I totalled my motorcycle going 70 mph and walked away. Ask me anything.

[DealsGapRider]

Other riders been in bad wrecks?

[flamingyouth]

1. I'm impressed and delighted to hear this

How do you see your life differently now after this?

(I just had to ask this).

So glad you're okay!

[DealsGapRider]

5. I have been doing a good job of suppressing what would otherwise...

...be intense anger over the loss of my beautiful bike. I know that I'm lucky to have survived, much less come away from the wreck without a scratch. So I say screw the bike. I still can't believe I didn't die.

[xray s]

2. Wre you wearing a helmet? n/t

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Leather? or Kevlar armor?

So, what did you screw up on?
Skid? Highside or lowside.
Inquiring minds want to know.

Yes, I have been there too. But not for a looong time.

[DealsGapRider]

8. The works...

I wear a helmet (obviously), steel-toed boots, gloves, Dainese spine guard, and a full BMW protective outfit (Savannah, if you know about beemer gear).

All right, I was going 70-75 down 211 in Virginia on my way to Thorton's Gap. I was daydreaming. I inadvertantly drifted to the side of the road and got on the shoulder, which was about a foot-wide strip of gravel. I didn't want to try to get back on the road, as there was a little bit of a lip, and because of the guard rail, I didn't have room to come at it from an angle, know what I mean, WJMS? Next thing you know, the guard rail ends and the ditch that separated the two higways opened up and I went into the ditch. It was grassy and the grass was wet, so I couldn't slow the bike. I was going along for maybe 5-7 seconds in the ditch when I lost control. I got slammed down on the ground and my bike literally flipped in the air. I have no idea what I hit.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

15. wow. 211 is the old highway south of Winchester?

down the valley, yes?
That sucks. You can't even blame the cagers for this one either. What kind of bike did you have?

[DealsGapRider]

16. I'm not sure where Winchester is...

...but 211 is the road that goes into Sperryville, which is right before the Skyline Drive. Rural Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland is some of the best riding in the world.

I had a K1100 RS BMW.

Oh, and I got back on a bike later that day. My dad was with me at the time. He has 4 bikes...when we got home, he said Get you ass on that Ducati before you start to replay that wreck over and over. So I did. We rode another 4 hours after that and I was totally fine.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

21. Good for you. Oh, Sperryville. Damn, I should have known that

that is the other side of the mountains from Winchester, yeah I have been on that one too. Where did you wipe out?

[DealsGapRider]

23. Um...

...I'd say a couple of miles after the turn off 522. If you're on 522, you come to a T interection and take a right to get on 211 toward Sperryville. I was a couple miles from S-ville. I wiped out right across the road from the gun store on the right side of the road.

[leanings]

37. I know right where you're talking about

I'm in Charlottesville and from Front Royal. I drive that road about once a week.

[rppper]

30. as a fellow rider and pro-helmet person.....

...i would just like to bump this so all the non helmet wearers can see this....when you go down, your chances of survival are increased ten fold when you are wearing the proper gear....including a helmet.

glad your ok...keep both wheels down on the pavement next time.....

[leanings]

38. I always liked

There's two kinds of riders: them that's been down and them that's goin' down.

[Monte Carlo]

4. Wow, recently? Any new perspectives on life to share?

Inquiring minds would like to know!

[DealsGapRider]

11. Sunday.

New perspectives? Um, don't daydream while riding a motorcycle going 70. And maybe don't be so quick to hate cops. The state trooper who arrived on the scene couldn't have been nicer.

[Fovea]

6. Ironically

the worst hurt I have been in a motorcycle wreck was at slow speed. A BMW R80 flipped in mud at 15 mph and rolled over me. 2nd degree AC separation.

I have been hit twice by cars on bicycles though.
Broke the clavicle the first time... bruises and contusions the second.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

31. statistically, most injuries on motorcycles...for that matter

most of the accidents are slow speed.

Go figure.

[Girlfriday]

7. Glad you're O.K. Deals,

Between us, my husband and I have lost 6 friends on bikes. No offese, but I hate them.

[kanrok]

9. I have a question:

Why?

[DealsGapRider]

12. Why what?

Why do I ride or why did I wipe out?

[DieboldMustDie]

10. Was William Janklow involved?

:evilgrin::

[jburton]

28. (snicker)

That was good.

[xray s]

13. Who do you think makes cooler bikes

Jessie James or Paulie Teutul?

[DealsGapRider]

14. I'll be honest...

...neither of them make bikes that appeal to me. I don't care for choppers, especially ones that are more for show than to ride. I call them drive-away jewelry. I ride bikes to RIDE up in the twisties, not to cruise around on the strip to impress chicks.

That having been said, I much prefer the Teutul shop to the James shop. I really enjoy watching American Chopper, but for some reason I don't like Monster Garage.

[xray s]

18. I know what you are saying...

...but I just think it is so cool that they start with an idea and raw metal and end up with a beautiful machine.

Tradesmen working their craft. It seems to be the antithesis of the cookie cutter consumer economy we live in.

[DealsGapRider]

19. Yeah, it definitely is an art form...

...and those guys are super talented. I really like Paulie. I think Paul Sr. should give him a little more slack and recognize that his son is a true talent. I mean, the shop would be nothing without Paul Jr.

[DS1]

29. no kidding

it's great seeing all the components fall into place. Some of the bikes look like they are guaranteed lethal in an accident though, like the cross webbing on the Black Widow's handlebars, that'll take your dick clean off!

Actually I dig the shop up here in Mass they featured in one of their 30 day challenges, that guy had some nifty designs.

[Skittles]

17. DAMMIT DGR

I SHOULD KICK YOUR F***ING ASS; YOU COULD SO EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED OR PARALYZED. I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE OK.

[DealsGapRider]

20. Thanks.

It's definitely the closest I've ever come to dying, bar none.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

22. Nah, does not count unless you are bleeding

that ain't close to dying, that is flying.

[DealsGapRider]

24. How many crashes for you?

How long have you been riding?

Is it just me, or are non-motorcycle riders a sub-species?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

25. Actual crashes? Or mishaps?

Only actual crash for me was on my 2nd bike, the 65 BSA which gave its left side to save my skin as we skidded under a moose.

Mishaps. Well I dumped my current ride (82 Magna) the first day I had it, cause I had always had British bikes which shift on the right. Soooo, I hit some sand and skidded, and instinctively tried to slam the right pedal down to shift up for more RPM... with predictable results.

That's my most recent one. There have been others. But nothing which would involve the police, which is how I define crash.

I have been riding since, oh, 1967 or so.

No, not a sub-species, just people who don't know how to have fun.

[Skittles]

26. yes IT DOES COUNT

LUCK, PURE F***ING LUCK is why DGR is with us. I about sh** bricks reading his story. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

27. No, he was properly attired and found himself in an imposible

situation.
He did the best he could under the circumstances, short of rolling back time.

I think he did fine, nothing broken, no blood loss, and already back riding?

He's da man!

[rppper]

32. and as a second note to the helmet-less short wearing riders...

.... "he was properly attired"

and just out of curiosity deals gap, what kind of helmet do you ride with....me? a shoei rf900, heavier than a top of the line arai, but shoei's fit my head like a glove, it breathes well, kevlar lined' very quiet and was $200.00 less than a compatible arai. shoei helmets are some of the best made IMHO....

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

35. I have a hard time breathing in full face helmets

I don't know what it is, but even well-ventilated ones drive me crazy.
I wear a cop-style helmet with a visor. I know it is not the best, but it works for me.

[DealsGapRider]

39. I wear an Arai.

I used to have a Shoei. Both are good helmets. I really can't discern a difference, other than the fact that Arai helmets are about $200 more expensive, as you noted.

I wear a full-face and refused to wear anything else. I just can't imagine losing teeth in a wreck.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

40. I know. I looked at them again the other day,

and I just can't breathe in them. I panic trying to get the things off and have to sit down. Can't imagine trying to ride with one on. Odd, I used to use them when I was younger.
Who knows?

[FDRrocks]

33. Thank the heavens you lived!

I am glad to see you can type. Ride your bikes cautiously from now on....

AND FOR MY SAKE!!!!! ---> never buy a Ducati!

[democracyindanger]

34. I feel your pain

Lowsided on the track doing about 70, accelerating out of a turn. No idea why, the back end just slipped out and that was all she wrote. My leathers and helmet fared fine, but the insurance company told me they were *this close* to totalling my bike out. As it is, they're paying for it but with the manufacturer's shoddy reputation on delivering parts, I may be bikeless for a couple months. Glad to hear you didn't get hurt.

[populistmom]

36. Damn

Glad you're okay! Must have been a scary moment.