W/E17th April 2016

Man down – more of that later…

So fitted the new starter motor gear from the zane (on the left) to try and get the starting fixed. I was surprised at how easy this turned out to be – the flats on the gear proved just right for a 17 mm spanner to hold the plot wile a 13 mm spanner took off the retaining nut. A couple of tyre levers saw the old gear slide off. The complete Zane gear train has improved starting but I suspect the bearing itself is a bit worn out as the sprag sometimes spins without engaging.

The new sprag was accompanied with the rear tyre (finally) and new chain and rear sprocket. The bespoke front was fine and didn’t need changing.

So all buffed up and ready to go…

So I’m heading into a roundabout, car comes from the right, I brake and I’m down. It all happens that fast and the Atlas accelerates away as it slides along on its left side. I’m winded and the driver is out asking if I’m okay? Gathering my thoughts we get the bike up and push it to the side of the road. A PCSO is on his way to work and as I’ve grazed my crash helmet insists an ambulance is called. Mrs A is on her way…

Everything is checked out in the ambulance – the Police check over the bike (thankfully the back tyre was replaced) and I get the all clear from the breathalyser.  The copper suspects I was going too fast and locked up the front on the wet road but as there’s no other vehicle involved and me and the car driver just say the bike just went down they leave me to it…

After all the excitement of a crash the reality starts to creep in. We arrange for the bike to be collected and then begin the round of x-rays on a throbbing thumb. Thumb turns out to be broken and as luck would have it the ‘hand clinic’ operates over the weekend.

Getting to hospital on the Saturday I slide down the order as emergency cases leapfrog me – after 10 hours   (thankfully I took a book [Robbie Marshall on his Triumph https://youtu.be/DJYjVR597EQ  and   mp3 player)  I’m on my way home with either a wired or plated thumb – no one was available to tell me which.

Mrs A put a positive spin on it saying that I could use the downtime to sort the bikes without having to make ’em ready for the next day (the registration for Atlas #3 arrived on the day of the crash by coincidence). The Atlas doesn’t look too bad, just the left side shaved away – I think I have most I need in the shed…

So just a moments misjudgement can lead to quite a punishment – broken bike, no Welsh rally and nip and tuck for the French. I also have six months of single handedness and all the hassle that brings. But I’m safe and maybe a bit of space to break out of the ‘chasing my arse’ routines that got me to this place. I’m a lucky man in so many ways.

Nick 🙂