I was going out today, but it is a bit warm.

Ahhh yes the reason I don't run or attend many group rides anymore. The people. The ones that pass the leader when they don't know where the next turn is. The riders out of their element that scare everybody or maybe even crash. The asshats doing wheelies on hwy 35 when everybody else knows it's a continuous speed trap. The Ducati owners that always need a ride home on a Jap bike 
I really miss riding with some of you, zipping along at a good pace and seeing the bikes strung out behind you is always exciting.
Hope to see you out there this year, drive safe all!

I've watched that a few times. It's hard to believe a vehicle comes apart like that. I bet the driver didn't feel a thing, his/hers last thought was "oh shit" and then bang.

Dang Ray, nice looking ride. Congrats on the purchase and it should be a blast to ride.

My take is simply that shit happens. I'm guessing every single rider on here has crashed, or will crash, despite their level of experience. Everything can be analyzed in minute detail after the fact. Things happen at speed and a momentary lapse can take your from a close call to an "oh shit" moment right quick. I will offer nothing more than I'm glad you're still alive to talk about it, and that I hope your crash educates you and makes you want to be a better, safer, rider.

A brief summary for those interested.

I have atrial fibrillation. It's fairly common, especially among older people. I'm fairly young to have it, but I do and stuff happens. Some people never are bothered by it, I am.
The problem with me is that when I am in a-fib, my ejection fraction goes too low. Ejection fraction is the amount of blood your heart pumps out with each beat, usually the number is around 55-60% of blood volume gets pumped out each stroke by the heart. In a-fib mine can hover around 1/3 to 1/4 of that number. Consequently my heart pumps very little oxygen to me body, and I feel like shit. Walking up a flight of stairs kills me in a-fib. There is a chance for a clot also, as the heart weakens and doesn't pump enough blood out, blood can pool in the heart and possibly clot. The heart can push that clot to wherever in the body it sees fit, which can be bad. The heart rate is very erratic, it can beat very fast, skip a few beats, have extra beats, etc.
Currently I am on medicine to lower my heart rate, metropolol. I am also on a drug to control the a-fib, the drug is called Tikosyn. Tikosyn must be started in a hospital as the drug itself in some people causes a fatal arrhythmia as one possible side effect. They require you stay 3 days and while there they monitor your heart and take ecg's every so often to check for these bad arrhythmias. That's what I was doing last weekend.
In early December I will have my 3rd pulmonary vein ablation at Mayo to try and fix it again. If that is successful after 3 months I will be off all medications and be free from it all again. I'm trying to be positive, the first two obviously didn't fix it permanently yet 
Side effects of all this are depression, I can't exercise like I love to, and the wallet will be lighter to the tune of about the price of a new 650 Ninja plus accessories 

I'm sure I'll get flogged for this, but people on MA should get major medical only. If your arm is missing, come on in. If you think you have the flu, tough it out like an old farmer would do 
One of my favorite quotes "the problem with socialism is that pretty soon you run out of other people's money to spend".
I have no problem helping people that deserve help. I have a problem helping worthless aholes that think because their mommy and daddy bumped uglies and made them the country owes them something.

Found it:

I raced a Harley today and after some really hard riding I managed to PASS the guy. I was riding on one of those really, really twisting sections of canyon road with no straight sections to speak of and where most of the curves have warning signs that say "15 MPH".

I knew if I was going to pass one of those monsters with those big-cubic-inch motors, it would have to be a place like this where handling and rider skill are more important than horsepower alone.

I saw the guy up ahead as I exited one of the turns and knew I could catch him, but it wouldn't be easy. I concentrated on my braking and cornering. three corners later, I was on his fender. Catching him was one thing; passing him would prove to be another.

Two corners later, I pulled up next to him as we sailed down the mountain. I think he was shocked to see me next to him, as I nearly got by him before he could recover. Next corner, same thing. I'd manage to pull up next to him as we started to enter the corners but when we came out he'd get on the throttle and outpower me. His horsepower was almost too much to overcome, but this only made me more determined than ever.

My only hope was to outbrake him. I held off squeezing the lever until the last instant. I kept my nerve while he lost his. In an instant I was by him. Corner after corner, I could hear the roar of his engine as he struggled to keep up. Three more miles to go before the road straightens out and he would pass me for good.

But now I was in the lead and he would no longer hold me back. I stretched out my lead and by the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, he was more than a full corner behind. I could no longer see him in my rear-view mirror.

Once the road did straighten out, it seemed like it took miles before he passed me, but it was probably just a few hundred yards. I was no match for that kind of horsepower, but it was done. In the tightest section of road, where bravery and skill count for more than horspower and deep pockets, I had passed him. though it was not easy, I had won the race to the bottom of the canyon and I had preserved the proud tradition of another of America's best bikes.

I will always remember that moment. I don't think I've ever pedaled so hard in my life. And some of the credit must go to Schwinn, as well. They really make a great bicycle...