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Your worst crash

Started by Greaser Greg, January 05, 2022, 10:16:51 PM

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Greaser Greg

Having barely survived a crash August sixth,  I've lately been wondering how others deal with the recovery process. I've got two permanent eight  or ten inch screws  and one six  incher that held my pelvis together while it grew back into one piece. My twelve formerly broken ribs, six fractured vertebrae,  perforated bowel and lacerated liver, one punctured and two collapsed lungs and forever missing spleen don't bother me as much as the ichy road scars on my left side and my recently noticed very tender zyphoid process. Helmet saved my brain and maybe my life. Spleen is gone. Something ripped my groin open about four inches from the family jewels, so that was a close one! Back to my normal weight and nearly fully mobile  again after all the laying around for eight weeks.  Rode the four wheeler last week, kick start only.
Since I have a few people around who love me, I'm kicking the two wheeled motorized riding habit for now.  I've been a gambler my whole life, and I know when to fold. 
If perhaps I do decide to get back on, my main concern is what happens if I land on my ass again? Do all those screws just tear out and leave a bigger mess than a regular person would be left with? I'm sure they'd let me know of they're presence somehow.
How have you dealt with serious injuries, loved ones, the desire to ride and mortality after an unplanned dismount when your need for speed returns?
Every day above ground is a good one.
'71 R5B "Rusty"  '71 R5B "Decaf"   '99 KZ 250
'97 XL1200S "The Vibrator"   '08 XL1200N  "Greenie" (totalled)
'78 CB750F "The Skunk"   '74 CB550 "Blackie"    '78 Honda Hobbit

85RZwade

#1
I read the title and was deciding which was my worst crash-which story to tell? After reading your story, Greg, I got nothing. Nothing even close. I'm glad you're still with us!

I would add that after my worst (streetbike) crash, once I got the bike repaired, I approached high speeds with great caution. I had done every modification, adjustment and maintenance procedure to prevent another high-speed wobble and I really didn't want to experience one again.
I remember some head-shakers, some people who couldn't understand why I wanted to ride again. I was young and cavalier then, and I told them "I prefer the thrill of living to the safety of existence"
I post waayyy too much

Arrow

#2
Wow Greg, you certainly been through it! Take it easy Man.

What looks like a botched appendix scar (yes it's in the same place) and on the 'correct' side is my only real scar from a bike. No broken bones either.

A great rider? Certainly not! Very cautious, relatively slow and lucky I guess.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

1976RD400C

I guess a broken collar bone doesn't even count. What did your body get subjected to cause all that damage? Slam on the ground and tumble? Hit something? Maybe ask the doctor about "what if". I would think the healed bones are going to be strong.
'76 RD400 green  '76 RD400 red   '84 RZ350

Striker1423

#4
I got a scar on my right shin about 4 inches long from a whiskey throttled Suzuki 90 trail bike in a farm field. That was my first riding experience ever. Was going well til then lol.

I had one close call where my snowmobiles ski almost caught a little 3 inch wide tree at the edge of a trail up north. I was going around a U corner at about 40 and was in the process of blowing the corner. The ski just skimmed the tree which propelled the sled back towards the turn a bit and scared the shit outta me. My buddy was in front of me and didn't see it. I had to tell him when we stopped for lunch and a few pops.

On the road the closest calls I've had were all distracted drivers. Myself included. Long boring roads make it hard for me to focus sometimes. I watched a golf cart drive over a pedestrian bridge for too long and almost rear ended a line of cars. Off onto the shoulder and around them all like an idiot.

Next I was showing off the old 2 smoke. Passed up a bar near the lake and the parking lot was full of Harleys. I noticed a few riders glance at me so I pegged the throttle and dumped the clutch a bit to take off. I turned my head toward the road and this classic car I was following was slowing down, turn signal on, to turn. Locked up the rear tire, skidded back and forth a bit before I missed him by maybe a foot to the left. Almost high sided too.

I won't forget the evil eye glare from that classic car driver as I slid on by him. Got to Harsen's Island but was shook up the rest of the day.

sav0r

#5
Obviously Greg has me, but I've certainly had my fair share of crashes over the years. I however have never been hospitalized as a result, knock on wood.

Probably my most painful motorcycle related incident wasn't a crash at all. When I was like 12 I saved up my money from mowing lawns and bought a used. Suzuki DS80. I was putting it away one day after a long ride, this required backing it down a ramp through a small sliding door in the back of my father's shop. I had riding boots but was wearing shorts. I got my shin right up against the bend of of the pipe not but 6" from the exhaust port. Before I knew it I melted off a good 4" section of skin right down to the bone. I probably should have gotten a skin graft or something, it took freaking forever to heal, and to this day no hair or anything grows in that section on my leg.
www.chrislivengood.net - for my projects and musings.

Greaser Greg

Quote from: 1976RD400C on January 06, 2022, 07:24:26 AM
I guess a broken collar bone doesn't even count. What did your body get subjected to cause all that damage? Slam on the ground and tumble? Hit something? Maybe ask the doctor about "what if". I would think the healed bones are going to be strong.
The last xray I saw definitely  showed enlarged bright white areas where the cracks were.  My wonderful wife soaked towels in a very strong comfrey tea and I laid on them for a couple hours for several days. It's a powerful plant.
I have no idea what happened after I saw the truck pull out into my lane from my right, about 45 yards ahead. I was going around 45 I think.  I remember thinking, there's a little sliver of lane, I might get past him there. The one witness said he didn't see me hit anything but the ground. Looked to him like I hit a small depression/ patch in the road. Only way that would have crashed me was if I was sideways,, which makes sense cuz the last thing I remember was the rear tire getting loose from over-braking. He did save me from getting run over by a different truck that I was under after the slide. They were moving slowly in a drive through lane and the rear wheel was against my side when he stopped the driver somehow. Whew!  There're a couple  of those three ft by two by two foot concrete barriers close to where I ended up, but he couldn't  tell if I hit those. 
Someone claimed I hit and slightly damaged their vehicle, but I'm waiting to hear from my attorney about who/where.
Every day above ground is a good one.
'71 R5B "Rusty"  '71 R5B "Decaf"   '99 KZ 250
'97 XL1200S "The Vibrator"   '08 XL1200N  "Greenie" (totalled)
'78 CB750F "The Skunk"   '74 CB550 "Blackie"    '78 Honda Hobbit

Greaser Greg

#7
Quote from: 85RZwade on January 06, 2022, 12:13:33 AM
I read the title and was deciding which was my worst crash-which story to tell? After reading your story, Greg, I got nothing. Nothing even close. I'm glad you're still with us!

I would add that after my worst (streetbike) crash, once I got the bike repaired, I approached high speeds with great caution. I had done every modification, adjustment and maintenance procedure to prevent another high-speed wobble and I really didn't want to experience one again.
I remember some head-shakers, some people who couldn't understand why I wanted to ride again. I was young and cavalier then, and I told them "I prefer the thrill of living to the safety of existence"

Thx Wade. Life is a wonderful  journey.
Do you lately notice more distracted drivers where you live? I had some close calls in my truck and car both over the last year, and barely any before that.   That's the main reason I hung up my boots. Too many bonehead cagers. Well, that, and the worst and longest lasting pain I've ever felt.
Every day above ground is a good one.
'71 R5B "Rusty"  '71 R5B "Decaf"   '99 KZ 250
'97 XL1200S "The Vibrator"   '08 XL1200N  "Greenie" (totalled)
'78 CB750F "The Skunk"   '74 CB550 "Blackie"    '78 Honda Hobbit

m in sc

I only had 2. this was the 1st one in 2015.

I got lucky.






Striker1423

Mark, the way you landed perfectly in the ditch made it look like you were just leaning back in a lounge chair. Glad you had your helmet on!

None of the guys I know that work on bikes or rides them seriously does so without a helmet on.  Well, except one guy, he sold his Harley a while ago, but was all about the 'freedom' of riding without the brain bucket when Michigan, stupidly, passed the no helmet necessary law.

Greaser Greg

So, you believe  the odds are in your favor and continue to ride?
Every day above ground is a good one.
'71 R5B "Rusty"  '71 R5B "Decaf"   '99 KZ 250
'97 XL1200S "The Vibrator"   '08 XL1200N  "Greenie" (totalled)
'78 CB750F "The Skunk"   '74 CB550 "Blackie"    '78 Honda Hobbit

m in sc

me? yup. that was my 1st crash in (at the time) 25 years of riding. and i ride very frequently. the second time was the same front tire, about a year and a half later... and i learned that the compound was too hard. washed out on a mild RH sweeper .. again, totally my fault, i put the wrong tire on. changed tire out and has been fine since.   so 31 years of riding, crashed 2x on same bike with same front tire. odds are in my favor.

Kawtriplefreak

I remember that day. It scared the shit out of me when I saw the bike in the ditch and you were nowhere to be seen. I ran into the woods and hollered and carried on looked for you but you weren't there either. I started hauling ass back to the resort and met y'all on the way back up the mountain.

SoCal250

Greg, sounds like you're lucky to be with us. That was a bad accident! Glad you've recovered reasonably well and hope you continue to see improvement.  :thumbs: 
Out of curiousity, what gear were you wearing besides a helmet?

And...we've had distracted drivers here for years. Everytime I go out on a ride I assume everyone else on the road is out to kill me. (most are). I've seen it all while commuting on the freeway in SoCal -- about 1/3 of drivers are usually looking at their phone, and Ive seen people reading books, working on laptops, and even a guy totally asleep behind the wheel of his Tesla in the fast lane while northbound on the 405 doing about 50mph. Nothing surprises me anymore. People are F-ing stupid!
I always look at any cars/trucks nearby and think to myself "what's the stupidest thing that driver could do right now?, and then I plan for it.
75 Yamaha RD125B   75 Yamaha RD125B (project)
75 Yamaha RD250B   75 Yamaha RD200B (project)
73 Yamaha RD350     77 Yamaha RD400D   79 Yamaha RD400F  
91 Yamaha TZR250R  89 Yamaha FZR400   05 Yamaha FZ6   
05 Yamaha XT225TC  82 Honda MB5  02 Aprilia RS250 Cup (sold)

85RZwade

Drivers seem to be as stupid, selfish and inattentive as always. I was told when I started riding to assume half of the car drivers couldn't see me and the other half wanted to kill me, and I think that has served me well this far.
I take comfort in my motorcycle's abilities to accelerate, maneuver and brake better than the cars around me, and I try to stay awake and away from them. I don't spend any time in blind spots and I'm still here!
I post waayyy too much