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alblancher
 Senior Member
481 Posts
slidell, LA
USA
Yamaha
Roadliner
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 Posted - 11/14/2009 : 7:59 AM
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It's been two and a half months since the accident and I finally got back on the bike. I first took the wife's C50 for a ride down a quiet road through the woods just to get used to riding again. Did about 30 miles round trip and once I got over a bit of initial fear I settled in and enjoyed the ride.
I got back to the house and looked at my Roadliner for the first time. Washed it off, re-attached the left turn signal, bent out the front fender a bit and checked the oil. I decided that the bent hwy bar wasn't in the way and the scratches to the tank where just cosmetic. It was a strange feeling sitting on the bike and firing it up. Memories of my accident kind of peeked through a previously closed door in my mind. I am not a particularly brave person but I felt that letting out the clutch and pulling out of the driveway did take some personal courage. I made the same ride as I did on the C50, staying way clear of the ditches and keeping the bike at 25 mph in a 35 zone. Except for a couple of near headons with various F250s and Escalades the ride was uneventful and refreshing.
After getting back home and having lunch I decided to ride the Roadliner to my physical therapy appointment. This was the first ride on city streets with a good bit of after school traffic. There again with a renewed awareness of what can go wrong when riding a motorcycle I road cautiously and concentrated on the ride. I did have a bit of a butt pucker when an ambulance drove through a yield sign right in front of me, only to be followed by a pair of fire trucks at full speed with sirens blasting.
One nice thing about the ride was when I pulled into the parking lot of the therapists I was greeted with applause and high fives. We had set getting back on the bike as both a physical and emotional goal.
All in all I was pleased and look forward to riding again, "when my wife is not home". I need to go now because she came back downstairs and is heading in this direction. There will be a time when I tell her that I am riding again but it's just not today, or tomorro or ??
Al
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Edited by - alblancher on 11/14/2009 6:39 PM |
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Axiom2000
Moderator
973 Posts
[Mentor]
Georgetown, Delaware
USA
BMW
R1200RT/ R1200C
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 8:13 AM
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Great news Al. I imagine making that decision was tough enough. Baby steps, ease back into it. How you handle the SO is all on you.  |
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rayg50
Advanced Member
858 Posts
[Mentor]
NYC, NY
USA
Honda
Shadow Spirit 750DC
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 9:46 AM
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++1, very nice. Thanks for the update.
Ray
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Night Train
Moderator
1335 Posts
[Mentor]
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Canada
Harley-Davidson
03 Electra Glide Std
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 10:07 AM
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Congratulations Al. To some, it may not seem like a big deal, but I can still remember the combination of fear, trepidation, anxiety, excitement, exhilleration, and pleasure of my first time on a bike in three years after I had recovered from a car accident. It was more than just a measuring stick of therapy, it was actually getting my life back.
It's gonna be hard keeping it from your wife. I would imagine she will notice a change in your demeanour and will wonder why the hell you're smiling all the time now. You'll soon have to tell her you're riding again or she'll think you've found a girlfriend
Good stuff and I would say that you are more than a little bit brave for sure. |
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Niebor
Ex-Member
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 10:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Night Train
Good stuff and I would say that you are more than a little bit brave for sure.
I second the thought.
Some of us know what your going through, I'm impressed!
LOL, Night Train may have a good point in the riding/girlfriend thing. I could picture that SO easily.  |
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SkootchNC
Advanced Member
603 Posts
[Mentor]
raleigh, north carolina
USA
Harley-Davidson
road glide
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 3:21 PM
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Good to hear you're "back in the saddle".
Just take those baby steps, until you're ready for more.... Be extra careful... I'm concerned about that Except for a couple of near headons with various F250s and Escalades the ride was uneventful and refreshing.
Ambulances and fire trucks ought to be noisy enough to get your attention... if you're surprised by them...you might want to work on that.
again... baby steps.
Frank.
What's the wife gonna say, when she gets on her bike, and wonders why there are all those miles, on the ODO?. May as well "fess up" |
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Silver Girl
 Junior Member
46 Posts
Stettler, Alberta
Canada
Yamaha
'09V-Star 950 Tourer
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 6:14 PM
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Good for you! |
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alblancher
Senior Member
481 Posts
slidell, LA
USA
Yamaha
Roadliner
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Posted - 11/14/2009 : 6:48 PM
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Thanks to all for the kind words, getting back on the bike is as much a statement of my return to a normal life as it is a testament to my physical healing. I re-read the original post and apologize for the typos. The left hand is still a bit numb and sometimes the pinky and ring finger do what they want to do instead of what I want them to do.
Al |
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bachman1961
Advanced Member
1408 Posts
[Mentor]
colorado springs, co
USA
Honda
CB750 NightHawk
Peer Review:
1
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Posted - 11/15/2009 : 2:31 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by alblancher
Thanks to all for the kind words, getting back on the bike is as much a statement of my return to a normal life as it is a testament to my physical healing. I re-read the original post and apologize for the typos. The left hand is still a bit numb and sometimes the pinky and ring finger do what they want to do instead of what I want them to do.
Al
Al;
Good news!
Don't sweat the typos or whatever else the keyboard tries to pull on you (us).. these are not prerequisites for riding ! Careful on the rides ,, take it slow and step into traffic and other busy stuff in small increments or phases. Emotions and/or PT stress can slow the processing out on the streets. Ramp it up slow !!
~brian |
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radan2
Advanced Member
847 Posts
[Mentor]
Jacksonville, NC
USA
Moto Guzzi
2007 Breva V750 ie
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Posted - 11/15/2009 : 3:17 AM
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| At the risk of being repetitious, be cautious at first. You might want to get in a lot of PLP. |
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alblancher
Senior Member
481 Posts
slidell, LA
USA
Yamaha
Roadliner
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Posted - 11/15/2009 : 8:42 AM
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You know sometimes I miss the obvious.
PLP is where I should begin. Along with the rest of you I always recommended PLP be part of rider's continuing education. If there was ever a time I should take this advice it is now. It may be overkill but I think I will reread the BRC and ERC literature, practice the skills detailed in them, look back over Hough's books and spend some time rebuilding my confidence.
I am still concerned about what caused the accident and I do not know if I will ever be really comfortable on the bike until I nail it down and address it. I do and will continue to monitor my blood sugar, especially before a ride and during longer rides. I will try to be more conscious of where my head is during a ride. If I become "day dreamy" it's time to pull off and make an assessment of my frame of mind.
Thanks again my friends,
time to cutup the hogshead cheese and warm up the gumbo. The Saints are on TV in a couple of hours. |
Edited by - alblancher on 11/15/2009 4:42 PM |
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rayg50
Advanced Member
858 Posts
[Mentor]
NYC, NY
USA
Honda
Shadow Spirit 750DC
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Posted - 11/15/2009 : 9:28 AM
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Al, you have started my day off in a great way. You recognize the issues and have laid out what I think to be a game plan that will yield significant progress. Thank you for sharing it. You still have to work out the conversation with your SO, if you have not already done so. Women are wonderful but odd beasties. Many times not having been told is the far greater crime.
Ray
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James R. Davis
Administrator
14930 Posts
[Mentor]
Houston, TX
USA
Honda
GoldWing 1500
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Posted - 11/15/2009 : 9:36 AM
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quote:
You know sometimes I miss the obvious.
PLP is where I should begin.
Bravo! Your return is a great pleasure to me and your attitude (and intelligence) demonstrated in the quote assures me that there wasn't any head trauma along with that hurt pinky.
Welcome back to the family! |
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