Posts
128
Joined
5/12/2014
Location
NY
US
Edited Date/Time
6/6/2015 7:37am
We all know of tragedies at the track but usually only receive word of them from our computer screen hundreds of miles away. About an hour after I left a local practice day yesterday I got a phone call from a good friend who was still at the track describing a horrific scene. A rider apparently endo'd over a medium-large size tabletop with an extension and succumbed to his injuries right at the track. Really, really sad and scary. I don't think its my place to share name or track details. May he rest in peace.
I'm also posting because this literally hit very close to home for me and I'm immediately struggling (again) with the decision to hang up my boots. I raced locally in the A class up until a few years ago, when a crash I consider myself lucky to have gotten out of with only a broken femur scared me away for about a year. I came back and rode last year, just got a new bike, and was ready to get after it and have some fun riding and racing again this year too. I truly love this sport and wouldn't trade the riding/racing memories I have for anything. And I'm a pretty good rider when I'm feelin it! Lol
At the same time, I'm 26, have a great family, amazing fiance, I'm back in school for engineering, and feel like I have bright future ahead of me. My circumstances combined with what happened yesterday really have me leaning towards walking away from moto while I still can.
A lot of dummies post here but I know there are some intelligent folks with a lot of life experience as well. I'd appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Thanks.
I'm also posting because this literally hit very close to home for me and I'm immediately struggling (again) with the decision to hang up my boots. I raced locally in the A class up until a few years ago, when a crash I consider myself lucky to have gotten out of with only a broken femur scared me away for about a year. I came back and rode last year, just got a new bike, and was ready to get after it and have some fun riding and racing again this year too. I truly love this sport and wouldn't trade the riding/racing memories I have for anything. And I'm a pretty good rider when I'm feelin it! Lol
At the same time, I'm 26, have a great family, amazing fiance, I'm back in school for engineering, and feel like I have bright future ahead of me. My circumstances combined with what happened yesterday really have me leaning towards walking away from moto while I still can.
A lot of dummies post here but I know there are some intelligent folks with a lot of life experience as well. I'd appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Thanks.
buy a TTR guy and look into "Mad Dog" flat track racing. Its a blast and way safer!
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Don't sweat the fact that you're thinking about it...
When things like this happen...it's an intelligent person that stops and takes an honest look at his own situation.
I send my condolences to the rider's family & your local moto-community.
Manny
I kind of got burnt out on going to my local track to ride in the fall and feeling like a pussy because I didnt want to do( what I thought) were the big jumps.
So, I switched to going out in the desert, carving out my own track amidst the sagebrush and pounding out laps...day dreaming I was fast again.
As for hanging up your boots, don't. Just look for another outlet, as mentioned above, dual sport, vintage bike etc, just getting an old girl fired up after 12 months sweat and tears and then finishing a moto can feel every bit as good as sending a big jump.
sorry to hear about the loss of a fellow moto-brother. best of luck with your decisions, wear them proud.
I know very well what its like to have passion for riding and everything about it. I have to say though the few times I've gone riding so far this year my primary objective has just been to stay safe because I have to much other life stuff going on. Its almost like I've been running on 'forced' passion, or memories of passion I once had. The fear of getting seriously hurt and throwing away everything i have outside of moto just won't leave my mind.
So Im pretty sure I know the right decision for me at this point. I think the advice taken here, and writing this all out is something I needed therapeutically. As silly as it sounds, participating in this sport has been such a huge part of my life and as many of you know its so damn hard to quit!
Trail ridng is fun for sure and a great break from mx.
condolences to the riders family, always unbearable to hear such bad news
Pit Row
Luckily once you’ve gotten to a fairly high skill level, riding within your limits is still a pretty quick and fun pace. Yea I might get hurt riding, but it’s a major part of my identity and what I love. There’s risk in everything, just be smart.
Somebody mentioned that we are seeing this more often, but I am not convinced of that. Without a doubt there is more information being shared and thus we hear about these stories more often.
It has also been a common theme recently about tracking injuries/deaths and the surrounding circumstances. I think this is definitely data that needs to be shared when the time is appropriate.
Mountain Single track...desert single track.
Fire roads and fast double track.
Going out to the desert and carving out a turn track and riding it for hours.
There are ENDLESS possibilities for riding a dirt bike outside of a motocross track.
I'm trying to figure out a way to get into trials (well, to get a trials bike), and start working on that kind of riding...if you watch any Johnny Walker, or Graham Jarvis vids they post on facebook/instagram...its unbelievable what they can do on a bike, and though I have no thought of EVER being able to do what they do....it just goes to show that the possibilities are absolutely endless for what can be done on a dirt bike.
And whether someone is a die hard moto guy, or die hard off road guy...progression (getting better each time you're on the bike is what makes riding fun).
Kurt Caselli said in Moto 4 (I think) that the better you get, the more possibilities there...so true.
Anyway, I hate to see people give up riding just because they don't want to moto any more.
Lots of good points and feedback here, thank you everyone. If I continue on riding I think it will definitely be very mellow natural type tracks when i can find them, or some trails. Technical ruts and turns are my favorite thing to ride anyways.
I have more injuries from working my Job for the past 28 years then I ever got from riding and racing motorcycles, and as for Death, you do not want to die slowly in some hospital bed in pain and misery. We all are going to Die regardless.
Good luck in your decision and sorry to hear about the lost rider.
Like others have said, definitely don't ride if your having any doubts if you should be throwing a leg over the bike. To be assessing the risks of riding, and considering whether to continue to ride or not shows a lot of maturity and common sense. Give yourself some time to deal with this tragic situation.
At 46, with a great job, awesome family and everything to live for, I have those moments when I'm asking myself "Why the hell am I putting myself at risk like this". But I just can't give it up.
Ride safe everyone!!
My thoughts and prayers to the family of our fallen Moto-Brother!
Post a reply to: Another rider lost, and decision to hang it up