First off.. I'm FINE... other than exhausted from riding in 109 degree heat!!
Second--- yes-- had an accident on the highway today and glad I was on the Spyder. If I was on 2 wheels I would have kissed the pavement @ 70 for sure.
Semi truck hit a couple of large (3 or 4 feet tall) pylons -- ones with cement blocks on the bottom--- they hit the spyder (cement and all) going 70. Tore a front fender off-- somehow busted the cowl and it appears the frame or swingarm are bent. Also twisted and bent one front highway peg- glad my foot was not on it.
still rideable, but feels a bit strange at low speed. Went over two of the cement blocks and pylons- not sure how I held it together and missed a cement blockade wall.
Heading to see Len of Cuba Cowtown fame tonight or in the morning since I'm in Macon, MO and see what he thinks of the damage.
And YES-- I was wearing my full face helmet... been wearing it the whole trip.....
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Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
some pics of damage..... still don't understand how cowling got busted loose... unless I was thrown forward into CHAD and that busted the inner mounts......
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Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
I thought you may have been in the construction up in Britton, MI, but then I saw you are in MO. Shocked to hear you can still ride the Spyder!!! Good thing you're close to Cowtown. I hope it can be fixed in a minimal amount of time for ya!!!
Sorry to hear you had a run in with road debris. Glad you are OK. Hope the Spyder can be fixed reasonably easily. Here is a case when a tall windshield may have served you well.
Hi Dan, So sorry to hear about this and glad you are o.k. I suppose the semi kept right on going too! This could have been so much worse and I'm so glad you are o.k. and didn't get seriously injured. Take care and I hope you will soon be back in the saddle again. Hopefully wizard Len can get you fixed up and back on the rode.
So glad you survived such an unpredictable situation. You must have had an angel on your shoulder! Best wishes for a quick and thorough fix for the Spyder.
If the frame is bent , I bet the insurance company totals it , that's the way it usually goes .
I hope everything works out in your favor !
2012 RSS orange / black SE5 , Sport rack , backrest , comfort seat , console protector , front trunk liner , yoshimura R-77 carbon fiber , two brothers juice box pro using PC map 6 , K&N air filter , factory fog lamps
Another good example of why it is good to stay as far behind or as far ahead of big trucks as you can. If you have to pass, do so quickly and get away. One never knows what they will kick up or will come off. They are notorious for dispatching those Interstate Alligators sometimes right across our windshields...good luck....
Glad you are OK. That could have ended badly. It is a jungle out there jousting with the big boys. One of the reasons I don't like traveling on the super slab.
If there is anything I can do let me know. I would be willing to head down that way with the trailer if needed.
Here's To A Great Riding Season, Snowmobile That Is
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt"
"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.
Give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish"
17 F3 Limited (Pearl White), Sena 10C intercom, X Grip iPhone mount, IPS key, spyder to go cup holder, Lamonster Highway Center Lane, TricLED engine lights, TricLED night rider, LS2 Helmets, Lamonster Bypass pipe, 2 Brothers Exhaust, mirror relocator kit, Bluetooth radio module, OEM Backrest, Rear LED Light Kit
wow Dan I'm glad you're okay. I doubt your HD buddies would have come out as well.
2017 F3T-SM6 Squared Away Mirror Wedgies & Alignment
2014 RTS-SM6 123,600 miles Sold 11/2017
2014 RTL-SE6 8,600 miles
2011 RTS-SM5 5,000 miles
2013 RTS-SM5 burned up with 13,200 miles in 13 weeks
2010 RTS-SM5 59,148 miles
2010 RT- 622
Former Spyders
2010 Blue RT A&C SE5 53K plus miles - never left us stranded!
2013 Pure Magnesium Metallic ST SE5 11K plus miles - never left us stranded!
Thanks for the well wishes and offers for help. Right now I'm in a hotel room in Macon MO resting from the heat. Yesterdays ride in 109 temps really did a number on me. I drank TONS of water... but it was still too much for my body to handle and I think we rode too far in that kind of heat. I actually got the CHILLS when it was 109 out.... strange. Pretty sure body was telling me something!
I can't help but think I could have avoided this accident if I was 'sharper' on the bike. I was pretty tired from the day before and not 100% on my game... and I knew it.
I had been looking at the windmill farms and as soon as I looked forward again--- BOOM... it happened. I don't think the truck even realized he tagged a couple of them... and I had no time to really think much. I wasn't that close to the truck.. but add the delayed reaction from being groggy AND from looking at the windmills.... and that makes for a bad situation.
I had to keep doing various things to keep myself alert along the ride... not a good sign! The long roads without curves can be very hypnotic........
Lesson to be learned.... if you're not feeling on your game... take a break.... do what you need to feel 100% again.... and be very careful when gazing around at the landscape!!!
Bike is running okay... MPG went down for some reason.. maybe PC V got disconnected... I know my AFR gauge is no longer operational.
At low speeds it feels a bit odd... like it won't hold a perfect straight line. At high speeds it feels pretty normal.. hard to tell with all the winds around.
I ran her 80 for a good 2 hours after the accident... so I think she's pretty solid.
From the rear something just looks wrong.. it's like the rear tire and swing arm are tilted....towards the side that took the hardest hit.. where the fender came off.
From the front things look even. Can't see any damage to a-arms, frame, swing arm, etc.... but something is amiss.
So now deciding what to do... I'm sure I can make it home... but really would prefer Cowtown to do any repair work. I can do it myself for the most part... but have not done an alignment... and not sure why the rear is looking tilted.
It really looks as if the rear tire is hitting the pavement more on one side than the other......
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Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
Had an accident today....
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it was fun while it lasted.
Glad that this one didn't come out a whole lot worse than it did! Please let us know what the repair bill looks like; Good Luck! 
Here's To A Great Riding Season, Snowmobile That Is 
