MY MOTORCYCLE, S.O., KIA, RIP 6-30-2011

On Thursday, 6-30-2011, I was riding South on TX79, enroute to the house after a ride up to Ryan Oklahoma. After crossing into Texas, I was about 1/2 way between the Red River Bridge and Byers Texas and my front tire blew out on my Harley and I went down. Scroll down and check out the damage to me and my bike and REMEMBER: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PICTURE BIGGER, JUST CLICK ON THE                                                                                                                                                  

PICTURE.                                                                                                                                                  

When the tire blew, I was doing 72 mph. I heard a pop, the bike wobbled and went down. It happened so fast, there was nothing I could do to prepare for the hard hit and resulting slide on the highway and into the ditch. Above is a picture of me when I came to a stop in the ditch. The picture was taken by one of the folks who had stopped and found my camera, also in the ditch.                                                                          

They said the bike went end over end several times and ended up in the ditch about 75 feet North of where I ended up. According to one person at the scene, I slid approximately 60 feet on my left side across the Northbbound traffic lane and shoulder before hitting the ditch and then I did the tumbles, somersaults and cartwheels before stopping just inches from a barbed wire fence. Above is a picture of me in the ambulance as they strapped me in and put splints on my left arm and left leg (knee).

At the E.R., are my daughter, Amanda and my son, Matt. He is getting ready to clean the grass and dirt off my eyelids and around my eyes.

Here is Matt cleaning off my eye lids. That neck brace was a necessary evil.

After getting a shot of Dilaudid for pain, I was able to move around a little. Here is my left arm with a major case of road rash. The folks at the scene said there was approximately 60 feet of skin and blood smeared down the highway and ended at the shoulder of the road where I went into the ditch. I tell you, it felt like my arm was on fire..

My left elbow area..

After being released and sent home from the hospital, Janice takes a picture of my back with the imprint of the stones that were on the highway when I initially hit. Other than some bruises to my right thigh, all damage was to the left side of my body. After the Adrenalin subsided, I hurt in places I didn't even know I had.

After taking a shower, Janice cleans the road rash. This picture was taken the day after the accident.

The Harley was pretty beat up. The insurance company totalled it, Here is the gas tank and handlebars. The right side is twisted down and around.

This is the back right.

The back rest was ripped off of the sissy bar.

The front fender..

The front of the Harley with the headlight crushed.

The Gremlin Bell is intact and served the bike well, the two years I had her.                                               

The right side of the gas tank. The crash bars also did their job. Even tumbling at 70 mph, the engine was not touched.. 

                                                                                                                                                  

Right side of the bike. The right running light, backrest and saddlebag were all torn off the bike..

The seat. I don't know if I pulled the seat loose when I departed the bike or, more likely, it came off while doing it's tumble and flipping..

This twisted mess is the right side of the handlebars. The throttle side for those of you who didn't know.      

 The right side of the front fender

 The blown front tire is a new Pirelli Route. I replaced the Dunlop Harley-Davidson tire with the Pirelli because I was told it got better traction.

 The front of the bike with the right saddlebag that was ripped off the bike.

The right side of the bike. The engine, hyper charger, Vance & Hines Shorts were virtually untouched.

At the wrecking yard are Bobby (owner of Melton's Wrecker) and I.. We are friends of 30+ years and I highly recommend him for ALL your towing needs in the North Texas/ Southern Oklahoma area. Bobby will treat you right. In all the years I have known Bobby, I have never heard a negative thing about him or his business, which I think, is testimony in itself to Bobby's personality and work ethics. For more info, see this link: http://www.meltonswreckerservice.com/index.htm

Bobby and I discussing the bike.

Here I am looking at the bike at Melton's Wrecker Service Storage yard.

I really loved that Harley and she will be missed. But after I recover, I will get another Harley and I hope it is as good as this one has been to me.

Here I am behind the bike checking out the bent frame..

The last picture of this post is of me kissing my bike goodbye. She has been totalled by the insurance company and taken down to the Dallas Auction Center in Dallas Texas. I had named her S.O. for     Significant Other. R.I.P. S.O.  22 Oct 2009-30 Jun 2011 

This will end this post. 

  

Scroll down for more rides, runs and events and don't forget to click on the "OLDER POSTS" at bottom of each page or underneath the last post on the page,

Continue to pray for ALL of our troops both in and out of Harms Way; especially for Che Whitaker, Chris Drage and Fred Hughes, all of whom are serving in the Afghanistan Theatre of Operations and  for Pattie Jackson who has been deployed to Qatar..                                                                                             

 Until next post, ya'll be careful out there, keep the rubber on the road, keep your head on a swivel, and most importantly of all.............................RIDE SAFE.......................JOHN