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Sussex Scrapbook ~ Nature walks throughout the year

Friday 26^th March 2010

After 90,500 miles of incident free riding, the Harley and I were unfortunate enough to be in collision with a car this morning on the way to work. The bike and myself attempted a synchronised gymnastics display, which consisted of us both attempting to perform perfect, forward somersaults. I managed mine and rolled reasonably well on landing, badly bruising my shoulder and ribs in the process. The bike only managed a 180 and landed with rather less finesse and rather more noise. We were both carted off to hospital and whereas I was released a few hours later, the bike is still being assessed by surgeons at a place in Surrey called 4^th Dimension. The prognosis is 50/50 and its final fate is now up to the surgeons. The front end, exhaust, and a few peripherals are wrecked but everything else is fine, and as long as the frame is still straight it should be fixable and good as new in a month or so. In the meantime I've been given a 1250cc Suzuki Bandit  to toodle about on, although it's going to be at least a week before I have the mobility to ride it. Gill and I are both hoping to have our bike back soon and we feel just as if our big, black Labrador was at the vets with a serious, life-threatening illness.

Last picture of the bike in good condition.

Shortly after taking this photo I decided to lie down on the floor and wait for the ambulance.


On my return several hours later I was able to take a look at the damage.

My bike is of very basic design and made of solid metal, so the destruction is not so widespread as it might be if it were a sports bike.

A painful goodbye, in more ways than one.