I'm here. I'm here. Always nice to know I've been missed (or just wondered about...)
Yes, I deserve a medal for ultra-slackness, but it's so good to see so many of you haven't changed! (even though so many have deserted the Storm for nasty green bikes - Perhaps the reason one's face goes green before one pukes came about from a reflection caused by Kawasaki...)
And yes, I had a weeny off last Thursday (12th) when the driver of a prime mover took personal offence & swerved in with the only summisable aim to pancake me under his back wheels. The bike faired pretty well (bent clutch lever & a few very small scratches to the left pipe, handle-bar & mirror) & I'll be right as rain in a few more days. Was en route from work first thing in the morning (yes "from" - 12 hour night duty) & had pulled up at a busy intersection, waiting to turn right. Big line of trucks coming the other way & I thought I'd go for it in a gap. Changed my mind & pulled up (still 90% in my lane), but the truck-driver gave me a mammoth glare & the big evil head-shake before swerving in at me. If he'd kept going along the line he was on, he would've missed me easily by at least a foot & a half. I had no choice but to bail out to my left before he took me under the back wheels. Leant as far as I could, but it wasn't far enough. I dropped the bike & did my ankle in. He kept going (no doubt with a very smug look on his face) & nobody else stopped. Luckily, Mr Adrenaline helped me to pick up the Storm & push it to the other side of the intersection. I was vaguely aware I was limping, but again thanks to the adrenaline, had no pain. Managed to start'er up & head off. I still had about 40k of motorway & 15 of beautiful twisties to finish the trip. The pain set in after about 5 minutes & when I got home (after some rather agonising gear-changes), I just pulled up at the garage & stayed there. Couldn't get off, back up or anything. Luckily Incy (my Mr Perfect & also a Stormer) was home & came to my rescue. It was at this point that I did the girlie thing & completely lost the plot.
Incy took me to the local hospital for x-rays (after we managed to get me up into the mega-lifted hilux) & all was well fracture-wise. Later on, Incy headed back (along those beautiful twisties) to pick-up a Workers Comp certficiate for me & got clocked at 146 in a 100 zone (instant loss of licence), but the nice Mr Plod dropped it down to 30 over. (This was on my bike, since his is currently indisposed...) Later that night, he went out to the shed for something & discovered the rear had gone flat too, so when it comes down to it, I had a pretty crap day, but my precious little VTR had a more adventure-filled one!
So no complaints really - except that schmuck DELIBERATELY went for me. Considering how it could've been, things turned out really well.
Other than that, we're completely settled in "the outback"
& with 7 acres, we've got plenty of room for any Stormers who turn up for a visit
I've got a big commute to work, but it's
usually a pleasure.
And just to rub it in, we were trackside at Phillip Island to watch little Casey keep Rossi at bay for the GP
And now I've got a week to sit around on my fat butt (at 85% pay), doing nothing, courtesy of Workers Comp!
). That makes me think of all the farm land my two brothers and myself had around us when we were growing up, it was ideal for off-road bikes and cars 
