End Of My Era

[Vidrazor]

A while back I totaled my beloved B4, little did I know what effect that would have on me.

I had many great years of riding with the little bugger, but this year was plagued with a series of accidents which can only be summed up as "three strikes".

First I wiped out in late March at ~45 mph. Fractured two ribs on my left back, but was able to ride the bike home and essentially walk away from the wipeout.

Come end of August, I wiped out at ~50 mph, and totaled the B4. Fractured two ribs on my right back, yet walked away again from the wreckage.

Without a bike, and jonesin' to ride, I found a used 2002 SV650 in beautiful shape at (of all places) a Harley shop. Even though I was out of work, I put the sucker on my credit card and started riding again. Beautiful bike, looks just like this one:



Something weird about that SV, however. At low speed, I was going around a turn (~5mph) and it just started to drop like a rock. I caught it just in time, but as I did the front tire started sliding out like it hit oil or something. Was able to get back up before smacking the ground, tho. Went back and checked the road, and it was dry and clean. Really strange.

A few days later. I was going around another turn at ~15-20 mph, hit some bumps, and the front slid out again. I stupidly put my foot out (a stupid habit I seem to have developed after a few relatively harmless low slides, like I would be able to stop it or something. Yeah, right), and the bike landed on it, snapping my tibia and fibula clean in half:



THIS is BAD. REAL bad. No walking away from this one. Spent 1.5 weeks in a hospital, had all sorts of nasty surgery, had a metal rod stick in there, and I now have to wait about A YEAR for it to fully heal. A phucking YEAR! No weight bearing on the leg for ~4-6 months! I have this nasty swelling and needed a skin graft to temporarily close one of the surgery openings back up!

So, my new life. On the left is the skin graft source and destination (shot off a mirror, it's actually the outside of my left leg). Middle is Das Franken Job proper, and on the right is the opening they didn't have to graft. The scattered dots on the right are where they drilled holes through my bones (such as the heel) where they installed the initial external fixater, a multiple metal support array that put things more or less "in place".



This was lots of fun. Highly recommended if you're bored, or a masochist. 

Anyway, I've decided I need to hang up my helmet. This is a very sad time in my life, as I love riding so much, but I simply can't bring myself back to the possibility of going through this again, ESPECIALLY on the same leg. I wouldn't be able to ride for a year as it if I wanted to. It's going to leave a big hole in my life, and I have no idea how I'm going to fill it up. But three strikes, and I'm out.

But if anything good is going to be gained from this, I have to say to all of you out there to NEVER STICK YOUR LEG OUT IF YOU'RE LOW SLIDING. To some of you this may seem obvious, but there may be some of you out there, possibly newbies, who may do this instinctively, as I did (not that I'm a newbie, just damn stupid!). I actually did this a few times without this outcome, and even though I realized it was a stupid idea, I instinctively kept doing it, like I was going to be able to stop the incident. I have to give a sad LOL to that train of thought.

If you're sliding down, KEEP YOUR DAMN FEET ON THE PEGS!

Still, I'm at a loss as to why the bike did what it did in the first place. I mean, it did it twice. At the shop when we were assessing the damage (which was minimal, worse case was a dent in the tank) we noticed the suspension was set to the softest setting. Not sure if that's the culprit here. I only had the bike for a week, and I was so happy to be back riding that I hadn't noticed the setting. Again, mea culpa, but why would anyone set it to that? Still, would that be a contributing factor to the front wheel wanting to slide out around slow speed turns? The bike tracked fine at higher speeds, so this is a strange phenomenon. Needless to say, I has the suspension set back to factory default, even though I'm never riding this bike again.

It's the original stock front tire, wondering if the rubber just turned to cardboard or something, dunno.

So, anyway, this is it. A sad time in my life. I wish you all a beautiful life, on and off your bikes, and hope I bear the brunt of strife so none of you ever will. I leave you with the song of my subsistence:
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Police/_/Hole+in+My+Life
Click the upper right player for the song proper.

In spite of my situation, I wish you all many wonderful rides and joy in this (and all) Holiday Season.  Peace.

[mwheat308]

Good luck
Can't say that i wouldn't feel the same after that round.

Mike

[Sven]

Wow, some very moving words and pictures.  I think in your place, I would have to stare the same decision in the face, and might make the same choice you are.  Of course, who knows what you might decide a couple years from now, but right now, you have a lot of healing to do.  Thanks with sharing those ghastly photos, they make it clear that we *do* choose to take some risks when we move at vehicle speeds without wrapping ourselves in the protective cocoon of a cage.  Best wishes for your recovery, both mental and physical.

[txbanditrydr]

Thoughts and good wishes for a FULL recovery sent your way.  The decision to ride or not to ride is deeply personal and should never be taken lightly.  Experiences such as yours and the sharing of such are good lessons for all.  Wouldn't mind hearing an update from you on occasion if you'd like.  Crashing sucks.

[aussiebandit]

I hope you heal well with no issues.  I think I would do the same thing in your position.

Maybe, rather than giving bikes away altogether, you would consider going down the 'trike' path. 

[CWO4GUNNER]

From a guy who has been riding since he was 12 now 52.  After healing up you might consider getting back on two wheels via a good quality trail bike. The speeds are way slower (10- 35 avg) and is exponentially more forgiving if you do fall on soft ground. My second love is street bike riding but I would never consider myself fit to ride on the street without some two-wheel therapeutic exercise off road. It really does help hone your riding muscles and reflexes. But most of all its far safer and allot more fun especially just trail riding. Consider it as a possible new alternative.

[dhcolesj]

Sorry to hear about the accident and surgery, Vid.   I tend to agree the tire is probably the culprit, the rubber has probably hardened or become slick due to some other issue.  As for the suspension, the previous owner may have been trying to solve the problem thinking it was too stiff and causing the slide outs. 
Also, +1 on the trail riding.  My brother in law did that for years, even after his back and joints went south. It's not as aggressive as straight up dirt bike ridding (what I've done most).

Anyway, heal up, and don't give up on riding just yet.  Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[smooth operator]

  Damn that has to hurt,Sorry for your pain and suffering.And just plain being stuck for awhile. I would definatly say the front tire was shot,those little  SVs are great handling bikes.If the tire carcass was hardened (wich it would be being the original tire on a 1st gen. 650)and the forks were to bottom out being set to soft your pushing down on that tire patch  and with nothing to grab,...you know the rest too well. You may change your mind about riding after your healed up for awhile,then you might not. Certainly was a bad year, for sure. Either way, hope you can make the best of the holidays and wish you a MUCH better new year.   Dan

[crashoverrideplik]

I've been where you are. I sold one of my Vance & Hines FZR 600's to a guy. He asked me to put a new clutch in it for him since he wasn't very mechanically inclined. Afterwards I rode the bike up the street (without my gear!) and the clutch basket exploded and tossed me off. I lost 67% of my skin and spent 9 months in the burn unit to grow skin back. I swore off bikes for a couple of years. I've been riding for 30+ years and said I was done. As I write this I'm looking at my "collection" of bikes in the garage and can't possibly think of my life without motorcycles. I hope you heal quickly and while you do, give the given it up some more thought. I was glad I changed my mind.