[VaDuc]

After 54,000 miles and nary a scratch on it, I managed to significantly lower my resale value this weekend.

Riding the Cherohala Skyway in Saturday morning, around 41-42 degrees, came around a shaded corner about 18 miles in and nothing but ice from edge to edge. Took about 0.005 seconds then end up on the ground sliding halfway down the hill until it finally hit the guard rail.

Once I got the bike upright, had to wait about 2 hours for the ice to melt to make it the rest of the way down the hill. A little bit of tape and I managed to bring all the parts home with me.

Looks like it is time to start shopping for some mirrors and handguards! Any experience with getting replacement tank fairings? Mine is pretty ground up.

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[GotRoad?]

You survived what could have gone horribly wrong when you slide into the guard rail. Sorry for your loss, but your bike's not so damaged that it can't be repaired and enjoyed for many a more mile. I love riding the Skyway, but man'o'man, a wreck or a breakdown near the middle is a long way from help. You were so lucky to be able to ride it away. Avoided a ticket too.

 

[shorton]

Suck! But good to know about icing hazard when above freezing anyway. North facing shaded slope no good. Glad you are ok. I’d have had to wait for help. I can’t get mine off the ground alone.

 

[Jeff_H]

I'm so sorry about your bike, but happy to read you are ok. Don't have any advice about parts, just wanted to pass on best wishes.

 

[Dukerdr]

Screw the bike, glad you're O.K.

A friend of mine left the roadway up there 10 years ago, and tore down a split rail fence with a Hayabusa.

He still walks with a limp from a useless right ankle now.
.

 

[t-bills]

Damn, glad I didn’t go ride Cherohala yesterday. I know it’s pretty late in the season, but I had convinced myself it would be ok.

I can’t remember if I still have a left body panel or not. I had a spare from my 2011 that had some minor scratches. If I have it, it’s in storage. I’ll check over the long weekend. If I have it, it’s your for shipping cost.

 

[dspear99ca]

Count your blessings, my friend. Looks like fairly minor damage in the big picture and most importantly the damage isn't to you. It is a bummer, though. I winterized and put my bike to bed, your story could have been mine last week as my ride took me into some shaded territory wtih a couple hundred metres of elevation gain and for awhile I was riding in a wheel path with slushy snow in the center of the lane. I figured it was time to put the bike away until spring.

 

[VaDuc]

Count your blessings, my friend. Looks like fairly minor damage in the big picture and most importantly the damage isn't to you. It is a bummer, though. I winterized and put my bike to bed, your story could have been mine last week as my ride took me into some shaded territory wtih a couple hundred metres of elevation gain and for awhile I was riding in a wheel path with slushy snow in the center of the lane. I figured it was time to put the bike away until spring.

I think the ice actually helped minimize a lot of potential damage. My center stand actually opened up while it was sliding around and the little foot peg on there that you used to push it down was facing the ground and actually dug in pretty good thankfully. If it wasn't for that center stand digging in it look like it could have probably slid all the way down the hill! So slippery that I couldn't even stand in place without sliding downhill!

It was a long ways down over that guardrail too. Thankful that was there!

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[VaDuc]

You survived what could have gone horribly wrong when you slide into the guard rail. Sorry for your loss, but your bike's not so damaged that it can't be repaired and enjoyed for many a more mile. I love riding the Skyway, but man'o'man, a wreck or a breakdown near the middle is a long way from help. You were so lucky to be able to ride it away. Avoided a ticket too.

Are they pretty heavy-handed with the tickets up there?

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[ncgt1000]

Sorry to hear that. Really glad you are OK. Fix the bike and keep riding it. Weather was really nice here yesterday!

 

[dspear99ca]

I think the ice actually helped minimize a lot of potential damage. My center stand actually opened up while it was sliding around and the little foot peg on there that you used to push it down was facing the ground and actually dug in pretty good thankfully. If it wasn't for that center stand digging in it look like it could have probably slid all the way down the hill! So slippery that I couldn't even stand in place without sliding downhill!

It was a long ways down over that guardrail too. Thankful that was there!

Ya, I had someone hit my two-week-old VW Golf as I was turning left from the right-most of two left turn lanes... the guy on my left (inside turn lane) decided to go straight. It was sheet ice, his bumper hit right in the middle of my rear hubcap and I just spun away. Zero damage other than a cracked hubcap. One of the few times I was glad it was icy, you're right ice has much less friction than dry pavement, that's for sure!

 

[t-bills]

Are they pretty heavy-handed with the tickets up there?

Nah. TN highway patrol and TN sheriffs never go up Cherohala. Graham county Sheriffs don’t go beyond Joyce Kilmer on any regular basis. You never see NCHP. The only regular patrol up there is US Forest Service. The few law enforcement USFS guys cover a lot of ground. They have bigger fish to fry, especially back deep in the hollows.

 

[VaDuc]

Damn, glad I didn’t go ride Cherohala yesterday. I know it’s pretty late in the season, but I had convinced myself it would be ok.

I can’t remember if I still have a left body panel or not. I had a spare from my 2011 that had some minor scratches. If I have it, it’s in storage. I’ll check over the long weekend. If I have it, it’s your for shipping cost.

That'd be awesome, let me know if it makes an appearance!

It was all clear besides that one major icy patch. Although I certainly was riding extremely cautiously after that until I got down some elevation and saw the temperature go up into the 50s!

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[Chuckracer]

Wow! I'll bet that was a long, long slide! Scary stuff...glad you're ok!
She's still pretty, now she's just...experienced!

 

[Multiplier]

Glad you made it out alright. I have a stock handlebar, stock levers, and stock belly pan if you need any of those things. Cover shipping and they're yours.

 

[DaveK]

Love the Cherohala Skyway... don't love riding below freezing.

You're not too beat up... that's what really matters.

 

[fipenna]

Glad to hear you're OK!

 

[rennsportmotorrad]

Count yourself lucky mate -I have a good friend who went down about 25 years ago --hit the guard rail. Lost a leg & both arms were damaged badly. He was a damn good painter, pinstripe & airbrush artist before the crash

 

[J.B.]

Oh no! I'm glad that you are okay!!

I had similar thing happened once, but in a car. The shaded bit of the corner looked exactly the same as the rest, but it was frozen solid. Went sideways, barely managed to held it together, but if the frozen bit lasted even a bit longer, I probably would have crashed hard.

 

[VaDuc]

Count yourself lucky mate -I have a good friend who went down about 25 years ago --hit the guard rail. Lost a leg & both arms were damaged badly. He was a damn good painter, pinstripe & airbrush artist before the crash

Wow, sometimes you just never know how close things can be to life changing!

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