BATTERED biker David Johnson has given a hospital update on his “very strange” crash during a 131mph lap at the Isle of Man TT.
The Aussie was sent flying by his first ever “tank slapper” – a dreaded phenomenon where the front wheel shakes uncontrollably.
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Johnson reckons he was lucky to escape with just a fractured collarbone as he slid off down the middle of the track.
Tank slappers can cause the handlebars to whip against the tank repeatedly and violently.
Johnson’s misfortune came when his bike started vibrating at the K Tree corner in Sunday’s Superbike TT.
Racing for the Platinum Club Racing Kawasaki team, he tumbled off and thudded along the hard surface.
Not surprisingly, Johnson had to rule himself out of the rest of the two-week event.
And as he received treatment in hospital he went on social media to explain the type of accident he has “never experienced before”.
Johnson insisted all looked good at first as he wrote: “Superbike TT…. Everything was going well.
“Was happy with the pace and feel with the bike and was comfortably running in the 131mph laps which is definitely the best start to the TT race week ever for me.”
But then came his worrying wobble.
Johnson said: “I had a brake fade issue just before the final lap so I backed the pace off to bring her home in a comfortable 8th.
“Unfortunately I had a very strange tank slapper at K Tree which I’ve never experienced before and I couldn’t recover it.
“I managed to roll off the side of the bike and go straight down the middle of the road.
“I’m battered and bruised and luckily only fractured my collarbone.
“Thanks for all the messages and calls. I’ll be back in the paddock tomorrow but that’s unfortunately the end of TT 2024 for me.”