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Author Topic: Loring crash...  (Read 18921 times)

Offline brendasue555

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Loring crash...
« on: March 10, 2019, 03:18:29 PM »
Ok I am ready to talk about my crash at Loring if anyone has questions.

Offline zrxdean

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2019, 10:00:13 AM »
Brenda Sue, it's good of you to talk about your wreck with the LSR community, thanks.  Let's hear your thoughts on what happened.  best, Dean

Offline zrxdean

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2019, 10:04:21 AM »
Great pic.

Offline turbojonn

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2019, 10:16:40 AM »
Did you have any inklings the crash was coming? I hear that for some who crash there is zero warning and for some there are vibrations and such pre crash.

BTW- you are a bad ass and a land speed hero in my eyes!!!
RCC turbos rock!!! Rcc- Ultra plenum, case saver, Carillo rods, Wossner pistons, APE springs/tool steel shift shafts, Ferrara valves, ARP studs, lightened and balanced crank, Boostbysmith ecu editor, AMS 1000 with CO2, 475 hp. Mac arm 0-6 over, BST carbon fiber rims. Someday I'm goin' fast!

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2019, 01:03:52 AM »
Dean, I love that picture.    I remember ever moment of that run and I think it is because I never lost consciousness.   I will sit down and go through the whole run when I get a minute,  been very busy and very tired.   When I first came out of the coma I knew that I had gone off the pavement but could not figure out why or how.   I wasn’t able to speak yet so I just layer  there in the hospital and tried to figure it out.   I decided that my helmet must have bobbled around or something.   After I had been home about a month the memory of it came back like a lightning bolt.   I will tell all as soon as I get a minute.     

Offline FlaminRoo

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2019, 07:08:03 PM »
I look forward to you recounting your experience, and getting a first hand insight into what actually happened  :D

The one great positive to date has been your recovery and tanasity to get back on the horse  :bike:  8)

First Australian to ride a motorcycle 200mph at Bonneville,,

Offline KZScott

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2019, 06:55:48 PM »
takes a strong person to get back at this and be able to talk about it.
01 ZX-12R 8.84 @ 156.3 on dot tires, pump gas, NO power adders.... turbo 8.47 @ 164
00 ZX-12R 8.62 @ 165.2 no bars, slicks, Pump Gas, 55 shot... turbo 8.32 @ 173
00 ZX-12R  1: 222.046 1.5: 226.390 Loring AFB Worlds Fastest NA Kawasaki
00 ZX-12R street turbo 1: 227.9 1.5: 234.1 Loring AFB
00 ZX-12R LSR turbo 1: 263.1  1.5: 266.5 Loring AFB Worlds fastest ZX-12R
Fabricator/Engine builder @ RCC Turbos

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2019, 02:11:20 PM »
Ok so here is what happened..... I was doing test passes on the new bike and since there was no wind we put the fairings on the bike and I was going to do a pass.   I am not sure of this but I think that the fairings might have been the same as Bill’s.    Anyway second gear was messed up but since I was just testing and getting a feel for the bike it was decided to just short shift first gear and then shift in and out of second and then short shift third and forth gear.  After that I was supposed to let the auto shift do the shifting for fifth and sixth gear.   It was set to shift at 10k.    As far as I know and I remember it pretty good, that is exactly what I did.   I had no idea how fast that would put me but I didn’t think it would be over 200 but to be honest I was concentrating on shifting when I should shift and testing auto shift.    Suddenly in 6th gear the bike got a mind of its own and went to the left.   I looked to see where I was at on the track and I could still see the orange and yellow flags so I know this happened right before the mile flags.   I could not correct the bike no matter what I did so I got in the brakes as hard as I could to scrub off speed.   I looked to see what might be in my way as I could not change where the bike was going.    There was nothing in my way and I knew I was going to leave the track before the first turn off but I thought I could ride it out and was prepared to do so.   I let off the brakes one time thinking that maybe the heavy braking was holding me in the leftward trajectory but still could not change where the bike was going.   I continued to squeeze the breaks as hard as I safely could and saw myself go from pavement to grass.   The next memory I have is knowing I was having a very violent wreck and wondering when it was going to end.  Seconds seemed like hours at that point and I couldn’t figure out why I was crashing because I honestly thought I could ride it out.  At this point I think I caused the crash because I i should have let out of the brakes a bit when I left the pavement and I am not sure why I did not.   Maybe it was panic, I am not sure but I was very surprised at the fact that I was crashing.   I remember thinking I was upside down, rightside up and trying to get away from the bike and then laying there dazed waiting for Steve to get there.   I am not sure why I lost the ability to control where the bike was going and in my opinion I think it was caused by the fairings.   It was very sudden and happened right before the mile flags.   I am pretty certain that I caused the actual crash by not letting out of the brakes when I left the track.   Once I came out of the coma my memory was very fuzzy but i was told that I lost my position on the track and veered off.   I thought about it a lot because I have never not known exactly where I was on the track.   I couldn’t figure out how I could have gotten so far off center that I could leave the pavement before I knew I wasn’t on course.   I decided that my helmet must have been buffeting in the wind and I couldn’t tell where I was.   Then after I had been home a few months I think it was in January,  I had the memory of exactly what happened hit me like a lightning bolt.   It is still very vivid and I am sure that I am remembering correctly.   There has been a lot of speculation but no one will ever convince me that my memory is wrong.   I never lost a grip on either bar or either peg.    And I can only wish I would have lost a grip on the brakes as I left the track.   I do know that something happened with the bike that caused it to go left and I know that I tried everything I could do to straighten it out but could not so I was along for the ride.   I also believe that it was rider error that caused the actual crash.   If any of you have questions I will do my best to answer them.   Now I have to tell you all the bad news.   I will no longer be able to compete in land speed racing.   It is the hardest thing I have had to deal with and is much worse than losing my leg.   Being able to still race had been my reason to get through all the crap.   As many of you know I had gone back to riding Fred Vance’s big motor bike.   That bike felt like home to me and was very easy to get back on.   I had to be more careful and the gusty wind at Texas mile took on a whole new meaning but I was doing great and had run a 220 at the first event and a 222 at the second.   We had planned to go to arkansas and Texas in September and October but Fred passed away before those events.   His wife Bonnye did not want me riding his bike any longer and she gave it away.   This has been the hardest thing I have ever dealt with in my life and I am not doing a very good job of it.   It has affected my life much more than the crash and I find it hard to be positive or even appreciate being alive.   So for those of you who think I am a badass I just really want you to know that I am not.  I am a little baby who doesn’t appreciate living without racing and can’t figure out a way to move forward.  So now you all know the truth!

Offline Oz Booster

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2019, 05:16:46 PM »
Thanks for sharing that Brenda Sue ,
If you couldn’t control the bike on the track because of wind it would have been difficult to avoid a crash once you left the track even without  the braking ,
I think you are much more badass than you realise
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Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2019, 07:49:59 PM »
I am pretty sure that there was no wind.

Offline FlaminRoo

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2019, 07:59:27 PM »
uuummmmmm, you sound like a very analytical person (as I am also), we tend in hindsight to analyse every "little" detail, which can be a two edge sword  :)

On track things happen very quickly and our basic survival riding instincts take over, coud'a, shoud'a, woud'a,, I know its hard but try not too beat up too much on yourself, its what we do, shite happens  :(

Racing future?, yeah, tell me whats gunna happen tomorrow  :tu:
First Australian to ride a motorcycle 200mph at Bonneville,,

Offline KZScott

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2019, 12:14:33 AM »
my experience running loring is that if theres a bit of a cross wind, it hits hard right around the mile marker. you may not notice a thing till you get that far. seems to be the smalls hills in the area that help to shield the first bit of the track, and i know many people only run the mile because of this.  I can only do mile passes on my turbo when its windy or it pushes me all over the place. in my opinion, the better the body work is at going straight, the better it typically is at catching a cross wind like a said.


still have the ZX-11?
01 ZX-12R 8.84 @ 156.3 on dot tires, pump gas, NO power adders.... turbo 8.47 @ 164
00 ZX-12R 8.62 @ 165.2 no bars, slicks, Pump Gas, 55 shot... turbo 8.32 @ 173
00 ZX-12R  1: 222.046 1.5: 226.390 Loring AFB Worlds Fastest NA Kawasaki
00 ZX-12R street turbo 1: 227.9 1.5: 234.1 Loring AFB
00 ZX-12R LSR turbo 1: 263.1  1.5: 266.5 Loring AFB Worlds fastest ZX-12R
Fabricator/Engine builder @ RCC Turbos

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2019, 06:16:57 PM »
Scott, you may very well be right.  It did not feel like wind to me but I am used to the devil wind we have here in Texas.   Usually the wind will slow you some ability to move the bike around but it was the first bike I have risen with such radical fairings, especially on the rear.  And yes I tend to analyze things to death.   I sold the zx11 in January with Doug Meyers’ blessing.  He actually found the buyer and I think it is a very good home for the bike.   I still have my stock motored drag bike and thank God for that.   I don’t know what I would do without at least that.   Drag racing is very difficult to do and I wear my prosthetic when I drag race because even if I lose a peg it is no big deal.   I need a lot of help when I drag race and have been very lucky to have met a few people who help me without fail.   It has been a challenge and I am much more comfortable racing land speed without my leg on.

Offline FlaminRoo

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2019, 07:26:30 PM »
do we have a photo of this bike before the incedent ?, please post so we can see what aero we are talking about  8)
First Australian to ride a motorcycle 200mph at Bonneville,,

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2019, 08:14:21 PM »
I don’t seem to be able to post pictures but if someone will message me on fb I will send a picture to post.

Offline Landspeed Larry

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #15 on: March 17, 2019, 10:07:35 PM »


Catalyst bodywork
All motor all the time and a turbo now and then.

Offline Oz Booster

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #16 on: March 17, 2019, 11:45:54 PM »
That bodywork  gave me a front end shimmy on the salt from about 165mph, pushed it for several more passes hoping to get through the instability and at 218 decided WTF was i doing , 2 oscillations/sec was not going to go away , i cut mine up ...
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Offline FlaminRoo

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #17 on: March 18, 2019, 01:26:09 AM »
Did the body have a port hole type windscreen, or was it a full type ??

A full type allows for 100* Peripheral Vision,, a port hole dose not (tunnel vision, target fixation)  :evil:
First Australian to ride a motorcycle 200mph at Bonneville,,

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #18 on: March 18, 2019, 04:56:40 AM »
Full windshield

Offline SEJ

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #19 on: March 18, 2019, 06:14:21 AM »
I'm posting this pic for Brenda.
222.66 MPH at the Ohio Mile
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Offline zrxdean

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #20 on: March 18, 2019, 07:36:52 AM »
Thanks Brenda for the report. There are always things to appreciate and enjoy, we are all lucky to be here.

On the Catalyst bodywork - I can't think of anybody other than the late Andy Sills who has used this bodywork with any real success. I see that Erin Sills is using different bodywork on her BMW.

I have a set of this bodywork, but have never run it. I was planning to adapt it to the ZX10 at some point by cutting it in down the middle and narrowing it.

Has anyone had success with this body?

Dean

Offline speedduck

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #21 on: March 18, 2019, 08:00:35 AM »
Or any other big land speed fairing ?


I have one on the shelf ,but decided to leave it there for decoration.
Mostly when i hear news somebody running those fairings, its bad news.

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #22 on: March 18, 2019, 08:42:35 AM »
In my opinion Ralph Hudson is running the best body work.

Offline FlaminRoo

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #23 on: March 18, 2019, 04:52:13 PM »
I have Catalyst bodywork on my bike, it was "not" symmetrical out of the mold, I spent a lot of time trying to get it right, its close, but, still not spoton,, heres a photo of when I ran it in 16, the tail section has been sectioned and the seat area modified, at a little over 200 a 8mph crosswind sent the thing into a hundred yard broardside, at one point thought I was going down but managed to save it,, after installing a double bubble screen and cutting the rear down to suit mps, at this years event given the less than ideal conditions, seemed to be behaveing itself  :)
First Australian to ride a motorcycle 200mph at Bonneville,,

Offline brendasue555

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Re: Loring crash...
« Reply #24 on: March 19, 2019, 09:09:30 AM »
Great looking bike....  these fairings we use are game changers and give us more speed than thousands of dollars in motor work can.  There are many dangers and any good pilot will tell you that.  I think the main thing is in the math that calculates wing area and lift.   If I did not know better I would have said the frame was bent.   That’s how it felt but  would have felt that from the start and I did not.  This much I can say with confidence.... that motor was more than able to run 250 on pavement n/a,  and I blew the chance!!!