11,638. That’s how many crash-free miles I had on the VFR. Until this morning.
I set up for the turn onto the 101 South entrance ramp, and before I knew it, bam, I was sliding on the ground on my butt. As I watched the bike careen along the ground and wedge itself beneath the Armco barrier, my first thought was how I just love that VFR.
I slid along the ground for about ten feet, protected by my leather pants, jacket and gloves. The equipment preformed remarkably well –I don’t even have a scratch. The bike, on the other hand is fucked. As if the ten foot trip on expensive plastic and metal wasn’t enough, the bike embedded itself beneath the barrier, and there was no way I could get it out.
Out of options, I walked back to my house and called the towing company and my insurance. I drove back over, and the CHP and the towing company were already on the scene. The towing guys had their work cut out for them, and I grimaced as they winched the bike from under the Armco. Then the cops started questioning me. Of course, they thought I was some reckless motorcyclist and tried to get me to admit to speeding. I explained that I slipped on something, but one of them smugly mentioned that he didn’t see anything to slip on. I assure you, he performed no thorough investigation of the roadway.
So I had to spend an hour listening to such wonderful cop logic as “past behavior doesn’t predict present behavior” which is awesome. I suppose cops don’t suspect convicted felons before they suspect someone without a criminal record. Oh wait, they do.
Dick.
The towing guys were much better, they both rode and were very sympathetic. They towed it to my house, and I took the pictures. I’d imagine that the bike is totaled, which is a shame. There’s not another bike out there that I really like as much, unless of course Honda puts the RC2112V engine in a road-going chassis. Honda really needs to do that.
Damn, I really love that bike.
August 23rd, 2005 at 6:53 am
Hey Steve, I’m really sorry to hear about your bike. Glad to hear you’re fine, of course, but I really feel for you about wrecking the bike.
August 23rd, 2005 at 9:05 am
Insured? How’s the leather? Any evidence from it of what would have happened to your skin if you decided to wear shorts and a t-shirt instead? I cringe when I see a guy out on a bike with bare skin (and not helmet, of course).
August 23rd, 2005 at 1:10 pm
i don’t think it looks that bad.. do you want to borrow some duct tape?
August 23rd, 2005 at 8:11 pm
The leathers are hardly scratched. I lost a zipper pull on the right sleeve zipper, and the pants have a couple small scuffs. I really don’t want to think of what would have happened without them. I’m certain that it would have involved a hospital and pulling out gravel with a tweezer. Go Vanson.
August 24th, 2005 at 3:27 am
I is a real shame to see your baby destroyed.. I was a good friend of yours.
Hopefully the next one will just as good.
DAD
August 28th, 2005 at 5:09 pm
Perhaps you can sell a slightly used rectifier. I wonder how much all the various salvagable parts of the bike would go for on eBay.