What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

Dropped the GSXR off for the Almeria trip today.
It's hidden in there somewhere

Not sure about the colour of the shirts for this trip though

 

I'm quite partial to orange, I like the shirt colour!

 

Last year's shirt was screaming pink

 

Enjoy,
what are you having x3 days on track?

 

It's 4 days on track, open pit lane, and only 40 bikes going out.

 

Morning stop at a cafe on the CL500 and met a CB500F owner - there may be some Honda ride-outs planned!

 

Well it was yesterday (Friday) and fitted the new clutch master onto the 2002 Ducati Monster Dark 620ie as the original failed 200km from home and yes I rode it home with no clutch. The replacement cost 185 euros froma company in Holland who Fedexed it to me only issue being the lever is silver instead of black and my black lever feel notchy when fitted to the new Brembo unit so will have to lightly rub the new one down then spray and laquer it black.

 

I had a bit of "excitement" on today's Sunday morning group ride. Today's bike choice was my Harley Street Glide because it has been quite windy the past couple of days and I figured a heavy bike would be a plus under "Red Flag Warning" conditions which today meant strong and gusty winds, low humidity, and high fire danger.

Well, we (thankfully!) didn't experience any fires due to the winds but a gust sent a bird off course--and it plowed into my head as I was going 75 mph! Thank goodness for full face helmets and well-constructed face shields (I have a Shoei Neotec 2). Our riding buddy, Chris, who was right behind me, saw the whole thing. He saw the bird flying along near us then saw a gust hit it and watched as it hit me. He said my head snapped to the right along with a lot of my upper body. It definitely threw me for a loop, but at no point did I feel like I was going to go down or even into the ditch. It did really "ring my bell", however! And the left side of my face shield, which took the brunt of the bird, was "muddied up" to such a degree that it looked like I was looking through a smear of Vaseline with my left eye.

The right side of my neck, shoulder, and upper back are rather sore but otherwise I'm grateful that I'm physically none the worse for it. That said, I did pop 4 Advil at breakfast in Mammoth at Mi Pueblito along with my breakfast burrito.

I will need a new face shield and am unsure about the helmet integrity. Have any of you had this experience? If so, what do you think about the helmet? I don't know the speed of the bird, but as I said, I was going 75mph so it was a significant impact. But my head and neck had some give (ow!) but it wasn't pavement. Let me know what you think. I think I'll contact Shoei tomorrow to see what they have to say.

Two other things for today's ride. The heat has definitely arrived as it was 95ºF on our ride home around 10:30-11:00AM. And my bike turned over to 12K miles. Funny how fast touring bikes rack up the miles. I guess that's what they're for, though, right?!

 

Glad you're ok. Best see someone who can give you a definitive answer to the integrity of the helmet. I'd be surprised if they said change it, I wouldn't have thought it would do serious damage to it, but I'm no expert. But at 75 mph, don't know. ,????

 

Yeah, @Bikerman. I'm mixed. My gloss black Shoei Neotec II is my best and favorite helmet and now I just don't know. I don't really want to feel insecure about my helmet but I also don't want to spend another $600. And that helmet in that color is impossible to find now--sold out everywhere. I have found some matte black ones that I'd go with. Shoei does have a helmet integrity inspection program with Helmet House in California. I just sent them an email regarding my particular circumstances which are certainly not like my head hitting the pavement. The documentation for the program isn't all that encouraging either because they look at photos and they don't do any sort of x-ray or something like that. Then they say multiple times that the helmet owner must take responsibility for his or her decision to replace it or to continue using it. No discounts on a new one or anything like that. Bummer. But hey, it's better than a smashed head or a broken faring on the bike, eh?

 

Be it down to your skills, weight of bike or just pure luck - I’m very happy to hear you are okay after such an incident @Sandi T
For me I wouldn’t hesitate in replacing the helmet. That one has more than done its job and whilst no knowledge of your actual financial situation I’d say you can afford it.
What price a head? What price for total assurance of integrity you’ll have with a new helmet?
An easy decision - Why risk it

 

I am pleased you're OK @Sandi T - no idea about your helmet but I would be inclined not to change if my visor took the brunt of it I think and the shell didn't have an impact with the hard ground, however the cautious thing to do would be to buy a new one and it is your head after all that it protects.

 

Glad you are ok.

 

Pleased you are ok @Sandi T. Your full face helmet did good. The outcome would not have been great if you were wearing an open face lid.

 

Dammit just discovered that the tank filler seal they sent me is incorrect and does not fit and that have lost the right rear indicator lens....... Arghhhhhhhh!

 

Just seen this @Sandi T so glad you're ok, if a little shaken. Years ago my brother in law knocked a lady off her bike when pulling out of a parking slot. It was only a relatively slow speed accident, but she went over the bonnet and face planted the road and was wearing an open face helmet, I could hear her screams from inside the BIL's house . She was in a hell of a mess and got blue lighted to hospital where she needed extensive maxfax surgury as a result. If she'd been wearing a full face helmet she'd have avoided all that pain and suffering. After that I never wore an open faced helmet again