"I guess I'm not gonna make it - I wonder what this is gonna be like..."
Lately I've been noticing that in chaotic situations I somehow tend remain calm. At the moment before I hit, I just kind of relaxed and let nature take its course. I came off the bike over the bars, flipped upside down, and landed against the car on the back of my head and shoulders. I landed, I took a second to confirm I was actually OK, and got up and apologized for causing the accident and damage. The 3 people that stopped to see if I was OK were all freaked out and couldn't believe I wasn't hurt, and that I was so calm. There's not a mark on my leather riding jacket or kevlar padded jeans. My helmet has deep gouges in the back in 2 places. I actually wondered how effective the thin foam in the back of the jacket was, and today I know exactly why it's there.
The damage doesn't look that bad - the forks are bent, obviously some broken plastic, and a few scrapes on the side. The bumper of the car is a little banged up, but the lack of serious damage is what tells me I did slow down quite a bit. But I'm sure it will cost my insurance company the cost of a bumper replacement, and will hit my premium(s).
The bike is financed so it's fully covered, and I haven't spent my recent State return which is just higher than my deductible. It would have been a free tow home, but it was only $50 extra to take it to a reputable shop that I was going to have tune my engine, so that's where I left it. They'll have an estimate on Tuesday.
The big lesson here is not to let anything or anyone influence the way I ride my motorcycle. I am disappointed for making such a rookie mistake, but I am thankful to have learned this lesson at the cost of only my pride and an insurance deductible. I'm also wondering how bad it's gonna hurt in the morning!
I can't wait to have it back, especially with the tune
Comment