Black Cobra badly hurt

[Tryptych]

I don't see this posted anywhere on these forums so I am going to post it. Black Cobra is hurt pretty bad, support a fellow rider if you can:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/2086gjn6qo

Also, subscribe to his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ThaBlackCobra

From what I've heard his new Monster Pro "turned off" at about 20mph. I don't have very much detail except for what I've heard in rumours: he was not riding very hard when it happened, he was fully geared, and they can't find anything wrong with the wheel now except it won't turn back on (please add more details/corrections/updates if you have them). I don't know him personally except for his videos but I think he's a very positive guy and has been a good influence on the community, donate a few bucks if you can. Get well soon Erwin!

ps: Gear up guys

 

[OldFartRides]

Well I’m feeling sheepish to say this, but this will be my first time for a GFM. I assume the person organizing this is somehow related to Erwin ? Has the pics. Oi.

[shellac]

Man that’s fucked up. I guess we don’t have solid info yet but a 20 mph unprovoked failure on a new Gotway? I guess it makes sense with their lack of attention to detail, and also the fires, why should they be trusted to be safe for everyday riding? That kind of catastrophic failure should basically never happen. Maybe I am jumping the gun here. 

That looks like a horrible injury and made me dig up old shoulder protection threads. I guess it’s the one injury mode we don’t have great protective options for. I don’t think shoulder pads do anything here. The best is to slide it out I suppose but looks like that didn’t happen.  

[OldFartRides]

He’s answering some questions in the comments on his last vid before the crash. Landed on the shoulder. Bummer. 

[Rawnei]

3 hours ago, shellac said:

Man that’s fucked up. I guess we don’t have solid info yet but a 20 mph unprovoked failure on a new Gotway? I guess it makes sense with their lack of attention to detail, and also the fires, why should they be trusted to be safe for everyday riding? That kind of catastrophic failure should basically never happen. Maybe I am jumping the gun here. 

That looks like a horrible injury and made me dig up old shoulder protection threads. I guess it’s the one injury mode we don’t have great protective options for. I don’t think shoulder pads do anything here. The best is to slide it out I suppose but looks like that didn’t happen.  

They opened the wheel to put silicone in it the day before so I don't think we should jump to conclusions what went wrong.

[.....]

4 hours ago, shellac said:

Man that’s fucked up. I guess we don’t have solid info yet but a 20 mph unprovoked failure on a new Gotway? I guess it makes sense with their lack of attention to detail, and also the fires, why should they be trusted to be safe for everyday riding? That kind of catastrophic failure should basically never happen. Maybe I am jumping the gun here. 

That looks like a horrible injury and made me dig up old shoulder protection threads. I guess it’s the one injury mode we don’t have great protective options for. I don’t think shoulder pads do anything here. The best is to slide it out I suppose but looks like that didn’t happen.  

I agree, but im not sure theres much a person can do for IMPACT injuries. Unless someone puts on thick layers, a 200lb man landing squarely on shoulders, is just gna break. Higher speed may have saved him, depending on angle of impact and deflection. Sucks to hear, hopefully he'll be back to it soon.

Edited May 9, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[GoGeorgeGo]

3 hours ago, Rawnei said:

They opened the wheel to put silicone in it the day before so I don't think we should jump to conclusions what went wrong.

For context several other riders all did the exact same procedure without issue. Also according to Archee, a very knowledgeable member of the community, there was no aparent damage to the machine at all and no reason for it to cut out. Monster pro owners please be extra careful, and maybe ride your other wheels for a few weeks while the dust settles and we get some clarity on what has happened. 

 

 

[Rehab1]

Prayers to Black Cobra. That type of injury can be a game changer. 

[gon2fast]

Heal quick brother.

[Brendan "nog3" Halliday]

1 hour ago, Rehab1 said:

Prayers to Black Cobra. That type of injury can be a game changer. 

Heck, as members of the humerus surgery club we bear the scars to show it. 

I hope you recover well @ThaBlackCobra, the recovery from it is boring at first but takes slow and steady determination to return comfortably from. Though you do get the super power of feeling oncoming weather, not sure if it's worth the admission ticket

[helmet]

I hate to see such a kind soul injured. Recover well, better than ever, perhaps ride again when the nuralink comes out. Your being injured gives me pause and caution.

[Guy]

OH MY GOD! This is terrible news. Erwin was the guy that got me started in EUCs a few years ago. He's a prince of a man. A gentleman of the first order. My thoughts are with you my friend. Peace...Guy

[Chucka Wheelie]

12 hours ago, Brendan "nog3" Halliday said:

Heck, as members of the humerus surgery club we bear the scars to show it. 

Man I remember that... The hospital photos looked intense brother.   Also kinda makes you grateful for the healthcare system we have here in Australia huh?  I've got a WAY less severe orthopaedic surgical scar on top of my left collarbone where the titanium rod is screwed in.    

 

Speedy recovery to you @ThaBlackCobra!  

Edited May 10, 2021 by Kamikaze_K

[Unventor]

Yet another post with sad news. I wish you all the best in this crappy situation @ThaBlackCobra

I know you have not been a speed freak and always spoken about gearing up.

This is just yet another reminder to the community that an EUC is not a self-stable device and once it lost power for whatever reason things are likely to go bad. 

I do hope you get back in pre-crash shape. We are a few that had crashes that was hard. I am lucky to not be in your situation.  People think it always happen to someone else. But so say the guy next to "you" too.

[supercurio]

15 hours ago, Rawnei said:

They opened the wheel to put silicone in it the day before so I don't think we should jump to conclusions what went wrong.

Opening a Gotway/Begode wheel, applying silicon in an attempt to increase water resistance are universally recommended procedures before riding them, due to notoriously poor QC check in factory.
Many see that as a requirement for safety.

I remember watching a video from @ray rokni where he opened his new RS and found a loose screw which could have shortened the motherboard while riding.

I think @ThaBlackCobrashould be commended for making an effort to check and fix known issues with the wheel to make it safer, not doubted.

 

[Bumblebees]

@ThaBlackCobra hope you get better soon.  

[Rehab1]

23 hours ago, Brendan "nog3" Halliday said:

Heck, as members of the humerus surgery club we bear the scars to show it. 

A lot of ugly scars. Badges of honor. We should all post them once the @ThaBlackCobragets better. Might put a smile on his face. 
 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Rehab1

[andrew900nyc]

Wishing you a quick recovery, Black Cobra. This type of failure is every EUC rider's worst nightmare. 

I believe there is a real opportunity for a company in a country known for producing high quality vehicles (such as the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, and some other countries) to produce an EUC that is dependable enough to ride as if your life depends upon it. If that means twice the electronics, then so be it. If there is any failure with the primary electronics, the secondary electronics saves you from disaster. When you turn on the wheel, it runs a check to ensure that the primary and secondary electronics are functioning properly. Though it would substantially more expensive than current wheels, it shouldn't be twice the price since you'd only need one motor, wheel, tire, case, and set of platforms. Given that many riders have multiple wheels, a good percentage may decide they'd rather have one extremely dependable wheel in exchange for one less EUC in their collection. I know I would! 

[.....]

15 minutes ago, andrew900nyc said:

Wishing you a quick recovery, Black Cobra. This type of failure is every EUC rider's worst nightmare. 

I believe there is a real opportunity for a company in a country known for producing high quality vehicles (such as the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, and some other countries) to produce an EUC that is dependable enough to ride as if your life depends upon it. If that means twice the electronics, then so be it. If there is any failure with the primary electronics, the secondary electronics saves you from disaster. When you turn on the wheel, it runs a check to ensure that the primary and secondary electronics are functioning properly. Though it would substantially more expensive than current wheels, it shouldn't be twice the price since you'd only need one motor, wheel, tire, case, and set of platforms. Given that many riders have multiple wheels, a good percentage may decide they'd rather have one extremely dependable wheel in exchange for one less EUC in their collection. I know I would! 

THIS THIS AND THIS! As my riding progresses, I notice Im settling into a certain style and behavior. Once a person finds the specs that suits them, ALL that is left is to make it safer. Knowing what i know now, I'd pay nearly double for a 'safe' euc, and would gladly let my collection shrink to accomodate. I bet China is glad they dont assume ANY liability for equipment failre!

Best of luck in recovery Cobra!

[LanghamP]

On 5/10/2021 at 3:59 PM, ShanesPlanet said:

THIS THIS AND THIS! As my riding progresses, I notice Im settling into a certain style and behavior. Once a person finds the specs that suits them, ALL that is left is to make it safer. Knowing what i know now, I'd pay nearly double for a 'safe' euc, and would gladly let my collection shrink to accomodate. I bet China is glad they dont assume ANY liability for equipment failre!

Best of luck in recovery Cobra!

The cost could be quite low, perhaps "free", even if made indigenously in the US, if electric car subsidies were applied to all electric vehicles. Presently about $7500 of EV's are subsidized by the US government, yet carpet bombing EUC ownership on US citizens would make far more of an environmental impact than cars that still require parking spots and high-speed roads.

[CarlW]

Is there any gear or riding techniques that could have prevented Black Cobras serious injury?  His incident and seeing a new high dollar wheel burn up just riding up a long hill is not inspiring confidence in trying out this new hobby.  What did these riders do wrong if anything?  If you buy the most expensive EUC options and they fail and injure you or burn up just going up a hill is it 100 percent equipment failure from poor design or is it partly operator error?  Go to 11:30 in the video.  This hill does look that steep to me after seeing the inclines the the Wrong Way channel tests EUCs on.

      

 

[litewave]

19 minutes ago, CarlW said:

Is there any gear or riding techniques that could have prevented Black Cobras serious injury?     

 

Hard to say, but Newton's laws always win. Most of us male riders are top heavy to begin with, so being overweight or wearing a heavy backpack (or both) will significantly increase the force of impact to the shoulders. Don't skimp on the protective gear and buy (and wear) the best you can afford. I personally think the ninja armor is more a fantasy fashion statement than bona fide protection, but to each his/her own.

Also, ignore the BS some posters still spew about never wearing gear or taking a fall. They will pay a heavy price eventually.

Having said all this, I am also a member of the humerous club and a survivor of several crashes, but will never stop riding until I can't ride any more. 

 

 

[GoGeorgeGo]

31 minutes ago, CarlW said:

Is there any gear or riding techniques that could have prevented Black Cobras serious injury?  His incident and seeing a new high dollar wheel burn up just riding up a long hill is not inspiring confidence in trying out this new hobby.  What did these riders do wrong if anything?  If you buy the most expensive EUC options and they fail and injure you or burn up just going up a hill is it 100 percent equipment failure from poor design or is it partly operator error?  Go to 11:30 in the video.  This hill does look that steep to me after seeing the inclines the the Wrong Way channel tests EUCs on.

      

 

That hill is teally steep, the camera never does it justice. That hill is easily between 30 and 40 degrees based on the plants behind them. Going up a 35 degree incline is fine for 50 feet but trying to climb a sustained 40 degrees is drawing a massive amount of current. Usually the machine will shut itself off before it damages itself, but if he jerked it forward hard enough while yhe machine was stressed enough you can fry the board. 

As far as cobras incident, certainly some bad luck was involved.  You can practice rolling out of falls but nothing is foolproof. The wheel error aside, because not enough is known about how or why the wheel cutout, generally people walk away with far less damage than Cobra took. But it goes to show, even fully geared up you can still hurt yourself pretty bad. Mechanical failures like Cobras are extremely rare, generally accidents occur due to rider error. However being a high profile member of the community his incident is bound to draw more attention

[Scottie888]

Don't know if a backpack affects anything but for me, I seem to 'feel' a bit off kilter with anything more than a slingbag. It could very well all in the head though.

On my last ride, I took a slight off route shortcut (~100ft) with a 5-6ft high crest onto an asphalt bike path. For what ever reason, the wheel threw me off at the top as it hit the bike path. I was likely going 3-4mph but I still hit the asphalt with the left temple smacking hard. Luckily I had my motorbike jacket with leatt knee pads + a 1/2 shell mips bicycle helmet.

The lid saved me from a concussion & I only ended up with a slight sore temple (like a wall bump) & right knee. Goes to show one never knows when fate hits & even the least of protection makes a tremendous difference.

Always gear up even if its to the corner store.

[Tryptych]

3 hours ago, GoGeorgeGo said:

You can practice rolling out of falls but nothing is foolproof. 

You can practice rolling all day but it has ZERO value when it comes to a crash like this. I don't care if you think you're a ninja - you aren't.

When this shit happens you have no choice in how you will land - you're foolish to think otherwise. You'll be INSTANTLY slammed to the concrete, stunned, dazed, and not even be sure what happened. That is the reality - even at 20mph, you're young or inexperienced if you think otherwise. Anyone who has been injured in a serious crash like this knows this is the reality.

This is a perfect opertunity to have a real conversation about why these wheels can't use fully redundant motherboards like  many servers providing us internet service (which you are using at this very moment).

Raising awareness on this subject could be the most positive thing to come out of Erwin's crash. 

Having worked in I.T. I can tell you the technology to have electronics operating in a fully  redundant cluster already exists today, in fact it was here years ago. It could be used on wheels.

It is entirely possible. The (Chinese) manufacturers just don't think it's worth the cost. Do you? What would you pay for a nearly cutout-proof-fully-redundant wheel? Would you pay 25% more? Would you pay 50% more? 

After looking at the screws in Erwin's shoulder, I think I might... 

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by Tryptych
typos