Well I guess this is it

[77south]

The most important part is: you lived.  I'm not surprised you want to give up motorcycling after that, and no one here would blame you if you did.  You've got a family and other drivers are oblivious or idiots or both.  If I were in your place, I might consider giving up motorcycling too.  I hope you make a complete recovery and I hope you take the other driver for all of your medical expenses, and a fat chunk of change as well.  (I hope he or his insurance company has really deep pockets).

[sgollapalle]

Glad you are alive to tell the story! Wish you a speedy recovery!

[bob795]

Really sorry to hear that. I hope you get well soon.

[Skybarney]

Hello,  I am glad you are okay.  If I were a parent I would likely reconsider riding sport bikes.  We all know that while many folks get through decades without a car involved accident many don't get through days.

The only thing that bugs me though is when a person has a crash and then decides to stop riding.  Did no one tell them that crashing was going to happen regardless of how careful one rides?  Motorcycles are inherently dangerous and in their natural state they tip over and lay on their sides.  Toss in some cars and voila, danger!  Personally I think it takes more focus to ride the streets safely than it does to hit the racetrack.

If you love bikes perhaps you should redirect your motorcycle efforts into some track days!  It is a ton of fun and all in all relatively safe.  Your daughter will get to keep her daddy and you can still have some happy two wheeled cake.   

[Anthony81586]

The only thing that bugs me though is when a person has a crash and then decides to stop riding.  Did no one tell them that crashing was going to happen regardless of how careful one rides?  Motorcycles are inherently dangerous and in their natural state they tip over and lay on their sides.  Toss in some cars and voila, danger!  Personally I think it takes more focus to ride the streets safely than it does to hit the racetrack.

If you love bikes perhaps you should redirect your motorcycle efforts into some track days!  It is a ton of fun and all in all relatively safe.  Your daughter will get to keep her daddy and you can still have some happy two wheeled cake. 

I'll start this reply with with a response to skybarney. While I certainly see where you're coming from I can attest from my own view point that while "knowing"  of inherent dangers of a certain hobby is one thing,  experiencing the dangers are a whole other story. Understand, that it's not the specific crash that has made me stop riding but the notion that the understood dangers are in fact real and do apply to me. Once you've gotten a sense of that, perspective changes and sometimes other priorities need to change. That's not to say I was ignorant to the dangers but maybe a little naive to it actually applying to me. The best description of this would be called a "reality check". I think the last point to make here is yes there are dangers involved but most people feel as though with vigilance and understanding they can control and minimize their risk when obviously that's not always true. Again,  reality check.
So while I can see where you're coming from with the generalization of it being a specific instance that stops people riding,  I'd say it's more like the final straw that broke the camels back.

I like the idea of track days tho, honestly the track has never really appealed to me as speed or time hadn't been high on my list of enjoyments on a motorcycle, but I've never tried it and would be open to someday. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'd also like to thank everyone for their well wishes. Its been a tough few days and even as a short time rider, I'm still coming to terms with the situation. I'm lucky enough to  be able to possibly go home to physical therapy or over to rehabilitation in the next day or two. Pretty surreal considering the severity of my injuries. Luckily,  being young, in good shape,  having a great positive attitude and an awesome nursing staff has made it possible.

[Doe-Foe]

Glad to read you came out the other end.
I think I'd agree with the decision you've made about motorcycles for what you went through.
All because some driver thought he could gain an extra 10 seconds at the 7-11.
I sold my CB750 and gave up riding for 10 years because of a close call by a "blind" moving truck driver.
18 months ago I gave up ever riding again in the dark after t-boning a deer @ 55 mph.
I might still buy the farm while riding a bike, but hopefully it wouldn't be a repeat of something above.
You're smarter than I am. 

[Howie]

The decision is yours and not in stone.  You can always change your mind later.  What you need to do now is work on getting better.

[mtoddsolomon]

I hate to hear about your accident, I know where you're coming from.

August 19th last year I was buckled up in the back seat of a Tahoe crusing along about 45mph when we were hit in the rear by a Drunk guy in a Trailblazer going over 85.  That spun us into oncoming traffic where we had a head on collision. I don't remember anything for about a two week period but I suffered a grade 3 concussion, broken left humerus, broken right collar bone, broken right shoulder, 5 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and 7 stitches.  Turns out the guy who hit us was on his 3rd DUI, no insurance, no license, and 4 months late on the car payment of the car he hit us with.

At first I was super cautious with everything but I realized that if I can get that torn up buckled up in the back seat of a large SUV then when it's my time the good lord is going to take me. So after months of trolling craigslist for the perfect bike I'm on a 2012 Ducati Monster 1100 evo. A lot more cautious than before but still riding every day. Now I'm not saying to get on a bike tomorrow, but don't cast it out all together. Plus a huge scar makes you look like a badass.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[seanster]

Sorry to hear... Thank you for serving the country and get well soon.

[Anthony81586]

At first I was super cautious with everything but I realized that if I can get that torn up buckled up in the back seat of a large SUV then when it's my time the good lord is going to take me. So after months of trolling craigslist for the perfect bike I'm on a 2012 Ducati Monster 1100 evo. A lot more cautious than before but still riding every day. Now I'm not saying to get on a bike tomorrow, but don't cast it out all together. Plus a huge scar makes you look like a badass.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Haha I do like your view point here! A huge scar does look pretty bad ass!

Thanks again for all the well wishes

[seevtsaab]

Dude, heal well. Sucks that someone demonstrated so little regard for your safety, that's no joke.

Thank you for serving. Whatever you do, enjoy it without regret.

[Skybarney]

Yup first hand experience is always different than thinking about it.   Truly glad you made it though.  Motorcycles are dangerous, everyone that rides will crash.  So glad yours left a daddy for a little girl.  I bet that the bug that bit you hard enough to get you on a motorcycle in the first place will strike again.  Maybe dirt, maybe track.  Regardless, I wish you the best and a speedy recovery, 

[hbliam]

Motorcycles are dangerous, everyone that rides will crash. 

Not necessarily.

[Anthony81586]

Yup first hand experience is always different than thinking about it.   Truly glad you made it though.  Motorcycles are dangerous, everyone that rides will crash.  So glad yours left a daddy for a little girl.  I bet that the bug that bit you hard enough to get you on a motorcycle in the first place will strike again.  Maybe dirt, maybe track.  Regardless, I wish you the best and a speedy recovery, 

Yea I'm still on the forums and still have a dream on getting an m1100 Evo and café'ing it out! But I'll take my time and see where life takes me.

[Bladecutter]

I was going westbound on route 66 in Columbia, CT and there was a 7-eleven on my right. Now I always prepare for "quick turners"  and sure enough I see a guy coming eastbound start but then stops/hesitates,  so I'm slowing (around 35-40 mph) and according to the report he decides to "gun it"  because "I thought I could beat him". Well with no time to react I can't aim for the hood or trunk and smash the passenger side door (deploying the air  bag) and was (luckily) flung over the car for about 20-25ft (this is all according to reports as I don't fully remember) and happen to break my right lower leg (both Tib and fib) on the car as I went over it. I impacted on my face and went unconscious. I come to with a bunch of people assisting me and prepping me for the ambulance on its way (the people treating me were off duty or training EMT's,  luckily). I get one of the guys to call my wife and let her know I'm being brought to Hartford hospital.

Sorry to hear about your accident, and I know how you feel, as I had a pretty nasty "accident" back on October 2, 1998, that left me with a crushed bike, and my femur ball severed from my femer neck. I, unfortunately, didn't have the pleasure of blacking out during any part of my accident, so I remember everything way too vividly, for my personal tastes.

If I can ask, how old was the guy who hit you?
The way you described it, I'm guessing a younger guy, between 18 and 26.

Heal quick, and gather up as many potential lawyers to work with, and ask them to provide you with a list of clients they had in the past 3 years who had similar accidents.
Talk to their customers, and see if they would recommend working with them again.
Don't tell anyone at the insurance companies that you're never going to ride again, and fight for as much value for your lost bike as you can get.
Remember that that settlement is separate from your physical settlement, don't let the lawyers get a piece of that, when you don't need to let them.

BC.