<I'm writing this both to answer a couple of friend's inquiry and as some sort of cautionary tale about getting squidy in the off-season> It was another long day at work, the sun having gone down just as I walked out the door. Happily, I could look forward to the short ride home on my beautiful blue SV. Just sitting on it pushed the problems of work away and I left the aggrivations of the day behind with a whack of the throttle. In my customary impatience with red lights and crawling cages, I zig zaged cross streets and darted thru traffic. I hit the bridge over the Chatahoochee river that separates GA from AL and opened the throttle to beat a car to the right turn lane. This "new" bridge has an odd characteristic. It actually climbs over an old mill before reaching across the river. To do so, it has a sharp rise and crest. Ordinarily even in heavy traffic, the nimble SV is able to dart between cars to get into right lane to take the exit turn. Topping this ridge, I first see blinking blue police lights from an accident at the far end of the bridge, and then the tail lights from the sea of cars backed up on the bridge. Then I realize... "The cars are stopped!" I grab a handful of brake, back brake and would'a thrown out the anchor if I had a Harley handy. I think there was less than 50 ft from the top of the bridge and the backs of the cars and they were getting big, fast. I try to aim the bike between two lanes to give me more room to brake, but that was more than the tires would take and the front fell out from under me. Bike and I skitter down the bridge to bump up against my er... target. New, groovied concrete is *amazingly* abrasive. I instinctively crawl out of the lane to avoid getting run over and couldn't get up. My jacket looked like it had been attacked by a cheese grater and my left knee was bleeding and F$#King hurt. After a bit the pain subsided enough so that my eyes could unroll and I could hobble over to my mangled bike. I try to pick it up alone by my left hand didn't feel like working anymore. A bystander and the Cop who had been working the first accident (and now mine) helped stand it up. A quick inventory is depressing. Bar end mirrors and levers gone or mangled, Duc Monster fairing ground thru, tank and tail plastic scoured and caved in. Even the rear seat pad is torn up! Sigh... Since the bike actually hit something, I have to do the whole insurance and ticket thing. In the middle of this a friend from work rides by on his Shadow and stops to see whats up. While the Cop does the paperwork I go thru the story and we get the bike running and can actually limp it home. Even after seeing many SVs crash and race again, I'm amazed at how tough this little bike is. Over all the bike suffered fairly little damage and the Yosh can and Ohlins shock escaped untouched. Besides the brake lever and shifter, the rest of the damage is cosmetic. Still going to be over $500 to return it to something like it was but no where near what the bill would be for a full faired bike. As for me, it gets even more ironic... I've crashed on the track 3 times and have always walked away unscathed. I still can't believe a fall from a "slow" lowside could wreck my left knee's ACL and crack one of the carples in my wrist. So my bike is sick and I'm hobbling around a bit, but I should be well enough come Febuary. As much as I'd like to blame the traffic or that dumbass bridge or even my tires, I know very well that it was another case of rider error. In this case, me aggressively out riding where I could see where I was going. Maybe it was me being a squid or just that the SV is just too much fun. Hopefully this has beat it out of me and I won't need to get a cruser It's definately taught me why alot of racers don't ride on the street... James
Sorry to hear about your mess! I know personally about the injury to the knees and wrist. I really hate that so many people miss the point of the street ride. It is the most rewarding and definately most dangerous form of riding. Thats why it's such a paradox that the un-trained do it the most( and crash the most)and racers shy away from it after learning esential skills and finding an avenue to vent their mo-jo riding (GRRRRRR) Three times this year, I told God that he could kill me now cause I have experienced the ultimate thrill and joy of my life, and I was satisfied! First at Roebling when the track came to me, second at VIR during a beautiful sunset walking the track after a great practice day, and third at the top of Squirrel Spur rd. (Patrick Co.Va. rd 612 from the valley to the Parkway.) I'll NEVER give up on riding, and I'll take every moment I can get. Rob
LOL That was my intention with the SV but not THIS soon! The GS is ready and assuming I don't get sent outta the country again, I'll be terrorizing Clubman and Lite Twins next year.
