It was just a little wipe out

[kerrfunk]

Beautiful day in southeastern Pennsylvania today.
I have this goal of my odometer reading "20,000" on New Year's Day, and I'm currently at 19,882 (118 miles to go). This morning I was at 19,753 or so.

So I planned a 100+ mile daytrip today, one I've taken before and hope to take again.

40 miles in , there's a detour, okay, and it's not well marked. Okay, just head eastish and northish and eventually I'll get where I intended to go.

I'm following an SUV down some podunk road, there's a fork in the road and the SUV goes right. Too late, I realize that the SUV is going off the podunk road onto a podunkier road, and I decide to turn left. But I'm a little too fast and past the point of no return, so partway through the attempted left, I straighten out (to follow the SUV) and I hit gravel and down I go. I fly off the bike to the left as it veers to the right and falls on its left side. Thanks to my armored jacket, I'm fine. I take my helmet off, pick the bike up, and assess the damage.

Both front turn signals are toast. Not sure how that happened, but they were crazyglued together anyway, and I have replacements that I was just waiting for the opportune moment to install. Left rear turn signal is bent a bit but otherwise undamaged. Speedo/odometer case is dented, innards are a little jumbled, but the odo still turns, and the speedo needle will probably function again with a little tweaking. The face is undamaged.

My windshield split into two large pieces and several small pieces. Oddly enough I bought a new windshield a few days ago and it should be arriving in the mail this week. Ha.

My left arm aches a bit, but I imagine it's nothing a trip to the chiropractor won't take care of.

My gear did its job, that's for sure. I'm glad I was wearing my armor today and not my leather.

Gah.

edit: I forgot to say... the SUV driver came back to see if I was okay. That was cool.
p.p.s. I continued with my "scheduled" route and rolled home some 80 miles later.

 

[mriddle]

Glad you are OK ..

And you finished your ride

 

[marvinsc]

What Mike said! Sure happens fast doesn't it!

 

[79FiveFifty]

Dang man, I'm really glad you are alright! Kinda ironic how the parts that broke were about to be replaced anyway! (Some anyway.) Plastic is cheap, body parts.. not so much!

Stay safe!

 

[almarconi]

I'm really glad your kid was not on the bike with you!


How many "mishaps" have you had since you got your bike?

 

[officerbill]

Glad to hear you made it through and it was a wonderful day for a ride. I contemplated riding to work tonight and then heard the forcast. Don't like the roads wet, snowy is a whole 'nther barrel of fish. If Accu Weather is anywhere close, looks like you may be short of your goal, lo cento.
bill

 

[kerrfunk]

I'm really glad your kid was not on the bike with you!

Likewise, naturally. FWIW, I think my daughter has only been for a ride around the parking lot maybe twice. She sits on it once in a while (parked, with me there) but won't be a passenger any time soon.

How many "mishaps" have you had since you got your bike?

I would say two. A low-speed spill in February 09 (ice patch... cracked stator cover) and today (gravel). About 5,000 miles in 2009.

Glad to hear you made it through and it was a wonderful day for a ride. I contemplated riding to work tonight and then heard the forcast. Don't like the roads wet, snowy is a whole 'nther barrel of fish. If Accu Weather is anywhere close, looks like you may be short of your goal, lo cento.
bill

Playin it by ear. I might get a run in Tuesday or Wednesday. Incidentally today I rode northeast to the Delaware River and rode along the PA side of it. Lovely roads, but they were wet here and there from runoff.

 

[TheCafeKid]

I'm not sure if statistics will follow suit but IMO this time of year and early in te spring seem to be opertune times for single vehicle bike accidents to occur. Warm tires, especially bias ply tires and cold asphault aren't really good friends Black ice is another factor as well as the fac that rains will wash gravel into the road. The days are shorter and the sun lower in the sky mesing with visibility as well as creating confusing shadows on the road. Wet leaves are also dangerous.

It can also be a bad time for you as far as other drivers. Most people don't expect to see motorcycles out in these months and as the saying goes out of sight out of mind. While we may think it perfectly normal to be out riding, Sally Soccermom and Johnny Oblivious Leadfoot think we are crazy and sure as he'll aren't looking out for us.

My point is, you should always be on the lookout and be safe and careful. But moreso this time of year, and also early in the season. Drivers for some reason need time to get used to seeing us again, if they ever do.

Glad you're ok and glad you made it home on the ride you left with!

 

[Skateguy50]

Glad you are ok, this time of year riding for me means snowboarding not the bike.

I did get myself a legit snowboard helmet rather than using my skateboard one, got to keep the gear going for that too. Figure if Im hitting a 35 foot jump I should have something on my head lol.

 

[kerrfunk]

In other news, I completed my goal:

 

[detorn]

congrats! But you are insane....lol Its too cold out there for me to go out in my car

 

[Steveb64]

Glad you are ok, this time of year riding for me means snowboarding not the bike.

I did get myself a legit snowboard helmet rather than using my skateboard one, got to keep the gear going for that too. Figure if Im hitting a 35 foot jump I should have something on my head lol.

I can relate to the ski helmet thing. Bought my first one this season just gone ('09) as I've previously clocked myself at 100+ kmph (60-70 mph) via gps - I'm a bit of a 'bomber'... (why zig-zag when straight is so much faster?), and I also had both my lads out on skis this year (the youngest one with an adaptive ski instructor - he's got < 5% vision left), and I couldn't insist that they wear helmets without me having one on too! They paid off too - we all managed to bounce our heads off some fairly solid things - without damage... Though I still managed to break my sternum. Again.

 

[DanTheMan]

Glad you're OK. and made your goal, I fell short of mine.
I haven't been able to ride my bike since the week before Thanksgiving!!! We went to the Wisconsin/IL border for that in the motorhome, my bike trailer behind and came back from my brother-in-law's with a couch set and a broken down lawn tractor.
I worked my butt off up until leaving for our Christmas trip to Utah (missed all the bad storms going out and returning), fixed up a spinet piano to deliver to my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. I told her to have a nice bike waiting for me to bring back with me, instead I came back with three area rugs for her big brother whose house we've been working on forever.
Kids, they never listen...........