A heart beat. Or the blink of an eye. If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, you probably know that a split second is all the time it takes for things to go from normal to terrible. In that very small amount of time, you have to make a number of very critical decisions which, when it’s all over, will have determined whether or not you saved your skin. Riding a motorcycle, you automatically open yourself up to the risk of serious personal injury in the event of an accident. And unfortunately, it’s most often not a matter of IF it will hurt, but more a matter of HOW BADLY it will hurt.

I was recently involved in a traffic accident where I could have been very seriously injured. The road was damp, and the car in front of me stopped quickly, forcing me to make one of those snap decisions. Just like anyone else, I chose my physical safety over the well-being of the motorcycle, my long term ride project, a 2005 Kawasaki ZX-10R. I walked away from the accident unscathed, thanks to my riding gear and the knowledge of how to take a fall.

Knowing how to take a fall can sometimes mean the difference between broken bones, and bruises. It was almost funny to see the contrast between how much damage the motorcycle received and how much damage the car that it slid into received. The car drove away with minor paint damage, while I had to have the bike towed home in the bed of a truck. Most of the fairings on the bike, along with the headlights, wind screen, mirrors and clip ons, were rendered useless after the accident. The radiator also received quite a dent, leaving all of my coolant on the street.

Accidents happen when you ride motorcycles, period. Many are avoidable, some are just plain inevitable. Your instinctive reactions can save you from a lot of pain, if they’re up to par, so do everything you can to keep them sharp.

Let me take you back a little bit, and share my impressions of this bike before the accident.
This is one of those vehicles that looks fast, even when it’s sitting still, like a Ferrari or a Viper. The first time I took this wicked Kawasaki for a ride was just for a spin around the block, in a residential area. Needless to say, the potential for this bike cannot be fully realized in such a confined space, but I was immediately aware of it’s incredible power, and an engine that seemed to have endless revs. The seating position is too cramped for me with the unadjustable stock rearsets. I felt like I didn’t have enough room to move my feet around for shifting and braking.

I’m 6’1” and about 185 lbs., so it’s not surprising that the seating position was a little tight for me. It also has one of the widest seats of any sportbike I’ve been on, and when the standard for sportbike seats is to be on the narrow side, it took a bit longer to get used to this one.

Along those same lines, the tank is wider as well, giving the bike a slightly bulky feel.
The 2005 ZX-10R in my opinion, is not ideal for city riding, because it’s simply not built for low traffic speeds and sitting at stoplights. The engine temperature steadily increases under 30 mph, but once above that speed, maintains it’s normal running temperature very well due to it’s wide open central ram-air duct.

Twisty roads with lots of elevation changes are, of course, where this bike is able to show more of what it was built for. The brakes are very strong up front, with aftermarket lines, Galfer pads (Thanks CycleBrakes.com!) and stock slotted rotors for even more clamping power with less fade. The rear brakes compliment the fronts very well and make trail-braking almost effortless.

I haven’t had a chance to set the adjustable suspension up for my weight and preferences, so for now the jury is still out on that subject, but I initially found that the bike felt twitchy under heavy acceleration. I’m sure that the amount of adjustment that Kawasaki provided from the factory will be more than substantial to suit my riding.

I’m really looking forward to taking this bike to the track, it’s true stomping ground. I’m a very strong believer in keeping the racing at the track only. There are a lot unfair stereotypes that people place on sportbike riders, categorizing us as speed demons or maniacs. Unfortunately, there are too many riders on the street that give these people fuel for their fire. When I spoke to my insurance adjuster after my accident, he immediately assumed that I was riding too fast, which was the wrong conclusion for him to make. Accidents can happen at any time, any speed, and even to experienced riders.

I’m already in anticipation of getting back on the ZX-10R, and being able to test and review new parts for you to read about. I’ll be working feverishly with my insurance company to get it back up and running again. Stay tuned.