Thanks to all.

It's good to know that VFRworld is not just a chit-chat forum but instead is a community of real people that care about other riders.

Having left the Chevron station at 9:30AM Sunday for a group ride, my brain shut down. For no reason, I went wide on a shallow uphill bend doing about 50mph and took a detour into a guard rail. This was just the goofiest accident. I've been riding virtually my whole life and never had more than the most extremlely minor accident. I routinely take much tighter corners, faster and under full control. This was like suddenly riding up the kerb for no reason whatsoever and colliding head first with a lamp post. Just extremely dumb! I would so much rather be able to say that I was hit by a drunk driver or I hit gravel or it was a flat tire, but... just falling off the road? Duuhh!!!

I remember hitting the rail with a loud 'clack' but immediately went unconcious. I woke briefly going into the ambulance, went out, then woke again in the hospital. The next six days felt like having my back nailed to the floor, looking at the ceiling. Damage to the bike is almost entirely plastic, plus a brake lever and toasted mirrors. Damage to me was: broken back and neck, fractured skull, pelvis and elbow and a couple of scars and six days in intensive care unit peeing though a catheter. The night nurses were very sweet and.... those morphine shots..........

Just a point about helmets: No question - without my helmet, I would have died. Even an open-face helmet would have opened the way for a lot of lower face injury (my front crown was knocked out and the doctors found it lodged in the back of my throat.) This has been, and is, a much debated issue, but if you live where you can legally ride without a helmet, just know that the goofiest of accidents can take you out in a snap. Sorry to patronize but some poeple just don't get it until it happens. I speak as a once avid campaigner against helmet laws.

My main point though is that the calls and e-mails from people I've never met plus the visits from local members makes all the difference. My sincere thanks to all those that showed me their support.

 

Damn what a nasty scar. Good to hear you're alive to tell the story!

 

Im glad your ok. Nice scar. I hope you have a speedy recovery and get back on the viffer.:thumbsup:

 

As another former "helmet laws suck" guy:crazy:, Im glad that you're still with us. One out of a hundred time that i had a lid on, a Fulmer trooper half helmet, I cracked it after a deer strike on my beloved CB750. it sucked, I was mad I dumped the bike, then it hit me, I was still sucking O2 and had the arrogance to bitch about it, been a full gear guy since.(ATGATT) Best wishes with healing up and glad you share with the rest of us.

 

Good thing chicks dig scars. Sorry about the mishap and glad your still with us.

Action

 

Rock on, good post.
The road is so narrow relative to it's length that it's a wonder we don't fall off more often. That's always been a mystery to me.

So the big question is are you going to ride again? I'm thinking it's a no brainer since the bike survived and you didn't say you wouldn't, but nosy minds want to know!

 

That will buff right out.....

 

HOLY SHIT DUDE!!! Is that your blood on the street? Please get well soon & have a beer on me.

Since it's been brought up, I too must chime in about helmets. In my only crash in 22 years, I landed FACE FIRST on the bumper of a parked car at a speed of about 12-15 mph. The helmet was a $35 no-name-super-deluxe. This "helmet" actually completely structurally failed from what I considered a very minor impact. It split in two like a hard boiled egg. Had there been a second impact, the results would be that I would be uglier than I am now. I donated the helmet to the Ramstein AB Ground Safety Office as a visual aid. Even with this POS helmet on, I walked away completely unharmed. I didn't even have a headache or sore neck. I actually rode the bike home after the Polizie, MP's & EMT's gave me the green light.

Since I believe in Darwinism, I do not believe in helmet laws . If you aren't smart enough to wear one, sooner or later, you or those at the funeral will have a reason to believe.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

I am glad you are ok.Is your back ok?Can you walk ,run and basically do normal things?

How you feel about riding in general now? Good luck with full recovery

 

You're very lucky! Glad it wasn't worse!

My old man wears a shorty novelty helmet when he rides his Harley. It kinda looks like a real helmet from a distance. But on close inspection, you note that you can gouge the thin plastic with your fingernail, the chin strap is glued on, the padding/lining consists of a piece of felt, and there is a big sticker on the inside that reads "Novelty Item Not A Real Helmet."

He even stenciled "D.O.T." on the back base to throw off the cops.

On a good note, he told me today that he's afraid to ride because he doesn't have a real helmet and the cops pulled over his friend last week and wrote him a ticket for not having a real helmet (friend wears same bu11sh1t on his head.) He said his buddy didn't even take the fake helmet off, the cop didn't even look twice at it, just handed him a ticket.

I like my HJC CL-SP.

 

Thanks to all above.

Yes - the blood (and the shame) is all mine.

I can't wait to ride again - I'm thinking about it almost constantly. I must first do something about the plastic though. Fortunately the bike runs just as it did. As for me, the pain is subsiding. I'm in a full-time body cast and I'm able to walk slowly. There are steel rods in my back.

I like to think I ride conscientiously and within my limits but this was plain careless bad riding that could have hurt someone else. :crazy: I'll be taking a fresh approach next time.

 

Impressive scar. You should probably tell people you were trying to stop some thugs from stealing sensitive US documents and had to lay the bike over to dodge bullets flying from their black BMW cars.

(bad guys always drive black BMWs)

 

nice talking to you this evening brother. get well soon and sure am glad you still have your sense of humor intact!!!

 

Thanks for patiently answering all questions Viffer.I hope those metal rods in your back won't inhibit bending your back.
Usually rods allow certain moment forward and back but less side to side.I hope they are temporary.
Your experience shows how important is to be mentally alert at all times.Usually we all slide into certain comfort zone and forget how potentially riding can be.

My accedent was minor compare to yours.Someone cut me off and I locked the front breaks on my SV650 and the front just buckled and the bike fell right on my knee.I never fully recovered from that.
After the accident I changed the front stock very soft springs which were made for 70lb rider with aftermarket heavier springs and practiced panic breaking in parking lot.Since then I pay keen attention to front suspension.Critical in my opinion.My 1998 front suspension is stock but I will upgrade when money is available.
What's done is done and don't get depressed!! If you like Baseball this is great time to relax and watch while you are recovering.
Regards

 

Your accident could easily have been me. Twice now I nearly drove right off the road for no apparent reason. Could have been ugly, but I was lucky and have vowed to never loose concentration again. It may be alien mind control, though, in which case there's nothing that can be done.

I'm glad you will be OK. Those are major injuries you suffered.

 

I'm glad your still here to tell your story! I hope you have a full recovery and are able to ride again sometime soon. I imagine the mental aspect will be hard to over come as well, best wishes...

 

Glad to have you back Dean, we were all worried! But since you have your sense of humor still, I think we should take a poll for new screen names for you. How about Faceplant? No wait, what about Pavement Pounder? FrankenViffer?? Just some ideas... :lol: Seriously though, Glad to hear you're feeling better. Can't wait to ride with you again, you know you still owe me a tour through Big Bear!! Talk to you soon...

---Chuck :thumbsup:

 

Wow! Very glad to read that you're doing ok. You've got some pretty serious injuries but it could have been worse. Hope you heal up quickly and return to 100 percent.

I went down three months ago and got a concussion and fractured a vertebra and scapula, so I can relate. I was considering not riding ever again, but now I know I'll be riding soon. You took a harder spill and aren't even debating riding again- Good for you.

 

WOW! Thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear about all that pain and suffering you are going through! Please heal up soon!

And yes, you focus attention on a very important issue...paying attention at all times. It is so easy to drift away with a thought or a fantasy.
There was a thread some time ago about "being in the zone." And several of us pointed out the difference between "being in the zone" (being so focused that everything else disappears so that you are 100% focused and as safe as you can be) and "zoning out" (where you are off in la la land and on a semi-dangerous 'auto-pilot'). So as folks around here like to say, find out what caused your accident so that it doesn't happen again. And this kind of thing happens more in cages and on the job than in motorcycling. We all zone out at times.

 

Glad you're still with us Vifferaver and godspeed to a full recovery. Know what you mean about mental lapses like that. Halfway through my ride yesterday I just couldn't get dialed in mentally. Almost blew a couple very easy corners even. Decided to just wrap it up for the day and head home.