My turn to go down hard

[yjleesvrr]

Gary isn't the only one to have an accident this holiday season. I myself had one a few days ago while riding.

It took me almost 9 years of riding to reach the milestone. But reach it nonetheless and surprisingly not too worse for wear other than badly bruised and scraped knees and a broken pinkie finger in the right hand.

I was having a wonderful day of riding on Saturday that began on my BMW for the first leg of my trip, and my Harley to finish off the day. I left Haymarket around noon and got to Blacksburg on my BMW without incident. I swapped for my Harley and headed for southern Virginia to visit a good friend in Halifax. Enjoying the burbling Harley exhaust note, I got to Philip’s parents house in the early evening hours to have dinner and chat. I hit the road north on route 360 through Richmond and eventually to Northern VA. At approximately 1 a.m. in the morning, I exited off I-95 onto Route 234 to head to Haymarket. Heading northwest, I was approaching the entrance to the Montclair development as the light started to change. I had my throttle friction lock engaged with my speed at 50 – 55 mph. I usually have it set to where it doesn’t take much effort to roll the throttle closed. Well, I had it locked firmer than usual and I didn’t apply enough force to close it while braking at the same time – a really stupid, careless error on my part after a long day of riding. The 82 ft. lbs. of torque that a Harley 88ci twin cam engine exerts on the rear wheel simply overpowered the front wheels ability to slow the bike down. The front locked as I applied more force, and I found myself thrown to the ground.

In several bicycling accidents as my first motorcycle one, things always seemed to happen lightning fast while thoughts enter your mind in succession with distinct clarity. When the front end washed out and I was in the midst of separating from my Harley, the first thing I thought was “Man, I can’t believe I’m joining the club of bikers who’ve gone down.” The second thought that came to mind was I needed to get up – only to realize that I was still sliding down the road at a pretty good clip while spinning around on my butt. It was at this time I saw my bike sliding down the road ahead of me toward the intersection. Seeing a 650 lb. motorcycle emitting a shower of sparks just a few feet from you is an awesome sight to behold. The fastest way to slow down on pavement while preventing acute pressure points that burn holes in your clothing down to your skin is to go limp and present as much surface area of your body to the road. And so I commanded my body to lay flat as possible on my back in order to stop.

As soon as I stopped, I quickly took stock of myself. “No major injuries” was the thought that came to mind. I got up, walk over to my bike, and turn the key off. It was then I realized all the cars around me had stopped. A woman was on a cell phone calling EMT while a man and a woman – the latter a nurse, came over to ask if I was alright. The nurse had me go through a battery of initial questions to make sure I hadn’t suffered a concussion or spinal injury. It was then I realized my right pinkie was killing me. I thought that it was probably broken given that it hurt more than the sprains I’ve experienced earlier in life. A police officer arrived not long after the initial checkup, and then an ambulance. The EMT personnel had me go through the same battery of questions and physical regimen. It was then my knees started to throb in intense pain whereby for the first time that night I started to groan. I knew under the 2 pant layer of clothing my knees must be bleeding. Lying on the cold pavement also made me begin to shiver. It was then Fourier came to mind – the Frenchman who laid down the theoretical basis for modern Calculus and the basic mathematics for signal processing. Fourier began his mathematical research as a result of the belief that heat was the key to a man’s health. I mentioned this to the paramedics, who probably thought I was a little nuts. OK, I AM nuts. They expressed admiration at the weight of the motorcycle gear I had worn during the accident, saying that my heavy Suzuki jacket with its padding probably saved me from internal injuries.

At the hospital, I was taken into the trauma room to make sure I didn’t experience anything major to my organs or spine. The EMTs all expressed amazement that I wasn’t hurt worse. “You had really good gear, sir. It saved you from being hurt a lot worse.” was their common refrain. I had spent good money on my Shoei helmet, Sidi motorcycle touring boots, and Suzuki jacket. It was money well spent. I was given percocet for pain relief as my knees and finger were throbbing within the hour I arrived. I was given a tetanus booster shortly thereafter and X-rayed at 4 in the morning. Man, X-Ray tables are cold! It was determined that I had a broken pinkie finger and severely bruised but intact knees. The left knee was scraped up pretty badly, so I knew I was in for a painful scrubbing to get bits of Route 234 out of my skin. I wound up falling asleep around 4 and dozed in and out of sleep until my primary nurse came around to scrub out the wound. My knee felt a lot better afterward. I called Brad, the president of my company who came by to help me collect my belongings and give me a ride home. I didn’t want to call my parents – they would have freaked out as soon as they heard they had to pick me up at the hospital. Brad dropped me off at home letting me know to call him if I needed anything.

I felt grubby and greasy as it had been more than 24 hours since I had a shower. I soaked myself in my 7’ tub at home and scrubbed myself down as best I could without the full use of my right hand. Over the past two days, I’ve enjoyed some good food my mom made me and the constant vicinity of my cats. The cats seem to understand that something is not quite right with me. They’ve been hanging out a lot closer than usual.

Given that it is now the day after Christmas, I have not had the chance to contact Prince William County police to check on the status of my Harley. I look forward to either getting it repaired or, should it be totaled getting another Harley. Riders who go down face the question of quitting riding. The immediate response to the thought was "Heck no!" Experiences like this certainly warrant careful reflection to make sure the same mistake isn’t repeated. But I can’t wait to get back in the saddle and hit the open road again. No retreat.

[Boxer]

YONG! Yong. What the...!? Man what a Christmas!

Sure glad to hear a happy-sort of-ending. The gear really does work then. I just hope I don't have to prove it that way. Take it easy. And once again, I'm pleased to hear you aren't any worse off and are able to report this yourself.
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One o'clock in the morning? YIKES! I haven't been awake at one in the morning for probably 10 years now.

[sjbmw]

wow.

Welcome to the club. We are accepting no more club dues from you.

Glad you are ok, and the cats are there for moral support. I just got 2 cats, I understand that part. They are pretty intuitive animals.

I spent 2 weeks in the trauma unit, and I was entertaining that question a few times.



ok... I'll say it.....someone here will anyway.










should have stayed on the beemer.

[taosports]

...I can’t wait to get back in the saddle and hit the open road again. No retreat.

That's a great attitude Yong. Heal quickly!

[yjleesvrr]

Hey, thanks guys. Herb - LOL! I knew somebody here would. I thought about that myself. I can also hear the ABS crowd kicking in with their "I told you so." You spent 2 weeks in the trauma unit?! Wow, that must have sucked. I spent 9 hours in the hospital getting anxious to leave. I think the worst part of the night was hearing the groans and screams of others who were in the trauma area who were hurt a lot worse than me.

[DJ Downunder]

yjleesvrr..Merry Christmas for yesterday...geees...sorry to hear about your drop..(I hate to use the word Crash)...thanks for posting about it.

What type of riding pants were you wearing..and did you know that pinkie finger injury is so common that some of the better gloves like Alpine Star have the the pinkie finger joined (stitched together) to the next finger to help prevent what happened to you...when you replace yours you might like to consider them.

I hope you are feeling better soon..and also back on your bike...I've never used any kind of throttle lock system and this makes me a little weary of them now.

Glad it wasn't worse for you.

DJ

[yjleesvrr]

DJ - the pants were the weak link of my outerwear. Just a pair of jeans covered by rain pants to keep out the cold air. Needless to say, I'm looking for a good pair of padded riding pants that will not only provide road rash resistance but also protection from hard impacts to prevent bruises.

As for my finger, I'm pretty certain that the brake lever or handle bar crushed my pinkie into the pavement. I am likewise looking for better armored gloves. Thanks for the suggestion of Alpine Stars.

All in all, I feel pretty good despite everything. We all fear our first motorcycle accident. I realize I was very fortunate and that traffic/road conditions could have been far worse to where I could have been badly hurt. But going through the first baptism of fire, so to speak, is one mental hurdle I am glad to have made and still find myself enthusiastic about our sport.

Sure, I'm hobbling around because my left knee hurts when I try to walk. And typing while substituting my right 4th finger for my pinkie is certainly annoying when my job involves a lot of typing. But at least I'm able to write these words from home.

p.s. - my cats find your moving reindeer avatar fascinating. They keep sniffing at it.

p.p.s. - thanks Brian for your call. That was very nice of you. It was good to catch up as we haven't talked since the Hungry Mother Ride near Marion last August.

[Sunbeemer]

Sorry to hear about your spill...awful to have happen at any time but especially during the holidays when you might have had a few extra days off for riding instead of recuperating!

I've done some dumb stuff too, usually when I'm cold and tired I just get numb and stop paying attention. Now that I know this, I stop more often to rest and warm-up. Usually a cup of hot coffee does both!

Hope both you and your bike are ridable soon.

[Sunbeemer]

PS At least you didn't break the beemer!!

[GTR350cc]

TGYA.

BLNT.

ATGATT.

HTH

YMMV.

G

[MikeCam]

Yong,

Good outcome. Congrats.

Best of luck with recovery of you and the cycle.

M

[rdsmith3]

Yong,

Wow, glad you are OK.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

When I got rear-ended a few months ago, I never even told my mother.

Regarding cats, we got a new one about a month ago. Fortunately the dog realizes it is not another play toy.

[R4R&R]

Yong, sorry to read this, and glad you came out with only minor injuries. Hopefully you gained some experience from this accident.

I have a 5x10 utility trailer if you need help picking up your bike. Shoot me an email if you need anything - john.lintner @ verizon.net - I'll be glad to help out.

[TonyT607]

Yong, wow, tough break buddy, but like I told Gary, at least it isn't primo riding weather !

Good to hear you're relatively ok; hopefully you'll be feeling well enough in a few weeks to join us at the M/C show in NYC.

Let us know how the Harley fared.....

[1MPH]

Yong, Very glad you came out pretty well intact.

It amazes me how many people will stop and help when you have an accident.
Makes you realize how many good people are out there.
Too bad it takes an accident to find out.

Hope you heal quickly.

[Kevin Markwell]

Yong,
Sorry about the finger and knees but glad you will be okay before long. I still always find it amazing the way things seem to go in especially clear slow motion in a high speed crisis or accident, and that the pain often isn't apparent immediately.
I can only tell you that my flannel lined Draggin Jeans held up very well on my 65mph launch over a dear. I had a very superficial abrasion on my right knee that I'm sure would have been much worse were it not for the pants. They weren't even torn, so it was the inside of the pants rubbing on the skin only. I also had fully armored Sidi gloves with a abrasion and minor tear of one seam on one palm, but I don't think there was any crush or torquing of the fingers.

Have a great New Year.

Kevin

[yjleesvrr]

Hey, thanks guys. Y'all have been very supportive and I appreciate the kind words and advice on better riding pants and gloves. Believe me, I'll be looking for a good pair of road rash resistant pants and some armored gloves! My Shoei RF-900 was three months shy of 5 years old, so it was nearing time for me to get a new helmet. I'm going to retire it and the Suzuki jacket - which also happens to be a month shy of 5 years of age, in my personal riding museum.

I just talked to my insurance company and the towing company that hauled my bike away to their storage. I'm going to have the bike towed to East Coast Harley Davidson in Dumfries to get it inspected. I have no idea how badly damaged it is. The towing company said that it looked like it mainly scraped along the road. But the HD dealer service techs will have to tell me for sure what needs to be done.

Again, I'm very thankful that I escaped without major injuries. And I look to learn from this experience. BTW, I rode nearly 600 miles that day on the BMW and Harley. Next time I pull that kind of mileage I'll be sure to end the ride earlier in the evening when I'm more alert.

[garylspolar]

Dude, I'm jealous. Sounds like you came out of this one with less damage to your body than I did in my accident.

Congrats on that, and I'll drink to you getting back on that motorcycle soon. I may even swallow a percocet with that drink. I find Merlot goes well with this pill, but prefer a smooth cabernet when taking darvocet.

[toner87]

Yong,
Heal quickly and well. You have a great attitude about it all.
Toner

[BigC]

Yong, glad your ok!! I'd say you came away lucky given the speed involved. Sounds like your going to use what you've learned from the incident and move on...that's key, moving on and staying in the saddle