[ST] Uploaded pics

[Eric Sheley <Eric@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here is the story behind those uploaded pics. This will make you think 
twice about riding without protective gear....
- -Eric

My name is Andrew Cross. I am 34 years old and live in Adelaide, South 
Australia. I have enjoyed your site immensely. It has a lot of good 
information that I look through regularly.

The attached pictures are of my three and a half hour old, 231 kilometres 
new, Triumph Sprint ST.

I ordered it in Sep 00 for delivery around Christmas. It took a long time 
as it was one of the first of the BRG models. I went to the dealer Mildura 
Motorcycles (a good bunch) near the Victoria, SA border (a leisurely 4 hour 
drive home) to pick up the bike on the 28 December 00. Triumph pipe, tank 
bag, side panniers, rear hugger, guard extenders, carbon tank protector, 
nearly the whole list of accessories. $17995.00 (AUSD) on the road. The 
best deal I could get anywhere in the country.

Well after a good chat with the dealer and the bike inspection, I was off 
for the beautiful ride home. Great roads and vineyards as far as the eye 
could see. The bike seemed very tight (as expected)and I religiously kept 
inside the run in schedule limits. After about 150Kms the bike appeared to 
be more loose. The throttle response was great and the gear changes were 
easier. I stopped for a coffee in a small town and the bike immediately 
attracted a crowd. When I came out of the shop I was besieged with 
questions. I have to admit that it is one of the best looking bikes in the 
world. You can keep your Ducati!

A nice long open right hander at 90Kms/Hr and then it was over. From on the 
side of the road a car pulled straight out in front of me to do a U-turn in 
the middle of the highway. Subsequent analysis by the Police accident 
investigation team told me that I had about 3 metres to stop. All I 
remember was touching the front brakes and standing up on the pegs. Lights out!

A forty minute ambulance ride back to the nearest district hospital, 
Waikerie, two hours in ICU to get stabilised and then an air ambulance ride 
back to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

I will not even get into the pain or what I was feeling during my brief 
periods of consciousness, but I was pretty angry that $18k was sitting in
the side of someone else's car.

A good story is a short story and the resultant injuries were (in the 
bigger scheme of things) not too bad. Seven broken ribs, fractured left 
thumb, twisted left ankle, split left Sacro Iliac joint, right hip trauma, 
left shoulder damage, thoracic spine trauma, plus all the other bruising 
and muscle pains gained from flying over a car like Superman and landing 
flat on the road on my back. The good news it that I had a very good jacket 
with a separate spine protector on. The doctors told me that if I had not 
been wearing this who knows what would have happened but it would have been 
a lot worse!

Needless to say that all of my other protective gear is trashed but that's 
ok. It did it's job. Don't scrimp on safety equipment. It's too late after
the crash. After getting out of hospital a few weeks later I was physically 
sick to see a young girl pillion on the back of a new R1 in little  shorts, 
a light Singlet top, sandals, unstrapped open face helmet and no gloves. 
Granted it was a hot 35 deg/C but take a moment to think about what her 
skin/life would be like if she came off that bike.........Wake up people!

While some 6 mths later the insurance is sorted out but I still have some 
pain. All the specialists tell me that over the next few months that should 
all go away. My friend Adrian at Mildura Motorcycles rang again today to 
see how I was. I told him to fire up the computer and get ready to order me 
a new ST in the next couple of months. "A red one this time please," I 
said. I really like the BRG but the red does stand out better. I have to 
give myself more of a fighting chance this time.

Moral of the story.  Dress for an accident every time you get on your bike, 
and while driving a car, please look over your shoulder before a U-turn.

Cheers,

AJ.


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End of st-digest V2001 #391
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