FWIW, I have been using one of Mr. Bergman’s SPOOFAK filter adapters for quite a while now, usually with the longer Fram TG-7317, or a similar filter. Like others had mentioned back when the earth was still hot, I liked the added volume. The added length also made it easier to get to, especially after modifying the pan. It did make the filter a little more vulnerable, but I never really gave it much thought, even after I lowered the bike ~1-1/2” a couple of years ago. – until a couple of nights ago.
I attended a weekly church dinner and rode the Connie like I’ve done before with no issues. The only difference is that we are now back to straight-up Eastern Standard Time and it was dark when I left to come home. In addition, this was the first time I’ve ridden in the dark since I’d made some adjustments to the headlight. I thought it was okay, but I had it pointed too low.
I pulled out of the church parking lot onto a 4-lane divided road intending to go a fairly short distance and get into a left hand turn lane onto to a road towards the house. I jumped the gun and got into the wrong LH turn lane. It ended abruptly and I slammed into the curb of a concrete median separator that launched the bike and I into the air, putting me into the opposite side of the road’s opposing turn lane. Fortunately, I stayed upright. The bike was still running, but I was on the wrong side of the road with a concrete curb that kept me from getting over where I needed to be. The bike would roll, so after turning on my 4-ways, my only escape was to dodge oncoming traffic and get on an adjacent sidewalk and ride it up to the (correct) intersection, then make a left onto another 4-lane and head for home.
It rolled smooth at speed with no bumps from the wheels, but something was rubbing and it just felt really weird. I thought the front fender might have gotten broken, but after later inspection, that wasn’t the case. Once home, the bike was really squatty (low) and I couldn’t get the side stand down to support the bike. I had to lean it against the frame of a garage door so I could get it open and get the bike in the garage. I then had to shuffle a couple of bikes around so I could prop the bike against my parts cleaner to keep it upright.
Fearing the worst, I took a cursory look thinking the forks might be bent, wheels damaged, radiator punctured, etc., but I wasn’t in any rational frame of mind to really see what I was looking at. I grabbed a beer out of the fridge, turned out the lights, locked up the garage, and went into the house to cry in that beer. Tomorrow was another day.
The new day started out with a contractor coming by for me to sign some paperwork so we could finally get the roof of the garage repaired from the fallen tree limb damage. After sitting in limbo for too many months, the insurance company finally decided to get off their wallet and cover the full expense of the repair. But, that’s a story for another day.
Since the bike wouldn’t sit upright on its own, the only way I was able to get it to where I could really inspect it was to support it by “hanging” it from my overhead. After clearing space and getting straps and a shackle in place, I was able to waddle the bike over to where I could hook it up to the chain fall so it could be supported.
Forks didn’t appear bent and the front suspension was free, radiator wasn’t damaged, belly pan wasn’t damaged, rear wheel wasn’t damaged – BUT – the rear suspension had compressed enough during impact that each end of the rear wheel’s axle had slipped past the frame tubing of my trailer hitch and were sitting on top of it. This was keeping the rear suspension collapsed and the wheel elevated, which was obviously, really lowering the bike.
Not sure just how much pressure was pent up in this cluster %@#&, so I released all the air from the rear shock, elevated the bike so the rear wheel was slightly above the floor, then used a crow bar to prize each side of the frame of the hitch out so the axle bolt head and nut could slip past the tubing and back to where they belonged – below the hitch frame.
Once the suspension was free, I put air back into the shock (several times) to make sure it held okay, then got the bike up on my lift so I could really check things over for any damage. The wheels were true, belly pan and oil filter hadn’t been touched, nor had any of the rear suspension components. The rubbing noise was coming from the dirt shield at the front of the rear fender; the collapsed rear wheel was hitting it.
That was yesterday. The rear shock didn’t lose any air over night, so I took the bike out today to run some errands, mainly so I could check it out on the road at speed. I couldn’t find any issues with the bike in the way it rode or handled. Time will tell if any notchy ness is going to appear in the steering. Needless to say, we lucked out.
Jumped the Gun - I wanted the next turn lane:
Axle on top of hitch frame:
Fixed:
Left a mark:
Untouched:
I attended a weekly church dinner and rode the Connie like I’ve done before with no issues. The only difference is that we are now back to straight-up Eastern Standard Time and it was dark when I left to come home. In addition, this was the first time I’ve ridden in the dark since I’d made some adjustments to the headlight. I thought it was okay, but I had it pointed too low.
I pulled out of the church parking lot onto a 4-lane divided road intending to go a fairly short distance and get into a left hand turn lane onto to a road towards the house. I jumped the gun and got into the wrong LH turn lane. It ended abruptly and I slammed into the curb of a concrete median separator that launched the bike and I into the air, putting me into the opposite side of the road’s opposing turn lane. Fortunately, I stayed upright. The bike was still running, but I was on the wrong side of the road with a concrete curb that kept me from getting over where I needed to be. The bike would roll, so after turning on my 4-ways, my only escape was to dodge oncoming traffic and get on an adjacent sidewalk and ride it up to the (correct) intersection, then make a left onto another 4-lane and head for home.
It rolled smooth at speed with no bumps from the wheels, but something was rubbing and it just felt really weird. I thought the front fender might have gotten broken, but after later inspection, that wasn’t the case. Once home, the bike was really squatty (low) and I couldn’t get the side stand down to support the bike. I had to lean it against the frame of a garage door so I could get it open and get the bike in the garage. I then had to shuffle a couple of bikes around so I could prop the bike against my parts cleaner to keep it upright.
Fearing the worst, I took a cursory look thinking the forks might be bent, wheels damaged, radiator punctured, etc., but I wasn’t in any rational frame of mind to really see what I was looking at. I grabbed a beer out of the fridge, turned out the lights, locked up the garage, and went into the house to cry in that beer. Tomorrow was another day.
The new day started out with a contractor coming by for me to sign some paperwork so we could finally get the roof of the garage repaired from the fallen tree limb damage. After sitting in limbo for too many months, the insurance company finally decided to get off their wallet and cover the full expense of the repair. But, that’s a story for another day.
Since the bike wouldn’t sit upright on its own, the only way I was able to get it to where I could really inspect it was to support it by “hanging” it from my overhead. After clearing space and getting straps and a shackle in place, I was able to waddle the bike over to where I could hook it up to the chain fall so it could be supported.
Forks didn’t appear bent and the front suspension was free, radiator wasn’t damaged, belly pan wasn’t damaged, rear wheel wasn’t damaged – BUT – the rear suspension had compressed enough during impact that each end of the rear wheel’s axle had slipped past the frame tubing of my trailer hitch and were sitting on top of it. This was keeping the rear suspension collapsed and the wheel elevated, which was obviously, really lowering the bike.
Not sure just how much pressure was pent up in this cluster %@#&, so I released all the air from the rear shock, elevated the bike so the rear wheel was slightly above the floor, then used a crow bar to prize each side of the frame of the hitch out so the axle bolt head and nut could slip past the tubing and back to where they belonged – below the hitch frame.
Once the suspension was free, I put air back into the shock (several times) to make sure it held okay, then got the bike up on my lift so I could really check things over for any damage. The wheels were true, belly pan and oil filter hadn’t been touched, nor had any of the rear suspension components. The rubbing noise was coming from the dirt shield at the front of the rear fender; the collapsed rear wheel was hitting it.
That was yesterday. The rear shock didn’t lose any air over night, so I took the bike out today to run some errands, mainly so I could check it out on the road at speed. I couldn’t find any issues with the bike in the way it rode or handled. Time will tell if any notchy ness is going to appear in the steering. Needless to say, we lucked out.
Jumped the Gun - I wanted the next turn lane:
Axle on top of hitch frame:
Fixed:
Left a mark:
Untouched:
Last edited:
