Topic: First Day-Last Day (Read 4967 times)

RJ749 · « **on:** May 11, 2007, 12:24:56 AM »

Well it is amazing how a day you have waited for most of your life comes and then in a split second it becomes the worst day of your life.

My wife's car pool partners husband works for Comp USA which is closing in Washington tomorrow. He's the store manager and has ridden for many years as does his wife.

He has three Jr. managers that all got severance packages and also all have gotten new jobs already.

So, severance package equals three new Buell's. Not sure of all the details as far as the rider's backgrounds but they picked them up today and ran them down to show the gang at the store and then they were going to celebrate.

One problem, as they were leaving the parking lot, the least skilled of them got a bit of a wheelie going. Evidently not knowing what to do he leaned forward in an attempt to force the wheel down, but in so doing rotated his throttle hand.

He ended up taking out the rear quarter of a suburban before the bike came to a rest partially on him. The other guys gathered him up and he was hurting as you can imagine. His boss had loaned him a full face helmet so that was good and no apparent head trauma. His back was tweaked a bit though and they took him to the hospital to get checked out.

Minor damage to the bike evidently. Cindy dropped her car pool partner off at the hospital to see the riders and meet her husband. She got home and when I arrived on my bike she downloaded the incident to me.

We just got a call from the car pool partner. Unfortunately the new Buell owner has a broken back.

I don't even know this guy but I sure feel for him and it serves to show us how quickly things can change. I'll update with his condition when I get it.

Be safe out there guys.

HogBreath · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2007, 08:18:41 AM »

That's awful. Thing is, everyone needs to ride withing their limits, no matter what those limits are. I could ride 120 MPH, but I don't want the tickets. I could ride 120 MPH but looks to me sooner or later, it's going to catch up with ya. Dangerous enough if you ride safe. Don't get me wrong, I push it sometimes, Who don't?

RJ749 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2007, 08:48:58 AM »

I think we often don't realize that with performance machinery, just because we can buy one and it is on the market doesn't mean that we can handle it.

I imagine that a Buell is a pretty potent ride, regardless of which model it is.

A Porsche 911 S in 1975 was 150 hp, today it is 355 hp. Even with all of the computers and handling improvements it demands respect.

Motorcycles, especially performance ones are very similar IMO. I'm with you HB, I often think of owning a bike that is built to haul azz, I just won't go there anymore because I have pushed my luck as often as I care too and figure I just won't tempt myself with the ability to do Mach 1 anymore, although I still enjoy the 100 plus runs on the highway from time to time when conditions permit.

HogBreath · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2007, 09:02:37 AM »

It's sorta like the saying "Don't do the crime if ya can't do the time".

The consequences of a wreck are....Yikes, I'll shut up now.

Boatman · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2007, 09:03:50 AM »

Hate to hear it. Keep us updated Roger.

VAZHOG · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2007, 11:07:42 AM »

I hope the severance packages included Health Insurance. If he is young then he should heal quickly. Sad is an understatement

Midnight Rider · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2007, 11:16:53 AM »

Roger...sorry to hear about this incident, and hope the guy's back is not permanently damaged, though I'm certain he has a fairly long road to full recovery. You are correct, a Buell, no matter the model, has a powerful HP/weight ratio and is a machine to be respected. One reason I sold the Ducati was because the temptation was just too great to run 100mph plus. Tell Cindy to give my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

mr_magoo · « **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2007, 11:24:31 AM »

Sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident. Hope he recovers ok. The bikes today have every impressive power to weight ratios, and things happen very fast.

Fired00d · « **Reply #8 on:** May 11, 2007, 11:30:49 AM »

Roger,
Sorry to hear this. I wish him a speedy/full recovery.

Ride Safe,
Fired00d

iski · « **Reply #9 on:** May 11, 2007, 11:32:46 AM »

Roger - Sorry to hear about this and hope he does ok.

Back when I rode Japanese bikes heard this type story fairly often. Rider is not used to HP/weight ratios or just a new rider & unskilled.

RJ749 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:10:23 PM »

Thanks everyone, hope to hear a prognosis today.

VAZ, it did not include insurance, fortunately he's still on current coverage. Hope that since it happened now he's covered. He should have some medical with his policy, let's hope he fianced it so he had to get coverage.

ccr · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:16:02 PM »

Bad News! Broken back. If he is lucky enough to get it to heal, it will likely bother him his whole life. My husband has broken his back two different times and the chronic pain his lives with is tremendous.

When I was first learning to ride, one time going down the road in front of our quarters on Fort Myer (strict 25mph zone), I felt I was going too fast so I pulled in the clutch, then I knew I needed to let go of the clutch to get back under power, but I was scared then and was trying to go faster so kept turning the throttle to get up to speed, but was afraid to release the clutch - this all took seconds but in my mind it was several minutes of telling myself what I had to do. Well I finally did release the clutch - I think it is really called popping it as I did not let it go slowly, just let it go, my revs were way up, my throttle turned up - way up, and that front wheel came up off the ground and we went down the road about 10 - 15 feet on my rear tire. Of course it came back down and nothing happened to me. I just know that it is easy when trying to show off like the lads probably were, it is way too easy to give too much gas to the bike and not let the clutch go appropriately and get that front wheel off the ground. And I did this on an 800 Intruder, not a speed bike.

Sorry to hear this story.

VAZHOG · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:16:22 PM »

Quote from: Rjob749 on May 11, 2007, 12:10:23 PM

Thanks everyone, hope to hear a prognosis today.

VAZ, it did not include insurance, fortunately he's still on current coverage. Hope that since it happened now he's covered. He should have some medical with his policy, let's hope he fianced it so he had to get coverage.

Wishing him all the best

RJ749 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:20:47 PM »

Candy, mine was on a 73 Triumph Trident when I was about 23 and I had over 20,000 miles on earlier bikes.

It's no fun to get a surprise, fortunately mine was at a light and open lane ahead of me. It got up on me twice before I knew it and it was a bit exciting, not many folks were pulling wheelies on big bikes in the 70's.

VaEagle · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2007, 02:32:44 PM »

Sorry to hear about the wreck. I hope he heals quickly with no long term effects.
Prayers for him and his family.

Smiler · « **Reply #15 on:** May 11, 2007, 04:33:27 PM »

That's a bad piece of luck - I hope he makes a full recovery

RJ749 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 11, 2007, 04:44:06 PM »

Well, he got transferred to another hospital for a specialist last night and the surgery will be this afternoon if the surgeon is available after an earlier surgery.

He is diagnosed with a vertical crack in one vertebrae. I hope that is good.......relatively to having multiple cracked vertebrae.

Ironhorse · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2007, 05:37:19 PM »

Rjob,

I could be wrong, but it sounds like he was a VERY inexperienced rider, or was a rider who had not been on a bike for such a long time, he needed a refresher course. Did he at least try out the bike before riding off the lot? Did he at least ride it around the parking lot getting used to the feel, response and balance? I hope he just didn't go right out onto the street with his buddies into traffic, although it sure sounds like that is what he did.

Hubris, pride, or whatever it is that you want to call it. But it never ceases to amaze me that riders will spend thousands of dollars on a bike, thousands more to make it go faster, stop quicker, handle better, and sound and look right. Then spend thousands more on boots, leathers, helmets, gloves, and eye wear. Yet they won't even think twice about taking a course to improve themsleves. And when you suggest it, they always find a reason not to. "I've been riding 30 years, I don't need it". "I know I should, but I don't have the time", or my favorite, "Really, I don't need it".

I hope he gets better, gets healed up, takes a good course, and gets back on a bike.

Mark

RJ749 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2007, 05:46:15 PM »

ronhorse, that about nails it, he hadn't ridden or at least not much and they had only had the bikes for a few hours.

That's the shame of it. I don't even think it was a move to show off, I think he just got in a pickle and crashed.

Like the guy on the dresser in the parking lot video on you tube that is bragging and simply doesn't clear the parked car. Too much too fast without experience or realizing how quickly we get in trouble.

I know I have had a few close calls when I least expected them, only a little skill and a lot of luck saved me. Now I try to ride as to avoid getting in that situation but it still happens from time to time.

the other day on the freeway traffic stopped in a corner, you don't sometimes realize that the corners are as banked as they are until the friggin traffic stops and you throw out your leg only to find the pavement on the low side is about 3 inches farther away than you thought. I guess that's the only time in my life I understood why my old girlfriend always wanted a few m.....................never mind.

SOKOOLJ · « **Reply #19 on:** May 11, 2007, 10:16:01 PM »

Prayers out, wish him a speedy recovery.

RJ749 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 12, 2007, 01:04:40 PM »

Surgery last night and it went well. They fused 5 vertabrae, two on each side of the cracked one and the cracked one.

Three months in a brace, so now its on to the recovery.

Smiler · « **Reply #21 on:** May 12, 2007, 03:52:49 PM »

The outlook sounds a little promising for the guy but you cannot help wonder there for the grace of God go I, you here of all sorts of things happen on motorbikes, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Keep us posted as to how he progresses it would be great to here he is back on the road with the wind in his face on possibly a Harley rather than a Buell.

Author Topic: First Day-Last Day (Read 4967 times)