Coming back from crash???

[dmoney1074]

Hey all, i recently had a bad crash that landed me in the hospital with a concussion, broken ribs, and the fear of getting on a bike again. I have never had a crash like this, and hope i never do again. After a quad hit me head on going about 50mph (and me going about 40) i woke up not knowing where i was or who i was. It was really a scary experience, you know what I'm talking about if you've ever been knocked out cold. Me and my bike are still recovering, but now I'm thinking about hanging it up. Im only 21 but I've had many getoffs in my life. I always pictured my "worst" wreck casing a huge double or something, but its funny that it happened just putting along the trail. I love to ride, so if anyone can talk me back into it that would be awsome... I just don't know if I'll have the nerve to get back in the saddle.

:applause:

[KXdude7]

I recently had a scary crash too, came over a double goin about 45 or so and the water truck was crossing the track for some reason:bonk: but i'm racing now. I broke my arm, and was knocked out for about 10 minutes. I was a little nervous my first ride out also, but i wasn't my fault! It sounds like it wasn't your fault either so u have to rememer that. I hope you have a speedy recover and can keep riding.

[astros]

You call doing 40 down a trail "just putting"? I fell a few months back and broke some ribs, fell a couple years ago and broke ribs, fell many years back and tore up my knee kinda bad. Never once did I think about not riding again, it's just too much fun. I have been doing it since I was 5 and I don't plan on ever stopping.

[Zappa]

Sounds like a pretty bad crash man. I would say recover from your injuries and then see how you feel about it.

Trying burning around in a small, simple quiet area to see if you can get the edge back.

Even if you hang it up for a few years, you can always return at any time though.

[dmoney1074]

Well It wasn't pinned, I was just cruising... considering my bike will do much much more!!!

[mgc201]

I raced a cr80 when I was 12 and broke my growth plate in my right knee and had 2 surgeries on my left knee. I stopped riding at the age of 13 because of those injuries. I'm 33 now and just got back into riding. I forgot how fun it was..I wish I never gave it up for so many years. I say keep your bike.

[NOMADAK]

I have had alot of crashes.....bad ones.....the kind that leave you with scars and plates holding your bones together. I currently have 3 plates in 3 seperate limbs from 3 seperate accidents.

I also was knocked out last year at a mx race. I was out 3-4 minutes according to bystanders. I took an ambulance ride to the hospital and regained my senses in the cat scanner about an hour later. I still have no recollection of the crash or the ride. Scary stuff! I am 39, family of 5 to raise. I am in a profession that requires me to be able bodied too.

Don't know what to tell you. It is a personal choice. I don't plan on stopping, myself. My co-workers think I am crazy and tell me so......OFTEN!

Riding is a big part of my life. I have been riding and owning my own bikes since age 7. My entire family rides/races and loves it. I feel very alive when riding. If something fatal happens while I am out there living, I feel it is better than dying at 90 in a nursing home with a ton of tubes sticking in and out of me, ya know? I would rather be out there putting it on the line than sitting in front of the boob tube eating cheetos waiting for some network to entertain me. We all go sometime....it is just a question of when and how.

If it feels like quiting is the right thing for you to do though, do it. My only advice in that is to take several months to decide it and don't make a rash decision to sell the bike at a loss only to later decide you really do want to ride.....and need to find another bike.

Motorcycledaily is a great website for motorcycle news. A couple of years ago he asked readers to respond to why they continue to ride despite serious injuries. The following links are the articles. My response was the last one on the first page.

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/23december05_crash.htm

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/06january06_morecrash.htm

Hope that helps you get clear on your decision.

[lynchie400]

Oh man, i just hit head on with a guy 3 weeks ago, me knee doesnt feel right , my shoulder feels like it has pins when a sleep and my foot still feels like i have a nail through the top of it.. But.... i will NEVER stop riding ..i knew i had to ride the next weekend to "get the bugs out"..unfortunatley..When im in a wheel chair due to age or my wife i will no longer ride..I LOVE it too much.. I think if YOU find your WANT and WILL and LOVE for riding youll get back on...I was scared for the first hour of trail riding as well, but just be safe, upgrade your gear, choose better riding areas without squids and thing of the sort.look further ahead. Think ahead ,think about where you are riding and possible dangers like what has happened..I never thought i would actually hit another rider head on.. I had always been able to swirve away.. I wrote a huge " My crash" here on thumper talk. I think i have changed my name from xr600lynch since then... anyways.. If you LOVE it....... youll ride, your balls will grow and your bike will love you back..If not i guess we wont be hearing from you any more.. Youll have to write to shifterKart.com or horsebackridinginthecountry.com.. GET back on dude.. dont be a sally...crash happens ,sh%t stinks ,crashes make you stronger...ETC

[BlackWidow]

I 1/2 pound heavier from a bad "spill". I'll spare the details, but just take it slow for a while, then go to the MX track on a day there aren't many people there, and roll the jumps you are comfortable with. then get back up to speed on the trail.

[BWP Jockey]

Just another reason to hate quad'rs. You can't let a quad be the reason you never ride again.

[jnr450r]

Its a tough mans game...... Crashing is part of the deal, its how you deal with it that shows what your made of...

[motoxracer372]

i broke my femur a few years ago..if you love it keep riding

[trailblazer87]

Lets see, broke both arms, 2 ribs, numerous toes (one won't heal up anymore:p ) back surgery, more bruises and scars than I care to think about, broken fingers, 1 tail bone (don't do this one), and my nose, and shoulder that grinds more than the local sausage maker. I still ride, guess I'm just stupid that way.

[bits 50]

I started to ride and race at 8 yrs old. When I turned 17 I got a street bike and had a crash on the highway. I didn't get on a bike again till 30 yrs later. Looking back, I wished I had got back on a bike after I had recovered from the crash. I feel that I lost 30 yrs of riding time that I can never get back. At any rate you have to do whats right for you.

[Yami_rider]

I had the same experience, in 2002 me and friend hit head on, on our bikes he had a 20% chance of living and they didnt think I would make it eithier, I dont reamber any of it we laid out there for 2 1/2 hrs till his dad found him laying on the drive way, I had wonderd off trying to find help, his leg was riped open from my footpeg and would have bled to death if his dog didnt lay on top of his leg. He wasnt wearing a helmet and is still in a wheel chair today. He cant talk very well, and it bums me out! I had a punctured lung, broken arm, ribs, concusion, damged liver, and damaged kidney. Today I still cant lift my right arm, i severd my nerves. It looks like a tooth pick to say the least. Any ways I still ride and he loves to come watch me, Its kinda hard to hold on, but Ive adapted im movin up to c class this year and cant get enough of dirtbikes! Ill never quit, and I know my friend would say the same thing if he could still ride

[georgeforeman]

take it slow.

[Muddaholic]

phheww

aint this a question that all sane riders ask. i have had visions of crshing slow motion in my minds eye for years. this was so intense that i gave up street riding and now only ride trails. no mx either, just too many friends have been hurt,,, badly.

another suggestion might be what i have done, and so far it seems to be working... just slow the hell down, cruise trails, dont race, lean out and check blind corners looking for other riders /quad - wads etc. relax its all about fun, ya, the odd tragedy happens, unfortunatly its part of this thing of ours. but i truly believe that we can moderate the risk by not hittin the throttle so hard,,, all the time,,,

i flew 80 ft @ dumont dunes 2 years ago, almost bit then. slowed me down,, big time,, again,, relax, smell the roses and enjoy this.

peace...

blessings of the universe

[Red-Rider]

man that sux big time. About two years ago i was racing and i got landed on and broke my foot in like 10 places. I really struggled to get back on the bike. But man I love this sport! I can't Imagine quitting this sport. Hope this helps

[Red-Rider]

But yea just take it slow and enjoy it ..

[jimbo450]

About 2 years ago I had a bad crash where I hit a false neutral going up the face of a 60ft double. I dropped the nose into the face of the landing. I ended up breaking a bunch of ribs, seperated both shoulders, and punctured and collapsed both lungs. Spent a week in the hospital with 2 chest tubes and pissing through a hose. 6 weeks later I got back on my bike and started riding again. My first time back was at the same track I crashed on. It took me about 6 months to finally sack up and do the jump I took the digger on. Now Im riding like before, with a little more fear in my head, but not enough to make me quit. Well I shouldn't say fear but more like a sense of awareness of what can happen. Put it this way, I don't think Im invincible out there for sure.