Crashed my Suzuki Access: Must read for those with front drum brakes

I have had crashes before and every time I learned from my mistakes and was back in the seat as soon as I could. This time though I am not sure.

BHPian shancz recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Had a crash in April trying to avoid hitting a biker who appeared in front from the wrong side while running away from police for not wearing a helmet.

A slight right bank with a two-finger dab on the brakes led to the handlebars violently swinging to the right and the front end locking up sending me crashing down at 30-40kmph. The left forearm suffered a compound fracture and both bones broke into 10-12 fragments and are currently held on by titanium plates and screws with a very long recovery time. Other damages were just minor scratches to my right leg and right side of the Access.

Reason for this post: Folks with drum brakes on the front should definitely read this and is applicable to any two-wheeler.

The way the Access behaved was completely unexpected as the braking force wasn't significant to cause such a violent swing and lock up. A month later when I saw the Access again I found the reason for this behaviour.

When I turned the handlebar slightly to the right with a two-finger dab on the front brakes the brake lever progressively got very hard and at a deflection of 45 degrees I was barely able to keep my fingers on it while the front brake was applied in full!

So the initial swing of the bars could've been due to some sand which started applying the front brakes more than needed and this process escalated to full lock and full brakes within a second catching me by surprise and causing the crash.

This also explained a minor skid I had 1-2 years ago while taking a U-turn at 5kmph, without the brakes pressed. I doubted the brakes bit and went to the ASC but they gave an all clear so I attributed it to low grip levels on the cold winter morning.

With the issue reproducible, sent it to the ASC, spoke to the mechanic who said that a few strands of the front brake wire were broken and fouling with the casing causing this behaviour. The front brake cable(cable unit contains the wire and casing) was changed and the problem was resolved. Cost was ~500INR for parts and labour, CBS/combi-brake models should expect higher charges.

Conclusion:

Anyone with an asymmetric behaviour when the handlebar is rotated in any direction, should get the brakes and throttle cables checked and changed, however stupid the decision seems to you or others. Vehicle repairs are cheaper than ours.

This was the first time I was unable to come home post a crash and it wasn't a good feeling looking at my parents having to take care of me in the hospital and post that. Notwithstanding the postponement of everything in life for a number of months. I have had crashes before and every time I learned from my mistakes and was back in the seat as soon as I could. This time though I am not sure.

Please expect long period of absence from the thread.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.