I just retired...

[xprof]

Dear guys and gals of the R1200R forum: I just retired, from motorcycling. Here's the story:

After over 50 years of safely riding motorcycles, I finally hit the “big one”. On 4 Aug I went for a ride, first over Casitas Pass to Ojai for breakfast and a tank of gas. Then up Hwy 33, a real world-class motorcycle road, with left sweepers linked with right sweepers for 20 miles or more, 50-90 mph. I was alone and not pushing it, just riding at a sporting pace in perfect weather. Up and over Pine Mountain Summit and down the even-twistier backside to Ozena, then a right turn onto Lockwood Valley Road, another classic twisty road, over to Frazer Park and Gorman. Onto I-5 and down the Grapevine Grade and over to Arvin, looking for the Caliente-Bodfish road to Lake Isabella, I noticed my time was up, so I turned west south of Bakersfield and cut over to Maricopa for another tank of fuel. Back along 166 toward Santa Maria, left turn on 33 and up the Cuyama River to Ozena, then back over Pine Mountain Summit along the 33 to Ojai, another great run. And I didn’t make one mistake! Heading home over Casitas Pass, 300 miles into the ride and almost home, I hit the second summit, shifted my feet on the pegs and upshifted to 4th, heading to the first downhill turn, and Bam! … I wake up in a CAT scanner in Ventura. I even missed the helicopter evac!

What happened? I’ll never know. But I know that turn intimately and have known it for 50+ years, a tricky 135° right-hand hair-pin in a blind road cut. From the CHP diagram I fell right at the entry, not deep into the curve, as I would have if I had been going too fast. The only thing that makes perfect sense is this: I downshifted to 3rd and set up on the left hand of my lane, one foot from the centerline, and rolled right for a late-apex turn. Just as I got banked full-over, a car appeared out of the blind right-hander, cutting the curve and over the centerline, right in front of me! A harder push on the right grip, instinctual, and I missed him on the right, falling flat on my right side on the pavement. It makes a lot of sense. Nobody falls at the initiation of a turn! OTOH, maybe I did screw up for the first time in 50+ years, and if so, I’m too old for riding.

I busted my R. ankle (tib/fib, pinned), my R. fibula in at least 5 places, my R. hand, R. scapula and clavicle, maybe 4-5 ribs, pounded my shoulder and multiply-fractured my skull around the right eye. And I lost a bit of skin on my wrist and on my calf. A bit of TBI or CHI, of course, and I still suffer from a bit of vertigo. But I was wearing the $1000 padded Aerostich Roadcrafter riding suit Elona bought me for our 50th anniversary (good thinking, Elona!), and that really, really helped, I am sure, and also a brand-new helmet.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that I was also extremely lucky! I lived through it, and with both hands, feet, knees, hips, and eyes intact, and no paralysis or permanent brain injury. I am one lucky, lucky guy, and very grateful for it! I am now in my 4th week in an excellent rehab facility, and I go home on Thursday (4 weeks), plus rehab takes me up to SBCC twice a week where I teach my Physical Anthro course, from a wheelchair and with Elona helping out. Teaching: it’s good therapy.

Like an alcoholic who has quit drinking, I am still and always will be a motorcyclist, and my post-crash dreams are still happy dreams of motorcycling, but I am now a retired motorcyclist. Doesn’t say I won’t take a hot lap on somebody’s bike someday, but I will not own and ride daily anymore. Hell, I'm 72 years old anyway! The lovely BMW bike was destroyed and it would take at least $20,000 to buy back in, but mostly I just can’t put Elona through this again, not that she even asked. So there, I quit!

Thank you all for being there, and KEEP ON RIDING!

Mike Masson / XPROF

[KMalo]

Scary stuff, Mike.

Glad to hear that your are mostly OK. The day will come for all of us to hang up the helmet for the last time. Hopefully we can all do it as gracefully as you.

Best of luck, and since you're still a motorcyclist I hope you hang around.

Chuck DeSantis (Not far behind you in the age sweepstakes)

[Steve H.]

Dear Exprof-Mike!
Your "god by"saying is a painfull think for mee.Mike, we are going to quit biking just the question is the time'WHEN' it is coming for all of us,but definitely it is coming.I saw many of your pictures posted,and I assume you were a wery good rider.Unforunate moment/accident happened.So,Iassume it is time for hang up our helmets............the left is memory.That is a SPECYAL just closing eyes and remembering those beautiful days awoiding tears coming down.That is all abouth.Yet R1200R is the greataest bike whatsoever.

Hoping you are getting well,and best wishes,
Steve H.

[Shakey]

I thought I was going to read something that solicited congratulations (retirement) but instead I read of a fellow rider who has had to make a hard decision after a nasty sounding incident.

Huge respect to you for putting your wife's feelings high on your priority list and I wish you a speedy and uncomplicated recovery and a happy "proxy" riders life from here on in.

[angellr]

Mike,

Glad you are OK. At least you know WHEN to hang it up and it did not result in permanent damage or even death. Probably time to go out and look at convertibles, at least they will give you somewhat of the same feel with the top down! I wish you all the best and teaching does help keep you young, especially if you can keep up with the ever changing material.

[websterize]

All good things, Mike. Thank you for sharing and wish you a speedy recovery.

Elona sounds like a rare gem.

[Woland]

Glad you are ok under the circumstances, sad you decide to quit riding.

Me I'm going the other way, after a scare with cancer this spring/summer I've reached the conclusion that I should spend more time doing things I like. So I figure more riding is in store for me. You never know when things will end or from what so you better enjoy the time you have

[Newportcycle]

I'm very glad to hear you are recovering, good luck to you.

Are there any thoughts or recomendations you could share with us regarding the performance of your selected saftey equipment? Unfortunately your position may have given you some unique insights into what the designers of the gear did right or what we should be looking for in gear as we go forward.

[xprof]

Thanks guys! Thanks for listening. I felt the need to externalize...

Woland: I'm with you, brother. I did the serious cancer thing 22 years ago, and it just made life, and riding, all the sweeter, every damn day. In fact I recommend everyone get, and survive, cancer, just for the philosophical gains of the whole experience. Ride on, Woland! In my case, as I think I explained, it's more about sparing the long-suffering and always supportive wife, advancing age, and the eternal question : just when do I hang up the helmet.

Newport: It was an Aerostich Roadcrafter Lite full suit. Though a "lite", it handled the abrasion well and the pads did the job. Do be sure to add the hip pads, and the back pad would have been a good idea. I was wearing way-too-light gloves, given the heat, and went through on several knuckles, a dumb idea, and I had the wrists of the suit open as air scoops, and one of them rode up and exposed skin on my wrist/forearm. But what ya gonna do when it's hot? Personally I found the full suit cooler than riding without a suit, even out in the desert at over 100°, 'cause you can control airflow to match your evaporation rate. And I recommend the full suit over the jacket and pants, because with the jacket and pants I would NOT have been wearing the pants. The full suit just enforced the ATGATT on me, a chronic backslider.

So them's my thoughts. It was a privilege to have ridden the R1200R, the world's best bike ever, for 5 years and 60,000 miles. A rare privilege indeed! And also to belong to this august brotherhood.

[Steve H.]

Mike,

[peels]

wow.

As scary and upsetting as this is, I am glad you are still here to share this. No memory at all, huh? That's eerie....



good luck to you, sir.

[fastdogs2]

I am very glad to hear that you survived the crash and are on the mend. Although you have ended your riding career before you intended, you have had many years of precious memories from your riding adventures.

I don't scuba dive any more, due to four stents in the heart from coronary artery disease, but I can relive the many dives in the Florida Keys, Bahamas and Grand Cayman through the great memories I have of them.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Bill

[Woland]

Thanks guys! Thanks for listening. I felt the need to externalize...

Woland: I'm with you, brother. I did the serious cancer thing 22 years ago, and it just made life, and riding, all the sweeter, every damn day. In fact I recommend everyone get, and survive, cancer, just for the philosophical gains of the whole experience. Ride on, Woland! In my case, as I think I explained, it's more about sparing the long-suffering and always supportive wife, advancing age, and the eternal question : just when do I hang up the helmet.

So them's my thoughts. It was a privilege to have ridden the R1200R, the world's best bike ever, for 5 years and 60,000 miles. A rare privilege indeed! And also to belong to this august brotherhood.

At your age and after a serious accident I think its entirely reasonable, even sensible , to decide to hang it up. I totally get the need to externalize after a brush with ones own mortality. After having had literally a pound of flesh carved out of my lower back I'm sure I'm driving my family and friends "slightly" bored talking about it But hey, that's part of the coping process I need to get through so they just need to cope with that

[MTBeemer]

Also a survivor here. It is true, to a degree, that what does not kill you makes to stronger, and encourages you to enjoy life in a little different way.

Prof, Have you given any thought to a side car or Can Am Spider? I'm about 10 years behind you and have thought that I might find myself riding a hack someday; probably not a Spider and never a Trike. I have some younger friends who have gone to hacks and they love them. In any case, your decision to say enough is enough is admirable. A man has got to know his limitations (I made that up!).

[Steve in VT]

Mike,
I'm only a couple years behind you, and not a riding day goes by (and many a restless night, too), when I don't consider the diminishing odds against surviving the next ride. I only have to read about a head-on crash on a local road to imagine that farm pickup or distracted teen or harried soccer mom coming across the center line into my path. And unlike a cager, this codger probably won't walk away from the encounter. Like you, I always wear all my gear. Well, okay, on really hot days I switch to knitted bicycle gloves.
But no matter; I'm going to keep doing it for a while. I admire your good sense in knowing when to hang up your helmet. I want to quit just before I meet the devil.

Steve in Vermont

[towerworker]

Mike,
So sorry about your accident but very glad you're ok (or will be). I very much understand and respect your riding decision. I'm a bit younger (59) but I've had my own health struggles and I'm hoping to ride some years more but I know one day I'll have to make the same decision.

Wayne

[CycleRob]

xprof,

I echo TowerWorker's words 100 percent. I hope you do not have any lasting pains!! Giving up 2 wheels will be a big change, but there are other things you can focus on that I'll mention here. You can still join in with the family here and be an asset on any other of the many topics.

For the benefit of riders/readers that have not sport ending crashed yet, I can help you. I still have an ankle break that hurts from a bad bike accident in 1973. At 67 I have taken a different route by gradually slowing way down after 3 very dangerous close calls where I was still on 2 wheels after the hair raising OMG "events". Two of them were at different year BASH rides. The CycleRob of 7 years ago would be an adrenalin junky compared to me now. On a different note, to my much younger self's surprise, my wife Ann of 27 years is and has been since day 1 the most rewarding, most important part of my everyday life. There is bliss and no arguments ever. It is true what they say that "a happy wife is a happy life". No, I never get her flowers (a bad monetary investment). I just do a lot of little things I enjoy doing that mean she is loved and appreciated, especially in the shower. I'm helping keep the 3 toilets and shower stall clean. The clean up and put away after a meal. A year ago we added in our affectionate Jack Russell/Dachsund mix puppy and we are one happy family.

You may have noticed many of my riding reports mention high MPGs instead of illegal MPH digits or near red RPMs . . . that is the why of it. My yearly January 1 odometer recordings have been much smaller too. I still am amazed every time I do go for that ride to somewhere/nowhere in any temperature weather. I'm just a lot more legal now. I also get satisfaction from working on bikes. Currently there is a 1995 R1100GS in my garage from 1 hour away that is getting a (to be posted) take-it-apart going over to make it dependable and run better.

[Snapping Twig]

I for one will miss your posts, but I understand.

Heal up and be well.

Come back and visit when you can, you'll always be welcome here.

[H1Alpha]

I'm glad that you're on the road to complete recovery with no permanent health issues related to your accident.
Yes, in agreement with all the sentiments posted, who knows when we'll all have to make that decision to put down the kickstand for the last time…………I just hope I exhibit the same wisdom, and the courage to follow through with the decision to park the Moto, when that time comes………

Best wishes in your Moto Retirement.

[Acpantera]

A little over ten years ago, I thought heavily about when I will say "when". My parents had a neighbor named Ted. Ted was in his 80's at that point, and had a fairly new Harley that he enjoyed riding as often as weather aloud. Ted was a motorcycle messenger in europe during WWII and very proud of his riding skills as a young man in war, and as an old man living in the country he risked his life for. One time while chatting with Ted, the topic of hanging up his helmet came up and he repeated a quote I have heard before, but coming from Ted, he certainly owned it.
"You don't quit riding because you get old, you get old because you quit riding"
I know that Ted never had to make the "when" decision for himself, he was stricken with alzheimer's and passed in his 90's. A good man, avid rider, great patriot. RIP