motorcyclemeditation.com

Still a day later feeling the prickly raw postshock sensation of disaster closely skirted.

A fundamental of motorcycling philosophy, if something happens, it’s your fault. Stronger than that, you could have avoided it. Even stronger than that, it should never have been a possibility in the first place, that’s what your motorcycling disciplines are for.

Coming back from London, through Haringay, no hurry, going slow. Pulling carefully past the buses. Finding a long clear stretch, but the road narrow and lots of incident, pedestrians, oncoming traffic, bicycles. So keeping it to about twenty.

A sudden loss of speed and the motorcycle squiggling underneath. Putting on the power, no dice. The skidding feel of the back wheel locking. Motorcycle slowing, halting, as if under its own instruction, indifferent to rider input. But staying upright.

By luck, no traffic coming from behind, enough time to get off and think. A group of teenagers, gangsta strut along the pavement, oversize jeans, pointing at the back wheel, coming over, hey man, y’okay. Two each side, finding a place to grip, lifting the motorcycle, putting it down away from danger, sauntering off. You be careful now, man.

The problem simple, motorcycle cover, not stowed carefully enough, a corner of the fabric hanging down, caught by the spokes, in an eyeblink the whole thing whirled around the wheel, tangling into the chain.

From the pavement another onlooker, ginger Mohican hair, noserings, barbed wire neck tattoo, motorcycle jacket, coming over. Pausing. You were bloody lucky, mate. Too bloody right I was. A further pause. Looking at me steadily, the next words clear in his face, you bloody idiot. Not saying them. No need.

Sheepishly, sorting it out. Actually fairly easy, rolling the motorcycle backwards, the cover extricating.

Leaving a few points to ponder. Like, of all the riding that day, that was the one moment it could have happened without death or injury. A little faster, a little more crowded, the end. Dammit, what does it take, catastrophe, what, to learn not to let this sort of thing even have a chance of happening.