R12R is tougher than a chopper

[Caroanbill]

Aha, but not that kind of chopper! And before you all ask, no pics.

I help organise a small annual charity ride - only 30 bikes max, but we're now above $600,000 raised. This year our route took us over the Snowy Mountains Highway, a great but tricky ride for those who know. Sadly, on one corner, one of us came off rather badly (OK now but with a long recovery path ahead) - and in that remote location, a helicopter is the usual way to evacuate the casualty to the nearest tertiary hospital (about 80km in a flight line across the mountains, more than 200km by road).

Sooo ... everyone and everything is in place to get the chopper down (ambulance and police vehicles, etc) and I've been so busy organising that the guys moved my bike off the apron that will serve as a helipad. And down it comes.

The guys who've been with chppoers know what comes next - the downthrust blows helmets, jackets, rocks and twigs out at a frightening pace - it's too late to shift the R12R so I grab my gear and hop behind the rescue hut ...

... on the other side I can see my best mate's little Street Triple literally blown off the ground and cartwheeled - it actually flipped in the air to land on its right side even though it was on the sidestand so leaning to the left!!!

... back on 'my' side my R12R is pointed right at the windblast, and I'm convinced it's about to go over. I venture out but the shower of gravel and twigs is bad enough to risk eye injury, so I pull my head in and wait for my pride and joy to tumble ... there's nothing I can do, so I get quite philosphical .. I'm think about which new screen, in fact ...

it rocks


it wobbles


but it stays up!


When the rotors stop and the blast abates, I find the grace to bolt over to Pete's bike to get it up and check damage (some, but it's rideable) before going back to sort out mine. But I needn't have fretted. No grit left in the headlight protector, me-made oil coller guard, telelever, hand protectors or even caught in the leg / foot shields - it's still pristine.

The relief is enough to weaken my knees, but I have to hop on and get to the next hamlet to help re-organise the run. then I've got another 600km to go to get home that night.

Epilogue

You can all imagine the incredulity and mirth than greets Pete's tale of how his bike got damaged - it's the first time anyone at our dealer (both BMW and Triumph) has seen a bike crashed by a helicopter!