As always, thank you guys very much for the advice and help. I fully attribute my walking away from this mostly unscathed (with the exception of a really stiff shoulder knee and ankle) to a mixture of soft dirt, a good quality engine guard, an armored jacket, a good helmet and dumb luck. This accident has humbled me and without a doubt given me a new found respect for the bike, other traffic, and the need to practice emergency maneuvers.
P.S. I found a good sized ding in my helmet today. Without a doubt it saved me from a good sized ding in my head. Lord knows I don't need one of those. And judging by the fact that the deepest scratching on my jacket was on the armor pad on my right forearm, I was definately saved a bit of pain.
P.S. I found a good sized ding in my helmet today. Without a doubt it saved me from a good sized ding in my head. Lord knows I don't need one of those. And judging by the fact that the deepest scratching on my jacket was on the armor pad on my right forearm, I was definately saved a bit of pain.
Make sure you look at that ding carefully. It may be that you will need a new helmet.[/QUOTE]
No "may be" at all. If there's a noticeable ding in the helmet, it needs to be replaced, period. I know they're expensive but you've already stated how good a job it did protecting your noggin!