I just retired...

[sjbmw]

Glad you will heal up and still be with us.

It took almost a year for me to get back on my bike after my crash, and I totally understand the retirement thing.

Maybe in a long while you get a Bergmann scooter, just to keep yourself sane.

[1200bc]

We start losing important reaction ability, physical and mental as we age. Very big of you to make the right decision. I only wish more drivers would understand that and hang up the keys. And, I hope I have the sense to do the same when my time comes. Heal well!

[ptm]

The bike may be gone, but your wisdom is still there.
Hope you will still be a reader and valuable contributor to this forum.
Very pleased about your long term prognosis.
Cheers and best wishes.
Pat in Oz

[tinytrains]

Hi Mike,

Sorry to hear about your spill, and glad you have survived. I cannot blame you for hanging it up. I am sure you will miss it. It was meeting you on the the WVC breakfast rides.

Take care,
Scott

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just came on this. OUCH.
Glad you're mending, and best wishes for the process to continue.
Godspeed, and may your future pursuits be more satisfying than your past ones.

John

[RGC1248]

Mike
I hope you are all done with your recovery. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

[xprof]

I had my ankle rebuilt again in November, and just got my "walking papers" for full activity. Thanks for asking! I'm still monitoring the board, and still jonesing for a bike, but I've gotta consider the wife's feelings, so currently I am still retired. BTW, SD-Max and I visited my crashed bike the other day, and we found evidence of an impact on the tip of the muffler. Maybe I was indeed struck by an across-the-line driver, as I have always maintained!

Ride safe everyone, and have an outstanding 2015!

[whitelightning]

I know the corner you had your epiphany on very well. Just went around it a few hours ago. Having lived in the Ojai Valley for 30 years, and still a frequent visitor, I traveled 150 and 33 literally hundreds of times. Still among my 5 favorite roads.
I agree with your statement about cancer giving you perspective. I'm going on 6 years after treatment, and that particular bump in the road put me back on motorcycles after a five year hiatus. My first bike post cancer was..a 2009 black R1200R! My reasons for quitting prior to the Big C were similar to yours. I felt like a marked man, daily commuting from the Ojai Valley to Port Hueneme After too many close calls to count, I gave it up. But sitting in the treatment center for weeks at a time, and the slow recovery gave me a lot of time to think about how I wanted to live my life. I finally decided that the joy of riding outweighed the risks, and after my move to North Idaho and riding the glorious roads there, I'm glad I made that choice.
But, time marches on. The reflexes are slowing, the vision dims and endurance wanes. I know that someday, I'll have to hag up the helmet as well. I glad for you to have survived 2 potentially fatal encounters, and still maintain the great memories of a long and enjoyable riding career.
Wish you well on your recovery.

[vwdoctor]

I'm still monitoring the board, and still jonesing for a bike, but I've gotta consider the wife's feelings, so currently I am still retired.

I give you 6 months. By the tone of statements, you are already half way on the bike. Keyword "currently".

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Oh! Mike I am glad you survived that crap!

We crossed each other once years ago on Highway 33 few miles after Ojai where the bridge is...

You made my day on philosophical introspection & motorcycling.
and I hope that for now you can find at least a re-cycled moped seat to sit on for some super bowl watching

Enjoy California! & Have a good recovery!
Cheers!
Fred

[deilenberger]

I had my ankle rebuilt again in November, and just got my "walking papers" for full activity. Thanks for asking! I'm still monitoring the board, and still jonesing for a bike, but I've gotta consider the wife's feelings, so currently I am still retired. BTW, SD-Max and I visited my crashed bike the other day, and we found evidence of an impact on the tip of the muffler. Maybe I was indeed struck by an across-the-line driver, as I have always maintained!

Ride safe everyone, and have an outstanding 2015!

I'll just chime in a bit since I was off my bike for about 8 weeks last fall due to a broken ankle caused by some very soft sugar sand and an inopportune need to turn and stop (bike fell on me like THAT..)

My wife never said a word about stopping riding. She wasn't that happy having to cart me around, but as far as stopping riding, I think she remembered how much easier I am to deal with when I'm riding regularly. Your wife may come to realize that. Does it mean I have to ride until I'm gone? Dunno.. depends on how well I can continue riding. I have known some very vital people who had or do ride well into their 80's. Part of their vitality I think comes from riding - it keeps the brain engaged and IMHO that's a good part of the battle to fighting back old age.

YMMV - but in my case - riding is an ongoing thing until it just can't be done anymore.

[dbyker]

I think there is some truth to "you don't quit riding because you get old, you get old because you quit riding".

[xprof]

Thanks for remembering me, guys! Whitelightning, FredeR1200Ric (thepeacebullgrunt), Don E, dbrick, SDMax, thanks all. I'm back to full hiking on the new ankle, just about the shape I was a year ago (minus the year, of course), and I've got some heavy SCUBA diving lined up for next month, so I'm doing OK.. Yeah, Don; I wish my wife hadn't taken it so hard, but I was hurt really bad: 8 snapped bones, 2 compressed vertebrae, multiple skull fractures and a TBI (traumatic brain injury), and I spent over a month in ICU and a rehab facility combined, being spoon-fed and my a** wiped for me, and all that was really really hard on my wife, just watching it. The guy over the back fence from me crashed on the same day, broke his ankle, got in a fight with his wife over it and now they are divorced, so that sort of thing can happen too. And you've never seen my wife: she's a real honey, and I'd miss her a lot! So keep riding for me, and if I see an R1200R on the side of the road, I'll stop for sure. And I'll be interested to hear how the waterboxers work out too.

XPROF OUT!

[mogu83]

Mike,
I've been following but didn't have anything constructive to add. I have more than a few years on a bike and often wonder how long this can last. Have you given any thought to getting involved with vintage bikes? Not so much the high end multi dollar things but riders that can be put on display or used for a sedate spin. In the BMW venue their are a lot of nice ridable bikes from the 60's and 70's out there that can be had for 5/6K in very nice shape. Go to 3/4K and get something ridable but needs some puffing up. That way you can keep your hand in the game and if the bike sits for a few weeks or a month well then you have time to shine it up for the next show or vintage run.
I have a /5 that will be my 'Last Bike' some day. It been in the garage for years and every year I throw a little money at it. It's always ready for a quick ride, to be put in a show or to have some TLC applied to it.

[xprof]

That's totally beautiful, Harry! I'd like to go all the way back to my first /2, either the R60 that I had, or even better, my brother-in-law's R69S. Now that was a bike!

[Newportcycle]

Mike,
Glad to hear your healing well, anyone who's recovered from injury knows what a journey it can be. Your avitar shows an open face helmet, was that the one you were wearing in your accident? I need to replace a 10 year old helmet, would you recomend the open face?

[xprof]

Newport: I would never recommend an open-face helmet to anyone! Thing is, I'm old school, and I need to feel the wind on my face and the bugs hitting my teeth. One time it was a bird, and I ended up with a mouth full of feathers! This time I was wearing a brand new AFX FX50, quite a modern open-face helmet, with extended cheek bars and a deep face opening, and a pull down face shield (which was up at the time). The helmet was ground down heavily all around the face opening, so I was really really lucky my face didn't get ground off. No, I'm in favor of the most helmet that you can stand to wear. You may need the protection suddenly, some day!

[famousperson]

Congratulations on your survival! You certainly make the case for ATGATT (that I honor more in the breach). I'm glad you're (pretty) okay, now. Stick around. We need you.

After many dry years without a bike, I got back to riding after my 2006 bout with 15%-chance-of-survival lung cancer. When I was still alive a year after the diagnosis and treatment, I went out and bought the bike I'd been dreaming about all my life - a horizontally opposed twin BMW with a center stand and system cases (had to have the stand and bags to be a "proper" BMW). It was the very last bike on the going-out-of-business dealer's floor and miraculously was an R12R.

It's eight years later and I'm 70. I've been thinking of hanging it up before I have a banger. I no longer ride at night (seldom even drive) and there is no question that my reactions and balance aren't what they used to be. I am generally feeling less sure of myself, and to my mind, there's nothing more dangerous to him or herself than a waffling motorcyclist.

Be that as it may, first dry, sunny day of spring I was out there on old "Molly" and it has been my daily driver (weather permitting) as usual ever since. I don't know what I'd do if not ride. Maybe sell the bike, Jeep and truck and get a Jaguar F?

Anyway, I'm glad that you're alive and well and support you in your decision--whether or not you change your mind.

Peter

[deilenberger]

Funny - I was reminded of this thread last night when I found out that a chap I'd become friends (on a BMW car forum) with, who owned an '83 R65LS - died about 4 weeks after being diagnosed with a tumor in his sinuses. It isn't clear if the surgery, chemo or cancer killed him - or all combined - or none. He was 73 years old (not a whole bunch older than me.) He had first started riding when he was about 70. Whatever took him - it was a reminder that life isn't promised to you.

This thinking started about 18 months ago when a very good friend was killed while riding. He was probably the most determined rider I've ever known (you might have heard of him - John Ryan) and I take lots of rides now to honor John.

That death of the friend with the R65 reinforced my determination to keep doing what makes me happy for as long as I can. The dirt nap is forever. So - I'm continuing with my plans to go from NJ to VA to LA to SF and back to NJ in May/June. I've always wanted to do the PCH, and this looks like the chance to do it. I'll be taking backroads whenever possible, so if anyone wants to get together - let me know and I'll see how close my route ends up being.

If you can be happy without a bike, more power to you. Finding something else to obsess over is probably the most healthy thing (like a Jag-F series.) Many people I know who gave it up still hang out with the bike clubs, or - get as far away from the clubs and old friends as possible (I suspect because it pains them too much not to join in on the riding.) The ones who give up their friends with the bike seem a bit diminished and sadder.