DeepBlueRider
Junior Member
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- Thread starter DeepBlueRider
- Start date
Thanks for sharing your personal insight. Everything has a risk. And as far as track versus street, In my opinion they are totally different, which means different mental and physical skills are required. As far as the gear, the gear is to minimize your injuries in the event of a crash. And I believe what you had said about the quality is true. Some will be better than others. I don't go for the real cheap gear. And health & life insurance is a must if you ride, more the better. I just signed up for Aflac's accidental insurance again.
Heal up quick, but take your time.
Heal up quick, but take your time.
Thanks for posting, I high-sided in 98 (on the road using it like a track) ending up with a left 5th,4th,& 3rd metacarpal bone fractures, right base of thumb fracture and co-lateral ligament rupture (requiring specialist hand surgery) and a left tibial spiral fracture. Which took the guts of nine months to heal and left me with a classy limp (Which is a great lead into my motorcycle adventures btw). Your right crutches are bloody hard work but are great for upper body strength.
To be honest its probably a bit early for you to be considering your future riding career. Healing is slow and memories last a lifetime however, reflection is good for the soul. Accidents do happen and your recovery is as much mental as it is physical. Talk to your friends and loved ones, chat to the guys at the track to find out what you did. Use the forum as a sounding board.
To turn this on its head slightly, perhaps when you ride on the track it's easier to be more reckless as all of the perceived motorcycling risks have been removed, no cars, one way driving, good run off etc. I would suggest that on the road you are a very safe and competent rider.
If this accident happened on the road you may well be saying, "That's it now I'm sticking to the track it's safer"!
Take your time, do your physiotherapy and listen to your medical team.
Kick the arse out of not being able to go to the bar because you can't possibly carry drinks, if your single girls love an injured hero (Florence Nightingale effect), if your not make the most out of non contact flirting.
Good luck with the recovery and keep us posted on your progress.
Nelly:thumbup:
To be honest its probably a bit early for you to be considering your future riding career. Healing is slow and memories last a lifetime however, reflection is good for the soul. Accidents do happen and your recovery is as much mental as it is physical. Talk to your friends and loved ones, chat to the guys at the track to find out what you did. Use the forum as a sounding board.
To turn this on its head slightly, perhaps when you ride on the track it's easier to be more reckless as all of the perceived motorcycling risks have been removed, no cars, one way driving, good run off etc. I would suggest that on the road you are a very safe and competent rider.
If this accident happened on the road you may well be saying, "That's it now I'm sticking to the track it's safer"!
Take your time, do your physiotherapy and listen to your medical team.
Kick the arse out of not being able to go to the bar because you can't possibly carry drinks, if your single girls love an injured hero (Florence Nightingale effect), if your not make the most out of non contact flirting.
Good luck with the recovery and keep us posted on your progress.
Nelly:thumbup:
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payneib
Member
First of all, get well good and get well quick.
Secondly, if you're questioning your road riding because of your track "urges", I reckon you're in a really good place mentally to become a very good rider on the road.
You need to ask yourself two questions:
1) Do I ride the same on the road as I do on the track?
2) Can I still have fun if I don't?
If the answers are flat 1) yes 2) no, then yes, you should quit road riding.
Anything other than that, us up to you.
Secondly, if you're questioning your road riding because of your track "urges", I reckon you're in a really good place mentally to become a very good rider on the road.
You need to ask yourself two questions:
1) Do I ride the same on the road as I do on the track?
2) Can I still have fun if I don't?
If the answers are flat 1) yes 2) no, then yes, you should quit road riding.
Anything other than that, us up to you.
If you keep riding and get past the early jitters and muscle memory of the crash, you will become a vastly safer rider and ride long and well. There's a reason the track guys tend to be really sensible on the roads after they make the shift.
Crashing at the track is the luck of the draw a bit. Some guys crash dozens of times and don't pick up injuries and some guys crash once and are sidelined for a while. As long as you aren't colliding with other riders and bikes (and you shouldn't be at a trackday), the risk of a seriously bad crash are somewhat reduced.
Note that there are indeed people who ride MANY track days and even race and have never crashed. Riding a sensible easy pace and treating the track as a "sporty road" rather than a racetrack also goes a VERY long way to extending your good health.
Giving up something that makes your bones sing beautiful songs and your heart ache in anticipation should be a decision you are fully at peace with.
Sleep on it.
: )
Heal up quick! Enjoy your downtime.
Crashing at the track is the luck of the draw a bit. Some guys crash dozens of times and don't pick up injuries and some guys crash once and are sidelined for a while. As long as you aren't colliding with other riders and bikes (and you shouldn't be at a trackday), the risk of a seriously bad crash are somewhat reduced.
Note that there are indeed people who ride MANY track days and even race and have never crashed. Riding a sensible easy pace and treating the track as a "sporty road" rather than a racetrack also goes a VERY long way to extending your good health.
Giving up something that makes your bones sing beautiful songs and your heart ache in anticipation should be a decision you are fully at peace with.
Sleep on it.
: )
Heal up quick! Enjoy your downtime.
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Hmm I know of one person.
Pawel, I'm so sorry to hear about your crash. 
I'm a member of the "break both your legs in one m/c crash" club and I didn't really want any more members especially you. Heal up soon and completely my friend and we'll talk in the future about getting together for another ride when you are 100%. If there's anything I can do for you shoot me a PM and I'll take care of it.
I hope you won't stop riding on the street because of this.
I'm a member of the "break both your legs in one m/c crash" club and I didn't really want any more members especially you. Heal up soon and completely my friend and we'll talk in the future about getting together for another ride when you are 100%. If there's anything I can do for you shoot me a PM and I'll take care of it.
I hope you won't stop riding on the street because of this.
Beerdrinker
2^57885161-1
get well soon :cheer:
Very sorry to learn about your crash
Excellent advice about the gear and health insurance.
You are not the first to ask that question (giving up street). I know several people who've gotten so much into track riding, they quit riding on the street.
I too feel that street and track riding are 2 very different animals. Pushing limits on the street is asking for trouble, but a good rider playing it safe and smart should be able to greatly reduce the risk of crashing.
On the track, I definitely ride like Lone said.. more like aggressive street vs full-out racing. So again, risk is greatly reduced.
Having said that, obviously risk cannot be fully eliminated, no matter where you ride.
At the moment, I actually feel safer on the street. Mainly because I'm riding in novice group and I see loads of crashes, every track day. Just because I ride well bellow bike's capabilities and maybe around 80% of mine, doesn't mean others in novice group do.. plenty go all-out and unlike dealing with inattentive drivers, I feel like there isn't a whole lot I can do if someone pushes too hard and takes me out with them.
I'd be lying if I said I still enjoyed riding on the street as much as I used to, before I took up track riding. The adrenaline is not really there anymore, but it doesn't all have to be about that.
Excellent advice about the gear and health insurance.
You are not the first to ask that question (giving up street). I know several people who've gotten so much into track riding, they quit riding on the street.
I too feel that street and track riding are 2 very different animals. Pushing limits on the street is asking for trouble, but a good rider playing it safe and smart should be able to greatly reduce the risk of crashing.
On the track, I definitely ride like Lone said.. more like aggressive street vs full-out racing. So again, risk is greatly reduced.
Having said that, obviously risk cannot be fully eliminated, no matter where you ride.
At the moment, I actually feel safer on the street. Mainly because I'm riding in novice group and I see loads of crashes, every track day. Just because I ride well bellow bike's capabilities and maybe around 80% of mine, doesn't mean others in novice group do.. plenty go all-out and unlike dealing with inattentive drivers, I feel like there isn't a whole lot I can do if someone pushes too hard and takes me out with them.
I'd be lying if I said I still enjoyed riding on the street as much as I used to, before I took up track riding. The adrenaline is not really there anymore, but it doesn't all have to be about that.
Champ1978
Junior Member
I used to get motion sick when I first started riding a motorcycle. I thought it was a skill experience issue turns out it was my front bottoming out and it caused an abnormal jarring experience.
I didn't even know this for years because I had never ridden another bike before so I didn't have additional reference points to know how bikes were suppose to feel like in turns or under hard braking.
I ran wide in a wide in a turn and end up wrecking my bike on road. I had an experienced ride test my bike to see if it seemed okay to him. He said it hunched some awful and would cause the front to push out in the middle of turn and run wide. 3 twist of rear preload and i was going over the line on the opposite-side going in to sharp until I got used to have a bike that actually turned properly.
Motogp riders put there elbows on the ground and gun 250+ HP machines out of curves all the time while completely leaned over.
Your riding is fine but not for whatever you are riding on.
I didn't even know this for years because I had never ridden another bike before so I didn't have additional reference points to know how bikes were suppose to feel like in turns or under hard braking.
I ran wide in a wide in a turn and end up wrecking my bike on road. I had an experienced ride test my bike to see if it seemed okay to him. He said it hunched some awful and would cause the front to push out in the middle of turn and run wide. 3 twist of rear preload and i was going over the line on the opposite-side going in to sharp until I got used to have a bike that actually turned properly.
Motogp riders put there elbows on the ground and gun 250+ HP machines out of curves all the time while completely leaned over.
Your riding is fine but not for whatever you are riding on.
Would anyone know what the percentage is for riders crashing during a trackday? Low or high side, doesn't matter. So if there are 200 riders on a given day, how many offs are there?
Now wonder what that figure would be for riding out on the street on a given day per 100 or 200 riders. So if you go to the track, you have to ask yourself am I going to be part of that 3-6 percent?
If I must crash, I'd much rather do it on the track. No curbs and guard rails to slide into; no cars to run you over when you're down; ambulance standing by.
No matter what the % is, most people who crash are often pushing too hard. There is a difference between steady progress and learning limits by going beyond them. No question it's very hard not to go beyond your capabilities as you get faster and want to see just how much faster you can be.
I know I'll never race, so I'd rather my laps be 2 seconds slower, if it'll substantially reduce my risk of going down. I can still have an absolutely blast just connecting the dots and fully leaning over at 90+ .. not something I can do on the street.
Of course there's no way to guarantee a crash-free track day, but there's also no way to guarantee a crash-free commute or joy ride.
Statistics are often helpful, but they can't always paint a clear, definitive picture.
Kenny, the 3-6% would not apply to you. Just like being smart on the street, I assure you that you'd ride wisely on track and your chances of going down would be significantly lower than of majority who give it a go. The only uncontrollable factor is someone dumping his ride and taking you out with him.. this is a very rare occurrence, but it's not unheard of.
No matter what the % is, most people who crash are often pushing too hard. There is a difference between steady progress and learning limits by going beyond them. No question it's very hard not to go beyond your capabilities as you get faster and want to see just how much faster you can be.
I know I'll never race, so I'd rather my laps be 2 seconds slower, if it'll substantially reduce my risk of going down. I can still have an absolutely blast just connecting the dots and fully leaning over at 90+ .. not something I can do on the street.
Of course there's no way to guarantee a crash-free track day, but there's also no way to guarantee a crash-free commute or joy ride.
Statistics are often helpful, but they can't always paint a clear, definitive picture.
Kenny, the 3-6% would not apply to you. Just like being smart on the street, I assure you that you'd ride wisely on track and your chances of going down would be significantly lower than of majority who give it a go. The only uncontrollable factor is someone dumping his ride and taking you out with him.. this is a very rare occurrence, but it's not unheard of.
lawlberg
Booth Babe
Here you go guys - thought I'd ruin things for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkaKU8yzt3g&feature=youtu.be
Edit: No, injuries from this were not serious.
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That's a nasty one!! Still.. not a typical crash. Most of the time, it's a low-side, running off the track. Occasional high-sides, but typically single-rider.
lawlberg
Booth Babe
The guy in the orange (caused the crash) was a control rider. :spank:
Control rider had some pretty sh$tty lines and was an idiot!
3 bikes/riders out. Fool!
For me its getting harder and harder to make the 55 mile round trip work commute. Too many people are making mistakes and not paying attention which aside from standing in traffic, it simply takes the joy out of riding.
Why should I loose that when there are so many Good roads to play on? I enjoy heading out in the country and find it very relaxing and fun. Official me time that is stress free.
My advice; one day at a time! I haven't bit it yet but about 1 in 5 outings throws a curve ball and building reflex muscles will be my savior. I suspect my downfall will be a cage over the line or deer. Things that are not stationary that I have no control of.
- Will I quit riding due to risk? Not yet as the balance point has not tipped to a point where it outweighs the joy I gain from riding. Should this happen, well I'll cross that road then.
