Ouch!
September 28, 2013
I never do the usual things to get hurt, just the most colorful. This past Tuesday I was riding to work and enjoying the fall weather when up ahead I saw a most impressive sight. Wild Turkeys were gliding in for a landing across the road and landing on the shoulder on my side. At this point I was traveling at 60 mph and in no position to stop when I suddenly realized the first two I saw were not alone. Coming in on my left was a squadron of more turkeys and I was riding into a meteor shower of beaks and feathers. Bang! I know for a fact that at least one hit me, crashing into my left mirror and shattering it before coming back and hitting me on the shoulder and helmet. There may have been more but I was too dazed to count. My first instinct at that point was to stop and catch my breath and see if I was really hurt.
I pulled over to the side of the road and put my left leg down only to discover that it wasn't working. The bike and I toppled over into the highway with a resounding crunch from breaking plastics and scraping bodywork. I managed to pull myself free just in time for a minivan to pull up and ask if I was alright. They helped me right the scooter and asked if I needed an ambulance. I was just winded and as soon as I could walk steadily I continued on to work.
Damage to the scooter was minimal. A broken mirror and side deflector and some scratches on the body. I've already painted over the major scratches and replacment parts are on the way. The good thing about Chinese scooters is that parts are cheap. With shipping the replacements are $36.09 and should arrive today. I looked up real Honda parts on the web and they would have cost $110 with shipping so I dodged a bullet there.The good thing about owning a Honda copy is that parts are available if Chinese replacements aren't. The only lingering injury, other than my pride, is a painful pinky finger on my left hand. It's getting better.
Next time I see birds, deer or other fauna near the highway I'm stopping. That was way too much excitement for me.
I pulled over to the side of the road and put my left leg down only to discover that it wasn't working. The bike and I toppled over into the highway with a resounding crunch from breaking plastics and scraping bodywork. I managed to pull myself free just in time for a minivan to pull up and ask if I was alright. They helped me right the scooter and asked if I needed an ambulance. I was just winded and as soon as I could walk steadily I continued on to work.
Damage to the scooter was minimal. A broken mirror and side deflector and some scratches on the body. I've already painted over the major scratches and replacment parts are on the way. The good thing about Chinese scooters is that parts are cheap. With shipping the replacements are $36.09 and should arrive today. I looked up real Honda parts on the web and they would have cost $110 with shipping so I dodged a bullet there.The good thing about owning a Honda copy is that parts are available if Chinese replacements aren't. The only lingering injury, other than my pride, is a painful pinky finger on my left hand. It's getting better.
Next time I see birds, deer or other fauna near the highway I'm stopping. That was way too much excitement for me.
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
If you wish to comment my e-mail address is h1500e@hotmail.com. I'd like to hear anything-good or bad-that anyone would like to say. As they said in college, we're all lifelong learners.
