Almost bought the farm or never travel faster then your guardian angel can fly

Almost bought the farm or Never travel faster than your Guardian Angel can fly…

Well it ‘almost’ happened. Bound to sometime i suppose. Having a blast yesterday with my mate Terry on his black CBR600RR were going at a fair old lick towards Finchingfield. A favourite route. Just through Great Dunmow and the roads just getting interesting when it happens. Approaching a left hander, one ive done more than once i tip into it, then realise i cant see the road…uh oh. Tinted visor, and falling light. I then know…i cant make this bend. I go for the brake. Grab a handful, now i definatly cant make it. F***!

By now im crossing the white lines and im thinkin’ “This is it, im going down…hard” I know my only chance is to loose as much speed as possible and pray, i do both. Im definately going off its just how hard it happens. I grasp the lever, grip the tank and feel the back end start to overtake the front, forks right down…Please stop…

At the last minute i release, thinking “if im braking on grass its over…” somehow it works. I mount the grass bank, go ‘off road’ past the telegraph pole id been staring at and re-enter the road on the wrong side…but im upright and alive. Thankyou Jesus! I cant believe it. I stop hard. Bike in gear so it stalls and i get off feeling incredibly lucky…i turn and look round for Terry…but i cant see him.

Theres a pause, is he far behind?? Im wondering, maybe he didnt see me lose it? Then i see the CBR…“oh no…” i remember saying. Its laying on it side, I can see the fairings smashed. “God no. ****…” I run towards the bike… Its hit the Telegraph pole, and stopped dead. Theres plastic and mud everywhere, but no Terry. I tear off my Arai and literally start looking for him. Its like he’s disappeared completely. I look for what seems minutes but probably merely seconds. And then i see it. Theres a ditch about twenty feet away and i realise that Terrys in it. On his back. Not moving. Theres a definate moment of absolute silence and the enourmity of the situation hits me. And then he moves. “in’ hell that really hurt!" were his immortal words. Talk about understatment. The guys travelled about twenty five feet! " man you ok?” im asking stupidly. It seems that he’d been so busy watching my antics, my back wheel sideways, that he just followed me in. Target Fixation maybe? Although where id skimmed off the speed he hadnt. And then…uh oh. Telegraph Pole! Bang. He remembers flying through the air and landing on his back in the ditch. A badly bruised leg and arm but luckily thats it.

I thank God that we both walked away. Although the CBR may be a write off. We’ll see…

I realised that it wasnt speed that was the sole problem, we were doing about 50mph in a 60mph limit. But id got casual about the road itself. I knew it well i thought, so when the light changed mid bend, i was caught. And in that moment, i crossed into the point where i almost forfeited my life. And Terrys too. Thats a sobering thought. I feel enormous respect for the road and normally id be the first to hold back and pace it. We were in no hurry, just enjoying the ride. But i realise how quickly that it changes. Terry’s fine, the bike can be repaired. Myself and my Gixxer were unmarked. Lucky i guess. Im praying there wont be a next time…

Pictures below. Most of the damage was taken by the fuel tank, which was full. Maybe cushioned most of the force. None leaked. These Hondas are tough built bikes!

Be so careful out there guys. Respect the road, respect your bike, look after your friends. And make sure you dont ride faster than you can stop.

Richard





Sheez Yella, someone was defiantly looking over you guys.

Glad you’re A OK

Out of interest, where you wearing smoked of full tint?

Sorry to hear about the crash and I hopt your friend is ok.

I know what you mean about getting fixated on something else while going round a corner, I’ve run wide so many times because I’m not looking where I’m going and I’m looking at the curb while going fast.

Thats the good thing with hondas, there quite tuff little cookies shame they cost a lot

Had a full tinted Arai. When we left it was blinding sunshine and i rarely go out in the late day. But now the years getting on the light drops away so fast that you dont realise. The road just disappeared and i was mid bend so i couldnt flip the visor to check…just unfortunate.

Sobering stuff.

Cheers for being honest. The tinted visor thing caused me some probs too today, and I ended up riding with it open sometimes. I think from now until Spring, I’d rather squint but be able to see in the shadows.

too many crashes these days…

Bloody hell Richard! Firstly, I’m glad your friend is okay! The bike, rather surprisingly, doesn’t look that bad considering it hit a telegraph pole. Did it not hit it head on, but rather, standing on one end? It’s scary as hell when you realise you can’t see, at a critical moment. I’ve had it before, and I think around this time of year as well.

When I was reading your post, I thought “no way, he was on his friends bike and stacked it!”, hearing that you didn’t come off was a huge relief mate! You LUCKY, LUCKY bugger. You are so lucky, you should go and buy a lottery ticket right now. You could have hit an oncoming car, or other road-side furniture, or person. Quite sobering, as Andrew says.

Better go change your pants mate. Let us know how your friends bike goes.

Glad your ok. I hve done this very same thing a few times myself. All of a sudden it dawns on you that your never going to make the corner panic survival mode. Very scary and so glad your both alright.

Basically as Terry clipped the grass bank the bike veered left. The handle bar turned left wrenching his right hand from the grip. Then the bike tipped and the tank took the full brunt of the pole pitching Terry past it. And clipping his right leg and forearm as he flew north!

The bike stopped dead. And Terry ended up in a six foot deep ditch, upside down and not happy! Its a story alright mate!

Hopefully a moral attached. Its more a feeling that we can all get quite complacent and casual about roads we use alot. But its then that stuff happens and you may not be so fortunate. Its a short sharp shock when it happens and its brought up a subject that lots forget, me included.

“Never ride faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.”

Be safe guys.

Richard… I’m gobsmacked!!! You two are so friggin lucky… How you managed to stay on, is a miracle… Phew, So glad neither of you were hurt…

Wow…this sounds like it had all the makings of something TRULY tragic…I’m glad that you both walked away mostly unscathed. It’s shocking how fine the line between “out for a bit of fun” and “oh sh$t, this could be it” really is sometimes.

Glad you are okay mate! That Blade damage looks like will be costy eh?

Wow! … sounds like you shaved off just enough speed for your guardian angel to catch-up!

Glad you’re both okay! … thanks for the warning … a real “wake-up call”!

I think it would be useful to let us know what kit your buddy was wearing… how did it fair, and what will he change.

I am well pround of my souamy jacket after my fall… my frank thomas boots however, they protected my feet, but can never be worn again…

Glad ure ok mate, and ure friend to…

glad you are ok Mate hope Terry is ok Richard That was very close Man

Glad you both got away with it despite it being a very close call by the sounds of things. those telegraph poles are not soft.

Shame it has happened but at the end of the day you are man enough to look back at it and can see why it all occurred. Best wishes go out to your mate, he must have a few bruises at least. hope the bike is repairable.

It also shows me why you should never ride alone down these country roads, sounds like you had a few probs locating your mate and you had a good idea where he was. Its one of the things thats always been in my mind when blasting B roads, what happens if I leave the road? Who is going to know where I was going? Who is going to find me?

When I got my van towed home a few years back the guy in the tow truck told me about a recovery he had to do on the M3. He collected an escort van that had gone off the road. Turns out it had gone up a bank and over some bushes. Was not until the leaves came off the bushes anyone saw it, that was 3 months later. The guy had probably had a very painful end as he could not get out of the van due to his injuries and his mobile was out of reach. Bit of a sobering thought really.

Cheers Foxy. Luckys the understatment of the year tho!