Rear Brake Reliant

Well it happened, unfortunately it happened to someone I know. Fortunately he's alive but he'll be in the hospital far from his home which is in Virginia in a Hartford, CT hospital. Four of us coming back to Long Island from Americade in up-state NY riding through Mass., then CT. but in CT while rider one was slowing for a right-hander on a beautiful back country lane, rider 2 (me) slowed, rider 3 (rider 4's Dad) slowed rider 4 the 42 year old son from VA locked his rear brake, went into a skid, then released the brake and high-sided his street glide at about 30 mph. I caught this in my rear view mirror when I hear the screeching tire expecting to get rear-ended. Rider four did a swan dive and rolled about 6 times coming to a stop on his back spread eagle in the middle of the road, not moving. Those terrible LEO's showed up and were extremely kind and helpful (imagine that!) then the ambulance came. Took rider four and his Dad to the hospital. 5 broken ribs and a bleeding spleen. Looks like a 5 day stay. His heavy leather jacket saved him from further harm (he was wearing it only because we were not going to stop just so he could take it off. We left Lake George at 46 degrees and eventually it got warm where he wanted it off.) His shorty helmet which is DOT approved took a good whacking a few times and stayed on and didn't break. His heavy timberline boots were ground quite a bit too as well as his full fingered gloves which wear tattered. His rear tire skid mark was about 20 feet long (at no more than 30MPH)
Day before over Knob Creek 100 proof he was bragging about how his bike had great rear brake stopping power and that heavy use of the front brake was dangerous. I wonder if he learned anything from this???
Those blue meanies offered their precinct parking lot for safe storage of the two bikes. They even shuttled rider 1 and rider 3 to and from accident site and precinct. Then they drove the Dad to the hospital. We were suspecting that maybe they would stop at one of the many fields and force him to run and then fill him full of lead but that never happened! What an end to a great four day trip.

Damn...That sux...Could have been worse...Went to to TrailerCade several years ago in the late 90's...Why the hell anyone would jump on the rear brake is beyond me, but I was not there...Of course you will slide and then when he released the break the bike will try to straiten out and throw him....Probably would have been better staying locked up...At the advanced MSF course they have you practice that...And you have to turn off the ABS if you have it...I was always taught to use the front brake for most of your braking and modulate with the rear...Works for me...Again, glad he is OK...

Dam gumba sorry to hear about this bud I'll keep your buddy's in my prayers for a quick recovery.

Sorry to hear about his wreck. Lessons hard learned...

It's just too easy to get hurt. I broke 3 ribs and separated my shoulder back in February and I was only going about half his speed. Yup, the ol' hoss will throw you in a situation like that . . . thing is, you don't just fall off - you get thrown off with no time to react.

Yep he was thrown, I saw his swan dive in my mirror. Front brake IS the brake most of the time. Practice, practice, practice. Some think you shouldn't use the front brake in a turn, I do when needed. Practice! If you lock the rear tire keep it locked! Ride it out or go for a dive.
He'll be ok. Thanks for the prayers.

Good lesson on riding gear. I have been tempted on hot days to stick with T shirt at times, and I know better from spills in past as a dirtbiker. Lesson learned! How did the bike fare?

Sorry to hear that Josh..

Bike is rideable. 11 street glide. Left side engine guard bar ground down on bottom corner, primary case almost ground thru below derby cover and left saddle bag lower corner ground down. Speed was low when it happened. He's stable and coming along. Ribs broke in his back. Spleen tear fixed bleeding stopped. 3 more days in hospital.

Sorry about your buddy FB,hard way to learn a lesson...You're lucky those LEO's didn't shoot him or run him over then beat on him for blocking the road
Glad he's healing...Tell him with the broken ribs it'll only hurt if he tries to breathe and should only last a month or two...

Sounds like he is fixable and so is the bike, good to hear. Guy I know went down a few hours form home, almost lost his foot. Doctors say now he can likely keep it. Of course, he rides a sport bike and drives like a race is on....

Hey, the guy was daydreaming or searching his handlebar mounted IPhone 6+ for music, I feel for him but he was at fault. Nothing left to say. He gets out of hospital Friday and has 2 months to heal.

Hope he learned something...