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First Time Eating Pavement
So this Sunday (12/12/10) I was leaving a new job training that was being held out at San Clemente State Beach. We had camped out for the weekend and it was amazing and gorgeous and yadda yadda yadda. Sunday the training ran late however so I wasn't able to pack up the bike until almost 6 PM. As soon as I could I got to my bike and started it to warm up while I geared up. I waved my farewells and began exiting the park and had made it about half a mile when I was in a sweeping left curve. While I was in my lean, doing about 25, I felt my rear tire begin to slide out on me. I attempted to compensate and straighten out to prevent the low side but unfortunately I had been running the middle lane position so when I straightened out my front tire met the curb at a 45 degree angle. 
I was launched for about ten ft but thankfully curled my arms in front of my body and impacted on the front right of my head and my right forearm just before the elbow. I essentially belly flopped with my arms in front of my so my other major impact was the middle of my right thigh right around where the pocket of my jeans lay. As I hit my visor was popped off and flew another ten yards out into the dark. Again, thankfully when this happened I was wearing full face helmet, armored jacket with padding in the arms, over the ankle boots, jeans, and gauntlet gloves.
As soon as I landed I turned around and turned the bike off (for some reason this was the one time I DIDN'T use the kill switch. I sat up and gave a double thumbs up to the car that had been behind me, begin taking my gear off and was laughing hysterically in the vein of "I can't F****** believe that just F****** happened!"
I stretched and made sure all my parts were moving and had full range of motion and thankfully they did. I then went to check out my other half and picked the bike up. The bike had flown just a little short than me and had landed a few feet behind me. The impact bent in the forks and this twisted the fender into the wheel. The headlight ring was bent in and displaced the rest of the headlight. All the gauges and the brake fluid master were shattered so the entire front end was covered in brake fluid. The tank was dented heavily near the gas cap. Minor tear in the seat, cracks in the side cover, a few heavy scratches on the #4 pipe. The luggage rack and sissy bar were somehow demolished and pulled back over the rear fender and needless to say the signals were hanging at a haphazard angle.
I called the insurance (Progressive) who arranged for a tow truck to come and pick me up and drive me the 70 miles south to San Diego where I'm staying, they also covered the cost of picking up and transport to evaluation center so the bike is in motion of figuring out if it's totalled or what. For myself, I was on such an adrenaline and endorphin high that I felt great for the first few hours but I felt as though my jeans were tightening around my leg and sure enough by the time I reached San Diego (around three hours after the incident) my leg was blue and purple and swollen to almost double the size around my right thigh up to my hip. At this point my leg was completely stiff and the skin was stretched tight. I was essentially walking like a zombie. I initially attempted laying down and icing it but after consulting the boss of bosses (Mom) I arranged to have some friends come and pick me up and bring me to a clinic to have it looked at. After completing the requisite paperwork, height, weight, etc, the doctor came in, looked at my thigh for literally two seconds and said "You need to go to the ER". So my friends and I bounced over to there where they shot some x-rays (not my choice due to lack of health insurance) and hmmmed and such over it. In the end they gave me a very fance ace bandage to keep pressure on it and prevent further bleeding into the thigh and prescribed me some very groovy (who even says that?) painkillers.
So now here I lay and contemplate next steps while I ice and heat my leg. I still can't wait to go out and climb back on the "steel horse I ride"
but don't know what I should do as far as the bike itself. I have a feeling due to it being an 81 GS650l that the insurance is going to want to just total it and at this point given how much it would take to fix and my lack of a place to do so, I'm inclined to agree and find a replacement. SO any suggestions? 
. I have to say though, for any yahoos who don't think gear is important, I am so happy I put my money into getting the proper stuff. It did its job and so here I am walking around bruised and not broken into multiple pieces, and now because I know they're a necessity... PICTURES!
I was launched for about ten ft but thankfully curled my arms in front of my body and impacted on the front right of my head and my right forearm just before the elbow. I essentially belly flopped with my arms in front of my so my other major impact was the middle of my right thigh right around where the pocket of my jeans lay. As I hit my visor was popped off and flew another ten yards out into the dark. Again, thankfully when this happened I was wearing full face helmet, armored jacket with padding in the arms, over the ankle boots, jeans, and gauntlet gloves.
As soon as I landed I turned around and turned the bike off (for some reason this was the one time I DIDN'T use the kill switch. I sat up and gave a double thumbs up to the car that had been behind me, begin taking my gear off and was laughing hysterically in the vein of "I can't F****** believe that just F****** happened!"
I stretched and made sure all my parts were moving and had full range of motion and thankfully they did. I then went to check out my other half and picked the bike up. The bike had flown just a little short than me and had landed a few feet behind me. The impact bent in the forks and this twisted the fender into the wheel. The headlight ring was bent in and displaced the rest of the headlight. All the gauges and the brake fluid master were shattered so the entire front end was covered in brake fluid. The tank was dented heavily near the gas cap. Minor tear in the seat, cracks in the side cover, a few heavy scratches on the #4 pipe. The luggage rack and sissy bar were somehow demolished and pulled back over the rear fender and needless to say the signals were hanging at a haphazard angle.
I called the insurance (Progressive) who arranged for a tow truck to come and pick me up and drive me the 70 miles south to San Diego where I'm staying, they also covered the cost of picking up and transport to evaluation center so the bike is in motion of figuring out if it's totalled or what. For myself, I was on such an adrenaline and endorphin high that I felt great for the first few hours but I felt as though my jeans were tightening around my leg and sure enough by the time I reached San Diego (around three hours after the incident) my leg was blue and purple and swollen to almost double the size around my right thigh up to my hip. At this point my leg was completely stiff and the skin was stretched tight. I was essentially walking like a zombie. I initially attempted laying down and icing it but after consulting the boss of bosses (Mom) I arranged to have some friends come and pick me up and bring me to a clinic to have it looked at. After completing the requisite paperwork, height, weight, etc, the doctor came in, looked at my thigh for literally two seconds and said "You need to go to the ER". So my friends and I bounced over to there where they shot some x-rays (not my choice due to lack of health insurance) and hmmmed and such over it. In the end they gave me a very fance ace bandage to keep pressure on it and prevent further bleeding into the thigh and prescribed me some very groovy (who even says that?) painkillers.
So now here I lay and contemplate next steps while I ice and heat my leg. I still can't wait to go out and climb back on the "steel horse I ride"
but don't know what I should do as far as the bike itself. I have a feeling due to it being an 81 GS650l that the insurance is going to want to just total it and at this point given how much it would take to fix and my lack of a place to do so, I'm inclined to agree and find a replacement. SO any suggestions? . I have to say though, for any yahoos who don't think gear is important, I am so happy I put my money into getting the proper stuff. It did its job and so here I am walking around bruised and not broken into multiple pieces, and now because I know they're a necessity... PICTURES!
yours:
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