Series4
Cruisin' Guzzisti
The LM3 I bought in the UK and rode around France and Italy in September (as seen in my avatar, pictured on Lake Como near Mandello) arrived here Monday week ago. Hooray! I already had appointments for inspections and registration, all was going well and I was looking forward to summer fun. Until I took a final test ride Thursday last week prior to the roadworthy inspection the next day. A few km in and I was going very easy around a roundabout, no more than 10kmh, when the new front tyre washed out and I hit the deck.
The RH cylinder head guard did its job very well
and the bike is largely undamaged apart from a bent badge
scrapes on the nice new stainless muffler, bent brake lever and the broken footpeg hanger. If anyone has a spare to sell please let me know.
And the timing bung came out of the bell housing. When one of my rescuers mentioned it I first thought the gearbox filler plug had been torn out!
I don't know why the front washed out, there were no obvious fluid spills but the roundabout is near a busy bus station so maybe some residue had come to the surface in the warmth of the afternoon.
Here's the grim part. I didn't have a scratch or a bruise from the fall but my collarbone took the full force of the impact and broke in two places, leading to an overlap and a large floating fragment.
So, there's summer gone! I'll be out of action for eight weeks at best. I reckon had I been going faster I might still have got off but I'd have skidded and not had such a heavy fall. Who knows, it could've been a lot worse.
Also big ups to the ambulance and hospital emergency. Rapid response, no fuss and instant morphine from the amboes (state-owned service) and almost no waiting at the Alfred emergency. And it's all covered under our compulsury insurance. I'll never grumble about premiums again.
At least I won't have to do Christmas dishes!
The RH cylinder head guard did its job very well
and the bike is largely undamaged apart from a bent badge
scrapes on the nice new stainless muffler, bent brake lever and the broken footpeg hanger. If anyone has a spare to sell please let me know.
And the timing bung came out of the bell housing. When one of my rescuers mentioned it I first thought the gearbox filler plug had been torn out!
I don't know why the front washed out, there were no obvious fluid spills but the roundabout is near a busy bus station so maybe some residue had come to the surface in the warmth of the afternoon.
Here's the grim part. I didn't have a scratch or a bruise from the fall but my collarbone took the full force of the impact and broke in two places, leading to an overlap and a large floating fragment.
So, there's summer gone! I'll be out of action for eight weeks at best. I reckon had I been going faster I might still have got off but I'd have skidded and not had such a heavy fall. Who knows, it could've been a lot worse.
Also big ups to the ambulance and hospital emergency. Rapid response, no fuss and instant morphine from the amboes (state-owned service) and almost no waiting at the Alfred emergency. And it's all covered under our compulsury insurance. I'll never grumble about premiums again.
At least I won't have to do Christmas dishes!
