We weren't traveling super fast and I'm still not quite sure how it happened but the repurcussions of that 1 second crash are still being felt 1 week later.
I was the 3rd and last rider in our group on my cb750, the 2nd rider borrowed my wife's 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 and the 1st rider was on his Yamaha FZ6. Over the last week all 3 of us reviewed the accident in our minds many hundreds of times.
We failed to properly manage the risk on an activity that is already risky.
- he was riding an unfamiliar bike
- the injured rider did not wear a jacket or gloves
- he was on an unfamiliar road
- it was his first ride of the season
- he was the youngest of the 3 riders
Although the bike was totalled and my friend was badly injured, he luckily will heal in a few months and can already walk around. It could have been much worse because he could have lost a limb, lost his life or become paralyzed.
It's very difficult for me to see his wife try to stay strong for the both of them. I'm sure it's torture for him to be immobilized since he normally can't stay in one place for long. The introspection might be good for him though, I think he's grown up a bit during the 4 days he spent in the hospital.
What to do with all the time? I could have him read about proper riding techniques. It's something he's always felt was a waste of time, but he's vowed to never ride again because he feels the fleeting excitement and happiness is not worth the impact to loved ones in the event of an accident.
He's thinking he might write a book or post a diary-blog to keep his thoughts organized. It may be a worthwhile reference point for him to serve as a reminder someday.
Although I wasn't injured, I feel like I need to heal and move forward also. I haven't ridden my motorcycle since the day of the crash (it was acting funny while we were navigating terrible traffic trying to find the hospital and the temps were in the high 90s). He asked that we give up riding and the thought has crossed my mind every day since the accident, though I very much doubt I will stop.
For me, the overwhelming thought from the scene of the accident was that I needed to get a newer more reliable bike to reduce my risk exposure. Certainly, any desire for a 1000cc bike are out the window now. Afterall, what could I possibly need a motorcycle capable of 180mph for, other than get into trouble?
The sight of my wife's Vulcan so totally damaged laying on the road leaking fluids and blinking it's battery flat left me oddly void of feeling like it was not mine or that it was not real. I wondered how much worse might a bike be twisted if it crashed at 2 times or even 3 times the speed we were moving.
I have some new rules that will stay with me:
- Nobody rides my bike
- I don't ride anyone else's bike
- No riding without proper gear. Period.
I wish you a speedy recovery, Dude!
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