I think I am giving up riding
#21
08-19-2007, 05:28 AM
Road Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Near Richmond VA.
Posts: 928
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: I think I am giving up riding
Big man was watching for ya and it WAS NOT your time... when your wife suggested that you needed chairs it was not by chance... it was not your time. If it was, you would not have written this post. You have to go with your gut on this and keep the lady happy (IMO), but honestly I have been in close calls where if Ihad been inmy cagethere would have been at least smashedsteel, plastic and glass but was on the bike and just plain avoided it all together. Whatever your decision, no one will look any different at you, so don;t sweat it.
#23
08-19-2007, 05:48 AM
Road Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Southeastern USA
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: I think I am giving up riding
ORIGINAL: forkliftfixr
August 4th my wife and I were hit by a driver with no insurance, no plates and a suspended drivers license. He was in a big hurry to get somewhere and ran a stop sign and according to the Police report his estimated speed at the time of impact was around 60 MPH, he never even bothered to hit his brakes. It TOTALED my 2001 Durango.Some of you may know I had surgery on my neckon June 28th where they removed a disk and replaced it with a bone chip and then screwed the 6th and 7th vertabra together with a metal plate. We were hit so hard in the SIDE that it actually moved the bone chip, and they may have to go back in to straighten it out.You might say this has nothing to do with Harleys so why am I writing this here.... Well, we actually started to take the bike, but she asked if we could possibly pick up a couple of new lawn chairs, so we took the Durango.
I rode a couple of times after the accident mainly because I had no other method of transportation. I found myself damn near riding the brake lever as I was watching cars come to stop signs, lights and even comming out of a driveway. Honestly it scared the hell out of me while I was riding.
I am currious to see what some of you have to say about me thinking about selling the bikes. I know some of you have been involved in accidents so any insite on how you recover from your fear of getting hit again will be greatly appreciated. I have had a few buddies tell me to just put them up and bring them back out next year, and Ill be fine. As for my wife....... She told me she will NEVER get on another motorcycle again. I have not told her it bothers me to ride, actually I have tried to get her to go on a ride, but she wont do it. It isnt going to be the same without her, I bought the Ultra Classic because she loved to be a passenger. Any ideas??
August 4th my wife and I were hit by a driver with no insurance, no plates and a suspended drivers license. He was in a big hurry to get somewhere and ran a stop sign and according to the Police report his estimated speed at the time of impact was around 60 MPH, he never even bothered to hit his brakes. It TOTALED my 2001 Durango.Some of you may know I had surgery on my neckon June 28th where they removed a disk and replaced it with a bone chip and then screwed the 6th and 7th vertabra together with a metal plate. We were hit so hard in the SIDE that it actually moved the bone chip, and they may have to go back in to straighten it out.You might say this has nothing to do with Harleys so why am I writing this here.... Well, we actually started to take the bike, but she asked if we could possibly pick up a couple of new lawn chairs, so we took the Durango.
I rode a couple of times after the accident mainly because I had no other method of transportation. I found myself damn near riding the brake lever as I was watching cars come to stop signs, lights and even comming out of a driveway. Honestly it scared the hell out of me while I was riding.
I am currious to see what some of you have to say about me thinking about selling the bikes. I know some of you have been involved in accidents so any insite on how you recover from your fear of getting hit again will be greatly appreciated. I have had a few buddies tell me to just put them up and bring them back out next year, and Ill be fine. As for my wife....... She told me she will NEVER get on another motorcycle again. I have not told her it bothers me to ride, actually I have tried to get her to go on a ride, but she wont do it. It isnt going to be the same without her, I bought the Ultra Classic because she loved to be a passenger. Any ideas??
#24
08-19-2007, 05:58 AM
RE: I think I am giving up riding
There's a lot of posts here that ask what makes a biker.To me it's simple,it's someone who rides all their life.And someone who hangs it all up,after an accident,isn't.I don't mean those who succumb to wound's that won't let them ride again.I'm just saying that if after one mishap that doesn't injure you,your ready to throw in towel,c'mon.My last big one left me comatose for a while,but I rode as soon as I was home.Like someone said,staying down is like you've lost.
#25
08-19-2007, 06:08 AM
RE: I think I am giving up riding
I'm assuming the guy that didn't hit his brakes at 60mph bought it,and I wonder why all your unhappy about is your Durango.Serious lack of compassion.There's a biker dead here,and the soul of your steel cage is a concern.
#26
08-19-2007, 07:32 AM
RE: I think I am giving up riding
Reeferhead, you might be right about some of your assumptions, but, I didn't get any of that from the original post. I'm not so sure I have any simpathy for the guy after he rode without a liscense or insurance and seriously affected the lives of two innocent people.
#27
08-19-2007, 07:40 AM
RE: I think I am giving up riding
ORIGINAL: Reeferhead
I'm assuming the guy that didn't hit his brakes at 60mph bought it,and I wonder why all your unhappy about is your Durango.Serious lack of compassion.There's a biker dead here,and the soul of your steel cage is a concern.
I'm assuming the guy that didn't hit his brakes at 60mph bought it,and I wonder why all your unhappy about is your Durango.Serious lack of compassion.There's a biker dead here,and the soul of your steel cage is a concern.
I don't believe he was hit by a motorcycle, although he doesn't say. I doubt that a bike could total a Durango, but you never know.
DJK
#28
08-19-2007, 08:11 AM
RE: I think I am giving up riding
So glad to hear you and your wife are not more seriously hurt. Time will heal things, especially the psychological injuries that such an event causes.
Your reactions and fears are perfectly normal. Take your time. It's far to soon to worry about it now. Park the bike for the season and throw a sheet over it in the garage and by next year you may be ready. Or the year after that. In the mean time you can heal and recover from this event - on the inside and the outside. If after a long enough period it becomes obvious you still feel it's time tohang upyour helmet then that's what's going to be right for you.
As the post above said, in his case he eventually emerged from the crash a better rider...
Hope we continue to see you here if you are still able to enjoy the forum and your brothers/sisters here.
Your reactions and fears are perfectly normal. Take your time. It's far to soon to worry about it now. Park the bike for the season and throw a sheet over it in the garage and by next year you may be ready. Or the year after that. In the mean time you can heal and recover from this event - on the inside and the outside. If after a long enough period it becomes obvious you still feel it's time tohang upyour helmet then that's what's going to be right for you.
As the post above said, in his case he eventually emerged from the crash a better rider...
Hope we continue to see you here if you are still able to enjoy the forum and your brothers/sisters here.
#30
08-19-2007, 11:13 AM
Cruiser
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: I think I am giving up riding
I was 15 years old...crusing along on my Kawasaki 350 triple 2 stroke in '73. A cager turned left in front of me. (He just didn't see me and I had thought he did!). I was goin' about 70 mph. Nevereven hadtime to even let off the throttle, totalled both bike and car (actually pushed the car's hood thru the windshield).
Had to be home schooled because of injuries/surguries, and missed my sophomore year of HS.There was no decision for me...my dad made it for me!
He sold all my bikes (I had more than one), and said "Never again under my roof!" So, honestly, I don't know what I would have done at that time had it been my choice to make...
I do know this, to this day, it's made me a better car driver and biker. I now know "Don't run over a motorcycle" is NOT what's goin' on in most cager's minds.
I still find myself braking harder, and looking (almost staring) at every potential threat. I think about things that I didn't know to think about then.
To close...the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course helped to give me the confidence to get back on a bike again. (I never left dirt bikes, but the street, I just felt I had NO control over what happened to me "out there"). If you miss riding, but have lost you're confidence (lol, and rightfully so!), then the MSF may help you, like it's helped me. It taught me that what happened to me is common. One needs to know what one's up against for one to know the "rules of the game" so to speak. MSF is great for that!
Maybe check out their website. What have you got to lose? Go on and take the course, and, if you're still unsure, so be it! You've not lost anything!
Good luck. Neck and spine problems suck, big time. (mine's L3/L4, but that's another story
)
Had to be home schooled because of injuries/surguries, and missed my sophomore year of HS.There was no decision for me...my dad made it for me!
He sold all my bikes (I had more than one), and said "Never again under my roof!" So, honestly, I don't know what I would have done at that time had it been my choice to make...I do know this, to this day, it's made me a better car driver and biker. I now know "Don't run over a motorcycle" is NOT what's goin' on in most cager's minds.
I still find myself braking harder, and looking (almost staring) at every potential threat. I think about things that I didn't know to think about then.
To close...the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course helped to give me the confidence to get back on a bike again. (I never left dirt bikes, but the street, I just felt I had NO control over what happened to me "out there"). If you miss riding, but have lost you're confidence (lol, and rightfully so!), then the MSF may help you, like it's helped me. It taught me that what happened to me is common. One needs to know what one's up against for one to know the "rules of the game" so to speak. MSF is great for that!
Maybe check out their website. What have you got to lose? Go on and take the course, and, if you're still unsure, so be it! You've not lost anything!
Good luck. Neck and spine problems suck, big time. (mine's L3/L4, but that's another story
)