Riding again after an injury?

Thought I'd throw this out for some thoughts and opinions....

I am still in the recovery process following a significant accident where I broke several bones and caused some other issues, that has been discussed ...

Now, as I am starting to recover I am starting to consider the big question... Will I ride again ?

I am currently flip flopping between "never again" and "what good deal can I find today on a replacement bike"
I suppose this is just part of the recovery process but I will literally have these same thoughts on the same day, a fence straddling so severe I have to laugh at myself.
Some of the things I ponder are, it's not the rider that is the concern, it's the inattentive motorists that cause the problems. In my case it was an officer that did this to me, he should be one of the best drivers on the road, he has more miles than the average driver and has certainly received more training than the average driver. If he can roll through a stop sign, onto a state route, without looking left, what can you expect from the average motorist? Was this my one and only warning? or maybe it was my one and only incident? I know there are many folks who ride a lifetime without any major problems, but there are also many folks that have a lifetime cut short...

Maybe I shouldn't be so pessimistic and this is a sign that I'm invincible...

Currently I'm leaning towards riding again but making it a lesser part of my life... kind of split the difference? If I ride 1k miles a year that's a 80% reduction of risk... and I still get the enjoyment of wind in my helmet and the power under my butt... If this is the route I go then I would likely seek out a different/less expensive bike, if I own a $7500 toy I had better get $7500 worth of play from it... probably a silly way of looking at it, but that's where my head is. I keep looking at NT700s, I test drove one before buying my ST, I liked it a lot, just not as much as the ST ... in addition to the price I also think the NT would be a lot easier to handle, it will be awhile until I'm 100% and at my best the ST was at the top of my skill and physical level ... no surprise there as I consider the ST to be a top level bike! (honestly the ST was above my level, but I was able to safely ride it while it helped me bring my skills up)
However I'm concerned that I will miss the awesome power of the ST if I was to get a different bike, but I could always upgrade to a ST while a lesser bike helps me get through recovery...

A bit of a ramble here, but wanted to share some thoughts and questions with you all.

I had 5 crashes in 3 years and as I was recovering from a broken shoulder blade, I was seriously considering giving it up. My shoulder healed, I flew to Ohio and bought another Wing and have been riding ever since. This was in 2010 and I traded the 2010 in on my present 2013 with 118K on the clock.

Funny how it's so different a situation for each person involved in an accident. Suspect there's lot of factors at play and I think I'd hurt myself trying to figure it out. Lol. But for me and my accident, I knew at once I would want to ride again. Even if the accident were more severe, well to a point I'm sure. I guess what I'm getting at is its a mind-set. I know the danger/risks are there, but I still make the conscious decision to ride and be as alert as I can, and enjoy the ride. It'll all come down to your own decision. Hope it all works out for you.

John STeele
Peace and All Good

I've been riding since 1962. No moving violations, one crash (1969). 300,000 miles plus....just beginning compared with some. I mostly commute. Most of my trips are under 500 miles one way, occasionally a much longer one.
Granted, there have been many close calls but situational awareness, excellent brakes and maneuvering ability have worked well so far.
At this point, my greatest hazard comes from knees that will not hold at stops...at embarrassing times... and a left hip that goes numb sometimes. Considered giving up but biking has become an addiction over the years.
I couldn't continue rebuilding without riding them...there wouldn't be much point to it. Next best thing to open cockpit flying, which I also prefer. There's just nothing like experiencing the sights, sounds and smells life has to offer. Can't live without it.

It's only a question you can answer in your heart. My friend who lost his lower right leg in a motorcycle/car accident (the driver blew a 4-way stop, basically no insurance) decided he would ride again. We have been riding together since bicycle days and I was fine with what ever choice he made because friends are friends. We talked a lot about it because it could have just as easily been me instead of him. I took him to get his first motorcycle, and I took him a while back to get his current motorcycle. The way I look at it is simple - if I was injured in a major way in a car wreck (I was recently in one where a hit-and-run driver ran me off the road at 70 mph and it totaled my truck), would I stop driving? If a car hit me when I was walking across the road, would I stop crossing the road? Life is full of risks and I can trip over my own feet and kill myself. Locally, a man tripped on the sidewalk on his way into church and hit his head. By that evening he was dead from a brain blood clot. I'm not a fatalist, but I am a realist and I know my days are numbered. Quite frankly when I drive these days I get really nervous and aggravated if someone gets close to my vehicle. If you can't ride and enjoy it, then don't ride. If you can't get over riding, then ride. Whatever you choose does not make you less or more a man.

Jethro,
I'm sorry to hear about your bump and related issues/recovery.
Uncle Phil (not for the first time is spot on) says it all really, it's in your heart. I was taken out by a driver in 2000 and once the plaster and stitches were out I couldn't wait to climb back on board; but that was me, we are all different. If you can't answer the question yet you're not ready, simple as.
Regarding what bike, it makes no difference and is truly incidental at this time, although it obviously has to be a Pan, LOL.
Whatever your decision get the best defensive training money can buy, it doesn't matter who the other driver is, treat them all like texting, daydreaming, switched off idiots and you won't go far wrong.
Good luck with your decisions, but take it easy, don't rush.
You seem a young man with a long life in front of you, why make hasty decisions now.
Upt'North.

Nice to hear from you-- I'd been meaning to check in.

For once, here's a thread I can contribute to through personal experience.

My accident, when I was 18, was entirely my fault. Before I was out of the plaster I was already thinking about riding again but it took me 35 years to get to it, out of deference to my mother, who didn't need the stress and who would have been mortified to know I'd bought a bike.

My first stint as a rider lasted a mere seven weeks or so as a teen-ager before piling up the bike, so I did not exactly resume riding as a seasoned veteran. The ST is the first (and so far only) bike I've ever owned. My early experience has made me a cautious rider, which has served me in good stead on a few occasions when other motorists have done stupid things around me (sometimes deliberately, mostly through inattention).

Uncle Phil is absolutely right: only you can make the choice as to whether the game is worth the candle. Best of luck to you, whichever way you go. And, whether you start riding again or not, please hang around here. I found your enthusiasm and point of view very appealing and enjoyable.

I can't answer the basic question but you'll do yourself no favors by riding 1,000 miles a year. I remember a study I read some years ago that concluded riding about 3500 miles a year is necessary to keep up proficiency of a motorcycle operator basic skill set. Less than that and the rider is not learning anything new and is basically relearning how to ride all those 1000 miles.

By the time the pain meds wore off I was searching this site and others for another ST. It took me a few months (thank goodness it was winter) to heal the ribs (pretty minor damage compared to others) and jump back on. It should have been a sign, as I was leaving the dealer with the the new bike someone cut me off, nearly clipping my front wheel!
However, I did not heed the warning and have enjoyed adding more miles this summer and getting a second ST as a spare. I am a cautious rider and have added a layer of hyper alert to watch everyone else on the road! I really enjoy doing this .... The moment I stop enjoying it will be the day I park the bikes.

Scott

When I hydoplaned the 2012 wing doing 60 on hwy 80 in the dark and after skidding down the road on a high side dump off I was able to get up due to the amount of water on the road. Skimmed on it. Was able to get the bike up and running and drove home 570 more miles. Took it to the dealer with parts flapping and many missing.
He asked me a funny question...what were your thoughts about getting on it or about getting dumped off. Were you hesitant?
Thoughts? Oh crap, I hope that thing isn't so bad that I can't get it started and ride it home. I was in the middle of nowhere. No broken bones or anything else. Get a bike and see how you do. If not into it anymore then sell said bike and go do something else

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Jethro, its good to share because it helps to get your head straight. Some folks here will tell you to get back on the saddle again, but that does not work for everyone. I know I have taken some time out from riding over the course of 50 years of riding, for one reason or other and sometimes due to crashes.
Only you can make this decision and don't be swayed by anyone else's thoughts. Since you are undecided, here is a phrase that might help you at this time.
If you love something, let it go.
If it comes back to you, its yours forever.
If it doesn't, then it was never ment to be.

Known many folks that had an accident on a bike, they didn't go back. I cant blame them, only fools ride motorcycles.

So glad you are doing better and have read your plight and hate this happened to you. I was hit by a bus while pulling up on another accident years ago while working on an ambulance. Never have figured out what or why that happened as my partner and myself had a few issues out of it, got sued and vice versa and it never did balance out right. We "won" but when the dust cleared we got very little out of it besides scars etc. So glad you are improving.

I have seen both the good side and the bad side of riding, more through my line of work than the riding side of my life by virtue of being in one safety related job or another most of my life, mostly in EMS and fire. You can figure why some things happen but some you just cannot, part of life. Only one to know when you want or why you want to ride again will be you. As UP said, we are all in a definitive relationship with this life and figure when I get to where riding is not enjoyable, it will be time to hang it up. Reason I bought one after being off a bike for over 30 years was after figuring personally it was time.
Good luck and just do what you think is right for you!

Jethro77 said:

If I ride 1k miles a year that's a 80% reduction of risk...

Click to expand...

The math may not be correct. Riding is a diminishing skill and requires constant practice to maintain any given level of proficiency. I don't know how many miles it would take but at 1K a year you'd have to be sooooo careful that you might not be able to enjoy the ride.

In short what you gain by not going out in the bike as much you lose by not being as sharp in proficiency each time you go out.

Instead of trying to decide if you should or shouldn't ride again just give it a rest for awhile. Take your time. Wait until you are well enough to ride before you consider what to do. See if riding calls to you and whether or not you have the desire to respond. If the call is strong then get a bike.

It's ridiculous to use the metric of your accident to predict your future on the road. You can play the silly-***** game of "they're out to kill me" and never enjoy riding again. Your confidence is badly shaken. Riding is risky. There's no getting around a rider's vulnerability. You have to decide if you have the desire to ride again and if so do you have the determination to be the best defensive rider you can be knowing you're still vulnerable. Is the pleasure of riding greater than the apprehension you'd feel while riding... Get well then ask yourself that question.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide? when it's time.

Life is short and presents us with some fascinating choices. I think back to the first guy (you know it was a guy) who fashioned a "kite" and flung himself off a cliff and created the entire sport of paragliding.

The risk/reward factor is what drives many of us to do things that are not-so-safe. There is a satisfaction that comes from accomplishments, and that can range from taking a hefty dump in the morning (self-serving) to careening around a racetrack at break neck speeds (adrenaline high).

Your inner compass is the only guide that counts. Do what you want to do....what is rewarding to you.....what feels right.

Jethro77 said:

If I ride 1k miles a year that's a 80% reduction of risk...

Click to expand...

I doubt that is the way the math works. If you only occasionally ride will your skills and confidence suffer?

I was in one accident involving a car making a left hand turn in front of me, I wasn't hurt bad just a scrapped up hand, abrasion on one arm and a swollen knee. The bike was picked up by the dealer and fixed in about a month or so and I was ready to ride again. I remember that first ride home was a real white knuckle affair but a few more rides and I relaxed and was as poor a rider as before the accident.

Gerhard