Harley-Davidson vs. Suzuki on Highway 2
Angeles Crest Highway is a curvy, two-laner that runs through the Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Los Angeles.
On weekends, Highway 2 is packed with all kinds of bikers and plenty of cops too. Recently, a Harley-Davidson Sportster collided head on with a Suzuki 600. Thankfully, both riders survived the accident. One walked away, the other was airlifted out.
The red Suzuki sport bike was ripped into two pieces. The hollow frame absorbed most of the impact from the looks of it. The rider was wearing full leather gear and despite the total damage to his motorcycle he walked away from the mess.
The Harley rider wasn’t as lucky and had to be air-lifted out to an area hospital. He wore a white t-shirt, jeans and sneakers according to witnesses at the scene. I saw him give a thumb up sign as he was lifted away into the air on a stretcher.
His hard candy blue 883 Sportster was missing a front fender, had a flat tire and a bent fork. It held up extremely well considering the impact, but could the trip to the hospital been avoided?
Would wearing full gear or at least a motorcycle jacket make a difference? Maybe, but I think it’s still up to the individual on what type of gear they choose to wear or not wear.
Personally, I try and always ride with proper gear, but there are hot days when the temperature climbs pretty high and I’m forced to shed a few layers.
Now that the summer riding season is finally here, maybe it’s a good time to invest in a new helmet, boots, gloves and a summer motorcycle jacket.
It will definitely help but that can’t save you from another rider’s stupidity or lack of respect on the road. Dragging knee caps around blind turns may seem like fun but remember there are easy riders out for a Sunday cruise too.
Be safe and share the road.
