Bob Myers
08-23-2009, 09:52 PM
Went for a country road ride yesterday, on my Vulcan, ran about 120 miles or so, never more than40 miles from home at any given point, sort of a big semi-circle.
Last leg of the ride i was on a road that 2 bicycles would have trouble passing each other on. I rounded a curve, came upon a low water crossing. I stopped before I even got to the edge of the water, could see easily see it was no more than a couple inches deep. I started across, being cautious, knowing it was likely somewhat slippery. I had no idea just how slippery though. 15 foot onto the crossing the rear went north, the front went south, and I landed on my side with the 800 on top of me, it happened so fast that I was still holding onto the handlebars and looking at water running in my helmet. I mean, it was literally a blink of the eye and I was down. I scurried out from under it and hit the kill button, I then reached down and picked it up with my left hand, sat it on the kickstand. I took my helmet off and sat it on my sissybar, it was then I noticed my bike was moving! Sideways! the current was pushing my bike sideways while it was on the sidestand. Water was only a couple inches deep, not even over my shoes. I jumped on and fired it back up, and surprisingly it fired easily, I was already still in first gear so I eased the clutch out, not giving any gas. It started spinning! Even more sideways now, almost pointing straight into the flow of the water. It started to move forward, idling, pointing at a 45šangle to the flow/direction I wanted to go. Yep, I had to "drift" it across. When I got to the other side and stopped on dry pavement is when I noticed the pain. At least one broken rib, sticking out about 2" from my ribcage, and at least 5 or more ribs bruised badly. Not a scratch or a mark on my bike. Nothing. Not even a scratch on my windshield.
In the blink of an eye, and going less than idle speed in first gear! Yea, wife wanted to see the spot that finally put me down. I've been riding since 1968 and that is my first down on a street bike, that is her in the Jeep crossing the crossing
Last leg of the ride i was on a road that 2 bicycles would have trouble passing each other on. I rounded a curve, came upon a low water crossing. I stopped before I even got to the edge of the water, could see easily see it was no more than a couple inches deep. I started across, being cautious, knowing it was likely somewhat slippery. I had no idea just how slippery though. 15 foot onto the crossing the rear went north, the front went south, and I landed on my side with the 800 on top of me, it happened so fast that I was still holding onto the handlebars and looking at water running in my helmet. I mean, it was literally a blink of the eye and I was down. I scurried out from under it and hit the kill button, I then reached down and picked it up with my left hand, sat it on the kickstand. I took my helmet off and sat it on my sissybar, it was then I noticed my bike was moving! Sideways! the current was pushing my bike sideways while it was on the sidestand. Water was only a couple inches deep, not even over my shoes. I jumped on and fired it back up, and surprisingly it fired easily, I was already still in first gear so I eased the clutch out, not giving any gas. It started spinning! Even more sideways now, almost pointing straight into the flow of the water. It started to move forward, idling, pointing at a 45šangle to the flow/direction I wanted to go. Yep, I had to "drift" it across. When I got to the other side and stopped on dry pavement is when I noticed the pain. At least one broken rib, sticking out about 2" from my ribcage, and at least 5 or more ribs bruised badly. Not a scratch or a mark on my bike. Nothing. Not even a scratch on my windshield.
In the blink of an eye, and going less than idle speed in first gear! Yea, wife wanted to see the spot that finally put me down. I've been riding since 1968 and that is my first down on a street bike, that is her in the Jeep crossing the crossing