02-05-2026, 11:55 AM
(02-05-2026, 03:12 AM)Cormanus Wrote: On reflection, I think the worst thing about this is that the driver of the car had no idea it had happened. Here you are, on the ground, having saved her car from a nasty dent and her insurance premium from a larger rise, and she didn't have the grace to make sure you were all right and to say thank you for your sacrifice.
Regarding "the other driver"... once I turned left onto a street with 2 lanes going each way. I settled into the far right lane and I see a lady quickly approaching a stop sign for a side street on my right. It looks to me she may not stop at all and hit me. I don't know how hard she had to brake, but I remember her car lurching forward as I was getting close. To avoid a possible collision, I quickly swerved left into the other lane and took a second to "give her a glaring look". Mistake. As I returned my focus forward, I saw a car braking hard right in front of me as there was a crosswalk. I grabbed the brakes hard, and the split second decision was hit the car or swerve hard left into a neutral turn lane. Instincts said the latter, but as I did so that's when I realized why the guy in front of me had stopped--I saw the pedestrian and was about to hit her. At that point, I just bailed and tried to go down on the left side, but the bike high-sided, I flipped over on the right side and we both went down, but I didn't hit anything.
I remember beginning to sit up right when the car that nearly pulled out and hit me rolls by. The lady and I made eye contact for brief moment and she drove away. A guy who had been behind me stopped, and told me immiediately, "man, I easily saw how that all played out, terrible that driver didn't stop". He helped me get the bike upright, and after a few minutes I determined I could still ride my '04 Sportster home...handlebars wildly bent, gas tank with huge dent, mufflers practically destroyed, signals gone. I had some cracked ribs and sore all over, but was fine otherwise.
And that was the end of my only HD. But the insurance money was decent and it partially paid for a humble ski boat which I've had ever since.
Not something I want to look forward to--if you know what I mean--but I am looking forward, or maybe it's "I'm hopeful" to see how well you can put your beautiful CB1100 back together.