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Thread: Post accident mental recovery experiences

  1. #1
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    Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Yah kind of a heavy subject, but I feel like this is a tight small community of riders and I might as well toss this out there for some insight.
    I know we all have different points of view and I'm just looking to vent and share my experience,
    as well as collect a point of view from others on the forum who have been down this road as well.

    My experience:

    So about 6 weeks ago I had taken a weekend to go camp near what I consider to be the best canyon road accessible to me within 4 hours.
    Bike was a 2009 GSXR 1000 on brand new Q3+'s, new brakes, and I had on full leathers, gloves, etc..
    I was timing runs via GPS and logging video with a helmet mounted GoPro.
    Saturday was fantastic, honestly I have never felt more comfortable at speed.
    I would say I was riding the better part of 95% of my ability.

    Sunday I did my first ride of the day and all was right in the world.
    On my return trip I noticed a group of sport bike riders at one of the turn-outs but as I was timing the run I carried on to the end of the canyon (my start/finish line for logging).
    I made the decision to turn back and go find the sport bikes as I'm always hunting for guys in my area to ride with who might ride at or above my own level.
    The guys were at the turn out and just preparing to head off in the direction I was going in to get back to camp.
    They were on older bikes and said that they didn't really ride at the pace they saw me doing on my pass by earlier.
    I was content to jump in and have a casual ride back to camp.

    As we set off I was at the end of the pack and ended up following a female rider that was going Harley speeds as the rest of the group pulled away.
    I decided to pick up the pace, pass her and chase down the other riders.
    I pushed hard and was making ground but was having to pass some traffic fairly aggressively and decided to one again settle in and just have a calm ride back.
    I had settled in behind a little white SUV and was just cruising along comfortably (maybe 35mph).

    That was when things turned sour.

    I was on a long sweeping left corner and was startled by a Harley with a passenger entering the roadway from the opposite direction and swinging wide into my lane.
    I swerved to the outside of my lane and watched over my left shoulder as the bike rode off behind me (back into his lane).
    When I looked forward again I knew it was not going to end well, I had been going straight after my swerve but the road was continuing left.
    I was on dirt. As soon as I tried to steer the bike it dropped like a rock and my grip on the bars pulled me straight down head first into the ground.

    I don't know if I was unconscious or just in shock, but I recall trying to stand up and falling without balance. I collected myself and got up more carefully.
    Several of the vehicles I had passed stopped to assist, even the white SUV I was following. Who exclaimed to me that he had seen everything and that my feet went "straight up in the air".
    I was unable to remove my gloves and a nice lady assisted me, I was roasting and needed to get my leathers opened up to cool off.
    It was around 1pm and pretty hot out.

    I assured the Samaritans that I was ok and asked the nice lady to go inform my wife at the camp sight that I had had a crash but was OK and just needed her to come collect me.


    (out of time for now, will continue the story next post)

  2. #2
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Sorry for the wait guys, I'm at work and only have moments here and there... if I get too busy I'll finish this tonight.

    So in a flash all the people are gone (including the guy who actually witnessed the accident) and I'm left standing on the side of the road.
    I had taken a moment to evaluate my condition before everyone left, I knew my left wrist was sprained but the bones were all intact.
    I knew I had jammed my left shoulder pretty good, and I knew there was gravel inside my leathers.
    I was hot and thirsty so I got some water out of the tank bag and had a drink, cough up some gravel but no blood with it so that was good.
    I used my lens cleaning cloth to cover my head from the sun and wet it to cool me off some. No shade anywhere.
    I wanted to sit down but bending over revealed some additional pain in my mid back and chest, ribs. Crap.

    Half an hour of standing there and now my chest is starting to contract from the rib pain, I'm wheezing and it is getting hard to take a deep breath.
    Can't sit down, water almost gone, WTF and I doing here alone? Where is my wife? Oh yah, it takes a little longer to get here at the speed limit and on 4 wheels.
    Concentrate on deep full breaths, a lot of pain now. No broken ribs that I can find, neck rotates properly and I can move around reasonably.
    Getting a bit of tunnel vision, need to breath deeper. Want to sit down, but I might not be able to get up and I don't want to freak out my wife when she get here.

    Breathing, moving, breathing, checking myself out, looking over the bike, breathing.

    45 minutes and now my vision is back fully, breathing is painful but I can take a deep breath, I'm going to be ok.

    Wife shows up, I pretend to be less jammed up than I really am. She has more water and now I can sit thanks to the height of the seats in the truck.
    I climb in the passenger door and plop down, cold water thank god. 10 minutes later the ambulance shows up, I refuse service and off they go.
    10 more minutes and the ambulance is back to tell me to wait for CSP, great.

    Wait an hour for CSP, no show. F#@& them, I need to go get a trailer and get back before dark to get this bike home.
    We leave and head two hours home, grab the trailer, kids for help, and head back to the bike, get there and the bike is gone.
    Back to the camp sight, wife and kids break camp and home we go.

    At this point I'm barely able to put weight on my hand and my ribs/chest is killing me, lay down in the back for the ride home.

    Monday morning I call in sick to work so I can hunt down the bike.
    As expected CSP had shown up some hours later and declared the bike abandoned and had it towed.
    Highway robber tow company in the next town over charged me $480 (cash only) since they had to use 4 guys to load/offload the bike (that was running and upright after the accident).
    You see, they couldn't wheel the bike onto the truck because the steering was locked thought they carried wheel dollies... what ever
    Call into CSP to coordinate the accident report and had to argue my way out of a ticket for not staying on the scene until CSP showed up, three and a half hours after the accident occurred.
    Retrieved the bike and got the insurance claim going.
    Last edited by DrKnow65; Mon Oct 30th, 2017 at 05:31 PM. Reason: following up

  3. #3
    Senior Member j0ker's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by DrKnow65 View Post
    (reserved)
    Christ, leave me hanging will ya!

  4. #4
    Gold Member madvlad's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Stay tuned for the next episode of "days of our lives"
    www.mo-door.com
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    2003 VFR800
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  5. #5
    Huge Member Site Admin Mother Goose's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    You lost me at riding at 95% of your ability on the street.
    Chadwick
    MRA #825

    "You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life." - Marco Simoncelli

  6. #6
    Gold Member Kim-n-Dean's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    I doubt I'm even at 10% of my ability while on the street.
    Kim & Dean
    60th Anniversary R6 - '16 R1M


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  7. #7
    Senior Member The Black Knight's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Mother Goose View Post
    You lost me at riding at 95% of your ability on the street.
    Yeah no kidding, I never rode above 95% of my ability at the track(well one time I did, ran out of talent at T5 in Pueblo, i.e. took a dirt nap), let alone on the street.
    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    "So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
    "

    "Finish today what others won't, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can't."




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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Mother Goose View Post
    You lost me at riding at 95% of your ability on the street.
    Yep, figured there would be at least three of you guys...

    1st is the "I never speed, but when I do I am safe about it (insert acceptable percentage here)" guy
    2nd is the "I never ride alone" guy
    3rd is the "I don't even ride street anymore, track days ONLY" guy

    There may be more, those are just the three I accepted to deal with when I decided to start this thread.

    Thanks for helping out Mother Goose, one down, two to go.

  9. #9
    Gold Member Kim-n-Dean's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by DrKnow65 View Post
    ...Thanks for helping out Mother Goose, one down, two to go.
    Which one of the three did he take care of for ya?
    Kim & Dean
    60th Anniversary R6 - '16 R1M


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  10. #10
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Kim-n-Dean View Post
    Which one of the three did he take care of for ya?
    Alright, I concede.

    I thought I could throw this kind of thing up here and have a conversation about what it takes to recuperate from an accident on a mental front.
    I guess it was a miscalculation on my part.

    Have at it guys, break down all the points where you wouldn't make this mistake, how safe you ride, blah blah blah.

    Ignore the bit where I wasn't actually riding hard when the accident happened.

    Posting this up was a mistake too.

    Whatever.

  11. #11
    Senior Member The Black Knight's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by DrKnow65 View Post
    Yep, figured there would be at least three of you guys...

    1st is the "I never speed, but when I do I am safe about it (insert acceptable percentage here)" guy
    2nd is the "I never ride alone" guy
    3rd is the "I don't even ride street anymore, track days ONLY" guy

    There may be more, those are just the three I accepted to deal with when I decided to start this thread.

    Thanks for helping out Mother Goose, one down, two to go.
    That was me up until April when I finally sold my 03 GSX-R1000. I gave up riding street back in 2013 and did track days only, been riding track since 2006. Now, I have no bike and if I do get back into it, I'm going with a cruiser. Already owned a 1999 Sportster 1200 and loved that thing when it came to riding to work. But with as bad as people drive these days, it really doesn't hurt my feelings to not ride the street anymore.

    As far as picking on you for riding the street fast. I can't really do that, as I've done just about everything bad under the sun when it comes to street riding.

    I've had two bad crashes in my time, one at the track and one on the street. Luckily, I walked away with mainly just bad headaches from both of them, due to get slammed on the ground.
    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    "So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
    "

    "Finish today what others won't, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can't."




  12. #12
    Huge Member Site Admin Mother Goose's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by DrKnow65 View Post
    Yep, figured there would be at least three of you guys...

    1st is the "I never speed, but when I do I am safe about it (insert acceptable percentage here)" guy
    2nd is the "I never ride alone" guy
    3rd is the "I don't even ride street anymore, track days ONLY" guy

    There may be more, those are just the three I accepted to deal with when I decided to start this thread.

    Thanks for helping out Mother Goose, one down, two to go.
    Anytime. But I'm not sure which one I am. I do only have a track bike at the moment, but I didn't say anything about the rest.

    You could have led with what happened with the actual accident instead of telling us you were timing your runs and riding at 95% of your riding ability on the street. But you didn't, so here we are.
    Chadwick
    MRA #825

    "You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life." - Marco Simoncelli

  13. #13
    Huge Member Site Admin Mother Goose's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    For the record, I'll tell my crash on the street story, which most of the OG CSC people know about.

    My first bike was a 2001 Honda F4i and I learned how to wheelie it, and wheelie it well. I was doing a wheelie down 6th Ave. from Sheridan to Wadsworth (I'd only do it on the highway when there was no one around, and back in 2003, that was easy to find), and the rear tire started to shake back and forth. It was actually going up and down the tire ruts on the road, so I set it down and got a mean tank slapper. I couldn't stop it and I started heading towards the median and I decided to bail off the back of the bike instead of hitting the median and possibly being thrown over it into oncoming traffic and endangering other motorists. I was in the hospital for 5 days, skin graft on my left knee, road rash on my legs and stomach, jacked up my right ankle and separated some things in my right elbow, oh, and a concussion. If you're wondering, I was wearing a helmet, jeans, basketball shoes, a mesh jacket where the armor in the elbow shifted causing the elbow damage and motocross gloves.

    As soon as I was able to bend my knee, I was back on a bike. I didn't have any second thoughts about it, I just did it. Some people can't live without a motorcycle and that's their life, I'm one of those people, so I didn't let an accident keep me from it. Both of our accidents were our own faults from the sound of it. Mine was, I was riding like an idiot and I deserved what happened to me. Yours was you lost concentration on what YOU needed to do in the situation. Instead of staring back at the other rider, you should have kept focus on where you were going what your motorcycle was doing. I know I learned from my mistake, will you?
    Last edited by Mother Goose; Tue Oct 31st, 2017 at 08:37 AM.
    Chadwick
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    "You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life." - Marco Simoncelli

  14. #14
    Gold Member Kim-n-Dean's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Speaking of losing concentration...

    I didn't crash, but could have... Back in 2003 I was following Kim through the canyons and she was doing very well. So well I was like, damn, she's haulin' ass! As I was being impressed by her turning ability, I realized I wasn't turning my bike. When I finally looked where I was going, I was heading off the road. Got it slowed enough and stopped in the gravel at the edge of a cliff above a creek and some huge boulders. My foot slipped in the gravel and I fell over. Filled my left glove with dirt. A little dirt got under my left grip and to this day you can turn the grip on the bar.

    I gave the bike to a friend last year and every time I see it, I straighten that left grip.
    Kim & Dean
    60th Anniversary R6 - '16 R1M


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  15. #15
    Senior Member j0ker's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Kim-n-Dean View Post
    Which one of the three did he take care of for ya?
    WTF, MotherGoose is a dude?! Learn something new everyday.

  16. #16
    Senior Member j0ker's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Mother Goose View Post
    As soon as I was able to bend my knee, I was back on a bike. I didn't have any second thoughts about it, I just did it. Some people can't live without a motorcycle and that's their life, I'm one of those people, so I didn't let an accident keep me from it.
    I am also one of those people. A month after my right leg spiral tib/fib shatter, 18 screws and 2 titanium plates, I was riding with one leg propped up on the highway pegs, around my neighborhood. Front breaks right! I can't say I understand the impossible to ignore attraction of motorcycles for me, but it's there for sure.

  17. #17
    Huge Member Site Admin Mother Goose's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by j0ker View Post
    WTF, MotherGoose is a dude?! Learn something new everyday.
    Last time I checked! It's the pink on the race bike, isn't it....
    Chadwick
    MRA #825

    "You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life." - Marco Simoncelli

  18. #18
    Senior Member j0ker's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Mother Goose View Post
    Last time I checked! It's the pink on the race bike, isn't it....
    I guess it is. I always thought you were just a badass chick rider. This changes my grand scheme to eventually get with you.

  19. #19
    Gold Member Kim-n-Dean's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by j0ker View Post
    ... I always thought you were just a badass chick rider...
    That's a biiiig bitch!
    Kim & Dean
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  20. #20
    Huge Member Site Admin Mother Goose's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by j0ker View Post
    I guess it is. I always thought you were just a badass chick rider. This changes my grand scheme to eventually get with you.
    Maybe now you'll stop sending me those dick pics through PM.
    Chadwick
    MRA #825

    "You live more for five minutes going fast on a bike like that, than other people do in all of their life." - Marco Simoncelli

  21. #21
    Gold Member Kim-n-Dean's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Kim & Dean
    60th Anniversary R6 - '16 R1M


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  22. #22
    Senior Member j0ker's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    I am fucking rolling guys. Too funny.

  23. #23
    Gold Member Yearly Supporter Sully's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    Quote Originally Posted by Mother Goose View Post
    For the record, I'll tell my crash on the street story, which most of the OG CSC people know about.

    My first bike was a 2001 Honda F4i and I learned how to wheelie it, and wheelie it well. I was doing a wheelie down 6th Ave. from Sheridan to Wadsworth (I'd only do it on the highway when there was no one around, and back in 2003, that was easy to find), and the rear tire started to shake back and forth. It was actually going up and down the tire ruts on the road, so I set it down and got a mean tank slapper. I couldn't stop it and I started heading towards the median and I decided to bail off the back of the bike instead of hitting the median and possibly being thrown over it into oncoming traffic and endangering other motorists. I was in the hospital for 5 days, skin graft on my left knee, road rash on my legs and stomach, jacked up my right ankle and separated some things in my right elbow, oh, and a concussion. If you're wondering, I was wearing a helmet, jeans, basketball shoes, a mesh jacket where the armor in the elbow shifted causing the elbow damage and motocross gloves.

    As soon as I was able to bend my knee, I was back on a bike. I didn't have any second thoughts about it, I just did it. Some people can't live without a motorcycle and that's their life, I'm one of those people, so I didn't let an accident keep me from it. Both of our accidents were our own faults from the sound of it. Mine was, I was riding like an idiot and I deserved what happened to me. Yours was you lost concentration on what YOU needed to do in the situation. Instead of staring back at the other rider, you should have kept focus on where you were going what your motorcycle was doing. I know I learned from my mistake, will you?
    I remember

    Quote Originally Posted by j0ker View Post
    WTF, MotherGoose is a dude?! Learn something new everyday.
    ... and when people thought Bertha was a chick... lmao!! Dick pics for errrryone!!
    Glitter Factory Racing
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  24. #24
    Gold Member madvlad's Avatar
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    Re: Post accident mental recovery experiences

    never a dull moment now show us your g0053
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