airHEAD
Pack Dog
As some of you know after more than 10 years of incident free commuting in rush hour traffic my luck ran out recently :'(
I had been on an awesome 600km trip up to Anysberg with the Western Cape airhead boys on the weekend and was doing my work commute on Monday morning. This City Golf made a split second decision to change from the right lane to the left lane while I was along side him. The next thing I know I'm standing in the middle of the freeway facing the oncoming traffic, knees slightly bent, fists up, ready to defend myself from the enemy that had just ambushed me
The crash bar hit towards the back of the front door, dragged forward and then peeled the front fender open.
Looking at these pics I can only be grateful that I had half my engine between me and the car. I reckon on most other bikes my foot and leg could have been trapped between car and bike
How the rest of the accident unfolded is a bit vague. I remember lots of noise and rolling but I think I would have been leaning towards the car to try and maintain my previous direction when the Golf driver realised he had turned into a gap that wasn't there and swerved back into his lane. At that point the bike went down on the right side, I went over the top and slid down the middle between the cars, while the bike slid into the back of the car in the left lane.
This all sounds like there should have been wide scale carnage to me and the bike but I cant help thinking that I got so lucky :mwink: I was in ATGATT mode, with BMW rally jacket (complete with winter lining) and neck brace. These jacket are amazing. There are signs that it went down the road (and even a tire mark on the one sleeve) but it did an awesome job of protecting me. (Note: Targus lap top backpacks are not made from the same stuff, its full of burn holes, the zip is melted and the strap broke off ???) I didn't get of unscathed though... I have a mean soccer ball size bruise on my leg, sore ribs, and back and a broken left wrist but I am sure it would have been a different story if I had gone into one of the cars.
So I am sure you guys are actually more interested in how the bike came out of it :mwink: Again I still cant help thinking that I am the luckiest guy I know! The right hand crash bar and valve cover are obviously history. Those both came a distant second to the the city golf and the M3 freeway, and the bike actually dumped a huge amount of oil on the road as the cover disintegrated completely.
I think I broke the right side hand guard, complete with aluminium support bar with my leg Most of the damage happened when it slid into the second car, an Audi A3. Because it was already on its side the front wheel went under the bumper but the front mudguard and head light assembly took the brunt of the impact. Fortunately the strongest triple clamps known to man, WP front end and head tube all look to be 100% fine 8)
Another big plus of having a motor sticking out of the side is that even with a 43l tank it didn't touch the ground! There is only the slightest hint that it saw some action which I think was where it touched the side of the golf.
So really not a good way to start the work week but all things considered I know it could have been so much worse. A huge thanks must go to my "knight in shining Corsa bakkie", Superfoxi who rearranged his day to help me recover my uninsured bike from the side of the road. Thanks Mike I really owe you one, I dont know anyone else who could have single handedly loaded and unloaded an immobilised HPN :biggrin:
Ironically I had been going on during the weekend away with the guys about how if you were just careful in the traffic you would be fine. I think when I am finally ready to get back on the bike (left wrist immobilised for 8 weeks minimum) I will need to reassess my strategy! I know these type of posts are always a bit of a downer but if someone else can learn from my mistake it will be worth it.
I have a new rule to add to my list of commuting survival tips: If a gap opens up in one lane, assume the idiot in the other lane is going to want to take it!
I had been on an awesome 600km trip up to Anysberg with the Western Cape airhead boys on the weekend and was doing my work commute on Monday morning. This City Golf made a split second decision to change from the right lane to the left lane while I was along side him. The next thing I know I'm standing in the middle of the freeway facing the oncoming traffic, knees slightly bent, fists up, ready to defend myself from the enemy that had just ambushed me
The crash bar hit towards the back of the front door, dragged forward and then peeled the front fender open.
Looking at these pics I can only be grateful that I had half my engine between me and the car. I reckon on most other bikes my foot and leg could have been trapped between car and bike
How the rest of the accident unfolded is a bit vague. I remember lots of noise and rolling but I think I would have been leaning towards the car to try and maintain my previous direction when the Golf driver realised he had turned into a gap that wasn't there and swerved back into his lane. At that point the bike went down on the right side, I went over the top and slid down the middle between the cars, while the bike slid into the back of the car in the left lane.
This all sounds like there should have been wide scale carnage to me and the bike but I cant help thinking that I got so lucky :mwink: I was in ATGATT mode, with BMW rally jacket (complete with winter lining) and neck brace. These jacket are amazing. There are signs that it went down the road (and even a tire mark on the one sleeve) but it did an awesome job of protecting me. (Note: Targus lap top backpacks are not made from the same stuff, its full of burn holes, the zip is melted and the strap broke off ???) I didn't get of unscathed though... I have a mean soccer ball size bruise on my leg, sore ribs, and back and a broken left wrist
but I am sure it would have been a different story if I had gone into one of the cars.So I am sure you guys are actually more interested in how the bike came out of it :mwink: Again I still cant help thinking that I am the luckiest guy I know! The right hand crash bar and valve cover are obviously history. Those both came a distant second to the the city golf and the M3 freeway, and the bike actually dumped a huge amount of oil on the road as the cover disintegrated completely.
I think I broke the right side hand guard, complete with aluminium support bar with my leg
Most of the damage happened when it slid into the second car, an Audi A3. Because it was already on its side the front wheel went under the bumper but the front mudguard and head light assembly took the brunt of the impact. Fortunately the strongest triple clamps known to man, WP front end and head tube all look to be 100% fine 8)
Another big plus of having a motor sticking out of the side is that even with a 43l tank it didn't touch the ground! There is only the slightest hint that it saw some action which I think was where it touched the side of the golf.
So really not a good way to start the work week but all things considered I know it could have been so much worse. A huge thanks must go to my "knight in shining Corsa bakkie", Superfoxi who rearranged his day to help me recover my uninsured bike from the side of the road. Thanks Mike I really owe you one, I dont know anyone else who could have single handedly loaded and unloaded an immobilised HPN :biggrin:
Ironically I had been going on during the weekend away with the guys about how if you were just careful in the traffic you would be fine. I think when I am finally ready to get back on the bike (left wrist immobilised for 8 weeks minimum) I will need to reassess my strategy! I know these type of posts are always a bit of a downer but if someone else can learn from my mistake it will be worth it.
I have a new rule to add to my list of commuting survival tips: If a gap opens up in one lane, assume the idiot in the other lane is going to want to take it!
