| Author | Message | ||
     Coturi |
Well, the road finally got me back for abusing it for so long. On Sunday a couple of Buellers and I went for quick jaunt up one of our favorite mountain roads. Everybody was having a blast until on the way down I hit a bit of unseen sand and highsided at 45mph (which is slower than normal for that section). It happened in the blink of an eye. My friend right behind me said I flew about seven feet high in the air and then slid for about another 40 feet. I am doing ok. My left wrist is pretty well shattered, as well as the end of my radius and ulna. I'll be going into surgery tomorrow morning to get some pins, clips, screws, and a plate. Other than that I have a few bumps and bruises, but not a single scratch. I was wearing a 1pc. HJC leather suit with full armor and a back protector, Joe Rocket gloves, and boots, and a KBC helmet. It all held up really well considering. I have no doubt that the gear saved my life. The bike isn't too bad. I'll need new brake levers, right peg, grip, mirror, maybe new bars to get it road worthy. The headers and rear wheel are hammered but plenty useable for now. The frame puck barely got touched, and my paint doesn't have ant damage. The homemade axle sliders worked incredibly well, they saved my swingarm and forks from even getting a scratch, though they are toast. I think that there was quite a debate about the skateboard wheels, but in my mind, it is over. The crappy thing is I build waterfalls for a living, and I won't be able to use one of my hands for a few months. So, work is going to be difficult for some time. I also have a new baby coming in a month and a half that I'd like to be able to hold. I do however have very good insurance, thank god. Please wear your gear no matter what, it will save your hide. Keep the rubber on the road, it hurts much less than the alternative. ATGATT | ||
| Xb12randy |
Glad your OK. Crashing sucks but the important thing is you'll live to ride another day. You'll have a Luke Skywalker like left hand but chicks dig scars and your gonna have plenty. I feel your pain as I have a good bit of metal in me from a SX crash years ago. | ||
| Chit |
in a positive light now you have a bad ass bike crash story... bike traveling on skateboard wheels = very interesting, you can leave out the part that the bike was on it's side when it happened till the end. | ||
| 07xb12r |
Glad to hear you are "ok". Please take my advice and make damb sure they do xrays after the surgery and continue during the entire healing process. I shattered my left distal radius, did not set properly after surgery, suffer excruciating pain when using the clutch lever alot. At first seamed like I was going to be ok...accident was well over 10 years ago. Good luck, God speed on your recovery. | ||
| Surveyor |
Michael, Bad luck, I think we all live in dread of a Highside something I have thankfully never experienced. I read an article recently where the guy said that to avoid a high side you have to overcome the instinct to close the throttle the instant you feel the back tyre break away. I know I can't do that but one of the advantages of advanced age is that your reactions get so slow that by the time your 'close the damn throttle' instinct kicks in the incident is over, so it's probably your youth and quick reflexes that caught you out....that's my theory anyway. Get well soon. | ||
| Coturi |
Thanks for the well wishes, and the advice, I'll keep an eye on it. Maybe the worst part of it all is I'm going to miss my trackday in a month, especially cause I would have been riding the 1125R all day at Miller. | ||
| Prof_stack |
So you join the increasing group of Buellers with "street-cred." Best wishes getting healed and healthy; and best of luck with the new child! | ||
| Diablobrian |
High sides are the WORST! I'm glad you were wearing your gear and minimized the amount of injuries you received. ATGATT is serious business, and has saved many lives. I'm sorry that you won't be able to do your normal work at full capacity, but it could have been much MUCH worse had you been wearing the squid standard t-shirt, tennis shoes and shorts. | ||
| Wantxbr |
Good to hear nothing really serious happened to you. High sides hurt I've had two. WAIT TIL THOSE PINS HAVE TO COME OUT...OH YEA NOTHING FEELS LIKE PINS AND SCREWS BEING REMOVED FROM YOUR BODY. Believe it or not staples being removed hurts more then the pins. Randy can you point me in the direction of these chicks that like scars. I have about 13 one being about 14inches long. Those chicks WILL LOVVE ME..  Heal quick and get that bike road worthy again. Good Luck with the surgery. | ||
| Dbird29 |
Heal up Coturi! Maybe you will be 100% for next year's Miller Inside Pass. What a bummer. | ||
| Coturi |
Thanks to all, the surgery went well. David, I'm still probably coming down in a few weeks, but as part of the pit crew. I can't miss at least seeing the new bikes. My mishap has already led to three other riders I know buying full suits, so some good has come from it. ATGATT | ||
| Diablobrian |
Glad the surgery went well. Strangely enough I had a similar outcome among my friends after my big wreck. Sometimes a brush with mortality, even if it's not your own, can be a big wake-up call. | ||
| Etennuly |
Sorry to hear about crashing, it sucks no matter how you look at. My recent get off has just about finished healing. I too am thankful for having full gear. Good luck with the healing and back to work program! | ||
| Bad_karma |
Michael Glad to hear your OK, Smart that you chose to wear the correct gear. Welcome to Asphalt Surfers Anonymous. Joe | ||
| Coturi |
Thanks guys. Bad_Karma, not the best club to be a part of, but I'll proudly wear my membership pin. | ||
| Slaughter |
Michael, Having busted a couple body parts - one thing I have to say here - PHYSICAL THERAPY!!! Even if your insurance only covers minimal PT, it's well worth paying for a couple sessions yourself to get expert guidance on regaining your range of motion and strength! Sounds like you're in the right hands but after the healing is done, you really have to take your PT seriously and I know some insurance companies can cheap-screw you on PT. Yeah, it's "only" a wrist but I went through it after breaking just the tip of the ulna and a metacarpal - and ended up paying about $250 out of pocket for PT because the doc was just giving me a photocopy of some therapy page to use for a guide. A couple racers referred me to a doc who would work with me. I've since switched doctors. Glad all the king's horses and all the king's men put Humpty Dumpty together again! Wear your metal proudly... just don't forget your doctor's note when you go through airline security! | ||
| Carbide |
Wow, sorry to hear about your crash. I am from Canada and was in the UK and went to France for the D-day aniv. with my father, uncle and cousin for a week long motorcycle trip. We had an amazing time but at the end of our trip on the way back to Calais my father went a little too fast into a round about, ran wide and highsided off the curb. I was ahead and missed the whole thing, but when a passing truck signaled that there was a crash my heart sank. I rode back expecting the worst as we were riding pretty hard, but lucky for my old man he only smashed his ankle to bits but was otherwise fine. The worth of proper quality riding gear has never been so clear to me. I now only ride in proper gear and see people all the time in shorts with no shirt and sandals on a freakin' Busa! It makes me very angry to see people underestimate what speed and pavement can do. At least you were prepared for the worst. I hope you mend well, and get back on the saddle soon! | ||
| Rr_eater |
SO this weekend was not so good for several people. I was out riding with a long time friend of mine, headed to Corbin in Hollister to get my seat fixed. We were headed north on highway 25, rounding a 35mph corner at about 40, when I looked back aftrer the turn and could no longer see my buddy, but a HUGE cloud of dirt and dust. Well needless to say, I freaked!! We were 35-50 miles from ANYTHING that resembles a hospital, and there was a barbed wire fence not 10 feet from the road. I did the most impressive (Im sure) stoppie before turning around and racing back to the corner. Fortunately, I had no traffic to worry about, as this road is VERY lightly traveled. I screamed up on my worst expectations, my friend, wrapped around a steel fence post, his bike tangled in the barbwire, and him underneath it. His Duc was not running, and sitting straight up, with the rear pipe laying against his lower leg and butt. I ripped the bike off him and out of the fence, slapped the side stand down, and raced back to him. Jim was groaning, and obviously beat up, but coherent, and miraculously not a scratch in him!! draggin jeans, leather boots, Dainese jacket, frank gloves, arai helmet. WHOOO I performned triage like they have taught us in EMT school, not allowing him to move or remove his helmet. Felt him over, no broken bones or joints, no softness of the rib cage or chest area, and coherent, though not remembering what happened. His eyes were diallated though responsive, and all the other "stuff" seamed normal. He relaxed on his back for 10 minutes before rolling over and sitting up on his own power. Jim could not remember the incident, though his new tire and a dusty road I am sure led to his off. The marks in the dirt showed he was sideways before leaving the road, and did not hit till he was in the dirt. Helmet trashed, but otherwise he and his gear were all there and good to go. I spent about 30 minutes cleaning and straightening out his monster, while he sipped a bottle of water and regained his wits. He was up and walking around on his own, not dizzy or nauseous, and remembering now everything up until the accident. My worries of a concussion were minimized now, and his bike, though without a left peg, was again ridable. THANK GOODNESS for frame sliders All this said, this is the 3rd ride I have been on in the last year where someone went down. And all of them had all their gear on and ended in positive results, hence my HATRED for those who ride HARD in t shirts and shorts. GAIN- Gear Always Injuries Negligible Get well soon man, we need the support back out there!!! Bruce |
