- Joined
- Aug 21, 2005
- Messages
- 3,626
- Reaction score
- 27
Let me just say I've been riding on and off for over 30 years now, suit up and tell myself before every ride to be on the up-most defensive against things that can crash into me, don't speed in traffic and leave plenty of room to slow down or stop, check the bike after every ride and maintain it well, etc etc etc.
OK, I leave the house on the bike with a big wad of keys in my pants pocket and get a block away when the keys start grinding me, so I pull over to fix the problem.
I pull over to the right and stop, the road slopes downward to a curb which I don't intelligently pull parallel next to but two feet away from and not using the kickstand (do ya see it coming?)
I'm balanced uphill on my left leg, reach into my pocket for the keys, weight balance transfers to the right so I throw the right leg out thinking the air and space below is a solid matter to lean on, NOT!, crash.
I more or less helped it to the ground instead of just dropping it, but you know how it is when plastic meets concrete, at least my right leg was clear. Please no slider comments, the upper body landed up on the curb so I don't think it would have helped.
This just goes to show you that no matter how long you've been doing something or how much you think you know, All it takes is a little brain fade for things to go bad fast. A gentleman in a jeep pulled over and helped me upright the bike, I thanked him.
It started right up, nothing leaking, cool. End result, cosmetic grind on muffler, body, mirror end and broken brake lever. Public embarrassment and knot on forehead from banging it on nearby tree, stupid stupid stupid, wasn't wearing helmet while attacking tree. People, don't do what I did, use the kickstand.
OK, I leave the house on the bike with a big wad of keys in my pants pocket and get a block away when the keys start grinding me, so I pull over to fix the problem.
I pull over to the right and stop, the road slopes downward to a curb which I don't intelligently pull parallel next to but two feet away from and not using the kickstand (do ya see it coming?)
I'm balanced uphill on my left leg, reach into my pocket for the keys, weight balance transfers to the right so I throw the right leg out thinking the air and space below is a solid matter to lean on, NOT!, crash.
I more or less helped it to the ground instead of just dropping it, but you know how it is when plastic meets concrete, at least my right leg was clear. Please no slider comments, the upper body landed up on the curb so I don't think it would have helped.
This just goes to show you that no matter how long you've been doing something or how much you think you know, All it takes is a little brain fade for things to go bad fast. A gentleman in a jeep pulled over and helped me upright the bike, I thanked him.
It started right up, nothing leaking, cool. End result, cosmetic grind on muffler, body, mirror end and broken brake lever. Public embarrassment and knot on forehead from banging it on nearby tree, stupid stupid stupid, wasn't wearing helmet while attacking tree. People, don't do what I did, use the kickstand.
