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| Tips & Training Riders new and old can always learn. Share and experience ideas for making motorcycling safer and more enjoyable here! |
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02-10-2009, 02:20 PM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Where Am I ? Join Date: Jul 2008
Bike: 1997 Suzuki Savage LS650
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Posts: 43
|  Could Have Been Worse
Yesterday was a beautiful day for a ride here in central Kentucky (62 deg. F, partly cloudy very light winds). I'm off on Mondays and decided to take a ride from Lexington to Frankfort up Old Frankfort Pike to meet my wife for lunch (she works in Frankfort). Anyone familiar with that road knows it's a nice scenic ride through the countryside with lots of horse farms. There is also the danger of deer crossings in a lot of areas along that road. I was about ten miles from Frankfort on a straight part of the road going a little over 50 MPH when over a stone wall on my right came a doe. I saw it in time to know there was no way to avoid being hit. All I could say was Oh f#$@ before she hit me on the right side. I was just sure this was going to be a nasty wipe out and I remember thinking "here we go". The deer hit me in the middle of the jump before even touching the ground. I had no time to brake or swerve (nor would it have done any good). I think all I did was lean in toward the deer. The lucky part was that I actually kept the bike up. It knocked me into the other lane but somehow I was able to recover and pull over into the entrance of a farm about 100 yards up the road. Thats when I discovered that I wasn't able to apply the foot brake because of severe pain. The deer had hit me in the right leg crushing my knee into the fuel tank. When I got off the bike I couldn't stand on my right leg. I called my wife to let here know that I couldn't make lunch and that I needed her to come and get me and take me to the hospiltal. Turns out I have a broken knee joint (tibial plateau fracture). I see an orthopedic doctor tomorrow to find out what's next (maybe surgery). The bright side is that the only damage to my bike is a good size dent in the fuel tank (the impression of my knee) and the right front turn signal light is busted. When the deer hit the momentum turned her in the direction I was heading and her head hit and snapped the turnsignal light (leaving some hairs). in the ER the doctor asked me what happened to the deer. I said that I guess it just ran back into the field, after all her blow was cushioned by my leg. I never saw it after the hit so I assume it was ok. There was no blood or anything. I consider my self pretty lucky and hopefully will be pretty much healed up before the real riding season starts.
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