Wear your helmets!

[Eiron]

Because you never plan to hit the pavement!

[fish]

You OK?


Fish

[Cube]

I'm with fish.. are you ok?

[Eiron]

Oops, sorry! I should've said!

Considering the crash, I'm doing okay. I was coming home from meeting a friend for dinner Friday evening and took back roads so I wouldn't have to ride the main thoroughfare with 75 mph traffic. It was maybe around 8:45 pm and the sun had already gone down but the sky was still sort of light. (There were still a few cars without their lights on.) I was coming around a sweeping left-hand bend at about 25 mph and I think I got hit by someone driving without their lights on. The crash was instant, not gradual (like a slide), and my injuries would suggest a hit scenario. My left side has impact-style injuries (broken hand and sprained shoulder) and I hit the roadway on my right side (my knee took most of the force and the deepest rash). I went to Urgent Care Saturday morning and they sent me to the hospital for a CT scan and x-rays. No obvious brain trauma (luckily there was no psych evaluation!), but I have a dime-sized bone chip at the base of my thumb joint. I have an appointment with a hand surgeon on Wednesday to evaluate removing the chip. With the damage to my helmet I probably would've shattered my eye socket and jaw without it. I was wearing long pants and a lightweight reflective windbreaker with flashing LED lights built into it and turned on. Of course, both of those are pretty shredded. (Anyone know of a good Gore-Tex repair place? I'd hate to throw the jacket away.) I went back to the crash site Saturday afternoon (located by a few pieces of my helmet and bike fairing, and rear footpeg gouge marks) and there was no gravel and no skid/slide marks. Walking and opening jars are the most painful things right now. It could've been a lot worse!

[GeorgeSK]

So a hit and run.

No THAT's how you spell Axxhole.

Glad that you are able to write a cogent report. Indeed - the incident could have been MUCH worse. Prayers for a complete recovery - it doesn't sound like it will be that quick.

[Mel46]

When I had my accident my helmet was totally destroyed, and my Face shield saved my face but was destroyed in the process.

Helmets save lives, and your face. Never believe that helmets are not necessary.

[doletotodole]

I had a few small incidents, mostly because of the brakes when used somehow knocked my bike down.
I don't get hit because I am very generous with the hazard lights and horns.

[gn2]

That picture says more than a thousand words can about why open face helmets are for idiots.

[easyrider]

If you were making a sweeping bend did the other driver leave his lane and go into your lane and hit you head on, or did he hit you from behind , trying to pass you .. ?? Did he run away from the accident scene?? You are not sure you got hit by the other vehicle ?? Hope you feel better. Good luck with the healing .

[fish]

Good to hear you're mostly okay.
Nope, don't replace/repair the windbreaker jacket. Buy a heavy mesh armored jacket for hot weather riding.
Windbreakers are for bicyclists.

+1 on the full face helmets. (Let's stop putting one on the spouse. Her face is just as important) So many Sunday riding Vespa couples riding in those cute open faced helmets.
See above for results of a 25mph off.
Fish

[you you]

That picture says more than a thousand words can about why open face helmets are for idiots.

Not if you wear it backwards.

Who is feeling like an idiot now?

[homie]

Are you sure it wasn't a deer strike. You got up and road home, whatta man, whatta man, I salute you. Get well soon!

[Mel46]

We have this small problem here lately that might explain some hit and run accidents, though probably not yours.

Every Wednesday the old folks homes let their patrons take their cars to go shopping. It seems that that day is when the retirement checks come in. Now, I am not talking about 70 year olds. I am talking about 85-90 year olds. Many of the women can't even see above the steering wheel.

Now that the over all scene is set up for you, now imagine that they only drive one Wednesday of the month, since the checks are sent out staggered based on their last name.

As they head for the store they see no one and nothing in front or beside them. They can't even see the lines in the road.

When they finally get in the shopping center parking lot they will run you over to get to a parking space, and parking means getting close to between the lines.

The accident rate climbs quickly on Wednesdays. Their statements to the cops, if someone can keep them at the accident scene until the cops arrive, is somewhere along the lines of "I don't see what the big deal is Officer. The car still runs, doesn't it?"

I pity those of you who live in Florida and have to go through this. It is bad here, where more and more Assisted Living Homes are being built close to each other. I think all of Florida is one.

So be careful out there. Don't believe that everyone is watching out for you. They aren't.

[easyrider]

We have this small problem here lately that might explain some hit and run accidents, though probably not yours.

Every Wednesday the old folks homes let their patrons take their cars to go shopping. It seems that that day is when the retirement checks come in. Now, I am not talking about 70 year olds. I am talking about 85-90 year olds. Many of the women can't even see above the steering wheel.

Now that the over all scene is set up for you, now imagine that they only drive one Wednesday of the month, since the checks are sent out staggered based on their last name.

As they head for the store they see no one and nothing in front or beside them. They can't even see the lines in the road.

When they finally get in the shopping center parking lot they will run you over to get to a parking space, and parking means getting close to between the lines.

The accident rate climbs quickly on Wednesdays. Their statements to the cops, if someone can keep them at the accident scene until the cops arrive, is somewhere along the lines of "I don't see what the big deal is Officer. The car still runs, doesn't it?"

I pity those of you who live in Florida and have to go through this. It is bad here, where more and more Assisted Living Homes are being built close to each other. I think all of Florida is one.

So be careful out there. Don't believe that everyone is watching out for you. They aren't.

I live in Florida, and the oldies seem to drive slower and more cautiously. The bad ones here are the the young drivers texting and gaming away on their smart phones and not paying attention to the road being in a hurry, speeding, and running lights and stops. The oldies seem to know their limitations and stay focused more.. There will however always be exceptions and shit happens especially when they fall asleep . lol

[PCX150Rider]

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. The helmet really saved you from being permanently disfigured. It's a testament to the adage "ATGATT" or "All the Gear All the Time". A reminder for us all.

I wondered if it could have been a deer also.

Back in the 90's I was broadsided in a truck by a full grown buck. . .it basically blindsided me as I was just approaching a stop light 4-way intersection. . .couldn't have been doing more than 10 MPH. It got it's antlers caught in my side mirror and almost ripped it off trying to bound off. My driver's door was all caved in. Good thing I had the window up or it would've been broken. Damn thing just took off into the woods. It's a shame you had to go through that. . ..

[homie]

I wondered if it could have been a deer also.

A deer and some cocktails... with dinner... at your friends... maybe? It could happen hypothetically, perhaps, just kicking it out there... up for thought. NM

[Eiron]

Thanks everyone for the well-wishes! I'm hoping for a quicker-than-expected recovery. (Don't we all?? )

If you were making a sweeping bend did the other driver leave his lane and go into your lane and hit you head on, or did he hit you from behind , trying to pass you .. ?? Did he run away from the accident scene?? You are not sure you got hit by the other vehicle ?? Hope you feel better. Good luck with the healing.

The other driver was coming towards me, so it would've been a sweeping right turn for him. If he wasn't turning right then he would've been on my side. The helmet and bike plastics were all the way to the edge of my side of the roadway. When I looked up from the ground there was a guy in a truck looking down at me. He asked if I was okay, and when I finally said I thought I was he took off.

Good to hear you're mostly okay.
Nope, don't replace/repair the windbreaker jacket. Buy a heavy mesh armored jacket for hot weather riding.
Windbreakers are for bicyclists.
+1 on the full face helmets. (Let's stop putting one on the spouse. Her face is just as important) So many Sunday riding Vespa couples riding in those cute open faced helmets.
See above for results of a 25mph off.
Fish

Actually, bicycle riding is why I bought the windbreaker! I've been using it on the scoot because it's the most visible piece of gear I have, with both reflective stripes and red flashing LEDs built into it. Do you have a preferred source for riding gear?
I thought it was required to wear only a cute half-helmet whenever riding a Vespa? How else you gonna sip your espresso and smoke your cigs while riding??

We have this small problem here lately that might explain some hit and run accidents, though probably not yours.

I really hate to say it, but judging by his heavy accent and immediately leaving the scene, I suspect the driver may not have had insurance, and possibly not even a valid driver's license (or legal residence).

I wondered if it could have been a deer also.

A deer and some cocktails... with dinner... at your friends... maybe? It could happen hypothetically, perhaps, just kicking it out there... up for thought. NM

A deer is possible (since I never saw anything coming at me), but looking at the damage to the bike and the damage to me, I don't think so. To knock me onto my right side a deer would have to come from the left. Getting broadsided by a deer would've left some deer marks either on me or the bike, but there's no hoof marks or fur anywhere. Also, the bike hit the roadway with the bars full left, and yet the outside edge of the left mirror and left brake lever have scrape marks on them now. (And homie, we met at a burger joint for a couple of hours to discuss the new knife I'm making for him. If I had been drunk I wouldn't have gotten on the bike!)

Visiting the hand surgeon later today! I'll let everyone know what she says!

[Eiron]

In a somewhat-related topic, does anyone have recommendations for a full-face helmet with good airflow that doesn't cost 10% of the price of the PCX? Also, affordable protective clothing? I have an unpadded leather jacket I wear when it's cooler out, but man, it's tough to wear on a sunny 90°-100° day!

[Mel46]

Well we have a standing statistic here in Georgia that is scary. 25% of the drivers in the Atlanta area do not have insurance, and many of those also do not have a valid drivers license. I keep that in mind whenever it comes time to renew my auto and motorcycle insurance. In fact, you can now legally be Under insured here. We have had to use our insurance because of that multiple times. That can directly be blamed on the state's requirements which are still the same as they were in the 1980s.

[Cube]

The GF and I both ride in older version of this jacket in warm weather: https://www.amazon.com/Firstgear-Mesh-T ... esh+jacket

No water protection, so we each keep a backpackable rain jacket under the seat and will layer it under the mesh. Also works to add warmth if we stay out too long and it starts getting chilly here in CO.

For a brain bucket, I go Shoei. There was a thread recently discussing less expensive lids - might be worth digging up.