From: svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda)
Subject: Accident Report
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 21:16:10 GMT

Well, not exactly an accident.  I ran over a dog.  Last night, riding
on a two lane rural highway, at about 50mph, a large flat-black hound
dog ambled into my path at exactly the wrong time.  I had *no* time to
get on the brakes, but remember using the tiny amount of time I had to
bend my arms and start getting my butt off the seat.  (I've run *over*
small animals before, and it's just a little speed bump).  Well, the
dog struck the left middle fairing just at the leading edge, taking
out a peice of fairing, and putting a tiny dent in the radiator.  It
then continued along the body of the motorcycle, caving in part of
the side of the middle fairing, and removing the air scoop in front
of my leg.  Somehow, the dog then miraculously missed my leg, but then
cleanly removed the left saddlebag, breaking the saddlebag mount.  (I
should say, "breaking the saddlebag mount *again*".  It broke just below
the weld from the first time it broke (on a nasty-mean ZX11 muffler--hi
Randy! :-).)

The bike wobbled a bit, but had little trouble staying up.  I immediately
looked down at the damage, saw the bag missing and pulled over and
began taking off my riding gear.  About then, I heard and saw several
cars going the other direction avoiding (and some going *bump* over) the
dog-carcass in the road.  Well, once I got the gear off, I got out a 
flashlight and went back to find the bag.  I found it at the side of the
road, still in one peice, but split badly.  (A note here--I previously
had split that bag slightly (on that nasty-mean ZX11 muffler), and mended
it with 3-Bond Fairing Repair stuff.  That is basically fiberglass cloth
and CA glue.  It really worked well, such that the repaired area had no
damage, but the bag split *next* to the repaired area.  No doubt
stress concentration, there.)

The total damage is a tiny dent in the radiator, a seriously broken fairing
mid-panel, a broken airscoop, a broken saddlebag mount, and a split
saddlebag.  The thing under the caved-in fairing is the engine block,
so I'm doubtful that there is any hidden damage.

Anyhow, I managed to duct-tape and bungee cord the bag back on and
ride slowly home.  (I used the very same bungee cord that I used to
strap that bag on, after the little accident before the Joust.  Thanks,
Harry! :-)  

As it turns out, hitting an animal is not considered an "accident" for
insurance purposes, and is handled as a comprehensive claim, so I can
claim it and not have my rates raised.  Cool.  Not so cool that I will
possibly be bikeless for a couple of weeks (the shop holds the bike
as collateral on the ordered parts, for insurance cases) while the
parts arrive, even thought the bike is completely rideable.  But it
will be fixed, for only $100 out of my pocket (deductable).

I did have to endure a story from my agent (Allstate) about the time 
he was an adjuster and handled a case where a speeding bike (>100mph) 
t-boned a minivan, and the biker's tank burst and burned all of the 
occupants to death.  The biker was drunk, too, BTW (and not wearing 
a helmet, like that would have mattered :-).  Of course I had to 
point out that this particular rider would have caused a similar 
outcome if he had been driving his Toyota.  :-/

Well, anyway, I think I have finally run into the mythical "unavoidable"
accident.  I was only going about 45mph at the time, in a 55 zone (I
was just leaving a small populated area), so my speed was not excessive
for the conditions.  The dog was of such a color that my headlight
probably hit him, and didn't reflect anything back to me.  The only
thing I think I could have been doing differently (other than not
riding, which is out of the question :-) would have been to take the
interslab when it gets dark, rather than a smaller road (like I
usually do on a trip when it rains).

Any other thoughts?

Dave Svoboda (rubis@gagme.chi.il.us)        | "I just can't take
90 Concours 1000 (Mmmmmmmmmmmm (whack!))    |  this weird shit
No ratbike at the moment.  Suggestions?     |  before breakfast!"
AMA 583905      DoD #0330    COG 939        |   -- Evo Woman