Crashing....learning experience

[new2BMW]

Bones,
I'm late with my input, but I wish you well just the same. Your post was very well written and brings the points home nicely.

I'm curious to a few things.

Is this the first (and last I hope) injury related crash you've had on a motorcycle?

If so, how do you reconcile your natural concern for human safety now as compared to before the crash? I don't know many doctors, but the ones I've met have given me the standard "motorcycles are dangerous" speech. I understand that this is natural for many doctors being that they deal with extreme human trauma.

Somewhere in your psyche you've dealt with that in the past. I'm just curious what your thoughts on that subject were before and after the crash and if they are any different.

Get well soon.
Regards,
Jeff

[R1150R in Africa]

Bones

Thanks for very informative and well written post. I have only been riding "big" road bikes for about 5 years now and am always grateful for info like this. I have just done my first track day at Kyalami track in Johannesburg and, although very tentative at first will definitely be doing more and your post will definitely be in the back of my mind.

All the best for a speedy recovery and your first ride back.

New2BMW,

I like the thinking behind your post and am looking forward to Bones' reply.

The "motorcycles are so dangerous" chirp from doctors is so typical - I get it every time I see a new one (or the same one) !! I could die from my high blood pressure or cholesterol tomorrow but they don't mention that !!

[Bones]

New and R in Africa,
Yes, this is the first (and hopefully, only) injury I have sustained related to motorcycling. I once had a very slow speed get off on a cold surface and cold tires, but just picked up the bike and cursed. I once had my R get sideways on thick and deep gravel, off camber at about 5-10 mph and I got the bike up and cursed about scratching the cylinder head cover. That kind of stuff.

Re the Doctors' reactions:
At first, that day and for the first two weeks I swore I would never ride again. The pain was ridiculous and the thought of it seemed like idiocy. Interestingly, of all the folks who know about my crash and to whom I have spoken about it, (and that includes a lot of M.D.'s, given what I do for a living) not ONE doctor has given me grief about this. Even those who are adamantly against riding have all said things like "Gee, I am glad you are going to recover....if there is anything I can do to help, let me know...." which has been nice.

The reality is that this has given me pause to really think about risk of injury in a whole new light. I have a solo practice with no partner. I also have an accredited surgical facility, which means ongoing overhead, whether I am operating or not. So I have had quite a month while I was NOT operating, but just seeing patients (ie no income to speak of, with the meter ticking on overhead). I decided that I can't afford another injury like this, and given the fact that track riding at the level I was doing it (relatively high level), by definition, means I would be riding close to the edge of the envelope of performance, the statistical likelihood of crashing again was higher than I wanted to admit. This is verified by the experience of all the track riders I know who ride at a high level. They all crash from time to time. It is a "given." I know lots of street riders, many of whom are only OK riders, who never crash.

So, while I will drool over all the race bikes and watch as an interested spectator, I will give up track riding.

What about the street? Surely, you can have a get off, get hurt or killed doing that. But, what else is there you can do that does NOT involve similar risk of injury of this type? Skiing....nope. Bicycle riding...NO WAY. Hockey skating....no. Rock climbing, nope, Etc.

Theoretically, (and I know I am rationalizing a bit here), while there are variables that can't be controlled on the street (deer, gravel, unknown road surfaces, traffic, bone headed drivers in cars and SUV's) there is the opportunity to eliminate a lot of the risks simply by making decisions. Do not go to certain parts of town to avoid traffic. Do not use the bike as transport IF there is a specified time you have to be somewhere (forces you to hurry). Decide not to ride in a group ride if you are not comfortable with the other riders. Decide the let the hot shots go ahead and catch up to them later (I have done that when someone had something to prove in a group ride). Whereas on the track I always wanted to ride my best each session and can't ride at half level, on the street I don't feel that need. I enjoy a totally different type of riding on the street, so I hope I can stay far below the limits of what I am capable and the bike is capable of.

I know it is dangerous. How do we reconcile these things? The same way my doctor buddies reconcile all their sports that result in knee surgery, dislocated shoulders, broken hands, wrists, concussions, etc. You know, all the sports that deal with gravity and movement.

Am I rationalizing too heavily?

Bones

[DJ Downunder]

Bones...were you wearing your Sete Gravelnow replica helmet???...maybe Rossi's curse is everywhere...

Did you see my pic of Sete on the new Ducati...he..he..

http://www.r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.p ... 9c790c8fb0

You said your helmet got damaged...will you replace it with another one the same???...I know you're a Sete fan.. ...still???.. ..just sturring..

Don't worry mate...you'll bounce back.

DJ

[boxermania]

Bones....sharing your experience is heart warming. It is obvious that you are a highly analytical person and strives to keep your skill set honed.

It is also obvious that you have a wonderfull and supportive spouse that understands the significance of a step backwards.

We are very lucky in this thread to have people like you who are willing to share the good and the bad alike for the benefit of the populi.

My best wishes for a prompt and complete recovery, allow your head to clear and follow your heart....everything else will fall in place.

Regards,

Al

[Boxer]

Thanks Doc. Glad you're okay. My nephew had a sliding low side similar to yours but on the canyon roads of SW Colorado...on a sport bike...zooming around the curves at high speeds...fully protected with gear though. He was also in an area with little or no traffic since he knows all the roads there, being a Colorado CHP. He just likes to race around with his pals. Anyway, he tucked his front tire, and slid on his stomach for many feet. He was lucky and only got a burn on his right palm from the heat through the glove...But he's a young, healthy, robust, athletic kind of guy. The track is definitely the place to do this, and even so, spooge happens...as we see from your experience.

Al, I just noticed that avatar of yours. I think it's been faked in Photoshop or something. That cow appears to not have an ounce of water on her forehead. Usually when cows leap out of the water like that, they have water on thier heads.

[wncbmw]

Bones - I understand your rationalization of the risks involved. Although I haven't done track days, my street riding took a big down turn in mileage and speed when I had a family. And although my mileage is going back up, the speeds are less than I used to ride, even though, ironically, I am probably a better rider than I was 20 years ago. But I don't heal as fast as I used to and hardly a ride passes without at least one close call from a vehicle crossing the center line, making me realize going a little slower than I can go gives me some cushion of reaction time and pavement.

It either ride more controlled, give it up or end up crunched by a cage. I choose to give up the ego and keep it within limits I am comfortable with.

[Boxer]

It either ride more controlled, give it up or end up crunched by a cage

Or rear-ended by another lunatic biker!

[Bones]

DJ,
Ahhhhh, yes, I was wearing my Gibernau replica helmet. And I DID actually think about that being a factor. I would love to blame it on Sete, but as we have all seen ( through Sete's behavior this year), there aint no one to blame but ME.

I will replace it with another Arai RX7. But it won't be a Sete replica.

I plan to get out to the storage area this weekend to get pics of the bike, leathers, helmet and gloves. We can all look at them, I guess.

Bones

[socalrob]

Bones,

Thanks again for great posts. Your MD buddies seem pretty stand up, they may have harped on you before the crash out of concern, but they're with you now with no i told you so's, what could be better? As motorcyclists (which for me somehow is a more apt descriptor than "biker") we have to remember that we are engaging in an activity that non riders absolutely do not understand.

I'm self employed too. I feel for you with overhead & not working. I bet you didn't even lay off all your employees for the duration did you? The problem of self employment for me is that even though its very satisfying & you can have the ability to generate serious $$, because its a business your always on the knife edge of disaster. Like a month off. Talk to you accountant, you may be able to lower your quartly tax payments significantly (due to a lot less profit this year). You should be able to cut your loss in half if your in a pushing 50 percent tax bracket.

If you really want to be scared, check your bike insurance, like in LA what happens if an uninsured or minimally insured cager racks you up. Of course on the track you have nobody to lay liability on, which may be a good thing if it keeps you away from lawyers.

I have been dreaming about a K1200R. With your post & some others here, I am now back to thinking about the R1200R, R1200ST, GS or the new GS Adventure. I agree that the boxer twin R bikes are about it for real world ridability. I also like seeing those cylinders out there flying through the wind.

I don't know if your making a good statistical decision on track v. road safety. If you could limit yourself to 8.5 tenths on the track, I think it would be very safe. Unfortunately, like a teenager thats discovered sex, limiting your track riding to a safe factor may be as difficult as becoming a virgin. I bet that edge (10/10ths) on the track is addicting. Riding on the street is dangerous, but I do think your GS is one of the safer bikes. Good visibility, upright seating, not too much HP, good brakes.

I would like to know how many crashes with serious injuries and how many crashes with fatalities experienced full face wearing riders have per thousand miles riden. & also be able to subtract out alcohol/substance abuse as that is not a problem of mine. Then at least we could all make more rational (or irrational, as the case may be) decisions.

Get better, keep riding, keep posting. Your valuable to this board, & to me. It gives me certain comfort knowing there is at least one nominally sane surgeon out there that rides. Ride safe.

[Bones]

Socal,
Nominally sane......THAT I like!

Indeed, I rationalize, as we all do through life. I have categorized some of the MC related risks:
1. Alcohol: no problem. I will NEVER ride even if I have had one beer. Non issue for me.
2. Age: At 45, by definition, my sense of mortality keeps me more in line on the street than I would have been if I was riding when I was younger.
3. Commuting: I will NOT ride the bike if I "have" to be somewhere at a specific time. It makes you force decisions in traffic you might not want to make otherwise.
4. Location: there are some places I just will not ride. Like anywhere near Baltimore as just one example.
5. Time: there are times that I won't ride, like dusk during deer season.

Etc, etc. I know it sounds restrictive, but I usually get in 10-12K miles per 6 month riding season around here and love those 9-10 hour days on the bike.

The track would be safer if I could ride at 85% of my capability. I could do that when I was riding less well. It sounds odd, but as I actually got "good" I just found that I could not find much satisfaction out of riding at less than 90%. And 90% felt like not pushing it too much. But 90% becomes 97% from time to time. That is OK. Then it becomes 101% which is 1% over the limit.

Re the employment/employer situation: I kept all my staff at 100% time and salary. They have families too. And they are the best staff anywhere. So they got to work at a much lower pace and intensity for a month and I just told them to enjoy it. In the end, while I take a $ hit, I think it is worth it. I will, indeed, discuss the quarterly taxes with the acct.

And you are so right about non riders "not getting it." The only way to get it is to do it. I am sure it is like sky diving. Those I know who do it say it can't be described. I am sure of that....because I don't even like being on a ladder, let alone jumping from a plane. THAT I don't get. I am not critical of it. I just don't want to do it.

Thanks again, guys.

Bones

[Promethean]

Good to hear that you're recovering, Bones!

I guess the doctor is in. Sorry couldn't resist.

Btw, the nick...."Bones"....is that from Star Trek TOS or related to orthopedic surgery? Just curious.

[Bones]

The nickname actually has nothing to do with what I do for a living, though it does apply, in that a large part of what I do is Maxillofacial Surgery (surgery of the face and specifically, the facial skeleton). I also have done research and published on bone metabolism and bone healing.

The nickname was given to me by two different friends completely independently at two different times, and just stuck. As I am not skinny, it didn't have to do with that either. I never really knew where it came from, but when both guys said "hey, Bones......wanna go have a beer?" it just seemed OK to accept the nickname.

It also is a lot less distasteful than many other things I have been called over the years.


Bones

[wncbmw]

boxer -

Or rear-ended by another lunatic biker!

You brought it up, not me!