ATGATT

I recently had the opportunity to take advantage of the use of a "loaner" bike due totally to the generosity and unparallelled customer service of my motorcycle dealer, Engle Motors of Kansas City, MO.  I was hoping to get my BMW R1200 RT in and out of routine service on a Friday so that I'd have the bike for the weekend, but such was not the case.  An unexpected rear brake issue required that the bike remain at the shop until a part could be shipped and installed.  What immediately seemed like a a hassle leaving me uncertain of how I would get home (50 miles away) late on a Friday afternoon turned into a a memorable experience!

Given the circumstances, without the slightest of a speed-bump, the shop turned me loose with a brand new 2012 Triumph Tiger 800 off the showroom floor to keep as long as it took to get my bike fixed.  Unheard of??  In most cases yes, but not at Engle Motors (You guys are the best!)

The Tiger 800 is a terrific bike!  The super-smooth, inline triple, motor (94 hp at 9300 rpm & 69 ft-lb torque at 7850 rpm) pulls extremely well throughout the entire 6-speed gear box and has more than enough power to pull the 470 lb bike, plus this 210 lb rider, with ease.  I was especially impressed when cruising at 40 mph in 6th gear, a twist of the throttle pulls the bike effortlessly without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Setup as a dual-sport bike (although the standard version, i.e. not the XC, is much more adept on road than off), the upright seating, wide bars, and tall seat give this bike a much bigger feel that you might first imagine.  However, the relatively light weight and good balance coupled with solid ergonomics provides and overall light and responsive feel.  And riding it is just that - light and responsive!

I rode the Tiger the 50 miles home and choosing US 24 west out of KC to get some nice curves and beautiful northeast KS scenery.  The ride was great.  The Tiger put plenty of smiles on my face!

The Tiger looked really good in my garage and several times I played with the financing numbers to see just what it might take to provide the bike a permanent home with the RT and Guzzi V11.  Very doable AND tempting!! 

So, Saturday morning I headed off for a ride and coffee.  Undaunted by a brief rain shower, I put about 35 miles on the bike, mostly city streets with a bit of county road tossed in.  It was a great ride.  The bike is a dream in the city and would make an excellent commuter!  Knowing I was needed at home, I cut my ride a bit short and headed back to the house. 

It's funny how riding goes... You can be having the very best of days with ear-to-ear grins and in an instant, everything can change.  And that's exactly what happened.  Turning left from a stop light onto a wide major thoroughfare still wet from the brief rain shower, I was deep into the long wide turn when all of a sudden I felt the rear wheel spinning and I knew I was loosing it.  I tried a quick reverse counter steer to save, but in a blink of the eye I hit the pavement and hit it hard!  After a brief moment of daze, disgust and disbelief... I quickly jumped to my feet, lifted the bike upright and walked it to a close by parking lot.  My first thought was for the Tiger!  How am I going to explain this to my friends at Engle Motors?  How stupid of me!!  How stupid!!  How's the bike???

I took a few moments to sit and collect myself.  I had hit the pavement HARD.  I landed square on the ball of my left shoulder and hip and felt some pain in both of those parts, as well as my right side rib cage.  I examined the bike carefully and surprisingly, it was in great shape for having just hit the pavement!  A few protective body panels would need to be replaced as well as realignment of the forks, but that was it!  What a machine!!

After the fall

I rode the Tiger home and re-examined it.  I was really impressed with how well it took the fall.  My shoulder was really sore and my hip took a pretty good soft tissue blow, but aside from some deep bruising I was physically OK.  Fortunately, the only thing that was seriously hurt was my pride! 

What really eats me up is that  I am a better rider than this!! But that's how it happens.  It only takes an instant to lose your concentration, misjudge a situation, make one simple rider input mistake and the bike is down!

 And that brings me to ATGATT: "All The Gear, All The Time".  An acronym not unknown to most riders, but based on the frequency that I see riders without helmet, gloves, boots, jackets, etc.  some riding in shorts, tee shirts, their wife or girlfriend riding two up in bikini and flip-flops.. you would think that the concept of riding with protective gear was as foreign to them as the capitol of Djibouti!  And it can't all be blamed on the indiscretions of youth since many of these riders are adult men and women.  Moreover, the bike owner sets the tone for safety.  How many wives, daughters, sisters, brothers, etc. were severely injured because they chose to ride with an irresponsible biker who dismissed the need and importance for riding in complete riding gear, ALL OF THE TIME.  As an avid motorcyclist, I just don't get it!

I went down and suffered nothing more than bruising to my shoulder and hip but not a single bit of road rash, no broken bones, no impact to my head.  But then, I was riding in head-to-toe gear.  Based on the scuffs on my jacket, left pant leg, boot heel cap, and the deep abrasions to the palms of my gloves, the outcome would have been much different had I been "cruising" in my shorts and tee shirt without gloves, boots and helmet.  I consider myself very lucky to have come away from my accident with only an injury to my pride.  I wish the same could be said for gear-less riders!

• Passing Note: I rode by the accident scene on my BMW today to see if I could detect any abrasions to the pavement.  I could see none, but what I did see that gave my pride a boost was the fact that the accident scene had recently (from the look of the pavement, in the last few days or weeks prior to my fall) been repaved with fresh asphalt.  I hadn't noticed this the day of the accident due to the wet pavement and a slight rise in the area that blocked my line of sight.  Given fresh oil and light rain, it's no wonder my tire started spinning.  Another lesson filed away.  The pavement TRULY is extra slippery when lightly wet after a long dry spell.... and in this case after fresh asphalt!

This was one of those unfortunate incidents that sometimes happens, but it was also a healthy reminder to stay focused, expect the unexpected, and use each day of riding not only as a source of enjoyment, but also an opportunity to improve your riding skill.  And above all, become a fervent practitioner of ATTATT!

-LD