Racing lesson on CB 72

John Kat · Post by **John Kat** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:09 am

I thought I would share this picture of me on my CB72 in the late 60's.
I don't know if I grounded the exhaust first or if it's the front end that swept under me but it finished in a high side and...a broken foot.
Speed was around 120km/h.
It didn't deter me from riding bikes for sure!

John Kat · Post by **John Kat** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:54 pm

Here's the bike before or after the spill, I'm not sure?
I had bought the bike from a guy who brought it back from California complete with some of the racing parts.
Too bad, I sold it then...

e3steve · Post by **e3steve** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:58 pm

John, welcome to the forum!

Your spill reminds me of my first on my CB77, also, in '71; I grabbed the front brake, mid bend, and did exactly as your (great) pic shows, but at only 30mph (50km/h). I fractured my right patella....

A fortnight later, same bend but from the opposite direction. Same grab, same result! Only this time it was my left patella that copped it!

I was sixteen. Live and learn!

Great, historical pics; thanks for sharing.

e3steve · Post by **e3steve** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:26 am

Ha! I just found the attached photo within my scans folder. Note the missing headlight lens, the damage to the rim and the cropped clutch lever!

This would have been post-second spill. I guess I learned, the second time, to not grab the front brake lever mid-bend....... :-/

teazer · Post by **teazer** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 10:43 pm

Great picture mid crash. I only crashed my race bike a couple of times and each time was trailing throttle (no brake) going into a corner and it lost the front end.

I concluded that the spindly forks and lack of weight over the front end were probably the issue but it didn't help me to go any faster around the bends. I'm sure that Jerry knows how to make them corner hard without crashing.