c0emgen
Member
Well, after many years of riding and several bikes it happened. It was a vividly bright Friday afternoon three weeks ago just a mile from my house. I was riding home from work. As always I was wearing full gear and a full face helmet. My gear is a highly visible silver almost white color and my helmet is white. I was at full stop at a yield sign yielding to a delivery truck and a pick up truck when I heard the sound of locked brakes and skidding tires from behind me. In about a second the white compact rear ended me. I was thrown forward. My left knee and shin hit the left fairing and then the bike fell over on it's right side and slid several feet.
After the bike stopped sliding I took a moment to decide if I was OK and then I crawled out from under the bike and stood up. The guy that hit me was already out of his car walking towards me. I asked him, "Didn't you see me!" He replied in a very matter of fact tone of voice, "Yea, I saw you. I was slowing down. I guess that's why they call it an accident." He was begging me to work it out between the two of us as I was dialing 911 for the police and an ambulance. He was charged. He will be fined and get one point on his license. The female officer that responded and one of the emergency techs both ride. They were pissed. Even though it was a low speed accident (about 10 mph) the officer pointed out that I was lucky I wasn't pushed out in front of the passing trucks and run over by both of them. I hadn't thought about that. That scared me. You can be seriously injured even in a low speed accident.
I got checked out. Sore back, swollen shin, and swollen knee. The worst injury was to my knee. When I extend my left knee its makes a crunching grinding sound. I can imagine what shape my knee would be in if the armor in my gear hadn't softened the blow. I can walk and have even continued my Tae Kwon Do training. In fact, I went to a Tae Kwon Do class just an hour after the accident. Needless to say my wife was not happy when she showed up at the Dojo fuming mad that I had gone to class. I was a bit in shock after the accident and all I could think about was I didn't want it to interfere with my plans to go to class and see my kids afterwards. I was just so upset that after so many years I had been in an accident.
It's weird. I was completely not at fault. There was nothing I could do but I was still embarrased and ashamed at the scene that I was in an accident on my motorcycle. All I wanted to do was pick my bike up off the pavement and push it safely off the road. I made the guy that hit me help me pick up the bike and push it off the road into a driveway.
I have taken all the safety courses. There was no escape. As I gradually and smoothly slowed to a stop at the yield sign I flashed my rear brakes and glanced in my mirror and saw the white compact behind me. A bright day, highly visible gear, gradually slowing, flashing my brake lights, aware of who is behind me and I still get hit.
I'm getting an MRI for my knee next Monday. The doctor thinks hitting the fairing made a small tear in my patella tibia tendon (the tendon that connects the bottom of your knee cap to the tibia/shin bone). I hope he is right. Tendons heal in about 100 days. Cartilage damage or ligament damage inside the knee doesn't heal.
This accident has taught me no matter what we do it is still possible to get hit.
My bike sustained $3600 in damage. Twigg Cycles already has the insurance check. They are ordering the parts on Monday. They think the parts will take a week to receive and then they will do the rebuild. I hate to be missing so much good riding weather.
Sadly, because I am buying a new home in two weeks I recently sold my CBR1000RR and V-ROD to contribute to a downpayment so I have been left with nothing to ride.
However, all said I am very thankful to be alive with minimal injuries. Can't wait to get back on the bike. Take care out there everyone.
After the bike stopped sliding I took a moment to decide if I was OK and then I crawled out from under the bike and stood up. The guy that hit me was already out of his car walking towards me. I asked him, "Didn't you see me!" He replied in a very matter of fact tone of voice, "Yea, I saw you. I was slowing down. I guess that's why they call it an accident." He was begging me to work it out between the two of us as I was dialing 911 for the police and an ambulance. He was charged. He will be fined and get one point on his license. The female officer that responded and one of the emergency techs both ride. They were pissed. Even though it was a low speed accident (about 10 mph) the officer pointed out that I was lucky I wasn't pushed out in front of the passing trucks and run over by both of them. I hadn't thought about that. That scared me. You can be seriously injured even in a low speed accident.
I got checked out. Sore back, swollen shin, and swollen knee. The worst injury was to my knee. When I extend my left knee its makes a crunching grinding sound. I can imagine what shape my knee would be in if the armor in my gear hadn't softened the blow. I can walk and have even continued my Tae Kwon Do training. In fact, I went to a Tae Kwon Do class just an hour after the accident. Needless to say my wife was not happy when she showed up at the Dojo fuming mad that I had gone to class. I was a bit in shock after the accident and all I could think about was I didn't want it to interfere with my plans to go to class and see my kids afterwards. I was just so upset that after so many years I had been in an accident.
It's weird. I was completely not at fault. There was nothing I could do but I was still embarrased and ashamed at the scene that I was in an accident on my motorcycle. All I wanted to do was pick my bike up off the pavement and push it safely off the road. I made the guy that hit me help me pick up the bike and push it off the road into a driveway.
I have taken all the safety courses. There was no escape. As I gradually and smoothly slowed to a stop at the yield sign I flashed my rear brakes and glanced in my mirror and saw the white compact behind me. A bright day, highly visible gear, gradually slowing, flashing my brake lights, aware of who is behind me and I still get hit.
I'm getting an MRI for my knee next Monday. The doctor thinks hitting the fairing made a small tear in my patella tibia tendon (the tendon that connects the bottom of your knee cap to the tibia/shin bone). I hope he is right. Tendons heal in about 100 days. Cartilage damage or ligament damage inside the knee doesn't heal.
This accident has taught me no matter what we do it is still possible to get hit.
My bike sustained $3600 in damage. Twigg Cycles already has the insurance check. They are ordering the parts on Monday. They think the parts will take a week to receive and then they will do the rebuild. I hate to be missing so much good riding weather.
Sadly, because I am buying a new home in two weeks I recently sold my CBR1000RR and V-ROD to contribute to a downpayment so I have been left with nothing to ride.
However, all said I am very thankful to be alive with minimal injuries. Can't wait to get back on the bike. Take care out there everyone.
