Motorcycle Burns to Ashes in Iceland; Rider Escapes Unharmed

Ómar Geirsson, a motorcyclist, had a terrifying experience on Thursday when his 1988 Honda Goldwing motorcycle caught fire and was completely destroyed. Geirsson had only owned the bike for six days and had recently had it inspected. He was riding from Akureyri towards home when he noticed a problem with the motorcycle on Hámundstaðarhálsi.

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I stepped off it and shortly thereafter it was in flames.

"I stepped off it and shortly thereafter it was in flames," Geirsson told mbl.is. He had previously ridden the motorcycle extensively, including trips from Reykjavik to Siglufjordur and Siglufjordur to Akureyri.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined. Geirsson speculated that road tar, which can affect brakes, might have been a factor. "It's hard to say what could have caused the fire," he said, adding that the issue was not something that would be detected during an inspection. "There was nothing wrong with the bike."

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It's hard to say what could have caused the fire, it could have for example been a lot of tar bleeding on the road there but it can get on the brakes and seize them.

Firefighters from Dalvík responded quickly, but by the time they arrived, the motorcycle was a total loss. "There's very little to investigate, because it all burned up," Geirsson stated. Even the license plate was gone, and metal parts like valve covers had melted into the engine.

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There was nothing wrong with the bike.

Despite the loss of his motorcycle, Geirsson expressed gratitude for escaping the incident unharmed. "One is just thankful for having gotten away safely," he concluded.

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There's very little to investigate, because it all burned up.