With cold tires, a greasy road and sleepy brain I headed down Wairere drive to go to work. The Mazda in front stomped on the brakes because they didn't see the car in front slowing downI pull the brakes on progressively and think of exit strategies, then the car in front stops dead
Progression goes to all brakes, all on. All of a sudden I am at 45 degrees lean with no hope of regaining and my brain calls out "pull the chute, your out of the plane" bike goes down at roughly 50km/h as I cut away. I slid for a bit, angled and rolled up onto my feet and picked the bike up just as it stopped sliding. I had made enough room to miss the car in front by about 3m and I pushed the bike away from oncoming traffic on the way down. It was probably about 45 seconds from brakes ON to upright and on the side of the road.
I have a couple of bruises but nothing really and I didn't mark my new shoei. Thanks to quasi: the racer 9 saved shoulder and elbow damage and those gloves and their palm sliders saved my wrists and gave me the slide control to get onto my feet
. A couple of people stopped and asked if I was ok, the guy behind asked me how I got on my feet and the bike up so fast. My answer was "I am not happy but I am mostly unharmed, thank you" followed by a
look. I thought to myself at the time "nah, low speed wont cost much".
So I rode it to Speedtech. Damage report: frame damage, right side fairings, couple of engine plates, muffler, right controls and mirror etc etc... comes to $holyshit. Called Kiwibike, did the forms and faxed them back. Kiwibike process everything else over the phone and hand it on to star insurance. Speedtech and the insurance assessor agree with damages. Not long after the repair is approved Speedtech suggests to the insurance company that I just take their shiny black zx10-r with 3500km on the clock and they work out the odds and ends between them. My old bike wasn't written off but the damage equated to the upgrade cost somehow.
I paused for about 3 milliseconds
So cheers Speedtech, Kiwibike and star insurance for the great service and the new bike and thank you quasi for the excellent armor that prevented a whole lot of harm to my body.
Everyone has moments when they aren't on true form, to soften the blow I've devised a couple of ideas (that I knew already):
- Have your brain switch on with the ignition
- Look way ahead in traffic
- Give yourself plenty of room and escape paths
- Have good gear & wear it
- Know good people in the industry
- Have insurance with the right people
Originally Posted by Mully
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