Dragon Claimed Another

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Jgrazjgraz

How,why did that happen?! What the hec did he do wrong? Not enough lean?didnt look through the curve?
Scary stuff!

The rider was too busy showing off for the camera.

[Sin City Stan]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

The rider was too busy showing off for the camera.

That's the way I see it.

[Yellow Jacket]

It looks like his brake light doesn't come on until picture #15. By then he is across the yellow line and almost completely out of his lean. The bike can do nothing except go straight at the vette. In picture #16 it looks like the brake light is off again. Picture #17 & #18 brake light on. The vette is doing his best to get off the road, but not enough time.

I wouldn't say he was "showing off" for the camera. He was just waving. I've seen photos of riders that were really "showing off."

Regardless, he wasn't focused on what he should have been focused on, and that is watching the road and where you're going.

Sure looks like he dove into the turn, hit the pegs and instinctively tried to correct.

From that point it all went to hell for him.

Instinct doesn't always make you do the right thing.

I hope he wasn't injured badly.

[Top Cat]

Look at that front wheel in pic 19, there is nothing left inside it and it is still perfectly round.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Look at that front wheel in pic 19, there is nothing left inside it and it is still perfectly round.

The spokes broke out. I bet it's designed that way.

[ponch]

He should have kept dragging hard parts, he would have been better off. Of course it would have helped if he used the brakes too. One thing I noticed is that there are some frames missing after he made contact with the vette.

[fish]

waiving to the camera, maybe showing off, scrapping floor boards got startled and came up from his lean. end of story, my 2 cents

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by ponch

He should have kept dragging hard parts, he would have been better off. Of course it would have helped if he used the brakes too. One thing I noticed is that there are some frames missing after he made contact with the vette.

I happen to know the photographer has either quit taking pictures by that time or hides the pictures shortly after an impact. Not sure which; but it is at the same point in a bunch of his "accident" pictures where he cuts the pictures-off on that corner.

Like I said before, that corner takes-out a bunch of riders -- mostly going in that direction.

For those that ride the Dragon a lot, you know what corner this is. I remember it very well; and only rode it once in that direction. You just come out of an opposite curve, then basically go straight for a short-bit; and then all of a sudden the road takes a sharp turn to the right and tightens fast -- which is why a lot of riders cross the line there. Especially if they are distracted or simply not paying attention to the road.

Clearly the rider took his eyes off the portion of the road where he needed to go, thus he ran right into what he was looking at -- the vet.

Trip... I also hope that vet didn't have any sentimental value. Geez... the poor guy. But then again... if you are going to ride/drive on the Dragon you do so knowing you might get in an accident.

I agree that the photographer being there doesn't help.

Looking at the pictures, it is easy to forget the whole episode didn't take but seconds to occur...

[Corigan]

I am up on the dragon all the time (was up there last weekend, and will be up there in about 15 hrs from now). I see people showboating for the camera all the time. Those are the corners I am extra cautious on. I will never even look in the direction of the photographer. These are blind tight turns where they setup shop. Lots of idiots up on the dragon. It never seizes to amaze me. We call it "The show". Sometimes going up there and watching the people is alot more fun than the ride itself.

[cactusjack]

I like to watch the videos rnickeymouse posts on Youtube. Same deal, he sets up on a particular stretch of the Mulholland in the mountains near Los Angeles and films. Lots of riders looking at the camera instead of at the highway and they crash.

It's also amazing how many of them try to put their foot down on the low side. That's a recipe for disaster.

[scott2007nomad]

when you brake in a turn, your path with try to straighten.
Learned that in MSF class

[yoda]

Saw a link for a Vette forum where the driver posted. He said the TBird rider had maybe a broken wrist and some rash, but he was thinking the Corvette may be totaled due to the airbag deployment, cowl damage, as well as the obvious fender and windsheild. 01 with over 100,000 miles.
I just read that the oil from this crash may have contributed to a more serious one. This crash was at 1pm, at 3:30 a bike came around the turn, spun out on the oil, and dropped off the side of the road. Took an hour to get him back up the to the road and then medivac'd to the hospital. Really broken up.
I've only ridden the dragon a couple times, but it definitely isn't a road for someone not paying attention!

[Ghost]

I haven't ridden the Dragon. However the biggest thing I just learned was, if there's a photographer on the corner, it's a corner that get's lots of crashes. Might want to slow down and really pay attention!

[happywanderer]

From stromtrooper forum the guy in the second crash ( caused by fluids not cleaned off the road) is in really bad shape.

I want to ride the dragon. But i know many more technically challenging roads in the US that ill be riding now instead. Just isnt worth risking my safety because of other unskilled riders.

[trip]

I've slayed the dragon three times in my lifetime. Plan on slaying a few more times. At 318 curves in 11 miles, just paying attention is a big understatement.