Quote from: Jarrett on September 21, 2006, 12:37:23 AM
Nobody wants to lay down a bike.  Nobody wants to crash.  ...  Thanks for sharing your story and giving us all a heads up to be safe and ride like everyone is out to get us.

Jarrett: You're going to be another voice of reason on this board, and I absolutely welcome that! 

babypumpkinhead: Glad you're here to tell us the tale and help others not make the same mistakes. What sort of gear were you wearing? How's the body? Ok, I hope. You're braver than I. I don't think I rode in wet conditions for many moons after I started riding. Be safe out there, and.....

to paraphrase RVertigo: NO MORE CRASHING! NONE!! 

Thanks to all that didn't critisize my split second decision, thankfully some appreciate the fact that I am here to tell the tale.  For those of you who didn't recognize that and jumped down my throat about which brakes I used and how I didn't swerve into the car next to me........well..........

The latest estimate on the bike was $5200, needless to say, it's totalled.

I suffered a compound leg fracture(both shin bones broke and came through the skin).  I had 2 blood clots, bruised ribs, and black and blue on my stomach, lower back, and both legs.  No head injuries.  I just started walking again last Friday, the accident happened on 8/28.  I now have a titanium rod and 4 screws in my leg that will be there forever.  Blood clots are gone but I have to be monitored for 6 months, physical therapy starts tomorrow to get movement back in my knee and ankle as I can't currebtly move them much.

I wanted to post some pics, but call me stupid, I wasn't able to.  When I click on "attach image" I don't get a browse option?  Am I missing something???

Wow, that sounds like a major owie  but better broken than dead. I'm suprised/glad that you aren't scared off from riding. Glad you're recovering and I hope the physical therapy helps and you make a full recovery. I hope the drugs are good, and if you have any extra.....  no I'm sure you need all you can get.
Take care man   

Wow!

by your initial post it sounded like you got off easily. Now we know you didn't!

Mate, sounds like you were a lucky fella!

So were the nurses kind to you?

Wow from your previous posts I had no idea the damage to your body & bike was that serious!

well, I'm glad you made it in one piece!

to post pics you will need to upload the image to a web host like www.photobucket.com

then click to view the picture as its full size on photobucket. right click the picture and go to properties. a window will come up, & hilight the address (URL) of the photo & copy it. then click the insert picture option in the reply on this website and this will come up:

click between the ][ and right-click & paste. that should do it. if you have a bunch of pictures it's best to just post a link to your photobucket page than post a bunch of pics here. I say this because a lot of people on this site have stuff crammed up their....

well they'll complain...  


you live & you learn; definitly get back on to a bike as soon as you can; sometimes this happens to people & they never ride again. Kudos for keeping a good attitude; maybe it's the painkillers? . & dont get upset at people's need to point out exactly what you did wrong. some think they know everything about everything from taking the MSF & hanging out too much in motorcycle forums, except whin this happens to anybody there is no telling one's natural reactions & how the situation will unfold.

& get another GS!  

Yoooouuuuuuch!!!!!! Dayim! Heal up! I'm betting P.T. is gonna be a beeeatch. 

It takes courage to post about your ordeal. It also takes courage to learn from it and accept constructive advice. Ignore the know-it-alls, and learn from the wisdom here. We can ALL learn from the wisdom posted in the aftermath of getoffs.

Did you have gear failure, or lack of gear? Nope, I'm not asking to be critical. I like to know how gear holds up (or doesn't) when crash tested, and I like to know whether someone was seriously injured in spite of good gear or in part due to lack of it. 

Looking back on the accident, what have you learned that you think might help the rest of us?

Glad you survived.  What did you learn?

Thanks for the support everyone.   

I was actually just wearing my work shirt(polo), Old Navy Cords, and skate shoes, and a vinyl windbreaker.  No helmet, go ahead, let me have it!!!

I think you learned more here than anyone could possibly teach you, and it was a hard lesson. So what gear are you GOING to wear when you're able to ride again?

I probably won't change any gear I was wearing, with the exception of a decent jacket as the temps get cooler in hese parts.  I'm a former ATV rider and a current snowmobiler, so I enjoy cool riding.  I hope to ride into November, or until the flakes fall, whichever comes first!!!!!!!

I think I did learn that no matter how much you slow down in any type of whether, some accidents cannot be avoided, like this one, as much as many on this site think it was, they weren't there to validate their "theory".  Judging by the details of the incident, I feel I made he right decision by laying the bike down.  There was no other way to go, the street this happened on is the busiest, most hectic street in Milwaukee County.

Here's  link to my photobucket album.  There pics of me and the bike in there.  The second pic of the bike actual shows where the frame was bent.  The bracket that the footpeg attaches to appears to be bent, but it's not, we took the bracket and peg off and they are perfectly straight, however, the frame where it attaches to it bent, and the bolt holes are oblonged.
http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m281/jaseel/

Quote from: babypumpkinhead on September 21, 2006, 10:27:10 AM
I probably won't change any gear I was wearing, with the exception of a decent jacket as the temps get cooler in hese parts.

Are you f%$king kidding me? Ok, I wasn't gonna flame over how laying the bike down is a bad decision. (It is, but I'm not gonna harp). But you're seriously telling me that after this much damage to your body, you're not gonna wear MC boots, gloves, helmet, and a jacket? Man. That's f%$king stupid. You just said not all accidents are avoidable (which I more or less agree with. Given proper following distance, you can stop before you run into the back somone. If you hit them, you didn't have proper following distance. However, there are idiots out there who will rear end, tbone, sideswipe you, etc, and those I feel are mostly unavoidable.) But the fact that you admit that there is a possibility that something like this will happen to you again.. and yet you're not gonna buy gear. Man, that just rings dumb to me. Anyone else?

And yes, I know I will get flamed for this post. I might get "talked to" (i.e., threatened rather heavy handedly) again. But whatever. Cuz that's dumb.

/rant

*dons flame suit*

I appreciate your concern, but no boot would have stopped my leg from breaking(trust me!!!), in fact it may have wrecked my knee instead, hich doctors say would have been worse.  Yeah I had some road rash, but barely enough to draw any blood, actually didn't even require bandages.  When you run into a solid object such as a car at 30MPH, what jacket is going to prevent bruised ribs?   

Seriously guys, I'm trying to be a team player here.  If you ask me a question like what kind of gear I was/will be wearing, I'm going to be honst with you, and I was, but posts like this are pushing away from being social and sharing my experiences.  Seriously, grow up.  Even my own mother didn't give me that much crap about gear.

Later.............

Come on, at least get a helmet. It's $100 for a decent one, and it keeps your face warm too. Are those kids yours too? You'd hate to leave them growing up without a daddy.

Okay, I wont preach, but don't prove Darwin right.

They are not my kids, but thanks.

I have a helmet, and I wear it on the freeway or long drives, but in all honesty, I don't feel like I'm riding a cycle when I'm wearing it.  I enjoy the ride more without it, and if that means that someday I will be dead instead of being a vegetable, then so be it.  That's my choice.

I'm done with this topic.  What started out as a cooperative information exchange is now a bashing session.  Either many of the users on this site aren't old enough to ride, or they just act like it.  My apologies to those of you who were mature enough to hold a conversation.

Quote from: babypumpkinhead on September 21, 2006, 11:31:21 AM
I enjoy the ride more without it, and if that means that someday I will be dead instead of being a vegetable, then so be it.  That's my choice.

What about being perfectly okay vs. being EITHER a vegetable or dead?  That's what a helmet can do for you.

No bashing intended though, just a friendly observation, and I think everyone else who's recommending you get gear is doing it for the same reason.

But as you said, it's YOUR choice, and glad you're okay!   

My grandfather smoked for 40 years and never got lung cancer.  Good for him.   Some folks don't wear helmets and never have an accident after years of riding.  Good for them.  My luck isn't that good.  I don't win scratch offs, I don't have any rich old women beating down my door, and the IRS is always looking further into my meager income.  It's all about ORM, Operation Risk Management.  If it's not worth the risk, don't do it.  Pretty simple.  This guys has a major accident and still doesn't think helmets are needed for short rides.  Aint nothing we can say gonna change his mind.  it's not like he's never been down and busted up in the hospital.  He knows what the pavement feels like. 

Quote from: babypumpkinhead on September 21, 2006, 11:21:41 AM
I appreciate your concern, but no boot would have stopped my leg from breaking(trust me!!!), in fact it may have wrecked my knee instead, hich doctors say would have been worse.  Yeah I had some road rash, but barely enough to draw any blood, actually didn't even require bandages.  When you run into a solid object such as a car at 30MPH, what jacket is going to prevent bruised ribs?   

Seriously guys, I'm trying to be a team player here.  If you ask me a question like what kind of gear I was/will be wearing, I'm going to be honst with you, and I was, but posts like this are pushing away from being social and sharing my experiences.  Seriously, grow up.  Even my own mother didn't give me that much crap about gear.

Later.............

I understand no boot would have stopped you from breaking your leg. How would it have made your knee worse? As for running into a solid object.. I ran my bike into the back of a car at roughly 30+mph a month ago. I flipped over the handlebars, landed on my back/ass and slid. The jacket saved my hide. The armor saved me from all but one bruise, and no roadrash. As for "growing up" or being "not old enough to ride"... Well, I'm probably a good bit younger than you. But at least I have a little bit of self preservation instinct. Riding is dangerous. I accept that. I even ride a little dangerously. But I dress for the crash. As for your observation that you wear your helmet on long rides.. ever hear the statistic that most accidents occur within close proximity to your home (roughly 5 miles)?

Man, I'm not trying to stop you from being social. I'm trying stop you from being dead.

Wow...  I don't think I've ever heard of someone that crashed and still refused to wear gear.

Gotta be a first. 

Without a helmet, a low-side is probably better than a high-side or smacking into the side of the car head first...

My last words are only that every situation is totally different from another.  Bottom line being, nobody has any right to tell me what would have made things better or worse for me except myself.  I was there, I saw it coming, I saw it happen, and I saw the result, NONE OF YOU did that, none!!!!!!  Not even an eyewitness could give me advice on an accident, they weren't the one in control.

Keep bashing away, you are your own audience.

I wasn't trying to bash dude...  I was just surprised that you don't want to wear gear after an accident...  That's all really.

I'm not one to bash (any more)...  I just thought it was odd that you still don't want to wear gear after an accident...   But, I always wear my helmet and my seat belt, so I guess I just have a different point of view.