First real fail........

[houndog]

Well, fellas, 5k miles and my first real crash. On a path I ride 5-20 times a week.
......and if I had not crashed at 45mph and instead slammed or skidded into the trees across the path, that were obscured by a limb hanging down and a slight curve, I'd be out riding today. Had I hit the trees, I'd just be "out" for good, most likely.

Luckily, the excellent front brake worked, locked up, snatched bars, kicked back tire up and the strategically placed stump allowed my head to slow my sliding along the ground to come to a stop just in front of the 2 trees that were dead with bare limbs a couple feet long. The trees were angled down the path and the limbs would have surely impaled me had I not locked that brake.

Super glue worked great to glue my face back. I seemed, other than the face thing completely undamaged, so was the bike! Well, actually I was bleeding from the torn lip, mouth, and nose and had a little bark imbedded in my head. No big deal. Mac was freaked out. He thought I was incoherent and stumbling around. He could not hear me over the Husky and his helmet (he's smarter than me). I was not stumbling! My pistol (PMR30 KelTec,bad ass) had gotten tossed and the magazine was missing! I was looking for the Mag. and he thought I was messed up There was plenty of blood but I really was not "hurt". The mag. was under the trees. It was that close, boys.

Mac did not see the trees until after I got up! They were perfectly camouflaged by the slight bend and the bushy hanging limb. He thinks he would have slammed them even though he was going at least 20mph slower than me. He does not know the path. I could ride it asleep.

My buddy was on his first ride on his completely restored 500 Husky. He can not start it! We towed it to get it going. He had to keep his bike running and could not help me. Of course since all we were doing was a test ride I did not bother to put on anything except my safety glasses and gloves. The stump was rotten and my head demolished it. So we got back and I put some bandaids on and rode the 450 around the block. No pain issues at all,
Had to change safety glasses as they were blood soaked and had bark lodged in them!

Got back. Cut Husky off. Mac tried to start it. No luck, wore him out, I kicked the damn thing 1 freaking time and it fired up! Started it 8 more times with a total of about 20 kicks. I did it easily.

So we go in for a beer. That's when I noticed it (my knee) was swelling. Uh oh. This was last Sat. By Tue. it was big as a grapefruit and turning purple.
Since I'd whacked my head pretty good I did not want to take anything that would thin my blood in case my brain were leaking. Not likely but possible.

My neck and base of skull were sore but not terrible. Still sore when I wake up but goes away as I move around. Super Glue worked like a charm on the flap torn from my lip. It may leave a scar but is healing fine.

Leg is yellow down to ankle now and the purple is dissipating. It seems to work fine, did before swelling too, but still swollen enough to not bend correctly. I think it might take a while to recover, which sucks!

Those damn trees were not down a couple days before. They fell, were not cut.
Man, my legs look like toothpicks!
1st is a couple hours later. 2nd is Tues.
Ed
edit**** I mean first real fail on the EC300 since I owned it and >5k miles! She was a never sold, "new" 2004. If my knee does not heal I'll need an electric start.....or just ride the 450