As many of you know, last october 20th I crashed at the track and broke my left collarbone and a few ribs. Bike was tattered but not bad.
As I healed and had partial use of my left arm I started to peice the bike together. Only needed to replace the upper fairing stay (bracket) to get bike going again. Swapped out all the track bodywork to street stuff again, including the stuff I got too lazy to repeatedly change (side fairings, tank cover, lowers) so bike looks like new again. Couple things remain: as I was cleaning and replacing I noticed the front fender got some scrapes and cracks but is workable and will remain until I can get a cheap replacement. Left clip on slightly bent and I have the new part, but too lazy at the moment to replace.
Sortof got the OK from the ortho to go ride again. "crash again and you'll rebreak bones and probably have them puncture the skin this time" were his exact words. Good enough for me. Got my new helmet, an Arai Signet GTR in the Springer red graphics.
So last friday I took the morning off work and headed for Malibu with a couple friends, just to do an easy putt-putt ride and make sure the bike (and my brain) still work as intended. Well, turn signal switchgear not working-replacement on the way. Head works JUST FINE. First few turns into the first canyon (Latigo) and I was up to my usual street pace. Bike works flawlessly. Mind is still in the game. Rest of day was more of the same.
The next day, Saturday I also rode. This time Angeles Crest Highway for some real fun. Met a handful of other riders I knew up at Newcombs and we were off...I can safely say that I am riding at the same level I was before the crash. 2 1/2 months later and man did I miss it.
Doctor did tell me no track time until march to give bones time to fully heal 100%. That advice I will follow, reluctantly.
To the casual observer the bike still looks showroom fresh. The frame slider and scuffs on my jacket give it away though. The pre-rashed bodywork I bought on ebay paid for itself that day. Out of pocket expenses for the bike and gear so far: upper fairing stay and clip on-free (replaced by rider that caused the crash, with new parts), new bar end to replace missing- $16, used but mint switchgear- $25, new helmet $420 ($620 retail). I'd rather not talk about the medical expenses though, even with health insurance...
oh, temps were high 60's...I can't wait till next weekend! its good to be back...just thought I'd share...
All right! Back in the saddle again :thumb:
Congrats!
I wish I could say the same, but I have to wait until spring-time
Yay, Pablo!!!!! Just beeeee careful! :P O0 :cheers:
Good to hear!! I haven't been riding much lately... I've been carpooling to work and home... Then I was sick... Then sick again...
Plus it's been raining for something like 27 days straight... Raining + Cold + Sick == REALLY sick. :cry:
Welcome back! Not that you were gone, but welcome back to riding on two wheels!
Over two months sitting on the sidelines, eh? Must've been hell seeing all those days go buy and couldn't ride. Drat, kinda like Winter around my parts...
Hey, great to hear you're throwing a leg over again. Good thing one of us is riding... :thumb:
The front fender to the CBR right? I might have one...
Mak-yep, front red fender from an 03 or an 04 will work. 05 wont work. if ya got one in good condition I'm interested...
redshift-you can imagine my dismay, with the winter temps in the 70's how much I've wanted to ride. You guys that actually have a winter are used to it, although I'm sure its hard. Imagine my being used to riding all winter, then this. sucked balls.
Thanks everyone for the kind words. Now I have to (not so) patiently wait for my next trackday...
gonna try to ride this saturday again...hahaha.....
it should fit an '03...but it's gel-coated, never been painted. Of course I'm not even sure if I still have it...but I'll check as soon as I get home.
hehe .. your a victum of what i call motorcycle learning :) i use to race motocross .. i started when i was 13 and from that point tell i was .. 19 i was in the HP each year for somthing broken :| but i got better each time i was down cuz when i got out i just go on it harder :) .. ( yes i know you would think if i keep breaking bones i'm doing somthing wrong nooo i just push my self to hard sometimes .. ) then in 2001 i cracked my skull :| talk about a biter .. spent 7 weeks home bound .. and a good few months after that still out of it .. but after the 26k doc. bill and us getting lucky and only having to pay 1200 of it :) i did not stop . i got back out there and kept at it . then i went back to the track where it all happend ( oh yea .. if you get life flighted .. be ready .. i know the houston ppl charge you 3k just to start the chopper up ) and they had to use the jumper on my heart :| but i'v learned more and more each time things happend to me .. what can i say . .i'm a first hand learner huh ? but its good your about back up . do what the doc. says and thing will be good .. and besides .. they do say " it dont hurt tell the bones show" i'v broken 15 bones so far .. so after the first few .. your just like .. F@$% did it again .. ok someone load my bike and set him in my truck so i can get to the hp .. crazy but i love it !
Pablo, welcome back to the road. And heed your doctors warning -- they make the big bucks for a reason!
As RedShift mentioned, we kind of know what you've gone through given our winters. 50F today and a ton of bikers were out. I'm sure I wasn't the only one with the big goofy smile under the helmet :laugh:
Well, back on the road is very nice :thumb:(didn't know you were off the road - haven't been keeping up with the forum enough, obviously) Glad you're healin'! Take it easy...for a while at least. 8)
Going riding on the weekend huh? Well enjoy it for me 'cause none of that good stuff happening around here (Edmonton) but I do have the M/C show to look forward to this weekend Jan 13,14 and 15. Woohoo! :) Hey - its all I got until spring!
Have fun man - scrape one for me!! (not that I have ever scraped one...yet ;))
Dandy
I feel for Dandy -- we in Michigan should be sub-Zero Celcius with snow everywhere and we will tomorrow, but not today. :)
Supposed to rain today with a near-steady 40°F today. But if it isn't raining when I leave for work today, I'm taking the GS500 and leaving the car at home. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redshift/Ride.gif)
Dandy had some decent warmth during the Christmas holidays, but it's the habit of Alberta to spread sand and pea gravel rather than salt on snow and road ice. Even if a rider sees a great day, that stuff doesn't dissolve, making it pretty risky when one rides outside of any car tracks. :cry:
:thumb: Pablo, glad yours healed. Broke my left collar bone in 03 and it never healed. Son broke his right in 04 and his left in 05, anyone that hasn't broken one yet really hasn't been riding hard enough. :laugh:
Oh, jeez...I really have to work harder! Do I really have to wrok harder? I'm feeling a little pressure here. :laugh:
Glad to hear you're back on the horse... er... bike... Pablo!
Quote from: gsJack on January 13, 2006, 08:28:35 AM
:thumb: Pablo, glad yours healed. Broke my left collar bone in 03 and it never healed. Son broke his right in 04 and his left in 05, anyone that hasn't broken one yet really hasn't been riding hard enough. :laugh:
what do you mean..never healed?
Hey, maybe one of you may be interested that I did indeed ride to work today. Overcast and the thermometer on the bike read 42°F with a 20 mph South wind. Great to be out there.
It was even enjoyable today when I went to the Dentist. No cavities -- I use Crest. :icon_mrgreen:
Riding home was a different story. A cold front pushed through around 2:00 pm. Rain turned to wet snow by the time I headed home. Wet road was easy to ride, though I was tip-toeing along. Knee caps were in the wet air stream and froze first.
Still, something to remember on my first January ride. :thumb: Maybe there's something good about Global Warming after all. :dunno_white:
Good luck man. enjoy the road, if not the track. :cookoo: :icon_mrgreen: :thumb: