over the bars and straight to the hospital...

GoldenMotor.com

mkatt4x4

New Member
Aug 30, 2013
65
0
0
Canada
Every great Universal Medical System in the world is paid for by its people, except USA.
You see theres a problem when the majority of cizitens arent covered and when something happens as it usually does it will cost many thousands of dollars and for a family to get coverage they are paying many hundreds of dollars a month, which sadly most can not afford. I look at extra private coverage for a top of the line plan, $100/m where I am at, full dental, full medical everything. Blue Cross, Greenshield, Coverme etc. And I will never set foot in the US without FULL travel coverage. Breaking a bone is a cool $20K, and hopefully thats a lawsuit because Kalifornia is where its at man, gotta wait a loooong time to get paid if they are sticky about it but when they do pay --------- chaaaching!!
 
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2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
This one's going a little off track guys. Remember, no politics or government rants.
Discussion is welcomed but leave the political issues elswhere.
Thanks for understanding.

Tom
 

bluegoatwoods

Active Member
Jul 29, 2012
1,581
6
38
Central Illinois
Levil, please don't post something like this in multiple places. Including places like this where it's entirely off-topic. Read threads and relax. You'll learn what you need to know.

But now that I'm on this thread, I'm really sorry to hear of your wreck bairdco. I picked up on this thread perhaps a month ago and I've been checking in from time to time since.
I didn't chime in at that point because the wreck was already old and you were well into your recovery.

Is all going well on that?
 

Greenbiker

New Member
Feb 12, 2016
83
0
0
Oklahoma
Bairdco, i know the exact slowmo you are talking about. I had just got my first motorized setup, a little staton friction drive set up. I decided to ride down to the corner store to get some smokes. Well i did something stupid, i decided i didn't didn't need to obey traffic laws of good sense as the store was like half a block from where i got on tne the pavement. I decided to ride the wrong way down the shoulder as there was little traffic and if i needed to, i could stop and pull the bike off the road if i had to get out of the way. Well as stupid as that craphead decision was, its not what almost put me in a wheelchair. Its that that was the sode pf the road the place i needed to go was on, so when i got there, the turn in was rather sharp. If i had gone out into the lane i should have been in, i would have merged into the turning lane and been going both straight and slower when i entered the parking lot. As it was, i had just got the little 43cc tle and fpr being almost as old as me, that thing was hot and could cruise at about 32 with my heavy ass on it and down hill at almost 40. Well this was down hill. I saw a car at the intersection with its blinker on, amd i decided i could beat it, so i sped up. I beat it. But i was going prettt close to 30 when i turned into the store lot at a pretty sharp angle. Thats when things stopped making sense for a moment because of course in the entry to a parking lot at a gas station, there is loose gravel i have never paid attention to. Well heres the slow mo part as i started flying off the bike, i saw a guy pumping gas see me fall. It was loke watching one of those super slow mo scenes in movies where someone is reacting to seeing something bad or painful, i remember his facial expression change and seeing him start to step toward me. Then i hit the ground. Hard. Really hard. And i rolled. A lot. I rolled so much i remember thinking, im really tired of rolling, i wish this would stop. I must have rolled like 8 times. Story is not over yet. That little TLE didn't even cut out, it was still humming, laying down on the cement. Well once i figured out how to stand up with a leg that couldnt bend and an arm that i couldnt feel, i got me amd the bike out of the entry way and over to the store. I went in with a huge hole in my pant leg amd blood coming out of it. I was still pretty stupid from getting punched by the ground but i got my smokes and a book of matches to light one with. The guy at the pump was coming in as i was coming out and he asked me if i was ok. I think i grunted and nodded or something and then i lit my smoke amd bled. Well for some reason when i was trying to limp the bike home, it was being just a mule and the front wheel was not turning at all, i was having to drag it. About half a mile back to where i live off the main road. Hard as heck. I was still too stupid and hurt and upset to figure out what was wrong. Well i get it home and go inside and see to my rather banged up knee. Still wont bend without me almost screaming and the gash looks nasty. So i shower and call a friend for trans port to the ER. Well it was just a smashed knee with so much flesh removed AIR got shoved into my joint. Thats neat by the way if you can ever get a bubble shot into your knee, you should, its prettt fun to show people at parties. Well, i was prettt upset and couldnt ride anyway, so i didnt even look at the bike for two weeks. When i did i still couldnt see why the wheel wouldnt turn. Then i noticed the brake was engaged and damaged, but i couldnt figure out why the brake was engaged. There was nothing pulling the lever and it was loose anyway. Well in the fall, the handle bar got turned all the way around, pulling the cable tight, emgaging the brake, and stupid as i was at the time, i didn't notice it and dragged it home that way. I hate loose gravel.
 

sbest

Member
Nov 3, 2015
343
2
18
Nova Scotia
I've got a lot of scars. A desire for adventure with darned poor co-ordination I'd call it. Almost lost my leg in a bike accident when I was 20. Korean immigrant doctor saved it with a new experimental technique replacing the missing femoral artery with a vein from the other leg. Glad he was there.

Ribs gotta be the worst. PAIN. Can't laugh and a sneeze is terrifying. Cannot even think of fun with the ol'lady, the pain ain't worth it. I broke my ribs twice. Second time was miles back in the woods. I rode the 10 miles back standing on the pegs to take the load of my broken rib, taking advantage of the first 45min-1hr of shock that numbs the pain that will be coming.

Over the years I've broken over a dozen bones. Cursed my bad luck and 6 weeks wasted every time. I was glad that I was in the great white north, well cared for, no big bill waiting for me. Still, it was he11 for an ADD sort of guy to lay in bed recovering. Bairdco, I know the pain buddy, and the boredom.

I pray for a complete recovery. Sometimes it takes more than just the 6 weeks.
Good luck,

Steve
 

Gbrebes

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2010
656
260
63
Los angeles
Yah, I was thinking I saw Bairdco a while back and he has healed up well. I think the psychological scars took a little longer, he would not race for a while there, but then he got back on the track. I have not seen him recently, but it seems that motorized bicycles are not quite the passion in his life that it used to be. Too bad, he's a good guy and made a solid contribution to our hobby.

Gilbert
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
I'm still alive. I'm planning on being at the april 2 race. My 2 stroke racer is still together, and dumbed down a bit so it should stay together, and I'm still kicking around the idea of building a bike around a minarelli moped engine I have, so if I get the motivation, might have another bike to run.

I've been building and restoring a lot of custom bicycles the last year or so, riding my 1957 50cc moto beta around, and I have a 2002 civic my sister gave me, so the motorized bike thing has been on the back burner for awhile now.

But im looking forward to the race, probably be out there the whole weekend.
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
It's been 5 years to the day since this happened.

The scars are faded, but my shoulder still has that dull pain you learn to live with.

Haven't had a motorized bike to cruise the streets since, but I'm still racing. And still using drum brakes.
And going a lot faster.

This injury changed my life. I rarely skateboard anymore, using my shoulder as an excuse not to.

Every time I get on a bike, whether pedaling or racing, I think about crashing. It doesn't stop me from riding, but tucking in at 50+mph on my minarelli mutant bike in the straight at the Grange track, I remember, and think "not again. Not gonna happen..."

Every morning I wake up sore, and not a day goes by that I don't think, "I shoulda checked that bolt..."

life goes on, and I'm still alive, so screw it.

But I'm not too fond of St. Patricks day anymore.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Hello old friend. So good to see your post. Yes, a lot can happen in five years. It has been a couple of years since I fooled around with motored bikes, but still have several that need finishing up, hopefully this summer. The past few years I've been more involved with learning the rudiments of sailing on local lakes with canoe sail rigs. Now that I've been there and done that I'm ready for bike camp this summer. Fast Eddy is coming to help make some sparks with our finally almost done tri-cars. Still fun, but time is catching up with us old fellows. 73 now and have had two heart attacks and have a steady girl friend I live with, so lots of changes. I see that many here have moved on to other interests, so seeing you post is especially good. Be well, Bud.
SB
 
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Venice Motor Bikes

Custom Builder / Dealer/Los Angeles
Mar 20, 2008
7,266
1,797
113
Los Angeles, CA.
I feel your pain Baird!!

I've been in several bad motorcycle crashes over the years & each time it was a little harder coming back.

Even in the last race I crashed kinda hard & smashed my thumb pretty good, & now i'm rethinking racing... Now I'm considering just being a team captain (& letting someone else race my bikes for me).
 
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fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,440
4,877
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British Columbia Canada
Doesn't seem that long ago Baird but waking up with the pain every day brings it back as a fresh memory. Hope that you keep on with the racing as an outlet to the bikes.

Steve.