First, I want to thank Eric (Earache), Landon (STindyO5) and Bill Carez for their care and assistance with my little mishap. Bill went home to get his cage, so he could collect my belongings from the neighborly local.
As for the "incident"... At the time, I was riding third in a group of 4 NB on OH-26 approx. 25 miles northeast of
Marietta, OH on a straight stretch of road, when for
no apparent reason, the rear end got loose. I had
partially closed the throttle in preparation for an
upcoming right hand turn posted for 25 mph. Even though the road was straight, there was a slight hump at the time control became an issue.
Before I knew it, the rear slid right. I tried to
steer into to the skid, when the rear began to slide
left. Instinctively, I tried to steer to the left,
when the rear suddenly and violently skidded right
again. At that point, I was very nearly perpendicular
to the road! As you can guess, I high-sided onto the
pavement. My helmet was one of the first parts
to hit. I was able to roll on my right
side, but not before tearing all the ligaments in my
right shoulder.
My beloved SSMST dug her right driver's foot peg into
the pavement (snapping it clean off the hinge mount),
which caused her to do a 360 deg. barrel roll.
Eventually, she landed on her right side and slid off
the road onto the shoulder facing SB. There she laid
motionless, with only the left saddle bag still
attached. The right bag, top box, shield, mirror
covers, dash all destroyed. Given the devastation,
the only item of Tupperware not damaged was the front
fender!!!
Fortunately, I was riding ATGATT. My armored Teknic mesh
jacket, pants, and gloves, combined with my Shoei
RF-1000 kept me from more serious injuries. According
to Bill, one minute I was fine, the next I was
fishtailing. He also indicated that we were traveling
approx. 45 mph at the time. I don't recall, because I was a
little busy at the moment.
Thus far, no one is certain what caused the ?incident.? My theory: either (a) the rear brake partially seized (possibly from heated brake fluid), or (b) engine braking as I closed the throttle cause the rear to partially lock up, or (c) a combination of the two that conspired against me as I pulled negative G?s over the hump. This simulated a classic rear wheel lock up and release that tends to lead to a high side crash.
As for my STeed, she?s probably a TL. The frame and forks are bent, not to mention the Tupperware damage. To my surprise, my wife doesn?t want me to repair the bike. She want?s me to go out get a replacement ST. (Isn?t that sweet?) I don?t know what I?ll do, but I decide that shortly. As for me, I have an upcoming date with an MRI machine. Except for my right shoulder, middle back, and a dislocated left index finger, I suffered only minor bumps and bruises. Let this be a lesson: RIDE ATGATT. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had been riding like those Harley guys.
Sorry for the long winded post, but I was told inquiring minds wanted to know what happened and how I was doing. Suffice it to say I won?t be able to ride for a little while, but I will see you all on the road again soon. I thank everyone for the kind words and thoughts. I will help me heal faster. Ride Safe!
Chris