Arkansas Flying Ladders

[FastJoyRide]

Mary: I was of the "nothing beats leather" school for many years, but Sylvia and I invested in MotoPort suits 2 years ago and I won't wear anything else on the bike now. Hers is the full Kevlar model and mine is the Kevlar mesh. Not the most stylish things in the world and not overly light, but they are hell-for-well-made and they're very comfortable - after a short break-in period in which they'll actually mould to your body somewhat. We've ridden in them up to 115 degrees and the only consideration is to drink lots of water as the mesh does allow for lots of (cooling) evaporation from your skin. Congrats on escaping this horrific accident - relatively - unscathed, and welcome to the collective!

 

[Rogue]

Congrats on coming through that almost unharmed. Check out the mesh gear.

 

[lonerider]

It's a wonder you both made it through that with relatively minor injuries. I'm glad the ladder hauler owned up to his mistake.

 

[Bokerfork]

Completely off topic: I love your writing style. Maybe reminiscent of my own, or what I wish mine was. I suspect even JB would approve.

On topic: Glad your okay and hubby mostly okay. Welcome to our community. Please write again.

Mark

 

[Silver Penguin]

Wow! What a story. Glad to hear that you're both OK. That could have been sooooo much worse, especially if you weren't wearing good gear.

For summer riding, armored mesh and a camelbak to stay hydrated. Frequent stops in shady, or air-conditioned places when the temperature soars.

 

[fjrboomer]

Man, what a story. Your Hubby must be a darned good rider to make is as far as he did after the inital T-bone of a ladder. Most riders would have probably gone down immediately. Glad you both survived and are both ready to get out there and ride again.

As to the gear, I always wear the mesh. I live in Edmond, OK and wear it all the time. In actuality mine only weighs about 15 lbs for both the pants and jacket. I have a Joe Rocket jacket and 1st Gear pants. As previously mentioned by someone else as long as you keep moving it is not too hot. I have ridden in the mid 90's and I am hot yes but I would be if I were justs wearing a T-shirt.

I would recommed looking at other MC dealers and there is a Motorcycle gear shop on NW Expressway just east of May Ave (north side). You might check there as they usually have a pretty good selection of riding gear.

Hope you hubby heals up completely soon and maybe I will see you out on the road someday. Good luck.

 

[highcountry]

Wonderfully told story with a happy ending. Glad to hear that you both survived intact. Flying crap like that ladder is exactly why I never ride through Denver on I-25. I have seen a 7'x7' piece of burlap fly up from under a truck which could have resulted in death for a biker. A friend of ours was driving her Subaru on said road and had a 10' ladder fly off of a truck in front of her and slid longways towards her car. She drove right over the length of the ladder without it touching her car. On a bike, it would have resulted in death with a dozen cages driving over the biker.

As far as protection, I have a Joe Rocket mesh jacket, Joe Rocket Ballistic 7.0 jacket, and a leather jacket. I tried the pants but found them uncomfortable so I got leather chaps.

Ride safe, live long.

 

[Toecutter]

So, that's a good question for the forum... Have you chosen armored gear? How do you ride hot summer days in it? Is there something somewhere between being a street crayon and dressing like RoboCop?

Well, Ive been called Master Chief (from the Halo game), but I swear by my Air Mesh Kevlar.

Kevlar Motorcycle Apparel - the Best in the World (or so they claim)....

 

[mcatrophy]

You must have the best husband in the world, to take the scrapes for both of you .

Congrats on the positive outlook, hope he heals fully and you both get many more incident-free FJR miles.

 

[Fred W]

So, I understand that he took financial responsibility but did Mr. Ladder truck end up getting any sort of a citation?

His negligence to properly secure the ladder on his vehicle clearly endangered the lives of everyone else on that freeway that day. Your husband's injuries are pretty clear proof of that. What if it had killed someone? I'd say it was pretty close.

Or did they just use the old standard line? It was "just an accident." :glare:

 

[old&slow]

Glad you both are sort of OK.... :clapping:

Traveling thru N. Carolina several years ago,,, Some nimrod was hauling wood paneling on the

roof of his motor-home... several sheets came loose ,, one sheet sailed over us, don't know how it missed us..

,,, I ran over the rest..

But I was in a Cadillac ,, Not on a bike,,, I thought , "Glad I wasn't on the bike , it would have taken my head off !!"

I've known some folks that have had some rather large objects, that wasn't strapped down, being picked up out of the truck bed

and deposited on the highway ,,, like a 6 foot kitchen cabinet ,, or a lawn leaf sweeper ,,, etc...

So, I try to avoid following any and all pick-up truck ,, trucks ,, cars ,,etc.. with anything in the back ,,strapped on or other wise..

But when they start throwing crap at you from the other direction,, that's pretty much unavoidable ...

Glad you are OK !!!!

 

[KevinsFJRPartDeux]

Thanks again for sharing your story, and I am interested in your trip details out to Arkansas. Something I would like to do in the spring.

-Scotty

Scotty, I highly recommend NW (I think I said NE in my first post) Arkansas riding. Look up The Crawford Cabins in Jasper ARK. Sweet people, nice accommodations, beautiful countryside. In fact, these are the folks who drove 2 hours to come get us in Springdale the next day where we were marooned in a crappy hotel with one dying cell phone and ZERO rental cars to get us back "home". I highly recommend them. It's right on the Buffalo River - stunning environs. Take your digi camera and enjoy.

I cannot think of a bad highway - that we traveled at least, obviously our trip having been foreshortened 3 hours in! We had intended to take a circuit from Jasper to Rogers to Eureka Springs to Harrison and home that day. Jasper is just minutes from an area termed "The Arkansas Grand Canyon". Not really a fitting sobriquet if you've ever seen the real one, but it's pretty.

Because neither of us could stand to be trapped in the cabin the rest of the week, and because riding the 4-wheelers was completely out of the question, we spent every day touring the area in his truck. We were lucky to have hit the leaf-changing at its best. We will definitely do it again, and again.

Mary

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

Awesome story...thanks for sharing that.

Just last week, Sunday heading for Church on I-10, traveling behind a cager, when I decided to move over to the left/faster lane, just as the cager in front decided to move to the right- as I pretty much follow a cagers rear tire path; but as it would be, there was a 8 ft. ladder lying on the white lines of the freeway. Many scenarios run through your mind when you see stuff lying there being a potential danger to everyone, especially bikers.

You survived and more than that conqured the psychological war that goes with biking accidents, and super kudos to you being the passenger and still encouraged to keep riding. Lots to be said for rider and passenger on this one.

Really re-consider on the ATGATT, there is gear out there, you have to just search for it. I know it get's hot, humid and down right uncomfortable, but nothing is good about traveling on sun-heated asphalt highway on some thin inappropriate riding gear.

 

[KevinsFJRPartDeux]

I live in Edmond, OK and wear it all the time. In actuality mine only weighs about 15 lbs for both the pants and jacket.

Me too, Edmond! Howdy! I KNEW I'd seen another FJR in town! Kevin's in Yukon - and an early-model lives there, too. It's blue, so I'm guessing an '05.

Yes, folks, it's time to clear up the misconception. Kevin's not the hubby, he's The Beau! A point that always causes my elderly auntie to mumble something about cows and milk... but that's a topic for an entirely different forum!

The other point...15 pound gear. Ok, so maybe I exaggerated at 50 pounds. Weights and measures are open for interpretation in Mary's world.

We'll check out Cycle Gear in N May. The BMW store is just pricey because of what it is. I hate buying clothing on-line, but no doubt that's what we'll end up doing.

Mary

 

[KevinsFJRPartDeux]

So, I understand that he took financial responsibility but did Mr. Ladder truck end up getting any sort of a citation?

Yep, he received a citation for failing to secure a load. And by the way, it wasnt on/in a truck. It was riding on the top of a Subaru Forester. I'm talking a 20-foot extension ladder sitting on his luggage rack! If it was tied down, you couldn't tell from how lightly it lifted in the air and flew at us! Or so Kevin says, I didnt actually see it until we were hitting it.

I noted while in Arkansas a slew of billboards cautioning drivers about motorcycle riders, be careful, watch out, be aware. That sort of thing. I'm guessing because they have so very many riders there. From the EMTs to the ER staff we heard countless stories of accidents in their neck of the woods.

You know, when you think about it, once the one thing that did go wrong - said ladder carried by aforementioned ******* - everything went right. There was no oncoming traffic, there were no stationary objects on the side of the road for us to hit, we became separated from the tumbling bike, and on and on.

In terms of the insurance, I was a little surprised that his insurer. SF (you fill in the rest), seems to think that the add-ons (my seat back which is now bent at a permanent 45 degree angle, the fractured bar risers - the little pins are sheared off, etc.) are "personal preference" and thus they're not part of the bike itself. So, while they've totaled the scooter, and given him a fair price for it, he may end up eating the cost of the rest. I had to argue to be paid for the brand new digital camera that was hanging on my wrist and was completely destroyed. I'm not through negotiating, but still. SOBs. That's all I'm going to say about THEM!

Mary

 

[Fred W]

That's good to hear (that he did get cited).

As to insurance, it's strange (as you noted) that they wouldn't cover any custom accessories. My adjuster asked about them and said there was full coverage within a certain limit (I think it was 1000). That's with Progressive. I have only my 'cycles with them. They seem to be fair on claims, be reasonably priced and are pretty convenient to work with. Check em out. Prices do vary a lot by locale.

 

[Big Shasta]

WOW...GREAT STORY, Glad you are mostly ok.

State Farm will pay....Suggest that you might reject their offer to not cover 100% of bike and accessories plus medical costs and pain and suffering and instead contact a lawyer for the gross negligence on the part of their insured....See how fast they offer to pay for EVERYTHING!

 

[CAJW]

the ladder guy's insurance company just paid off

Wow! Really? Someone actually got his tag? Amazing. Around here, it'd be "whut? huh?"

So, one by one I picked them up off the road, took them to the ladder-owner who was sitting in his car with the windows up talking on the phone, knocked on his window, and with as much verocity as a 5'2" woman wearing a baby pink motorcycle helmet can deliver said... I believe this belongs to YOU!

M

First off, glad you guys came through this relatively ok. Also, great write up and well described. Regarding the ladder owner, I can't belive you resisted the urge to throw the ladder parts through his rolled up window! I've always avoided pickups while working (flying EMS helos, they usually have cardboard, tarps etc. in the back that downwash can blow into the rotor system ruining your day!) and riding behind sub par contractors who often lose their ladders, buckets, etc. usually when you're the closest to their bumper! As mentioned, Aerostitch and Cycleport are considered by many to be the best riding gear, but my pillion insisted on Olympia II vented gear with liners for her infrequent excursions with me. Might check this out, but we've thankfully not crash tested it to confirm how well it works. Oly Ladies Jacket

Oly Ladies Pant

 

[wfooshee]

Don't cash any checks from the insurer until you're satisfied. Cashing a check is acceptance of the claim settlement amount, and you'll never get more.

 

[racer]

Gee, what a story. It's hard to believe some of the crazy things that happen out on the road. I glad to hear you're okay. Also happy to hear you ain't giving up on riding and getting another FJR. The FJR is truly a great bike.