Hit by car -- only 16 days old!

[Bill Flowers <waflowers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Last night on the way home from dropping something at the office, I
turned left onto a 4-lane (2 each way) road at the same time an opposing
driver turned right.

OK, I made a mistake.  I should have made sure I was ahead of the cage
or behind.  Instead I ended up beside the cage at the point in my turn
when I was closest to it.

The cage turned wide and wandered into my lane.  I swerved to avoid it
but the bike went down with a thud on the left side.  At the time I
thought I'd grabbed the brakes causing a lowside, but there was
something about the way the bike went down that had me wondering.  It
didn't feel like I'd grabbed the brakes, but that was the only thing I
could think of at the time.  In the light of day I've found metallic
gold/beige paint on the right side of my front tire.

Anyway, the bike went down, I did a number on my left knee and then slid
on my left hlp (saved by a pacakge of cinnamon Altoids) and the left
sleeve of my leather riding jacket.  I had been moving at about 30mph at
the time, accelerating out of the turn (35mph limit).

I came to a stop in the dirt of the median (cultivated bushes) and my
bike about 15' futher on with the engine still running.  I tried to get
up but quickly found out how much roadrash hurts.  Then people came
running from all over and practically pushed me down.  All I wanted to
do was to kill the engine but I wasn't being allowed to get up!

So I sat there and listened to the engine tear itself apart while
gushing oil all over the bushes.  I was finally able to get to it just
as it died.

The left side is badly broken, even the plastic below the seat is
scuffed.  The mirror housing is scraped but unbroken.  The shift lever
is bent, as is the clutch lever.

What really worries me is the engine damage.  It proceeded to drip oil
for the two blocks that my wife pushed it home, then all night in the
garage until it is empty.

What, I wonder, happened underneath the cowling that could have caused
that? And how bad off is the engine for running for minutes on its side
while the oil was leaking away?

The good news is that, other than pulled muscles all through my back and
left side and a good case of roadrash on my left knee
I came out OK.  My helmet never even kissed the ground, and
my neck is just fine.

BTW, those kevlar reinforced Draggin jeans are looking mighty good to
replace the ones that were destroyed.  I'd still be bruised, but I
wouldn't be having to change a dressing ever 6 hours as it soaks
through.

Other good news is my insurance company is going to go after the other
driver.

Tomorrow the dealer is sending the truck to pick up the bike (they are
closed today, but I was able to get ahold of them), and the adjustor
will go over it with them.  With the popularity of blue STs I don't
expect to have replacement bodywork until after the New Year.  :-( Maybe
I'll be surprised, but I won't hold my breath.

Conclusions: Was it my fault? Technically no; the other driver moved
into my lane without signalling and hit me.  Unoffically yes; as a
motorcyclist it is up to me to not position myself where I have no
"out".  If I had slowed more for the turn I would have been behind the
car, and probably not as far to the right in my lane either.

It was in my haste to get home that I ignored one of the rules of
riding, and allowed myself to be positioned next to a cage with no place
to go.

I've heard that most road accidents happen within blocks of home on the
return trip.  I was two blocks from home.

Hopefully the rest of you can take a lesson from this and avoid the
pain, physical and mental, that I am experiencing now.

- --
Bill Flowers
Clearwater FL
'00 Sapphire Blue ST "Jewel"
- --
I'm dreaming of a motorcycle Christmas.


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