The FJ may well be a write-off, fortunately I fared a bit better. I thought I’d broken my thumb, but it seems to be regaining usefulness and the other aches associated with hitting the deck are subsiding, thank you for your concern.

The crash was entirely my fault. I fucked up. In front of lots of my friends and five (extremely chivalrous) police instructors. These things happen to the best and most cautious of us. 

I know exactly what I did wrong, although the situation was not helped by the bus was parked in the direct line of our emergency braking run. Foremost in my mind, as I hurtled down the range towards the instructor 
(and the bus) was that I shouldn’t hit the bus. I didn’t. I hit the ground.

It’s small consolation that a) I hold the record for longest front wheel skid, and b) the cops were impressed with how long I managed to keep it upright.

I try to do at least one training course every year. It pays to keep skills up. 

Just before this one, I was horrified to hear an inexperienced rider of my acquaintance declare that because he was a defensive rider, he’d never had to perform an emergency stop, and since his defensive riding saved him from situations requiring emergency stops, he felt no need to undertake any such training. In fact, he firmly believed that learning emergency braking techniques would somehow undermine his defensive riding skills. Go figure! I think that is the most arrogant, pig-headed, fatuous, asinine and other synonyms for stupid attitude I’ve ever heard. I can see a hospital visit coming up.

Go and do some rider training. It doesn’t have to be an exercise in humility, it’s about riding with more skill, getting more out of your bike.

Talk to Elle. 

Late Braking News