The morning started out hazy and a bit cold as I headed out to get together with a few acquaintances for a day ride up in the hills. Because of the low temperature I decided to wear a hooded sweatshirt, leather-based Harley jacket as well as chaps. I also determined to put on a good quality pair of steel toed Harley boots to help keep my toes toasty and dry. Yes! I did have on my helmet as well. Hey, I am no dummy, how else was I going to keep my ears cozy. So anyway, I met up with my friends, drank a mug of coffee and we hit the road.
Visibility wasn’t terrible except the light rain that kept beading up on my glasses. I would wipe the drizzle off and in about a half of a flash the mist would cover my screen again. It was a little difficult to see, but we scooted on.
Because of the mist the streets shined and had a slippery layer on them. We weren’t going in excess of the speed limit of 45 mph but do to the street conditions that was sufficiently rapid.
My friend Jim was the front motorcycle Sammy was second and I was 3rd. Jim singled with the intention to stop for fuel, so at the next location we stopped. We all fueled up got another cup of coffee, chatted and horsed around a bit whilst we chugged the coffee, then cruised out again.
Boy it felt grand to finally have my motorbike out of the storage after the long winter weather we had. Isn’t it always so gratifying that opening bike ride of the year?
At last after roughly an hour and a half into the motorcycle ride the sun began to shine. It had scarcely started to peek through the mist when out of nowhere a car full of young people pulled out from a side road exactly in front of us.
Jim saw it coming and managed to veer to the left just in time to avoid it and go past. Sammy saw it a tad late and set his motorbike down. His motorcycle slid under the mini-van while Sammy skidded on the road just to the right of the station wagon.
Unluckily for me, I was the last to notice the small bus and by the time I did, I was already flying over the top. Yeah that’s right; I run into it straight in the side door and was rocketed over the top then landed on my mug on the other side.
I thumped the deck hard, slid for about thirty feet, then my motorcycle boot caught the rim of a rut or something and I began to flip end over end. When my boot caught on what ever it did, it felt like my foot had just been taken off.
I ultimately came to rest face first in the oncoming travel lane. Its’ a good thing there was no approaching traffic at that time. It’s also a good thing for helmets, leather jackets, leather motorcycle chaps and full finger leather gloves.
I am specially grateful for steel toed leather motorcycle boots though, for the reason that the hole I hit, turned out to be a rut on the edge of a steel manhole cover, so when my foot jammed it, half of the cow hide got taken off of form the toe. The steel toe part was there but the cow hide was no more. I am thankful because, with out the steel toe part of the motorcycle boot, most likely I would have lost my toes, if not my whole foot.
I got lucky! I ended up with only a few bruises. I didn’t even break a bone. I presume I can attribute it to fate, but I know sporting the right motorcycle boots and gear had a good deal to do with it.
Motorcycle boots are the primary line of defense in safety and Michael Alden knows the significance of steel toes motorcycle boots and leather riding gear for motorbike safety. Michael has been a certified motorcyclist for forty years and writes regarding every characteristic of motorcycle riding and safety. If you’d like more information about motorcycle boots or women’s motorcycle apparel take a look at Motorcycle Boots For Women.
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