Dan Diego's Asphalt Adventure w/Photos!

[mexican]

I have a routine when i ride,
Bike check,
Riding protection.
Keep my distance .
Always on the lookout.
N ever ride about my abilities'
Never ride in the rain,( So Rainman, leave the rain home in may)
Been lucky that i have never encounter gravel, oil,or any other hidden hazard,in that case,, there is very little a man can do about that, as DanDiego found out the hard way

 

[CanberraR3]

Sorry to hear about your spill and I hope you have a speedy recovery. I've written on here about a mate of mine who came off at about 50km/h (30mph) and his riding is probably over. You are lucky - and the bike looks remarkably good (as did my mates Harley).

The biggest advantage of living in a warm(ish) climate is that you get to ride often and without long spells of wishing you could. Big bikes can do wierd things and the best defence is practice practice practice.

 

[TriumPhil]

Dan, it's always heartening to hear, stories such as your own, which have a happy ending!
Really good news that you were not more seriously injured.

I suffered my first get-off in 2006 after enjoying 41 years of accident-free riding. That whoop-tee-doo was caused by an unavoidable T-boning of a mature deer thgat came "out of nowhere", running into the roadway out of deep cover and putting itself dead center on my front wheel which was moving at about 65 mph. I came out of that pretty banged up - nothing permanently disabling, amazingly- but in much better shape than the deer, which was cut neatly in half! That day was the only one in over 10 years that I wasn't wearing any armor and, boy oh boy, did my body pay for it! My full face helmet absolutely saved my life, however.

Three years later, a cager made an illegal lane change... right into me, and, even though my bike was totalled (again!), I was in full armor and I walked away with with nothing more than a few good bruises and an even healthier fear of the "stuff" we all encounter when we are out and about, adventuring on two wheels.

The way I look at it is that motorcyclists are best served when we hope for and expect the best and prepare for the worst. That's the best anyone can do. The chips will inevitably fall as they may...

 

[fat frank]

Glad you're OK. Had a r3 std go down on the 3 sisters in the Texas hill country doing about 40 MPH and couldn't keep it in his lane on a cutback. Hit the brakes and lost it. His bike flipped over after it slid and tore up everything. 800+ lbs sliding on it's side on asphalt is rough on the bikes. Even bent his forks. His road rash was major. He was up but seemed almost in shock. Deep cuts and gouges on his arms and legs. The difference in his bike and yours is amazing. Yours looks like it fell over while you were taking a leak.lol You're lucky. that is one tough bike. Looking at the pictures, seems the crash bars held up way better than I thought they would. I'm really not that familiar with the touring model. Do the floorbards take alot of the punishment? I heard you can lay one over and it won't go all the way to the ground due to them.
Again, glad you're OK. At 61 years of age, I can't handle that. Definately trying to keep the rubber down.
Later.

 

[RocketDaryl]

That sucks. Glad you're okay!

 

[dandiego]

Yours looks like it fell over while you were taking a leak.lol You're lucky. that is one tough bike. Looking at the pictures, seems the crash bars held up way better than I thought they would. I'm really not that familiar with the touring model. Do the floorbards take alot of the punishment? I heard you can lay one over and it won't go all the way to the ground due to them.

I know that's true. It looks to be in really good shape, and I'm hoping the shop calls today to confirm that. My bike, after depositing me on the roadway, whipped a 180 degree turn and ended up facing the other way...sitting up on the crashbars and floorboards. The crashbars took a real beating. Both front and rear left-side bars are tweaked. Those and the left-side handlebar took the brunt of the fall.

If there's no frame or fork damage, I'm gonna be a really happy--albeit sore--guy!

BTW: Thanks a whole lot to each and every one of you well-wishers. Your words of concern matter a lot as I sit here in a cast and soaking in pain meds recuperating. As well, your stories of actual incidents like mine are very much appreciated.

 

[dandiego]

Update on R3T

That sucks. Glad you're okay!

Thanks, RD. The bike's doing better than I am. But that's OK.

Shop just called. It'll be $3700 to get my Rocket back to showroom condition OR $1350 to get it back to an acceptable level of ridability. The former cost would include a new left sidebag, exhaust, side panel, dresser bars, handlebars, riders, clutch and assorted reflectors.

The latter would include the two side crashbars, a clutch lever, new bars (that I found locally), and repairs to my sidebag. I'm likely going that route so as not to involve my insurance. I'm told that either way, my bike with look great. No frame, fork or wheel damage was found. Can I get an amen?

Oh, and I'm almost out of vicodin...please send more! (Just kidding...600mg Motrin is working fine).

 

[mexican]

Just a question, do you have full coverage?

I know a lot of guys that sa soon as they finish paying their bike they switch from full to liability, i hope is not your case,
i have 4 bikes and the rocket is the only one that i keep fully insured, i know if i ever drop it it would be expensive,
hope everything works out for you

 

[mjackson1000]

gettin' off....

****, dude....glad to hear that you walked away from that one......most of the guys I know, that have been riding for a while, have put one down, or had some vehicle cause 'em to get off, in one form or another....I'm 52 and been riding for nearly 40 years, and have never had a street bike on it's side....(knock on wood)....dirt bikes are another matter...can't get on and off of one without needin' stitches or a cast....!!!

Still, I figure my turn is the next time I ride the bike.....sometimes it's the rider, sometimes it's the bike, but more often its the road, or the other guy....

I don't mend like I did when I was 25, so I take it fairly easy on the R3T...full-face helmet, body armour, steel-toe boots, and lots of health insurance....**** I love to ride, and the R3T is just a sweetheart of a bike....

rubber-side down, and head-on-a-swivel....

 

[webmaster]

I'm glad to see that you're still with us.

Regarding the motorcycle repair. There are downsides to either option, just as long as it's safe to ride after and you enjoy riding it that is all that matters.