I bounced off the right rear corner of a black SUV that cut across the road in front of me. I couldn't stop. The impact flipped my Suzuki DRZ 400S and sheared the triple tree. I've got pictures. It's disturbing seeing that solid metal snapped like a twig. I remember knowing I couldn't possibly stop and seeing the SUV rush up on me. I'm pretty sure my rear brakes were locked and the bike was fish tailing to the right, but the police couldn't find any skid marks.
I remember thinking, "Shit. This is going to really suck and I can't do anything to stop it." I took most of the impact on my right side. I remember feeling the helmet contact the SUV and thinking with relief, "that wasn't so bad". I felt a different sort of impact in my right upper leg too. Probably the handlebar. I might have blacked out. I think I remember hitting the ground. The adrenaline was on and I was mad, so I jumped up immediately and started swearing at the guy in the SUV. I felt a twinge in my back as I sprang up. I remember the driver saying something defensive/incredulous in response. I definitely have the fight reflex, not the flight one. I remember looking around and being surprised the bike was so far away. (20 feet?) The SUV was maybe 40 feet away parked safely out of the road on the cross street. I was in the middle of the road, between the two lanes.
I marched toward the SUV, still swearing and yelling at the driver. People were yelling at me to lay down. I remember feeling a little surprised that they were telling me to lay down, but realizing they were probably right. This is why I think I might have blacked out. I'm not sure why there would have been people on the street to yell at me to lay down unless I had been out for a bit. There is a sidewalk on that road, but people don't often walk it.
After a few steps I went back down again from back pain. Turns out I pulled a few muscles in my back as I sprang up. My right knee was the size of a melon for a month or two afterward and it took a while for my back muscles to knit. I decided to not buy another motorcycle for a while. Then my daughter was born and I decided not buy buy one for a while longer. I'll probably buy one again some day, when my daughter is older and the memory has faded and I'm feeling stupid again.
I was insured, but the driver of the SUV wasn't. They sent me letters for years telling me they were trying to collect from him because the accident was ruled his fault. I'm not sure why they sent me those letters. I didn't really care. The insurance paid to replace my bike and that was all that mattered to me.
Unfortunately, my knee has never been the same. I can walk fine, but I used to be a fairly avid runner. I can't run more than .75 miles without it hurting now. It's a shame.
Can't really recommend motorcycles to people. They just don't take collisions very well. Physics.