Friendly reminder...strap it DOWN!!!

[brodzowski]

So after getting the 400 all dolled up and ready to ride the last couple of weeks, my dad has a small trailer that wont quite fit a quad in the rails sideways. We put his raptor next to mine side by side on it. We've been doing it for years. Usually put one strap from the front bumper or frame to the opposite rail and then put one on the a-arms straight down to the trailer rail. Always worked fine. Well this time I was confident that the one strap from front to back would hold.

It didn't.

Going down the highway at 55 the wind literally broke the strap and lifted this 300 plus pound quad straight up and over, high enough to completely clear the raptor and back gate and barrel rolled down the highway. It was a sickening feeling. We threw it up in the back of my dad's truck and took turns riding the raptor all weekend.

Moral? You can NEVER be too sure. 400 dollars on ebay and I'll be back in business due to my extra parts in the garage too, but please remember there are forces beyond your wildest dreams. Never thought I'd see a quad fly under NO power.



As for the damage.....
After I got home it looks like the left front wheel took the brunt of the hit. It had AC nerfs on it which bent upwards a little and twisted the footpeg. After bouncing on it with my 250 lb lardass it came back to where it was. The wheel was destroyed. So bent that it wouldn't turn on the spindle. (Had a new set of douglas' with new holeshots from the 250r) Bent the tie rod severely. Probably 50 to 60 degrees. (Had one left over from the "R" luckily that bolted right up) Bent the lower control arm. Has a nasty kink in it and lastly bent the steering stem.
I can attest to just how strong Pro Tapers are now. There's no crossbar on my set and it hit them hard enough to put a good bend in the stem but the handle bars are as straight as they came. Amazing.

She'll be back soon.

[hondaracer_34]

That sucks bro. I couldn't imagine what i would do if i seen my 450 flyin in the air going down the road..probably S**t myself!

[honda400ex2003]

That sucks dude. I always have 4 per machine no matter if it a 5 mile trip or 500 miles. They have not moved yet knock on wood. steve

[crxjarred]

lol this same thing happend with me when i was transporting my blown up blaster too my gf house se me and her dad could work on it and the strap broke and it just fell off and jumped an imbankment and bend the rim and thats all it did but lucklay nobody was on the other side of the road or woulda be big trouble lol

[tyman2395]

almost same thing happened to me but the trailer just came off. We were going to the camp with the 300 4x4 (good little bike) and we had it on an old trailer which was homemade so there was just the bar going to the trailer hitch. so anyways we were going on an old bumpy road which was really bad the trailer must have come loose cause once we got on the main road ( smooth as can be) it got easier to pull real easier. so we looked back and the trailer was off so we turned around and found the trailer almost in the ditch like the front part was hanging over. We were going like 80kms when it happened so we were pretty lucky lol

[matt14c]

In Michigan you can be pulled over at any time and must have at least two straps on if in the bed of a truck or in enclosed trailer or trailer with sides and must have three straps on each unit if on a flatbed trailer or trailer without sides and back. It is a $45 dollar fine for each strap missing. I was pulled over once with the quad in my truck and only had one on the front bumper with the tailgate up and luckily I was just giving a warning.

[trailrider894]

pics?!??!?!?!?!?

[davidw2155]

Originally posted by trailrider894
pics?!??!?!?!?!?

That really sucks man. I've seen some pics of quads that have fallen out of the back of trucks before, lets see how yours compare. But hopefully your misfortune will teach some other people about what can happen.

[k4f5x0r]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRp3Roz6grk&feature=PlayList&p=C0D49B79AD18DD20&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=24

reminded me of that LOL

[mittman]

wow that sucks normally if im going 5 mile or so I dont strap my bike it fits perfect in my dakota but any further and I will at least put a strap threw the front bumper

[RoadRage77]

Yo.. just be lucky the Big Rig wasnt on your ***.. That sucka would be done fo sho.. But you should always check your load a few mins into the ride. and then like another 20miles... better safe then sorry.. Be lucky you didnt have a family mom with a van full of kids in there.. coulda killed them all. Always gotta check your stuff. Well, hope you get her all back together.. that really does suck though..

[deathcorefan2]

i know what bars im buying next are...wow.

[ae13291]

my quad fits perfect in our 06 frontier, all i do is pull the e brake and thats it.

[brodzowski]

Originally posted by trailrider894
pics?!??!?!?!?!?

Well honestly, as soon as I got home, the wife helped me get her torn down so that I could assess the damage. It was more impressive when it was all attached, but I suppose I could go shoot a few pix of the bent carnage. I'll have to remember that next time. I'll be back.

[honda400ex2003]

i wish I could get my girlfriend to help me tear mine apart she just says it is a beater and asks why i tear it apart to look at it. She is clueless. steve

[brodzowski]

Some women just don't get it Steve, lol. Sorry to hear it. Met my wife at the Sprint Car races and knew she didn't have any issues with dirt under her fingernails. Pretty proud of her.

Sorry if the pix are suspect. I didn't have the card for my camera, so I used the camcorder. Like I said, not as dramatic as seeing it all together, but....you asked ;)

The current state of affairs.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/066.jpg

The bars that survived and the stem that didn't.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/067.jpg

Another shot from the front to back angle. They bent both ways.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/069.jpg

Couple shots of the a-arm kink.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/070.jpg
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/071.jpg

The nice tie rod.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/072.jpg

You can kind of see a little bit of the twist in the foot peg still, but I bent them back out with my lard butt hoppin on the corner. I think I'm ok with it's current status. I don't think I'll take this apart. Shadetree fixed. The next pic is the corner where the nerfs were actually hit. Can't really see the scuffs because of the flash but they're there. I'd say they were bent up about 6-8 inches.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/073.jpg
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/074.jpg

Back wheel still usable.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/075.jpg

Front wheel that took the brunt of the hit.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/076.jpg
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/077.jpg

The other front wheel only got a few scuffs.
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/078.jpg


There ya go. My first carnage pix and they weren't even from riding! :mad:

[mittman]

Doesnt look too bad btw nice yellow stang

[RaceinCircles]

Wanna sell the fox that you are using for a tool bench?! lol I've been looking for one to fix up and throw a stroker kit in... Yellow stangs a 6'r isnt it?

[brodzowski]

As a matter of fact I do. It's been on those jack stands for 5 years now and it's pretty much a roller at this point. It's an 87 vert converted to mass air though it's missing alot of parts right now. Ran when I parked it. Was the recipient of a hail storm and was to be a race project when I bought the yellow mach 1 as a daily driver. Other interests have never gotten that project off the ground. It has a set of 4 lug cobra Rs and was beautiful at one time. Tranny is out of it Though it's laying on the floor. A 5 speed tremec. No exhaust....sold. And I sold my mass air to a buddy that need one. Put the seats in my jeep before I sold it because I was planning on putting in race seats after I gutted the interior. Other knicknacks too like clear tails and the saleen wing. It's not worth alot as she sits and can't be driven, but if you wanted to come pick her up and give her a good new home it would make me proud to see it driven again.

Pix of her in her prime.


http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/87vert.jpg
http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt230/brodzowski/87vert2.jpg

[F150 Rider]

man that was one wild ride lol! glad you were able to fix it and nobody got hurt behind yall when it came off.

[sc400ex_rider]

dam it looks like you need 3 rims a stem and a lower control arm. thats gonna cost you. where are you located at?

[brodzowski]

I'm in Burlington, IA. It's the very SE corner. I have a couple of douglas rims with brand new holeshots from my previous 250r. I think they'll fit if I'm not mistaken. I bought the stem and a set of 2006 a-arms that looked good on ebay. 160 shipped on arms and 70 shipped on the stem that is a NIB oem honda stem. I'm grateful. Could have been a hell of a lot worse.

[400ex28]

Wow that sucks! I always strap mine down good.

[honda400ex2003]

that sucks man. steve

[RaceinCircles]

Check your Pm's! I'm looking for good looking roller and am only in the QC. I'd love to make that car beautiful again :)

[mittman]

I dont think you will spend as much a you think you will. When my dad messed up his bike he though about 800-1,000. We needed new rim,tie rod, tie rod ends,right upper and lower a arms and left lower a arm,steering stem, needed right front and rear tires but ended up getting 4 new ones. I think he spent 500.


http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll267/dodgediesellover/atvs/l_0a0481d4ef6b39b67d417a5909b38587.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll267/dodgediesellover/atvs/l_942906176755318908f684af307ef539.jpg