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Marin County pair injured in high-speed motorcycle collision

Sorry that turned out to be a lousy day for riding for you guys. Accidents are always a good time to reflect on what you could have done differently, despite that fact that "others" may have committed the same mistakes and perhaps got away with it.

New 600s that have the same power as Foggy's WSBK winning superbike definitely close the gap on allowable rider error. If you and your friend choose to ride again, I highly recommend spending some time on the track with Zoom Zoom or Keigwins so you can get a real world assessment of how fast those bikes are and a better understanding of your skill set.

While some of the criticisms set forth in this thread make you want to lash out, really, you need to own your own responsibility in this accident. It is what it is, and you have to own it, learn from it, and really, tried to find the thrill of riding in more appropriate venues. I don't know if you were ticketed, but that is going to be an expensive addition of insult to injury.

Grab Code's books, or Lee Parks and read up while you're healing. I've been riding longer than you've been alive and I still read my "well dog-eared" version of Total Control. Heal fast, do your physical therapy, and I hope your friend does the same. Good luck guys.
 
almost said:
...secondly fck everyone else who are calling us dumbasses or we got what we deserved, because i can gaurente that pretty much ALL of you have broken the speed limit with a friend n gone 100 mph...
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The fine print on your guarantee reads you are hiding behind the fraternity of riding to justify your lack of common sense. You may tell people who won't buy it to go f-themselves, but all you accomplish with that is looking immature. And by the way - thanks for another example of making motorcyclists look like jerks despite the majority being reasonable people.
 
EarlyApex said:
Play stupid games and win stupid prizes..

Try not to be so selfish. Innocent motorists loose their lives every day because of people like you and your friend. Man up and take responsibility for your actions. Use your head next time and take it to the track.

100mph in a 55mph and your not only shocked that you crashed, your offended that some of us here are calling you two dumbasses? :wtf

I just hope you walk away from all of this with something learned..
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yeah - walking away from this is something we hope they both do. in this case, the people who made the decisions paid for their decisions. that has no bearing on us wishing them well, and hoping they recover fully, and become wise old riders, who help future youngsters make the best possible decisions by virtue of their experience.

Not Karl Malden said:
The fine print on your guarantee reads you are hiding behind the fraternity of riding to justify your lack of common sense. You may tell people who won't buy it to go f-themselves, but all you accomplish with that is looking immature. And by the way - thanks for another example of making motorcyclists look like jerks despite the majority being reasonable people.
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everyone who develops maturity started out as immature. if you marginalize people who can learn from what you know, you haven't accomplished anything.
 
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Hi and welcome, Erik.

There will be plenty of time for reflection and learning from this, but for now I hope you and your friend heal from the physical stuff quickly and thoroughly.
 
Good to see your alive and well enough to type, almost. If you learn anything from this, I hope it's that Robert should ride in front of you from now on.
 
i hope you both heal up well and your boy keeps his leg. that's a shitty price to pay for lapses in judgment, but it happens...i'm sure no one willl need to tell you now that if you get back up on the horse, be careful out there...the nurses don't call these things donorcycles for nothing.
 
Not Karl Malden said:
The fine print on your guarantee reads you are hiding behind the fraternity of riding to justify your lack of common sense. You may tell people who won't buy it to go f-themselves, but all you accomplish with that is looking immature. And by the way - thanks for another example of making motorcyclists look like jerks despite the majority being reasonable people.
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its hard for me to type one handed so excuse me for my typos (these responses take me quite a while so spelling is the least of my worries), and i was just a little angered at the responses that we were receiving about the accident as i can assume many have been in similar situations on and off the track.

papa911 said:
Good to see your alive and well enough to type, almost. If you learn anything from this, I hope it's that Robert should ride in front of you from now on.
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and im not really sure if that would have helped, we both were not going to make the turn at those speeds, because as we crested the hill the right turn was blaring in our faces. if we were in the oncoming lane, yes it would have been manageable, but i wasnt going to risk getting hit head coming up over the blind hill to the turn.


also yes i would agree that triple digits was not a wise move on our part and we will remember it for the rest of our lives. and that we may had been amateur street bike riders with only a couple years of expierence, and had just pushed our luck a little bit too far that day.

not to say that i am shocked that we had both crashed, because i knew it was happening as we entered the turn, but i feel that some members could be a little bit more understanding as to our situation. i am not new to motorcycles as i have been riding for 13 years, and i should have known to not hit triple digits in that area. but we are all human and have our "momentary lapses in judgement".

as to those who are concerned about Roberts recovery, his leg has been saved but they had deleted the artery from behind his knee because of the severeness of the severing it was unable to be saved
 
Glad they saved his leg!

At any rate, I hope you two heal up and best wishes to recovery.

Tough lesson. I have learned many myself!
 
hey Erik - glad you're ok, and glad your buddy is doing better.

for sure, I can relate to momentary lapses of reason - but I have to ask: was that the first time you guys were on that stretch of road? just trying to understand, since you both are from the area...
 
Erik & Robert - I've been riding for several decades, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's to only push the limits when I can do so safely.

That means NEVER going too fast into a blind area. If I want to haul ass, I do it only when I can see the entire length of the road, and then slow the f*ck down before any hazards or blind spots.

I hope you both heal up as completely as possible, and continue riding. But do it SAFELY. You now know the consequences of trusting the unknown. Get well soon, and best of luck to you.
 
Thanks for posting up honestly, almost. I'm glad they were able to save his leg, and I hope you both heal fully.

You will learn from this, and hopefully it doesn't cost either of you too much.

Good luck, brother.
 
XPEHBAM said:
Relevant: http://ca.autoblog.com/2010/11/21/road-myths-physics-of-a-head-on-collision/
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ok so the mith busters comedy show did this.
but what if one cheep small car was doing 95mph and a large 3/4 ton truck was doing only 50 mph?
had this happen to me (i was in the truck). i reversed the direction the "other" car was going.
and yes he came over the dy and hit me, drivers head light to drivers head light.
clear day, dry roads. both vehicles were totaled.
he went to icu, i slept in my bed at home that night.


.
 
Then it's more involved, as the velocity and mass are different.

And no, I'm not gonna do the math. Some physics geek here on teh BARF can/will, just for giggles.

But your 3/4 slower velocity truck with a solid steel frame had more structural rigidity/strength than his Yugo. He's lucky to be alive, if he is.
 
packnrat said:
ok so the mith busters comedy show did this.
but what if one cheep small car was doing 95mph and a large 3/4 ton truck was doing only 50 mph?
had this happen to me (i was in the truck). i reversed the direction the "other" car was going.
and yes he came over the dy and hit me, drivers head light to drivers head light.
clear day, dry roads. both vehicles were totaled.
he went to icu, i slept in my bed at home that night.


.
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that is a whole different equation. a 10 ton truck going 50 MPH carries more force than a 2 ton car going 100MPH.

a 500lb motorcycle going 120MPH has more force than a 2 ton car going (1-10MPH)


edit, to cincinnatus. i am not a physics geek, and that is not exact equation. but it is to give an idea as to how confusing it can be.
 
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redruM said:
hey Erik - glad you're ok, and glad your buddy is doing better.

for sure, I can relate to momentary lapses of reason - but I have to ask: was that the first time you guys were on that stretch of road? just trying to understand, since you both are from the area...
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no we are fairly familiar with this stretch of road, and Robert had gone down there earlier that day. i on the other hand had not ridden on it in a while and had forgotten about the turn after you crest the hill.
 
almost said:
no we are fairly familiar with this stretch of road, and Robert had gone down there earlier that day. i on the other hand had not ridden on it in a while and had forgotten about the turn after you crest the hill.
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well, i'm really sorry you had to learn a hard lesson like that.

when you guys are ready & able to get back on the bikes, be sure to check out all the stickied threads here: http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23

and/or consider reading a book called Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. it should be required reading for all motorcyclists, whether new or experienced.
 
An Update

I signed up for Robert's journal. It's beed one month since the accident.

Jolene said:
...Robert [is] doing well. It is hard to believe but tomorrow it will 31 days that Robert has been in the hospital! He has been amazingly strong and in good spirits will all the love and support that everyone is sending so please keep up the prayers!

They are planning his next surgery (#8?) on Monday, August 27, 2012. This surgery will be very long and involve removing some muscles from his shoulder in order to place it on his knee.

The first surgery that used the calf muscles from his severed leg to cover his knee failed (the doctors believe the muscle was injuried from the accident and that is why it probably failed).

In order for Robert to leave the hospital they need to close the wound on his leg and since the first skin graft failed (because part of the muscles died) they will be adding new muscles from his shoulder. Muscle needs to be under the skin graft in order to survive since skin is a living tissue. Hopefully the surgery Monday will be successful so that Robert can continue his recovery at home!
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I wish Robert well and a full and speedy recovery. I hope his squid days are behind him. Ain't worth it.
 
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