I'm done with motocross ,what should I do now?

newmann
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newmann 2/19/2016 8:21am
2/19/2016 8:21am
rt987 wrote:
Buy yourself a DRZ 400 or equivalent enduro bike, and enjoy riding fire roads and adventure riding. It's an absolute blast, much safer, and cheaper. Unless...
Buy yourself a DRZ 400 or equivalent enduro bike, and enjoy riding fire roads and adventure riding. It's an absolute blast, much safer, and cheaper.

Unless riding period scares you, then I'll remind you that you could very easily be paralyzed in your car.
MotoMalyDad wrote:
Adventure riding is a blast .... pile up the camping gear and see the world
With all the texters out there? No thanks. Worked on a truck a few years back that took a girls leg off as she was riding to work. Got a buddy who was in a coma for over a month when someone turned in front of him.

Get a vintage bike and restore it. Then go race it, more laid back and no huge jumps unless you choose to do something silly.
NHtoWA421
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NHtoWA421 2/19/2016 8:23am
2/19/2016 8:23am
Go to college, focus on that, do sae baja, use the shop to build cars/trucks. stay away from drugs. Get your "feet" wet often.
RPM68
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RPM68 2/19/2016 8:27am
2/19/2016 8:27am
Stand Up jetskis are amazing, and seem to be the only thing that replaces Moto for me...I also Fish ALOT. Generally if I skip riding on a weekend its bc im fishin.

The Shop

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dirtdog36
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dirtdog36 2/19/2016 8:27am
2/19/2016 8:27am
mxlifeline wrote:
Let me say this first I'm 17 years old I'm in 250B and 450B ,I have been racing since I was 5 I'm in no way...
Let me say this first I'm 17 years old I'm in 250B and 450B ,I have been racing since I was 5 I'm in no way scared of the bike, I'm not scared to ride either, I broke my neck when I was 14 at a LLAQ , I started racing GNCCs 2 years ago (I was racing woods on the side) I'M NOT GOING BACK TO MX I ALSO DONT CARE IF YOU THINK I'M A PUSSY that being said here's this
one of the guys in my moto crew severed his spinal cord , according to his doctors he will never be able to walk again, when I was growing up my grandpa was completely paralyzed from the waist down and I saw how much of a struggle everyday day things were. Enough about that what should I do now,

I'm thinking of drag racing my corvette on street legal night or racing GNCCs full time ,I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair because of something I can do until I'm mabye 45, thanks

Please don't try to push me back into motocross because I'm not going back
Focus on college...

I got hurt getting ready for LL's the summer before my senior year of HS. My parents sold the bikes and the truck and trailer and I went to college. I now have an MBA and a BSME and make way more than I ever would have racing bikes... I was fast but not THAT fast.

I isntatly picked up mountain biking and a social life that I had never had. Don't get me wrong, NOTHING will ever replace dirt bikes... EVER. But the risk nowadays is WAY great than it was in the 80's and 90's and no-one can convince me otherwise. When major pros say that they are happy that their children don't ride, that should tell you something.

I have a full suspension Specialized Epic 29er and have a blast on it.

I also have a Ducati Scrambler and about to pick up a KTM EXC 500 to dual sport on. No major triple jumps for me...

Also go snow skiing out west a couple times a year...

I watch every race, I see double jumps and rhythm sections as I drive down the road, motocross is in my blood but I have found a way to live without it.

Follow your heart and don't worry if some keyboard warrior calls you a puss or some other stupid comment.

hillbilly
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hillbilly 2/19/2016 8:41am
2/19/2016 8:41am
Asking a bunch on a moto board that have probably all broken themselves yet still go on with it what to do instead is not the best to hit for advice.

Seriously, if I was 17 I'd study the stockmarket and figure out how it works and how to make money with my computer at home. Then try all the "safe" hobbies.
Cygnus
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Cygnus 2/19/2016 8:50am
2/19/2016 8:50am
Hookers and blow man! Next best thing to MX.
ButteryWaffles 2/19/2016 8:55am
2/19/2016 8:55am
RC cars. Just as expensive and you can carry over moto Skills. Don't be scared to Ilive your life because of another person's misfortune. And tell your friend to keep his head up. There's paraplegics that are more badass than a lot of us on this forum. Myself included.
user760a
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user760a 2/19/2016 9:06am
2/19/2016 9:06am
Have you considered getting under the bed, pulling your thighs up to your chest and just holding them there? I am not aware of anyone who has ever been hurt while huddling in the fetal position.

seriously, though. I am a motorcycle nut. I ride and race off road. If I could not do that, I would absolutely take up moto trials. Trials is mind blowingly awesome and takes place at a walking pace. very few injuries in moto trials.

It would also free up a lot of time to do something physical- run marathons, race bicycles, do something that kicks ass. You are 17, right? you can race a damn car (real or RC toy) when you are old, who cares about that BS. Everyone on this board would give their right nut (probably left nut too) to be 17 again. you are only young once.don't throw it away like 99 percent of 17 year olds do
DoctorJD
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DoctorJD 2/19/2016 9:07am
2/19/2016 9:07am
I went through a period of fear (of moto). I've actually gone through several. I've broken my back and my neck in my 40 years of riding (along with countless other injuries). After I quit riding the first time, I took up golf and was a junkie for about 10 years. Other than the social aspect of it, it was the most miserable 10 years of my life. I drank when I played, and I played a lot. The human body is not designed to torque and twist the way golf requires you to do (at least that's what my back specialist said) so I stayed in constant pain. Then one day, about 15 years ago I was riding the cart down the 18th fairway of our local course. I told my friend I was done with it, and pretty much quit cold turkey that day.

I went out and bought a mountain bike the next week and fell in love. Of course, that led to buying a road bike. A few years later, I bought by son a JR50 for Christmas when he was a little guy, which led to me buying myself another bike to pal around with him. Fast forward to today. At 52, my hobbies include: Dirt bikes, mountain biking, road biking and, skiing. I've tried doing life the "safe" way, and it sucks. There's a line in the movie, "Shawshank Redemption" that goes something like, "Get busy living, or get busy dying". I choose to get busy living.

Me chasing my son...



Ramrod
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Ramrod 2/19/2016 9:24am
2/19/2016 9:24am
DoctorJD wrote:
I went through a period of fear (of moto). I've actually gone through several. I've broken my back and my neck in my 40 years of...
I went through a period of fear (of moto). I've actually gone through several. I've broken my back and my neck in my 40 years of riding (along with countless other injuries). After I quit riding the first time, I took up golf and was a junkie for about 10 years. Other than the social aspect of it, it was the most miserable 10 years of my life. I drank when I played, and I played a lot. The human body is not designed to torque and twist the way golf requires you to do (at least that's what my back specialist said) so I stayed in constant pain. Then one day, about 15 years ago I was riding the cart down the 18th fairway of our local course. I told my friend I was done with it, and pretty much quit cold turkey that day.

I went out and bought a mountain bike the next week and fell in love. Of course, that led to buying a road bike. A few years later, I bought by son a JR50 for Christmas when he was a little guy, which led to me buying myself another bike to pal around with him. Fast forward to today. At 52, my hobbies include: Dirt bikes, mountain biking, road biking and, skiing. I've tried doing life the "safe" way, and it sucks. There's a line in the movie, "Shawshank Redemption" that goes something like, "Get busy living, or get busy dying". I choose to get busy living.

Me chasing my son...



Doing it right! Congrats.

I think mountain biking is a great second cousin to moto, you are still on a bike, bikes are cool, it's fun and a great workout as a result.
aFACEdismembered 2/19/2016 9:26am
2/19/2016 9:26am Edited Date/Time 2/19/2016 9:28am
I read a quote from Sir Frank Williams once that put things in to perspective on this topic. This was while he was in a hospital bed, paralyzed, after crashing his car driving to the airport from a test at Paul Ricard to Nice.

He said something along the lines of "I spent the first half of my life pursuing my passions and now I have the second part of my life to start that process all over again."

The moral of that quote is that life is what you make of it. Does that also mean you will quit driving in fear of paralysis? Quit walking in fear of tripping down a set of stairs? Danger is all around you when you really stop and think about it. Reducing risk in one area will only add risk to another area. I had a friend pass away when I was 18 and he was 17 from a moto crash. Freak deal, they all are. Cross Country is just as dangerous. Trees don't move. Rain ruts don't magically fill themselves in, cliffs don't come with safety nets etc, etc etc. I still feel more comfortable on my bike in the woods or on a track than I do driving around the city and I do that every day to get to work.
Jimmy_Sloan
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Jimmy_Sloan 2/19/2016 9:31am
2/19/2016 9:31am
mxlifeline wrote:
Let me say this first I'm 17 years old I'm in 250B and 450B ,I have been racing since I was 5 I'm in no way...
Let me say this first I'm 17 years old I'm in 250B and 450B ,I have been racing since I was 5 I'm in no way scared of the bike, I'm not scared to ride either, I broke my neck when I was 14 at a LLAQ , I started racing GNCCs 2 years ago (I was racing woods on the side) I'M NOT GOING BACK TO MX I ALSO DONT CARE IF YOU THINK I'M A PUSSY that being said here's this
one of the guys in my moto crew severed his spinal cord , according to his doctors he will never be able to walk again, when I was growing up my grandpa was completely paralyzed from the waist down and I saw how much of a struggle everyday day things were. Enough about that what should I do now,

I'm thinking of drag racing my corvette on street legal night or racing GNCCs full time ,I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair because of something I can do until I'm mabye 45, thanks

Please don't try to push me back into motocross because I'm not going back
Are you going to give up driving in cars as well? Car accidents happen everyday, with fatalities and serious injuries. Having said that, I think we've all seen riders at the track who just don't belong on a bike.
NV825
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NV825 2/19/2016 9:31am
2/19/2016 9:31am
I would recommend taking a break from "racing" and enjoy some trail rides with friends. We all know the mentality of a race... we don't want to finish last. We may push ourselves harder than we can handle because it's a race. This added stress of performing could easily translate to racing in a GNCC too. Going out with friends at your own pace while enjoying the outdoors takes the stress off your shoulders.
Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 2/19/2016 9:35am
2/19/2016 9:35am
DoctorJD wrote:
I went through a period of fear (of moto). I've actually gone through several. I've broken my back and my neck in my 40 years of...
I went through a period of fear (of moto). I've actually gone through several. I've broken my back and my neck in my 40 years of riding (along with countless other injuries). After I quit riding the first time, I took up golf and was a junkie for about 10 years. Other than the social aspect of it, it was the most miserable 10 years of my life. I drank when I played, and I played a lot. The human body is not designed to torque and twist the way golf requires you to do (at least that's what my back specialist said) so I stayed in constant pain. Then one day, about 15 years ago I was riding the cart down the 18th fairway of our local course. I told my friend I was done with it, and pretty much quit cold turkey that day.

I went out and bought a mountain bike the next week and fell in love. Of course, that led to buying a road bike. A few years later, I bought by son a JR50 for Christmas when he was a little guy, which led to me buying myself another bike to pal around with him. Fast forward to today. At 52, my hobbies include: Dirt bikes, mountain biking, road biking and, skiing. I've tried doing life the "safe" way, and it sucks. There's a line in the movie, "Shawshank Redemption" that goes something like, "Get busy living, or get busy dying". I choose to get busy living.

Me chasing my son...



Ramrod wrote:
Doing it right! Congrats. I think mountain biking is a great second cousin to moto, you are still on a bike, bikes are cool, it's fun...
Doing it right! Congrats.

I think mountain biking is a great second cousin to moto, you are still on a bike, bikes are cool, it's fun and a great workout as a result.
Good stuff man! In the 1970's people use to say when moto dudes get older we're all gonna have arthritis and be crippled and I realized if I never stop riding that will never happen, great picture you are a lucky man
mxb2
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mxb2 2/19/2016 9:36am
2/19/2016 9:36am
Live your life, or wrap yourself in bubble wrap and lay on the couch. Bad stuff happens in life, it sucks, enjoy what you like. Life is short.
disbanded
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disbanded 2/19/2016 9:37am
2/19/2016 9:37am
I broke my back racing cross country when I was 14. Still bothers me 25 years later.

Came back after college and trashed my ankle, really ruined myself good.
Now I try not to live in regret!

I'm off to the doctor right now for another ankle injection so I can walk without a limp.

I would suggest that if you don't want to get hurt, don't ride...
FLmxer
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FLmxer 2/19/2016 10:04am
2/19/2016 10:04am
I read the first few but I say if you are not going to do mx then the most fun and rewarding thing on the planet to do is to collect ... Money. For me nothing will give me the feeling of riding. I would get bored of a fighter jet before my dirt bike. I quit for three years and it was horrible. Lol But watching your worth grow is an amazing feeling and the earlier you start the better. School and education are key parts. Own knowledge like it is a game. Cool

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IceMan446
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IceMan446 2/19/2016 10:10am
2/19/2016 10:10am
Why not just ride for fun?

Road bike? Mountain bike?

Ride some off road events, doesnt have to be racing related. Just something you and your buddies can do. I have been trail riding a few times over the last two weeks and it has been super fun. Way different than moto, which is what I love to do, but its fun in its own right and you can ride your own speed without getting landed on.

Look into some adventure rides and other longer distance rides. Just stay on the bike.
JM485
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JM485 2/19/2016 10:19am
2/19/2016 10:19am
Seems like you might need to take a break for a little and let things settle out. I'm really sorry about your friend, I can't imagine that happening to a friend of mine so I won't pretend to know how you're feeling. If you have some trails near you, maybe take up trail riding or just practice days for a little while. I was never a hard core moto racer, but I have more fun working on technical riding skills out in the hills/trails than I generally do on the track. Maybe give something like trials or endurocross a try, if there were more events near me I would be all over endurocross, but I only get to do one event per year.

Not to say any of those suggestions are a whole lot safer than moto, but giving yourself some time to think and consider what's important while doing a somewhat "safer" form of racing/riding can't hurt. Again, I'm really sorry about your friend, I can't even imagine how hard that must be and I wish you guys the best.
kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 2/19/2016 10:20am
2/19/2016 10:20am
Tennis is cheaper than golf and chess is cheaper than tennis, take a pick!
shanes
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shanes 2/19/2016 10:23am
2/19/2016 10:23am
Race stand up jet skis or start free style jet skiing it's a lot of fun
Getndome
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Getndome 2/19/2016 10:24am
2/19/2016 10:24am
disbanded wrote:
I broke my back racing cross country when I was 14. Still bothers me 25 years later. Came back after college and trashed my ankle, really...
I broke my back racing cross country when I was 14. Still bothers me 25 years later.

Came back after college and trashed my ankle, really ruined myself good.
Now I try not to live in regret!

I'm off to the doctor right now for another ankle injection so I can walk without a limp.

I would suggest that if you don't want to get hurt, don't ride...
What part of your back did you break? I broke mine back in June 2015 it's been tough trying to get back to work it still bothers me but I'm only 8 months out.
disbanded
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disbanded 2/19/2016 10:27am
2/19/2016 10:27am
disbanded wrote:
I broke my back racing cross country when I was 14. Still bothers me 25 years later. Came back after college and trashed my ankle, really...
I broke my back racing cross country when I was 14. Still bothers me 25 years later.

Came back after college and trashed my ankle, really ruined myself good.
Now I try not to live in regret!

I'm off to the doctor right now for another ankle injection so I can walk without a limp.

I would suggest that if you don't want to get hurt, don't ride...
Getndome wrote:
What part of your back did you break? I broke mine back in June 2015 it's been tough trying to get back to work it still...
What part of your back did you break? I broke mine back in June 2015 it's been tough trying to get back to work it still bothers me but I'm only 8 months out.
Compression fractures in T5,T6,T7. Right between the shoulder blades...
ttugrad1793
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ttugrad1793 2/19/2016 10:34am
2/19/2016 10:34am Edited Date/Time 2/19/2016 10:36am
I think OP is gone, but I'll chime in.

I rode dirtbikes as a kid with my brother in Texas. Competitively. A friend of ours was killed doing it, and Mom said "That's it. Sell 'em." so we did.

Horsed around through high school, but missed the dirt. I bought one in college for my bro and I to enjoy and we ended that day in teh hospital with my multiple facial fractures and having to undergo reconstructive surgery. Sold the bike and swore them off.

My brother got cancer in '12, and died in '13 at 34 years old.. 2 weeks after he died, I went and bought a KTM 250EXC. I put my helmet on, did one lap, stopped in the middle of the track and cried and cried. I was so happy to have found JOY again, but damn, I missed my brother.

My mom bitches about me back on bikes, and I just shrug and say "Yeah, I could get hurt. I could also get cancer tomorrow and die." She nods her head, hugs me, and the conversation is over.

Life is dangerous, and none of us make it out alive. I'm not about to head to LL, much less even race, but when I turn laps at the track, there's no other replacement for it and it's something that doesn't scare me anymore, but rather, it reminds me I'm alive. Which is something that can be taken from any of us doing damn near ANYTHING each second.

Enjoy life. I'm 40 today, and intend to ride until I am physically incapable of doing so.
mxlifeline 2/19/2016 10:45am
2/19/2016 10:45am
hillbilly wrote:
Asking a bunch on a moto board that have probably all broken themselves yet still go on with it what to do instead is not the...
Asking a bunch on a moto board that have probably all broken themselves yet still go on with it what to do instead is not the best to hit for advice.

Seriously, if I was 17 I'd study the stockmarket and figure out how it works and how to make money with my computer at home. Then try all the "safe" hobbies.
I'm not looking for something "safe" I just wanted to know if I should race GNCCs or my car that's it
mx_563
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mx_563 2/19/2016 10:48am
2/19/2016 10:48am
Dual Sport / adventure riding. D37 has a series. Laid back riding.
mxlifeline 2/19/2016 10:50am
2/19/2016 10:50am
mxlifeline wrote:
Let me say this first I'm 17 years old I'm in 250B and 450B ,I have been racing since I was 5 I'm in no way...
Let me say this first I'm 17 years old I'm in 250B and 450B ,I have been racing since I was 5 I'm in no way scared of the bike, I'm not scared to ride either, I broke my neck when I was 14 at a LLAQ , I started racing GNCCs 2 years ago (I was racing woods on the side) I'M NOT GOING BACK TO MX I ALSO DONT CARE IF YOU THINK I'M A PUSSY that being said here's this
one of the guys in my moto crew severed his spinal cord , according to his doctors he will never be able to walk again, when I was growing up my grandpa was completely paralyzed from the waist down and I saw how much of a struggle everyday day things were. Enough about that what should I do now,

I'm thinking of drag racing my corvette on street legal night or racing GNCCs full time ,I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair because of something I can do until I'm mabye 45, thanks

Please don't try to push me back into motocross because I'm not going back
Jimmy_Sloan wrote:
Are you going to give up driving in cars as well? Car accidents happen everyday, with fatalities and serious injuries. Having said that, I think we've...
Are you going to give up driving in cars as well? Car accidents happen everyday, with fatalities and serious injuries. Having said that, I think we've all seen riders at the track who just don't belong on a bike.
If you actually read it I said I wanted to race my Corvette
kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 2/19/2016 10:53am
2/19/2016 10:53am
Just race and go really slow like Bobbym and GuyB!
Suns_PSD
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Suns_PSD 2/19/2016 10:54am
2/19/2016 10:54am
It's all about the Mountain Bikes if you live near the correct terrain.

Good Luck!

PS. I broke my back in 2010 while racing with my best riding buddy, he almost landed on me. He never rode again and he never hit the ground! I still ride.

Post a reply to: I'm done with motocross ,what should I do now?