When a friend goes down...
#1
04-18-2011, 01:17 PM
When a friend goes down...
This question is posed to those who have had a friend sustain serious injury or death in a motorcycle accident.
Did/do you consider selling off your bike and gear and getting out of riding?
I went to meet a guy to ride some local twisties this weekend... when I got off the exit where we were to meet, I saw the accident. He was struck by a car on the way to meet up; he was wearing full gear (2-pc leathers, helmet, gloves, boots) so he only sustained minor cuts/scrapes/bruised, but the impact broke several vertabrae and put him in intensive care.
I've heard about so many motorcycle accidents and they all sink in, but none have seemed to shake me like this one. I have had serious thoughts of selling my bike and gear, but my wife is telling me not to because I love riding and I love my F4i.
She says this feeling will go away and I will just end up regretting selling and that I'll just end up buying another bike/more gear/etc.
Did/do you consider selling off your bike and gear and getting out of riding?
I went to meet a guy to ride some local twisties this weekend... when I got off the exit where we were to meet, I saw the accident. He was struck by a car on the way to meet up; he was wearing full gear (2-pc leathers, helmet, gloves, boots) so he only sustained minor cuts/scrapes/bruised, but the impact broke several vertabrae and put him in intensive care.
I've heard about so many motorcycle accidents and they all sink in, but none have seemed to shake me like this one. I have had serious thoughts of selling my bike and gear, but my wife is telling me not to because I love riding and I love my F4i.
She says this feeling will go away and I will just end up regretting selling and that I'll just end up buying another bike/more gear/etc.
Last edited by nowensby; 04-18-2011 at 01:21 PM.
#2
04-18-2011, 02:16 PM
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The 4th weekend out on my first bike (Ninja 500) I went on a ride with a more experienced rider on another Ninja 500. About half way through the ride he was hauling ***, lost traction in a corner, lowsided, went down into a ditch, the bike turned into shrapnel, he bounced, hit a tree, fell to the ground, then got hit by what was left of the bike.
After the ambulance came and picked him up I had to have a friend with a truck come pick up the pieces of his bike, as well as stick my bike in the back. He dropped my bike off at my place and it sat for a month before I even looked at it again.
I sat for a long time looking at the bike, and trying to decide if it was worth it, or if I should just let it go. Eventually I decided that it was worth the risk, but I'd do my best to mediate the danger as much as possible. Full gear, all the time. Not riding beyond my ability, and spending a lot more time practicing before I went back out on high speed runs.
My buddy got lucky, and lived. He ended up with 6 broken ribs, broken hip, broken arm, broken collar bone, broken ankle, and a couple broken fingers.
Sooner or later, everyone has to make the choice if riding is worth it to them. It may be watching a friend's accident, or having one of your own, but sooner or later you will have to make the choice.
After the ambulance came and picked him up I had to have a friend with a truck come pick up the pieces of his bike, as well as stick my bike in the back. He dropped my bike off at my place and it sat for a month before I even looked at it again.
I sat for a long time looking at the bike, and trying to decide if it was worth it, or if I should just let it go. Eventually I decided that it was worth the risk, but I'd do my best to mediate the danger as much as possible. Full gear, all the time. Not riding beyond my ability, and spending a lot more time practicing before I went back out on high speed runs.
My buddy got lucky, and lived. He ended up with 6 broken ribs, broken hip, broken arm, broken collar bone, broken ankle, and a couple broken fingers.
Sooner or later, everyone has to make the choice if riding is worth it to them. It may be watching a friend's accident, or having one of your own, but sooner or later you will have to make the choice.
#3
04-18-2011, 02:48 PM
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I don't have anybody I know that were seriously injured. I only had very minor accident. The one accident in the news that really effected me was a 22 year old girl who was riding with her husband's military riding group, lost control around the turn and lowsided and was hit by her husband's friend riding behind her. She was pronouced dead at the scene. I was little scared to ride after hearing that news for couple of weeks. For me, I think it's because she was a girl, not a guy.
After mine, I watch more carefully and ride with much caution when passing cars, side street. If I ever crash again, I know it would be because of my skill level. So I try to be humble while trying to push my limit here and there.
My R6 neighbor was telling me yesterday he was saving up to get R1, but thinking about giving up because he has no medical insurance.
After mine, I watch more carefully and ride with much caution when passing cars, side street. If I ever crash again, I know it would be because of my skill level. So I try to be humble while trying to push my limit here and there.
My R6 neighbor was telling me yesterday he was saving up to get R1, but thinking about giving up because he has no medical insurance.
#4
04-18-2011, 02:51 PM
#5
04-18-2011, 07:03 PM
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I was involved in a large crash years ago, it was group of about a dozen riders. Two bikes up in the lead got tangled up taking a medium speed gradual corner in the middle of nowhere late at night. They just got too close to eachother not paying attention and it ended up with one of them getting his bars jerked to the side when he tried to disengage.
He went down in the middle of the road and got hit by two of the bikes behind him, crushed his legs and skull, he wasn't wearing a lid. It was a casual ride on a road we'd ridden dozens of times. By the time I came around the corner there we're bikes seemingly all over the road, one clipped my front tire as I tried to swerve and superman'ed me over the bars. Only two major injuries that night, his death and my fractured wrists, ankles, and separated shoulder. All in all I didn't come out too bad if you think about it, considering I was lidless too. We we're just dumb kids back then, didn't know any better.
The guy who died was my roommate and best friend of 5 years. Now, it might not have been logical but I was out there on my crutches trying to piece my bike together before I was even partially healed, was a kinda therapy maybe. I never really blamed riding for his death, any more than you could blame construction work for people who die on jobsites, manta rays for killing Irwin or cars for killing the thousands of people who die every year in car accidents.
Point is you can't live your life in fear, or avoiding things your afraid of. Riding can be a dangerous past time, if the joy you get out of it isn't worth the extra risk it adds to you life then maybe you should take a break from it, lifes really all about risk assessment and what people judge an acceptable amount in their lives. I did end up taking a few years hiatus away from bikes later but it was more about life situations than anything to do with being spooked. Guess what I'm trying to say is noone can make this choice for you or help you figure it out really, risk assessment is something only you can do for yourself and everyones will be different. I manage mine with gear nowadays. Regardless, hope this helps.
Shawn.
He went down in the middle of the road and got hit by two of the bikes behind him, crushed his legs and skull, he wasn't wearing a lid. It was a casual ride on a road we'd ridden dozens of times. By the time I came around the corner there we're bikes seemingly all over the road, one clipped my front tire as I tried to swerve and superman'ed me over the bars. Only two major injuries that night, his death and my fractured wrists, ankles, and separated shoulder. All in all I didn't come out too bad if you think about it, considering I was lidless too. We we're just dumb kids back then, didn't know any better.
The guy who died was my roommate and best friend of 5 years. Now, it might not have been logical but I was out there on my crutches trying to piece my bike together before I was even partially healed, was a kinda therapy maybe. I never really blamed riding for his death, any more than you could blame construction work for people who die on jobsites, manta rays for killing Irwin or cars for killing the thousands of people who die every year in car accidents.
Point is you can't live your life in fear, or avoiding things your afraid of. Riding can be a dangerous past time, if the joy you get out of it isn't worth the extra risk it adds to you life then maybe you should take a break from it, lifes really all about risk assessment and what people judge an acceptable amount in their lives. I did end up taking a few years hiatus away from bikes later but it was more about life situations than anything to do with being spooked. Guess what I'm trying to say is noone can make this choice for you or help you figure it out really, risk assessment is something only you can do for yourself and everyones will be different. I manage mine with gear nowadays. Regardless, hope this helps.
Shawn.
#6
04-18-2011, 07:29 PM
#8
04-18-2011, 08:57 PM
*NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART*
In Toronto, Ontario August of last season Some idiot with a girl on the back of his bike got in a highspeed pursuit on the highway and the cops backed but he didn't and he ended up dumping her off the back and she was dismembered when she fell off doing around 200km/hr.
There were body parts scattered all over the highway and witnesses were saying they couldn't avoid then and had to run over arms and legs.
And he fled the scene and left her there.
Hwy. 401 accident haunting: Veteran motorcyclists | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
My wife will not drive on the highway with me since then.
In Toronto, Ontario August of last season Some idiot with a girl on the back of his bike got in a highspeed pursuit on the highway and the cops backed but he didn't and he ended up dumping her off the back and she was dismembered when she fell off doing around 200km/hr.
There were body parts scattered all over the highway and witnesses were saying they couldn't avoid then and had to run over arms and legs.
And he fled the scene and left her there.
Hwy. 401 accident haunting: Veteran motorcyclists | Canada | News | Toronto Sun
My wife will not drive on the highway with me since then.
#9
04-18-2011, 09:21 PM
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#10
04-18-2011, 09:28 PM
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I've been considering selling my bike ever since my younger bro died last year (not from riding), it was an accident. It hit everyone hard in the family, especially my parents. My parents are changed since then (Mom more so, it seems) now when I ride it's hard not to think about them and what they would do if I was hurt or worse. I have to say I ride fast....it really weighs on me when I ride
I have two little girls, I don't live in fear , but I think about my girls without a father because lets face it you can be the best rider and still get smoked! Thinking about it all day today because someone in town died today and the girl on the back is in critical condition. Ride safe everyone!
I have two little girls, I don't live in fear , but I think about my girls without a father because lets face it you can be the best rider and still get smoked! Thinking about it all day today because someone in town died today and the girl on the back is in critical condition. Ride safe everyone!