The following is from an email that I received from a co-worker and fellow rider (Harley - 1996 Roadking) in Florida.
I'm sure Jinkster knows exactly where this happened.
Riding in FL can be mighty risky with the older generations..... I know I have had some close calls, not only on the bike but in a cage too.
"Well, so much for a motorcycle. I used to like it. Then I went for a ride
yesterday and ended up on US 1 in Jensen Beach in front of Bennigans. Traffic
stopped in front of me, I stopped, was just at that point where I was going so
slow I was putting my feet down, and then saw traffic moving again, so I started
to let the clutch out, then the ride began to end. Never heard a horn, never
heard squeling tires, oh wait, for me to hear that, the 200 year old lady behind
me would have had to be paying attention and see that all three lanes of traffic
in front of her were stopped. Well, because she didn't see any of us, she never
even tried to slow down. I don't know how fast she was going, but it is 45
m.p.h. there I believe, and she hit me with every bit of it. After she hit me
and threw me to the side, she then decided to keep going because she obviously
didn't hit the brakes yet, and she hit the car in front of me. Then, because she
never hit the brakes, the car behind her, hit her. I was number 2 in a four
vehicle pile up. Not sure how bad the bike is, I flew backwards, and somehow, as
I was being thrown back and my legs came up, I jumped to the left, and landed on
my feet in the turn lane next me, quite an acrobatic act. I know the bike rolled
to the left, then sometime during my flight, rolled back over and landed on it's
left side next to her drivers door and left rear door. I banged my knee against
the gas tank and have a bruise on the inside of it, and I think that is all
besides for a few scratches on the shin. The knee hurts enough that it makes me
question whether or not I twisted it somehow on the dismount, if it still hurts
tomorrow, I will go the doctor and have it checked out. I would hate to find out
6 months from now that I tore some ligaments or something, then have to file
some kind of workmans comp claim (did I say that out loud). I'm certain with the
force she hit me, the bike will never ride the same way again, even if they do
replace all the extras on it. We'll have to wait and see. I know all too well
how lucky I am, I hope you guys are that lucky too if it ever happens to you."
I'm sure Jinkster knows exactly where this happened.
Riding in FL can be mighty risky with the older generations..... I know I have had some close calls, not only on the bike but in a cage too.
"Well, so much for a motorcycle. I used to like it. Then I went for a ride
yesterday and ended up on US 1 in Jensen Beach in front of Bennigans. Traffic
stopped in front of me, I stopped, was just at that point where I was going so
slow I was putting my feet down, and then saw traffic moving again, so I started
to let the clutch out, then the ride began to end. Never heard a horn, never
heard squeling tires, oh wait, for me to hear that, the 200 year old lady behind
me would have had to be paying attention and see that all three lanes of traffic
in front of her were stopped. Well, because she didn't see any of us, she never
even tried to slow down. I don't know how fast she was going, but it is 45
m.p.h. there I believe, and she hit me with every bit of it. After she hit me
and threw me to the side, she then decided to keep going because she obviously
didn't hit the brakes yet, and she hit the car in front of me. Then, because she
never hit the brakes, the car behind her, hit her. I was number 2 in a four
vehicle pile up. Not sure how bad the bike is, I flew backwards, and somehow, as
I was being thrown back and my legs came up, I jumped to the left, and landed on
my feet in the turn lane next me, quite an acrobatic act. I know the bike rolled
to the left, then sometime during my flight, rolled back over and landed on it's
left side next to her drivers door and left rear door. I banged my knee against
the gas tank and have a bruise on the inside of it, and I think that is all
besides for a few scratches on the shin. The knee hurts enough that it makes me
question whether or not I twisted it somehow on the dismount, if it still hurts
tomorrow, I will go the doctor and have it checked out. I would hate to find out
6 months from now that I tore some ligaments or something, then have to file
some kind of workmans comp claim (did I say that out loud). I'm certain with the
force she hit me, the bike will never ride the same way again, even if they do
replace all the extras on it. We'll have to wait and see. I know all too well
how lucky I am, I hope you guys are that lucky too if it ever happens to you."
