[sweetleaf]

Hey - I just totalled my gixxer - K8 1000. I came into a turn a little too fast, decided on gearing down instead of lightly braking, (what I should have done...) and the rear locked up on me and down I went!
If it's supposed to have a slipper clutch, why did the rear lock up?

 

[oldgixxer]

Gravel.....

 

[sweetleaf]

No - no gravel.

 

[oldgixxer]

Did you buy this bike new or used? If used,can you confirm if the slipper has not been removed?

 

[sweetleaf]

I bought it used about a month ago. I cannot confirm if it's been removed or not at this time. Why would someone remove the slipper???

 

[oldgixxer]

Its a very common mod when dragracing to disable the OEM slipper by either welding it together or using a Brocks clutch mod. Have done it to 2 of my bikes.

 

[sweetleaf]

I'm quite certain that the guy I bought it off didn't do that. He didn't even know it had a K&N air filter installed... He bought it from a guy that only put 1500km on it and then sold it to him. I bought it off this dude when it had 10,500km on it.
Is it possible to down-shift too aggressively forcing the slipper clutch to fail? Or not do it's job?

 

[oldgixxer]

Well technically yeah;for example,if youre going 140mph in 6th and smash the shifter down repeatedly until 1st gear youre gonna lock it up(and smash your valves into your pistons). Its not fool proof. Your accident could have very well been caused by rider error

There is the chance the slipper could be so far out of adjustment that it wasnt working properly but I have never heard or seen such a scenario.

 

[sweetleaf]

Ok. Not the case! Lol
I was doing maybe 40 (miles right? I'm in Canada and I'm trying to do the conversion for you U.S. people ) and I think I was in 3rd and geared down to 2nd. It really really surprised the F*&K out of me - I didn't think it was going to do that - I was not aware it had a slipper cl. Hell I didn't even know what a slipper clutch was until after my crash!! (Which was 5 days ago!.)

 

[le skid]

I came into a turn a little too fast, decided on gearing down instead of lightly braking, (what I should have done...) and the rear locked up on me and down I went!

In almost all cases of a get-off when a rider 'thought' he/she was coming into a turn too quick, the bike CAN go through that turn much quicker. The rider is always the bottleneck, barring pro riders (and gravel :lol).

Judging by the vagueness of your observations (which suggest you're not a highly-experienced rider.... that's NOT an insult or jab in any way), it sounds like what you should have done was just commit and lean the bike into the turn.

Rear locked up? I'm fairly sure that's how you remember it but I'm more sure that you likely stomped the brake pedal while you were downshifting in a panic.

Shit happens fast when you shit your pants. Been there done that, 30 years ago.

 

[oldgixxer]

I think I was in 3rd and geared down to 2nd. It really really surprised the F*&K out of me - I didn't think it was going to do that - I was not aware it had a slipper cl. Hell I didn't even know what a slipper clutch was until after my crash!! (Which was 5 days ago!.)

This confuses me. If you were going 40-ish in 3rd(thats very low rpm's for that gear) and downshifted into 2nd,thats not going fast at all,and the rpm drop from 40-ish mph in 3rd to 2nd isnt much at all,not enough to lock up the rear even if the bike did not have a slipper.
But either way,I doubt the slipper would have even engaged at such a slow speed. It is designed to prevent wheel lock up or wheel hop during high rpm downshifting,or when downshifting more than one gear at a time which would subject the engine rpm to rise drastically and in turn lock up the wheel. This is a very *general* explanation on my part.

 

[Süsser Tod]

Considering that your bike can do 160km/h in 1st gear, 60km/h in 2nd gear is pretty down low in the RPMs; there is no way you locked up the rear wheel with that.

Let me see, according to gearing commander, that's about 4100rpms in 2nd gear or 3500rpms in 4rd gear, not a massive change in rpms to "lock" the rear wheel, if anything, it would just slide a bit as the wheel doesn't really "lock up" when you downshift.

Are you sure you didn't also use the rear brake?

Was it a highside or a lowside?

 

[oldgixxer]

Considering that your bike can do 160km/h in 1st gear, 60km/h in 2nd gear is pretty down low in the RPMs; there is no way you locked up the rear wheel with that.

Let me see, according to gearing commander, that's about 4100rpms in 2nd gear or 3500rpms in 4rd gear, not a massive change in rpms to "lock" the rear wheel, if anything, it would just slide a bit as the wheel doesn't really "lock up" when you downshift.

Exactly what I was thinking:thumbup

 

[sweetleaf]

Thanks for the responses guys.
I don't take anything personally - unless you make it so... Lol.
Thinking back, I might have been in 3rd and downshifted to 1st. I know I sound really vague. It happened so fast and I was really caught by surprise - because I wasn't panicking! I remember the thought going through my head as I came out of a right hand curve and readying for the left curve and "S" situation - not too tight but not sweeping either - oh there's a suburban coming at me, I think I'll have to lean a little less so as to not cut the corner too aggressively. I think I'll gear down instead of applying the brakes lightly - wham rear locks up. Low side down and over a steep embankment. U can barely see the skid mark from the rear - It might be the type of pavement but there wasn't much of a mark left behind.
As for experience, I don't have a ton with this type of bike but I've been riding since I'm 18 and I'm 55 now...
To be clear - I didn't panic. Also, my chicken strips are quite small - I shift my ass and lean - it's what I love best about riding this type of bike!!
Hope this helps...

 

[oldgixxer]

Well,hopefully you arent injured too badly and will buy another sportbike.:cheers

 

[le skid]

:cheers

 

[sweetleaf]

I'm lucky - I walked away - one bruise above my right hip. As for the bike, it did have collision coverage so I should get a cheque And yes, I've been looking for a replacement since then. A few at the top of my list that are available around here are: 2009 cbr1000rr Repsol with abs
2012 zx10r with abs and a 2010 gsxr1000 with full titanium akro exhaust or a R1 2010 LE edition - jeez they all claim they are "immaculate"....

 

[K5cpt]

I think your braking technique failed you and down you went. Emergency braking entering a corner requires standing bike up and braking hard with front brakes. Once you have slowed down release brakes and tip it in or run off with light braking force. Too much from rear via brake or engine will cause loss of traction.

You need weight transfer to rear wheel through a corner by means of a cracked open throttle. I suggest advanced riding lessons to ensure you don't experience this again.

 

[le skid]

A few at the top of my list that are available around here are: 2009 cbr1000rr Repsol with abs
2012 zx10r with abs and a 2010 gsxr1000 with full titanium akro exhaust or a R1 2010 LE edition - jeez they all claim they are "immaculate"....

You'll want to bring all of them to your mechanic to make sure nobody tries to slip one past you and remove the slipper :biggrin

 

[FastAndy]

Glad you are ok, a bike can be replaced or fixed, a spine or brain...not so easily.


Let me share some of the comments I chose to remember over the last 20 years:

Please remember that when you buy a supersports bike, it is pretty wise to go to different levels of training before taking it out and letting it rip on the twisties.

you have to learn fast and be careful.

A bike like the gixxer is not a toy, it can easily kill you if you dont know what you are doing.

The important thing is not to come home first, but to come home alive, that means you won.

Take care of your bike so it can take care of you when you most need it.

Dress for the slide, not for the ride.

And so on. Regardless of which bike you chose as your next, all these recommendations are still valid.