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07-17-2007, 07:43 AM
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| Found second gear by accident   Join Date: Jan 2006
Bike: 2005 Suzuki S50
Location: Hickory NC
Posts: 308
 |  Went for a slide on Sunday
Taking stock of things a day later. Helmet is shot, I hit the curb with my head $150.00 Jacket is toast, I slid all over it $250.00 Gloves are gone $20.00 I'm sore and have a few scrapes, but nothing else. Thank God and the gear for that The bike faired well, No damage to the paint, handlebars, or engine Crash bars have been scraped badly $165.00 Footpeg has been bent $40.00 Saddle bags have alot of holes now $100.00 Broke off the rear turn signal $50.00 The accident happened when a lady in a minivan suddenly served over into me in my lane. (I was on her right side near her front quarter panel) I found myself riding inches from the curb in the ditch and a few inches from her passenger door. As i manuvered and braked to get out of this tight spot, I either hit the rear brake too hard or hit some loose dirt in the ditch that caused my back tire to skid. The bike started to fishtail and I held on as long as i could, but ended up going down at about 50 mph. Several people stopped to help me and one even followed the lady in the minivan. She did not stop, even though the folks who followed her were trying to get her to, but instead continued on home which was a few miles up the road. Because of them, and the many witnesses to the accident the police were able to get her. The cop who did the accident report told me she was being ticketed for unsafe movement and for leaving the scene of an accident. Even though her van did not actually come into contact with me, apparently she knew what she had caused and had seen me go down. Thinking that she had just killed someone, she panicked and went home. I still not sure how i feel about that- On one hand i understand how scared she must have been, but on the other, she should have stopped. The kicker to this was one of the witnesses to the accident said she was on her cell phone when she changed lanes!!!! All in all though, I feel very lucky. We were on a busy road and this could have been so much worse. It's funny how I remember thinking "WOW, I can see the pavement" as my face was sliding along the asphalt. I'm glad i was wearing a full face helment! After everything that happened, the police reports made, getting checked out by EMS, and looking over the bike carefully for damage, I got back on and rode it home. I'll spend the next week stripping the bike down. I want to make sure the slid didn't do any hidden damage to the frame or suspension. |
