Motorcycle accident

Paul New · #1 08-10-2007, 05:01 PM

In a wreck a couple of weeks ago, not hurt too badly, but my left shoulder is immobile and will be for at least another week or two and can`t play so just thought I might whine about it a little and maybe squeeze a little sympathy out of you cold-hearted _as_a_ds.

TroyK · #2 08-10-2007, 05:20 PM

Happened to me a few years ago (Vespa). Not too bad, but bad enough to screw with my bass playing. I went to bed a little scraped up, but woke and took myself to the ER. I can't take anti-inflamatories, so I went to PT, which really helped.

Sucked not to be able to play, though and I'm much more careful on that corner now.

Take it easy, man. Get some rest, listen to your favorite music with headphones and imagine playing again!

J.D.B. · #3 08-10-2007, 07:44 PM

Two kinds of biker...........I quit a couple years ago after almost eating a barrier wall courtesy of a cell-phone-driving-SUV-mama. That was enough for me. Contrary to popular belief, my life did not flash before my eyes, rather the "best" way to crash the bike and survive. No more. I like my family and the rest of my life too much. Be safe, get well soon, and feel better.
Josh

BEEF · #4 08-10-2007, 08:15 PM

Yeah, but how's the bike?

(someone had to be the 'other' kind of biker)

TroyK · #5 08-10-2007, 08:51 PM

That's me on the right buying some doughnuts. My buddy Eric on the left. One of us wasn't heavy enough to activate the drive through intercom thing. The crown on my seat was a major award. We had 10 minutes to go into a record store and pick the best vinyl out of the $1 bin. In fairness, I'm not an amateur.

I picked out a record called "DJ Dick Weekend". Won by a landslide.

Paul New · #6 08-10-2007, 09:36 PM

A guy went through a redlight and nailed me, pretty hard impact, but it wasn`t really his fault that the cell was ringing was it? He had to get it switched over to speaker phone mode, didn`t he?

Straight to ER I went and the Dilaudid was nearly worth the trip. I kept asking for more until they finally accused me of taking advantage of the situation, which I was. A nuke power worker, my day job, doesn`t get a lot of those type of opportunities.

Anyways, left shoulder is repairable. The bike, according to everyone except the other guy`s insurance company, is not. Pretty sure that this attorney I talked to today can change their mind on that one. The motorcycle, my cruiser bike, was an `06 Victory Kingpin that I bought for nice little rides in the country with SO on the back, but grew to love very much.

My other motorcycle, an `02 FZ1 will work for a while, when I am able to ride again.

And I agree that motorcycle risk vs benefit can be a difficult question. I love it enough to accept the risk, but did give it up during the years I was raising a family.

What the bike gives me is an entrance to a total flow situation, actually pretty similar to playing music when it`s working, you know?

BEEF · #7 08-11-2007, 06:39 AM

Hope you recover well.

Mine's '93 Harley 'Fat Boy' with lots of engine work done to it.

I'm in a constant battle to be louder than the nearest cell phone.

I wish the pipes could be aimed FORWARD to help with intersections.

People just LOVE taking 3-4,000 lbs. of metal up to 40-50 miles per hour and STOP PAYING ATTENTION.

anon_6j591b0 · #8 08-11-2007, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BEEF

Hope you recover well.

Mine's '93 Harley 'Fat Boy' with lots of engine work done to it.

I'm in a constant battle to be louder than the nearest cell phone.

I wish the pipes could be aimed FORWARD to help with intersections.

People just LOVE taking 3-4,000 lbs. of metal up to 40-50 miles per hour and STOP PAYING ATTENTION.

Friend of mine got his fingers mangled almost a year ago when a non-signaling left turner on a cell phone pushed his fairing into his left hand. She's out of the car still on the phone, "Oh my GOD I just hit a guy on a motorcycle." While he's lying on the ground asking if she shouldn't use the **** ing thing to call an ambulance? If he were a bassist he wouldn't be anymore and as it is his career as a touring lighting designer is still on hold. I constantly go past spaced out idiots on their phones and give 'em the bla bla bla talking hand signal followed by the HANG UP TH PHONE hand signal.

The loud pipes are annoying to the neighbors but sometimes they're the only thing that lets anyone know you're there....gawd knows they never look. I'm in the market for a new can for the CBR 250R 4 cyl sport bike I commute on daily and I'm gonna go LOUD. Grabbing the clutch and winding it out to 16000rpm is a whole lot more effective than the wimpy "Roadrunner" meep meep horns they put in bikes. Anyone got an obnoxiously loud aftermarket horn? I thinking of doing that retrofit.

Paul New · #9 08-11-2007, 09:13 AM

IMO, pipes don`t really help. They don`t hear you until you pass, plus they irritate the neighbors.

There are some loud horns on the market, google should turn some up.

The best thing you can do is take some courses, study, and practice. I was covering my brake, and came nearly to a stop before hitting the side of the guy`s car. If I had not been covering, and hadn`t trained myself to do quick stops, I probably would have been in front of his car and in a casket right now.

A motorcycle is not a two-wheeled car.

anon_6j591b0 · #10 08-11-2007, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul New

IMO, pipes don`t really help. They don`t hear you until you pass, plus they irritate the neighbors.

I'm fortunate enough to live where I can shut down and roll into and out of parking early morning/late night which I do to keep the peace. As for drivers not hearing loud pipes I regularly see them look in their mirrors when I come up...especially coming hard onto the pipe with a with a downshift so I'd have to disagree with you. That said they certainly don't always look and I sure don't rely on them hearing me past a 130db sound system or their oh so important phone call...you're right that the sound doesn't carry that well. I figure if a loud pipe saves me once though it's worth having. I've gone down twice due to car drivers making bad moves and I'll take any advantage I can get. Plus anything that gets the 250 up over 50hp is gonna be loud no matter what.

And I ALWAYS ride with two fingers on the brake in any kind of traffic. After years of city riding it's just habit.

Phil Smith · #11 08-12-2007, 09:37 AM

To the OP, sorry to hear about your accident.

I used to ride sport bikes, that last one I had was a ZX-9R and that was about 4 years ago. I taking driving seriously and motorcycle riding even more seriously. When ever I would leave the house with the bike I'm riding with the notion that someone is going to try to run into me and so I would ride at a hightened state alert. Even if the light is green for me, I would still look out for the person running the red light. The point is that when you're on a bike anything can and will happen and your situational awareness has to be high.

Being able to stop is a good thing and covering your brake is good a good practice but you also need to know when it isn't about braking and it's about avoiding.

About loud pipes...

Stealthy is better as you don't cause drivers to be startled into making maneuvers that they may not normally make depending on where they thing the sound is coming from. Something to think about when you're riding alone or especially with other people i.e. a group of riders.

Paul New · #12 08-12-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Being able to stop is a good thing and covering your brake is good a good practice but you also need to know when it isn't about braking and it's about avoiding.

I agree, and I don`t trust traffic lights, stop signs, etc..

On this occassion, I looked both ways before going into the intersection, but the guy was postioned perfectly to be shaded by a car in the turn lane.

On the motorcycle, you have to have the attitude that any accident could have been avoided, so maybe if I had been on something with a higher seat height, or had taken a milisecond longer...

Jonny B · #13 08-12-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul New

IMO, pipes don`t really help. They don`t hear you until you pass, plus they irritate the neighbors.

There are some loud horns on the market, google should turn some up.

The best thing you can do is take some courses, study, and practice. I was covering my brake, and came nearly to a stop before hitting the side of the guy`s car. If I had not been covering, and hadn`t trained myself to do quick stops, I probably would have been in front of his car and in a casket right now.

A motorcycle is not a two-wheeled car.

Amen brother. As a motorcyclist, you HAVE to drive defensively and be ready for anything. Lord knows, the majority of those daydreamers in the cages surely aren't looking out for you.

Sorry to hear about your bike and hope you heal up soon.

Paul New · #14 08-12-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny B

Sorry to hear about your bike and hope you heal up soon.

Thanks. The worst is that I was headed out on a nice little ride to Nova Scotia the next weekend with some good friends.

I get to go new bike shopping very soon, and I guess that`s the upside.

I looked at your profile, and maybe nobody will jump us for speaking slab on this side, but I have an SR506 on order. Thought it might be fun to mess around with chord voicings, etc.. i`ve never touched one, but it seemed like a great deal. What do you think of yours?

Jonny B · #15 08-12-2007, 06:00 PM

I love my SR506 but admittedly, now that I've got my BTB's it doesn't see nearly the action it used too. The BTB's are my standard tuning basses, while the SR's are my Eb basses.

I definitely would have to say that the BTB has more versatitlity, but I still think that the SR is a great bass. Chords ring out beautifully- especially in the higher register, and it's a great tapping and slapping bass as well. Of course, I don't think I've ever come across an Ibanez I didn't like.

So bike shopping huh? What are you leaning towards? Another Victory?

I have never had the opportunity to try one of those bad boys out. Very nice looking bikes, and a good ride from what I hear. Still, I have to stick with my Softail Heritage Classic.

Here's to healing quick. (Oh, and sorry to hear you're gonna miss out on a ride. That always sucks.)

Paul New · #16 08-15-2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

So bike shopping huh? What are you leaning towards? Another Victory?

A little late on the reply, you may not be watching this thread anymore, but...

I`m trying to decide whether to get another cruiser, or go to a sport-touring bike. Looking at the new KAW Concours pretty hard.

I really liked the Vic, more than any bike I`ve had, but it took me a year to get it just right for me; engine, ergos, training the dealer to set up the EFI, and I dread going through all that again. Plus, don`t care for the `07 colors. So, don`t know. Streetglide is interesting though...

Jonny B · #17 08-15-2007, 08:43 PM

Can't say that I can really get into the sport-touring bikes that much. There's just something not right about them. It's like they're bi-polar or something.

The Street Glide is a nice ride, one of my riding buddies has one and I have to admit it's a pretty sweet bike.

Give us an update when you get your bike. I'll be curious to know what you got and how it handles.

Peace.