Not Quite All Better But Close

[TheBigB]

Just an update for those who might be wondering. Last Oct. saw my first crash in some 15 years of riding ( on and off ). The result was a severly broken collar bone requiring surgery. Doctor said it was as close to a compound fracture as you can get without it actually being one. I have both xrays and photos I plan on posting soon. Anyhoo.... here we are five months later and well on the mend. Started weight lifting again and have no limited mobility issues. Only discomfort seems to be the regeneration of nerves in the skin around the injury. I get an annoying soreness as if my shirt is rubbing against my skin and causing slight soreness. Other than that I have some deformity from the plate and screws but all in all, like they say, could have been worse.

Just got a new iMAC and still working on firguring out how to get copies of my xrays onto the computer.

As for the bike: The insurance company totaled it but it is far from being in that bad of shape. Some of you have read my thread about buying the salvage title - which I am doing. Quite literally a new set of handle bars and the bike is good to go. Everything else is cosmetic.

The Big B

[Mongo]

Big B glad to see your doing better got to thinking about your crash again last month after I ate it! I decided to speed test my helmet at 40 mph, I was rounding a corner on the Old Road under the southbound 5 when a Cal Trans truck was waiting to exit a job site. Every one freaked started to hit the brakes (hard) I tried to dive for the left lane only to find a 4x4 so I grabbed brake hard and the front end washed out!



The shoulder is still sore but not as bad yours I'm sure, no breaks but I’m still in physical therapy. I hope it heals soon, I'm still able to ride but I need to ice it at the end of the day. Made the trip up to Newcomb's last week but paid dearly when I got home.

[TheBigB]

Your story sounds familiar in so far as that is pretty much what happened to me. A guy pulls out in front of me as he changes lanes and I failed to see the escape and instead grabbed a handful of brake and down I went. Oddly enough at the end of my "healing" there was no physical therapy perscribed. The doctor thought my strength and range of motion was good enough not to have to go through that. So on that count I feel for you. My bike, though technically rideable, isn't really in riding condition so it has been a while since I have been out. Also, I have a plate and 6 screws in my shoulder so ice is out of the question. I tried that once early in my recovery and the pain was almost immediate and certainly intense. Sixth grade science should have told me that freezing a metal screw drilled into the center of your bone is not a good idea.

All in all I am sure we both consider ourselves lucky.

I will say your helmet is in worse shape than mine, though that is not stopping me from having the insurance company buy me a new one. And by the way the insurance company is a whole other story.

I haven't been to Duke Newcomb's for a while and probably won't get there until early summer.

How did your bike fair. I am in the process of assessing and fixing mine after State Farm totaled it and I bought the salvage. Any tips on where to get descent affordable parts would be greatly appreciated. Aside from ebay and Ron Ayers I am at a loss.

The Big B

[Mongo]

Well "B" the bike faired ok I managed to lick my wounds and get back on her and ride home after my accident with a little assistance from the friendly folks at Cal Trans to get her off the road!

Perhaps a little too much adrenalin after the dump, my new motto cross bars were bent which managed to save some of the plastic and engine cases. The ignition cover was ground a little and I also managed to rash my Yosh and the front fairing, I also broke the windscreen!

I picked up another Zero Gravity double bubble on E-Bay and another set of bars at Cycle Gear (I may go back to the stock ones, not sure yet). After a little sanding on the Yosh and the ignition cover with my wiz wheel followed by buff with a scotch bright for a little final polish it looked a little better!

I’ve done a little sanding on the front fairing and found some paint at the local hobby shop that is close enough for a little touch up!  

I guess I pass my wounds off a little I also ruptured a blood vessel thigh and had some good road rash on the knee. The shoulder may end up being some damage in the rotator cup hence the PT but who’s whining! Kaiser is not fast on giving you an MRI!

The Old Lady had a trip planed to Cabo San Lucas the weekend after accident so I was on Tequila and vicodin that trip when I got back from the trip they stepped me up to percocet to get over the pain but I try to stay away from that if I can but my job does not always permit so I grab one when needed!

It’s only pain and I live with three generations of women so pain is my middle name!

What kind of parts are you looking for I always find stuff from some of the most unlikely sources!

[TheBigB]

Mongo:
I am with you on the "script". They gave me both Vicodin and Percocet after surgery and the Vicodin was useless where as the Percocet worked like gangbusters. I only needed a single Percocet at a time and it was really easy to see how so many of today's "Matthew Perrys" get hooked on the stuff.

I guess the biggest pieces parts would be the gas tank and muffler canaster. I have a small dent in the tank and but for my insistance that things look good there is really no reason to replace it.

One part I am having a hard time locating elsewhere other than Ron Ayers is the back brake foot lever. Oh, and the speed-o-meter console took a good licking. I am guess Ron Ayers will be my only real possibility.

By the by, where abouts in L.A. are you?

Big B

[Mongo]

"B" I'm located up by Magic Mountain in Sagus.

GDL has is a good source for used parts!

http://www.gdlcycles.com/SuzukiBikes/GSF1200Bandit.htm

And I've had good success on E-Bay!