MotoMac

Those of you who have me on FB may have seen that I got wiped out yesterday riding home. Couldn't let Harry have all the sympathy.

Got T Boned on the way home last night. I was in the left hand lane coasting up to a set if lights in Primrose Hill when a woman turned right across the traffic in to a side street. I didn't even have time to brake. Went into her passenger side door. Did a 360 and luckily came down on my back and day sack. I've fractured my right radius and left thumb. They tried pulling the bone back into shape in A&E but it didn't work so I've got to go back in on Tuesday and get it plated and screwed.


 

Major bummer about the Duc, but glad you came out relatively unscathed.  How long til you're back in the saddle?

Does the MS get replaced with another or do you have your eye on something different?

Lorenzo

Crutchlow

Rossi

Marquez

Pedrosa

Marquez

I'm a long way from retirement! My accountant (wife) has made that point very clear. Besides, I'm not even 50 yet!

 

All my serious off road (enduro) racing was done by 18. I was riding nationals for 2 years by then and placed a highest of 7th overall (including the AA's) in a round in upstate New York. Peaked early I guess... when I took it up again in my twenties I discovered I no longer had the same reflexes I had as a teen. That only got worse (and worse, and worse) as I got older. Funny how your eyes and mind tell you that "you can do it" but suddenly your body screams "NOOOooooo!!!"

 

I just never really enjoyed it after that. Sure it was fun to ride but not really to compete in anything other than a "fun race".

 

Same with the road racing. '89 was my last serious year but circumstances, finances and many other factors started turning it into a "risky" career choice (or what I wanted to become a career...). I did find new enjoyment though with the endurance races and the track-day instructing gigs. Especially when I was experienced enough not to crash and still be fairly quick. Then they closed the home circuit... then I had the accident... 

 

My dad OTOH, rode my '81 IT250H until his mid / late sixties doing senior class enduros. He still has the bike in his garage but at 78... isn't really keen on swinging a leg over it. He took up enduros after 40 while supporting me.

 

I'm as avid a fan of the sport as ever though. Maybe not as active as I used to be but I don't miss a race (watching MotoGP FP3 as I type this). 

 

But yeah, I guess I'm just learning to live with it. Again, if my son takes up bikes I'll probably get something that I can ride.

Not even 50 yet?  Wow....I thought you were closer than that to me!  I'll be 67 next month....and that really doesn't bother me.  It's just a number, although I can feel the effects as each year goes on by.  I'm counting the time for the next 3 years, then I'll be able to run the Over-70 class.  Might be able to podium there...

Had a fun race this weekend.  First moto got a lousy start and stuck behind a guy who made himself very wide!  I was never less than ten feet behind him, even managed to get beside him a couple of times, but never got past though.  Second moto got a top-4 start, but in the 3rd turn was rammed from behind by someone who wanted to win the race in the first lap.  The bikes were tangled together, and I got mine started first and took off.  The next part of the course was downhill with a downhill jump at the bottom.  That's when I discovered the crash had snapped off my front brake lever -- it was flopping around on the end of the cable, near the front wheel.  Nope...wasn't about to negotiate a track built on a fairly steep hillside with a ton of trees without a front brake.  Puttered back to the pits and watched the rest of the classes.  Still fun, lots of laughs, saw several old friends.  A good day overall.....we need those occasionally!

Lorenzo

Marquez

Pedrosa

Rossi

Crutchlow

Marquez

Heya Mac. I haven't ridden (except for a very short spin on a buddy's new R1 a couple years back) since the car accident 6 years ago. I could probably ride something with a "relaxed" position, but anything sporty puts my arms and hands to sleep within 15 minutes. Same thing with shooting pool... Weird, but something I have to live with I guess. The doc pretty much told me to stay off them as another tumble could result in something far worse.

 

I don't really miss it though, not at the moment. I was on them for 35 years wide open most of the time and slowing down was never really in the plan...

 

 

@henram36  '79 IT? 

Well, that kinda sucks.  I guess you just adjust your life and continue on.  It's hard to imagine life without bikes, but I suppose it can be done.... 

I've been retired for nearly two years now and am finally getting used to the idea.  Picked up an old CZ and got into the vintage MX scene.  It's a lot more fun that I thought it would be, but MX -- even on tracks made "vintage friendly" is a lot more taxing on this tired old body.  The first year sucked...lots of bike problems, lots of crashes, much pain but no real injuries, and lots of disappointments.  This year has started out well, and I'm heading off to Oregon for the 2nd round of the PacNW VMX series tomorrow morning.  I hope it all goes well....that will be a big boost to this retiree's morale!  

I also picked up a nice BMW R1200RT so we could do some touring around the U.S. after being gone for so many years, but that just hasn't happened.  With the racing, plus trailing riding with another club on non-race weekends, we just don't have any free time.  We did make some shorter trips, but the desire to drone down the interstate for hours and hours just isn't there any more.  The Beemer is going up for sale soon....

So, overall I'm doing okay and happy about it.  The morning aches and pains are unpleasant, but a little movement usually takes them away.  

Shouldn't you be looking at retirement soon?  I assume you'll most likely stay there....right?

Getting late, gotta run.  Nice to hear you're still around the forum and didn't abandon us completely!  

Cheers,