Embarrassed after fall

[kmetta]

So i've had my buddy for 10 days.
It has been great, fun, peppy, and all around enjoyable.
i even got over the color (seafoam green)

i have a little over 200 miles on

[KidDynomite]

Sorry to hear that. Sand is a killer. Just be glad nothing was broken.

I had a similar fall at night when I used my front brake and I happened to be over a tiny patch of gravel. I went down, scrapped up the scoot, scrapped up my face shield on my helmet--I bet you can guess what would have happened if I didn't have a face shield, but worst of all, my watch ground into the pavement and twisted on my wrist snapping my radius bone into 5 pieces.

Needless to say, I had to have surgery that Friday and quit my bartending job as I was laid up for over three months. (hard to open wine and make martinis with one hand).

I'm not saying I wear all the protective gear I should--heck, I wouldn't wear a helmet most of the time if I thought the cops wouldn't sweat me, but I'm EXTREMELY aware of anything suspecious on the pavement now.

WATCH OUT FOR SAND!!!

[scoots4me]

Well, your pride will definitely heal and I'm really glad you weren't hurt any worse. I hope you feel better soon!

[Piedmont]

Glad you're OK.
I'm not sure what scares me more: sand, old ladies in big flashy cars, or the pickup truck driving wannabes that get pissed at me when I pass them

[louie]

sorry bout that. i'm glad you're taking it as a lesson learned. the other lesson of course is mb is always right, girlfriend not.

at my corner there is always dirt and sand standing. be careful of leaves too. i slipped on a patch of 2 leaves, didn't spill but a good wake up call.

cornering cornering cornering. the number one killer of single bike crashes.

oh and one other thing. last week i talked to a msf instructor about scraping anything on the buddy. he said it was dangarous because on either side what you would scrap is connected to the frame and doesn't give like mc pegs. so when you hit it is likely to bounce the back tire over a bit.
i did that too on the right side (not the center stand side) again without a spill. it was quite a scary feeling for the back tire to jump over like that.

[NathanielSalzman]

Glad to hear that you're generally OK!

While you're learning, don't underestimate the value of a good parking lot! Find a nearby church or other big complex with a sizable but empty parking lot and practice starting, stopping, swerving, and counter-steering in that controlled environment where you won't have any surprise traffic or surprise road hazards.

Check out the MSF scooter riding tips PDF:

http://msf-usa.org/downloads/Scooter_tips-screen.pdf

In the back there are a bunch of great parking lot exercises to make you a riding pro in no time. They're very similar to the test course exercises in the actual MSF course. On top of that there are a lot of great tips on dealing with wet or slippery roads, gravel, sand, high winds, and other non-rider hazards.

[teacherquinn]

Yep, sand will get you all the time. You weren't seriously injured. That's comforting. Your scooter can be fixed. Don't let your crash ruin your love of the ride. Often when people go down they tend to be very hesitant to get back on the bike and enjoy the ride. Just go slow and take your time. Yes, the MSF will help but you don't need to hear that right now. Just heal and rest up for your next ride. And remember to gear up. I hate wearing my jacket at times (gauge read 111 degrees at a light on Saturday) but I know that there's always the chance that something can happen.

[r0sa]

good thing your injuries arent major, as of right now, since ur healing, u might be hesitant and scared to get back on, but once ur ankle and scrapes are healed, your gonna be anxious to jump back on.

my road rash on my foot is taking more than a month to heal, i scraped it prettty deep, right now its scabbing up but still can't wear shoes, im really anxious to be getting back on, and i can't wait until im able to take it out for a spin!

[sargelee71]

kmetta, glad that your pride was the most injured part of you. Sounds like that's healing just fine. Humility is a b*tch, ain't she? Glad you're OK otherwise...for the most part. We're all bound to drop it eventually, I guess, experience or no experience.

[madtolive]

kmetta - i'm glad you're alright. i also wiped out a few weeks after having my scooter, and it was embarrassing as well since i had even already completed the msf. d'oh! accidents happen, just gotta remember to stay alert and do all we can to avoid em. if i could ride with my fingers crossed, i probably would. sand tho. sand must be a biotch. every time i'm cornering i'm thinking about my precious traction and hope it is not interrupted.

kiddynomite - jeez, that bit about your watch is scary!! thinking about what it would feel like to fall on my phone is why i'd rather keep it in the safety-dubious glovebox than in my jacket. i'd rather it went flying than have it crunch against my chest.

at first i was very gung-ho about ATGATT. i still am, but for a while i was experiencing "cute-girls-on-scooters" envy. i'd see pretty girls in very cute outfits zipping along on their cute scooters, and next to their tank tops, capris, and flats i felt unglamorous in my heavy armored jacket, mad max boots and full face helmet. but i think i've gotten over it. besides, i like to think that once my jacket and helmet come off, i'm quite cute myself, in my own stinky, sweat-stained and helmet-haired way. ew.

i totally did not get a scooter to look cute anyway. hurrumph.

long story short...you probably are more attractive in an ugly jacket than with gravel stuck in your chest.

[kmetta]

i was feeling pretty lame for not having the jacket on, and then i went out to look at my helmet. The face shield is so scraped up, i tried it on and i could barely see out of it. thankfully that is plastic and not my face.
I'm still a handsome devil.
I kinda feel like i won that battle, seeing that helmet is like a victory. (Nana naha boo boo. i still have a face. thats terrible sorry.)

[kmetta]

good thing your injuries arent major, as of right now, since ur healing, u might be hesitant and scared to get back on, but once ur ankle and scrapes are healed, your gonna be anxious to jump back on.

my road rash on my foot is taking more than a month to heal, i scraped it prettty deep, right now its scabbing up but still can't wear shoes, im really anxious to be getting back on, and i can't wait until im able to take it out for a spin!

A month!
I have the deepest rash on my chest and side, about a good half of my torso-- i still an excited to get back on my scooter but i'm definitely going to give it some time. Plus the scooter is going to need some work.

[EP_scoot]

Well,
that is why we wear the gear . . . hopefully to never use it and be sewaty on it, but boy is it nice if the unthinkable happens.

Don't beat up yourself too much, and make sure your GF doesn't feel too bad either. Shit happens, learn the lesson and move up.

Your pride will heal, the Buddy can be fixed and now you know that things can go wrong in an instant. Read up Proficient Motorcycling while you heal and plan some exercise time on parking lots when you can ride to build up your confidence again.

Be patience, it takes many miles/years to be a proficient rider.

[schlagle]

It's only embarrassing if you have witnesses. If it were me and nobody saw me crash I would so OWN that crash. By the time I got around to telling anybody about it it would involve several backflips, at least one superman, and skin grafts from my buttocks.

Glad you're not seriously injured.

[PamplonaLady]

I too took a fall, the second time I rode my scooter. Tried to go too far with virtually no experience. I'm not exactly sure what happened. All I remember is that I was making a left turn on to a major road. There was no traffic coming in either direction and the next I know, my front end is going squirrely and I am in the dirt. Broken headlight (completely out of the ring, wires exposed, etc.), plastic over the handlebars is broken, my faceshield came off my helmet - a real mess. I tore my shirt and was very dirty and sweaty, must have been 90 that day. I picked up my scoot and was able to piece it back together. It didn't look like there was any other damage. I ended up with a bruised knee, thigh, abdomen and had a bruise in the shape of the mirror across my upper chest. Oh - completely lost my dignity!!

The friends that I was going to see came and met me and I had an escort to their house, and with a cable tie and some clear packing tape, managed to make the scooter appear almost good as new. However, while riding it home (with them on their Harley behind me, another escort), I noticed that the front end wasn't as smooth riding as prior to the crash. The front tire was rubbing against the fork on the right side. Figured it was a simple alignment problem. Boy was I wrong. The dealer came and got the scoot and I just found out yesterday that I managed to bend the frame, wheel and other things that I can't remember because I was so shocked at what I was being told. I didn't remember hitting anything at the time of the crash, but based on the apparent damage done, I figure I did hit that road sign. My Buddy is 5 inches shorter in length than it should be.

The good thing is that it is insured with a $250 deductible and replacement cost coverage, so if it is totaled, I will get a new scoot. Bad news is that there aren't any around. I am hoping that they will be able to locate the parts and maybe I will be able to ride again before the end of the summer.

Yes, I will be taking the safety course, could have saved myself and my dignity had I done so prior to attempting to make a 25 mile trip by myself. Live and learn - I always seem to do it the hard way.

[Howardr]

Look at is getting your crash "out of the way." Most of us learn a lot better (and more permanently) with negative things (like crashes) than positive ones. I crashed on memorial day. The road rash has healed, but I sprained my left foot and ankle badly and will probably be walking with a limp for another month. But I definately look at every corner MUCH more carefully than I did before the crash.

I'm still having a blast on my buddy, but I'm a bit wiser and I'm more in touch with my mortal side.

Howard

[ericalm]

One of my big concerns about the scooter rush of '08 is coming true: We're seeing a lot of crashes, especially with new riders. Fortunately, no one's been seriously injured yet, though there have been broken bones, list teeth, and a lot of bruises. I also have a Google alert for scooter news stories and many of them are reports of people crashing. A lot of those are new riders.

Be careful out there, folks and think hard about taking precautions and getting training and practice. The Buddy is very easy to ride—to an extent. It encourages a false sense of confidence that will fail you in a difficult or new situation.

And don't think that once you have a small crash, it won't happen again—or is even less likely to happen again.

I definitely don't want to play the role of Mr. Negative Doom & Gloom. Scootering is fun—really, despite whatever other benefits exist, this is why we keep doing it. But crashing? Not so much fun. And it takes some of the joy out of riding for a while afterwards.

[Elm Creek Smith]

besides, i like to think that once my jacket and helmet come off, i'm quite cute myself, in my own stinky, sweat-stained and helmet-haired way. ew.

i totally did not get a scooter to look cute anyway. hurrumph.

Cute sweaty girls on scooters are hot!

ECS