Value is a good helmet and jacket

XS Cole

XS Cole

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Hi Everyone,

Monday coming home and only two miles away, going with the flow of traffic on the 101, suddenly all the vehicles in front of me were slamming on their brakes. No apparent reason I could see. Braking as best I could the bike did get sideways and pitched me off. Never lost consciousness and remember going down, sliding and ended up looking at the underside of a pickup or van.

My helmet was a Shoei RF-1000, now with a band of road rash starting behind one ear, over top of the face opening to behind the other ear. Certainly did it's job as I remember that part of the contact.

The jacket was a Tourmaster Transitions 3 with plastic shoulder and elbow gaurds along with a padded spine protector. It was a warm day, around 78 degrees and this jacket at that temp is hot if you are not moving. Now it is totally shredded on the right arm and right back side. Not a scratch on my upper body.

I ended up with a fractured pelvis, a broken rib on the upper right side, a compression fracture of one vertebrae somewhere in the middle and possibly a partially torn shoulder tendon. I am not sure but there is a good chance I may not be sending this post if I did hot have this quality gear on. I was returning from meeting a friend at lunch only 10 miles from my home. I was released from the hospital Friday afternoon, walking with aid of walker.

My 79 XS650 got of a bit easier. Need a headlight bucket, the tachometer needs replacing, the footpeg mount, peg and rear brake lever may be able to get straightened out. Some heavy scratches on the right muffler. The the tank has two small dents on the right front. Everything very fixable.

I am figuring when I can kickstart the bike, have a new Shoei helmet and a hot, not very flexible, expensive jacket, it will be ok to ride. Maybe in a couple of months.

Ride safe and defensively, so you can keep riding,

Lee :)
 

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Good for you Cole for wearing your protective gear. I ride in 100 plus weather in Bakersfield with my gear. I am glad that you be riding soon. Good luck Tony C.
 
Thank heavens you were prepared, another poster-child for wearing all of the right protective gear. Any chance you can grab a picture of your helmet? (I am very interested in damage patterns for comparison) Best of luck on your recovery!
 
XS Cole..............well done on surviving the crash.

I have a long time friend that recently told us, his younger brother was killed in a motorcycle accident, a few months ago, down in Texas. His brother was 62, and had lived in Texas for many years. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
 
No shit man, glad you made it through safe ish. The little lady won't let me leave without at least a helmet on.
 
Glad you are OK. Of the 3 helmets I've trashed (busted 2) in crashes, the FACE of the helmet got all boogered up. That's why I won't wear open face. Don't want my pie hole raking along on the ground. Jackets rock too! Too bad nothing stops the pelvic injuries, ankles, and collarbones from taking a hit.
A friend over at the Road Star Clinic lost his left foot (they removed the remainder today) in a crash Wednesday. His young lady friend was in ICU til this morning with pelvic injuries, busted ribs and shoulders, and a wrist I think. Got T-boned by a pickup truck.
 
Few years back in front of my dads house a 21 year old was doing what had to be over a 100mph on a busa. A fatboy is turning in his direction from a side street. The busa just clipped his saddle bags and this kid flew and tumbled for about 150 yards. Lost his right leg and arm. Dads sitting on the porch and saw the whole thing.
 
I crashed my RF-1000 also a few years back on my BMW. The RF-1100 is a great replacement lid :) Glad you'll be back up on 2 wheels soon.
 
Been there in the air before....didn't have my helmet though and came out with less damage than you somehow....a miracle on both our parts for sure. Glad to see you posting this.

Leaving the bike behind on the road is always an eye opening experience. My friend's mom is a surgeon and she says almost every bike accident she sees where someone leaves the bike and is wearing a helmet results in a broken collar bone. The helmet slams down into the shoulder/collar and snaps it upon impact. Hell I'll take a broken collar bone over being dead any day though.

From one flyer to another: I hope you and the bike make a speedy recovery.
 
No offense partner, but your friend's mom needs to go back to anatomy class. The clavicle is the last bone in the human body to fully develop, and is one of the thinnest bones that supports as much work as it does. When you tip over on a motorcycle, the first thing that breaks your fall when you land on your side is either your pelvis, or your shoulder. The pelvis is often cracked by this collision. When the shoulder hits, the impact is absorbed by the clavicle and the scapula. Think of the shoulder bones as an "A" arm on the front of a car. The weak link folds, and that's the collarbone. They can just break and hurt like hell (like mine did) they can puncture the top of your lung, they can puncture the brachial artery, and they can break compound and stab you in the face or neck.
This is the guy who explained it to me.
http://directory.dmagazine.com/doctors/Scott-O-Paschal-MD/12022

He says the relative structure leads to the injury, and is completely compulsory, and not caused by the helmet. It's a compression fracture.

He sees the same type of injury in college level basketball, hockey, field hockey, and rugby players who do not wear motorcycle helmets.
 
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Glad to hear your doing ok. Went through similar Oct 2011 with a Helicopter ride. I always wear helmet and gear. We had a group of 11 that day and some were not wearing helmets but after seeing mine they are starting to reconsider.
 
jd750ace said:
No offense partner, but your friend's mom needs to go back to anatomy class. The clavicle is the last bone in the human body to fully develop, and is one of the thinnest bones that supports as much work as it does. When you tip over on a motorcycle, the first thing that breaks your fall when you land on your side is either your pelvis, or your shoulder. The pelvis is often cracked by this collision. When the shoulder hits, the impact is absorbed by the clavicle and the scapula. Think of the shoulder bones as an "A" arm on the front of a car. The weak link folds, and that's the collarbone. They can just break and hurt like hell (like mine did) they can puncture the top of your lung, they can puncture the brachial artery, and they can break compound and stab you in the face or neck.
This is the guy who explained it to me.
http://directory.dmagazine.com/doctors/Scott-O-Paschal-MD/12022

He says the relative structure leads to the injury, and is completely compulsory, and not caused by the helmet. It's a compression fracture.

He sees the same type of injury in college level basketball, hockey, field hockey, and rugby players who do not wear motorcycle helmets.
Click to expand...



Hey man just quoting what someone told me.... I figured since she's a surgeon at the mayo clinic she may know a thing or two about it... but who knows.

Again i'm just glad to hear this guy is alright
 

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