the morning and were on our way towards Jamestown. We were doing 95-100 MPH on Route 120 and the road had a bend to the right. The person on the bike in front of me (blue/black 04 SEEG) got distracted for a second and went off of the left side of the pavement onto the dirt/grass center divider. I got on the brakes hard and watched in horror as he fought the bike. Lucky for him, at this point in the road, the center divider is several hundred feet wide and relatively flat. The back end of the bike was sliding back and forth about 5-6 feet and he just stayed off of the brakes and kept steering into the skids. Again lucky for him, there wasn't any trees, rocks, ditches, holes, etc, in his path and somehow he managed to stay on the bike and bring it to a stop! As he came to a halt, unfortunately he dropped the bike.

Total damage to the bike was several scuff marks that buffed out and a broken right lower fairing where the highway hit it.

He was very shaken but alive with a bike that is still in one piece. I guess this proves that the SEEG is the ultimate road bike, dirt bike, 4 wheeler, etc.

We slowed down after that...

CVOJOE · « **Reply #36 on:** June 26, 2007, 12:06:58 AM »

Which scooter was this on Ernie, the new one or the Blue burn-out motel parking lot special?

Glad to hear Cycle Center took care of you. Mike (Owner) and Jess (Svc Mgr) have really turned that place around the past two years as far as their services.

Glad you and the group were uninjured in the shoulder fiasco....880 is a death trap for sure, if you were on the "Numbnutz".

Joe

Ceej · « **Reply #37 on:** June 26, 2007, 12:45:36 AM »

As a proffessional driver I see things on the side of the road all the time that scare me. Please remember if you are on the side of the road there are guys like me out there that routinely pull 12-14' wide loads in 11' lanes - that means we count on that shoulder for a little overhang as we do not want the overhang in the other travel lane. Truckers are required by law to have reflective triangles on board and must have them on display within 5 minutes of stopping on a public road - they should be 50' 100' and 500' apart to hopefully get someones attention before coming upon something on the shoulder. I realize triangles are not practical on bikes but I think road flares would be and should be considered in cases like this. Also as stated above underpasses are bad bad bad - drivers won't see you in the shadows of an underpass til the last minute. The best position if possible is an on ramp - where cars are still coming up to speed - rather than an off ramp where many are still at highway speeds. Please be careful out there, the road is a very, very dangerous place to be.

RedDevil · « **Reply #38 on:** June 26, 2007, 08:18:04 AM »

Ernie,
Thanks for sharing that story with us and giving us all a "wake-up call" about road safety. All to often we take that for granted. Glad to hear that you all came out of it safely. I hope your friend, in no uncertain terms, realizes now that everything, except a human life, can be replaced, and not to sweat something as small as a glove when on the road.

Strange breakdown too...I'm not the smartest guy on the block when it comes to knowing the internal bits of an HD motorcycle, but that sounds like a bizare failure...glad to hear that you're back on the road again.

Cheers

,

bc · « **Reply #39 on:** June 26, 2007, 08:34:47 AM »

Quote from: Ceej on June 26, 2007, 12:45:36 AM

... Truckers are required by law to have reflective triangles on board and must have them on display within 5 minutes of stopping on a public road - they should be 50' 100' and 500' apart ...

Terrific, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone do it. Maybe one 50' or so back - that's about it, and most don't do anything.

bc

bc · « **Reply #40 on:** June 26, 2007, 08:36:50 AM »

Quote from: erniezap on June 25, 2007, 11:14:24 PM

... doing 95-100 MPH ... the bike in front of me (blue/black 04 SEEG) got distracted for a second and went off of the left side of the pavement onto the dirt/grass center divider. ... The back end of the bike was sliding back and forth about 5-6 feet and he just stayed off of the brakes and kept steering into the skids. ... he managed to stay on the bike and bring it to a stop!

Wow, great rider!

bc

spydglide · « **Reply #41 on:** June 26, 2007, 09:02:39 AM »

hey Earniezap, thanks for the roadway caution....we can all use reminders of safety. Glad you're back in the wind on that SEEG!

har! spyder

cuthbertss · « **Reply #42 on:** June 26, 2007, 10:35:05 AM »

As a practical matter flares don't work well.... Something to consider is one of the higher tech solutions. Turboflares are a great inexpensive solution. I have replaced all road flares in my patrol car fleet with them.. Run on AA batteries forever and very bright. There are smaller solutions out there but not as effective
You can find them on ebay for like five bucks each.

Fired00d · « **Reply #43 on:** June 26, 2007, 11:23:03 AM »

Quote from: cuthbertss on June 26, 2007, 10:35:05 AM

As a practical matter flares don't work well.... Something to consider is one of the higher tech solutions. Turboflares are a great inexpensive solution. I have replaced all road flares in my patrol car fleet with them.. Run on AA batteries forever and very bright. There are smaller solutions out there but not as effective
You can find them on ebay for like five bucks each.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

cuthbertss · « **Reply #44 on:** June 26, 2007, 11:30:38 AM »

Ill post pix later
I'm on my crackberry in a briefing
www.turboflare360.com I think

Hose draggers tend to ooh and aaah when they see them

Fired00d · « **Reply #45 on:** June 26, 2007, 11:37:09 AM »

Quote from: cuthbertss on June 26, 2007, 11:30:38 AM

Ill post pix later
I'm on my crackberry in a briefing
www.turboflare360.com I think

Hose draggers tend to ooh and aaah when they see them

Kewl. Don't think I have seen those before I'll forward them to my Chief.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

cuthbertss · « **Reply #46 on:** June 26, 2007, 11:39:42 AM »

Yes they are cool and you can drive your rig over them too without hurting them

Fired00d · « **Reply #47 on:** June 26, 2007, 11:51:42 AM »

Quote from: cuthbertss on June 26, 2007, 11:39:42 AM

Yes they are cool and you can drive your rig over them too without hurting them

Was just reading that. Definitely a plus. We've had drivers (not me) run over wheel chocks

so it's great that these are that durable.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

spydglide · « **Reply #48 on:** June 26, 2007, 01:14:37 PM »

we need a smaller strobe for carrying on the scooters. I used to have one (made for nautical use), but left the battery in too long and now it's useless. aaaargh. spyder

Author Topic: Freeway (Interstate) Safety (Read 5335 times)