Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Almost dropped her....

I was thinking yesterday, as I have been nearly 25,000 miles between my Honda, and my TBA, and have not been involved in any incidents (except minor rear ended), then, as I was going to the shop yesterday, I got into the turning lane to make a left turn onto a road that was clear at the time. Just then, a guy comes around the curb out of that road, out of nowhere. I was only doing about 20-25 in a left turn, when the back wheel locked up, and I found myself about 1/4 of the way to laying her down. I let off the brake, and headed for a "high side", but skidded the opposite direction, instead of launching me. She quickly straitened herself, and I proceeded to make the turn, just like I had "meant" to do the whole thing. My buddy behind me was like "man you almost lost it", I was like, "Are you kiddin? I meant to do that, I do it all the time. Yeah right....don't ever comment on how far you have been without a crash..It will jinx you every time....Had I been on anyother bike, I would be doctoring road rash right now!!!

Glad you pulled it out!
I almost went down last weekend. I was going through an intersection at low speed and ran over one of those ugly, large green fruits that are prevalent on the East Coast (folks around here call them some kind of apple). They are about softball size and jerked my bars so hard I nearly went down. I was in a 3-way intersection and carefully scanning for traffic - not road debris!

I typed up a big post on that "are crashes inevitable" thread posted by the girl worried about her boyfriend the other day. I was basically saying that I hate that "It's not IF, it's WHEN" argument, and that saying it's inevitable that you'll crash eventually, "the law of averages" I think someone said, is B/S statistically. It's like saying that if you keep playing the lottery you'll eventually win it. The chances of you winning the lottery today are exactly the same as they were last week, and the week before that.. etc etc..

Anyway, I read what I'd typed, and thought, you know, it doesn't matter what I think to be honest, but I know posting this is going to bring a whole load of bad karma down on my head and my next post will be from a hospital somewhere.. so I didn't post anything.

Us bikers are a superstitious lot!

You're almost right Rich mate ! I go into hospital next Tuesday due to my first mc injury in 40 years - a hernia !!! Got it trying to manouvre the BA between my car and my sons car into the garage on the day I got her !!!

The doc says I can't drive for 3 weeks after or ride for two months ! I reckon I need to sit down for a pee as well because he said I shouldn't lift anything heavy !!

Oh, it's not so bad. I laid one down at around 70 MPH many many years ago in my more foolhardy early twenties. I went to the ER to get some aspirin and a stitch, and the cop walked in and asked, "How fast were you going?" I replied, "I don't know, maybe 30?" He replied, "Your foot peg left a gouge in the road 262 feet long." I offered: "It's downhill right there." The cop gave me a ticket for 'Speed too fast for conditions, so I asked "What conditions?" He said, "Night time." The doctor turns to the cop and says, "Nothing like adding insult to injury." I wonder now how many years he'd been waiting to say that, or maybe as an ER sawbones, he mighta got to use it every other weekend.

In retrospect, it was very much like falling when skiing. I slid along with my helmet encrusted head up watching the road and guard rails go by, with the bike alongside doing a few very graceful yet horizontal pirouettes. It's apparently those abrupt stops whilst striking immovable objects that are said to hurt and leave dents. I thankfully ran out of forward velocity before striking anything, but the bike wasn't so lucky. I traded that bike for a used black '68 fuel injected Chevelle. That ride didn't last long either, as I made an (ahem) wrong turn at high speed & tried to ride the rails with it one night. What's left of the Chevelle is now the chassis / trailer for my Wisconsin powered two banger wood splitter / buzz saw. I don't cut or burn any wood for heat anymore, so the Chevelle skeleton sits in rusting semi-retirement. That must mean something karmic or cosmic, but I'm not sure what.

I'm glad I lived through my twenties, but it wasn't easy.

Life goes on...

Skiing ! now that is dangerous !

It's not so difficult though, try going to the top of a snow covered hill with waxed boards strapped to your feet and NOT sliding down !!