| Author | Message | ||
     Rotzaruck |
My old bike has been broke for twenty- eight years. I’ve been okay with that, I’ll get around to it one of these days. (sorry, a redundant post, but somebody said that was the greatest opening line ever, went to my head). Sometimes, though, motivation just comes out of the blue. It all started, when my lovely bride said "I wish I had a bike again". She rode for years when she was younger. I have wanted one myself, to varying degrees off and on for years, but couldn't financially justify it. Sometimes things are easier to justify for someone else. I started kind of watching and discovered the Blast. A lot different from the old Z1900 I used to ride, but in trying to learn about the Blast and Buell, I found BadWeB. BadWeb sold me on Buell. We started looking more seriously and finally found one that was priced right, and brought it home. Becky was thrilled, so I was too. I pried her off of it, and rode it down the road, grinning all the way, and realized what I had been missing. If I had known how much trouble getting back to riding was going to be, I wouldn't have done it, if I hadn't realized how much fun it would be. I couldn't be on the insurance policy because I didn't have a license, which was no big issue long ago. Riding is no fun if you have to worry so much about something going afoul, so I set out to get a license. No big deal. I went to just get a book, just to look it over, and be sure I would pass the test. I didn't know you had to stand in the mile long line, just to get a book. By the time I finally got to the counter, I had decided to go ahead and test, didn't want to go through that again. "Next!" the lady said, I stepped up and announced I needed a MC endorsement. She said "fine, give me your license". I handed it to her, she started typing and said "oh, you have a CDL, I need your health card". "I don't have one" "You have to have a health card to drive a truck" "My trucks broken right now, so I'm not driving at the moment" "You have to have a health card" "You don't need a health card for a MC" "You have to have a health card" "Lady, if I came from in here with no license at all, couldn't I get a MC license?" "NEXT!! Oh, you want this book?" Now I have to have a license AND a health card to ride a motorcycle. I didn't have a health card, partly cause I really wasn't driving a truck right now, and I failed the eye test when I tried to get one. My eyes aren't that bad, I can see that vehicle just fine, I don't care if the driver’s teeth are straight or not. I thought I might pass if I tried again, but, just to be safe, and not waste another half day at the doctor's office, I figured I needed to go ahead and get some glasses and contacts. I mostly didn't want to be required to have them while driving, but didn't mind having them when I needed them. I invested another half day, and a noticeable amount of money, to get that squared away. Missing lots of work, having a hard time even getting loose to do all this stuff was getting a bit aggravating. Then, I spent my time at the doc's office; we were rocking right along until the eye chart part. "MAN YOU NEED GLASSES!!!" I went to the truck, got my glasses and STILL had a hard time with that bottom line. I think some of those letters were Greek or something. Okay, got my glasses, got my health card, found another day to get away, back to the line. I had sort of looked through that book when I first got it, a lot of it just didn't apply to me, and a lot of time had passed since this all started. I have never been one to drink, my life has been rather, well... eventful. Things just happen, a lot. I am convinced that if I was a drinking man, I never would have survived, and I knew that, even before I was old enough to start. Not only have I never been drunk, I also didn't know how many beers you can drink in how many hours and safely ride a motorcycle. I didn't know what percentage of fatal mc accidents involve someone who has been drinking, but is not legally intoxicated. As a matter of fact, I didn't know ANY of the alcohol related questions that make up twenty-five percent of the test. FAILURE---OH GOODGRIEF!!! I studied the book, found enough room in my short term memory to maybe pass, went back, stood in line,gave them my license AND my health card, signed up to test. Nothing happened; the computers were down, the whole state, all afternoon. Finally got to test and passed, Beck brought her bike, and I managed to get the riding part done. Then they put some scroungy looking guy’s picture on my new license. I was just amazed to actually leave that place with a MC on my CDL, tucked in beside my HC. Now I am officially a healthy, legal, motorcycle operating, non drinking, alcohol expert who must wear corrective lenses. I hate my new bi-focals. I can't see my shoestrings, or the speedometer, or where the fire went off my cigarette. I can see okay with my contacts, but it takes forever to get them in, I give up. I crank up the bike, put on my jacket, put on my gloves, take my gloves off and put on my glasses, put my gloves on and try to put on my helmet, take off my gloves, take off my glasses, put on my helmet, put on my glasses, put on my gloves, take off my gloves, buckle my helmet, put my gloves on, and take them off one more time to zip my jacket, and I'm worn out. During all this time trying to get legal, I have learned that my kind, loving, sharing mate has absolutely NO inclination to share her new motorcycle. She would, but she didn't want to. Just in a few rare instances in a man’s married life, do familial politics work in his favor, this was my time. "You're just going to have to get your own motorcycle" "Well, gee babydoll, do you think we can afford it?" "No, but we're going to have to do something, I can't ride mine if you're gone on it all the time, and if we had two, we could ride together" I can't even stand the thought of riding with anybody, I even hate to fly, cause they won't let me drive. Beck's obviously too intelligent to ride with me, so it worked out that two bikes was a really good idea. Imagine that. Then the bike search started all over. Budget restraints were still a problem; you have to be a little realistic, even with spousal approval. I looked at all sorts of options, but finally admitted to myself, I wasn't going to be happy with anything other than a Buell. Scoured BadWeB, learning and debating. I needed cheap, but really didn't want a Blast. We already had one, which I really liked, but I knew, I would want a little more before long. I finally found a banged up M2 four hours away, and a Lightning to look at on the way. Becky was posting my questions, and relaying advice and opinions about both bikes from BadWeB, BadWeb is so neat. The M2 was cheaper, and sounded to be more what I really needed, so I hauled it home. Extensive help from BadWeB, including donated parts (pay-it-forward is not new, it's just official, and organized now) and LOTS of advice, some ebay parts, and new parts from Daves, I finally got it looking okay, and running great. Gravity, lack of recent experience, my short legs (I would say short sexy legs, but they really are short), and general klutziness, all conspired to cause some grief, but soon I was feeling much more confident and in charge. Time in the saddle was the only cure, and it was a little hard to come by. I have this working thing, always in the way, and then there is our nine year old. Ashton is such a neat little guy, so brave in so many ways, but yet overly cautious in others. He wanted nothing to do with the motorcycles. He was extremely hard to convince to even sit on the Blast. Becky finally got him to agree to sit behind her. Not ride, just sit. He stopped, just before climbing on, looked at his Mom, held out his hand, and said "give me the keys", yes, very cautious. I wouldn't even think about riding him with me yet, but Beck’s ready, but until he is, we still have to ride at different times except on the rare days we have a baby sitter. Meanwhile, as the license battle was coming to an end, I had scrounged up enough money to get my bike registered. Maybe, I should have recognized all this difficulty as glaring signs. I had a whole stack of papers, from three states, showing where the bike had been bought, financed, repossessed, sent to auction company, auctioned off to dealer, lien satisfied and sold to me. I went to the tax place they call tag and title, and got in that line. The lady shuffled through all that mess, and started asking “where’s this and that, why didn’t they sign this, who are these people"? “Lady, I don’t know, I just bought a motorcycle, and surely there are enough papers there to figure anything out.”. “Well, you’re going to have to go back to the dealer, she gave me a list of all the things I needed, and sent me grumbling on my way. I had to send all that mess back, he had to take it to his DMV, they requested stuff, he requested stuff, and I finally got it all back. Then repeated the whole procedure again, my new license and running bike, just sitting, all this time. Well most of the time. With luck like mine, you shouldn’t ride without tags. I took my revised papers back to the tag place. No, the title is not signed properly. This had not been a problem on the previous trips. Somehow, mysteriously, they got signed without the trip back to SC. After a few days, I went back again, same place different lady. She shuffled through all that mess, peeled off the stuff we had worked so hard to get, and said “I don’t need any of this ”, and gave it back to me. I was very proud of myself; I don’t think I even changed expressions. I called the guy I bought the bike from, just to let him know, I finally got tags, and told him what had happened. I think he’s still cussing. Since becoming legal, insured, tagged and getting the bike going, I finally got a chance to get at least a few miles on the bike when the weather co-operated. I was loving it!! My only big worry was Becky taking it away from me, she loves her Blast, but she thought that M2 felt sooo good. We got the chance to ride one Friday night together, and then the next weekend, got to ride again, with some friends Friday night, and with each other Saturday. We went in the morning to the local HD’s clearance yard sale, and found no Buell stuff at all. Then, we stopped at a convenience store to shuck our long handles. We strapped them on the back of my seat and started off to a bike shop in a small town north of here. We only had one short stretch of interstate, and then stuck to the back roads. I was having a great time, and loving the fun things that happened when I caught second right. Almost all of our back roads are crooked, there’s always a ridge or creek they have to go around. Becky was in front, zooming around the curves, braided ponytail flying behind. I was mostly playing catch up in the straights. Sometimes, I could stay with her, sometimes, just nearly, sometimes not at all. Lots of curves, though, woke up my cautions, and I just took my time, and stayed comfortable. I was doing much better, and way beyond wanting to get off and push it around curves. Then we got to the last curve for me that day. I still don’t know what happened. I’ve thought about it from the moment I realized I was alive until now. Becky had curved to the right and then disappeared around a blind curve to the left, on a downhill slope. I don’t know exactly what spooked me, but I didn’t like that curve to the left. Becky rides that area fairly often, but it had been some time since I had been through there, and wasn’t on a bike then. I think I could see the railroad on the other side, and would have assumed there was a crossing, but the hill prevented actually seeing anything the way the curve was headed. I slowed way down, and started into the curve. Just as I was coming in to it, things went horribly afoul. The bike came up, and I could not get it to lay back in. I saw a power pole and guy wire on the right, off the road, in my projected route. I think, though contrary to my nature, I had a moment of panic. I still don’t know if I should have stayed on course, and maybe got that thing to go where I wanted it to, and risked the guy wire. I do know the state of panic is no place to be making life or death decisions. I saw, if I just went straight I had an open section of grass, down the hill. I took the grass, now things were happening fast. The grass stopped at an area of cherty, gravely stuff, and I saw past that, a huge rock covered ditch, just shy of the railroad. Since the curve to the left was immediately followed by a curve to the right, I had more or less, just short cutted the curve, straightening it out. Then I thought, if I could get just a bit to the left, I could miss the RR signals, and actually swing back onto the road. I don’t remember any other vehicles at that moment. It went kind of like this: Curve left-NO!! Guy wire!!!Pole!!! I’M GONNA DIE!!! OH!! Open grass, go that way BIG DITCH!!RAILROAD!!I”M GONNA DIE!!! There’s the road- if I can miss that rocky shoulder, I just might pull this off Missed the rocks, on the road, with both lanes, might get turned CAR!!!!!!! Immediate contact-where’d she come from? I’m flying- don’t know how long, but long enough to think about it, and know, I can’t do anything about it Then the dreaded landing, a brief moment of silence, and I opened my eyes. Yep, still in this world. I landed on my back/shoulders, and back of my head. Head up, still connected, wiggle wiggle, got two feet, wiggle wiggle got two hands too!! I didn’t even have the breath knocked out of me. Weird. I thought, “Where’s Becky? Oh Man!! she doesn’t even know what happened yet!!” I worried about the moment she realized I wasn’t behind her anymore. The car I hit was sitting there on the railroad track, and the driver started pulling up, with the passenger saying stop. One was trying to get off the tracks, one was trying to keep her from running over MC parts in the road, or wanting to get out and see about me. I don’t know. I didn’t want have that lying there dead or dying look when Becky got there. I started to get up, my leg was a bit hurt, but I made it before the people who had been running my way yelling “be still, don’t get up!!” got to me. Thinking, they may know something about my condition I hadn’t noticed yet, I let them lay me back down. One guy was an EMT, lucky day for me. He asked me questions, all of which I answered coherently, looked at my eyes, talked a minute, I said “I think I’m okay, and I NEED to get up. I looked up and saw Beck, on the phone, and wondered who she found to talk to at a time like this. I got up, and convinced them to let me get my helmet off. I was hobbling, but walked to the front of the car. I asked the people I hit if they were alright, they were fine, just mortified. I apologized for running over them. I saw my bike laying there, on the first tracks. My tank was in front of the car, my seat beyond the bike, and two pretty blue pairs of long johns spread on the tracks. I wonder if anybody wondered about that. I looked at the smashed front bumper where my tire had hit, toward the drivers side. I scanned the hood and the top of the car, no sign of my passing. I stood where the front of the car had been, and imagined going diagonally over the car, and, ten or fifteen feet at least, beyond it, to where I had landed, on large sharp rocks between the tracks. I had on my full face helmet and a cheap closeout ebay jacket. The back of the helmet had some long deep gouges and one small hole. The jacket, which was part mesh and part leather, had one little scratched area on the shoulder. The back armor performed nicely. I think now, my right leg might have hit the rail, and caused the only serious damage to my body. I felt amazed and very blessed. Thank you Lord, for that landing. I think my Angel caught me, carried me over that car, and gently parked me on those rocks. And then kicked me in the knee for being so stupid, before flying off to slow that train down. I met Becky coming my way, and told her I was alright. She wasn’t. She told me she got around the next curve, and on a straight, and had trouble looking back because her mirror had loosened out of adjustment, and didn’t see me. She stopped; I didn’t show, so hoping I had just stopped for some logical reason, started back. She saw cars stopped at the tracks, and people all around me, assured I was okay; she had called our friends who were to meet us later to meet us right now. She blurted that all out machine gun style, I think because, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to contain her composure too long. She said “are you sure you’re alright" ? “I think I’m in better shape than you are". Then she started to lose it, and we just held on to each other for a few minutes, with me thinking how close I had come to never being able to do that again. Not in this world anyway. That was the best hug I'd had in a long time. I'm so fortunate. Hugs should never be taken for granted. Then we backed of and looked at each other, she said “You scared me so bad, I’m so glad you’re okay, but I’m still mad at you “ Sheesh!! Women!!! The police and ambulance had arrived, and somewhere in there the train went through, everybody was scrambling to get cars and MC parts off the tracks. One guy just barely got his truck out from under the dropping barricade. That train was one that just slipped through; I did have the distinction of briefly stopping the trains through Soddy-Daisy Tennessee that day. The EMT s parked me on the bumper of their ambulance and asked me more questions. They wanted to haul me to the hospital, but, I didn’t want to be hauled. Promised them I was going later, because I knew my knee was hurt. When I told them I might take them up on the ride offer if they would let me drive, they pronounced me okay, and went on and left me alone. Then I had to talk to the policeman. I still couldn’t explain. He was very nice, and told me he would have to hold me at fault. I couldn’t come up with an argument, but at least he didn’t write me a ticket, still my lucky day. The railroad man showed up and determined I hadn’t mangled the tracks too bad. I had to go back home before I went to the hospital. Nobody understood, the hospital was on the way, as a matter of fact, all the hospitals were on the way. Why folks won’t just accept my ideas sometimes, I just don’t know. I finally had to break down and explain. I only remember two or three things from when I was young, one of which was my Mothers strict rule of always wearing clean underwear if you plan on having an accident. This caused me a lot of confusion until I got older and understood, I thought “why wear clean drawers if you’re going to have an accident anyway"? She wasn’t talking about that kind of accident. She meant the hurting, hospital type. How can you go to the hospital, if the last time you saw your underwear, they were spread out on the railroad track? Beck’s friend, the x-ray tech that really wanted to get me looked at quickly, offered me some pink thong panties she had in the trunk, but I don’t look right in pink and that s the only color she had. They finally shut up and took me home. The six hour hospital visit just ended up with x-rays of a cracked bone in my knee, a big ‘ol thing to wrap around my leg, some brand new crutches, and instructions to go straight away to an orthopedic. I was really proud of my new crutches; I wore out two sets getting over my last big adventure. Nevrenuf, who had shared parts and advice on BadWeB, was planning on being in town that day to start a new job. We were excited about getting the chance to actually meet another BadWeBer, and have another Buell owner in town. We were hoping to ride to where he was staying, and go out and eat. When he called to announce his arrival, and pick a place to meet, I had to give him the news. Change of plans, I hated that; he was ready to go get my bike, or do anything he could to help. We did go pick him up the next day, and took him to lunch, and out to the scene of the crime. Found out he’s a very nice guy, even if he does ride one of those oddball motorcycles. He went climbing off down in the ditch, and plowed through the bushes, and came out with the front half of my front fender. Now, I’ve been to the surgeon, he didn’t sound too hopeful of a quick or complete recovery. For the first time in my life, I’m glad I’m not a professional baseball player, he said it was one of those "career ending" injuries. I’ve had my MRI, and go back tomorrow to see the doc again, and find out the plan. I’m anxious to find out when I can shift again, or if. Beck said there’s always a Suzukimatic, or a moped. She’s so funny. She has taken very good care of me though, my own personal Nurse Goodbody. The insurance guy called today, too much for them to fix it. I’ll find out in a day or two how that’s going to come out. I think it’s fixable, one of these days. If I can keep it, I’ll get around to it. I am still, just walking, well, crutching, around in wonder at my good fortune. I meant it when I told Becky, if they had cut that leg off, I’d still feel very fortunate. I spend a lot of time, re thinking that curve, trying to figure out what I did, or didn’t do. Neil (Nevrenuf) went to the wrecker yard with me, and loaded it on the trailer and brought it home. We couldn’t see anything that looked like it had come apart, or malfunctioned. One old biker stopped by and looked at my bike, he said the rear tire had a flat place worn on the bottom, and that caused it to stand up, it’s happened to him. When I told him I was going slow, he said if I had been going faster, it might have been okay. Nobody else so far has heard or such a thing. I thought initially maybe I had my kickstand down, but I had been through way too many sharper curves, laying in pretty good, for that to be it. And that’s the kind of thing you know what it is when it happens (really-experienced in all stupid tricks). I would love to find something to blame it on, but I suppose it was just me, but I still don’t know what I did. These learning experiences are hard to justify if you don’t learn anything. Maybe, soon as I get my shifting leg back, I can get out and figure it all out. Ed +++++++++++ | ||
| Reepicheep |
Great story Ed! Thanks for posting. Glad you came out more or less in one piece. | ||
| Road_thing |
Damn, Ed, that sucks, but I enjoyed reading the story! Hope the knee turns out OK. rt | ||
| Blake |
Great story Ed. Best wishes for a speedy and thorough recovery. | ||
| Blake |
What mean you by "Then, we stopped at a convenience store to shuck our long handles." Me no savvy. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
can't wait to read the next book ed, you had me laughing most of the way through it. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
Thanks Reep & Rt I enjoyed writing that epistle, it seems to be sorta therapeutic or something. I did manage to misspell my label, I meant flight, don't even know what flought means, probably some kind of repressed memory popping out or something. My indentations didn't make it from word, so it's hard to read, and I even got my knees mixed up. It's my left. Despite my foul ups, and grammar issues, if it conjures up a random smile somewhere, I'm just tickled to pieces. Blake I know they've got lots of long handles in Texas, that's what the goodguy cowboys were always wearing when the badguys took their britches(or visa versa), or when they ran out of the outhouse when the shooting started. Cowboys, never wore briefs or even boxers, it wouldn't have been decent. When you start out and its fifty degrees, those long handles are nice and snuggly, but when it gets up to about seventy, their not so friendly. I suggested the woods, Beck said we'd just have to go all the way home, the convenience store was a compromise. You just gotta shed those miserable things anywhere you can. Decent or not. Rotzaruck!!! | ||
| Becksbuell |
I want to brag on Ed. He's been such an easy patient to take care of. He's been in some pretty extreme pain and hasn't once complained. We feel very blessed he only messed up his knee, even though he did a completely thorough job: ) I am beginning to wonder if we don't need to have his head check out a little bit better: ) Now I have stopped dancing around the persimmon tree, even though I don't think that was it. I switched to the huge pine tree in the back! Thanks to all for the well wishes. Beck | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Ed, When I first started reading your "epistle" I wasn't sure where it was going. Unfortunately it went bad.... Very glad to hear you are ok and on the mend. Very neat story indeed. Great beginning, tragedy in the middle and a happy ending with the the hero riding off into the sunset with the beautiful girl. Well, maybe not riding off but you know what I mean.... Hurry and get well. Let us know if we can help getting the M2 back on the road.. Brad | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
I did manage to misspell my label, I meant flight... fixed! get weller soon.  FB | ||
| Sleez |
thanks for the story, heal well. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
Thanks, folks, for taking the time to read, and to comment, I really appreciate it FB, thanks for the fix before I had to explain what a flought was Beck(nurse Goodbody) thanks for taking such good care of me, it aint over yet I spent the day today finding out my artery was in good shape, so they they can do my first surgery tomorrow, maybe after that, I can get a prognosis on future shiftabilities Thanks for the well wishes Ed | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Ed, Really enjoyed your story, sorry for your pain. If you can come up with this much humor out of such a bad day. I can't wait to meet you on a good one.  Charlie PS I can't walk past my cyclone without getting a smile on my face. Speedy recovery man. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
Thought it was about time for an update on my sad saga. When Beck rode that Firebolt back from Tampa, Memorial Day, I got out in the driveway and managed to get on the thing, but could not get any where near the shifter with my foot. Then about a week later, I drug out the blast, determined to try and ride. It's most complicated to move even a small low bike around when you can't put ANY weight on one leg. I got it out of the barn and in front of the house, then found out there was no way possible to get my monster size foot in my boot. Oh well. My knee was sore anyway. Plus, I hadn't figured out a good way to strap my crutches on. Then yesterday, I went out and climbed on the Firebolt again. It's driving me crazy with that thing sitting there, and I can't even try it out. Becks sure enjoying it though.....stolen before I even got to ride it. I folded my leg back, got my foot on the shifter, put it in first and neutral, and second and back and forth. Cranked it up, sat there. Not much fun, but very encouraging anyway. Got my foot half way in a boot tonight. I had to hold my knee together while Beck wrassled it off my foot. No cowboy boots for me yet. But I've got bigger boots I think I get it in. Now, I'm anxiously awaiting my doctor visit in the morning. Last time, a month ago, he said when I came back, we'd see about putting some weight on it. I'm assuming, that means I can walk. At least until he does the next surgery, which I hope to get lined up tomorrow too. Now if he says I can walk.......well... surely that means i can ride too. Right? Right?.......Come on Doc!!! | ||
| Firemanjim |
Don't ask,don't tell.  | ||
| Rotzaruck |
Sometimes it seems there is just no justice in the world. Doc said I was doing very good..... considering. Told me to gradually put weight on it for two weeks, then start walking--VERY carefully. So I popped the question "So if I can walk, I can ride a bike, right?" He at least acted like he was thinking about it. "If the bike starts to fall to the left, what are you going to do? You are going to lose the progress we've made". Or something to that effect. I couldn't argue. It's a very rare thing for me to not have a good argument for something I want to do. I hate that. Then he said to set up a time to do the next surgery in three or four weeks, and we can start all over again. The lady set it for June 27 and I got home and started adding up days. The only walking I could do was to the hospital. Called her back, they are off for the fourth of July, so I ended up setting it for July 11, which was the only option except the 2nd. I was wanting to do it soon as possible, but got to thinking about a klutz like me running from rockets on crutches and drugs. So six or eight weeks after that, I guess, on crutches. I was afraid to ask how long after the next surgery it would be before I could ride. He did say a year of therapy after the next patch job. I was thinking of mentioning how therapeutic motorcycles are. I guess the end of August maybe I can throw down my crutches, depending on how the surgery goes, he has some concerns about how much of this mess he can really fix. Maybe by really freezing cold weather I'll be riding. I'm going to go ahead and lay out my long handles now so I'll be ready. I know it may sound as if I'm whining, but I still know how fortunate I was, and am, and count my many blessings every day. I can't complain about this. But riding really would be such good therapy FMJ I am trying so hard to be good, do what I'm supposed to do, fly straight and act right. It is so totally opposed to my normal way of doing things. It's just not natural. AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING !!!!!!!!! ok I've been thinking the same thing | ||
| Ulywife |
"If the bike starts to fall to the left, what are you going to do? You are going to lose the progress we've made" Better to take it slow and easy so that you can be at MBV! Don't want to loose the ground that you've already covered. As for the Firebolt - it will still be there when you're completely recovered. In the meantime, you have a very happy wife! Count your blessings. And no, Becky didn't pay me to say that! | ||
| Bearly |
Great Story! Hope you have a full recovery. I've had few crashes where joints were just were never going to be the same, until one day you just remember, "hey, that used to hurt". Be well, I hope to hear about that XB soon! | ||
| Rotzaruck |
I guess it's time for another update on this neverending adenture of mine. Every time I've been back to the Doc, I've done my very best to make him understand; I NEED TO RIDE!!! Through three surgeries and all the post op visits, he has steadfastly and vehemently refused. Until today. I CAN RIDE!!! I will have to keep my brace on always when riding. As a matter of fact, he said I will be wearing the brace for a long....well maybe forever when I'm doing anything except walking around the house, or carefully on level ground. A couple of those tendons are just gonna stay too loose. I'm very much a blessed individual though, I can walk and I can ride!! Well... I could ride, but the M2's still majorly broken. Beck left and took the Blast with her. I do still have, in my possession, the XB9 and have finally got to where I can get my left foot under the shifter, sorta..(I'm sure I can when I put the lower pegs on it). But before she left, she had a guy put tires on it, and now the belt is wandering. I will have to sort that out before I ride it much, if any. I've also got to get the lights working, as it's getting dark right in the middle of the day this time of year. Fortunately, Beck has agreed to bring the Blast back and keep it in my barn so who ever doesn't have our little boy can have the Blast. I'm anxious and a bit nervous, but will feel much better starting out on the Blast. It's easy to hold up, and familiar to me. That XB is a whole different critter (that I AM anxious to get to know). I hope I will be able to keep it long enough to get acquainted. I would have been riding at least a little if the Blast had been available, but maybe it'll be here soon. I told my physical therapist to let the doc know I was ready to ride, she said okay and laughed. When I left the Doc's office today, they gave me the report from the therapist to take back to them with the doctor's instructions. I saw her note: "Needs to ride motorcycle". She's a great therapist. I just found out a few weeks ago(a friend sent me the link) that I was famous; well, for one day anyway. Of course,it doesn't take much in Soddy Daisy, not too many exciting things go on around there. A very nice calm little town, till folks like me show up. It does happen to be where the band Confederate Railroad came from. Jesus and Mama always loved them too, even if they did like their women a little on the trashy side. In the pic with the ambulance, you can see the curve I meant to go around in the back ground. The bank and hill I came down is steeper than it looks in the pic. I would have hit that ambulance if had been there at the time I took my detour. Ahh! Memories!! http://soddydaisy.org/4_22_07_mc_crash.html | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
I'm very much a blessed individual though, I can walk and I can ride!! that's two steps in the right direction! hope to see some ride reports and pix from your direction soon (please, nothing "famous," ok???) FB&D | ||
| Diablobrian |
Outstanding! I completely understand your dilema and the strange looks I got when even in the hospital with a paralyzed left leg I was talking about what I would need to ride again and making detailed plans to get me there. Words cannot express the joy I felt on my first spin around the block on my firebolt (fitted with a push button shifter and a piece of velcro to keep my knee from flapping in the breeze (attaches to my knee slider velcro very nicely!) I have accepted the fact that if I tip left of center I will fall over. Thats the price I pay and I gladly pay it. Axle sliders and rigid mount pegs of my own design keep damage to a minimum. I keep a couple of turn signals on hand for repairs and will be making myself some stainless bar ends with replaceable delrin ends to save my clutch levers from damage. To date my left mirror has survived survived several tip-overs with only minor scuffs. Good job getting back into riding condition! That took great courage and more back bone than most people will realize. | ||
| Clutchless |
great story! thanks for sharing. Highsides are scary at best, lowsides generaly hurt your ego and the bike more than your body. But going over a car is a very close to death experience that I'm sure your very familiar with now. Be thankful for your gear (and that ebay closeout for your jacket) and always try again if you live thru it that's my motto and problem. I'm thankful your ok, I dont even know you. But i've went over a car before, and that's no picnic. Something somewhere was watching over you to have all that happen with the cops, other drivers, and then a train after the fact. I'm very glad to hear that you're ok! Will your bike ever ride again???? | ||
| Rotzaruck |
FB&D I sure hope to get going soon, I'll probably wear you guys out when I do. This XB is involved in the conspiracy I believe, and is not co-operating with me at all!!I charged up the battery and got it running, and thought the belt and lights were my only issues, and now it has made up it's mind to not even crank up. Being so far behind at work, messing with doctors and therapists and lawyers and kids and wives leaves so little time for important issues. In time, I be awwight, though. Diablo, you have been an inspirational influence on me even before I messed up. I had thought about you riding, knowing where leaning the wrong way was going to put you, and was inspired by your riding anyway. You and some others have left very little whining room for someone with no more trouble than I have had, that and the fact that what I did is so daggum funny when I think about it. When I would start to get a little down, I would think about my good fortune, and then picture the ladies in the car leaning forward and looking out the very top of the windshield and then at each other, wondering where I went, then I've got the giggles again. When you get to doubting your self worth, it's nice to be able to figure in entertainment value. Clutchless, I'm still dickering around with the insurance company on that M2, but I'm definitely going to keep it if I can. Besides the forks, headlight and exhaust it's mostly cosmetic issues. I have some irritating unforeseen financial issues that may require me to part it out, but I am planning on putting it back together. I've been watching for bargains in the BadWeB classifieds, and ebay, and between that and the stuff Nevrenuf donated, I've almost got everything I need to get it going(except the time thing). It may not be quite as nice as I had just gotten it before the incident, but I'll be able to tell if it's going to be worth doing. I'll at least have it to ride, even if it's a bit scarred and ugly(we'll make a pair). I don't have a garage, but there's a lot more room in my little house now, so I've been trying to figure out how to get the XB in the living room and the M2 in the utility room. If I had been on my toes, I would have decorated that XB instead of taking up all my room with that Christmas tree. But, yeah man, It'll ride again!! Thanks Folks!! Rotzaruck!!! | ||
| Ulywife |
I would have decorated that XB instead of taking up all my room with that Christmas tree. Who's to say you can decorate both? Glad to hear you are doing well. The M2 will have character and will not be ugly! Trust me the Uly is full of character. Will we see you at March Badness? Take care of yourself and be careful on that Buell. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I have a secret though, my kids. Every time the urge to give up has gotten intense I just think about the example I'm setting for them. If I quit because it gets too hard what kind of credibility do I have when I push them to do better? (in a whining voice) but Daaaaad....it's too haaaard! Nope, not listening to that for the next 6 +/- years! So I dig a little deeper into reserves I didn't know I had. I will say this though, it is AMAZING what a person can get used to. My pain levels creep up due to sciatic nerve damage, it never goes away completely, but every so often my pain specialist does a proceedure that "heats" the nerve and it relieves the pain a great deal. (usually) When this happens it is incredible...I can't describe it. It is always a shock to even me how much pain had become part of the background noise of day to day life. Before anyone worries, no I never ride if I am not 100% on top of my game. There are many days each year I drive the car angry with myself for not being up to my own standards. We all make mistakes. The trick is in recognizing them for what they are and learning from the experience. A sense of humor about your own follies is invaluable. How can anyone laugh at other people's mistakes without first laughing at their own? Your sense of humor can be the key to keeping your sanity. (At least that's what the voice head keeps saying, over and over, and over...)  (Message edited by diablobrian on December 06, 2007) | ||
| Ulywife |
There are many days each year I drive the car angry with myself for not being up to my own standards. Better to be sorry (angry in your words) in the car, than sorry on the bike. Error on the side of caution will probably be your best bet for another day of riding. Something tells me that your level of standards is higher than the average person. My hats off to both of you! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
My hats off to both of you! what Kristi said. | ||
| Rubberdown |
Wow, that's some story. Thanks for telling it so well. I think I learned something too. Thanks and get well soon! | ||
| Diablobrian |
Don't get me wrong, I'm no hero to be put up on some pedestal. I'm just a guy struggling to put my life back together and making mistakes along the way just like everybody else. I'm just not shy about sharing in the hopes that someone else can benefit from the things that have happened to me. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
OH MAN!!!!! Just got home from picking up the Blast on the other side of town and rode it home. My skeered nerves were completely overwhelmed by my excited nerves!!! It was a bit chilly and very dark but it was marvelous. So nice to be mostly whole again, and functional. Now I can't wait for the frost to melt in the morning!! I'm going to get out and rearrange my brain. (from a psychotic perspective, not physically) Thanks Folks Rotzaruck!!!!! |
