Bad Luck Forever?

[danjerman]

I'm looking for some advice here on whether giving up completely dirt bikes. So in all seriousness try to help me out.

Last August I went riding for the last time in the summer, had to have been mid August becasue double practices for football were three days away. One of my friends offers to take me to Mountainview MX track in Sandy Oregon. Keep in mind that this is the first time I had ever been on a track, we were just practicing that day but still it was a new experience. We get out on the track and I'm absolutely having a ball! I swear it was one of the funnest things I had ever done. About an hour later disaster strikes. I was going off of a step up jump when some guy on a blue thumper jumps over me and lands on top of me in mid air. This impact forced my bike to lean to the right, landing with all 230 lbs. on my right leg. Obviously this broke my leg, a spiral fracture on my fibula. I'm out for the enitre football season, needless to say coach is PO'ed.

I go through a near 9 month riding dry spell, maybe hopped on it once to make sure it was running well, but thats about it. Just last weekend I went to the East Fork Rock trail system in Central Oregon. My first day of riding that whole weekend, the first time I rode my bikje since August, I get in a head on collision with another bike on the trail about seven miles out from camp. He came around a blind turn way, WAAAYYY to fast and smacked directly into me. The damage done to me was a badly swollen knee and some big cuts across my chest and a particularly large bruise on my arm. My bike didn't fare so well either, upon impact the other guy snapped the top triple clamp right in half. The bars were straight and everything else seemingly in check, justb that my top triple clamp fully broke in half around the steering stem. I rode my bike back to camp in pretty bad condition. Needless to say, I wasn't having fun anymore. The most ironic thing is that, this crash also happened three days before the spring football practice begins. I'm just a tad bit curious if this is God's way to tell me to stay away from dirt bikes. I really love the sport and love even more being outside ridng on the trail and experiencing nature to its finest, but my parents are borderline forcing me to sell the bike, and I'm not too sure I want to pursue this hobby anymore with the starnge bad luck that I've had.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Wraith]

Dan, sorry to hear about the misfortune. But, this is about you now. we can tell you many different things to do. But what feels best in your heart. Is probably what is going to make you the happiest.
Some people say things happen because of destiny, or fate, or it was the big mans way of saying something. Whatever a person believes, they should follow their heart, in the matter at hand. I am a person that believes I control my own destiny. Where as, one of my friends believes in luck. If his rabbits foot (no kidding) doesn't work, and something happens, he says it is jinxed. So he gets a new one until that ones luck runs dry.
To make it short. Just follow what you belive is the best path for YOU at this point in you life. And if it doesn't involve bikes. So be it. You can always get back into it later, if you desire it. Who knows. You might find something else that could make you the next "big" person in whatever it may be.

Good luck

Craig

 

[Chief]

If you are serious about football, and it may hold a future for you, I could understand staying off the bike.

Serious pain has changed my riding style. I know that accidents happen, anytime, anywhere, anyspeed. I make it a ritual to mentally prepare for the unexpected everytime I get on my machine, yet still have fun. I like to think this increases my chances of coming back home in one piece. I'd hate to give up my casual riding. It seems as though the things we do in life that bring the greatest pleasure also have the potential to do us the most serious harm.

Logically speaking, IF these 2 incidents were truly flukes and you didn't have much or any responsiblity for them, the odds of a third one happening anytime soon would be slim to none.

Sorry about you injuries and GoodLuck.

Chief

 

[crkid]

As Wraith said, if it isn't in your heart, you may want to try concentrating on football. I would usually never give someone advice to quit, but if you're afraid of riding and getting hurt (which I would be too if that happend to me) then maybe it's best to give it a break. Afterall, the sport is about having fun and if you can't do that then what's the point. If it's meant to be then later when you move out and if the football thing has ended, you'll be back. good luck in the future, whatever you decide.

 

[DAVE C]

I would say don't give up! It sounds like these accidents were completely someone else's fault. You were simply the unlucky victim of their stupidity.

My story is that I love wakeboarding as much (if not more) than motorcycles. Well, I had a major injury that could have ended it all back in August. It happened the day after I bought my first brand new wakeboard boat. It was very unfortunate and untimely. I am now back riding (after nine months of wondering if I ever could again) and could not imagine never being able to ride again. You better do what you love now, b/c you may have it all taken away tomorrow! Good luck to you!

 

[Layton]

I think the force is trying to tell you to stay away from football. ;)

 

[Camstyn]

Layton, took the words right out of my mouth. :)

Time to decide which is more fun, riding vs. football. Don't let coaches etc. pressure you into sticking with football if riding is more fun to you. Remember that first hour spent on the track? Many many more hours of that are head of you, if you choose.

I'd have to agree with the subject, bad luck. I've been riding for ten years and never been landed on, never been in a head-on collision. You're due for some good luck now!

 

[IrishEKU]

Layton,
I can't say that I have had your bad luck but as a person that spent 10 years out of the saddle and just getting back into it, I can't imagine how I ever left the sport. For me it is sort of the catalyst I need after a stressful week of school(College at 30 talk about stress!) or a paticularly grueling OCS weekend. All I can say is it unwinds me like nothing else can. The first time out was over spring break and I hit this really deep rut in the bottom of a ravine and ended up going @$$ over tea kettle into the face of the ravine. I didn't break anything personaly but my clutch perch was toast. I had the worst case of the shakes I ever experianced but like any one around horses and bikes will tell you , get back in the saddle and do it again. Some of the best fun my family and friends have had is bench racing in the garage over a victory beer(Yup cheated death yet again!) and talking of all the close calls, surly Jeep Drivers and the mired buggies we came accross.
Like Cam Mitchell said about you using up all your bad mojo, You are due for some Happy Trails. :aj:

 

[WaltCMoto]

All good info here. I just wanted to add 1 thing. Sometimes you can influence your luck a bit. I hate 2 way trails, because of what happen to you. when riding them, you have to think every blind corner that a bike is coming, or you will get bit eventually. As for getting landed on, If others are faster than you, you either get out of thier way, hold a strait line on the side of the track while doing jumps, or pull over and let them by. I have seen way too often in practice where people think they are in a race for the state championship, and are not concerned about your saftey. Saftey is 99% your responsibility. I to have had some close calls while riding, but I have to keep in my mind that I have a family to support, and that is more important than winning a race. Even using caution, I can still ride hard and have a blast doing it.
Walt

 

[danjerman]

Well heck, it's not like I was asking to be landed on, he had the ENTIRE left side of the track to go off of. His idiotic self chose to pic the line closest to me. I hate to sound like I'm in the right and nothing I did was wrong, but thats seriously the way it happened. In either case I was being as safe as possible. On the head on collision, I was going slow enough to be at a dead stop by the time the guy hit me.