... untill it wasn't !



430 miles on the clock and an "off" on an oil spill on a roundabout 50 miles from home this afternoon.

No warning, just time for a mental "WTF" before I hit the deck. Probably just as well I am still running in so was quite sedate, but it has rather taken the "newness" off the Himalayan ! The bars took the brunt of the fall (but the newly fitted handguards saved the lever) followed bu the footpeg, gear lever & stand tangs. The centre stand appears to be twisted & the newly fitted Givi pannier rack stopped the bike rolling further over - just scuffed the lower bobbins. There are small scuffs on the belly pan, the lower edge of the front mudguard, fork leg & wheel spindle nut. I will just buy the bits & sort myself - cost of bits will be less than the insurance excess.

Managed to bend the bars back something like straight & the gear lever was still useable, so a sedate backroads return home.

Apart from my left ankle (I think my foot was dragged under the bike - boot scuffed both sides) and a bit of a knock to my knee I am OK. Fortunately my helmet didn't touch the ground & my suit has only minor marks where it touched the tarmac. Ankle is stiffening up a bit now, but still able to limp around on it.

Cause of the spill was a 5 litre plastic oil can that had dropped from something then been run over & burst. Following vehicles had spread the oil about. Initially I couldn't work out what had happened & thought it might have been a loss of traction due to a badly broken up surface on the exit of the roundabout, until Mrs B (who was following and fortunately managed to avoid the oil) saw the oil trail leading back to the squashed can. Reported it to the Police, who were getting a Highways crew out to attend.






The scuff mark near the grate was made by my handlebar end, I think. The oil is a lot more visible in the pictures than it was when viewed from the saddle.

Could have been a lot worse, I suppose, but rather miffed non the less.

Nigel B.