Was a good run - had to close out some time.. - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

Dwayne Hicks · 01-25-2006, 02:16 PM

Two years and five months into riding, I have had my first accident.

It has been raining here since Monday afternoon. Yesterday morning I left the house wearing my rain suit - plastic coated pants and rain coat, intended for fishing, but works great to keep me dry. I was about ten minutes away from work, approaching a traffic light, and probably going a bit fast. I know I should have known better. I have drum brakes on the front wheel as well as the rear - the front ones do not work in the wet. Almost as though they grip the inside of the hub, lock the front wheel, and fishtailing in the front is never a good thing. The chap in his car in front of me started slowing for the red light earlier than I did, and when I realised he was braking it was too late. He had a middle LED stop light on his spoiler which I was looking at, and found out too late it wasn't working. I stepped on the rear brake pedal, and felt the rear tyre lock up. The back end of the bike started sliding out from behind me to the right. Next thing I knew the front wheel twitched, I went diagonally over the handle bars, rolled once with the bike sliding to a stop on the dirt at the side of the road. I got up, the driver behind me carried on going as though nothing had happened.

I have a bruised, scraped and battered left knee, a bruised right knee and scuffed right elbow. Funnily enough though, none of my clothing is damaged, except for small scuff marks on my boots and knuckles of my right glove.

The bike is okay-ish. My father in law arrived about 20 minutes after it happened. I wanted to go home - but my father in law was adamant that I get back onto the bike to see if it starts. It did after about the third try, and I rode it on to work, sans right wing mirror which broke off at the brake lever joint during the fall. For that part of the ride, I used the gears to slow down, and brakes at the last moment to come to a stop.

I have ordered a new brake lever set up. After it has come and I have attached it all, I am going to ride it directly from work (where it is sleeping at the moment) to the service centre to have its 18000 km service, and have them check it over for any defects or alignment problems.

I wouldn't say that this experience has woken me up - I have always tried to be wary and alert while riding, rain or shine - I think it has frightened me. Had my father in law not come to get me, and my wife had come, I think the bike would still be standing by the side of that road now...