Got hit by a cage yesterday...

[WadeFillingame]

and I really cannot imagine coming out of an accident involving a bike and 2 cars any better off than I did.

The short story is I wasn't hurt and the only damage to the bike (my Harley) was a broken clutch lever.

I'm on a project in North Chicago. I was riding away from the motel on Grand Ave in Gurnee. It's a 4 lane street. I was on the HD so I'm just out for a putt. I noticed an older black Grand Prix that made a couple of lane switches in traffic like he was in a hurry, but this is the Chicago area, traffic suxxors and someone is always in a hurry.

Two or 3 miles later I'm riding in the right lane, I'm a bit left of center as usual, when I notice this guy coming over quick. I gave him all the lane I could. With about 3 feet of road left before the curb he makes contact with me and I start sliding down the side of the car. I felt the pressure of the door on my left leg, then I heard something snap and herd stuff bouncing on the road. (my first thought was his mirror had come off though in hind sight I was too far back on the car for that.)

He realized he was into me and swerved left, into the side of the Chevy Trailblazer he was coming into my lane to pass. They do the push and shove thing in front of me for a second and we all stop.

I never went down, (though I was getting real concerned about getting pushed onto the curb). I have to think the heavy HD with low center of gravity and stable geometry helped there. As it turned out what I heard break loose and bounce was the last inch and a half of my clutch handle. It had slid down his rear window till it hit the metal and that snagged it and snapped it off. My left peg/boot did a pretty good job of pushing in his right rear door. When he swerved into the Chevy he put Bristol dough nuts on the right front door and dented the rear up pretty good too.

LEO showed in 15 min or so, took accident report, wrote the driver who caused it all a ticket. I left there and rode to Uke's HD in Wisconsin, about 2 hours after it all went down I was leavig with new chrome levers on for a grand total of .... get this..... $125! I didn't think you could sneeze on a Harley and not do $500!

The only thing that buggs me is that it was so quick that I didn't get to the horn. As soon as I recognized what was happening I started surrendering asphalt to him and I just never got my thumb up there.

[simmich]

Brotha Wade...Glad to hear both you and yer hog is all right...  :bigup:

[Rooster]

dickheads of the road. they are everywhere. glad you kept it verticle, mr brother!

[Wisp]

Glad you're okay, Handsome.

[BigSlick]

HD's are very well built using very little plastic. The center of gravity probably saved your ass.

Have been in 2 motorcycle accidents myself and have walked away from both with only a broken thumb. Wasn't my time I guess and both HD's suffered very little damage in the slides.

Had it been a sport bike with a high center of gravity I am sure the results would have been very different.

If you aren't sporting straight pipes I would highly recommend it. May draw you tickets but at least the blind drivers might get a chance to figure out where you are.

[Knuck42]

Glad to hear that you came through okay and kept 'er dirty side down Wade.

[atomross13]

Glad to hear you are alright.

[WadeFillingame]

BigSlick, I'm running wide open Sampson Ripsaws, but I really was just putting along so they weren't screaming.

[grateful1]

Glad you're well!

[John Henry]

Glad your ok! :clap: Nice job of not panicing.