Life get more exciting
Aug. 21st, 2009 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumA week ago I had a real accident on the bike (which was a scooter). Bike is totaled (in all probability). I might be able to repair it, but that would be, in essence, a complete teardown and reassembley. It looks as though the frame is bent. Everything else works (well the throttle seems stuck at about 15 percent, but given the way things were torqued, I'm not surprised).
That said, it was a good wreck.
The guy next to me drifted, or thought about changing lanes, or something. I looked over a tad too long (I am a moderately experienced rider of motorcycles, but not a recent one), and the two cars in front of me stopped.
I had good following distance, and all the needed gear (helmet, leather jacket [the classic style, with the belt done up], jeans, boots; well above the ankle, and studded gloves).
I saw the stopped cars, hit the brakes, and saw there was no way to stop in time, so I laid it down.
It was over in an moment. The bike hit the ground (and so too my shoulder, hip and foot).
From the aches, pains, scrapes, and bruises, I have a pretty good idea of the next bit. My shoulder rolled, the helmet dragged, my head rolled, the front tire of the bike hit the driver side rear tire of the car, and the frame bent; shoving the fairing into my topside (right) knee.
I was, as one is, up in a moment. The lady in the car was out shortly thereafter, all shook up because she had never seen me (bike, good following distance, etc.).
Apart from the bike being totalled (it cost $800, all in, and I;m guessing the needed parts [fairings, frame] are about $400; a good used scooter is running about $500, and [if there are still some at that price] a new replacement would be $700 (I can live without delivery. I'll look into a new scooter, and then disassemble this one to sell/keep for parts. If I get an actual motorcycle, I'll offer this for a project, and then probably sell it for parts, but I digress) I'm fine.
Not having transportation sucks. I was gettig used to the idea of being completely independent of others again, but I'll be able to replace it in a month, or two; the belt will be a little tight, but the GI bill ought to be paying me by October.
It could have been a lot worse. It's the first time I've ever had to lay down a motorcycle. It was a lot less scary than the occaisions I've had to lay a bicycle down. Which may have been the speed of it all (I was doing about 40 when I saw the stopped cars, and something between 15-20 when I hit the ground).
I'd have to say time on bicycles, and horseback, helped a lot. Everyone I've spoken with about it says I was lucky enough to do everything right. I'll put it in the win column, under Victories, Pyrric.
That said, it was a good wreck.
The guy next to me drifted, or thought about changing lanes, or something. I looked over a tad too long (I am a moderately experienced rider of motorcycles, but not a recent one), and the two cars in front of me stopped.
I had good following distance, and all the needed gear (helmet, leather jacket [the classic style, with the belt done up], jeans, boots; well above the ankle, and studded gloves).
I saw the stopped cars, hit the brakes, and saw there was no way to stop in time, so I laid it down.
It was over in an moment. The bike hit the ground (and so too my shoulder, hip and foot).
From the aches, pains, scrapes, and bruises, I have a pretty good idea of the next bit. My shoulder rolled, the helmet dragged, my head rolled, the front tire of the bike hit the driver side rear tire of the car, and the frame bent; shoving the fairing into my topside (right) knee.
I was, as one is, up in a moment. The lady in the car was out shortly thereafter, all shook up because she had never seen me (bike, good following distance, etc.).
Apart from the bike being totalled (it cost $800, all in, and I;m guessing the needed parts [fairings, frame] are about $400; a good used scooter is running about $500, and [if there are still some at that price] a new replacement would be $700 (I can live without delivery. I'll look into a new scooter, and then disassemble this one to sell/keep for parts. If I get an actual motorcycle, I'll offer this for a project, and then probably sell it for parts, but I digress) I'm fine.
Not having transportation sucks. I was gettig used to the idea of being completely independent of others again, but I'll be able to replace it in a month, or two; the belt will be a little tight, but the GI bill ought to be paying me by October.
It could have been a lot worse. It's the first time I've ever had to lay down a motorcycle. It was a lot less scary than the occaisions I've had to lay a bicycle down. Which may have been the speed of it all (I was doing about 40 when I saw the stopped cars, and something between 15-20 when I hit the ground).
I'd have to say time on bicycles, and horseback, helped a lot. Everyone I've spoken with about it says I was lucky enough to do everything right. I'll put it in the win column, under Victories, Pyrric.
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no subject
Date: 2009-08-22 11:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-22 03:42 pm (UTC)I guess the rest is just me. It could have been a lot worse, so since it wasn't, the only thing to really be depressed about is losing the bike. That's just money. I can get money back.
I was much less upbeat for the couple of days after the wreck (and some of it is still painful. Looking at the remains of the bike is sort of hard; mostly because I liked it. It looks much racier now, with the angle of the front end about 10 degrees sharper. Very rakish. Not so good for riding, but great looks).
I am much more critical of scooter design than I was. Yamaha has one, which looks much like a Vespa, with far too many protusions into the legspace. Put that thing down and bashed kneecaps are the least you can expect. The instrument down by your left knee is likely to cause real injury. That it's so far down (already a problem on scooters in general, id on is wearing a full-faced mask [as I do]) means it takes longer; with more loss of road visibility, to check, but I digress.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-22 03:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-22 03:55 pm (UTC)I say resale value because the scooter was always interim. Part of why I couldn't stay in Aptos, lovely as it was, and pleasant my housemates, was the trial of getting from that side of the mountains to this one.
The scooter was freeway legal, just, but it's harder to see than a motorcycle, and didn't have the power to deal with certain situations. So, if getting to/from school, or about the area, is too much hassle on the bus/kindness of friends, I'll get a new scooter, and then sell it as soon as I can afford to get a bike.
But, the price of bikes is such that, with a fair bit of scrimping, and some careful shopping, I can probably afford to get one by November.
If I can sell some pictures (reminder to self, hit the Photographers' Market some more), find a job, get some articles sold, etc., then the bike is that much the sooner bought.