It's been awhile since I've posted here but, then again, it's been awhile since I've been able to type. You see, my wife and I recently suffered a rather serious motorcycle accident while riding our old 2000 Harley Road King. Without getting into a great deal of detail, suffice to say that it was the classic motorcycle / oncoming vehicle collision - the oncoming driver did not see us and made a left turn in front of us. Banged both of us up pretty good and totaled the bike. We both have had reconstructive surgeries and are looking at extensive physical therapy. That's about all I'm going to say about that - this is almost certainly headed for litigation, we have an attorney, and we are settling in for the long haul.
I guess my real point in coming back and posting is this: "ATGATT" - all the gear, all the time. Please, please - you folks that ride - learn from us. We both had armored jackets and gloves, full face helmets, riding boots, and those kevlar lined "Draggin' Jeans". They had to cut much of it off of us in the ER; it was all pretty trashed. But, inside of it all, we were both alive. A little worse for wear and tear, but alive. I'm convinced, by the nature of the damage to our riding gear, that if we had been in tee shirts, jeans, and those bullsheist beanie helmets so popular among my Harley riding kin, I would not be typing this right now. Or, at best, with a pencil in my mouth...
Anyhoo, enough of that. Just delivered (I can't ride yet, so the dealer was kind enough to deliver it), I am the proud owner of a brand new 2013 Road King. Harley has made a number of noteworthy improvements over my 2000 model. Displacement is up to 103 ci from 88, tranny has six instead of five speeds, the frame was completely redesigned in 2008, it now has fuel injection instead of a carb, and it has Brembo brakes. I can't wait for the casts to come off and the strength to return so we can ride it.
The new Road King:
The old bike, in happier times:
I will miss the old girl. Just over 110,000 happy, trouble-free miles we spent together. I could not have asked for a more faithful, reliable companion - at least a mechanical one. We had some great times together. The new kid in the garage has some big shoes to fill...
The King is dead, long live the King...