Another lesson, quick on the heels of the last

[rusty rider]

I believe that you stick your neck out every time you get on two wheels. Seems that there isn't a day that goes by that someone doesn't see me and I have to swerve or brake to avoid an accident. I've been fortunate I've gone down a few times in my younger years and never broke a bone. Have had road rash, but not the kind that had to be scrubbed to get the grit out.

I agree with Sarris that Mike may be making his decision in haste, but only he knows for sure. I love to ride, and figure if thats the way I go out well it was doing something I love.

Mike heal up and if you feel like striking out on two wheels we'll always be here. :rawk:

[patrick_777]

Originally Posted by rusty rider

Mike heal up and if you feel like striking out on two wheels we'll always be here. :rawk:

+1 - Much more eloquently put than Sarris' post.

It's very normal for apprehension after a life-threatening incident. I got struck by lightning in high school, and didn't go outside after dark (or on a cloudy days) for almost a year...Now I get paid to chase storms and try to get as close as I can to it (see below). The feeling might change, but don't expect it to for a while, and you definitely can't rush it. Nervousness and anxiety cause more accidents than stupidity ever has.

Mike, get well. Take the time. You might catch the bug again.

[jonathan180iq]

Sorry about your fall, Mike. Heal up.

Patrick, those are some pretty sweet shots!
My wife and I (my wife) took this one during a lighting storm over Atlanta. It's a good shot but I can't tone down the brightness with my cheap editing tools on this computer.

[mrlmd1]

Certainly glad to hear you're OK, that's the most important thing. Sounds like you got "highsided" and thrown off the bike, and luckily you landed on the trunk of the car and the bike went underneath the car. It could have been a lot worse with the bike on top of you. The lessons of ATTGAT, paying attention, following distance, etc., apply to all of us, all the time.
Keep in touch with us and let us know your progress.

[music man]

Also I think that how long you have been riding motorcycles before you take a hard fall or crash, is part of it too. If you have already been a "real biker" (as Sarris so eloquently put it), for years and have thousands of dollars and time wrapped up in your, hobby, lifestyle, whatever you want to call it, you might not be as quick to hang up your helmet, as someone that is like me and only has a couple of thousand dollars (including gear and all) and a little over a year invested in it.

That being said since I have not had the pleasure of tasting asphalt on my bike yet, I can't really say with 100 percent accuracy what I will do when I crash, I would like to say that I would brush myself off, go to the bike shop in my wheelchair and pick out my new motorcycle, but who knows. But I do know that the decision I would make a day or two after I crashed would almost certainly be different than the one I would make if I healed up first then decided. So I think that even though Sarris may put things a little bluntly at times, He usually makes a good point in there too. So I will have to Second Sarris on this one, and say that if you crash you might want to stew on it a bit before you rush off into the sunset.

Think about this, Evil Knievel, one of the crazy, big balled dudes that ever rode a motorcycle, crashed one time, got up to the podium almost directly after, hobbling, shook up and banged up, and told the announcer and the World that he would NEVER jump again. BUT HE DID. Food for thought


Later, and sorry so long winded :oops:

[Water Warrior 2]

Comike14, sorry to hear about your mishap but glad the injuries were not any worse. From the sounds of it you have been running this through your head over and over again. Just put it away in the back of your mind for a while and go through the healing process and get back to a healthy state first. When you feel fit then think about riding again. Give it some thought, go look at bikes too. If you feel like you are still bitten by the bug to ride then is the time to make a decision. Take your time, a destroyed bike and injuries are not a daily occurance for most people. The trauma of an accident can have some long lasting effects both physically and mentally. Take a TIME OUT from bikes. There is certainly nothing wrong with being a little shy of something that hurt you. Heal well and keep us in the loop with your recovery. ATGATT.

[5th_bike]

Hey Comike, sad to read that you got hurt. I hope you will heal well and quickly. And that it won't haunt you.

Here is something to make you feel better:

[Magnar Infectus]

Noooo your poor GZ250... totaled!
j/k
Glad to hear you're not too bad off. Hope you decide to stay with us and get back on 2 wheels when you're ready.

Happy healing.

ps. Yay! I have a mostly naked chick above me!

[Blues]

Mike, sorry to read about your spill, but THANK YOU for sharing your incident. Sounds like you paid a pretty good price to learn a lesson, and any of us with more than a few functioning brain cells will do good to learn from it too. Bet your ass that when I get on my bike this afternoon, I'll have your accident in my mind and pay an extra tad of attention to what I'm doing. Shamefully, I have been guilty of riding my bike like I was driving my car to work (otherwise known as half-assed riding). I'm comfortable on my bike and feel like I was born on it, but that's really no excuse to get lax. If you read this, know that you have helped me to get my head back on straight. I'll learn the lesson you were so kind to pay for.

As far as you riding again, let me tell you a wee story. I work on a railroad and one of our men got where he shouldn't have been and, long story short, wound up with his leg cut off right below the knee. Obviously, he was a bit scared of locomotives after that and has had another job at our company for the last two years. He now has a "terminator looking" prosthetic leg and foot. But now that much time has passed and he's used to his mechanical leg, he's thinking about coming back out to the railroad and seeing it he can do the job. It's the job he was cut out to do and nothing as small as a missing leg is going to deter him. If you were cut out to be a biker, you'll eventually be back. If you weren't, you won't. No shame either way.

Sending much good mojo your way,
Aaron

[Jer]

Thanks for sharing this with us Mike.

Like the others I'm sorry to hear your tale.

Do whats best for you. And dont be in a hurry whatever it is. You've got lots of years left.