HT_USMC
Registered
Yep. That's right. I had a little get off.
Link to pics - you'll enjoy em more then I did
Friday morning on the way to work, it was about 38 degress out in the DFW area but it was forecast to warm to roughly 60 degrees. Great day to ride the bike. So of course I did.
I check the air pressure in my tires, wiped the Busa down, shot a little chain lube on the chain and let her warm up for about 5 minutes while I geared up.
I'm an extremely safe rider. I use my blinker, check my mirrors and over my shoulder and ride with the flow of traffic when I commute. I've learned to watch the "body language" of the vehicles around me and predict their action to an uncanny level of accuracy (I am wrong occasionally but I always err on the side of caution regardless). I also position myself in the lane I ride in such a way as to communicate both my presence and my intentions (ie. I ride to the right side of the slow lane so anyone on the on-ramp can see me and doesn't think that my portion of lane is a place they can enter the lane).
So as I entered the highway it was a typical day of commuting with a grin hidden only by my helmet. I slowly changed lanes once to get on the highway from the on ramp. Then twice to get to the center lane from the slow lane. I need to be in the fast lane to catch the HOV lane in a few miles so I wait for some space to open up. As I'm waiting, the cars in the center lane about 10 to 15 car lengths ahead of me are doing 5mph or less (stopped / stop-n-go) so I know that I'll have to be patient for the spot to open. I toss my blinker on and begin the looking over my should every couple seconds to really get my point across; I want over. An SUV lets me in and ahead of him traffic is moving about 35 mph and I've got roughly 5 car lengths of space.
So, now I'm in my lane and headed to work. I accelerate a smidge (going from the 20mph I was doing at the time of changing lanes to maaaaybe 30mph) to find equilibrium between the SUV to my rear and the car ahead of me. No more that do I start that acceleration than the 3rd car from the rear, in the center lane - who's at a virtual stop, cuts the wheel hard, ends up in my lane, and is maybe 2 feet in front of me. This car is doing 10mph tops, I'm doing roughly 30mph. There's no way I can stop in time.
So I apply front and rear brake, drop a gear and gently lean left to use the shoulder. Ready to cuss and shake my head I suddenly feel the bike come out from under me in what I can only explain as a "cartoon landing". It felt to me as if I hovered in mid air for a second or two before landing on the pavement.
Landing on my left hip and ultimately my shoulder as well, all I can think to do is watch my bike still in the fast lane (now on it's left fairing) and "surf" the pavement to allow myself to move farther onto the shoulder as I slide. Doing so and keeping my bike in site I realize it would be better to slide on my back and backpack than on my hands and knees.
As I come to rest, my bike is almost stopped as well. I hear horns and see two people running at me. I then notice the car that cut me off is not stopping. Then out of no where I see a truck cut him/her off and block the car in so it has to pull over onto the shoulder about 500 feet down the road.
I was aware enough to ask one of the guys running to me to run and get the license plate of the car and the other to help move the Busa out of the roadway. They both complied as I collected myself and called 911.
With my bike moved the guy who moved it had to go to work but the guy with the plate was running back my way. He arrives with the plate on his PDA and then transcribes that to paper. He tells me he saw the whole thing and had even commented to his GF about how patient I was about changing lanes just before it all played out. So, I ask him to call my cell with his mobile so I can get his number.
The police arrive and tell me it's a no fault accident because no contact was made. I'm thinking, "wtf... I try to limit the damage to the vehicles and to myself by taking the shoulder and it's going to be my fault". After a bit of banter back and forth with the female officer, the accident investigator arrives.
The two of them talk, almost arguing, and he approaches me. He asks me how it all happened and I explain it to him. He points out the huge ruts in the road just where the shoulder starts and says that's probably why the washout occured. He then goes to question her - the other driver.
Once he's done, he and I talk again. He tells me her story was basically the same but she said "we never made contact, so what was I supposed to do". He asks me why she would have said that. I explain she had to be blocked in to get her to stop. He asks if she ever got out to check on me. "No, she never even opened her door or window as far as I knew", I reply. He says, "well as a fellow rider, I can tell this is her fault and she didn't sound as if she intended to stop this morning. I'm writing this up as her fault on the report because both stories match from differing perspectives". She also tried to claim I was doing closer to 70mph but he measured the first impact where the bike hit the concrete to where it rested (fluid on the ground) and determined she had to be lying.
After handling all the paperwork they sent me on my way. Though, they had to tow the bike because my insurance card blew away in the accident - I keep it in the trunk (kept it in the trunk I guess).
I was lucky. Real lucky.
I've got minor road rash on my left ankle and my hip. I'm sore everywhere but I don't really need any pain meds to cope. From the sound of the report the bike should end up with a new front fender, front and left fairing, left pipe (set of pipes - pulease lol), stator cover (of course) and a paintjob (trying to decide what color I want her now) all at the price of some skin a few bruises and a day off work - all on her tab. Lucky.
Stay safe out there gang. This all happened in the blink of an eye and only went slow motion after I was pavement surfing. I was 5 miles from the house (tires weren' t even close to warmed) and had only just gotten on the highway. By the way, I saved the helmet - it never touched anything but the rest of the gear did exactly what is was there to do and will have to be replaced. Only road rash I have is where there was no gear. I had on an Alpine Stars leather jacket, Icon Armor Legs under my jeans, and Alpine Stars SP-1's.
Pictures to follow - probably Sunday (1/28) as I'm hobbling around.
WEAR YOUR GEAR!
Link to pics - you'll enjoy em more then I did
Friday morning on the way to work, it was about 38 degress out in the DFW area but it was forecast to warm to roughly 60 degrees. Great day to ride the bike. So of course I did.
I check the air pressure in my tires, wiped the Busa down, shot a little chain lube on the chain and let her warm up for about 5 minutes while I geared up.
I'm an extremely safe rider. I use my blinker, check my mirrors and over my shoulder and ride with the flow of traffic when I commute. I've learned to watch the "body language" of the vehicles around me and predict their action to an uncanny level of accuracy (I am wrong occasionally but I always err on the side of caution regardless). I also position myself in the lane I ride in such a way as to communicate both my presence and my intentions (ie. I ride to the right side of the slow lane so anyone on the on-ramp can see me and doesn't think that my portion of lane is a place they can enter the lane).
So as I entered the highway it was a typical day of commuting with a grin hidden only by my helmet. I slowly changed lanes once to get on the highway from the on ramp. Then twice to get to the center lane from the slow lane. I need to be in the fast lane to catch the HOV lane in a few miles so I wait for some space to open up. As I'm waiting, the cars in the center lane about 10 to 15 car lengths ahead of me are doing 5mph or less (stopped / stop-n-go) so I know that I'll have to be patient for the spot to open. I toss my blinker on and begin the looking over my should every couple seconds to really get my point across; I want over. An SUV lets me in and ahead of him traffic is moving about 35 mph and I've got roughly 5 car lengths of space.
So, now I'm in my lane and headed to work. I accelerate a smidge (going from the 20mph I was doing at the time of changing lanes to maaaaybe 30mph) to find equilibrium between the SUV to my rear and the car ahead of me. No more that do I start that acceleration than the 3rd car from the rear, in the center lane - who's at a virtual stop, cuts the wheel hard, ends up in my lane, and is maybe 2 feet in front of me. This car is doing 10mph tops, I'm doing roughly 30mph. There's no way I can stop in time.
So I apply front and rear brake, drop a gear and gently lean left to use the shoulder. Ready to cuss and shake my head I suddenly feel the bike come out from under me in what I can only explain as a "cartoon landing". It felt to me as if I hovered in mid air for a second or two before landing on the pavement.
Landing on my left hip and ultimately my shoulder as well, all I can think to do is watch my bike still in the fast lane (now on it's left fairing) and "surf" the pavement to allow myself to move farther onto the shoulder as I slide. Doing so and keeping my bike in site I realize it would be better to slide on my back and backpack than on my hands and knees.
As I come to rest, my bike is almost stopped as well. I hear horns and see two people running at me. I then notice the car that cut me off is not stopping. Then out of no where I see a truck cut him/her off and block the car in so it has to pull over onto the shoulder about 500 feet down the road.
I was aware enough to ask one of the guys running to me to run and get the license plate of the car and the other to help move the Busa out of the roadway. They both complied as I collected myself and called 911.
With my bike moved the guy who moved it had to go to work but the guy with the plate was running back my way. He arrives with the plate on his PDA and then transcribes that to paper. He tells me he saw the whole thing and had even commented to his GF about how patient I was about changing lanes just before it all played out. So, I ask him to call my cell with his mobile so I can get his number.
The police arrive and tell me it's a no fault accident because no contact was made. I'm thinking, "wtf... I try to limit the damage to the vehicles and to myself by taking the shoulder and it's going to be my fault". After a bit of banter back and forth with the female officer, the accident investigator arrives.
The two of them talk, almost arguing, and he approaches me. He asks me how it all happened and I explain it to him. He points out the huge ruts in the road just where the shoulder starts and says that's probably why the washout occured. He then goes to question her - the other driver.
Once he's done, he and I talk again. He tells me her story was basically the same but she said "we never made contact, so what was I supposed to do". He asks me why she would have said that. I explain she had to be blocked in to get her to stop. He asks if she ever got out to check on me. "No, she never even opened her door or window as far as I knew", I reply. He says, "well as a fellow rider, I can tell this is her fault and she didn't sound as if she intended to stop this morning. I'm writing this up as her fault on the report because both stories match from differing perspectives". She also tried to claim I was doing closer to 70mph but he measured the first impact where the bike hit the concrete to where it rested (fluid on the ground) and determined she had to be lying.
After handling all the paperwork they sent me on my way. Though, they had to tow the bike because my insurance card blew away in the accident - I keep it in the trunk (kept it in the trunk I guess).
I was lucky. Real lucky.
I've got minor road rash on my left ankle and my hip. I'm sore everywhere but I don't really need any pain meds to cope. From the sound of the report the bike should end up with a new front fender, front and left fairing, left pipe (set of pipes - pulease lol), stator cover (of course) and a paintjob (trying to decide what color I want her now) all at the price of some skin a few bruises and a day off work - all on her tab. Lucky.
Stay safe out there gang. This all happened in the blink of an eye and only went slow motion after I was pavement surfing. I was 5 miles from the house (tires weren' t even close to warmed) and had only just gotten on the highway. By the way, I saved the helmet - it never touched anything but the rest of the gear did exactly what is was there to do and will have to be replaced. Only road rash I have is where there was no gear. I had on an Alpine Stars leather jacket, Icon Armor Legs under my jeans, and Alpine Stars SP-1's.
Pictures to follow - probably Sunday (1/28) as I'm hobbling around.
WEAR YOUR GEAR!