Bike updates.

I looked here and can’t find mention. Sometime before Christmas I was across town running an errand. I popped into shop for about 5 mins and came back out to my bike. As I opened the top box, my glove fell out. Odd, I thought, I must have left it under the lid when I closed it.

Looking at the contents, it seemed like everything was hard up on the right side of the box. My heart sank, and I quickly moved to that side of the bike.

Bar end, mirror, fairing, peg —- yep, all had scratches. The bike had been knocked over while I was away. I hurried around the other side, but nothing immediately stood out as an impact site.

Now the damage was very minor. Barely even cosmetic. But it still bites.

I went into the shop I had parked in front of (not the one I had visited) but no one had seen anything (they said). Most of the other shops were either closed, or actually vacant.

Small scuffing on the engine cover

and on this exhaust.

That was about a month ago now. I’ve put in an insurance claim, the assessor has approved the repairs and the shop is waiting for parts. Along with the items mentioned about, they might be swapping all the locks as the steering lock is acting funny. And they are going to repaint the exhaust as they are scratched on both sides (so guess where the impact must have been). The bike has been rideable this whole time and I’ve not noticed anything out of place or acting funny. (Lucky it was rideable, because I needed the second vehicle to get around it turned out. Just after new year our other car died as well – a hole in the radiator – where have I seen that before….anyway, it’s in the mechanics now too)

It should have almost no effect on my policy and I will only have to pay the excess. No cameras from the nearby shops, no witnesses and no notes.

Lucky to be here.

No not a new crash. 

Now and then again I see something that drives it home again just how lucky I was 2 years ago in my bike crash. Today I watched some of a YouTube video where a bike ran a red light and hit a car. These guys were being complete wankers stunting on the street and rode through the lights at speed. I don’t have a problem with the stunting, its when these riders are blocking traffic, running lights or on the wrong side that they’re just being dickheads and giving riders a bad name. 

While the first bike made it cleanly the second collected a car and the rider and his pillion were thrown across the bonnet and down. The pillion’s foot is either completely torn off or hanging by a thread. I didn’t look too closely. If you’ve a stronger stomach than me go and check it out. 

I hit the road at a higher speed than these two and was lucky not to get thrown off more violently. I could have gotten tangled in the bike or the roo or slid heavily into the fence. I might have landed differently and torn part of myself apart as I slid 100m along the road. I might have been run over. 

I wore a mix of good and great gear. I had a kept a fair bit of space around me in the very light traffic. But when the roo was there – there was NOTHING I could have done to avoid it. 

But I was also lucky. Very lucky. 

And now and then there’s something that makes a cold chill run down my back and remind me. 

Love tap

Wasn’t because he loved me… it was because he wasn’t paying attention.

I was commenting in on the Daytona the other morning and had stopped at a give way. The car behind then proceeded to drive into me. Not hard enough to knock me over, but hard enough to bend things.

It looks like the other guy (and he’s someone at my work too!) has gotten away with about $100 in damage – a bent bobbin (the little knob that is used with a paddock stand) and a bent indicator. I’ll be replacing both of them.

He claimed the sun was in his eyes etc etc. Rubbish he wasn’t paying attention.

Kind of like a year ago.

So on Friday as I headed back to Sydney I noticed a lot of dead roos between about Canberra and Goulburn. Summer is coming, and the warm weather has them moving about more.

Kind of like a year ago.

Mrs Mab had to stay on call on Sunday.

Kind of like a year ago.

So I would have to travel back in the evening, leaving late, like after 9.

Kind of like a year ago.

A year ago.

So this year, I decided to come down in the morning. I left around 4, so that by the time I reached Goulburn and Lake George it would be light.

I’m really tired, but nothing happened.

Post crash – Update 2

Not a lot to post, sorry. I’m still at home in Sydney healing up. Still can’t really move my leg much so sitting at the computer isn’t really appealing.

Frustrated, I want to get back on the bike and even back to work, but I can’t imagine how much more frustrated I would be if I had been more seriously injured.

Haven’t been paid for the bike yet, there are some documents I need to send them, but they are in Canberra at the moment and I haven’t been back.

Anyway I’ll potter about this week and hopefully be back the next one. I’m really keen to put together a vid showing my gear and the crash site etc, but need to get out there again to do that.

End of an Era

That’s what my sister and my mum separately described it when I told them.

Sunday night, marginally later than usual I headed down the highway from Sydney to Canberra on my VFR. After my usual refuel at Marulan and a text to wife I was on my.

As I travelled along the edge of Lake George I was passing a car and about level with its doors when it appeared.

Ten foot tall with red blazing eyes and a t-shirt that read “death to motorcyclists” the kangaroo leapt from in front of the car next to me and landed in front of me. At 110km/h I had enough time to think “fuck this is going to hurt”. Well I probably only thought “f” before I’m tumbling down the freeway.

I didn’t resist the tumbling, trusting my gear to do the job I spent a lot of money for. It did seem a while but was probably a few secs later I stopped sliding.

I could see the wire fence on the edge of the highway only a metre or so away. I was pretty shaken and had no idea if I was hurt but I knew if I could get over to the fence I would be as far away from the traffic as I could get. I didn’t want to survive the roo only to get squashed under a semi.

I lay in the drain next to the wire letting myself take a few deep breaths and see if anything was hurting a lot.

Nothing grabbed my immediate attention so I stood up. Up the road to my left was my bike about three metres away. Past that a couple of people were just getting out of a ute. (They were apparently very relieved to see me stand up)

I walked over to my bike with a heavy heart knowing that my bike had seen its last miles this evening. Lying on its side in a pool of oil with the top box burst open I knew the insurers would deem it uneconomical to repair.

I took my helmet off and sat down. The guys convinced me to lie down and it seemed like a good idea. My Kevlar jeans were ripped open on my right knee and a nasty set of gashes poked through. We decided to call the ambulance.

As we waited the guys found a few of my things. I took stock of myself and even with shredded clothing the only other injury apparent to us was a light graze on my wrist.

But it was cold lying there on the road and I presume the shock and adrenaline as well had me shivering almost constantly (it would be after a couple of hours in Emergency before this would stop) About 30mins later the cops turned up, the the tow truck and then the ambos.

I guess about an hour later we arrived at Canberra Hospital. It became obvious that I had been very lucky and that my gear had done its job. I have some deep serious gouges of skin (you can see muscle and bone in the holes) taken from my knee but that’s it. Nothing broken, nothing internal damaged.

From there it’s been a succession of hospital beds and dressing changes. I am supposed to getting a plastic surgeon to look at my knee tomorrow. It’s going to take some work I think and lots of time to heal.

Some people have gone out and checked out the crash site. They figure the bike slid about 100m. They found the roo, well dead and he wasn’t a small one (about 5 feet tall). They found some of the bike with roo hair stuck in it. Most amazingly they found all of my belongings, even down to a couple of USB sticks and my sunnies.

Thanks to all my family and friends for all their support so far. Thanks to the guys who stopped (many didn’t) and I wish you’d left me your details. Thanks to the ambos and other medical folks. And of course thanks to Dainese (jacket and boots), Draggin (jeans), Alpinestars (gloves) and KBC (helmet) for keeping me so safe.

And rest in peace (or pieces??) to my well loved mighty VFR.j

Down Again

Well, time for another entry and its not a good one. I hit the road again. This time I can only really put it down to my own fault.

On my normal commute to work, was following a line of cars who were passing a tractor driving along the verge. The guy was going steadily and keeping as far left as he could. Mostly the cars ahead were filing past easily, but I slowed some as the car in front had its turn. Moments later he braked hard and so did I. I guess it’s been too long since my last emergency practice and I presume I grabbed too much. Bike is quickly down and I hit the road next to it.  We both slide a few metres to a stop. Distinctly remember my head hitting the ground and being very concerned about the very full lane of traffic (including large trucks) headed the other way, that I was kind of sliding towards.

Came to a halt and stood up, getting myself of fhte road as quick as I could. Can see a car pulling up behind me on the verge. The car and tractor carried on, but in all honesty, they may not have seen anything until well down the road. I didn’t hit either so they didn’t need to get details etc.

Pulled off the gloves and helmet and headed for the bike, lying silently on its right side on the road. The guy from the car is asking if I’m alright, and to be honest I’m not sure. I know I’m walking and thinking so it can’t be all bad. We lift the bike and push it off the road. He’s still asking if I’m ok and amazing a couple of other cars have stopped. My pants are torn , but my BDUs (fatigue pants, cammo pants) have done a pretty good job as the knee has a double layer. Wrist is sore, knee, head a little bit too.

Bike is scrathed a lot. No pegs, no levers broken or bent, indicators etc all working order. It starts and runs ok. No leaks. Yay I can ride out of here, so no police report (and likely ticket too).

The other bloke offered to give me a lift, but I decide to ride on to the base as there’s a hospital there anyway. He does follow along behind as far as he’s going, in case I change my mind. Really nice of him to do that.

Next day I’m fairly sore, but I’ve really escaped again. Got a couple of grazes on my knee, that the medics cleaned out and dressed. Wrist and head ached a bit, but that’s gone now. So nothing broken (I have a habit of not noticing broken limbs for few days – no idea why, but on two occasions I’ve had broken limbs only to think them sprained (once arm, once leg))

The bike will be off the road for a few weeks I guess, for insurance and repair. Back to bus/train for a while.

Gotta kill my resale – this is my advertisement if I was to sell 🙂

2004 VFR, Over 100,000km. Crashed twice, dropped once more, some minor scratching. Ridden in all weathers and left out in the rain several times. Always serviced. Comes with very scratched topbox.

But I love it (and all realtionships have ups and downs) and won’t be getting rid of it. Has got the Mrs nagging a little though.