thoughts after falling off

Alright then folks as im sure you know I fell off the bikethe other week. As im sat here, not feeling sorry for myself but feeling sorryfor those around me im wondering what your thoughts are on hurting yourself onyour bike?

I fell off at (im guessing) 10 mph and ive broken ribs onboth sides and my collar bone quite badly. I also got concussion so whatactually happened im not 100% about. Im guessing that ive been quite unlucky inwhats happened and I was fully kitted up at the time. God knows what would havehappened if it had been 50 or even 80 mph through the dales?!

So im thinking what do I do now and was wondering what otherfolks thought when they have been in a similar situation. i.e. ride again orpack it all in. I don’t feel worried about getting back on a bike at all. Howeverthe thing that’s really upset me was arriving in A+E with both sets of parentsthere and my better half crying her eyes out. (maybe I should point out thatkat was one of the first on the scene and saw me talking gibberish as well asthe bike in the middle of the road so was obviously quite distressed) am I rightto put her through this again? Is biking selfish? Or should I do what I believeto be the right thing and sell the bike and look back on my time as lots of funand a nice hobby for a few years.

Now im sat here hoping that im be going back to my job inthe near future (theres a clause In my contract that means I potentially don’t getsick pay for motorcycle accidents and the boss has urged me to pack it inbefore) and that the family and more importantly our lass will forgive me for puttingthem through a lot of anguish.



So just after reading the do you ride in fear thread imcurious as to peoples thoughts.

Like you say it is not always speed that results in an accident but motorbiking is a high risk pastime with consequences.
How much do you value your loved ones and how much do they love you is your question [I think] and is it worth putting them through the anguish of you getting back on a bike.
Sorry matey but only you can answer that question but you are not the first and I respect people who can put others first

Same sort of situation that happened to me but i was going about 20 and broke my tibia.
The family ( mother to be precise ) didnt want me back on the bike ever but dad, grandad even my gf who i wasnt with at the time said i should and fully supported and put up with me hobbling around the garage getting the thing back to a ridable state so i could get back out on it.
If you are really having doubts try some time off the bike but don't chuck it in just yet i would say.
I think you'll soon miss it and get the urge to get back in the saddle, but priorities of family and job could come first.

[Nobbylad]

Up to you in the end of the day kidda and I'm sure there'll be lots of different opinions given shortly.

I've been knocked off previously, binned it on the track and had a stupid fall off in the work's car park, however I still ride because I love it so much.

The wife hated the idea of me getting back in the saddle after ditching bikes years ago when the kids were born. We both know that it's another risk in our lives and with 4 x kids as well, some might say I'm selfish. But then, we've lost a lot of friends/rellies over the years through one thing or another and our (shared) view is you only live once and you should make the most of it while you're around.

Good luck with whatever you decided, you can walk away from it now, but you can always get back in the saddle in the future.

Hope you heal quick too!

My first thought is drink some bloody milk man!

My second is, everyone I've spoken to about an off has echo'd your thoughts, most do return to bikes but some choose not to (at least for now).
You're not a wreckless rider and the assumption that most people have is that all riders are nutters with a death wish, your employer will be aware of the increased likely hood that you're going to be injured in an RTC compared to those in cars but in all honesty **** em, Ive got no time for bosses opinions because in honesty they don't give a monkies about you, they're only concerned about your absence.

Now the family/misses, thats a different story - she/they care for Andy and if they're going to be ill with worry about if Andy is coming home then yeah you've got to weigh that up. Abi has told me outright that she'll never ask me to stop riding but will be over the moon the day i do and this weighs heavy on my mind.
However I do find this mind set illogical, we're not all riding with a ticking clock on our backs. Yes **** can happen and when it does its usually bad **** but such is life. People still do die in car wrecks, people still do get seriously hurt whilst riding a push bike, if I were to give up motorcycling I'd find something else to enjoy and that too would no doubt have risks.
That said the majority of our partners are not riders and I suppose they doesn't know the reality of riding, only the media spin and the words of bad news. For example I never come home to tell her that "Andy rode to work today, got home perfectly safe and uneventful" but I did tell her you'd had an off and now had a broken collar bone. You get what I mean?

Take a few weeks to heal up, get the bike either fixed or sold but don't make a YES/NO decision on it just yet pal.

Sorry to here about your off mate. I had a spell off bikes years ago after my mate was killed. Problem is if its in your blood the 'need' will come back. I did 2 years then had to get one. My Outlook now is I commute only on old gpz. Pleasure riding of purely on track either racing or track days. My logic is if I come off at least there are no dry stone walls,etc and there are medical staff track side. You're not lying in a ditch on yorkshire dales unconcious!

I met my wife after her brother, a mate of mine, had been killed on his motorbike, a particularly nasty accident and the truck driver did'nt stop.
The first thing she did was go out and buy a bike, along with some lurid green Kawasaki racing leathers that went well (not!) with her carrot-coloured hair. Bikes have been an integral part of our lives and although we've lost other friends through biking accidents, we've also lost dear friends and family who've had nothing to do with biking.
What I'm trying to say is, you've got to live your life. What happens, happens. She's been through Leukeamia and survived, absolutely nothing to do with biking, just life. If I binned the Ducati tomorrow or if I'd wrapped myself and the SV around the Armco at Snetterton, she'd be there to sort me out and/or bury the bits. That's how it goes.
If biking is important to you, if it's part of "who you are" and something you're happy doing, your family and friends will realise that. If they have misgivings after your accident, hopefully they'll tell you. Ask them.

You're bound to be a bit pi55ed off and you're bound to be feeling sorry for yourself, that's what blokes do.
Don't worry, you'll get over it keep smiling. It's how you deal with the sh#t times that make good times better.

What's happened to the bike? is it a total?

[Bri w]

Only you can reconcile your conscience on this one. My better half hates the thought of me riding, and I receive texts/calls every time I'm out, and she panics like hell if she doesn't get a reply. I totally understand where she's coming from, being involved in an accident in which a biker died has left her with scars. In truth I'm being selfish carrying on but salve my conscience by riding conservatively most of the time.

Am I being fair? Bluntly, no. Should I stop riding? Yes, its not fair on her. Will I? Its not a question I want to visit just yet.

bikes fine really. broken headlamp exhaust and footpeg. i had to stick it through the insurance though because of massive recovery charges would have been back on road in an hour! grrr

basically thats where im at bri. If i sell the bike ill be looking for a classic or tvr so bikes probably safter tbh.

[Bri w]

Originally Posted by AndyBrad

basically thats where im at bri. If i sell the bike ill be looking for a classic or tvr so bikes probably safter tbh.

I borrowed my brother-in-law's classic MGB a few Sundays back and loved it. Didn't have to kit up, and could take HID with me. Old fashioned engine I could work on. Enjoyed the low ride, giving a better impression of speed. And no one worried about me.

Took the bike up the Moors afterwards - bike wins but only by a very narrow margin. And Barb was chain smoking when I got in...