The edge of the world?

Well, we all know what its like don't we? The need for speed, the fun of thrashing the nuts off your pride and joy or making sure your leading all the boys into that first corner.

Sometimes tho, things can go wrong, as I found out not to long ago whilst on our yearly Boyz Tour trip in France! There I was, first day out of our resort on the steps of the Alps, leading the pack around some pretty wicked roads on our way to our fist scheduled pit stop of cold Beer, when all of a sudden, that moment of sheer dread hit me. Having scrapped the 'hero blobs' on the footrests on both sides for the first time in one session, and completely enjoying myself, I entered a slow right hand hairpin when I lost the front end! 

To this day, I'm still unsure what happened, but as I tipped into the bend, the front seemed to slid away and I momentary waited to hit the tarmac as I fell off the side, but the next thing I know, the bikes upright again and I'm mid corner with no where to go but off the road! I assume the front gripped again and I was bolt up right, but bugger me, of all the times I needed to slid off, I couldn't do that right! What I omitted to tell you, was we had just done a sort of mountain pass type of road, you know, where you go up, across the top, and down the other side. Well, the edge of the road that I was now about to launch me self off, was, how can I say, a bit like taking a leap in to the unknown! I actually couldn't see what was over the edge, all I can remember is thinking 'err, I'm going to go off the road here', and the next thing I know is that ive just taken a bang on the back of me crash helmet as ive come to a halt after sliding, flying, whatever, down the side of this mountain!

I have to admit, looking back on it now, and also when I looked around me after working out what I had done whilst sitting waiting for the ambulance, I was pretty lucky! the point where I had launched off the road was screened by small bushes and young trees and there was a sort of 'hole' in them where I and the bike had flown through! I think all in all, the bike had gone further than me and fallen some 40 - 50 metres and was lying on its side feeling a little worse for wear! Bloody typical I thought, first time I got both pegs down and was scraping away quite happily and I decide to go the whole hog and throw the bike away. I cant even boast to the boys and show em the worn blobs as the bike looks like it might not be doing a lot more! As it turned out, the bike survived pretty well and should be up and ready again sometime later this year when I get round to getting the rest of the bits, but its to cold out there at the mo, so it can wait! I was pretty lucky too, apart from the pretty badly broken right leg, I had survived virtually intact! 21 days in a French hospital sorted me out but im still not back to full fitness, the muscles on me leg need to learn to bend again, but that will come with time, so ill get there!

Amazingly, all my kit survived without any major problems. My Soumy lid has a little mark on the top of it and my leathers were just in need of a good wash down!

So let this be a warning to you boys! it can happen to any of us, this time it was me, but im still here to talk about it, take it easy out there and expect the unexpected!

VTR'S are not used to this sort of abuse!

Meccano - French Style!

 hurry up - i'm nearly out of tabs!

the leg before the operation!

After the Op - ive got one that's 13 inches long!