out of hospital - Ducati.ms

nicky k · Nov 2nd, 2011, 4:33 pm

well... my bad crash story: After years of rejecting offers to do a group ride with my auto mechanic, knowing he has his mc racing license, and I don't (and don't really care to) I finally acquiesced. Actually it was my wife that came home with the flier, encouragingly saying I have a lot of fun. Well I cant say I did it for her My choice. 120 miles of Westchester NY windy back roads. I was wearing leather from head to toe, but not super armored leather, riding gloves, and my full face agv helmet. Basically, half way through, Mechanic was leading the way on an '04 GSX 1000, and extremely familiar with roads I had zero knowledge of, and he began to ride with a bit more daring do. Well, ok. The duc felt great too. But I wasn't loving that I had to keep close for all the quick turns, and possibility of getting lost. Like I would have gotten really lost... silly... my mind was falling prey to the idea of HAVING to keep up. At the bottom of a twisting hill he passed a car, flew up the hill, and disappeared around a turn. By the time I past the car I was 3/4 of the way up the hill already, going about 55, out of the corner of my eye I saw they traffic sign go by - 20 mph, right angle right hand turn . I looked up, and uh oh. There it was, coming up too fast and too hard to the right. Down shift, but only once. Still my back wheel squirmed a bit. I knew I was going to cross the double line, and then I saw the car coming from that direction. I leaned, I pulled, as hard to the right as ever in my life. must have been at 20 degrees (or whatever, I wasn't on the pavement, but I was looking up at the car's fender) when my front wheel made impact with the car drivers front wheel. The duc reversed direction and went under the car, which deployed air bags, and traveled another 50 ft ( w/ duc). I hit the ground pretty hard (I knew it was too hard) and rolled off the the right into the gutter. First car to stop happened to be an off duty EMT and she was pretty freaked out I must say, but she put me on O2. I must tell you that I practice meditation, and if I hadn't, at the moment of coming to a rest in the gutter, already been very purposefully using all my conscious breathing capability I would have been in a much deeper state of shock that I was. Then came cops, ambulance, etc etc. My femur was broken a the knee. My hand was also broken. At that point all I knew - they hurt like hell. Trauma. Next thing I know I'm in a helicopter. 10 min later in a trauma unit, and into surgery w/in an hour. I have to say I'm really impressed with emergency protocol around here. A lot of good people busted ass to give me excellent medical attention, and I am reeaaally grateful. I'm also really grateful it wasn't a lot worse. Seems like it could have been. So now it's 2+ weeks later and I'm back home, gimping around, as I will be for at least 6 more weeks. And then more rehab... Moral for me: don't ever follow other schmuck riders!! Never. I miss my duc.

yets · Nov 2nd, 2011, 4:44 pm

Sounds pretty bad. Glad to hear you're relatively ok. Could of been a lot worse. I've had two accidents and I always get pissed off that my bike has been written off, but then I realise that I literally could of been written off.

bananaboat · Nov 2nd, 2011, 5:17 pm

Very glad you are ok. I also had a recent excellent ambulance experience (ha) in terms of staff capability, speed, intensity, at a track day where I, uh, miscalculated.
Take away here should really be: always ride your own pace. Let your buddy go, if he's your buddy he's thinking of you and he'll wait for you at the next turn point. If not, he sucks and he's not your buddy.

Heal up fast and strong, spring will be here soon.

TOP_DUC · Nov 2nd, 2011, 5:25 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicky k

.....Moral for me: don't ever follow other schmuck riders!! Never. I miss my duc.

So, you're saying the "other" rider is a schmuck because YOU crashed trying to keep up close on unfamiliar roads? I don't get it... The moral should have been to NOT ride beyond your ability...

nicky k · Nov 2nd, 2011, 5:26 pm

thanks guys

herrgray · Nov 2nd, 2011, 5:30 pm

Hi,

sorry to hear about your wreck.... hope you heal soon. Tough lesson

. Always ride at your own pace and if you want to ride really fast do a track day. I think your buddy should have known better...

Gray

nicky k · Nov 2nd, 2011, 5:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOP_DUC

So, you're saying the "other" rider is a schmuck because YOU crashed trying to keep up close on unfamiliar roads? I don't get it...

well I hear you..I wrote it all too quickly. But I take full responsibility for feeling like I had to keep up. And at the beginning of the ride he stated, as leader he'd keep it safe, which I had felt had gone out the window by that point. I was a club ride and a charted route. He had the maps, and led me into what he now blames himself for. I do not entirely blame him, and I also know I wouldn't have taken the road that way had I not been in such a situation - club ride, etc .

nicky k · Nov 2nd, 2011, 5:43 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOP_DUC

So, you're saying the "other" rider is a schmuck because YOU crashed trying to keep up close on unfamiliar roads? I don't get it... The moral should have been to NOT ride beyond your ability...

but if you're saying I'm a schmuck because I rode beyond my ability period end of story, then I'll have to wonder about what sort of angle your coming from?

Mblaster · Nov 2nd, 2011, 6:32 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOP_DUC

So, you're saying the "other" rider is a schmuck because YOU crashed trying to keep up close on unfamiliar roads? I don't get it... The moral should have been to NOT ride beyond your ability...

When the other rider is the leader of an organized ride and leads without regard to the safety of the people behind...he IS a schmuck! If he wanted to ride like that he should do it away from a group on his own or with a buddy.

TOP_DUC · Nov 2nd, 2011, 6:34 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicky k

but if you're saying I'm a schmuck because I rode beyond my ability period end of story, then I'll have to wonder about what sort of angle your coming from?

Not saying you're the schmuck in any way. Just pointing out that the other guy wasn't in control of your bike.

I replied to your post because I had a guy blame me that he got a speeding ticket. I was leading and his rationale was that he was trying to keep up with me on an unfamiliar road. WTF? I will always stop and wait if I'm leading and lose people from my mirrors for a while.