Crashed Badly, Probably Done Riding Motorcycles

[Silverado12]

FWIW one of the reasons I ride what I ride is the temptations that come with a sportbike, a powerful car, etc. can occasionally overwhelm anyone. If you have the power, you will use it. The more you use it, the more comfortable you become using it; then something bad happens. I would get another bike, but get something more for cruising around than for high performance. Even experienced riders aren't on their game every day.

 

[02SE]

OTOH, having better tires, brakes, handling, suspension, and most importantly, the skill to use those attributes, can save you in bad situations too.

But, there are no guarantees. Some of the best riders die, while pursuing their passion.

 

[Shannow]

Shocking story, but it's great that you got to share it with us.

Speedy recovery.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Sorry to hear of your mishap LoneRanger, and glad you're on the mend. Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.

I've been a long time rider, and have only had one bad mishap 20 years ago which only resulted in a dislocated collar bone, but it still made me question the hobby. I did continue riding and had plenty of situations after that which could have resulted in a bad crash and death, but luckily that never happened. These days I'm more cautious and do everything I can to mitigate risk. I've also slowed down and ride more mellow in corners, especially on roads I don't know. Like others have said, even the best riders can get into a bad situation in the blink of an eye.

To all you riders ... be careful out there.

 

[LoneRanger]

Thank you all for the many warm wishes !!

Had my follow-up appt with the bone Dr today. The plate and screw surgery to fix the left ankle is set for Monday at noon. Be an overnight in hospital and home next day. Glad it will be getting done.

 

[DuckRyder]

Wow, sorry to hear of the getoff, glad you are here to tell us about it. Hope you make a full recovery.

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Originally Posted By: Bzab32
gravel, sand and garbage on the roads it makes it very dangerous.

With cold tire/road temps combined with frost, gravel, potholes etc. I outright refuse to ride in anything but the best road conditions (June-Aug).


I don't get the Jaraxle reference, but I guess he thinks like me - sports bike meets less than perfect road conditions....

I don't ride main roads, only back roads, because I WANT to come across gravel, road kill, pot holes, washouts, tractors, stock. What keeps me riding is coping with the unexpected...47 years and I'm still learning to ride. The day I stop learning is when I stop riding.

 

[Mik]

sorry to hear of your plight. Accidents suck but thankfully you had the wisdom to be wearing proper gear, unlike many others I see riding on our roads. Hopefully these same individuals, who ride without a helmet and proper attire, will heed the warning.

Heal up, you can always go back to bikes if the urge strikes you.

 

[Bud]

Tough break, but glad you are making out alright even though recovery is slow. I rode for many years but not anymore. Best to you.

 

[BigCahuna]

Sorry to hear about your mishap. Take a while and heal up, before throwing in the towel. I know this kind of thing tends to suck the joy out of riding for a while.,,,

 

[spasm3]

Glad you are with us. Gravel in a turn could take down almost any bike, sport-bike or cruiser. Best wishes with your surgery.

As JimPghPa stated, do be careful with the tylenol/acetaminophen, its easy on your stomach but can mess up your liver in overdoses.

( never take acetaminophen with or before/after alcohol.)

 

[Rand]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

Expect a full year for recovery with the plate and screws.
after 6months or so it will be pretty good but you should still see significant improvement upto a year.. after that it really depends on you with how much you push it.

My wrist is just now about 85% normal and still weak in some directions.. after shattering it into 5-7 pieces april 2016.

The first month or so drags on and is depressing.. after 6 weeks or so you can start feeling progress on the weekly level. Day to day it might be better or worse but weekly it trends towards getting better.

2-3 months you can start rehab.

I couldnt roll socks for 4 months but I could drive a stickshift at 8 weeks. You adapt to your shortcomings.. which gradually decrease.

Obviously I'm not a dr and this is my opinion.

No need to make and major decisions now. It may be best to ride again but maybe better roads.
That could be a couple years from now.

I still break out in a sweat when I see someone swaying on a rickety ladder after what happened to me.

But I've been 14ft up cleaning gutters and such a few times.. it helps you get past it.

 

[CT8]

O.K. I'll ask how fast were you going ? Those Ducatis are really under powered from what I understand.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Glad you are with us. Gravel in a turn could take down almost any bike, sport-bike or cruiser. Best wishes with your surgery.

As JimPghPa stated, do be careful with the tylenol/acetaminophen, its easy on your stomach but can mess up your liver in overdoses.

( never take acetaminophen with or before/after alcohol.)


^^^^^ This.

I thought of adding another post about not using ANY alcohol the days you use Tylenol, but sometimes people who use alcohol will ignore any advice about not using it. My back doctor has me get blood test for my liver function on a regular basis. She says my liver is OK, but I can not drink any alcohol, not even one beer. I miss beer with fish sandwich drowning in cocktail sauce, but I obey her orders and do not drink any alcohol at all.

 

[LoneRanger]

Thx Jim, Right now Im only taking 650mg of Tylenol one at bed time and one with the morning coffee (two cups) for 1300 per day. Quite amazingly it's all Ive needed so far. Foot and ankle fairly painless now but Monday surgery probably change that. In rehab I was gettung really bad headaches by supper time that ran through the night until breakfast. Soon as had coffee and tylenol they'd go away but maybe more to do with moving around again. At home the headaches are much less but still spin up in evening hence the bed time 650mg.

MDs say headaches are from the veterbra getting twanged plus residual after effect of the head knock (helmet knock) that was hard enough to cause the bleed. Helmet was a Nolan N104.

As far alcohol, I don't drink much at all maybe a beer or two on select weekends.

 

[john_pifer]

I noticed a couple of people recommend strong opioid painkillers including Oxycodone and Demerol. I can't stress enough how dangerous those substances can be. So many people have gotten hooked.

For most people, powerful NSAIDS are plenty good enough for reducing post-operative pain, and they don't even need opioids.

If you do use opiate painkillers, I suggest having a good plan for limiting their use and getting off of them very quickly.

 

[SlipperyPete]

I low sided my Speed Triple last summer in some gravel coming out of a curve. I totaled the bike, but walked away (literally) with just a concussion and some sore muscles. I credit my lack of serious injury mainly to race level protective gear, with the exception of kevlar jeans. It's quite an experience waking up in a ditch and not remembering how you got there or where you are. I decided to take a break and decide later whether or not to get another bike. I got a new bike a little less than two months later when I considered the crash happened only because I was riding like an idiot and treating the highway as a track. I did get something that won't tempt me as much to abandon my self control. Whether or not to ride again is a personal decision and neither way is wrong, but after some time has passed it might help you make the better decision to consider whether or not the circumstances leading up to the crash were beyond your control. I hope you have a speedy and complete recovery.

 

[LoneRanger]

I have to admit when I think about riding or getting another bike at first there is a brief flash of desire, but it is quickly extinguished as the reality of the crash floods in. That may change as time passes who knows but for now it was and will remain a brush with death or permanent disability and at age 53 pretty much convinces me at this point to switch to a convertible or something.

The all new Mazda Mx-5 convert hard top looks interesting . . . Never thought I'd hear myself talking of a car over a bike but trauma has a way of changing our priorities.

 

[SlipperyPete]

I wouldn't blame you whatever you decide. There is a lot to be said for being able to wipe your own [censored].

 

[CT8]

I'll quote Roy Rogers "when you are young and fall from a horse you bounce. When you get older and fall from a horse you splat you splat". You remember the crashes well. The Most interesting crash I had was back in the early 70's when I low sided my Kawasaki Mach III [they were wide!} Going around a high speed sweeper I hit the exhaust pipe and as the bike wrenched from my hands I saw the speedo reading 115 MPH, I separated from the bike and was sliding on my back, feet first the bike had less friction so it kept going and finally hitting the berm on the road and then flew into the air bounced off the back wheel doing a few cartwheels all while I am sliding to a stop. Finally both the bike and I stopped. I looked at my body and all my limbs were pointing in their proper directions I got up went to the bike only to find the side cases damaged, the wheels bent, the triple clamp broken the low bars bent etc. I thought how will I get home? I tried to start the bike hoping it would run but the distributor was smashed. a few minutes a guy drove by and offered help. He put the bike in the back of his pick up and he drove me home . I offered him some gas money and he said no that is O.K. Still today I thank him. I went to work that evening and the next morning I really hurt. Helmets and protective gear are all you have on a bike !!!
I repaired the bike putting disc brakes on it and a year later sold the bike to a friend and he crashed it a few times. One of his friends had a major crash on it when riding fast as well, Kawasaki Mach III liked to crash. I am here and try not to go fast. Because of my M/C riding crashes I would never try to fly a plane !!