Nothing can quite prepare you for when you impact something hard on your motorcycle. Yet when it does happen, and you come out of it relatively unscathed and, thankfully, alive, you often think“ Well, that was lucky”. Now, I don’ t know if I believe in luck, but I have positively had my share of‘ luck’ after years of riding motorcycles and I believe I have chomped through a few of my nine lives, that’ s for sure. One of the things with gaining all these‘ experiences of luck’ doctors tell us, is that your brain is now wired to assess similar situations so that when you have a similar situation you have encountered before, it allows you to react with a speed that can ultimately determine the outcome.
THE SET UP This happened to me recently at the end of a 600km ride, from Gisborne to Cape Palliser lighthouse on a road that was relatively clear of traffic. I had just slowed down to about 70km / h looking for somewhere to stop and take photos of the scenery when near disaster struck. It was a situation I’ m sure has happened to many of us. Three sheep( one ewe and two large lambs ready for mustering) had escaped their poorly fenced paddock and were enjoying a spot of freedom grazing. They were well concealed behind a bush on my side of the road, slightly below road level in a shallow drain which added to their concealment. With the stealth of a well-trained military ambush, they waited to spring their attack on me as I closed upon them. Basically, I spooked them from their afternoon nibble. Time froze as the ewe and one of the lambs launched out of the drain and onto the road. With only moments to react I managed to deflect the ewe and one of the lambs by putting out my left knee to push them away from me, simultaneously veering the bike to the right. I was blessed to realise the fact they’ d passed safely but incredibly close to the lefthand side of my bike and were now behind me. I thought I had escaped. What I didn’ t know was that I was left with the third lamb which now appeared somewhat frozen and stationed to my front lefthand side only metres away.
THE MOMENT OF IMPACT Doing exactly what I hoped it wouldn’ t … it launched up forwards at me, just like you see when sheep are jumping through gateways. The next moment felt real slow and I hit the lamb like a torpedo hitting a battleship, direct hit broadside around waist height between the bike’ s headlight and screen. At around the same time I lost some vision thru my visor and it was like someone had turned the lights down and I couldn’ t quite see fully out the right-hand side of my helmet. I will never forget the sound: it was a horrific mash-up of metal, asphalt, plastic, flesh and tyres all assaulting my senses- all informing me that the ship needed to be back under control … or prepare for the crash that was coming. Arms bent, head forward and eyes down the road looking where I wanted to go, I was now fully focused but still unable to see fully out the
64 KIWI RIDER