Giving it up

[Mike_F]

Well, I am sad to say that I have had another accident. This time it was entirely my fault, I just was too comfortable and let my guard down. Got very luck on this one as I have only a broken thumb and a handful of bruises. I was merging from hwy 167 to hwy 512 and while doing my head check everyone in front of me slammed on the brakes. I tried to swerve, but not fast enough. My zega bag clipped the corner of the car and I went down. A car ran over my hand, and being on the ground in the middle of traffic while awake really sucks. After the fun at the hospital was done, I decided to take inventory of my gear. My helmet had car tire rubber on it OMG It really freaked me out. I had been so close that a tire grazed my helmet, that was all I needed to see. I have decided that I am not riding anymore. I feel like it is the right time, and will have to find something else to fill the void. I have taken up guitar again, but need to find something to get me outside. I may still lurk from time to time, but probably not much. There are been people here that have enriched my life, and I will miss them, and the community that you have here.

I thank all of you, and wish you all well.

 

Mike_F

 

[boatzo]

Mike,

 

So sorry to hear about your mishap. I can imagine how you must have felt lying in the traffic. Thank God you were not hurt badly. As for giving it up, that has to be a decision that you must make and feel comfortable with. Maybe after some recoup time you may rethink it. Best of luck and heal fast.

[BFish]

do what you have to do, but be careful!

[Lawman]

Glad you weren't seriously hurt..You might enjoy following this thread..

 

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48659

[David]

Sounds like a good plan. Not riding because of your skills is probably an overreaction, but not riding because of your confidence in those skills is a solid plan. I understand completely. More people probably ought to consider the approach you're taking.

 

I wish you the very best! And do hang around.

[Mike_F]

Front Damage

 

 

Tire Marks

 

 

Tire Marks

 

 

 

[VinnyR11]

Good decision, and nothing needs to be forever. There are millions of very happy, very fulfilled people who don't ride bikes.

 

Certainly, playing an instrument is great. For outdoors mental joy, few things rate above hiking/walking in my book. Other than good boots, it's virtually free, you can do it wherever you go. It's even a step above motorcycling as far as feeling like "you're in it."

 

Lots of good sources on the net and in bookstores.

 

ENJOY!

[tallman]

Hope you heal quickly, both physically and emotionally.

 

BTDT.

Had a tire track across my back.

Time gives everything a new perspective.

Best wishes.

[Kathy R]

I respect your decision. Your gear did a terrific job and you were lucky.

 

The residual of what you are going through will be with you regardless of your riding or not. I'd seek to resolve that bit.

[upflying]

I admire a decision to quit. Only we know when enough is enough.

I kind of think of motorcycle riding skills as form of a fountain of youth. It prolongs life by forcing you to use perception, motor and judgment skills. These go to waste you don't use them.

[AZKomet]

WOW!!!! All I can say is.......Not good. Thank goodness you are ok.

[Doug 55]

Hi Mike,

 

Very glad to see you got through with a close call (about as close as on could get without . . .) instead of an injury.

 

I think that is a brave and very mature decision to say you're done for now. You may remember our WA / BMWST friend "Old Rider" made the same evaluation after a serious accident few years back and is now a riding alumni rather than active (I don't think there is any such thins as an "ex-rider" it's too much a part of our soul).

 

I had two very close calls this year that could have been bike down at highway speed* but just missed being actual accidents and, as such,I had to do The Evaluation after both. Easier to say play on after a near accident than what you just went through. I am also remembering your Jersey barrier surfing experience / injury accident a few years back which I assume is a factor.

 

* (1) I-90 near CleElum coming back from John Day last spring, some dufe with a truck/horse trailer started to merge into me and just "kissed" the LH hard bag on my K1200 (2 ) guy turned left just as I was starting to pass him between Arlington and Darrington a couple of months ago

 

Thanks for sharing what is going on, if you think of it maybe post to WSBMWRs so folks here locally know what's up too?

 

Say hi to Pam for me and *please* be sure to drop by any local BMWST or WSBMWR events to grace us with a guitar tune and talk bikes !

 

God Bless and be well,

 

Doug Q.

 

Bothell WA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Boone60]

Mike,

Great to hear that you weren't more seriously injured.

 

Looks like you live in great area to do some boating.

 

Take Care

[gottago]

Mike, Glad to hear you didn't get seriously hurt. You can always try a dirt bike if you find you can't quite quit motorcycles. Take care.

[Ozonewanderer]

I'm really glad to hear you are OK and can play the guitar. That's a blessing and as fulfilling and meaningful - if not more so - than biking.

 

Your story is a good reminder to me: we play in a dangerous game.

 

Heal well and heal fully.

 

 

[sgendler]

Get a working dog of some kind. Not only will they get you outside on a daily basis, but they'll keep you too busy to miss riding, too.

[MikeB]

Get yourself a jeep and go explore the back woods.

[Peter Parts]

Anything about your spill that has lessons for us?

 

Ben

[SportsLvr]

Anything about your spill that has lessons for us?

 

Ben

 

 

Hmmm. I would imagine that would be, look in front of you.

 

Thank God you are OK.

Ken

 

 

 

[gottabmw]

Anything about your spill that has lessons for us?

 

Ben

Don't follow too closely.

[yabadabapal]

Glad your ok. Take good care of that broken thumb.

[Bheckel169]

Mike,

 

Glad to hear you're still intact and mending. I'd recommend you take a look at bicycling. Fun, outside and healthful!

Bruce

[Francois_Dumas]

Anything about your spill that has lessons for us?

 

Ben

 

2 second rule rules ?

 

 

Glad it was only your thumb !

[beemerman2k]

Anything about your spill that has lessons for us?

 

Ben

 

2 second rule rules ?

 

 

Glad it was only your thumb !

 

We can speculate forever, but the reality is when you're riding in traffic, all rules pretty much go out the window. 2 seconds? Impossible as another car will pull right in front of you to fill the void. Don't follow too closely? Drop back and you have a mad pickup truck breathing down your neck.

 

No, I say the strategy is summarized as "be smart and have all hands on deck ready for anything". An alternative strategy would be "stay out of traffic altogether and ride only on the weekends and only on relatively deserted back roads and highways".

 

The more these latter approaches are followed, the sooner you get to a point where you know your bike well enough, and you know traffic well enough, to then be able to handle more complex situations. But even seasoned riders are fully challenged to ride through New York or Boston or any big city with the same level of confidence as on a country road.

[Sirby]

Mike,

I'm really glad you had your gear on to protect you. Thanks for sharing your story and your decision. I bet many of us have been in a similar situation. I know I have.

I continued to ride and also continue to enjoy my "other" passion for land sailing. Check out this sport, www.blokart.com I highly reccomend it as a fast clean way to have fun outdoors. Also see youtube videos, search for blokart. If you want to take a free ride on mine, let me know.

-Sirby

steveirby at comcast.net

[JohnnyJ]

Glad you weren't seriously hurt..You might enjoy following this thread..

 

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48659

 

This was a quote somewhere within the thread that I thought was interesting and appropriate.

 

"As Yin is to Yang, so must your authority be to your fear. Like the spinning of your cogs and sprockets, you must find a balanced harmony between a healthy fear of the bike and your authority over it. Too much fear results in a lack of confidence, which can cause mishap. Too much authority results in overconfidence, which can also cause mishap."

 

 

JohnnyJ

[Quinn]

Your accident sounds like it could have happened even if you'd been driving a car--admittedly with less severe consequences. The same accident in a car would have been a simple, Oh well, I screwed up and my insurance will go up. You might take yourself aside and give yourself a stern lecture on paying attention but I assume that you'd never consider selling the car and taking the bus from then on.

 

So why the difference on the motorcycle? Severity of injuries? Fear that your motorcycle skills have deteriorated with age and you're less able to cope with emergency situations?

 

I'm really just curious to know how to decide when to give up the bike instead of just continuing to promise myself that I'll do better next time.

 

Giving up motorcycling is like giving up smoking; everybody does it. With smoking, some wait until they have COPD, some until they're on oxygen, some until they have cancer,and some hold out until they die; but at some point they all quit. So maybe I should be saying congratulations for getting out of motorcycling while you can still walk and breathe. Hope I have enough sense to do the same when my time comes.

 

---

 

 

[elkroeger]

There are lots of folks who just ride on sunny Sunday afternoons, and stay off the Interstate. That might be an idea to consider...

 

Or you could take up sailing:

 

[blackyam]

Giving up motorcycling is like giving up smoking; everybody does it. With smoking, some wait until they have COPD, some until they're on oxygen, some until they have cancer,and some hold out until they die; but at some point they all quit. So maybe I should be saying congratulations for getting out of motorcycling while you can still walk and breathe. Hope I have enough sense to do the same when my time comes.

 

My wife and I were talking about this the other day. We both agreed that, barring anything unexpected happening, I'll probably have to quit riding in ten to fifteen years. Why? I now hold up my bike at a stop using the ball of one foot and can barely reach the ground using the toes of both feet; we figure that in ten to fifteen years I'll have shrunk enough that I won't be able to reach the ground at all from a BMW anymore, and she doesn't want to ride on the back of anything else. Good luck to all.

 

---John.

[Skywagon]

Mike...truly glad your ok and if you really believe it is time to move on...listen to yourself, you are probably right. However, let me offer you something related associated with airplanes that happened to me.

 

I have thousands of hours in lot's of aiplanes. For the last 10+ years or so I had been flying 650 hours a year on average. That is a lot. It was split about 1/2 between gubnet flying and my own personal plane. It was automatic. No thinking required. Occasionally I would forget, or do something sloppy due to the automatic nature. Stories over a beer sometime. I wasn't cocky, just complacent.

 

I decided it was time to slow down a bit. Now I only fly personally on average 75 hours a year. The story. Now I am not nearly as comfortable and automatic. I check things twice, I go through all my checklist, I pay way more attention in the cockpit through all phases of flight. Heck, I even use charts now complimenting the GPS instead of just relying solely on electronics.

 

Why the story...sounds like you were so comfortable with your riding you were on automatic. You might try backing off riding a good bit, riding only on the weekend etc, and find yourself paying WAY more attention. It worked for me...just saying. Good luck with recovery and your decision.

[motoguy128]

Why? I now hold up my bike at a stop using the ball of one foot and can barely reach the ground using the toes of both feet; we figure that in ten to fifteen years I'll have shrunk enough that I won't be able to reach the ground at all from a BMW anymore, and she doesn't want to ride on the back of anything else. Good luck to all.

 

---John.

 

I beleive when you "shrink" from age, most of you lost height is from compression and more pronounced curve of your spine. The length of your legs should not significantly decrease.

 

However, leg strength and flexibiltiy decrease. At only 32... I can tell I'm not the same as I was 10 years ago at 22 when I first started riding. Crap... has it been 10 years already?