BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

So I went out on a very nice ride today, taking twisty Texas backroads up and around to Boerne, Texas. Little did I know that it'd be my last ride on my beautiful 2009 R1200R. I was excited because I just got my Nippy Norman's hugger painted and installed last week, so I wanted to get some nice pictures to share with you all. I stopped along the banks of the Guadalupe River to take this photo to show off my handiwork on the hugger.





Once I got to Boerne after an hour and a half of riding, I had a very nice lunch and headed east on highway 46. I took some twisties on my way home, and decided to take Bat Cave Road which, in addition to have several VERY nice houses, is a nice lazy ride through the backcountry. I headed into this turn at about 25-30 mph (not sure how fast).



Once in the turn I noticed the gravel and immediately let off the gas and applied the brakes to try to bleed some speed off. The rear end slipped (I must have been leaning) and I recovered and turned hard left to avoid hitting the sign there in the distance. I then hit that second strip of gravel, the back end slid out again, and all I remember from that point was heading straight toward this ditch on the right side of the picture about 40 feet in front of the bike.


I was only going about 15-20 mph at that point I'm guessing, but as the bike went down the embankment, I clobbered a sign with the left cylinder head and left handlebar. The left cylinder head got it most of the way knocked down so it didn't hit me. The bike hit a culvert, came to a dead stop and I went over the handlebars. The bike ended up like this:


Here's the culvert and the sign. Best I can figure is that the crease at the top of the sign post was caused by the left side of the handlebars.



Some people stopped and help me get the bike off the barbed wire and up onto the road. Here's a few shots of the damage:



BMW Roadside assistance sent a wrecker out and took it to Alamo BMW where I bought her only four months ago. Kermit, one of Alamo BMW's owners, took a look and was shaking his head. He's pretty sure that she's done for. The forks are bent, the triple-clamp is bent, the front wheel came out of the right side of the fork and seized, the gas tank is creased, something tried to poke out from inside the left cylinder head (it's cracked), the right side header pipe is bent, the light, windshield, windshield bracket, and all the rest are a mess.

What worked: Amazingly, I only have a sore left shoulder and a small scratch on my left side, but that's it. My Schuberth C2 took a good whack on the left jaw, but I didn't feel a thing. I also never ride without purpose-designed pants and a mesh jacket with all the armor. I'd probably have a broken left shoulder if it weren't for the jacket. Gloves and boots don't show any signs of damage.

What didn't work: I cannot figure out how I could have avoided this accident, other than entering the turn at 15 mph, but I still would have been trying to make a sharp turn while on gravel. For some reason, laying the bike down didn't occur to me, probably because I thought I had it after I recovered from the first gravel patch. I remember grabbing the brake hard with my right hand, but only hearing engine revving sounds.

So tomorrow the insurance guy will go take a look, but I'm 98% sure it's totaled.


The hugger looked good though, huh?

Very nice hugger Man I love that white she was pretty. I always look for gravel in turns. I cannot say what you should have done different, but it sounds like you came out good less a bike. I had a situation where I went into a corner hot, and gravel. I am am not sure if I did the right thing, but I hit the brakes hard and was able to slow it down and ride it out.

I consider gravel and debris to be one big hazard. Sorry for your loss. Get another one.

Ron

I'm glad you're OK.

It's good you are ok. Now if they would hurry up and put the DOHC engine in the R, you could replace it and upgrade at the same time.

The picture of that road scares the hell out of me. There is gravel everywhere along the shoulder and it appears that cars enter the road from every direction and bring the gravel with them.

Did you have ABS or Traction Control? I assume neither would have been much help but I am curious.

Glad you're OK. Sorry the bike got busted.

But consider the good news: now you have a chance to try and get a blue one.

You are ok thats the bottom line!! I would be sick as well but, its easily replaced. I vote black and that new motor they are supposed to be coming out with.
Hang in there.

Bikes can be replaced...you can't. Glad your OK. Just one of life's learning experiences.

Noooo! So much for my belief that the white ones are accident proof. It is a shame and I am sorry for your loss.


Soo, um, how much for the hugger? (unless you plan on getting another R12R to put it on of course...)

And, oh,, I forgot to mention that my dealer here in the Chicago 'burbs has 2 white ones on his floor and I am sure he would be happy to part with one and help with the shipping.................

Very glad you walked away from that! So sorry the bike didn't. The pictures were heart-wrenching.

I did that last year - but I didn't have the heart (or camera nearby) to take a pic -
I second what has been said already - Thank God your OK- the rest can be replaced with a little time and some money.

Strangely, I found myself upset that I had let down all the German engineers who had entrusted me with a magnificent piece of mechanical art -
Fortunately, they have already made another with your name on it!

While my R was in rehab, I was seriously thinking about buying another - I have found them habit forming.

Glad to hear you are uninjured. That was quite a crash could have easily been much worse. The R12R can be replaced.

That's a bummer! But good you're okay. I totalled my first '07 R1200R about 8 month after I bought it, then got another (my current '08 bike). It doesn't take much to total these bikes. That would be cool if you could upgrade to the dohc engine.

ow! I have done that a few times over the years myself.... but on the good side...any crash you walk away from is a good one....another reason to wear all the gear all the time regardless of weather. I am sorry for your loss. things can be replaced and repaired.....humans don't heal that easily.

Glad your'e OK T6.

You guys are vultures. A man bins his bike and your ready to part out his kit.

(Let me know if you want to get rid of that luggage rack)

Take care.

Glad you are ok mate.

Good to hear your gear worked when you needed it.

btw the hugger looks great.

Davin.

As has been said before by those already in the thread - glad you are OK!!! I am paranoid every time I see gravel like that ... and encountered some on a ride yesterday ... luckily it was a straight road and was able to gently pass over.

Remember, its just metal and can be replaced - you OTOH, cannot.

Looks like I need to check into BMW Roadside Assistance - have State Farm Insurance, however, not sure yet what my perks are going to be for the bike. Probably ought to call my Agent today and inquire

Anyway, keep smiling and hope you get it sorted out quickly.

Sorry to hear about the wipeout but ATGATT saved the day as usual.

The photos of the Y intersection you show are a good reminder for all of us to remember to be very careful when you see a setup like that on a roadway. There is always debris on the road, not always gravel, that can cause a slide-out like you experienced. Look at the mud tracks into the roadway. I got dumped with some very fine powder sand that was invisible in a puddle of water and caused a low-side body slam for me (new helmet time!) and some cracked ribs so I am very sensitive to roadway hazards.

One thing I learned early-on is to do the dirt bike thing when you hit stuff like this and feel the bike step out a bit: Nail it on the throttle. It usually sorts things out. Of course a change of underwear is sometime called for afterward ! Rolling off the gas and application of brakes in the turn probably caused the bike to destabilize and the loss of traction in your situation.

The best thing in most instances of an intersection like this is to slow way down and go through the bad area very slowly and upright with minimal lean angle. We have a lot of intersections like this, as well as some with hard 90 degree and 135 degree turns on LA-22 along one of our bayous. Many times when I ride that road I find bikers who have lost it on those turns due to gravel along the shoulder side and done spectacular high and low sides into the bayou due to excess speed and getting into the loose stuff with predictable results.

Let us know when you re-bike !

I'm glad to hear that you are OK. Sorry about your bike, but you can get another one.

Not much you can do when gravel takes your traction away.

Bill

Safe and sound. That's what matters.

But those pics are like a horror flick, I winced as I scrolled down.

The hugger is cool.