Whats the damage

[Jackrat]

As a follow on from the Sin bin thread that seemed to get slightly off track anyway.I got to thinking about the damage done and how it is handled by the crashie involved.
I managed to pick up a few bruises an a bit of skin lost with out worrying about it much,Until 1988 when I managed to produce a straight line high side at 140kms.The bike landed on top of me and then followed me into a ditch for another shot.Total cost other than the fear I was about to die,Was three broken ribs,two crushed vertibrie,broken coller bone,broken knee,other knee cap worn half away,broken bones in left foot,mirror stem through left arm just above elbow,tendon damage to left leg,skin on left hand torn to bits and good size ding on left side of head.Recovery time,two years for most of it but back will go on for ever,even after an op' that didn't seem to achieve much.This is a pretty crap subject but I reckon the more we talk about these things the less likely it will happen to others.Well maybe huh!!
Oddly enough this is also part of the reason I now mostly wear an open face helmet.At the time I was wearing a very good full face and full leathers,gloves,top line boots ect.As much as they saved my life for sure they also made me feel to safe and I rode accordingly.The open face I simply like, plus it keeps the fear in place.Odd yep,but it keeps things in perspective
for me.Hey I never claimed I was sane

[Motu]

I get scared responding to yours threads Jack!

For someone who has fallen off - on and off road allowd I presume this time - more than most,I have gotten off very lightly.I am (was!) a little fella,quick and agile....when I'm in these situations time slows down and it seems I have all the time in the world to do all that's necesary (some don't do this,could everyone say if they do or don't,I find it interesting)

Even in my ''big one'' when I was run down from behind,being on the front of the vehicle for a km,with the van swerving side to side to throw me off...I only got a blister on my hand,a grazed knee and bum - not bad for a near death experiance.I've had some blood,lots of bruising and once had an Xray on my foot it hurt so much,I've tapped ankles and raced the next day,still have some bad nerve endings on a finger caught between lever and bar,aches and pains from the hits over the years,stiff hips,sore knees,loss of hearing,what hair I have left is grey and less than half my teeth.Have had water on the knee for 35 yrs from a pushbike prang.

My last big one ten years ago was laying into the sweeper at the dirt track with the throttle jammed wide open - I layed it down and was a rag doll for a long time,I was stiff for a few days,but that was a fun ride I reckon! At trials I still fall over a lot,maybe it's something to do with getting old - these scare me a bit because falling at low speed is when you break bones....Just wish I could control my bike better.Threw my bike down a bank last year and landed on my bum on it,ripped the crutch out of my mx pants and had blood stains on them,penetration from a footpeg sir.

I know that a long career of motorcycling stupidity should have left me in a much worse state,I consider myself very lucky,I think someone has been watching over me (wish they had a camera,the footage would supply retirement funds)

[James Deuce]

I've heard of that "time slowing down" thing Motu.

Definitely doesn't happen for me. Once its gone pear shaped I am just a hurtling sack of manure until I hit something when I become a slightly flattened sack of manure. Usually with bits broken.

I haven't recovered from "big one". I have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which is permanent due to constriced nerve pathways in my spine. I've learned to live with it now, and its what passes for "normal". I get the odd overload of pain, but I'll just have a "migraine" (if you get them you wouldn't be disparaging nor would you call it a headache) for a day or so and that seems to reset brain and body nicely.

Oh I like Single Malt too - good way to side step the pain - migraine progression sometimes. Sorry if that is a bit unacceptable to some of the more PC readers, but I refuse to get hooked on synthetic narcotics/opiates and anti-depressants which is the medical profession's idea of "treating" pain - so there!

[bluninja]

Accident damage...

Straight line highside of ZX9R at Monza racetrack at low speed. cracked lower rib, removed skin from elbow. Back riding 2 hours later.

RSVR versus tractor. Bike written off, me ...severe haematoma to both thighs, back of right leg, left upper arm and shoulder. Bruising to right arm from wrist to elbow, bruising down right shin. Recovery time.....3 months on crutches (made redundant new years eve), then another 6 months to recover fully. Now having osteopath work on back injury missed 2 years ago. Given the bike damage and the trashing of my leathers the paramedics and doctors were amazed that I sustained so little damage (comparatively).

SV650 versus Manfield hairpin...lowside at low speed, but bike landed on right hand and broke thumb in 3 places by wrist. Pinned and cast on for 3 months. Pins removed and able to ride bike 1 month later.

I have to say in all my accidents that the gear I was wearing was worth it's weight in gold. 2 of my helmets had gouges on the chin piece...so that's why I still wear full face. My sidi boots took lots of hammering but never foot or shin damage. When the bike kanded on my hand the knuckles were protected with those resin/kevlar knuckle protectors and just got severely bruised. My thumb didn't have that protection.

[Marmoot]

Slam into a cliffside at 160kph: 1 broken pinkie - 3.5 years ago
Went off road at 140kph: 2 minutes unconscious. No damage - 1 year ago
Went off road at 110kph: sommersault. No damage - 4 months ago

Diesel spill on road led to lowside at 60kph: broken knee - 8 years ago.

Moral of the story:
It's not the speed. THE MORE THE DIESEL, THE BIGGER THE MESS!

[SPman]

I've heard of that "time slowing down" thing Motu.

I find, for me.time only slows down if I can/ have saved the situation. If I go down, its a case of " fuck - what happened!". Perhaps my brain just dumps the short term memory from start to finish of the event!
Have I been lucky or summint - from 1967 to now....bugger all injuries - highsided a T250 in '71, at a modest 35mph when the sidestand bracket dug into the seal and lifted the rear wheel! - result - always worn gloves from that day on!
Ran off the road on SH2 on the sweeper before the sawmill at 5 in the morning at abt 120kph on the GT750 Duc. in 1977.....did the motocross thing down the bank, leaping driveways and threading between letter boxes and power poles before i went down - pitch black so I couldnt see a thing! - not a scratch!
Sum total on road - gouged hand (1x), bruised hip (1x) scraped knees (2x) bruised little finger. - not bad for 500K+ km on road
Off road - aargh.....first time back on a chook chaser for some years (TT250) and seeing how far I could hang the rear wheel out across a nice shiny grass slope and wham - I found out! - chest bruises and 2 broken ribs!
Dangerous things them dirt bikes!

[DEATH_INC.]

I've got a compressed spine(about 12yrs ago) and stuffed shoulder (same)from MXing and a stuffed knee (a few times over the last 15 or so years)from MX/road crashes.....

[KATWYN]

Slam into a cliffside at 160kph: 1 broken pinkie - 3.5 years ago
Went off road at 140kph: 2 minutes unconscious. No damage - 1 year ago
Went off road at 110kph: sommersault. No damage - 4 months ago

Diesel spill on road led to lowside at 60kph: broken knee - 8 years ago.

Moral of the story:
It's not the speed. THE MORE THE DIESEL, THE BIGGER THE MESS!

Wow Marmoot, you have had a lot of accidents in a short time period, bar the 8 year one. Have all these accidents been around the same area? (ie) if the conclusion has been deisal on the road it might pay to ride somewhere else....and to warn the rest of us riders where this area is! ....sounds like you have been really lucky so far....

[wkid_one]

Mine - first accident resulted in a broken foot and crushed tendons - low speed high side......10 days on crutches.
Second - blew my shoulder out of the joint in a big way (6 inches).......needed reconstruction
Third - no damage from the highside, other than bruising and concussion.

[marty]

and going soft......

[marty]

oh sorry - that should have been in the 'posts i should have deleted' thread....

[wkid_one]

...and going trail biking instead

[750Y]

i've had a couple of moments where everything slowed way down just prior to crashing. I seemed to be accutely aware at that point. I still remember vividly the thoughts which accompanied that. It was almost a 'mellow' feeling. and yes I have a bit of metal here-n-there but nothing major.

[Big Dog]

I find, for me.time only slows down if I can/ have saved the situation. If I go down, its a case of " fuck - what happened!". Perhaps my brain just dumps the short term memory from start to finish of the event!

Considering some of my saves include dismounting a lowside and running remount one has to assume time slows down for the save / almost save the ones that got away there was bareley time to register there was a problem let alone do anything more than minmise damage to self.

Having said that the only broken bones would be a vertical fracture (3inch crack) on each shin, did not require a cast but allow me to predict the weather better than the tv does.

Other than a couple of mild bruises (more colour than pain) the only other injury is both of my kneecaps have been dislocated.

Away I reckon.

[Motu]

The time distortion mainly happens when I loose it,but sometimes when I save a major as well - can't have it for normal use can we...I'd be unbeatable.But if you look at slowmo of the masters,that's just what they are doing.Ever tried to take on a black belt in whatever or a boxer? you just haven't got a hope,they are thinking far beyond you.

This one happened on my 26th birthday,so I remember it better than some....first corner of the morning I laid my race compound shod Norton into a right hander (first fine day in spring,that's a good excuse eh) I saw the mirror shatter and tinkle past me,hey,that's wierd,wonder if I've fallen off? a little later I feel a thump and a vibration through the bars...yep,looks like I'm down alright,so I slide off and push the bike away.As I'm sliding down the road I can feel the rivets in my Levi's burning my hip...I look back and see that I've passed the bike and now it's coming down behind me.That's not too good,so I reach up,grab the bars and push myself away again.By the time I stop sliding and I start to stand up,another rider is there to help me - I never saw him on the road,but he has had time to park his bike and run to help me,but I'm ok,jump on and ride to work.This stuff dosen't normaly stop me crashing,but helps when I do.

Sometimes I've felt like I've been sliding long enough - have stood up only to do a forward roll,then finish my slide.When I jumped off the front of the van that ran me down,I jumped backwards,to the side,landed on the footpath,but fell over backwards(no helmet)...did a backwards roll,finished with a handspring landing on my feet,hands in the air....but no applause! Talking about this stuff is scary - I never want to do it again.