Any crash you can walk away from...

Front of the bike = smushed.








Rear subframe also looking unhappy.








Bars bent and rolled forward, the tank tapped the frame. The GPS still works!







No thank you.

Shortest road trip ever

Well folks, I'm afraid the show's over. At least Act 1 is. The day started out ok, I rode from Eureka to Crescent City. Then the sky opened up and rained on me all the way to Coos Bay, Oregon. This is where the trip ends. Not because it stopped raining. But rather, because traffic in front of me suddenly stopped short. I tried to stop as well, but the bike was not having it. The front wheel locked and tucked, and I smacked it into the back of a pickup truck.

Here are the important details:
I AM OKAY. I have a few bruises, and am sore, but physically ok. Mentally, I'm very, very upset with myself. But they say any crash you can walk away from is a good one. Or something like that. I had on full gear head to toe, so there isn't a scratch on me.

The bike is toast. Front end is all smashed to bits, handlebars rolled forward. Might be all cosmetic though, we shall see. The rear subframe looks bent up, because when it fell down the indestructible pelican cases didn't budge. The brackets and subframe did though. The bike is currently sitting in a Yamaha dealership. The one I fell down right in front of. How is that for irony? I'll go inspect it tomorrow.

Again, I am okay. Thanks to everyone who has called, SMS'd, IM'd or otherwise inquired.

I'm currently in the waiting / snack area of the Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, OR. Everyone here has been great, I'm set up on a table with the broadband card, and they even brought me dinner from the cafeteria before they closed.

My friend Chris in Portland is on his way here tonight, to get me and my stuff and we're going to stay in this town for tonight. Tomorrow I'll check on the bike, then probaby go to Portland for a day or two to rest up. As for how I am going to get me, my stuff, and my bike home I will figure out tomorrow. The current top idea is a 1-way pickup truck rental from Portland to San Jose, and I swing by Coos Bay to toss the bike in it. Maybe I'll just have the bike crated and shipped back. We'll see, and I'll keep updating the blog.

I still have plenty of time off left, so I will figure out something else to do with it.