I'm a new scooterist, though I've been drooling over them since 2003, which includes lurking in forums, reading the occasional Scoot magazine, and reading any books I could find on riding. In particular David Hough book Proficient Motorcycling.
One major thought was always stressed - you're only as safe as your bike is. Pre-ride inspections, maintaining proper air pressure, and the right riding gear was paramount. At age 14 I suffered a horrible bike crash on a ten speed bike. It was a new birthday present, and I was told not to take it into the higher gear for the first two weeks. You know, let the cables stretch out a bit.
Two weeks later I was ready to let her rip. Seated at the top of a hill I pedal down and slowly shifted into the highest gear until I was pedaling easily and doing a good 30 MPH. That's when I found out the hard way that the bike had a defective weld in its right pedal. At my top speed the pedal didn't snap or break off, it just dropped on my down stroke. My right foot shot down with nothing to support it causing me to violently tip over.
I hit the ground, shoulder first, then my head (this was the early 80's so no helmet laws back then). A flash of blue light went off behind my eyes and I remember waking up at the bottom of the hill, my right arm - from shoulder to fingers was a bloody mess as was my knee. Luckily my friends rushed to help and within minutes my mother was there to take me to the emergency room.
I had a fracture skull, a major concussion, and third degree burns on my shoulder, elbow, knuckles and knee. To date only the keloid scar on my shoulder really remains, and even that's pretty faded.
So, given my background, you can understand that I have no wish for a repeat performance of 'The Road Burn Cometh - Again'.
Every morning when I take my scooter out for the first ride of the day I spend about 15 minutes doing my TCLOCS pre-ride inspection. During my safety class I had heard from my own teachers and from a number of vets of how they do this once a week, or so, and I wondered how long before I would skimp on this routine, but to be honest, I kind of like doing it.
Knowing that my bike was in good working order made that notion of 'will today be the day that I crash' a little less looming.
So, you can imagine my reaction this morning when I discovered that the major bolt holding my front wheel to the forks was loose.
Not just slightly loose. It was half way unscrewed showing the thread of the bolt and a gap between the fork and nut wide enough to put half a dozen playing cards between. My heart dropped. I had taken a casual ride through Camden, NJ on Friday (not exactly America's most picturesque city) to find a way to see the Battleship New Jersey docked on the Delaware river, and on Thursday I had ridden all day through Philly, including over 20 blocks of a street that had it's blacktop scrapped away to be repaved later. On that section even my fillings shook from the rough road vibrations.
My guess is that was what loosened by wheel bolt.
I thought about that as I looked at the bolt and wondered how close I was to having my wheel fall off as I was riding, or if I hadn't caught it what would have happened when I took the bike up to 55 + while traveling over the bridge into Philadelphia? I was out of town on Sunday and Monday so today was the first time I had a chance to ride in over two days.
That morning it was 10 am and I need to be in Philly by 11:30. I hate being late for anything, and part of me mulled skipping my TCLOCS, but another voice told me not to. Besides, it really was becoming a routine.
I glad I did, and now I ALWAYS will. There's noting between us and the road except a well running bike, skill and luck. Today I was saved by luck - my decision to do my pre-ride inspection. I'd like to think my luck card has now been cashed in. I only have skill and the condition of my scooter now.
I'm gonna make the most of them.
-Wolf
