[VaFish]

So I've been licensed to ride motorcycles since 1986, probably longer than many on this board have been alive. I've had dirt bikes put me in the hospital three times, but up until last week I had never "crashed" on the street.

This one really pisses me off because I know better but thought it was OK to ride. I was good enough to compensate for a known problem.

So the story starts a week and a half ago. My sportsters front brake pads were paper thin and I knew they needed to be replaced. I swung by the dealer and just picked up a pair of stock pads. Weather and other stuff got in the way of working on the bike and I waited until the last minute. I'm a Patriot Guard rider and we had two missions on Friday so I got up early rushed through putting the pads on and hopped on the bike. Ended up riding 77 miles thinking damn these new pads are noisy, how long do they need to bed in? So I got home, hopped off the bike and looked at my front rotor and it's all gouged up. Who would be dumb enough to install a brake pad backwards (and what fool company would design a brake system that would allow idiots to install a pad backwards?) Yeah I had the metal backing pushing against the rotor on the outboard pad.

So I went inside, did some searching on the internet and ordered some new pads and a rotor. I took apart the front brake and put the pads in the right way. Saturday I took the bike for a little ride, brakes weren't great but I got by. Tuesday weather was nice and I decided to ride the bike to work (new pads and rotor had not shown up yet).

On the way home from work I'm riding in our High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV or Car Pool) It's the left lane of a four lane highway moving at about 40 mph as the three lanes to the right are moving about 15-25 mph of stop and go traffic. My exit is coming up so I have to move over through those three lanes of traffic. I see my gap, signal and move over one lane. Match my speed with the traffic in the lane, look over my shoulder for a gap in the next lane, look back forward and cars in front are stopping. I'm on the right edge of the lane, no escape route, Grab the front brake and stomp on the rear and run into the back of a Nissan Altima. Slam up into the handlebars then get slammed down on my left side looking back at traffic as a big black F250 locks up his brakes and slides to a stop.

State Police and Fire Trucks were there quick. I thought I was OK but firemen really recommended I get checked out at hospital. The fire trucks had blocked 3 lanes of traffic and as the ambulance came up on the right a car tried to get out of it's way while a semi tried to pass everyone on the shoulder, the semi clipped the car with it's trailer, I don't think he even knew he hit them, and kept going. Two troopers jump in their cars and give chase. I get in ambulance and head to the hospital.

Turns out I have some painfully bruised ribs and some bruising on my left leg, but thanks to Tourmaster jacket and over pants with armor, DOT full face helmet, gloves and boots no other damage to me.

Damage to the bike appears to be all cosmetic or to accessories, I had the Crash/Highway bar on the front and saddlebags on the rear that took most of the force on the side, front fender is bent but wheel and fork seem OK. Just have to install that new rotor and pads.