Just a quick note concerning motorcycle safety.  My wife and I were riding 2 up yesterday morning on a state highway coming to a yellow flashing light at an intersection for a very small town.  I was heading Westbound and a Jeep was heading Eastbound.  I slow for the intersection and saw her approaching and I remembered thinking "Surely she'll wait to turn until I pass".  She didn't.  I hit the accelerator so see if I could get through without her hitting me.  She clipped the rear of my Vision.

Next thing I remembered was the bike falling to the LH side and then the long slide of my body and my wife's body on the gravel (between the road and a 10 ft deep ditch).  We were both wearing leather chaps and jackets, gloves, and helmets.  Other than a little soreness of the muscles and my wife's shoulder, we don't have a scratch on us.  Miracles do happen and it helps when you wear your protective gear!

Looking behind me in the 150 yds of gravel was a deep trench where the tip-overs dug in.  On first glance, I have a bent LH floorboard, scuffing on my LH saddlebag door (looks like chaps rubbed off finish), maybe a broken corner on the bottom of LH faring, scraped tip-overs, and that's it.   I wanted to ride it home, but floorboard would not let me get my foot under the shifter.  We'll see what her insurance says.  2 Shark helmets trashed (and damned hard to find now due to US Distributor), and jackets/chaps scuffed all to hell.

I know safety is a personal preference, but I'm certain that the following things saved us:

• Leather jackets and chaps
• Gloves
• Good helmet
• Training from Motorcycle Safety Class . . . I think 1 sec in delay due to not throttling up would have caused her to broadside us
• The design of the Vision and it's tip-overs
• Yes, we had the bike blessed a year ago . . . I do believe God was looking out for us that day 

I'll post pics of my helmet when I get a chance.

BTW, my brand new Mr Wizard's Magical Jet Tips are still good as new!

Here's some of the gear. Here's how I'd rate my protective gear usage before the accident:

• Helmet 100% (yeah I know I'm in Iowa and I don't have to, but my head is pretty important)
• Gloves 30%
• Jacket 90% (I have one leather with armor and one mesh with armor for hot days)
• Chaps 10%
• Boots 90%
• Pants . . . purely optional, especially when wearing chaps (Just kidding!)

I'll be seriously looking at changing my AGATT habits.  Pretty sure my face would have been messed up, had bad road/gravel rash, and maybe even lost an ear.

Don't mean to preach here, but if just one person changes their safety habits as a result of this post and avoids serious damage, then the whole accident will have been worth it.

Wife's Jacket Rash.JPG (80KB - 0 downloads)

This could have been my face.JPG (86KB - 0 downloads)

Trekwolf164 - 2011-04-08 8:11 AM I did the exact same damage to my Vision a few weeks ago the most expensive fix is the left fairing it is a large piece. I was able to push the floor board down enough to shift with my side sole of my boot to get home .

I tried to push down on floorboard, but it was really jammed.  The Sheriff was even trying to help me pull the bottom pin to remove floorboard, but the silver pin/shaft was bent pretty bad.  

Trekwolf164 - 2011-04-08 9:13 AM Great machine + excellent gear = cautionary tales, rather then funeral notices. Hope you are back up on your ride very soon.

Well said . . . add to the great training (Motorcycle Safety Course) and information (here on boards). 

Coming into the intersection I did scan and was aware that she was there. Once I saw that she was going to actually turn into me I remembered that sometimes you need to hit the throttle to power through a situation.  I'm pretty sure she would have broadsided us if I had delayed and possibly went right over us.  I also remember reading on this forum that if ever in a situation like this, try to keep legs and feet tucked in and ride the bike down to its side.  The design of this bike with the tip-overs does help keeping you from getting legs pinned.

My wife is a real trouper!  I was afraid she'd say she never wanted to ride again.  She was in good spirits until the paramedics put her neck in traction and strapped her to the board (precautions).  Nothing broken, but her shoulder is pretty sore.  Going to orthopod today to make sure her rotator cuff, etc is OK.  Paid meds are helping.

I think about you guys up north all the time.  There are so many factors working against you when riding season finally comes back around after months of being snowed in.  I think the main two are 1)  Drivers are not looking for motorcycles yet.  There haven't been any around for months.  2)  Riding skills and reactions are not back up to speed after the long layoff. 

I don't take for granted the fact that I can ride over 300 days a year.  I'll ride in anything except ice.  I purposely ride to work in rain, heavy winds, extreme heat and cold.  I don't want to wait until I'm out on a big trip to encounter extreme conditions for the first time.  I'm constantly updating my gear.  My birthday request in May will be Draggin Jeans with the SaS-Tec knee and hip armor ($160).  It blows my non-rider friends away to find out that when I get decked out to go ride, I'm wearing over $1,000 worth of gear.

Those pics of your helmet and visor are priceless.  Just imagine if.......(shudder).