On the twists and turns of life there are many surprises, and I had quite a big one today...
I was headed into the city centre after work to meet a friend for dinner. I was riding my little yellow SV650 motorcycle through end of day city traffic and all of a sudden some guy in a car decides to do a U-turn right in front of me!
I was moving at full speed and there were no other cars near me - I had pulled away from traffic just before because someone was turning left from the left lane (two lanes of traffic each way) and someone was parallel parking from the right lane, so I could get through on the bike but other cars could not.
Anyway, the guy in front just didn't see me and decided to use the same break in traffic as an opportunity to execute a quick U-turn (completely ilegal in that location by the way). He turned quickly and was right across both lanes before I could do anything. - I slammed on the brakes and locked up the front wheel but still had just about full speed when the bike and I piled straight into the side pillar of his car! There was no time for me to do anything but know that I was going to hit hard.; So thats exactly what I did! :(
The bike stopped very suddenly and I didn't.
First thing that I felt was a very hard impact in my groin on the tank; Then the face of my helmet hit the roof line of the car followed closely by my right shoulder. Fortunately (and that is a huge understatement!) my weight was high enough and I had got some rotation on my body so that it was a "glancing blow" and I basically moved over the top of the car and not into it!
Over the top I went (more or less on my back in a tucked position) and then came down some meters clear of the car on the other side. I clipped my right ankle hard on the car as I went over and I landed hard on my left shoulder on the road...
I came to a stop in the middle of the road and was pretty well intact but had a VERY strong pain in my groin!!!
I immediately got myself up and started cursing at the pain and hobbled to the side of the road.
I sat down and then people started to help out. They were all very nice, thoughtful and helpful, including the guy who did the U-turn. Ambulance and fire truck arrived quickly and I was checked over but nothing serious appeared to have been damaged - Well if you don't count my reproductive abilities! :))) so they didnt need me to go to the hospital.
So then the other driver and I swapped details for the insurance and someone volunteered their name and number to me as a witness. And another bike rider who had also seen the accident helped me move my bike to a safe location to park it (which I had not even seen till now)...
It still rolls but its not very pretty any more!
The front forks are very badly bent and the radiator is "had it". The fairings are crunched too but the big surprise is that there is a sizeable dent in the fuel tank (Right on the nose of the tank with the tight curves where it should be really hard to dent!) that can only have come from my groin!!! Yep, I really did hit it hard....
I then made my way back home thanks to the friend I was going to meet, coming out to get me and take me home. We decided that home delivery pizza was the best idea and then watched a DVD for the evening.
After that, my neighbor arrived home and I went out to the street to talk to him. He has a really nice big low loader vehicle trailer and I was hoping he could help me get my bike home. He was very happy to help out and we did it imediately. So, by 2am I had the bike safely back in my garage and was tucked into bed (with a couple of pain killer tablets rappidly disolving inside :)
So that was my surprise for the day... Haven't digested it all yet but I'm sure that I am very very lucky not to have been killed or seriously injured.
Note: This is the first time I have ever had a motorbike accident that involved another vehicle and I have been riding for twenty years.
I was wearing all my gear and I'm sure the helmet, gloves, boots and hard armor in the jacket really helped but it seems to me that that is the minor aspect. The major aspect is the "providence"... It seems life has something important for me to do yet before I leave - probably just important for me and not the world but apparently very important...
The bike is probably a write-off and I'm fine with that - though, a year ago I would have expected to feel more loss but the current version of me does not (just gratefulness). It was one of the few things that I was intending to keep even when I leave Vancouver for a few years. I was just about finished building the storage container in my back yard which was specifically built mostly for the bike!... Not sure what significance I will find in that yet...
Like I said, I have not digested it all yet :)
I'll be very stiff and sore tomorrow and don't think I'll go into work but I should be OK after that. I guess tomorrow I'll fill in insurance papers and take it easy.
A big surprise, but a very good day :))))))
