Bruised But Not Broken

August 18^th, 2004

First of all let me remind you that I admitted that most of my knowledge comes from something I think I've heard in the past (see Service Check Up). The specific knowledge I'm referring to this time is that "most accidents happen in the first 2,500 miles." While this may be true (Phil tells me it's six months, not 2,500 miles), it does not mean that accidents don't happen after the "break-in" period (6 months or 2,500 miles). Just to prove this point, I managed to take a spill on my bike last weekend.

Heading into a 65 / 75 degree right hand curve, I lost control and laid the bike down. Those are the facts. Now let me talk about the circumstances. I was on Day Two of a weekend ride. I had ridden 510 miles the day before by traveling out US 460. This day I had traveled down to Cumberland Gap (Highways 80, 83, 23, 58 ALT), had turned around, and was heading east on US 58. I had traveled about 300 miles by the time I got to the area around Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. I was on some great roads. There were winding roads that paralleled a creek, which provided great scenery with enough curves to turn the day into a pleasant joy ride. The earlier ride (Hwy 80 / 83) had provided more extreme curves and a little fog that increased the pucker factor. By the time I got to Mount Rogers, I thought I was in the "groove".

After the accident, I tried to think of what contributed to the spill. I had already traveled 300 miles (after 510 miles the day before). I had the bike loaded (saddlebags and sissy bar bag). I just spent 15-20 minutes behind a sightseeing couple before they pulled over to let me pass. Technically I know that I didn't downshift prior to entering the curve. I was leading backwards instead of lending forward into the curve. I felt like I was drifting too wide and didn't have the power to climb into the curve. I hit the front brake which stood the bike upright immediately. With the bike upright it went straight instead of following the curve. As I approached the opposite curve, I realized I was running out of road quickly and applied more brake. This brought the rear end around at the same time the front tire hit the shoulder. The combined effect was the bike and I went down.

Damaged Sadle Bag, across the top

Spotlight damage

Rain, Fog and Drizle

The consequences were that the bike suffered a broken light on the front light bar (there goes this month allowance for chrome) and scratches on the windshield and saddlebag. I managed to survive with a goose egg on my right knee, some bruised ribs (which hurt when I laugh - especially at myself), and fortunately only a small paint chip out of my helmet (better it than the alternative).

The bottom line assessment (to paraphrase an unnamed sage eBiker Editor) is that "I LOST FOCUS." It doesn't matter what happened prior to that curve. I had been through tighter turns. I had managed the load on the bike for 800 miles. There were no invisible strings pulling me into the curve, or malfunctioning controls on the bike. The simple fact is that riding a bike takes more body coordination and concentration than driving a car. One of the things I like about riding is that my whole body gets into the act when I ride, not just one hand on the steering wheel and one foot on the gas or brakes. The trouble with this is that you've got to keep your entire body working or hope that you're very lucky.

Your right hand manages the throttle and front brake. Your right foot manages the rear brake. The left hand manages the clutch and the left foot the gearshift. Your body provides the counter balance for a lending bike. But, your brain has to stay focused on the road conditions and the motion of the bike to coordinate the proper combination of shifting, accelerating, and braking to safely navigate the highway. If your brain doesn't read the road correctly or doesn't give the proper control commands, your safety margin shrinks significantly.

So, what does all this mean? First, it means that I need more practice on tight uphill turns to the right (Phil has promised to help me with that). But more importantly, I have to be responsible for activating the most important safety device on the bike - MY BRAIN. I am certainly glad I rated myself as a C+ rider. Can you imagine how embarrassed I would be if I'd given myself a B-? Of course you would think that I would have gotten over being embarrassed by what I do on a bike by now (maybe I'll share how I drove into someone's driveway thinking it was the road in another story).

A footnote to this incident is that immediately after the accident, a car came around the curve in the other direction. Seeing me struggle to right the bike, the driver pulled his car over, gave me a hand getting the bike upright, pointed in the right direction, and restarted. I didn't get this gentleman's name since both of us were concerned about being stopped in a blind curve. For those who worry that the world is too greedy or selfish, rest assured that there is a Good Samaritan out on US 58 who stopped when he didn't have too. I wish him good luck and safe travels. I LIKE NICE PEOPLE.

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