Early Saturday I saw my neighbor of many years, Tony, hobbling his way down the sidewalk on crutches. Slowly. He'd been off the radar since mid August, but I'd assumed he was out of country on some job. However, he had been to Sturgis on his HD. As I had never seen him actually ride it, I never would have imagined him going to Sturgis. He was pretty busted up, with multiple plates in multiple bones in one leg, multiple plates holding his shoulder together, and serious surgical scars all over. Clavicle alone broken in two places. Turns out he hit a buffalo calf in a fairly blind bend late at night. Turns out he was riding a bit too fast. Buffalo are, as he put it, 'non-reflective'. About laughed my @$$ off at that one. Also turns out that the calf's mom was predictably sensitive to her young-un's injury, and gored him, clean through his shoulder. No helmet, but no serious head injuries. I like to think that couldn't have been me, but I know better. Eyes open, and ride the conditions.
http://www.kotatv.com/news/south-dak...esn-t/34692288
His bike is in Kansas with his father, being repaired. Fortunately he had trailered it up there. He is months away from getting it back. Even then he will likely put it back into its place in his garage, only to be pulled out for washing from time to time.