Another lesson, quick on the heels of the last

[Comike14]

Hey all,
OK, so my luck finally ran out.

I was in a one-lane traffic circle behind another car, when another car entered the circle going the wrong way. The lady in front of me slammed on her brakes, and I slammed on mine. Of course, being in a tight circle I was leaning and therefore lost complete control (the tightness of the curve didn't allow the distance for me to straighten up). I wasn't going too fast, nor was I following too closely, but the physics of the situation made for an unfortunate scene.

My bike started going down, and all went slow motion. I saw the rear of the car in front of me approaching, and realized that I simply could NOT be on my bike at impact. Just as my left peg was scraping and the bike was spinning counter-clockwise, I jumped off and flew over the trunk of the car. I could hear my bike scraping and sliding. I vaulted over her car, and ended up landing on the road near the front passenger-side tire of the car in front of me, face to face with the lady from the wrong direction.

When I landed, I instinctively put my hands out (I didn't roll like I should have) and managed to sprain both wrists, and tear some muscles in my biceps and pecs, which absorbed most of the impact. This happened last Wednesday, and I'm still in pretty severe pain. My poor bike slid almost completely under the car, and the appraiser totaled it out yesterday. Today, a salvage yard is picking it up. It breaks my heart.

I've decided to throw in the towel for now. I'm lucky to be alive. Had I stayed with the bike, I would definitely have broken something, if not been killed. As it was, thanks to quick thinking, all my gear, and a lot of God, I broke nothing and lost no blood.

---------------------------------------------
So, what did I learn?

Again, all the gear all the time. The Kevlar gloves saved me from skin grafts on my hands. The Kevlar itself was worn down to mere threads, but my skin remained intact. My triple-layered jeans did the same for my legs, the armored jacket for my torso, and obviously the full-faced helmet for my noggin. Always, always wear all the gear.

Never grow complacent. No matter how well you can handle a bike, you never know when someone will do something that will require your FULL attention. I was riding into work that morning with the same attitude that I drive a car. That is, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have, and I didn't allow enough room in the circle to avoid what happened. A car would have been fine, but not so on the bike. Obviously it could have been avoided if the lady didn't go the wrong way in the circle, but it also could have been avoided had I ridden more safely.
---------------------------------------------

I am lucky I wasn't more seriously injured, and I'm lucky to be alive. Don't let this scare you or discourage you. Just please take my experience and apply it to your riding so you can avoid such accidents.

Again, I'm throwing in the towel, at least for a while. Take care all.

BTW, for the curious, I wasn't charged with anything, but the wrong-way lady ran off and police never caught her. The case is now closed.

[LilNinja77]

Very very sorry to hear about this, hope you recover quickly and completely. Glad to hear though, that you weren't hurt more seriously. Don't feel bad about "throwing in the towel", you gotta do what you gotta do; and being alive is more important than riding a motorcycle. Actually one of the reasons I'm "throwing in the towel" for a while as well.
Ride safe

[Moedad]

Dang, Mike, that sucks. I can completely understand wanting to hang it up after something like that. I hope your healing is swift with no lingering problems.

[Sarris]

Yo Comike;

I'm sorry that you've had an accident and I'm really glad you weren't badly hurt. I'm also glad that you understand your shortcomings as a rider as well as the dynamics of the wreck situation. I do, however, feel your as though decision to "throw in the towel" was made in haste and out of fear. If everytime we fell down while learning to walk we were to "throw in the towel" we would be a world full of people who crawl. Did you not fall off your bicycle whilst learning? Did you "throw in the towel" there? Have you ever wrecked a car? Did you "throw in the towel" there too?

Jeez bro, you've posted less than 20 times on the forum so I assume you are quite new to motorcycling. Are you sure you've given this enough time? Competent motorcycling skills are aquired over years not months. There are as you know, only two types of bikers, those that have wrecked and those that are going to wreck. You could view it as getting your wreck out of the way sooner rather than later. I encourage you to get back on and go for it again. This time be more attentive and remember the lessons you have learned.

Dude, it's your ass, you can do with it as you see fit, but us long time bikers (not "motorcycle enthusiasts") will tell you it takes a certain mettle to continue riding after an accident. We bikers understand that, do you?

:sad:

[alanmcorcoran]

...The guy has had TWO crashes in less than a month. I'm not a believer, but maybe the universe is telling him something. In any case, I think maybe I'd let him heal up a bit before encouraging to get back on. The choice to take the risk of riding is one best made by the rider. I'm sure he feels darn crappy right now and, although I know you meant well, it just seemed a bit harsh to be calling him out while he's still nursing his wounds.

[Easy Rider]

I wasn't going too fast, nor was I following too closely, but the physics of the situation made for an unfortunate scene.

Obviously it could have been avoided if the lady didn't go the wrong way in the circle, but it also could have been avoided had I ridden more safely.


Aw, crap! :cry:
Bad break....but good that nothing is really broken!

The above two statements tend to conflict with each other and I tend to agree more with the second one. I can't help but wonder if there wouldn't have been a rear-ender even if you had been in a cage.

Give it plenty of time to heal before you think about going back. Some just can't......and some can't imagine NOT doing it. Only you knows what is right for YOU.

[Easy Rider]

I encourage you to get back on and go for it again.

So says Sarris, standing over a sky-diver's hospital bed after his chute failed to open............. :oops:

Not your finest moment. :cry:

[Sarris]

There are some people that will never master the skills it takes to ride and survive on a motorcycle. The bike world has way too many wanna be's, and in this time of economic hardship and high gas prices there are now more of them than ever. Some are a danger to themselves and others around them. Natural selection almost always culls the herd, so if you can't take what the road dishes up, you're better off in a car. Life is a bit harsh don't ya think??

My statements are really meant to encourge the fellow not to make his decisions in haste, out of fear. I'm not trying to get him in the saddle tomorrow, I just want to make him understand that now is not the best time to make that decision. I've seen more 30 day riders come and go than I can shake a stick at. If he never rides again it's no skin off my nose.

I picked out and purchased my last HD while still in a wheelchair and had it delivered 45 days before I was allowed to walk, but that is the difference between a real biker and a motorcycle enthusiast.

No offense meant, just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it......... nothing.

[alanmcorcoran]

...I defer to your superior experience and ball dimensions.

FYI, I ski single and double diamonds (and I ain't that great) and I have never broken anything on the slopes in 25 years, and, I guess I don't really expect to - until it happens. Hope the same is true for the GZ. Did I mention I'm sort of a pussy?

[Sarris]

Oh please, you're killin' me. BTW, anyone who rides has to have balls in this day and age of shitty driving.

:lol: :lol:

[rusty rider]

I believe that you stick your neck out every time you get on two wheels. Seems that there isn't a day that goes by that someone doesn't see me and I have to swerve or brake to avoid an accident. I've been fortunate I've gone down a few times in my younger years and never broke a bone. Have had road rash, but not the kind that had to be scrubbed to get the grit out.

I agree with Sarris that Mike may be making his decision in haste, but only he knows for sure. I love to ride, and figure if thats the way I go out well it was doing something I love.

Mike heal up and if you feel like striking out on two wheels we'll always be here. :rawk:

[patrick_777]

Mike heal up and if you feel like striking out on two wheels we'll always be here. :rawk:

+1 - Much more eloquently put than Sarris' post.

It's very normal for apprehension after a life-threatening incident. I got struck by lightning in high school, and didn't go outside after dark (or on a cloudy days) for almost a year...Now I get paid to chase storms and try to get as close as I can to it (see below). The feeling might change, but don't expect it to for a while, and you definitely can't rush it. Nervousness and anxiety cause more accidents than stupidity ever has.

Mike, get well. Take the time. You might catch the bug again.

http://www.postimage.org/gx2XcOWJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx2XcOWJ)

http://www.postimage.org/Pq2c6Xl0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq2c6Xl0)

http://www.postimage.org/aV2BJPsJ.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2BJPsJ)

http://www.postimage.org/aV2BJUs0.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2BJUs0)

[jonathan180iq]

Sorry about your fall, Mike. Heal up.

Patrick, those are some pretty sweet shots!
My wife and I (my wife) took this one during a lighting storm over Atlanta. It's a good shot but I can't tone down the brightness with my cheap editing tools on this computer.


http://www.postimage.org/Pq2cORyr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Pq2cORyr)

[mrlmd1]

Certainly glad to hear you're OK, that's the most important thing. Sounds like you got "highsided" and thrown off the bike, and luckily you landed on the trunk of the car and the bike went underneath the car. It could have been a lot worse with the bike on top of you. The lessons of ATTGAT, paying attention, following distance, etc., apply to all of us, all the time.
Keep in touch with us and let us know your progress.

[music man]

Also I think that how long you have been riding motorcycles before you take a hard fall or crash, is part of it too. If you have already been a "real biker" (as Sarris so eloquently put it), for years and have thousands of dollars and time wrapped up in your, hobby, lifestyle, whatever you want to call it, you might not be as quick to hang up your helmet, as someone that is like me and only has a couple of thousand dollars (including gear and all) and a little over a year invested in it.

That being said since I have not had the pleasure of tasting asphalt on my bike yet, I can't really say with 100 percent accuracy what I will do when I crash, I would like to say that I would brush myself off, go to the bike shop in my wheelchair and pick out my new motorcycle, but who knows. But I do know that the decision I would make a day or two after I crashed would almost certainly be different than the one I would make if I healed up first then decided. So I think that even though Sarris may put things a little bluntly at times, He usually makes a good point in there too. So I will have to Second Sarris on this one, and say that if you crash you might want to stew on it a bit before you rush off into the sunset.

Think about this, Evil Knievel, one of the crazy, big balled dudes that ever rode a motorcycle, crashed one time, got up to the podium almost directly after, hobbling, shook up and banged up, and told the announcer and the World that he would NEVER jump again. BUT HE DID. Food for thought


Later, and sorry so long winded :oops:

[Water Warrior 2]

Comike14, sorry to hear about your mishap but glad the injuries were not any worse. From the sounds of it you have been running this through your head over and over again. Just put it away in the back of your mind for a while and go through the healing process and get back to a healthy state first. When you feel fit then think about riding again. Give it some thought, go look at bikes too. If you feel like you are still bitten by the bug to ride then is the time to make a decision. Take your time, a destroyed bike and injuries are not a daily occurance for most people. The trauma of an accident can have some long lasting effects both physically and mentally. Take a TIME OUT from bikes. There is certainly nothing wrong with being a little shy of something that hurt you. Heal well and keep us in the loop with your recovery. ATGATT.

[5th_bike]

Hey Comike, sad to read that you got hurt. I hope you will heal well and quickly. And that it won't haunt you.

Here is something to make you feel better:

http://www.postimage.org/aV2wdJr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV2wdJr)

[Magnar Infectus]

Noooo your poor GZ250... totaled!
j/k
Glad to hear you're not too bad off. Hope you decide to stay with us and get back on 2 wheels when you're ready.

Happy healing.

ps. Yay! I have a mostly naked chick above me!

[Blues]

Mike, sorry to read about your spill, but THANK YOU for sharing your incident. Sounds like you paid a pretty good price to learn a lesson, and any of us with more than a few functioning brain cells will do good to learn from it too. Bet your ass that when I get on my bike this afternoon, I'll have your accident in my mind and pay an extra tad of attention to what I'm doing. Shamefully, I have been guilty of riding my bike like I was driving my car to work (otherwise known as half-assed riding). I'm comfortable on my bike and feel like I was born on it, but that's really no excuse to get lax. If you read this, know that you have helped me to get my head back on straight. I'll learn the lesson you were so kind to pay for.

As far as you riding again, let me tell you a wee story. I work on a railroad and one of our men got where he shouldn't have been and, long story short, wound up with his leg cut off right below the knee. Obviously, he was a bit scared of locomotives after that and has had another job at our company for the last two years. He now has a "terminator looking" prosthetic leg and foot. But now that much time has passed and he's used to his mechanical leg, he's thinking about coming back out to the railroad and seeing it he can do the job. It's the job he was cut out to do and nothing as small as a missing leg is going to deter him. If you were cut out to be a biker, you'll eventually be back. If you weren't, you won't. No shame either way.

Sending much good mojo your way,
Aaron

[Jer]

Thanks for sharing this with us Mike.

Like the others I'm sorry to hear your tale.

Do whats best for you. And dont be in a hurry whatever it is. You've got lots of years left.

[alanmcorcoran]

...I just got done with a 5 hour plane ride and my back is bothering me a little... Can I have a picture too?

[patrick_777]

Can I have a picture too?
http://www.idlerants.com/images/HOTT.jpg

[alanmcorcoran]

:sad:

[5th_bike]

...I just got done with a 5 hour plane ride and my back is bothering me a little... Can I have a picture too?

I recommend an ice pack for your back. Note, since I'm not a doctor, this advice is worth as much as the paper it is written on. And since your wrists are not hurting like Comike's, you are fully capable of clicking away on the internet yourself !

[Comike14]

All,
Thank you for the well wishes. As an update, I am healing as expect, though there is some nerve damage to my wrists. Feel fire shooting down my hands every once in a while, but that's why the Good Lord gave us painkillers. And 5th_Bike, I'd like to extend a definitive "thank you" for that. :)

I see two camps formed here. The "It's good that you can throw in the towel when you feel you need it" camp, and the "You dummy--get back on the horse again!" camp. Then there are the in-betweener's. To the first camp, I do appreciate your support in my decision. To the second, I appreciate your words of encouragement and confidence. Now I'll post my own thoughts on the subject.

First, I didn't have a lot of money tied up in my bike. The bike, the gear, the safety class, the tags, etc -- everything I bought because of or for the bike -- totals around $2000. The claims adjuster totaled my bike at $2000, so I break even. Well, minus the deductible. But still, that's not bad. So financially, it's not a hard decision for me to make. I need the money right now more than I need the bike itself.

Second, I'm throwing in the towel for now. I'm about to get married and enter a whole new phase in my life. Yes, the accident shook me up a bit, but I've been through worse. Been stabbed, been in car accidents, died in surgery once, been assaulted... I've had my share of trauma in my life. No need for me to list everything, but this little accident itself isn't enough to make me put my tail between my legs.

My reasoning here is (and I only feel I owe an explanation because most you guys are so supportive of everyone else) that I don't NEED the bike. I don't NEED that added element of danger. Let me tell you guys (and ladies if we have them), it broke my heart when they totaled it out. I was going to at least fix it up and sell it to someone who would love it as much as me. But I did sneak up to the junk yard and stole my own tags back to retain that bit of the bike. It kills me to not have the option: "Car, or bike?" I always chose the bike, of course, and never regretted that decision, even on the ambulance ride to the hospital a few weeks ago.

I loved that bike as much as anyone can love a material possession. I treated her right. I technically have been riding for one full year. That's peanuts compared to some of you guys. But I ain't no "one-week rider." I rode everywhere, for everything. You should have seen me trying to come home from Sam's Club with a few boxes bungie-chorded to the back of that little 250.

Point here is, though life day-to-day presents its own dangers, I am not yet ready to ride. I get cocky, I get over-confident, I start feeling invincible. I put myself in more bad situations than I can recount, and this most recent one happened to be one with consequences. And it wasn't enough of a jolt to calm me down. If I keep going right now, I have no doubt that I WILL end up killing myself. But I want to have a my wife to have a husband. I want my children to have a father. I want to retain my physical abilities to protect both. And I can't if I'm dead or otherwise torn up.

So with age will come prudence. With prudence comes a rider who's ready to take on the challenges of the open road. And the challenges aren't just other cars--they're also myself. I know how to ride, but I need to learn more than how to ride before I ride again. I will, my friends. I will. But not until I know my own limits.

[alanmcorcoran]

...now that is a high-risk activity.

Now I *know* you'll be back on the bike.

[Dupo]

Can I have a picture too?
http://www.idlerants.com/images/HOTT.jpg


HAHAHAHA. That was GREAT. Had me laughing my ass off. :lol:

[Comike14]

...now that is a high-risk activity.

Now I *know* you'll be back on the bike.

HA! :2tup:

[davtnn]

Sorry about the accident ..... and the choice to ride or not is yours alone .... personally i would be right back in the saddle riding what ever the insurance check would buy ... and judging from the other responses some equate riding to a religous experience and in their hearts the dont want you to miss out on it.

anyway, what ever you choose to do, at least stay with and contribute to this forum

[davtnn]

Pat .... where did you get that picture of Dupo (looks good in a pink hat)

[Comike14]

Sorry about the accident ..... and the choice to ride or not is yours alone .... personally i would be right back in the saddle riding what ever the insurance check would buy ... and judging from the other responses some equate riding to a religous experience and in their hearts the dont want you to miss out on it.

anyway, what ever you choose to do, at least stay with and contribute to this forum

Well like I said, it kills me to lose that bike. I literally loved it. Not quite religious, but I loved it. The bug is still very strong within me, and the choices I make now are difficult.

But yes, I will stay around here and maintain a presence until I ride again. Or until that whole 2012 thing goes down and the Internet blows up -- whichever happens first. :p