On the Nature of Things | Forum

Folks

I had a bad motorcycle accident a few days back. One moment I was riding along a familiar country road and the next I was 30 miles away in hospital, having been found concussed and then helicoptered to accident and emergency as a possible head injury.

Turns out I had the concussion, fractured fingers, a broken shoulder, cracked wrist, dislocated thumb and lots of cuts and abrasions all over. I’m still dizzy and in exceptional pain if I try move at all typing is one handed as my left hand and wrist is in a heavy plaster cast/

The hospital and my family have been wonderful, I will never ride a motorcycle again (well maybe).

Alex

That's terrible, but at least your brain and spinal cord are OK. Riders don't come back from those injuries too well.

Lost a rear tire on a Kawasaki going 85 miles an hour back in 92. I took the insurance money and bought a convertible with it. I figured that if you lose a tire on a car you still have three left. Glad that you weren't killed and hope your injuries are not too painful and that you have a complete recovery. Any motorcycle accident you can walk away from is a good one, some are just more painful than others.

Sorry to hear this. Hope you get well soon.

manolo wrote:Folks

I had a bad motorcycle accident a few days back. One moment I was riding along a familiar country road and the next I was 30 miles away in hospital, having been found concussed and then helicoptered to accident and emergency as a possible head injury.

Turns out I had the concussion, fractured fingers, a broken shoulder, cracked wrist, dislocated thumb and lots of cuts and abrasions all over. I’m still dizzy and in exceptional pain if I try move at all typing is one handed as my left hand and wrist is in a heavy plaster cast/

The hospital and my family have been wonderful, I will never ride a motorcycle again (well maybe).

Alex

Glad to hear that you're okay with only injuries that are painful, but that will heal over time.

The orthopaedic surgeons I know call them donorcycles.

Typhoon wrote: Glad to hear that you're okay with only injuries that are painful, but that will heal over time.

The orthopaedic surgeons I know call them donorcycles.

typhoon and folks,

thanks for the good vibes, everyone.

you're not wrong. the dizziness has passed (thankfully) but there could be some residual trouble from the fractures and breaks. it was quite a sight looking at the ct scan and xrays. consultant says i have age related spinal osteo arthritis, which was a surprise.

saw the bike wreckage, absolutely smashed. must have flipped quite few times.

will be grounded for some weeks.

alex.

manolo wrote:. . . consultant says i have age related spinal osteo arthritis . ..

Well, I pray that continues for as long as possible!

Alex,

I'm sorry to hear that. You have been having a real run of bad luck lately. Bad Karma maybe?

As the owner of 4 bikes myself, I try to be conscious of those situations. I hope you have speedy (no pun intended) recovery.

In the US, some of us call these "Uncle Fred" stories. Tell someone you have a bike, and they will tell you about their Uncle Fred who was hurt or killed on a motorcycle.

So just in case you thought yourself a nobody, you're now somebody's Uncle Fred.

Now you know the reason why a lot of old farts gravitate (again, no pun intended) towards trials bikes. Seeing your friends who range from 40 something to 80 something fall off a trials bike at 3 mph is funny, once you find out they are not hurt.

What kind of bike was it? May it rest in pieces.....

As far as getting people killed motorcycles are a lot more efficient than guns...

Wish you a fast recovery and a deep-seated horror of everything on two wheels...

motorcycles licenses are called temporary visas

im surrounded by bike fanatics, my dad and my best friend in particular, and it appears the near death experience is the experience they love.

Oh, alex, you poor thing...:'0..............

The worst thing is that everything was normal and feeling fine and now we're all bunged up. The first third of healing and recovery is the longest part, subjectively speaking. The rest of it will seem only half as long as that, if that's any consolation.........

All I have to offer is that I was doing spread cheese and jam on artisan bread bits when I knocked the ten-inch kitchen knife off the counter and it hit the floor, bounced, and landed blade down on the top of my left foot. I wasn't wearing shoes, I am wearing sandals as I am now. Right then, that flat filled with blood and there was a pool of it on the floor. I had the presence of mind to staunch the flow with a kitchen towel and three rubber binders and hobbled next door to catch the neighbours. Delbert drove me to ER about four miles and twenty minutes away. (that was a four minute left turn light off HWY 610 and Central....) The upshot of this was that I did a good job of a compression wrap, it took three stitches to close the laceration and if the knife connected a direct hit...... I would've bled out considerably worse than that......

E-think! That's bad news. Hang in there wish you a speedy recovery.

What a terrible experience. Do you have any idea how it happened? Wish you the best.

Endovelico wrote:As far as getting people killed motorcycles are a lot more efficient than guns...

Wish you a fast recovery and a deep-seated horror of everything on two wheels...

Just yesterday, a co-worker who is a volunteer fireman was telling me about a recent motorcycle accident he cleaned up. He could not understand why anyone rides them.

I opined "Motorcycles are lot like guns, if you get exposed to them as a kid, you tend not to be afraid of them."
He replied "Well I'm not afraid of guns. We always had guns!"
Exactly.

As Gramma used to say relative to cigarettes, alcohol, and other evils "If you never try it, you will never miss it!" Seems true of most of life.

I suspect riding a motorcycle is the human equivalent of a dog sticking its head out the window of a moving car.

Miss_Faucie_Fishtits wrote:Oh, alex, you poor thing...:'0..............

The worst thing is that everything was normal and feeling fine and now we're all bunged up. The first third of healing and recovery is the longest part, subjectively speaking. The rest of it will seem only half as long as that, if that's any consolation.........

All I have to offer is that I was doing spread cheese and jam on artisan bread bits when I knocked the ten-inch kitchen knife off the counter and it hit the floor, bounced, and landed blade down on the top of my left foot. I wasn't wearing shoes, I am wearing sandals as I am now. Right then, that flat filled with blood and there was a pool of it on the floor. I had the presence of mind to staunch the flow with a kitchen towel and three rubber binders and hobbled next door to catch the neighbours. Delbert drove me to ER about four miles and twenty minutes away. (that was a four minute left turn light off HWY 610 and Central....) The upshot of this was that I did a good job of a compression wrap, it took three stitches to close the laceration and if the knife connected a direct hit...... I would've bled out considerably worse than that......

"When food preparation utensils are outlawed, only outlaws will have food preparation utensils!"

Two wheels is not always unsafe . . .

Simple Minded wrote:Alex,

What kind of bike was it? May it rest in pieces.....

SM,

A 2005 Kwaki zx10r with motor and suspension tuned in a race workshop. She was putting out 161bhp on the rolling road, and running very sweet. however, the 04/05s were known for edginess and this is the second time i've been spat off this one. both times were too quick to catch.

fortunately i have a couple more bikes tucked away, including an early and mint r1. although the r1 puts out less power than the 10r i find it a much better ride, precise and feeling just as fast but better control all round. i'll ride my winter hack (once the plaster cast is off) and then look for another sports bike in spring to fill garage space.

ATB and i hope you are enjoying your bikes.

Alex.

Mr. Perfect wrote:What a terrible experience. Do you have any idea how it happened? Wish you the best.

mr p,

thanks for good wishes. witnesses say i was on a long fast bend and a car was ready to come out of a side turn up ahead. i have no memory but guess that i saw the car coming up to the junction and reacted with a dab on the brake. on that bike, on a fast stretch, that would be game over.

i dropped off the bike and it continued, hitting the car (and apparently setting off the passenger airbag) but i slid away to the verge.

cops attended and came to the hospital. they've confirmed no action from them or the other driver, which is good with me.

alex.

Miss_Faucie_Fishtits wrote:Oh, alex, you poor thing...:'0..............

miss ff,

..and the same to you. glad you are ok now.

alex.

Thank You Very Much for your post, Alex.

And THANK G_D that you were able to make it....

Praying that you heal quickly and well.

manolo wrote:

Simple Minded wrote:Alex,

What kind of bike was it? May it rest in pieces.....

SM,

A 2005 Kwaki zx10r with motor and suspension tuned in a race workshop. She was putting out 161bhp on the rolling road, and running very sweet. however, the 04/05s were known for edginess and this is the second time i've been spat off this one. both times were too quick to catch.

fortunately i have a couple more bikes tucked away, including an early and mint r1. although the r1 puts out less power than the 10r i find it a much better ride, precise and feeling just as fast but better control all round. i'll ride my winter hack (once the plaster cast is off) and then look for another sports bike in spring to fill garage space.

ATB and i hope you are enjoying your bikes.

Alex.

Alex,

I'm glad you are feeling well enough to type.

As the old farts used to say in Merika after you hurt yourself by acting like a typical kid, "Well..... did you learn anything?"


Not a 1998 R1 I hope, they had a reputation for being vicious. I recall a tester saying they would eat expensive tires, and if you refused to buy expensive tires, it would eat riders.

Several times, I had told my wife I am getting old, once cause we both enjoyed a test ride on a Suzuki Burgman. Now I don't even look at bikes over 500 lbs and 80 hp.

Living on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 35 hp is more than enough to keep up with the guys riding 150 hp bikes. I recall riding a 2007 CBR1000RR, and putting around in 6th at 40 mph trying to find a spot in the powerband where the bike only made 35 hp.

DR 650s, SV650s, and now a Vee Strom 650 fit the bill nicely.

Get well soon.

Simple Minded wrote:

Not a 1998 R1 I hope, they had a reputation for being vicious. I recall a tester saying they would eat expensive tires, and if you refused to buy expensive tires, it would eat riders.

SM,

Yes, my r1 is the legendary 1st generation 'widowmaker'.

Living on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 35 hp is more than enough to keep up with the guys riding 150 hp bikes. I recall riding a 2007 CBR1000RR, and putting around in 6th at 40 mph trying to find a spot in the powerband where the bike only made 35 hp.

We are close to moorland, with very fast roads, dipping and curving between long straights. couple of weeks back i made an 85 mile run with the bike on song all the way.

DR 650s, SV650s, and now a Vee Strom 650 fit the bill nicely.

Those are fine touring bikes, although not my own cup of tea. I'm thinking of a triumph daytona maybe for next spring, sentimental brit that i am.

Get well soon.

thanks sm, much appreciated.

alex.

Thanks for the report ebiker, sounds like you did not hit any vehicles with your body, all good. Unfortunately when I hear of Brits and moto accidents it's hard not to think of TE Lawrence.

While you recover here's the Women's Slalom Event of the All Japan Motorcycle Police Competition:

jGGgOv44UfE

I'm glad to hear you're alright. One of my scariest moments on the road was driving behind a guy on a motorcycle when the bike gave way under him right in front of me and I had to swerve to avoid running him over.