An acquaintance once asked me, “What is the most important thing a person considering buying their first motorcycle should know.” I thought this was a good question; one I’d never considered.
I suppose I could have told him riding a motorcycle would give him great freedom, the joy of the open road, renewed youth and many other happy things. Instead, I took a much harsher tack. I told him, “Anyone who rides a motorcycle will eventually have an accident. It might not happen right away, and it might happen while traveling only 5 miles per hour, but eventually you’re going to fall off.”
My intention then and now was not to frighten that guy or anyone else from the sport. I assume there are people who ride who never had an accident. And I bet my negative observation about the sport would annoy many motorcycle riders. After all, the only information I have to back up my opinion is anecdotal accounts from other riders.
I suppose I could also include the numerous accounts from people who thought I wanted to hear their gruesome tales about motorcyclists killed, maimed or crippled in accidents. I wonder if they also tell Little League players’ parents about kids getting hit in the head by baseballs, or if they tell stories to golfers about duffers struck by lightening while out on the links.
But I digress….
Regardless, if an awareness of motorcyclists’ susceptibility to accidents is not the most important thing to know about riding motorcycles, it’s somewhere near the top. Even though some motorcycle riders may never have an accident, I believe it is best to start every ride prepared for a mishap. And, of course, you must ride smart, remain alert and do everything possible to avoid bad situations altogether. Accidents are like evil genies. They can pop up out of nowhere when least expected.
Recently I was reminded of this after heading out for a weekend ride. The day was bright and clear and the traffic light. My motorcycle was sporting a new rear tire I had mounted a few days earlier. This was the tire’s maiden voyage.
Over the years, every time I’ve had a new front or rear tire installed on any of my motorcycles, the mechanic invariably told me to take it easy for the first 50 or 100 miles. New tires can be slippery until contact with the road buffs up their shiny surface. Riding straight and upright presents no problem, but it is unwise to take corners too fast or deep until a tire’s sidewalls are roughed in.
On this particular morning, I was stopped at a light on a main thoroughfare waiting to make a right turn onto another main street. About five cars were lined up in front of me. When the light changed, the line move ahead slowly. When I reached the intersection, I began a wide right-hand turn toward the outside left lane.
I was barely five feet into the intersection, traveling about 10 miles per hour, when suddenly my rear tire skidded out from under me. The motorcycle fell onto its right side and continued to slide across the intersection with me aboard.
It happened fast. I was totally bewildered and had no idea what caused the bike to go out of control.
When I slid to a stop, I turned off the engine and stood up. A gas station attendant quickly appeared by my side. He helped me lift the motorcycle then roll it out of traffic and into his station.
While this was only a minor mishap, it left me dazed and shaken.
As usual, I was wearing a full coverage helmet, sturdy motorcycle boots, leather gloves and a motorcycle jacket with impact padding on the elbows and across the neck and shoulders. My denim jeans have a Kevlar lining in the seat, knees, thighs and hips. The Kevlar helps to prevent road rash, but does nothing to protect my knees or hips from a hard shot against the tarmac.
I was lucky. Other than a stiff neck, sore knuckles on my right hand and a small patch of road rash on my right thigh, I walked away unscathed. Apparently, my jeans slid up a bit when I made contact with the road. The tarmac wore a small hole through the denim below the Kevlar. That’s what caused the road rash on my thigh.
The road surface also wore holes through my jacket’s right elbow and forearm. The jacket padding protected me when I hit the ground and prevented serious road rash up and down my arm. The motorcycle’s front mirror/directional signals are designed to break away upon impact, and the right-hand unit worked perfectly. I easily snapped it back into place.
A thick polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fixture attached to the motorcycle’s two protruding cylinder heads protects them in case of a fall. The fixture on the right side took the brunt of the accident. Contact with the road chewed it apart.
After assessing the damage to me and the motorcycle, I walked over to the intersection to try to figure out what had happened. I’d made this turn virtually hundreds of times on the motorcycle and in my car.
I believe the slick sidewall of my new rear tire crossing the smooth steel surface of a manhole cover located a few feet into the intersection caused the tire to slip just when I began to turn and accelerate. I never saw the manhole cover.
After the accident, I briefly considered scrapping the idea of going for a ride that day. But, after relaxing and regrouping, I decided to head off as planned and do my best to enjoy myself.
This entire incident provided a wake-up call — as if I needed one — to the fact that motorcycle riding is hazardous. It reinforced my contention that no matter how short the ride, the driver and passenger should wear a helmet and protective clothing.
Let’s be careful out there.
