I Had a Close Call! Shock Failure!

[Latrappe]

Hello Fellow Spyder lovers.

I had a very close call last Sunday with the attached Video you will see that I nearly went over the edge of about 800m drop, what the video does not show is me having the handlebars fully to the right as I was bouncing over the road because of image stabilization.

As you see by the speed, I was travelling around 40KPH about 24 MPH that this should have not happened, but what I found after is dried oil on my left-hand shock absorber, what I believe happened is that I hit bumps in the road as I was turning right to go around the corner causing the Spyder to bounce over the road to the left, giving me a huge scare big enough to have my eye balls bounce off of the helmet visor let alone having to change my diapers and have 1/2 a dozen beers.

What I have also noticed is previously is going around right hand twisties the nanny is starting to kick in where it has never done before, that in itself is a lesson learnt, pay attention your bike is telling you something, I am under the belief it is the left shock failing again you won't see the bike drop to the left as I commit to the corner and yes I do lean forward toward the direction I turn and Push Pull.

Apart from having a bruised Ego everything is ok I also think if it was not for BAJA Rons sway bar it probably would have been worse yes, I know we all have moments whether it be inattention or loss of concentration but read the road and if you bike is trying to tell you something like doing things it has never done before have a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtnzyIRoufA

[2dogs]

Looks like you over shot your turn.

[Bfromla]

Glad are ok & able to share.(now sarcastically yank if you will ) If you were driving on the Right side of roadbeen avoidable all together

Does look like some nice riding

[Mikey]

There are all kinds of stuff I would like to say about this video, but I won't, but, what I will say is I am glad for you that you were only going the speed you were!!! Years ago, when my daughter was growing up and I gave her, her first sled, I would tell her, don't over drive your vision, or your equipment. I always tried to set up her sleds to the best of my ability, the rest was up to her judgment. Know your equipment and its limitation's. Be safe!!!!

[Latrappe]

There are all kinds of stuff I would like to say about this video, but I won't, but, what I will say is I am glad for you that you were only going the speed you were!!! Years ago, when my daughter was growing up and I gave her, her first sled, I would tell her, don't over drive your vision, or your equipment. I always tried to set up her sleds to the best of my ability, the rest was up to her judgment. Know your equipment and its limitation's. Be safe!!!!

I hear you load and clear Mikey, here is another clip same hill different day and I went up even quicker then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoWbe0QR9EA

[JayBros]

I found it interesting watching the first video in that you had forewarned us of your speed, because I don't watch many of them and had I not known how fast you were going I would have assumed a higher speed. As the great Sterling Moss said, "Better to go into a corner slow and come out fast than to go in fast and come out dead."

[2dogs]

Glad are ok & able to share.(now sarcastically yank if you will ) If you were driving on the Right side of roadbeen avoidable all together

Does look like some nice riding

Don't forget he's down under. They all drive on the wrong side of the road down there. They can't help it those are the rules they must follow. Yes, glad he ok.

[2dogs]

I hear you load and clear Mikey, here is another clip same hill different day and I went up even quicker then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoWbe0QR9EA

Much, much safer! Good video, but I'd like to see a roo or two.

[Peteoz]

Much, much safer! Good video, but I'd like to see a roo or two.

The roos are much too smart to come out in daylight, 2Dogs. You might see them coming. Once they have made up their mind to commit suicide, they wait until dusk (or night), when they are much harder to see. They then get out their satellite photography maps and find an area where the tall grass has been allowed to grow to 5 feet, and settle down to wait. As soon as they see you coming, they hold their breath so as not to give their position away, use their protractor and calculator to determine the most damaging place to land in front of you, and time their single leap to perfection to ensure you have no time to react. Cunning little devils……well, maybe not so little…some of them are 6’ tall and built like Arnie

Pete

[2dogs]

The dam deer up here seem to do the same thing. The only way you can safely avoid them is to slow the hell down and look for the reflection of your headlights from their eyes otherwise you can't see them. Sometimes cars can run interference for you and hit them before you get to them.

[Bfromla]

Don't forget he's down under. They all drive on the wrong side of the road down there. They can't help it those are the rules they must follow. Yes, glad he ok.

Hence : (now sarcastically yank if you will )

[2dogs]

Always wondered if it was a little spooky for you folks when people from the U.S. come down to visit and rent cars to drive around in. I know I'd be scared because of the kind of drivers we have up here. That isn't being sarcastic, that's just the truth of it.

[Cobwebs]

What's that noise you hear during the out of control bit??

[Peter Aawen]

What's that noise you hear during the out of control bit??

That's the ABS/Nanny doing its thing - the failed shock set him up perfectly for a launch off the edge of the road followed by a loooong drop

Only his quick thinking, reaction, and the Nanny intervened and together, managed to foil that little plan!

You gotta be lucky sometimes, even with some Divine Intervention... but it sure helps to be alert and have a Nanny that does work on your side too!

[Latrappe]

Apart from the ABS and Nanny, I think one of the noises was me dirtying my pants and no, I have not been out on it since been raining cats and dogs here (with a few drop bears and killer kangaroo's) since Monday so most of the exit roads are flooded.
I also admit having a few stiff drinks after as well.

[Mikey]

So, let's get back to the shock! Was it blowen out or was the oil you say on the shock just the small film you always see on the shock stem? How old are they?

[Latrappe]

So, let's get back to the shock! Was it blowen out or was the oil you say on the shock just the small film you always see on the shock stem? How old are they?

Hi, Mikey the oil residue on the shock not the stem, they are the original shocks on the bike being 2018 model which I bought in 2019, age wise 5 years but how old were the shocks before they put them on the bike??

[Texas Al]

Glad no-one got hurt. But bad things happen when you drive on the wrong side of the road!! ha ha

[Latrappe]

Hello Guys,

A while back I put up this Vlog about my close call and mentioned that my left front shock was on the way out, I ended up replacing the shocks with Wilbers, here's a picture of the left front. The right front was clean as...

Left Front.jpg

I will add more shots later.

[Snoking1127]

So having had steering issues recently! Did you actually have the steering turned for a tighter turn then going off the highside of the corner, or did the steering lock and not want to turn more to the right???? Which is a bit similar to the issues I was having. My issue more or less repeated a handful + of times. I had the feeling of binding in the steering. I am not sure what caused it! I replaced the right hand lower ball joint, unplugged the cable at the DPS and sprayed both sides for the connection with contact cleaner and then replace the other side lower ball joint. Problem has not returned.

What caught my attention was you did not stop and look things over, despite "giving me a huge scare" but continued to push on!

Here is a link to my thread. https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...nny-takes-over

What I was having occurred so quickly that I had a bit of a problem replaying what happened. Issue went away as quickly as it occurred. I rode very carefully for a couple weeks while working through the issues I was having. Luckily none of the times my steering seem to lock caused me to run off the road, or I would have parked it.

I replayed what happen in the early times in my mind over and over again, to come to the conclusion that the DPS was failing and locking up or something in the steering was binding.

I hope you get to the bottom of your issue, however I do not think the shock was your issue. Watching the video repeatedly, if the camera is mounted to the trike, it appears that the trike just headed straight to the side of the road, which is what my steering lock up would have caused. Steering was hard over or steering locked and not letting you turn more????

[JohnRuckus]

Poopy pants for sure. Glad you made it through. I probably would have said my prayers, took some vitamins, and walked home.
A lot of luck, divine intervention, skill, and technology can be a life saver

[Raven]

Some days you are "Good."
Some days you are "Lucky".
Some days you are "Good and Lucky"
Glad you came out OK

[Latrappe]

Hello guys, I have now got new shocks the is riding better than when it was new, I also put a RLS cat delete on (now it no longer sounds like a sewing machine) and fitted floating rotors.

Rear.jpg Front Left.jpg New Rotor.jpg

Now I have to wait for this wet weather to disappear, then I can get some wind therapy - not that I mind riding when it is wet!

Here is a Photo of the offending shock

Old left front.jpg