There is an old saying among motorcycle riders that if you haven’t dumped your bike yet, you will. And after eight years of riding, I dumped mine today. A few days ago, my replacement helmet arrived, and I had it on. The full-head one I got a few months ago had a defective hinge, and after three weeks of trying to fix it, they gave me a new one. New helmets are notoriously tight, and I already had a headache. My glasses were slightly askew and my peripheral vision was distorted. It made objects at the edge of my vision seem closer.
Image from http://www.brownpinay.com
We got gas and after filling up, I was walking the bike backwards to ride into the street. (Motorcycles don’t have reverse gears, you sit on them and push with your feet.) There were two trucks blocking the way to ride straight ahead, so I was pushing back, watching behind for cars pulling into the station. A truck roared past on one side, and a car was pulling in on the other, so I turned the bike at a sharp angle. The back tire hit one of the big refilling lids and stopped, and I gave a powerful push to get the back wheel over the edge.
I now had a back wheel resisting, a front wheel turned at a sharp angle and a bike that wasn’t moving. A motorcycle in motion wants to stay upright, but when it stops moving, it wants to lie down. One more push, I thought, and my foot slipped on a grease slick. My left leg no longer held up its half of the weight, and in slow motion, the bike tipped over with me on it.
I smacked into the cement apron of the gas station with my shoulder and elbow and my 500-pound bike fell on top of my left leg and foot. That left my right foot and leg free to kick the kill switch to turn off the engine. A bike that’s over on one side will leak gas, and you don’t want to keep the engine running.
My husband saw me go over, and so did the motorist in the car that had been coming into the gas station. They both came running and pulled the bike off me. My husband turned the ignition key and pulled it out.
Roll back the clock an hour. I wanted to go for a ride on this perfect day with a big blue sky and no wind. I’d been up since about 6 a.m. and it was 2 p.m. I could get in a ride and come back and work for another three or four hours. But it meant changing from at-home clothes to riding clothes–heavy jeans, over-the-ankle boots, protective jacket with elbow, shoulder and back inserts, gloves with gel pads in the palms, and the full-head helmet. It takes time to put all that on, and I wondered if I needed all this stuff. I hate all the effort it takes to go from sandals, slacks and T-shirt to full motorcycle gear. I grumbled when I put it on. Arizona doesn’t have a helmet law, and I get a lot of flack from riders in flip-flops and shorts. But I own my business, I’m my only employee, and if something happens to me, my business stops. So I put it all on.
Back to the gas station. The guys pulled the bike off me. My boot protected my foot from both the weight and heat. My jacket protected my elbow and shoulder. My helmet would have protected my head, but I pulled it hard to the right and my head never touched the ground. Don’t want to scratch that new helmet.
So, after testing my ankle and knee, I rolled back up off the pavement, and checked the bike over. I’ll have to have the handlebars adjusted and the side mirror re-set, but I got back on the bike and took a ride. I’ll be stiff tomorrow–after all, I’m not a biker chick, I’m more a biker hen, but I’ll be back at work, no worse for wear.
And the next time I grumble about all that gear, I’ll grin when I think of how easy it was to roll over and push off the pavement and stand up. And I’ll be grateful for every piece of it.
–Quinn McDonald is a life- and creativity coach who loves riding motorcycle through the Sonoran desert mountains. She’s also a writer and a communication trainer who runs workshops in ideaglyph journaling.
I am glad to hear that you are OK.
Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, right? I had a similar mishap on my first time out. I dropped my bike, or more like it wrestled me to the ground, in a restaurant parking lot.
Have you considered highway bars? Beyond providing a gap between any object and the bike, they give you another place to put your feet on long rides, and they look cool.
–Kent had them on “your” bike, and he just had them put on his 1300. I’m seriously considering it, because we are doing a lot longer rides. I’d feel less humiliated if this weren’t the first time in 8 years I’d dropped it. The three things–backing over a gas truck loader cap, wheel turned too tight and not looking where I put my foot are all three things that are beginning mistakes. And the biggest goof of all–wanting to get out of the car’s way in a hurry is the biggest mistake. But I will never, ever complain about the gear. It let me get up and get back on the bike. -q
I’m so glad you are OK, and that Suzie is going to be OK as well. Thankfully you weren’t going at top speed when your bike dropped!
Think that you are very brave and yes come to think about it, it must be very special to ride a motor through the desertlandscape.
I have seen Harley Davidson motorbikes with three wheels riding on the German highways and through the Alps. The seats looked very comfortable and the driver and the passenger really seemed to enjoy their rides.
Do you have a tiny radio inside your helmet, I mean how do communicate with the other riders around you?
—I’ve seen those three-wheeled bikes, too, and realize how powerfully big this generation is as we get older–things are produced for us that didn’t exist before. And then I saw the price tag–Ouch! Those 3-wheelers cost more than my CAR! There are helmets with radio transmitters in them, to allow riders to talk to each other. Mine doesn’t have one. I like silence.
I don’t often ride in a group, but when you do, there are group rules and hand signals if someone needs to pull over. And when one person pulls over, everyone does. It’s a safe way to ride. I often ride with my husband, and if I need to say something important, I pull over. I usually ride in front, because I’m the map reader.
-Q
Goodness sakes, thank the gods you have enough common sense to ride a cycle with the appropriate attire. Those dudes and chickies in flip-flops and shorts–where are their brains? Obviously not fully engaged.
Hope you are not too uncomfortable today. Maybe you deserve chocolate today for being so smart yesterday. That might help…
—Yes, chocolate. Uh-huh. Yummmm-eeeee. I never got the idea that shorts and flip-flops were a good idea on a bike. Yesterday proved it. I have a stiff neck and shoulder, but without that jacket and boots, I’d be in a LOT worse shape. Now I’m off for chocolate therapy–always useful! -Q
Blessings for a quick recovery from any lingering aches and bruises!And I hope you know a good practitioner to put your neck back into alignment after your save of that new helmet.
Thanks for being “sensible” even when it isn’t convenient. May you enjoy many more hours of safe riding fun!
—My neck is stiff, and so is my shoulder, but this morning I’m taking Susie Lighning (that’s the bike) in for chiropractic. She needs to be fixed, I’ll stretch out of it! And I will never grump about that jacket again! -Q
This I believe is really scary! Bikerhen (in my country this would be “motormouse”), wouldn’t it be better for you to drive on four wheels only instead of two?!
—I actually drive a car to get places and a motorcycle to enjoy the beautiful scenery and desert roads around here. There is some danger in motorcycle riding, as there is in driving a car or riding a bicycle. I’ve taken the safety course, and this was entirely my fault. Even better reason for protective clothing! -Q