I appreciate the support given and the various perspectives offered. You guys/gals are great, even the ones beating up on me
I really appreciate being able to share, and "heal". There's not a lot of folks I can talk to here in Bangkok. Family are a long way off and good friends are few an far between. I am glad I can get some stuff off my chest without burdening my wife.
Thank you all for your comments, I think it helps a lot.
I agree that my friend is to blame too. But had he asked for permission would I have denied it in my stupid state? Probably not. I guess that's my point about preparing in advance by checking the keys in with someone responsible. You know what they say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
A couple of points to add:
1) My friend does know how to drive a bike, but obviously not when intoxicated, and obviously he had no idea of the power of this particular bike. Too, much throttle a little too quick on the clutch is all it took. I truly believe had no idea how the bike was going to respond.
2) The insurance has agreed to cover some of his medical expenses and also the bike. They are not giving me any hassle.
3) My friend has no memory, and no idea of the whole incident. I don't think all the pieces have fallen into place for him. I believe he suffers the physical pain, but will never fully understand the wider impact emotional trauma shared by those affected. I believe that is best. There has been more than enough emotional pain to pass around for all adding emotional trauma to his physical only makes more suffering, and there's been enough of that. My wife wakes with nightmares over the last couple of nights.
4) There's a god-awful dent in the center of tank. So anyone suggesting that he deserves a kick in the N*ts can rest easy knowing the bike has already sought it's own revenge. I'll try to post up the pics later.
5) I did not first buy the bike to covet it. Quite the contrary. I dreamed of riding with some of my buddies. Sharing the "joy of riding". I have no qualms about sharing my bike, it most definitely does not come remotely close to the status of my wife. I won't kill you for riding my bike, the converse is not true. But I have learned that a rider must familiarize themselves with the bike. I did this instinctively, practicing clutching, throttle, accelerating and braking around side streets. Just because my buddy had a license, does not mean he's knows
this bike nor is he prepared to jump on and ride (sober or drunk). This is definitely a revelation to me. Bikes and rider must form a "bond" and respect for the "hidden beast" cannot be accomplished by looking at the bike, it must be from experience in a controlled environment.
Finally: Here's a little anecdote to help ease the gravity of the situation: The following day my 4 year old daughter and I were walking the dog. My foot hit something and the sound of plastic jingled along the pavement. It was a piece of the fairing. "Pick it up, daddy" she said. "Why?" I asked. "You can fix it" was the reply. I answered "No honey, it too badly broken". "But you have super glue!" she retorted, picking up the plastic and handing it to me. Cute kid.
Sure helps cheer up her ol dad.
