How to know when its time to hang up the boots.

Marty1028
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Edited Date/Time 6/10/2018 4:05pm
Well I'm looking for some help from you vitards, I am contemplating whether or not to get out of the sport, I've had a injury span of a broken femur, knee, dislocated shoulder, and most recently a partially torn acl, keep in mind I am only 15, I'm just looking for some advice from someone in the same boat.
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MXD
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6/7/2018 12:23pm Edited Date/Time 6/7/2018 12:24pm
All of that by the age of 15? My sincere advice is slow down and work on your skills and technique. No one should be crashing that much. You might not need to quit.
BR8ES
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6/7/2018 12:26pm
Either you have got it all out of the way and can ride forever or these are not so subtle hints to get out while you can.
edgo897
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6/7/2018 12:28pm Edited Date/Time 6/7/2018 12:29pm


swtwtwtw
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6/7/2018 12:31pm
Tone it down, enjoy. Don’t give it up.

The Shop

agn5009
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6/7/2018 12:34pm
Torco1 wrote:
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/5d/6f/045d6f14256dcb6518c2e80c9804438f.jpg[/img]
How'd you get a pic of my X Ray?
imoto34
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6/7/2018 12:36pm Edited Date/Time 6/7/2018 12:37pm
Torco1 wrote:
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/5d/6f/045d6f14256dcb6518c2e80c9804438f.jpg[/img]
Damn agn beat me to it lol
Marty1028
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6/7/2018 12:41pm
I wish still had x ray pics of my femur but it was snapped right here and pushed forward over the knee
cody41
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6/7/2018 12:47pm
Learn how to ride with proper technique.
SweetDaddy
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Orlando, FL US
6/7/2018 12:52pm
The human body has over 200 bones so you're still good to go
6/7/2018 12:55pm
Well alot of us race and ride multiple times a week without injury. You can get faster without riding over your head its what us "vitards" call finding flow. Slow that 15 year old mind of yours down and think about it.
Marty1028
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6/7/2018 12:56pm
cody41 wrote:
Learn how to ride with proper technique.
That's been my main focus, but no buddies of mine ride and its hard to find a good trainer around here
215
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6/7/2018 1:05pm
The way I look at it, if you're thinking of giving it up then maybe you don't love riding enough to justify it. Not to sound like a dick but maybe you should call it quits if you have to try to convince yourself to keep riding. I can't image what I'd do if I gave it up, there's no other sport or activity I'd rather do, so for me there's no hanging up the boots until i am physically unable to ride. Hopefully that time doesn't come until I'm old. Can you imagine life without riding? I can't. If you can, maybe this sport isn't worth the injuries for you.
BR8ES
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6/7/2018 1:05pm
Don't worry, you'll be driving soon and add girls, MX will naturally fade away.
kb228
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6/7/2018 1:08pm
Hang up the boots when you die
usafwx
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6/7/2018 1:09pm
Injuries heal especially at your age and it's part of the sport. Consider it earning your spot in a long history of badass dirt bike riders lol. As other's said just take your time, progress within your comfort zone, no need to show off or huck/clear everything out there, build skill and technique, i.e. corners for dough, jumps for show. I hung my boots up to go back to grad school, but it kills me every day seeing an empty garage and thus my empty heart. If you love it, don't sweat the injuries and just take is slow and go with the flow (see what I did there). Happy motoing!
catdriver33
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Fallbrook, CA US
6/7/2018 1:15pm
Back when I was 18 I bailed breaking both arms, both wrists and 9 vertebrae while racing in the desert. I will be turning 50 in a couple of months and still riding and racing. I plan to keep going for many more. Slow your roll, work on your skills and quit trying to race your buddies that may be faster. I get to trail ride with some of the best riders in the world and I have no problem bringing up the back when we are riding
Marty1028
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6/7/2018 1:16pm
215 wrote:
The way I look at it, if you're thinking of giving it up then maybe you don't love riding enough to justify it. Not to sound...
The way I look at it, if you're thinking of giving it up then maybe you don't love riding enough to justify it. Not to sound like a dick but maybe you should call it quits if you have to try to convince yourself to keep riding. I can't image what I'd do if I gave it up, there's no other sport or activity I'd rather do, so for me there's no hanging up the boots until i am physically unable to ride. Hopefully that time doesn't come until I'm old. Can you imagine life without riding? I can't. If you can, maybe this sport isn't worth the injuries for you.
Yeah I see your point. I love motor just about as much as anyone else here, when I'm down and out I always have that itch to ride again.
mattyhamz2
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6/7/2018 1:20pm
Sounds like you need to tone it down a bit. Don't push so hard. I know that freak things happen, but you can limit some of that with the way you ride and the speed you ride at. Slow things down and work on being smooth, not being the fastest guys. Speed will come later on as you get more comfortable.
6/7/2018 1:24pm
I stopped yard sale-ing when I realized I was never going to make a dime riding a dirt bike and just accepted that laps were more important than laptimes.
Phillip_Lamb
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6/7/2018 1:35pm
Should you quit due to injuries? thats up to you wether you feel the risk of getting hurt, and in your case regularly, is worth it.

ultimately the point to stop is typically when your forcing yourself or convincing yourself to like it. if you have to gin up the energy or are scared about going thats when
JeepnMike
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6/7/2018 1:53pm
When you turn 18 and you have to make life choices, decisions like this are much easier. Until then, slow down a bit and have fun while you are young.
philG
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6/7/2018 2:10pm
I stopped yard sale-ing when I realized I was never going to make a dime riding a dirt bike and just accepted that laps were more...
I stopped yard sale-ing when I realized I was never going to make a dime riding a dirt bike and just accepted that laps were more important than laptimes.
And that is it , in a nutshell... no matter how good you get , it will never be good enough, there will always be someone better ... so ride for fun, train for fun, and go from there.

I have a buddy who will go down 2 or 3 times a day, usually just stupid stuff, but he hits the deck a lot, i tipped off last weekend for the first time this year, in 8 racedays, and i cant remember the time before that.
Falcon
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6/7/2018 2:16pm
Slow it down and work on technique. Try riding as slow as you can instead, or ride while standing only. Learn to playride and throw whips; do anything that is fun. All the while you'll be building skill. Unleash the speed once you get all the crashing out of your system.
Phantom 661
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6/7/2018 2:54pm
BR8ES wrote:
Don't worry, you'll be driving soon and add girls, MX will naturally fade away.
Actually, this is something to think about. Lot of good things on the horizon for someone your age. Don't know how you got all those injurys.... they're not hard to get in this sport, but at least follow the advice of others here who recommend working on your technique. Glad you love to moto but be careful with any "over your head" scenarios you may find yourself in. Think smart. Race smart. It's much more rewarding. You're 15 years old... lots of great things ahead of you. Good luck!
KMC440
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6/7/2018 3:02pm
Torco1 wrote:
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/5d/6f/045d6f14256dcb6518c2e80c9804438f.jpg[/img]
Didn't think you had any balls.
ktmdan
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6/7/2018 7:44pm
Why are you bros posting that xray to a 15 year old...?

I've broken several bones including a femur, and had some very gnarly concussions. I took a break for about 6 years until I could afford my own bike and insurance. I would suggest taking up cross country. The funny thing is, I started playing soccer twice a week at lunch at work as cardio training for racing, and in a span of 2 months I badly tore a ligament in my ankle that will affect me for the rest of my life and I got a concussion... life is dangerous man. If you enjoy riding, keep going but take it easy bud.
tp4
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6/7/2018 7:48pm
Torco1 wrote:
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/5d/6f/045d6f14256dcb6518c2e80c9804438f.jpg[/img]
KMC440 wrote:
Didn't think you had any balls.
now thats funny..
Marty1028
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6/7/2018 8:09pm
ktmdan wrote:
Why are you bros posting that xray to a 15 year old...? I've broken several bones including a femur, and had some very gnarly concussions. I...
Why are you bros posting that xray to a 15 year old...?

I've broken several bones including a femur, and had some very gnarly concussions. I took a break for about 6 years until I could afford my own bike and insurance. I would suggest taking up cross country. The funny thing is, I started playing soccer twice a week at lunch at work as cardio training for racing, and in a span of 2 months I badly tore a ligament in my ankle that will affect me for the rest of my life and I got a concussion... life is dangerous man. If you enjoy riding, keep going but take it easy bud.
Cause it's funny
captmoto
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6/7/2018 8:38pm
You need to think about what you are doing. Do you ever get the feeling you need to slow down? Do you keep good tires on your bike so you can corner and brake safely? Properly tuned and running so your motor isn't crapping out causing crashes? What bike do you have? You aren't trying to moto on a TTR or some kind of beginner bike are you?

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