Saturday afternoon, I’m cruisin along I-70 eastbound, coming up on the exit for Earth City Expresway, with no particular place to go, and no particular hurry to get there. Next thing I know, I’m looking at the suspended ceiling of DePaul Hospital’s emergency room, and a fella’s asking me my name, did I know what day it was, etc.
Lot’s of road rash, a busted wing, but otherwise I came out okay (in that it could’ve been much worse). The bike made out much better than I did; it’s got two busted turn signals (front and back right), and the right footrest is bent up at a horrific angle, but otherwise you couldn’t tell it had been crashed.
Three words for any biker: full face helmet! I just had a brain bucket, and my face looks real horrorshow (not that it was all that damned pretty to start with), but it’s mostly scrapes and such, even though I did bite clean through my upper lip (I look like a Futurama character right now).
By the way “no particular place to go” rang a bell. I recall learning that NOT having a specific route/destination in mind leads to more rider accidents. No cite.
Of course, I never take my bicycle out on the interstate to begin with (it’s illegal), so I was doing maybe 15-20 mph on some back road in southern Anne Arundel County. Got a nice bruise on my elbow, no hospital visit, and only minor damage to the bike.
Sorry, Revtim, I don’t think I can post images here, but I can e-mail them (I sent one to Fox Paws) if your e-mail addy is available in your profile (or you e-mail me).
As far as “wha’ happened?”
Well, my last stop (and memory) was the Bass Pro Shop, so I only have the responding officer’s recollection of the various witness statements.
I had supposedly just crossed the Blanchette Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River, heading for the Earth City Expressway (this lets me cut through Creve Coeur Park to get home and avoid the I-70/I-270 interchange). The Riverport Amphitheater is also on Earth City Expressway, and apparently the concert traffic (arriving) was backed up onto the interstate. The stopped traffic must’ve surprised me, and I braked too hard, started fishtailing and lost it. Supposedly. The minor concussion eradicated the last 10-15 minutes before the crash.
If anyone wants to scare the bejeevus out of their young’uns, just ask and I’ll send a pic.
UncleBill: I was actually on my way home, but at a liesurely rate; Creve Coeur Park is kind of an unofficial gathering spot for local bikers (Park Police leave us alone as long as we mind our P’s & Q’s), and I was planning on stopping in to say hi as I went by.
Finagle: one handed hunt-and-peck mixed with a healthy dose of preview
RT: send a pic and we’ll compare road rashes, but I ain’t sending anyone pictures of my scraped tushie!
Yee-ouch. I’m glad I’m not you, but I’m very glad you got away with relatively minor, repairable injuries. That kind of crash is why I bought a full-face helmet even when I was only riding a 50cc scooter-- it ain’t the size of the bike that matters, it’s just that the road is so damned large.
I’ve been riding most of my life. I’ve been in a collision with a large pickup truck, I’ve been clipped by a compact car, I’ve hit a flattened aluminum can while accellerating out of a left turn. I’ve taken a corner too fast, and I’ve had traffic come to a screeching halt in front of me. Not to mention the spills I took as a kid, riding across the desert. My leathers don’t fit anymore (I’m trying to fit back into them), and there’s a lot of gravel on the roads up here.
Looks at photograph in e-mail
Umm, eww. I’ll bet you really freaked out the folks who stopped to help! All things considered, though, you look like you got pretty lucky. So I guess, umm, congratulations are in order!
What I find I’m already missing is a full night’s uninterrupted sleep; my arm lets me know its still there every couple of hours. I have a recliner sofa, so I’m sleeping pretty much upright, which in itself isn’t a problem (one of the Army traits I retain is the ability to sleep in various positions with little trouble).
But, I’ve already mastered one-armed sponge bathing and letter opening (thank God my teeth are all still there!), and managed to cook my own supper last night.
All-in-all, I’m counting myself very fortunate. God said, “Not yet.”
The bike may be worse than it looks, though. There’s a small block on the frame that limits the travel of the handlebars, and it looks pretty crushed (according to my insurance guy), which may necessitate total frame replacement (due to liability issues surrounding “repair” of that particular part).
Oh well; that’s what insurance is for. And it’s not like I’m going riding anytime soon, anyway.
By-and-by, my insurance is with Progressive, and so far, they’ve been great.
A couple of weeks ago my housemate performed a similar feat. Apparently he was on his way back from a ride with his friends when he past a copper at somewhat more than the local speed limit. Determined not to be caught (he had an illegal number plate) he accelerated. A little later he rounded a country bend and came wheel-to-face with a rabbit. Instinct took over and he swerved to avoid the little creature (he has a heart really). Unfortunately, like the situation when you try to pass somebody on the street who moves in the same direction as yourself, said bunny decided to move and keep in direct line with the wheel of the bike.
Apparently although he hit the rabbit (its innards becoming spread over the road) he reckons he could have kept control if it hadn’t been for the car coming towards him on the other side of the road so he headed for the edge of the road, hit some gravel and slide off.
Luckily he was wearing full leathers and a full-face helmet so the only injury suffered was a factured collar bone. Mind you he’s suffered far more since with constant references to rabbits and bunnies.
I’ll have my wife take a digital pic, if you like. It’s not that much of one (I had the good luck to do my slide on a recently-resurfaced, super-smooth stretch of asphalt, so I got off real easy), but it does have the curiosity that the main scrape is heart-shaped.
jaydubyasee: Well, since you mention it, the weekend before last (July 4th weekend) I was down in central Missouri on a little piece of two-lane twisty-windy road, and I took my time, riding at a very safe and reasonable speed.
Most of the country folk on those roads might come up on you pretty quick, but back off just as quickly; not city drivers. They’ll plant themselves 6 inches behind you and stay there.
I have a sneaking suspicion that I might have been distracted from the traffic in front of me by a tailgater. The bridge I had just crossed before the accident is decently elevated, so I would have noticed any traffic slow-down or stoppage in my lane.
I may have been gently “pulsing” my front brake to flash my taillight and squeezed a bit too hard. I also haven’t discounted the possibility that I was gently “nudged” from behind.
I’m 37 years old. I’ve got all of the “Evel Knevel” out of my system a loonngg time ago; I’m not out there riding to prove anything, so I don’t speed, or weave, pop wheelies, or any of that other foolishness. Plus, I’m fanatical about scanning the road ahead of me.
So my accident (its cause) fairly vexes me.
A friend of mine once told me that when he rode motorcycle he kept a few 1-inch dia. steel balls in his jacket, and that when someone tailgated him, he’d take out a ball and gently drop it behind him. It would then bounce and rattle under the car behind them, making a horrific noise and puncturing the occasional drip pan.
I’m certain that’s illegal, but I sure bet that it would feel sooo good.
good to hear that you’re safe and - ehm - in repairable condition ? <shudders> Seriously, any crash you walk away from is just a tap on the shoulder. Too bad if the bike has to be replaced, but rather do too much of that than too little.
Sorry to hear about your accident Tank. Glad to hear it wasn’t worse. My brother laid down his bike a few years ago and he wasn’t wearing a helmet at all. Luckily he managed to escape with no head injuries, just an arm and leg pretty messed up. Ended up having surgery to reconstruct his knee. Dumbass was riding with no helmet, no leathers, and was speeding. Mom nearly had a cow, and it did nothing to convince her that she was wrong about motorcycles, especially in the case of my older brother. He’s one of the biggest klutzes you’ll ever meet. Can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. He ripped the hoop off the backboard when we were playing basketball at mom’s place one year because his reaction time is so bad he didn’t let go of the ball when trying for a dunk. This man has ZERO business on a motorcycle, especially without any kind of protective gear. Mom is pissed about younger brother riding as well, but he was always the star athelete in the family so he’s head and shoulders safer on a cycle than klutz older brother. And he’s not dumb enough to ride without a helmet.
Anything you miss from the Dallas area that we could pack up and put in a care package for you? Drop me a line, email is in the profile. We’ll see what we can do to ease your convelescance.
I don’t need to see, ExTank, I’ve looked like that myself. It was a redhead and a curb at walking speed, but it probably looked the same.
It’s been eight years since my last tango with asphalt, so here’s my good wishes for your rapid mend and the upright attitude of all my fellow Dopers who ride two wheels.
