Sometimes even all the gear isn't quite enough

By Bokonon

I took my little scooter out for a spin and ended up in the hospital for two days. I have 30 minutes of my life I can't account for.

I was wearing leather from toes to shoulders to fingers, so I had no abrasions. I did take a nasty bump to the head, though, and broke the little finger on my left hand. Gear won't necessarily keep you from getting hurt, but I wouldn't want to think about where I'd be now without it.

I hadn't ridden the Yamaha 125 scooter regularly for some time, since getting my 'real' motorcycle. I took it out one day, though, and rediscovered how fun it was to ride. So I got some new suspension pieces for it, new tires, and an SS brake line up front. I really wanted to spend a lot more time on it, but instead I lost three months of riding.

In order to explore the limits of the scooter in the safety of a controlled environment, I took it a go-cart track about 45 minutes from home. I was just going to stay for a couple hours, do a few sessions, and get used to the new parts. Sometime early on in the first session, though, I high-sided (or, as it is on a scooter, mid-sided). I don't know what happened, and it's looking like I never will. I vaguely remember starting out, but I have no idea how many laps I'd run, if there were any other bikes on the track, or how I got back to the start/office area. I know I wasn't going more than 25-35 mph when I fell off, but none of the rest of that bit of time is clear. Or even fuzzy.

After I got out of the hospital, I was surprised to find that I had pictures from the track on the camera.

I took a cab to the local ER to get the finger looked at. The doctor wasn't too concerned, and neither was I. This was my third experience with finger injuries; I'd dislocated the same finger and also the left thumb before. It was actually broken this time. Make an appointment with your local hospital, he said, and I went on my way. Just another minor accident.

After I got home I figured out that there was more going on than just the finger. I felt my left ear plug up, and I tried to hold my nose and blow it out. Excruciating pain went all through the front half of my head. My wife and I decided that a trip to the hospital about 20 blocks away would be a good idea.

The CT scan showed a hematoma, or what is basically a bruise, on my brain. The swelling on my face showed that, although it had quit bleeding almost as soon as it started, the blood had to go somewhere. Again, the doctor wasn't that worried. The scan looked fine, but they kept me in a hospital room for two days to monitor me. Hospitals are never fun.

So, how did the wreck happen? I don't know. The bike landed left front first, and, being a scooter, received very little damage, just a few scrapes and a broken left (rear) brake lever. I'm pretty sure I somehow lost the front. I'm also pretty sure I landed on my head and left hand. I can't say anything beyond that.

What matters is that, without good gear, I:

Might still be in the hospital.
Wouldn't have 1/2 my face.
Would have had some abrasions. My only bleeding was internal.

It was a bit of an emotional time. That was the hardest part to deal with; at one point I was even contemplating selling the bikes because my life was finally going well and I didn't want to screw it up. But not being on a motorcycle would take away a large piece of why life is good in the first place.

The point of all this? Yes, it can happen to you. Yes, you should be prepared. Yes, you should buy the best gear you can afford. Yes, motorcycling is dangerous.

There are always those who dwell on the dangers of motorcycling.

I prefer to consider the joy.