Boxer engines and rider injuries
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 3:16 pm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25793434
This is very interesting. My story would support that finding.
About a dozen years ago, I was riding my BMW R100RT (boxer engine) south on Mission Road south of Tucson, Arizona, USA. It was a two-lane road with a 50 MPH (80 km/h) speed limit, and I was riding about that speed. Coming toward me was a roofer driving a pickup truck and pulling a hot-tar trailer. Just before reaching me, the left wheel came off his trailer at a closing speed of something near 100 MPH (161 km/h). I had no time to react. The wheel plowed into my left exhaust pipe and cylinder, throwing me off the bike, which was totaled. Were it not for that cylinder, it would have hit my leg to devastating effect. As it was, I suffered a broken right ulna from being thrown to the roadway.
At the time I realized that the left cylinder had saved my left leg, which was undamaged.
BTW, I was wearing full leathers and a full helmet at the time, for which was also thankful.
This is very interesting. My story would support that finding.
About a dozen years ago, I was riding my BMW R100RT (boxer engine) south on Mission Road south of Tucson, Arizona, USA. It was a two-lane road with a 50 MPH (80 km/h) speed limit, and I was riding about that speed. Coming toward me was a roofer driving a pickup truck and pulling a hot-tar trailer. Just before reaching me, the left wheel came off his trailer at a closing speed of something near 100 MPH (161 km/h). I had no time to react. The wheel plowed into my left exhaust pipe and cylinder, throwing me off the bike, which was totaled. Were it not for that cylinder, it would have hit my leg to devastating effect. As it was, I suffered a broken right ulna from being thrown to the roadway.
At the time I realized that the left cylinder had saved my left leg, which was undamaged.
BTW, I was wearing full leathers and a full helmet at the time, for which was also thankful.
