Crash, Stupid cager tried to kill me! .. wear your gear!

[yamahonkawazuki]

indeed pronator.

[bobthebiker]

sorry to hear you crashed, but I'm glad you're ok and the driver at fault didnt try to flee.    such a STUPID reason to get careless as to be impatient.  what was she going to get? maybe 10 seconds ahead?   

Good on you for having your gear on.  dont let it keep you from riding again, its only a temporary setback.    your gear did its job, kept your skin (mostly) there, and you alive.

[pandy]

I read something when I first started riding that stuck with me. A rider who'd been in a recent accident wrote something like this:
...
If you could push pause right before a crash and put on more gear before the fall, then you're not wearing enough gear!!

This is gooooood...very, very good!

[DarkStarr]

Wow, this is an inspiration.  I am guilty of not always wearing gear.  It feels so good to just wear a teeshirt and riding glasses at times.. but this makes me think I should reconsider.

[pandy]

Wow, this is an inspiration.  I am guilty of not always wearing gear.  It feels so good to just wear a teeshirt and riding glasses at times.. but this makes me think I should reconsider.

Please do reconsider. It hurts....a....LOT....even FULLY geared up.... I can't even imagine the hurt if I'd not had gear on..... Please, please reconsider...you have at least two first-hand experiences recently to let you know what happens. We never think it will happen to us, and hopefully it doesn't, but gear up for the crash, not for the ride. 

[pronator]

Not only is wearing gear important for protection, but for visibility, too. I wear one of these whenever I ride at night.

rider + black jacket + black pants + after dark = bad idea

It's small, easy to carry around and slips right over my jacket. Doesn't look bad either - better than most of the construction worker vests I'd been looking at!

Although, when it comes down to it: I'd rather look really, really, really dorky than just a little teeny tiny bit dead.

[pandy]

Yes, I have a bright orange belt and a fluorescent green vest for night riding....I definitely look dorky, too, but I'd also rather look dorky than dead! 

[Frodo]

Wanted to update what has happened since the crash.  Sorry its been a while since I have added anything, but mostly just trying to heal. 

It took a few days to realize that there was a problem with my knee because of the pain from the abrasion.  I went to see a orthopedic Dr. and he sent me for an MRI.  Turns out I had a torn MCL and possible damage to some cartilage.  The Dr. put me in a hinged knee brace until the would healed and I just started physical torture....   er....  I mean physical therapy.  Over the 8 weeks or so, since the crash, my left leg has atrophied some and working to get the strength back. 

As far as the bike goes, I took it to a local dealership and got an estimate and then they finally sent an adjust from 4 hours away to go over the bike also.  I expect it to be "totalled."  No word on exactly how much they will pay or when though.  There was more damage than I realized at first.  Turns out that the bars were bent on top of everything else. 

I have not decided what I am going to do about riding again.  Its really a tough decision.  Some days I want to ride so badly I can taste it, and other times I never want to ride on the road again.  I am considering taking the money for my bike and getting a dirt bike, since there are lots of places for that in my area, and also my 10 y/o daughter wants a dirt bike also.  But that is the biggest consideration for me right now.  Both of my girls have said to me that they don't want me to ride my GS again, because they don't want me to get hurt again.  No matter how much I may want to ride again some days, I really don't want the kids to be frightened everytime I leave on my bike that I may not come home.  Also the recovery from the fall has taken me much longer to get over than I had expected.  It took most of those first 8 weeks to just get my energy back.  Also I had to sleep in the recliner for about 6 weeks because lying in the bed made my ribs hurt too much to sleep.  It was all I could do just to go to work and get home some days.  Also, my knee is better, but it still hurts and has limited some things I can do.  Guess it seems I was hurt much worse than I initially thought.  I will post some more pics as soon as I can, as I am updating this while at work. 

So, everyone, be safe out there and no matter how hot it is, wear your gear!

Randy   


this is the bruise on my hip that showed up a couple of days after the crash. 

[Jerry_]

Randy,

Thanks for sharing your story.  I'm sure you've thought a lot about those kids since the accident.  I'm also sure they've thought a lot about their dad.

So happy to hear you're mostly in one piece.

Jerry

[The Buddha]

Cagers are on freaking crack.
One of them today was stripping in her car.
Yea, naked, and trying to get some clothes on ... dunno if she left the house that way and "is dressing for success" or if she lost the clothes on the way or if she just has been on the road so long (cant be, SC plates and in SC ... so ) and she changes in the car everyday or ...
Anyway, she didn't look bad, not skinny, heck may have been a bit of a fatty, but OK ...
You never see a biker do that ... thank god ...
Hey, atleast she wasn't drinking cappucchino and on the cell phone ... which I was ... 
Cool.
Buddha.

[nascarkeith]

Glad you are ok.  Makes me feel even better about deciding to quit being a squid and buy some gear.

[Mdow]

dang glad your still up and kickin

[Kasumi]

I just started physical torture....   er....  I mean physical therapy. 

Ahh you went to see the physio-terrorist, i spent many hours with her a few months after my crash lol.

Guess it seems I was hurt much worse than I initially thought.  I will post some more pics as soon as I can, as I am updating this while at work. 

Thats the problem with bike accidents, at least you went to hospital. After my crash i never went to hospital and it only culminated 6 months later that i was still in pain and went to see the doctor/chiropracter who said i had 2 slipped discs in my back, had broken at least 2 ribs, my collarbone and my pelvis. I mean i was in shitloads of pain but was wearing full leather gear and boots when i crashed and thought it was just really bad bruising. I low sided after hitting some mud at a farm entrance approaching my village and was doing 60 or so. Slid for a long distance but what did the damage was sliding over a raised steel grate cover in the middle of the road (a bike trap in itself i might add)

+100 on ATGATT, also leather or the like (kangaroo etc..) is the best riding gear you can have if you get a modern set which should be TIGHT fitting, therefore you don't get road rash like you can still do with textile.

Glad you made it through even with some injuries.

It amazes me that she came out and blatently said i was bored of sitting behind you, so i broke the traffic laws, tried to overtake when clearly i couldnt and then KNOWING YOU WERE THERE pulled back in on you. Fooking crazy. Cagers should realise that actually you won't get their any faster by overtaking. Only on a fricking freeway. If your not sat behind me your only going to sit behind the car infront. I don't get it. I get on my bike and overtake alot of things but i actually get their much quicker and safer because you can overtake in so many more places on a bike. When i get in my car i don't bother. Cars are slow, they are big, and overtaking is nowhere near as simple or safe and you probably cant overtake the next car you meet anyway. Someone should go round and point this out.


this is the bruise on my hip that showed up a couple of days after the crash. 


[/quote]

[Chanse]

Also check into it with the insurance company they should replace all your gear along with the repairs to your bike. Especially the helmet, Their only good once ya know.

[cstilt]

Hope you get well soon man. Going down does suck, but you got up and that's all that matters.

[tripleb]

Glad to hear you're doing better.

I was almost on the other end of what you experienced.  Saturday night I was driving home east on I-4 from Tampa.  I was between Tampa and Lakeland around 11pm just minding my own business going about 70mph when all of a sudden I see a flash a foot to the left of me that streaks ahead really fast.  About a second later I hear the sound of a motorcycle exhaust.  Some dumbass mofo that was going at least 120 mph (that's about 200kmh for you Euros) lane split between myself and the car slightly in front and to the left to me.  If I switched lanes or the guy next to me braked that rider would be in the morgue right now.  It's easy to see why we get a bad rap with idiots like that guy riding like he did.

[bikejunkie223]

A year ago my wife and I were in SoCal on vacation stuck in a gridlock headed back to Orange County when some squid lanesplit the whole cluster of cars...at about 80. I know it's legal there but it scared the crap out of me. I am shocked how impatient people are. I ALWAYS wear textile pants,jacket, and gloves with a full face helmet, and can't begin to comprehend how some go with shorts and a tank top with a helmet around here (required by law) I even bought a yellow helmet and jacket to increase my visibility and ride like I am not only invisible, but those that do see me are still going to try and kill me. It is somewhat safer than riding a bicycle on the road however- cars actually recognise you as a vehicle with rights to the lane of travel, unlike on abike where everyone acts like you should be in the ditch and often try to put you there. At least on a motorcycle you go the same speed as traffic. of course if you go down the penalty is quite a bit steeper. Glad you are doing okay but don't let some dumbass that Can't Understand Normal Thinking (it's an acronym) take away something you love because she is a goddamn idiot. Take as much money as you can from the insurance company, and if it isn't enough, they will cut her loose and then you can empty her fat effin' pockets too. goddamn Buddha Loves You.

[Frodo]

wow Kasumi, you had some serious injuries there.  Amazing you were able to walk around in the that much pain!!

I really appreciate everyones comments.  Its a tough decision whether to ride now, or wait until the kids are grown, but by then I may not be able to, LOL. 

I have retained a lawyer and am hopefull that he can make the best out of a bad situation.  One of the things the attorney has had me do was make a list of all the personal items that was damaged that day and the cost of each item.  They are supposed to pay for replacement on everything. 

That morning when I had first started out, I had 2 H-D's pass me.  On both bikes the drivers and passengers were wearing shorts, t-shirts and NO HELMETS.  (Kentucky repealed the helmet law a few years ago)  I am sure they looked at me and thought, poor stupid bastard wearing all that hot gear and its going to be 98F today.  But just about an hour later, I am picking myself up off the pavement and very thankful I was wearing my hot gear. 

One thing that does not seem fair is, I bought a GS because it was a smaller and agile bike to re-learn on, I took the MSF class, wore my gear no matter how hot it was, rode carefully, tried to pick roads that are lightly traveled, riding at times when there was not much traffic, basically everything possible to be careful and I am the one that got hit by a car.  I see all these squids wearing tank tops and shorts on their sports bikes, passing everything in sight, and 3 times in the past week I have seen them riding holding both hands out to their sides, and I am the one that has a get off.  Oh, but who said life is fair.

Randy

[cstilt]

What part of KY are you in? I used to go to college in Knott Co. KY. 
Take your time on deciding to ride again or not. It's definately a tough choice to make.

[bikejunkie223]

wow Kasumi, you had some serious injuries there.  Amazing you were able to walk around in the that much pain!!

I really appreciate everyones comments.  Its a tough decision whether to ride now, or wait until the kids are grown, but by then I may not be able to, LOL. 

I have retained a lawyer and am hopefull that he can make the best out of a bad situation.  One of the things the attorney has had me do was make a list of all the personal items that was damaged that day and the cost of each item.  They are supposed to pay for replacement on everything. 

That morning when I had first started out, I had 2 H-D's pass me.  On both bikes the drivers and passengers were wearing shorts, t-shirts and NO HELMETS.  (Kentucky repealed the helmet law a few years ago)  I am sure they looked at me and thought, poor stupid bastard wearing all that hot gear and its going to be 98F today.  But just about an hour later, I am picking myself up off the pavement and very thankful I was wearing my hot gear. 

One thing that does not seem fair is, I bought a GS because it was a smaller and agile bike to re-learn on, I took the MSF class, wore my gear no matter how hot it was, rode carefully, tried to pick roads that are lightly traveled, riding at times when there was not much traffic, basically everything possible to be careful and I am the one that got hit by a car.  I see all these squids wearing tank tops and shorts on their sports bikes, passing everything in sight, and 3 times in the past week I have seen them riding holding both hands out to their sides, and I am the one that has a get off.  Oh, but who said life is fair.

Randy

Don't worry, the next time you see a highway crew with a big squeegie to clean a large red stain off the road you will know that you won.