Kawasaki racer Roger Lee Hayden was injured in a bicycle crash last Friday and won't be testing a motorcycle for some time, it appears. He missed the Fontana test today and will probably miss the Laguna Seca test next week.

Hayden explained today what happened.

"After a day of riding dirt bikes (brothers) Tommy, Nicky and I decided to finish the day with a street bicycle ride. I was running third behind those two and we came up on a small pole laying in the road. Probably from a construction project. I never saw it. They split it and I didn't have any time to react, I hit it square and it wrenched the bars out of my hands and I went down. The last time I looked at my speedometer we were doing 37 or 38 miles an hour."

Hayden was wearing a light bicycle suit made of nylon when he fell, and large portions of his skin were burned off in the crash. "Once I got up, Tom looked at me and he went straight and got his truck and took me to the hospital. I was freaking out because so much of my skin was rashed and I had a pretty deep gash in my knee."

Hayden underwent an hour and half procedure where the doctors removed the asphalt from his injured areas. "That was great, let me tell you," Hayden said sarcastically.

"I slid a long time," Hayden said. The 21 year old's left forearm, thigh, knee and calf have large patches of skin that look like they were hit hard with an angry belt-sander.

Hayden is a couch pilot at the moment, although his doctor has assured him he will make a complete recovery. He's prone and alone. "I've seen every web site, watched every show on television," Hayden said, "I'm starting to get a little bored."

"Missing testing sucks, especially since things were going so well. I'd like to think I can make Laguna next week, but it's not looking good. Right now my biggest threat is of infection. I'm hopeful of a speedy recovery," Hayden said.

"The next time I ride a bicycle, don't be surprised if I'm wearing full leathers," Hayden said.