The rumors are true, I laid my motorcycle down last Wed.

[BigMike]

It is true, I had a mishap with my motorcycle last Wednesday.

All I was doing was making a right turn onto HWY180 from north bound Fowler ave when the bike slid out from underneath me. I've been riding for over 5 yrs and have never had an accident before. There goes my flawless record

This happened at about 7:20am Wed morning. I was going between 20-30 mph when it happened. Just making a simple routine corner... The bike hadn't been used since last June and I suspect a number of issues may have led to this accident: I have no idea what the tire pressure is, there could have been dust and soot on the tires from me idling my truck in my garage which I do often (with the door up of course), tires and road were cold. There wasn't any sand in the road. Also I lost traction before the cross walk, so the paint did not cause it.

I was wearing my nice riding jacket, jeans, cold weather gloves, steel toed work boots, helmet (of course), and my backpack with my laptop in it. After it happened, I quickly got up, picked the bike up and set the kick-stand, and then walked around the road looking to see if I had dropped anything. I walked all over the place, and then jumped on the bike, turned around, and rode back home.

All that happened to me was a couple raspberry scars on my knees, a small rash on my right forearm, and a couple scrapes on my right hand. Then about 2 hrs later my left ankle starting getting tight. Then it started swelling. So apparently I sprained my ankle as well.

By lunch time Wed I could no longer put any weight on my left ankle and it was fully swollen. I figured it was just a normal sprain, but my wife insisted I go to the clinic to get it checked.

Here are some pics of my battle wounds, my swelling left ankle, and the X-Ray showing a bone chip I sustained...



I took this pic after lunch. You can see how swollen my left ankle had become compared to my right:


And this pic was taken at 9pm. Now the whole ankle was really starting to swell:


Here are the X-Rays from today. They found a small bone chip. But it is strange that this chip is located on the outside of my ankle whereas the swelling is to the inside. The outside of my ankle where this chip is located is not sensitive at all. So maybe this has been here all along? They are not sure and are sending my x-rays to a radiology specialist for further investigation. They told me they will call me on Monday.

[BigMike]

Update from Thursday:

Here is a picture of the temporary fiberglass cast they gave me:



and I just took it off for the first time to take a shower, and the skin is now beginning to bruise:



N-I-C-E

[BigMike]

I still need to take some pics of the bike. I broke the right turn front blinker, and cracked my exhaust pipe. Other incidental damages include scrapes to the tachometer cover, the side of the crankcase, and a small area on the side of the gas tank.

I also tore a couple holes in my jeans and my right boot's shoe lace got severed in a couple places.

As for the contents of my backpack, fortunately, my laptop only sustained a small crack to the case and nothing else. I had some oatmeal in a tupperwear contained in the same compartment as the laptop and i feared it cracked and threw oatmeal all over the laptop, but when I got back home and opened the pack, everything was fine.

I put a nice cut on the right sleeve of my jacket near my wrist, and also put a ton of scrapes all over the right side of the helmet. The crash also tore up my nice REI winter gloves, but this is because they are just a mountain bike cold weather cloth gloves, so I am lucky my hands didn't get cut up worse than they did. I have nice leather summer gloves but I was not wearing them.

I don't know how I injured my left ankle. I have missed 3 days of school this week and 2 work days I think I will be on crutches for about 1-2 weeks which means I will for sure miss the Tin Benders Jambo SUCKS!! I was getting my truck ready and was excited to go because I missed last years event and it's been since 2008 that I last wheeled the Hammers.

Back to the ankle, I rode back home shifting gears, putting my feet down at red lights, even walked around the house, took a shower to wash the road dirt out of the cuts on my legs, and then after all this it started to hurt. Weird, I really don't think I chipped the bone over this, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to walk at all right at the crash scene.

I'll get some more pics of the corner and also of my bike soon.

What I have learned:
1. I have been eleventy bazillion times more wreckless than this and have never had a crash, so I have learned how unpredictable Motorcycles can be and since I already have plans to rebuild my MR2 this summer, this may be the end of my riding career.

2. I am very fortunate I crashed on the freeway on ramp. I would have crashed at 70 MPH making the right turn onto HWY168 had this not happened, giving the same circumstance as to how easily this crash occurred.

Not sure if I mentioned this or not, but this was the first right turn since June 2009. I did make 1 left turn before I made the right turn, but the left turn was at a stop sign whereas this right turn was a constant speed corner.

Very bizarre.

Mike

[WHITE_TRASH]

You got some sexxay ankles... 













Glad you're ok Mike, I've dumped a bike before and yea, it completely sucks.  Just don't be afraid to get back on it after you're all healed back up.

[zembalayan]

Sounds like it could have been much worse.  Heal up soon!

[twistedtoy92]

well at least thats all that happened.... sorry to hear about your miss-hap 

[BigMike]

You got some sexxay ankles...

I grew em jus for yew

Glad you're ok Mike, I've dumped a bike before and yea, it completely sucks.  Just don't be afraid to get back on it after you're all healed back up.

I will get back on it after I get some parts replaced, but my passion is for the MR2 right now, I can't wait to get it back on the road. Selling the bike is going to help that happen and I've already got a buyer.

Sounds like it could have been much worse.

well at least thats all that happened....

No kidding, right? Glad I laid it down on a surface road instead of the freeway

Here are some updated pictures from today. This is about 65 hours since the accident

The quick setting fiberglass splint:


It hasn't gotten much worse, but the bruising is a bit darker. I can't put any weight on the ankle at all. Even the slightest bit of pressure results in very acute pain. Before you ask, no, I am not wrapping the ace bandage extremely tight. It is just so swollen that the skin is easily indented.


It looks more purple and blue without the flash

[WHITE_TRASH]

I will get back on it after I get some parts replaced, but my passion is for the MR2 right now, I can't wait to get it back on the road. Selling the bike is going to help that happen and I've already got a buyer.
No kidding, right? Glad I laid it down on a surface road instead of the freeway

I coulda sworn you sold the Mr2...  Guess I was wrong again eh?

Whatcha doing to it this time?  More supercharging till the heads fly through the deck lid?

[emsvitil]

Did the bike land on your ankle?


When I lowsided years ago (moist paint stripes), the bike landed on my right ankle.

When I had it x-rayed, other than swelling, there wasn't any new damage.   

They did see old stress fractures, so I'm wondering if the chip is from long long ago...

[BigMike]

The MR2 is doing well. It has been in storage since winter 2004 up in Coarsegold, CA. I say storage but I really mean to say it has pretty much been dumped outside blane525's garage. But I cleaned it up and moved it into his garage this Jan. and pulled the engine out and brought it back to Fresno to sell some parts off it.

As for Supercharging, the goal is to find a wrecked 1988 or 1989 Supercharged MR2 or one in very poor condition but with a good running engine. I plan to pick one up for under $1k. Then I will *FINALLY* do it right and get it approved by the California air resource board as a smog legal engine conversion. I've learned quite a lot about engine swaps since my first one back when I was a teenager

However, as of recent, I have come across an offer I cannot refuse: A low mileage normally aspirated 4A-GE engine *FOR FREE*. Complete with everything including wiring harness, computer, exhaust, etcetera, all included. So that will be going in immediately in early June and I'll get the registration and everything current and start driving the poor neglected love of my life.

.... Then I haven't decided if I should pursue the Supercharger this summer or wait until after I graduate college this fall. If I happen to come across a good deal this summer, I'll jump all over it. If not then I'll be happy just having the MR2 running again.

Look at it this way: The bike I have is a 1991 Suzuki GS500E:


So it's not like I am out doing wheelies and racing Corvettes or anything. I just enjoy the bike because it makes 55 freak'n miles per gallon which of course my truck can't even touch. Plus the insurance is only $9 per month But I figure the MR2 will make between 35-40 MPG and I'll be able to carry more things and not have to worry about the weather, so the decision between the 500cc Suzuki and my MR2 was very easy to make. Now if I had a Honda Hawk GT650, then I would not be selling the bike

[BigMike]

Did the bike land on your ankle?


When I lowsided years ago (moist paint stripes), the bike landed on my right ankle.

When I had it x-rayed, other than swelling, there wasn't any new damage.   

They did see old stress fractures, so I'm wondering if the chip is from long long ago...

I also agree that the chip must be from an injury of yesteryear.

I laid the bike down on it's right side while making a right corner. I clearly recall doing two barrel rolls before sliding the rest of the way on my front side with my head facing left (so scratches to the ride side of my helmet).

I have no clue how I hurt my left ankle. I even had OSHA-certified steel toed boots on that were fully laced. It's hard enough to twist my ankle with those boots on. I thought maybe my foot got caught in the spokes of the rear wheel, but there is no noticeable scaring to the boots. So I figured I must have planted the ankle in mid flight, but there is no missing rubber from the sole of the boot. So I thought maybe the bike slid first and then high sided me, but there is no damage to the left side of the bike and when I came to rest, the bike was beyond my position, laying down on it's right side. I trailed it the whole way.

Wasting my right ankle seems perfectly plausible but its not affected other than I need new shoe laces on my right boot. Crazy

[BigMike]

I would love to see a video of the crash!!! I'm still hoping someone in a car behind me had a camera rolling and is going to post "some idiot can't make a corner" on YouTube. That would be awesome!

[kneedownnate]

There truly are 2 types of riders:  those who've been down and those who'll go down.  Congrats, you've joined the former    Hopefully it won't change your passion for riding, but you never really know till you get back on a bike after healing.

I have no idea what the tire pressure is, tires and road were cold.

I believe these were your 2 major contributors 

[BigMike]

I'll check the tire pressure tomorrow and get some pics of the bike. I haven't checked tire pressure since... hmmm.... probably winter 2008/2009? I was pumped getting the bike running again on Sunday (had to drain out a bunch of sour gasoline) and was biting at the bit to get on it. It rained Monday and a bit Tues morning, so Wed was the first day I had decided to take it out for a spin Yes the road was dry by Wed morning.

[kneedownnate]

I installed my rear tire several months ago, the front a few months back and never re-checked them when I recently started riding again.  First couple days of riding felt off and the bike felt awkward in corners.  I half chalked it up to me not being fully comfortable again, and half to possible tire pressure.  Pulled the bike up to the bays when we were closing and found about 25 psi front and rear.  Bumped up to a little over 30 and it felt like a whole new bike!  Turns were effortless and the bike again seems to sense when I want to lean and do it for me.

[BigMike]

Alright, you motivated me to hop (literally) out to the garage and check the tire pressures. Get this, the front is 34 psi and the rear is a whopping 40. Granted that is excessively high, I did ride it like that all spring and early summer of 2009, pushing my limits often, without a glitch. Man, why the heck are they so high

[Cheesemaker]

It's good to hear your ok Mike.  I used to ride all the time, I really miss it, and I had a few close calls, and generally they were when I was at slower speeds. 

[Toymin8r]

great.  Another guy with a death wish.   

[jonathan82toy]

Hey mike how much for the bike now?

[yjay]

If that happened to me I would never hear the end of it till I sold it. My wife takes severe umbrage with me having fun.

[BigMike]

Hey mike how much for the bike now?

Price has gone up due to the rarity of the bike: "Wow! You own the bike that BigMike laid down?? You are so lucky!"

[Toymin8r]

Price has gone up due to the rarity of the bike: "Wow! You own the bike that BigMike laid down?? You are so lucky!"

If there's a market in that I round up some used bikes on Craigslist if you'll wreck them for me.   We'll get rich.....as long as you survive. 

[*FFC*]

Ouch... I'm glad you're okay Mike! Sorry 'bout the ankle.

[BIGBIRD]

MICHAEL!!! DUDE!!!
get well man!!! now i cant feel good about kicking your but when i see you next week.

and can you retake the first pic. maybe just a little higher.

[abnormaltoy]

You got some sexxay ankles... 

More like a sweet set of cankles!


Glad you're alright.

[BirdDog]

I'm glad you walked away with minor injuries. I hope you sell it sooner than later. I'm praying for your speedy and full recovery.


I hope for the wife's sake you get better real soon. I know your gonna be working this one for every little bit of service you can. 

Poor M.  School, work, spouses huge EGO, Now this. I'm definitely praying for strength for her to endure all this.

I love you Mike. 

Oh & sell the bike.

[blackdiamond]

Glad you were not hurt worse.  My wife, a PA, recommends doing all of the physical therapy that they recommend and if they don't, do some online research for some stretches to do.  She said your ankle will never quite be the same if you don't.

Have you considered a crawl box for the bike? 

[BigMike]

Thanks for the comments guys

If there's a market in that I round up some used bikes on Craigslist if you'll wreck them for me.   We'll get rich.....as long as you survive.

SWEET!! Let's do this!

MICHAEL!!! DUDE!!!
get well man!!! now i cant feel good about kicking your but when i see you next week.

Looks like the only way a Canadian can kick my butt is when I am down 1 limb.

....I hope you sell it sooner than later....Oh & sell the bike.

I was thinking about replacing it with a 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa and see if I can get it up to 194 MPH on HWY180 east of Minkler.

My wife, a PA, recommends doing all of the physical therapy that they recommend and if they don't, do some online research for some stretches to do.  She said your ankle will never quite be the same if you don't.

Please tell your wife thanks for the advice. Last spring while playing basketball, my friend hurt his ankle about as bad as mine and he advised I begin massaging it often as soon as I can start moving it around less I loose some of my former flexibility.

Have you considered a crawl box for the bike? 

[BirdDog]

I was thinking about replacing it with a 1999 Suzuki Hayabusa and see if I can get it up to 194 MPH on HWY180 east of Minkler.

Touché.

[chim]

Ouch! Glad you are ok!... There is the saying about riding motorcycles..  You have either gone down, or your gonna go down...

Glad you walked away from it though!