Sunday 10 May 2009

Black Thunder

It is a week today that I had the misfortune of dropping my pride and joy, my Yamaha FJR 1300. It is an awesome piece of machinery and....... bloody heavy. I was parking at my parents house, the same place I park it every time I visit, but.... for some unknown reason, I put the side stand down, it stayed down , but the bike started to slide inward toward me.......
and when that happens, it becomes the point of no return. Down she went, as if in slow motion, but I couldn't stop her! My leg got stuck under her as she hit the pavement. I tried to pick her up but you're looking at a quarter of a tonne of motorbike. I managed to get out from underneath her, scramble to my feet.I was horrified when it happened. My lovely bike, scratched!! My pride "Dented!!"
I did eventually get the bike back up with some help from passers by. I thanked them. I just stood there in shock... I was physically shaking.. I felt sick. My left leg throbbing. BUT... and there's always a but.. at closer examination, I hadn't actually done too much damage, some scratches, but I didn't break anything on the bike, which I'm very happy about. Mirrors, indicators, foot pedals; the little things don't come cheap. As to my left leg, my knee ached some what, but my bones were still in one piece..."phew." The ride home was a nervous one, only three miles to go but I went steadily... my nerves slightly shaken. I have to be thankful that it wasn't a high speed smash, that I wasn't being scraped up off the road, taken to the morgue. I was merely standing still, at the side of 'Black Thunder' when she decided to have a proper rest and lie down!! I look back now, a week later, hopefully wiser, but these things happen, no-ones perfect. My knee is bruised and battered but I'll survive, I have it bandaged up and have had for the past few days. As the week's gone by, the pain has grown. I suppose the muscles that I have hurt are mending, and what with the miles that I cover at my job,the exercise will help heal it.
I told a couple of guys at work what I'd done and they just laughed at me. I can look back now and laugh too. Apparently I've now become a proper biker, I've officially "christened" my bike!
I can think of easier less painful ways of christening Black Thunder. But as I said I'm OK, that's all that counts... we can mend bikes, replace them if necessary. However people aren't always so lucky!!

11 comments:

Spiky Zora Jones said...

Hi baby. I fell too, my bike on top of me but I shouldn't have put the front brakes while going fast. I went head over tea cups over...and landed on my back, luckily it was just a 15 speed bike. hehehe and easy to pick up.

Yep...that's my bike story and I'm sticking to it. :D

babe...it hurt too, but mostly I was so embarrassed.

Glad Black Thunder is fine...cause I'm riding with you...when I get there. You promised me a ride...remember? Then afterwards, we could ride on Black Thunder. :D

ciao sweetie.xxx

Jackie Adshead said...

Whoops, but good job you're ok even if a little shaken maybe. Isn't there an easier way of parking it so that it doesn't fall over? Have you tried blue tack?? :)

Indi said...

Spiky ~ Yeah for sure we're goin for a ride, then on Black Thunder ;-)))).Yes it's bloody embarrassing when it happens, but it happens to the best of us bikers.

Indi said...

Jackie~ very funny!!... er not. When a quarter of a tonne of bike decides it wants to lie down, there aint a prayer in the world that's going to stop it.

Indi said...

Jackie ~ mite need a very large amount of blue tack... can you buy it in half tonne qauntities? Mite have problem gettin it into shoppin trolley then into the car, then home ? :-)

Anonymous said...

I hate to say isn't falling a bit of a thrill? I sometimes hate that I feel that way, but I do. ~Mary

Indi said...

Frankandmary ~ yeah I guess it is a bit of a thrill, am just glad I wasnt' astride it when it hit the tarmac!

nitebyrd said...

I'm glad that you weren't hurt and that you were standing still. Motorcycles scare the hell out of me, particularly a "crotch rocket" like you have!

That the bike was only minorly damaged is good, too.

Indi said...

"Crotch Rocket" I like the sound of that! Yeah, only minor unjuries to both myself and Black Thunder, we were both very lucky. I guess I ride a motorbike 'cuz I like to live dangerously!!

Passion said...

I bought the XJ750 when they first came out...it was f***ing heavy but very very powerful. That beast of yours must be extremely heavy and as powerful as a locomotive..

Indi said...

Passion ~ yeah it's f*cking heavy alright. I dropped the mother f*cker and it almost wrecked me picking it back up again! I guess the idea is NOT to drop it in the first place, but you can't always plan life that way!Thanks for callin in...