bit it

[pepperell]

had my first bad crash yesterday (Saturday 1.6.07). we had taken page mill rd up past skyline and were heading down on alpine rd. my buddy was about 300 yrds behind me and didn't see the crash but of course found the aftermath.

i came around a sharp left-hander at a relaxed pace. probably going 30 mph tops. alpine, in that section, is beat to hell and is rough, narrow, and i'd seen lots of dirt etc washed over. well i slowed for this corner, went around it and was on the gas slightly when i spun up the rear tire and the bike began to switch ends. the back cleared the large patch of gravel and caught the clean pavement, the sudden traction threw me up and over in a textbook highside. all of this happened almost instantly, i felt the back slip the i was a few feet in the air over the bike.

the bike hit hard on its right side well away from me. i supermaned-it on to the pavement and must have gotten my left arm under me because it suffered the brunt of the damage. i jumped up and ran to the bike, which was bouncing off the rev limiter in gear and hit the kill switch. i then quickly realized that i was getting tunnel vision and took a seat. according to my friend i blacked out for a few seconds.

a concerned couple in a pick up truck stopped and called 911. with the help of a passing harley rider, we moved my bike to a wider spot in the road. park rangers were at the scene almost immediately. by this time i was a bit dazed, but awake and coherent. i told them my arm was hurt but their main concern was that i'd passed out, though my helmet looked like it had just come out of the box-- no dings, scuffs, nothing.

the fire dept got there a few minutes after and took over. they braced my neck and put me on a board. they had to remind me about 100 times to SPEAK my answers rather than nod. doh, i'm an idiot. chp and various other officers showed up. i explained what happened a few times... "my fault, was going slowly, ~20-30, hit some gravel and highsided". i could hear a moto officer chuckling with a fellow cop about "funny how they always seem to be going the speed limit." he could have at least said that to my face instead of joking around about it, within earshot. not sure if i will get cited.

ambulance got lost en route and took awhile but i got loaded in the back and taken to kaiser redwood city. thought i was going to puke on the way down which would not have been fun as i was strapped to a board.

got neck and left arm xrays there. neck was fine, and much to my relief, got to get off the board and take off the brace. unfortunately my arm was broken in two spots. one up by the wrist near the thumb that i guess is tough to heal. might need surgery. the other, the ulna near the elbow. i have a long hard splint thing that might as well be a cast cause it ain't coming off without a saw. didnt hurt so bad in the ER, but by last night it was killing me. in fact my other wrist is sore too. hope both arent broken or i will be SOL.

will make an appt with the ortho surgeon tomorrow. also need to call my insurance and get bike from tow yard. could not assess how bad damage was on the scene.

my wife is using this accident as a huge "i told you so" about the dangers of biking. i've tried to tell her that i ride with full gear and take every other precaution to be safe but that means little. this might be the last nail in the coffin. hope that once this passes she'll see how much joy riding gives me and will lighten up.

[SoarAndEnvision]

wow man - REALLY glad you are ok - that sounds extremely unpleasant to make a poor understatement of it.

That's pretty irritating about the motorcop - like he's never had a close call.
MAN - that's like SUPREME Asshole-dom to be a smart ass in someone's hour of pain.

Anyway forget about that loser and hope this isn't the end of riding for you.

Stay strong bud.

[aszreal1266]

Sorry to hear about your fall. I hope your other wrist isn't broken.

[Bikerx260]

That does suck. I've had plenty of slow close calls on Old LaHonda and Alpine in the past. The kind that make pull over and take a breather.

On those two roads I usually take a sightseers pace, and let others pass, if there are any other riders.

In the motors defense, most of us do go pretty quickly up there.

[aszreal1266]

I had one close call up near muir woods where i hit some lose dirt and pine needles. I got lucky i was going so slow.

[afm199]

Yep, shit happens. I did a similar thing on my SV on redwood road, came around a corner hit some gravel and highsided... We all tend to forget that motorcycling is DANGEROUS.

[edmo]

Glad you're ok. Thanks for the story.

[budman]

This time of year definately throws more hazards your way despite the sunshine.. Sounds like you just caught some bad luck.. I saw many many places yesterday that could spell disaster.. and just clicked it back a bit.. Also knowing certain areas will be wet.. and with some friends pointing out a few spots of sand/gravel that might have caused a similar situation is a blessing.

Hope that you heal up quick and the wife will emotionally settle in and listen to her heart about your passion.

Mine has seen me highside at the track.. and of course did the ER scene with me... she started to worry a bit more.. and eventually gave up riding on the back of the bikes.. but understands.. my love of the sport and also knows that I too ride with good gear.

Best of luck sorting that out and with the potential injuries.

:smoking

[wackyiraqi]

Originally posted by pepperell
i could hear a moto officer chuckling with a fellow cop about "funny how they always seem to be going the speed limit." he could have at least said that to my face instead of joking around about it, within earshot.

Wow, what a fucking unprofessional cock.

[pepperell]

thanks for all the replies. arm is a bit less sore but my hand is swollen like a inflated rubber glove. docs are looking at it shortly.

my biggest worry is my wife, her family and my parents. i got a voicemail from her dad this morning telling me to "sell the fucking bike" and that he doesnt want his daughter to have to wipe my ass the rest of my life. how can i argue? i just come out looking selfish. ugh.

[flying_hun]

Very sorry to read about your accident, and very sorry to read about both the cop and the father-in-law. The father-in-law is the bigger problem.

Know yourself before you reflexively decide to agree with them.

Was it the scaphoid that you broke that might require surgery? That bone can be slow to heal. I think that the scaphoid had a role in shortening the careers of both Spencer and Schwantz.

Best wishes,

Kurt

[erok18]

glad to hear you came away relatively ok. bummer that future riding is questionable. hopefully you get back on though. if anything, at least on the track.

[arnoha]

Wow. I did almost the same thing on Alpine. I don't know how fast I was going, but not too quick. I came around a bend and hit a mud flow. Fortune smiled on me, because I had *both* ends of the bike slip. I started to lowside, but then, again, *both* ends of the bike hooked up and a small tank-slapper later, and I was heading down the road to buy some new shorts!

I love Alpine, but it can bite hard. Heal up quickly and completely!

As for the father-in-law...he's being a dick, but he's reacting to a threat to his daughter's happiness. I'd prolly cut him some slack. It's a bridge you'll have to cross with your wife, and only you know what the priorities there are.

[flying_hun]

Originally posted by pepperell
i got a voicemail from her dad this morning telling me to "sell the fucking bike" and that he doesnt want his daughter to have to wipe my ass the rest of my life.

One more thing. You posted this, so I'm going to assume that comment is invited.

As I've thought about this v-mail I have found it rather chilling. You decide how to live your life. However, I have more one than one observation to offer as one who is both a longtime motorcyclist (coming up on 40 years) and who has been married more than once.

Your father-in-law's remark evidences a certain contempt for you. Maybe I'm wrong, it's only one data point, but if that's how he sees the situation, it would appear that he doesn't hold you in much regard. Your call.

A second observation goes back to my first post on this. Know yourself. It's understandable to be confused and freaked out right now. That will pass. At some point some of us find out that we're motorcyclists. There is not much we can do about it. Our choice is to either be it, or miss it. If you can walk away from motorcycling and never miss it - no problem. That's not my situation.

Third, while relationships with both parents and in-laws are important, so are boundaries. I don't think my father-in-law would say such a thing to me, even though he might think it. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is to define those boundaries so that neither he nor anyone else thinks he can dictate to you in such a tone. You may decide to quit bikes, but it would be a mistake to let yourself be bullied in this way. In my experience, this kind of bullying does not get better.

Good luck,

[Dove]

Shared wisdom that can only be put in words after obvious trials and tribulations - I wish I didn't have to live for 50 years to get to the point you're at.

[pepperell]

again, thanks for the feedback. it;s great to hear even if i am preaching to the choir.

in my father-n-law's defense-- we have a very friendly relationship. he's an attorney and chooses his words carefully. i think he chose those words more for shock value than anything else. that having been said i think both my families are having a very emotional reaction to this crash. as would be expected.

the big problem comes down to "outsiders" perception of the dangers of motorcycles. we get so much bad press not just in the media, but from the grapevine of family and friends that it is impossible to convince them that riding is NOT the most dangerous thing on earth. i'm just trying to put off making a decision until i might get a more rational reaction.



BTW, i did break the "Scaphoid" bone in my wrist. bad blood flow = slow heal. i also cracked the radial (elbow end) of my ulna. just got a full hard cast put on. actually feels a lot better than the splint did. prolly won't feel the same way in a couple weeks.

[flying_hun]

Originally posted by pepperell
it;s great to hear even if i am preaching to the choir.



the big problem comes down to "outsiders" perception of the dangers of motorcycles. we get so much bad press not just in the media, but from the grapevine of family and friends that it is impossible to convince them that riding is NOT the most dangerous thing on earth. i'm just trying to put off making a decision until i might get a more rational reaction.



BTW, i did break the "Scaphoid" bone in my wrist. bad blood flow = slow heal. i also cracked the radial (elbow end) of my ulna. just got a full hard cast put on. actually feels a lot better than the splint did.

For as long as I've been riding maybe I should hold out for being the bishop, or at least a deacon or something, rather than the choir. I sing like crap.

My experience with fractures that haven't been badly displaced or required surgery is that they stop hurting surprisingly quickly. My guess is that your arm will feel just fine inside that cast long before it's a good idea to ride again.

Now, to your problem with "outsiders": Your cast is going to be on a while, but not nearly long enough for that problem to go away. Right now there are probably lots of non-riding folks who are advising your loved ones, and it's unlikely that any of them are suggesting that it's fine for you to go back to riding. Everyone will have a horror story to share, so you can bet your wife, your parents, your in-laws are getting all their biases reinforced, and their fears amplified.

It's a given.

Going back into old fogey-mode, I cannot remember a time during my active riding life when public attitude towards riding has been as favorable and accepting as right now. Yes, you read that correctly. This is the BEST I've seen it. If you're waiting for folks to be rational about risk, bring your lunch.

Clearly, it's not up to me to say how to deal with this. Your life, your relationships, your responsibilities, your choice. If riding is not worth the risks to you, you are the only one can make that call, and if so you will have an easier life if you quit. But don't kid yourself that it will magically get better and that folks will be more reasonable and understanding at some future point. Riding will always make you look NUTS to a significant portion of the population.

Best wishes on your recovery,

[Stormdragon]

+ a few hundred on the Hun's comments. I had an accident quite a few years ago and broke two metacarpals. When you have a cast, everyone wants to know what happened. And when they find out, you get to hear the phrase: wait for it...
Did You Learn Your Lesson?
After three or four weeks, I was ready to break noses with said cast. And the lesson I learned, which I doubt was the one the rest of the world was expecting me to learn was: Stay away from the cars! ;)

[stan23]

in fact my other wrist is sore too. hope both arent broken or i will be SOL.

:cry

ahh.. brings back my memories of having both wrists broken. It does suck, but only quit riding on your own accord. I contemplated it for a split second, when I was in the hospital.

I wish you a fast heal. I was back on the bike exactly 1 month later.

I took plenty of supplements:

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/189/686/2912465-m52296689.jpg

[Yody]

I was on redwood (same area) about a month or two ago, right after it had rained for a week. I was going about 60 mph( in the shady part under trees) through a slight left hander, hanging off the bike just a little when I must of hit some pine leaves or something. Something worse than just water, because the rear of the bike swung out instantly and violently. The bars went to full lock and then just as quicly as it kicked out the rear caught traction. Bike stood back up and had one bad tank slap(damper caught it) it tried to buck me off and my ass was in the air. Luckilyl I landed it and kept riding. I had my Ipod on and was throughly freaked out. I've crashed before and was never as wigged out as I was after this happened.

After reading a similar story like yours it makes me realize just how lucky I was. I'm not a religous person at all but man do I get lucky sometimes! Good luck on the recovery and go tell the father in law to fuck himself

[HtChic]

Glad you're mostly okay - that's the important thing here!

Families can be an interesting bunch, and I think their take on protecting their loved ones can make a big difference. I grew up riding horses - suprise, suprise, accidents happen there, too, so my family was used to the idea that your hobbies can hurt you.

My mom doesn't like me riding the motorcycle, but she has only ever had words of caution for me, even when I finally told her about my lowsides (injury free, however). I knew she wanted to say more, but she knows that A) I love the bike and B) stuff happens. And trust me, my mother is not one to keep her mouth shut if she feels strongly about something - but she knows saying something like your FIL said won't get her anywhere other than tuned out.

Same went with my hubby's family when he crashed - they were worried, but no one tried to shock him/us into fear. Granted, it may help that we BOTH ride, and so we make a united front as opposed to the other spouse freaking out, but those boundries are still there.

[pepperell]

just got back from surgery. they put a screw in my wrist.

to add insult to injury, i got a call from the insurance lady informing me my bike was totaled.

i also promised my wife i would stop riding. i might have been able to put off the decision had my bike been reparable.

[flying_hun]

Sorry to hear about your wrist, but the good news is that will probably assist the healing process in the long run. The bad news is that surgery irritates tissue, so it might hurt for a while.

The bike is only a bike. Insurance will settle. The fact that the bike is totaled only decides that the bike is totaled. Only you can decide whether you do or don't ride again. As long as you're ambulatory you get to revisit that decision.

Best wishes,

[scalvert]

Each situation is different and I'm certainly not encouraging you to choose my priorities. That said, I've never met a woman that did for me what motorcycling does. Just the physics of the situation, any wife/lover/gf that tried to get between me and riding would either end up 1) deeply resented, 2) ignored outright, or 3) eliminated. For your marriage's sake I hope you find something else that replaces whatever it was you found on the bike.

[nvp]

I live at the base of Tam and ride HWY1 year round. The road conditions vary dramatically from month to month, and sometimes from week to week. I have done two things to better my chances of coming home in one piece. One, I tend to hang off even more when things get slick, unpredictable, dirty, or whatever. I have saved many a bikes from going down this way. I was riding my R6 one morning and the front went on a offramp. Only because I was hanging off I was able to get "back under it" and get the front to grab again. On a recent road trip up the coast on the R1150GS, my brother and I were going up 128 through the woods (read: slick) and the bike, with full bags mind you, pushed both wheels. I was hanging off and was able to drift the bike until it caught again. And it was AMAZING how my body position made that possible.

Also, I tend to wear WAY more gear than the average guy. I sport my fulll leathers when sport riding on the mountain, even on the GS. Fact is, we are still hauling ass, and if something happens I don't want to get more hurt than necessary. I broke my knee cap at Infineon a couple years back and realized that if I had had better leathers it wouldn't have happened. And I also realized getting hurt sucks!

So, be careful. And if you see a guy wearing full Dainese leathers on an old man bike, that's probably me. If you think that's lame... that's your right. But you have to catch me before you heckle me :)

[introspective1]

Good luck with everything and heal fast. Families and bikes don't mix well.
Your family situation needs to be a fair solution to all parties. No one will get exactly what they want without some compromise/resentment. I've stopped riding the street due to the danger (and to compromise) but I've started racing minis (Honda NSR50)

My reasoning... paramedics are standing by and I can't hit any cars, poles, curbs etc.

Compromise for my family - they know that I really enjoy motorcycling and can compromise knowing that I'll be less likely to get hurt on the track.

Compromise for me - not riding those sweet bikes on the street and sight seeing, but I can flog the crap out of my mini on the track and drag my knee safely. Seemingly slow but fun as hell.

That said. I may move up to larger faster bikes later on when I get faster on the track.

[PorradaVFR]

One of the reasons I married my wife was that when I hit a tough spot career-wise and contemplated selling the bike to get some cash she insisted that DIDN'T since she knew it made me happy.

Does it scare her? Yes. Each and every time I leave she tells me to be careful and I know she worries about my safety. But...she also loves me and that's trumps it.

I'm not passing judgement, but IMO your mate should accept you as you are, not conditionally. If not riding is your decision, then fine. If you're making it to please others it will likely create resentment that is poison to a relationship.

I don't want to miss my son growing up and I certainly never want to hurt my wife - but riding is also a part of my life, one that I want to share with my son and one that helped make me the person my wife fell in love with. Simple as that.

Heal up soon and talk it over with the wife. Maybe she just needs to know how much you care about them and that you take precautions since you want to be around as much as they want you there.

[introspective1]

BTW pepperell,
Your cause can be helped depending upon what you were wearing. Full suit? T-shirt? CE approved armor in jacket/suit? Back protector. I always tell my wife that I try to buy the best equipment I can afford. I add a soft chest protector and shorts with padding on the hips (b/c I have no meat on my hips) which shows her that I'm being a responsible rider. You always tell her where you're going and with who...You get the idea.

It was good that you were riding with a buddy too. Imagine if you were riding alone and no one saw you crash in an isolated area.

Take your time to think about what you're going to say to your wife and father in law.

[pepperell]

great replies.

no real update. trying to negotiate with insurance right now for bike value. i added all the upgrades i've made over the years and they conservatively total about $2,000 without labor. these were light mods too (suspension, brakes, exhaust). can't imagine what the big spenders are dropping. i hope to get half of that back (+ plus value of bike itself). will have to wait and see.

the current situation with the wife (and with the injury) seems like it will be a good time to take a rest from biking for awhile. i told her i could buy it back from the insurance and fix slowly but you can imagine how that went (ie not well). i'm just sad to lose a bike that i felt was finally dialed in perfect for me. i'd JUST put on a fox rear and gotten emulators in the front. not to mention a fairly new set of rubber. bike was in great shape. sucha bummer. someone will pick a sleeper, especially when and if they find out the cams are switched. its at a salvage yard right now. if info becomes available i will post to BARF.

i wear full gear almost all the time. i have full leathers but crashed in: fieldsheer leather jacket + text pants, w/ ce approved armor, back protector, daytona boots, rev it gloves. i'd post a gear review but it really didn't suffer much damage. i think i would have been slightly more injured with less gear (more road rash) but moto apparel really isnt designed for accidents like this. without getting license2ill started, moto gear (leathers and helmet) help in a slide and a slight bump on the head. any real impact force and you are going to be hurt. if this can happen at 25 mph, what would an accident at 3x or 4x the speed look like? (obviously a rhetorical question- i realize all accidents are different and someone might walk away from a 100+ crash just as easily as at 30 mph).

my level of protection and riding attitude (fairly tame) does not put her at ease. my accident was at a very low speed and look at the outcome. therein lies her concern.

i am crossing my fingers that in a few months this will blow over and i will be able to have a mature, rational conversation with the wife. then i can start shopping!

[nvp]

You obviously have a good head on your shoulders for both motorcycling and being married - both technically difficult tasks with a potentially high risk of injury.

Glad to hear you were wearing good stuff. BTW, I was going about 110MPH when I had to "part ways" with my 2-month old CBR100RR (nicely tweaked) and I feel VERY lucky to have "walked" away with only a broken knee cap and torn ligiment in my thumb. Honestly, when the tank slapper ensued and I had that moment of realization that I had to get off, I thought "well... at least I won't remember any of this." Thankfully I was wrong.

Take care of yourself. And your wife.

-N

[introspective1]

True that every accident is different. I know that some don't want to go overboard on wearing too much gear...but often after an accident we might say,
"If only I was wearing my full suit."
"if only I was wearing hip protection."
"if only I was wearing my hard back protector." etc.

and our excuses...
it was too hot.
it was too heavy.
it was too flashy.

I was told to always dress for the crash not the ride. Obviously, you cannot prevent some injuries. Whatever you're wearing will result in the same injury. Broken bones may not be preventable in certain crashes, but large abrasions/road rash is the most easily preventable (ie. T-shirt and shorts).

pepperell, good to hear that you're taking your time with everything. You'll figure it out.

Just understand this from the public point of view:
Motorcycles are evil.

[FRICKD'UP]

that sucks.

i was up there a few days ago and there was a lot of ice.

hope you heal up soon

[Trumper]

This is about the 4th or 5th crash I've heard details about on upper Alpine. That section is super tight and it's common for the road to be "fine," then suddenly have a bunch of junk in one of the turns. I know of two *very* experienced riders who have been caught in that trap.

It's easy to get sucked into a safe and sane pace that is suddenly too much for surprise slippery stuff in one of the turns....

Also, FWIW, I rode it last weekend and the upper section was fine with only tiny bits of debris and water. But the lower section in Heritage Grove was a super slippery mess. I mean like any abrupt or medium input to steering or brakes and you were going down. That section can get uber slippery so careful in there....

What's the update with the wrist? Aren't there like 200 tiny bones in the wrist?

[pepperell]

The Wrist and Elbow

I got the cast off Monday. Was a week earlier than scheduled. I'm in a wedding this weekend and have to wear a tux which of course wouldn't fit over the cast. Well I called the doc just to see if I could get it off Friday (5 days early) and they said to come on down right then. I did, they cut it off, x-rayed me, said it was healing well and sent me on my way.

They said no PT was necessary yet. The best therapy would be to start using it again lightly. It is sore and weak but I am getting more range of motion with each day. I won't be hitting the weights again any time soon but I can at least run with stinking my cast up.

The Bike

The motorcycle stuff on the other hand (no pun intended) is not going well. I signed over the title to insurance and took a check for it (~$4800!). I thought about buying it back. I could have for $1300 which I think would have been a steal as the motor alone might have fetched a grand and there really wasn't that much significant damage to it. A new tank and brake MC and it would be fine. But it would risk my marriage.

Simply suggesting getting a bike again brings on tears. She even gets mad if she sees me on BARF. I have tried to compromise by suggesting a 3 month or longer waiting period so we both can see where are heads then. Again, no dice.

I'm stuck because I love her. We haven't been married a year yet (though have dated for 8) and I wouldn't want to jeopardize it right at the start. Maybe in a few years she'll WANT me out on the bike, but right now all she can think about is our future together and to her, the bike represents an early end to that.


EDIT: Was thinking some more about this and what pisses me off the most is that this crash was so unspectacular. It was really a minor and relatively avoidable crash. I'm not wishing to have gone down in a ball of flames but for a career ending accident, this one BLOWS!

[GiorgioFurioso]

Sorry to hear this dude. But you should have bought the wreck and fixed it just to sell it!

Best of luck with the marriage etc. I hope I never find myself needing to make this kind of decision.

[zeefrenchspy]

Originally posted by pepperell
EDIT: Was thinking some more about this and what pisses me off the most is that this crash was so unspectacular. It was really a minor and relatively avoidable crash. I'm not wishing to have gone down in a ball of flames but for a career ending accident, this one BLOWS!

I agree that it is a pretty shitty way to end your mc career!!! maybe you can get her to compromise on letting you ride track only?

[ColinP]

pepperel you need to either admit that you're too pussy to ride again or you need to check your wife. its not like youre some irresponsible kid consistently fucking around and endagering yourself. it's one crash. does your wife not understand the concept of 'shit happens' or does she think that your an idiot?

[NVRIDER]

Redwood is hella hot now. Cops are always up there. Glad your okay man. I hate how cops are sometimes DICKS! Like we're all racers or sumthing.