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before i get into it, i would just like to say that up to 7:48, i was having one of the most enjoyable rides in ever.
I was on Rt. 20 West, right near the Raytheon plant. There was a large green van driving rather slowly, about 5 cars behind it, then me.
Right after the light for Raytheon, a couple of cars in front of me, and i, got in the left lane to get by the van. we were going somewhere between 30 and 40 by my guess, and accellerating.
I glanced to my right as I passed the van, turned back, and the woman in front of me was braking, hard. i got on the brakes too hard myself, heard squealing brakes, and the next thing i know, i'm pavement surfing. slid and rolled for what felt like a *really* long time. actually slid over the double-yellow into the oncoming lane, but God is with me, and i didn't die. yay.
jumped up, wrenched the bike upright with the help of another motorist, and got the bike off the road.
the next 5 minutes are kind of a blur as many people asked me if i was okay, someone called the cops, more people, and all of a sudden i was alone in the parking lot, looking at my poor bike.
2 cops, an ambulance and a firetruck arrived in about 5 minutes.
took my statement, the woman in the car in front of me came back and gave *her* statement, and a tow-truck came.
further analysis of the crash:
1) the lady in front of me was braking for a person in front of her turning left from 20W onto a side street.
2) i didn't see that car, as it was just *over* the rise.
3) i shouldn't be looking at cars i'm passing.
4) too hard on both brakes. there are two skid marks, so i locked up front *and* rear. stupid.
5) even though i'd been riding for around half an hour, i think cold tires & cold road were a factor.
6) yay, gear. i had on JR jacket & pants, & gloves w/ little plastic sliders on the heel of the palm. jacket is abraded heaviest on left elbow, a few minor scrapes, & some holes where my keys were in the pocket. pants (got them monday!) have major abrasion on left knee, some other minor wear. glove sliders are severely scraped, 2 of 'em missing on right hand. jacket & pants are pretty much fully wearable, i'll probably replace gloves. Helmet never touched the ground. one of the EMTs said "well, he was wearing the right gear for it!"
7) bike damage: both left turn signals gone. shift lever broken. front brakes 'shussing.' fairing HEAVILY scraped on left, minorly on right, the whole thing kinda popped apart, but still attached. left pegs scraped up, but still usable. clutch lever ground down, not sure if it's bent. left bar-end snapped off. minor scrape on left tail.
i think that's about it...
-t
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now to be safe...) 
