Hi Forchetto! After a while I feel complied to write to you `cause you`ve been the one I most often communicate with since my recent membership status. But this also goes for all the fellow members that could have ended up reading my last posts.
I had a very nasty accident (my fault, really) on my brand new Genesis Supermotard (from all its bloody names), some two and a half weeks ago, and just until now I feel the courage (writing with two fingers) to tell you (and everybody that could be interested) about it:
I consider myself a decent rider, but I somehow managed to get launched over the bars after a sudden panic braking when a car suddenly slowed down in front of me when I was reaching the apex of an almost 90º curve to the left, after a downhill of some 300 m and about 20º of incline (at about just 80 Km/hr, thankfully).
Now, after the initial emotional shock, a broken left hand, an exposed patella on my left knee (a wound of some 10 cm long and deep enough), a very badly road-burnt right knee, deep scratches on both shoulders, right upper chest, right forearm, and a bruise on my chin caused by my helmet (thank God I decided to use a racing type helmet that day), I have learned that this kind of bike does not react as the hyper-bike I currently have ridden before(Yamaha R6): Its center of gravity is placed so high in comparison, and it is so much lighter and its little front brake is deceptively too strong in a panic grab situation (modulation problem?). In the end, I just really f.... u.... (sorry fellas). I decided to brake when the imminent threat arised with confidence, gathered from my last sport bike experiencies... but the fault was mine: This bike is definitively not intended to be ridden as a Race-Clone sport bike, fat tires notwithstanding. Period. I f... up (my apologies again).
In praise of the bike, I have to say that it undergone relatively little damage after it cart-wheeled end over end: scratched front fender, frontal screen, side covers, a little scratching of the rear handles, bent front levers, some little scratches in its lower bars shields, a broken steering stop, and a bent right foot peg mount, slightly scratched pipe and ripped grip ends. Oh! and the cute dash ended up with the speedo glass broken (Bugger!) Have I mentioned it only showed 460 km?
The tank and its related plastic parts went unscathed, as well as the seat, rims, front forks, engine (even shift and brake pedals), turn signals and its cute little tail.
I consider the damage could`ve ended up been more severe (in its middle upper section) had I not installed an aftermarket SunLine racing handlebar before, because the obviously weak OEM one would`ve surely fold upon itself and the tank could have enden badly damaged... and a lot more, you can get the point.
I now can attest of the excellent quality of its plastics, because they just needed some elbow grease to have them looking as new again, after a quality paint job that cost me just a little fraction of what new ones could (about 30 US dollars worth of hand work, as most).
Well... Lesson taken. Beware of sudden stoppies, and, most of all (the really Genesis of it all), ride with your brain instead of with your heart (at least try to).
Now, I am looking forward at the opportunity to personalize it, with my own designed graphics and stuff. Maybe some later upgrades.
Do you or anyone out there know if one can set up a new odometer to the exact last readings of the old one?
Well, I`m glad to be back, even if I have to wait some four weeks more to be in the saddle again (I hope).
May our God in two wheels be with you (Hey! I`m sure He does love motorcycles). I`ll be in touch with you in regards of the end of my restoration project.
Keep the tire`s side up!