I left early yesterday to visit friends and to take the new bike on a shakedown run. A Deer jumped in front of me on the freeway and I was going 65 miles an hour.

It was either hit the Deer or lay the bike down, but either way I was going down. I chose the black top rather than the Deer.

I skidded down the highway on my left side while the bike skidded in front of me on it’s left side. It was really throwing up sparks as I watched the bike skid ahead of me with a ground level view.

I lost site of the bike when I slowed down and began to tumble, I got up without thinking and then thought better of standing up and walked over to the side off the freeway and lay back down to wait for the ambulance.

When you lay down a 1700 at 65 miles an hour, you might suspect you need some medical help.

I had just installed a fatty road bar, new mufflers, fairing and it was ready for cruising.
The highway sanded almost through those fatty road bars where it curves around toward the bottom side. That’s a lot of grinding to go almost through that big thing.

The only damage to the bike was that road bar and the hard bag, it sanded the lower edge of the hard bag. I was a firm believer in running with an engine guard before and I am even more of a believer now. Now doubt in my mind that engine guard kept me from getting hung under the bike. Just take it for what its worth about running with an engine guard. You need the larger engine guard on a 1700, and it only cost 30 bucks more from Barons.

After I got out of the hospital my son and I went and retrieved the bike from the tow yard and he rode it home for me. My arms were too bandaged and I was too doped up with pain killers to ride safely.

You maybe forget to put the kick stand down and the bike goes over and perhaps no damage to the bike at all, but when you go down on the highway, an engine guard may save your legs and it sure minimized the damage to my brand new bike.

If it weren’t for the hard bag being damaged I would have skipped reporting it to my insurance and just ordered a new road bar, but I’ll bet that hard bag ain’t cheap so I went ahead and reported it. My comprehensive deductible is 500.00. Geico said they would replace my leather jacket, helmet and chaps so I might as well get every bit of damage replaced and pay the 500.00.

Glad you can type about it and seems everything is okay. But man. . .you got the GOOD color. I really love that Pearl White! I'm going to have to get me one of those engine bars. . . .

Tim

Sorry to hear the news but glad you were able to ride it out safely.

Doc

glad your no worse for wear. and that your still here with us. get healed up and hope to see ya back on the road soon.

Sorry to hear. Glad it wasn't worse.

Excellent fast thinking decision (deer/blacktop), probably saved your life

Good your OK, Quick thinking saved your ass. I will not ride around here in the early morning or evening and definately not at nite because of the deer. I just whacked one with the car last month with the result of $2,200 damage.

Glad you're OK. Sounds like you rode it out well with quick thinking.

Did your jacket sleeves *fail* on the pavement resulting in your arms getting hurt?

Ray

Hate to hear this kind of stuff but very glad you are here to tell us your story, heal well and thoroughly, bikes can be fixed alot easier than you. Be safe and heal well.

Glad you are okay,you can replace the bike.
Don,t forget to buy a deer license this fall,and thin them out.