[Kyle-Simm98]

Hi, First post here so go a tad easy on me

I recently had a crash on my 125cc GSXR 2021 model in its beautiful red and black, Ive sorted out most of the major problems, changed the forks checked the frame, checked the wiring, got a new wheel on the way and sorted out the front brake,

the issue was caused by my front brake failing me as I lost traction on a corner at around 60 MPH I slammed on both brakes but ended up head first into a tree, breaking my collarbone and few ribs, I was saved by the gear,

however to avoid cost ive been fixing the bike myself, as noted above I changed the damaged parts and have new fairings on the way, Due to me taking apart the bike while I am/still recovering I can’t remember a few things and have a few questions.

1. I had a battery cover that went under my seat, I cannot for the life of me figure out how it went on and am questioning if it’s ‘important/needed’ or just a tick box.

2.Anything else on the front I should be worrying about on the bike that could cause issues.


And lastly I’m just looking for advice / Tips regarding getting my bike back to her glory, it’s causing me pain to see her like this and would love some tips to help me re fall in love with my bike.

pretty much give me some experienced biker knowledge to digest and help spruce up my bike.

 

[what?]

Glad you're relatively OK.
It's always better to lowside than run wide. This advice is for IF there is a next time.

Good luck!

 

[TwistedMister]

pics

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

pics

Photos of collar bone, Old forks, front twisted wheel and the front body, Note didn’t take any photos of my bike on date of accident as have no plans on making insurance aware + my phone that was in my pocket got whacked.

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

Friends took these

 

[2014wiringswitch]

Any part website is nice to check every bolt position and compare factory design:
model 2018, maybe others have newer:

Suzuki GSX-R125R(X) 2018 Spare Parts - MSP

Suzuki GSX-R125R(X) 2018 – buy all your parts now in just a few clicks from Europe’s number 1 genuine spare parts online retailer

www.motorcyclespareparts.eu

I can not find the battery box on these pictures bust sometimes they are hidden somewhere else.

Maybe replace steering stem bearings, they have taken a hit if fork bent, but can also do that later and see if the steering is a bit off.

Suzuki GSX-R125R(X) 2018 Steering Stem - MSP

Suzuki GSX-R125R(X) 2018 Steering Stem - order parts in just a few clicks from Europe’s number 1 genuine spare parts online retailer

www.motorcyclespareparts.eu

Maybe get the "new" frontwheel balanced without tire, then with tire.

 

[BillV]

"sorted out the front brake...front brake failing me"
The front brake didn't work for some reason? If so, what was wrong with it?

It may be hard do find right now but a service manual would be a big help.

 

[ThatLad]

Hey there buddy!

Glad to hear that you are recovering from this horrid crash! My advice would be to get your hands on a service manual for your bike ASAP, so you have thew proper torque specs for all the parts and bits! Also make sure you check out the master bearing in the steering stem. When i look at your fork id say i would replace and inspect the stem bearings just for my peace of mind, since your triple clamp is out anyway, replace the main steering tube and bearings, forks obviously anyway but also make sure you check your frame's heads and lower welds for cracks. Remove the tank and check them inside out if possible even with a crack detection spray! (you can find kits on amazon for cheap its just a cleaner, primer and developer that sucks into cracks and after development you see them clear visually, if you cant find them look up engine crack finding) If you see a crack get it welded if its just localized or a new frame if its really shot.... Remember its "only" a 125 but it can still cost you your life. Looking at the damage you need a whole new front end including rim, stems, stemtube, bearings and dont forget to check your clutch/brake system it could be cracked or damaged. If you are not sure about your brakes get them checked out by a friend /mechanic/machinist you trust and who knows his stuff, hes gonna know what to look for in terms of material failure or weak/damaged links.

hope it all works out and bless you on your recovery mate!

Edit: Also use atleast low or better mid grade loctite on brake/caliper bolts, stem clamp bolts, frame bolts and handle bar bolts. After you figured out your prefered position.(Not the main axle tho) Less is more but the vibrations get those named loose i learned the hard way on my first race bike. Yeah maybe it was a rattly POS but i still do it to this day lol

Greets

That_A_Lad

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

"sorted out the front brake...front brake failing me"
The front brake didn't work for some reason? If so, what was wrong with it?

It may be hard do find right now but a service manual would be a big help.

Brake refused to engage for whatever reason looked it over and it looked like I had one heck of an air bubble in the loop but I’ve got a fresh loop and new pads now so hopefully all sorted, feels better than before

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

Any part website is nice to check every bolt position and compare factory design:
model 2018, maybe others have newer:

Suzuki GSX-R125R(X) 2018 Spare Parts - MSP

Suzuki GSX-R125R(X) 2018 – buy all your parts now in just a few clicks from Europe’s number 1 genuine spare parts online retailer

www.motorcyclespareparts.eu

I can not find the battery box on these pictures bust sometimes they are hidden somewhere else.

Maybe get the "new" frontwheel balanced without tire, then with tire.

Steering seems fine it’s got a weird wobble on the wheel like it goes left to right and doesn’t stay straight like I pissed driver,
I’ve ordered new rim as that appeared to be the problem
Battery is under my seat it just has a rubber throw over it that I can’t figure out how to re attach.

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

Hey there buddy!

Glad to hear that you are recovering from this horrid crash! My advice would be to get your hands on a service manual for your bike ASAP, so you have thew proper torque specs for all the parts and bits! Also make sure you check out the master bearing in the steering stem. When i look at your fork id say i would replace and inspect the stem bearings just for my peace of mind, since your triple clamp is out anyway, replace the main steering tube and bearings, forks obviously anyway but also make sure you check your frame's heads and lower welds for cracks. Remove the tank and check them inside out if possible even with a crack detection spray! (you can find kits on amazon for cheap its just a cleaner, primer and developer that sucks into cracks and after development you see them clear visually, if you cant find them look up engine crack finding) If you see a crack get it welded if its just localized or a new frame if its really shot.... Remember its "only" a 125 but it can still cost you your life. Looking at the damage you need a whole new front end including rim, stems, stemtube, bearings and dont forget to check your clutch/brake system it could be cracked or damaged. If you are not sure about your brakes get them checked out by a friend /mechanic/machinist you trust and who knows his stuff, hes gonna know what to look for in terms of material failure or weak/damaged links.

hope it all works out and bless you on your recovery mate!

Edit: Also use atleast low or better mid grade loctite on brake/caliper bolts, stem clamp bolts, frame bolts and handle bar bolts. After you figured out your prefered position.(Not the main axle tho) Less is more but the vibrations get those named loose i learned the hard way on my first race bike. Yeah maybe it was a rattly POS but i still do it to this day lol

Greets

That_A_Lad

many thanks for all your amazing advice / tips,

will definitely be more cautious on my little ‘125’
Even though she’s little she reaches 80 and I’m sure that’s more than enough to kill me, heck the tree tried it’s best!

The gearbox appears to not be finding gears as easy and finding false gears and making a bit more of a clunk than I’m used to when it drops into gear, Any clue what could be causing this, as I’m hoping my gearbox is still good.

 

[craigfer63]

Was your gear lever bent ? Try adjusting your gear lever height .

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

Ok I’m on

Was your gear lever bent ? Try adjusting your gear lever height .

brilliant stuff, adjusted the height and spotted a slight bend in the rod, managed to straighten it out with some persuasion, and she’s back to shifting gears!

 

[what?]

Kyle, Kyle, Kyle- I'm assuming you are younger and being on a '125'. Not that there's anything wrong with that! LOL

I guess What I'm saying is- I'd/we'd like to see you live a long healthy life and be and old man like me.

Some of your statement in your OP kinda confuse an old man like me and need some clarification:

" the issue was caused by my front brake failing me as I lost traction on a corner at around 60 MPH I slammed on both brakes but ended up head first into a tree, breaking my collarbone and few ribs, I was saved by the gear, "


the issue was caused by my front brake failing me- How so? A brake should never 'fail', especially on a newer bike like yours.

as I lost traction on a corner at around 60 MPH- OK, were you loosing the front, the rear, both? Tight turn? Sweeper, large radius? the 60mph- meh, that's OK unless you were in fact going too fast to make the turn proper.

I slammed on both brakes but ended up head first into a tree, breaking my collarbone and few ribs, If you were in fact down low in a corner- slamming on the rear, and somewhat the front could put you down for sure. You can actually see yourself about to slam into a tree and make adjustment as you're coming off the bike to miss the tree. Don't ask me how I know LOL
The bones will heal, glad you're kinda OK, and will be OK.
Kudos to wearing some gear! 'Dress for the slide, not the ride' ?

I'm not trying to bust your eggs here. You're going about this as if you have some good sense.
Many people have made a mistake/crash similar to this. Don't ask me how I know.
Learn from it, continue honing your riding skills slowly, learn from it. Why do some lessons hurt so bad? LOL
You have time

 

[Kyle-Simm98]

Kyle, Kyle, Kyle- I'm assuming you are younger and being on a '125'. Not that there's anything wrong with that! LOL

I guess What I'm saying is- I'd/we'd like to see you live a long healthy life and be and old man like me.

Some of your statement in your OP kinda confuse an old man like me and need some clarification:

" the issue was caused by my front brake failing me as I lost traction on a corner at around 60 MPH I slammed on both brakes but ended up head first into a tree, breaking my collarbone and few ribs, I was saved by the gear, "


the issue was caused by my front brake failing me- How so? A brake should never 'fail', especially on a newer bike like yours.

as I lost traction on a corner at around 60 MPH- OK, were you loosing the front, the rear, both? Tight turn? Sweeper, large radius? the 60mph- meh, that's OK unless you were in fact going too fast to make the turn proper.

I slammed on both brakes but ended up head first into a tree, breaking my collarbone and few ribs, If you were in fact down low in a corner- slamming on the rear, and somewhat the front could put you down for sure. You can actually see yourself about to slam into a tree and make adjustment as you're coming off the bike to miss the tree. Don't ask me how I know LOL
The bones will heal, glad you're kinda OK, and will be OK.
Kudos to wearing some gear! 'Dress for the slide, not the ride' ?

I'm not trying to bust your eggs here. You're going about this as if you have some good sense.
Many people have made a mistake/crash similar to this. Don't ask me how I know.
Learn from it, continue honing your riding skills slowly, learn from it. Why do some lessons hurt so bad? LOL
You have time

I’d just over took a corner on an unknown road didnt spot the bend, can’t really remember much of the accident other than me slamming on my breaks the back on actually snapped at the pedal, and the front bent past the handle bars guess I grabbed too hard, and they ended up not slowing me down at all,

by the time I’d tucked back in after the car I was right before the corner and hit a metal grate in the road that slammed me into the pavement throwing me off a little then I just tried to correct the corner but lost all control in a wobble and hit the tree.

god dam it hurts but sitting on the bike as I fix it up makes it feel better.

And yes only on a 125, was due to upgrade to a 750f but holding off on that after this accident as I feel I perhaps need more experience, stated by the doctors my helmet saved my life as where I hit would have snapped my neck clean, and the shoulder pad cushioned my arm impact making it so my arm was still inside me to some degree.

prepare for the worst hope for the best,
All I could think in hospital was what would have happened if I had no gear on (the doctors said I’d be dead in many ways without it)

Unfortunately the gear is totalled and I’m in debt, but I’m alive to see my mrs in the morning

 

[what?]

Heal well!

 

[TwistedMister]

welp, buncha things here, NEVER use your rear brake in a turn lent over nothing more than feathering to change up geometry and for Gods sake never lock up either brake, ever, find a large parking lot and find your limits, wet and dry, know them..

you panicked, never panic! ride it all the way to the end with total control regardless, may be the difference..

I suggest you find a local road racing school and take a few courses to get you thinking properly, these 125's can take 25 mph turns at near 100 mph, thats near their top speed..

always look where you are going, find the good line and look deep into the corner and let the bike do the rest, sorry you busted up your bike but they can be fixed, its your body you need to worry about here..

when your on strange roads do you pay attention to corner speed signs? they are a good indication of the speed you're capable of going and they post them in plenty of time to get up or down to speed, of course they never let you know if the radius is decreasing why its keen to save 20-30% in case of on strange roads.. with a lil 125 and top grip compound one can usually work around decreasing so forth as they're such a nimble light bike, typically you have your way with corners on these bikes, hale stand the bike up, scrub an enormous amount of speed then slam her back down in split seconds, they don't weigh anything and the road is so big on these little weights, basically bicycles with engines.. lol

the fact you do not know or remember exactly what happened speaks volumes and means you need to go out and get on the track with some instruction and get up to speed, both knowledge and skill, so you never have this happen again..

it's crucial to know what's going on at all times, what's happening, what you did exactly and what exactly went wrong, every foot of the way, this way you can mull over options like what could I have done once I realized I was in trouble, what would i do if I founds myself in the same situation again? what can I do to avoid this situation again? so on so forth..

make sure your bike is 110% mechanically, and compounds are the best available for your style and conditions, max grip always.. "longevity" is for touring bikes..

glad you're here to tell the tale, get off sounds hairy... healing is a good time to watch instructional videos so forth, even a riders safety course is worthy..

once your ready again, go find a good large quiet spot and practice! maybe set up cones to mock up turns, decreasing radius increasing radius, chicanes so forth, practice, it's all doable all about knowledge and skill, I spent hours and hours in parking lots at the big building everett boeing, working out certain scenarios, braking, wet riding and I believed it helped a lot, they have a riders safety course and I borrow their markings on the tarmac and practice for hours..

most towns and cities have these and usually at least one DMV motorcycle testing area, they mark the pavement so they know where to put the cones, use that layout, any riding is good practice to build on, maybe start slow increase speed, shorten braking distances so forth, learn and pay attention to how you grab the lever, never just grab it and slam it in, I always set the pads then slowly increase, a sudden grip of brakes can upset the suspension and lose grip, learn smooth, everything smooth, turn in, acceleration, braking...

lotta guys want to exit a turn and just whack it WOT, that does no good, the engine can only rev up so fast so gradually increasing throttle at teh same rate the bike is capable of accelerating lends to more control, you wont know how or why until the situation arises but many times you need to just decrease or level out acceleration, if your WOT it's not that easy to roll off and find that spot where you are leveling out or slightly decreasing, however if that spot it just stop twisting or let off a smidge that happens with pinpoint precision much quicker and you don't find yourself chopping the throttle then maybe have engine braking play a role in something negative.. all good stuff practice practice practice and riding schools can get you up to speed in a controlled environment to build your confidence, knowledge, skill, trust, and find your equipments limits as well...