[ST] ST totaled

[Blake Sobiloff <sobiloff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, as Marc Danziger politely alluded to in a post a while ago, I 
lost the back end of my 2000 ST while going around a dirty, off-camber, 
descending left-hand turn.  I couldn't have been going more than 25 
MPH, but the rear end couldn't handle my transition from off-throttle 
on neutral-throttle.  (And I thought I was pretty smoov wit dat!)  It 
was my first drop ever on the street--over 50,000 accident-free miles 
until then.

While I escaped unscathed, my bike got bunged up a bit: shift lever and 
linkage were twisted, the left-side bag popped off, and my SkyKing 
frame slider was chewed up and a bit bent.  I hadn't replaced the left 
side body panel since I low-sided during a track day over a year ago; 
the bike actually looks OK without it, and at this point in my life I'd 
rather pay off some debt than have a pretty bike.  So, no further body 
damage occurred.

A few zip ties and some choice language later I was able to get the 
bike into second (and later third) and ride the couple of hours it took 
to get home without further incident.  Over the next few weeks I 
ordered new parts (shifter and frame sliders), and replaced my 
Aerostitch Darien after Aerostitch declared my old Darien totally worn 
out.  (The Darien got two holes in it, each the size of a dime; one on 
the left elbow and one on the left knee.)

This evening I went down to the garage to slap on the new parts, and as 
I was removing the old frame slider I saw this:

	<http://home.mindspring.com/~sobiloff/ST_engine_mount.jpeg>

The black metal with the silver fissure is the left upper-front engine 
mount.  More choice language!!!

At this point I'm assuming that my bike is totaled.  (Anyone offer any 
ideas to the contrary?)

This also becomes the second ST I know of whose frame or engine mount 
was broken by a frame slider during a low speed fall.  Brian D's ST had 
a GSG Moku frame slider installed when he lost the back-end while 
turning from a side street onto a main street.  I don't think either 
one of us blame the slider, but from the evidence I've seen it seems 
that the engine mounting points on an ST/RS are NOT strong enough to 
act as good mounting points for frame sliders.

Its curious that both of our falls were low speed ones where we lost 
the rear end.  I wonder if there's something about that kind of fall 
that is different from a high speed one, or one where the front tucks, 
to exploit a weakness in the engine mounts.  Certainly others on the 
list have dropped their bikes and had the frame sliders not cause any 
damage to the engine mounts, so you can't universally say that frame 
sliders break frames.  But, it does seem that the particular kind of 
fall Brian and I experienced poses significant risks.

Well, enough idle speculation.  I need to figure out if I'm going to 
report this to my insurance company, or try to dispose of the bike some 
other way.  (Suggestions?)  I'm going to go consult a wise old bottle 
of single malt scotch and see if it has any answers.

Sign me "Really Bummed in California".
- --
Blake Sobiloff <sobiloff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
San Mateo, CA (USA)


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End of st-digest V2004 #609
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