So I jumpstarted the quest for a new '06 R6 by throwing my '05 down the track at Thunderhill today... :( A bunch of us are up here today for the trackday with ZoomZoom (Mark, Ben, my friend Kim, and of course Annie). I was feeling a little iffy all morning, and in fact went off the track during the first session into the dirt around turn 2 when the rear was sliding around on me (but kept it up and paddled right back on track). This was the first time I had ever gone off track, and it really unsettled me. So I came in to the paddock, lowered tire pressure a few PSI (as it felt like it was a bit too high for the conditions), and went back out.

The second session started a bit better, and I felt more comfortable on the bike. My lap times were coming down, but I still was having a few scary moments when the rear tire would step out on me both under braking (when downshifting) and under power (one in particular was right in turn 13; the rear spun up and the bike jumped right a foot or two, but I caught it by rolling off a little and kept on going). During that session as well, I had just passed Ben coming down into turn 10, and once again the bike felt squirrelly under braking and as I was turning in, and I went off the side of the track by a few feet before coming back on.

So that was twice in one day, when it had never happened before. It's been explained to me, by much more experienced riders than I, that tires are a state of mind, that if you believe they are OK, in most cases they will behave OK, but if you believe your tires are having issues, karma says that you will have issues. So I had a thought in my head on that lap that I may come in and get new slicks mounted to take that tire worry out of my head.

I didn't take advantage of that chance, and it cost me. A lap or two afterwards, as I was accelerating out of turn 9, coming over the crest of that hill, the bike got light over the rise (as it always does), I spun up the rear tire, the bike got sideways, and highsided me right over onto the track at 80 - 100 mph. I tumbled and slid for quite awhile, and when the world stopped spinning, I found myself on all fours in the middle of the track a short distance on the other side of that blind corner (9). I realized quickly that my right ankle was in quite a bit of pain and I could not move it at all. I crawled off to the dirt on the inside of the track, as a few bikes avoided me (the yellow flag came out immediately), and did an inventory of body parts. My ankle was in trouble, and a finger was already starting to swell up. But all in all, I was pretty happy that I was fully conscious and able to actually do that inventory.

I turned my head and located my bike about 30-40 yards down the track, right off on the dirt, and it was depressing to see it on its side for the first time. I knew it had tumbled and slid for awhile, so I figured it was a lost cause anyway. The ambulance came around and i was able to hop in (and reconfirmed that my ankle hurt like hell; I could put no weight on it).

After painfully stripping off my now chewed up leathers, Ann and I made it to the hospital in willows in short order (much cheaper than an ambulance), and got the necessary x-rays. The good news is the attending physician felt that there wasn't a break (to my great surprise), but it could be a nasty sprain (as it was swelling up to twice its normal size). I now have a splint, an ace bandage and ice trying to help things a bit, but the Tylenol with codeine is probably doing the most good. I'm back at the track now, and very grateful as things could be so much worse.

The bike is in surprisingly good shape considering the speed (fast), type (high-side), and severity (tumbling) of the crash. The tank is dented a bit on one side (but usable as is); the left peg and shifter pedal are shorn off, and there is some rash on the fairings on the left side. I also need a new passenger seat and a new mechanism that holds that seat on. But all-in-all, the bike could be a viable track bike for only a few hundred dollars, and I could probably get it back to new condition for a lot less than I had expected. We'll have to see... I'm sure a slipper clutch would be safer for me on the track, and that '06 looks so tempting.... :D

I'll post pics when we get home, and a medical update as needed...

Man - glad you are OK. There's a reason why they say to keep the rubber side down!

Amaury

Alex:

I'm glad to hear it was a minor shunt. A badly sprained ankle is inconsequential in the overall scheme of things. Thank goodness for such a minor event.

I agree about the slipper clutch. While I've not gained much proficiency on my bike regarding track oriented skills e.g, rapid (and smooth) downshifting and late braking; I did with cars and discovered that seamless/smooth downshifting were critical for me to carry momentum. That issue effected more than anything else. It had gotten to the point that as my speeds picked up I would become more cautious when entering turns (or series of turns) that required late braking and more than one gear change. I concluded that I would be better off with a Porsche with tiptronic versus a manual tranny or move to a car with sequential shifting which is available on some BMW's. The guys that I knew from my track days practiced their down shifting every time they drove......always matching the revs.

Anyway, be safe.....see you soon,

--george

Alex,
in a word...shit!

I am very happy that you are well enough to share the tale.
I am amazed that you had the bike step out a "foot or two" (paragraph 2) and are so cauual about it.
I usually need to change my undergarments following such events.

I can offer a bit of 20/20 wisdom, when you feel like it's not right, listen to yourself, it is not like we have contracts with HRC or something that forces us to go out,
it is about fun...last time I checked..

very glad ur ok.
JJ

OMFG. I should have said yes to the vicodin. I woke up every 2 hrs with pain that I've been lucky enough in this lifetime to not feel until now, and the Tylenol #3 is barely making a dent in it. If I draw a straight lilne from how it felt yesterday to how it feels today and extrapolate to tomorrow, I think I'd pay good money for someone to knock me upside the head such that at least I'd be passed out while I was healing. Ann's been amazing :bow , and I simply don't know how I'd function trying to even get around the house on my own. Thank god this happened towards the beginning of a long weekend, where we both have time to figure out what the options are for this week.

After the bike was loaded up on the trailer yesterday afternoon (Thanks Mark!) it was clear the there were more things wrong with it than we noticed at first glance. The rear subframe was bent quite a few inches off from center, and if it bent the frame along with it, there might be a salvage R6 engine and other reusable parts up on eBay in the near future. But, all of this can wait some time until I'm able to deal with it anyway.

Right now I've got my ankle elevated, a couple remotes in hand, several car/motorcycle magazines, and wireless internet. Life could be worse... (sure could be better, though... :o )

Alex,

I started reading this thread assuming that Joseph was the author - this guy's got 9 lives, I was thinking. Reading on about how the bike slide out a foot or two I thought, what does it take to get this guy excited? Then I checked the header after reading it was the first time that you went off the track and I said holy shit that was Alex!

Hope you are mending and stopping to thank the gods, or whomever you feel is responsible, for your relatively minor injuries. Also, hope you didn't scare the bejesus out of Anne too much.

Will talk with you both soon.

B

Before:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34642432-L.jpg

After:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34642751-L.jpg

and:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34643314-L.jpg

Shiny side:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34644040-L.jpg

Not so shiny:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34643361-L.jpg

Ouch:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34644169-L.jpg

And the proximate cause:
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34643094-L.jpg

Click here (http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/gallery/781558/1/34643094) for a link to the full picture gallery from the day...

A:

My guess based on seeing the pix....a total loss. Interesting issue regarding insurance.....what's a boy to do?

Again, glad your not badly hurt. Get well soon. Will you be able to "kick ass" with the other foot?

--george

You may very well be right. If you want a full-size, full-res picture of the damaged bike, here's a link

http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34643361-O.jpg

(don't want to put the mongo pic within the thread).

I haven't figured out about insurance yet either. I own the bike outright, so we have some options. It's not a race, it's an "instructional event", so it is not negated by my policy. Bluebook on the bike is probably around $6K on the low end, which would be a nice check that would be useful for a replacement. But with my well-known insurance woes over the last year or two, Ann and I are worried that one more claim and we'll both be booted from the current policies right-quick... My current plan is to get an estimate from a trusted mechanic before deciding. On Tuesday I'll be calling my agent to figure out the details of when something must be reported; I'm pretty sure I can hold off on a claim or not for weeks, but we'll see.

If the mechanic says the bike can be put back in running trim for a reasonable amount, plan would be to do exactly that and sell it. But first I want to deal with my physical problems, then I'll attack the bike's problems...

Alex,
just so you know
I put the word out down at Hattar that you had a fall down yesterday hoping that it might garner you some consideration in the line for a new R6, that revs to 17500 rpm, BTW........while there: of couse I fell in lust with the new FZ1 (peewee are you out there?)
that bike might help me from getting my ass handed to me by George this a.m.on the ride, me on the Honda XR650 ( the only knike in a gun fight!) and he on the 4 valve 12oo cc Wunderbike



but it will be pretty hard to get some stroke on these bikes, the R6's are going to be very popular
I'll keep you posted

Joseph

Just got back in town and checked the board....oh $hit!

A quick call to Alex/Ann confirms he's in good spirits....in lots of pain, but catching up on Tivo and planning his comeback.

Like everyone else, we're sorry to hear about the tumble, but very, very thankful it wasn't worse. A highside over 80 mph is one of my "worst case" scenarios.

Alex, let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

We are home safe and Alex is recovering in style. His corner on the couch, in front of the TV, is surrounded by his favorite things and necessary items for comfort – remotes, laptop computer with wireless internet access, his favorite magazines, hot cocoa with marshmallows, snacks galore, bottle of prescription painkillers, Advil, cell phone, home phone, wallet, crutches, and bags of ice. I’d take a picture of him and his raised leg, but he’s not in the most photogenic mood :).

Yesterday was quite the adventure. Alex’s incident occurred on the last lap of the second session. As usual, I was situated along the straight between turns 13 and 14, timing Alex, Mark, Ben, and Kim. On the last lap, Alex didn’t come around at his prescribed time. About 2 seconds later I see a black flag at turn 13 and about 5 seconds after that the white and red ambulance is out on the track. The sequence of events to this point is similar to a trackday back in May when a friend had gone off track. I didn’t handle the previous event too well :(. This time I was determined to keep my emotions in check, especially in case I had to make any hard decisions, I wanted to be sure my head was in the right place. I took lots of deep breaths and looked skyward to keep the tears from streaming down my face. For those macho men out there who do not have functioning tear ducts, looking upward keeps the tears from overflowing. Blinking helps too.

When the ambulance started to come back to the paddock, I hopped on the back of Kim’s bike (Thanks Kim!) and we rode towards it. Alex was in the passenger seat of the ambulance and must have seen us because he gave us a big grin :D and a thumbs-up :thumbup. (Sigh.) After Ben/Mark removed Alex’s boots and leathers (thanks guys!), we headed to the hospital in Willows to get Alex’s ankle and pinky checked. I guess one good thing about a small town is that there is no waiting in the waiting room of the Emergency Room. We were seen right away, x-rays were taken, and the doctor sent us home with a prescription for the pain.

The funniest thing about yesterday happened at the Walmart when we were waiting for Alex’s prescription to be filled. I had left him at the front of the store in a chair with his leg propped up on another chair. I guess he was bored, so hopped his way over to one of those electric shopper carts that the elderly use – a motorcycle for shoppers – that has a basket up front for your shopping items. He had managed to prop his leg up on the basket, got his crutches up on it too, and was cruising around the store looking for me! Talk about a photo opportunity! Normally I bring the digital camera with me when shopping at Walmart, but this time I had forgotten it in the car :).

As you’ve read above, Alex was lucky enough not to break anything… except for his bike. He’s got a very sprained right ankle and a bruised right pinky. He’s doing as well as can be expected and we’ve been joking around about how there are better ways to go about buying the new R6, how he finally got his knee (and elbow) down, how when my ride’s (bicycle) rear tire went out in the morning we should have known that his was going to do the same, how the stupid pink bunny I brought to Thunderhill was no longer allowed to attend future trackdays, etc.

http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34642690-L.jpg

Thanks to Mark, Ben, and Kim for all your help yesterday and for visiting at the hospital, thanks to our neighbor Mark who helped with the bike and trailer once we got home, and thanks to all those who posted, wrote, or called! Alex may be immobile now, but he’s already talking about his next trackday, purchasing new stuff (helmet, boots, and bike?), getting his Helimot leathers repaired (see some pics below of his leathers), and showing me clips from today’s AMA races that were similar to what happened to him.

http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34685501-M.jpg

http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34685650-M.jpg

For now, I feel like Florence Nightingale. Although, The English Patient and Misery have also come to mind, but neither of those movies had a good ending for the patient or caretaker. Anyway, hope to see everyone soon! We may not make the PeeWee ride, but we’ll definitely be there for Wawona!

now THOSE knee pucks have cred!

not hard to imagine alex riding the electric cart at walmart....did you time him lapping from the pharmacy round the garden section, through housewares and back to the drug counter?

"Misery"...funny...

I must say I admired Annie's and Alex's positive spirit after they returned to the track. That sort of event is likely to diminish ones love of the sport, but not the Ciurczaks!! Very cool you guys! :bow

It was similar to when Joseph took a spill a couple of months ago. Watching the ambulance roll out with that sick feeling in your stomach...You always hope for the best, but just don't know until they return to the pits smiling and limping. The emotions of relief standing next to your friend and patting them on the back is so strong. A little worse for wear, but still eager to get back on the bike and keep going...

Ben, Kim and I continued for one more session while the Ciurczaks went to get x-rayed. It was a very mellow 20 minutes on the track. I just really wanted to get to the hospital to find out how our friend was. We grabbed a bite at the bar-b-que and waited for the raffle before we left. Funnily enough they were giving out t-shirts with a picture of Ben Spies falling off his motorcycle and landing on his head with the caption "Why?". Well Ben won one, so we thought Alex might appreciate the irony if we delivered it to him at the hospital. He got a good chuckle out of it. :D

After we all returned to the track, I was feeling much better knowing Alex was not damaged too severly. I thought I would pay for a session with a video camera following me on another bike. It was a really good session, but I had a big tail slide at the same spot (turn 9) that Alex was high sided! It almost went into a tank slapper, but I muscled the bars to recover. Unfortunately since I was off line, I was mostly out of frame on the video. I will get the DVD next week and will try and post a link to it.

Here are a couple of shots from the day. A good one of Ben and I coming over turn 9.

http://www.pixe.com/public/thill_2.jpg
http://www.pixe.com/public/thill_3.jpg
http://www.pixe.com/public/thill_1.jpg

although bervity is not a strong suit....
in a word
NICE, especially pix 3
I better get out there soon, I am getting slower I can feel it

Joseph

So glad to see you are okay and in such good spirits. Ice that ankle and you will feel alot better. Vicodin or Lortabs will make you more comfortable for sleeping but be ware of the constipation they will cause. Almost worst than the sore ankle. I am afraid this is why I chose to sell off my R6 and stay off the track. It was fun but I soon realized that there was no where to go on the track but down. I really enjoy the new K1200S and it should satisfy my need for speed without going to the track. Hope you will be up and about in time to make the Wawona trip in Oct. Give my best to Annie.

Have fun and ride safe,
Steve

not hard to imagine alex riding the electric cart at walmart....did you time him lapping from the pharmacy round the garden section, through housewares and back to the drug counter? Well, since you mentioned it... Lap Times! I was there for the first two sessions of the day, so got times for Alex, Mark, and Ben. Whatever data I had for each person, I put it together on a single graph per individual. I also put together a comparison graph of Alex, Mark, and Ben for the 2 sessions on Saturday. Enjoy!

Alex's Lap Times at Thunderhill
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34862275-L.jpg

Mark's Lap Times at Thunderhill
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34862266-L.jpg

Ben's Lap Times at Thunderhill
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34862271-L.jpg

Comparison Chart
http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/34862273-L.jpg

As is typical, Alex's first lap of the day started high, but was at 2:15 by the second session, 1 second above his current 2:14 record. Ben and Mark were having a pretty amazing morning. 2:10 for Mark and 2:12 for Ben! I'm sure their times improved as the day progressed. I know Mark's bike timer was not working, but Ben said his was... so if anyone wants to send me data (hint, hint), I'd be more than happy to update the graphs!

Well, crap. Radiologist reviewed the films, and I have a break in a bone in my foot, and a possible fractured pinky. Good news is the doc extended pain meds without me needing to go back to the ER, but now I need to find an orthopod and get in there tomorrow or wednesday.

http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/24531020-L.gif
Hmmm... now that we know your foot is broken and possibly the pinky too, makes me rethink your signature... not so funny/cute anymore :(. I think it needs an update.

Always the smarta$$. Surprised you didn't say "Who needs the rear brake anyway..."

Always the smarta$$. Surprised you didn't say "Who needs the rear brake anyway..."

Argh. Too bad about the fracture, though your intuition was correct that the pain didn't seem consistent with a sprain.

Was it DuHamel who rode with his leg in a cast? A thumb lever can be fitted to work the rear brake... ;)

Banner Boy, bummer.

Listen, after many years as a National Ski Patroller and OEC instructor, I have the solution to a faster healing process.

R.I.C.E

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

The better you adhere to it the faster the healing process.

Rest is obvious. Get off the ankle as much as possible. Maybe even use crutches. A sprain amounts to soft tissues (ligaments, tendons and muscles) being stretched to the point that they tear. In some cases they will detach from their connection points. Picture a piece of shock cord being stretched beyond its length. Little pieces of rummber start to make the cord look like a hair braid with split ends.

I suggest you go to Longs and buy the blue liquid bags in the first aid department that you put in the freezer. They are maleable and can be held in place with a very wide ace bandage. The more time in ice, the better. Hospitals now use a device that pumps coolant in tubes in a bandage that is in contact with the wound. The idea is to get the swelling down. It works, because the tiny blood vessels that are full of non-circulating blood and other fluids are forced to contract. This forces all of those fluids away, and fresh fluid rushes in when the ice is removed and the blood flows in.

DESPITE ALL ADVICE TO THE CONTRARY - DO NOT - DO NOT USE HEAT. You need to get rid of the inflammation, heat causes it. Pro athletes put thier limbs into ice cold whirlpools hours on end. Consult the writings of Richard Garret, head orthopede at St. Mary's in SF. He is world renowned.

When unable to use ice, compress the area with an ace bandage. Tight enough to squash the swelling. Not so tight that you do not have circulation going to your toes. Test by squeezing each toenail, and look to see that circulation returns when you stop.

The brace does two things. It reminds you that you are hurt, and should not do stupid things like walk. It supposedly keeps you from moving the joint. At all costs, stop moving the joint. Remember the picture of the shock cord being stretched. The more it is stretched, the more the soft tissues continue to tear.

Later, when all swelling is gone, simple non-gravity stretches will help to restore most of the previous function. However, the ankle will remain weak for a very long time. If it feels better, good. But it's not better. It's just healing.

Elevation means keeping the injured part of the body slightly above your heart as much as possible. Put some wood blocks on the bottom of your bed so you feet are slightly elevated. Eight hours of this works wonders.

Avoid standing.

When seated, put your ankle up on an ottoman or stool. Of course keep the ice wrap on as much as possible.

Pain releavers are great because things don't hurt anymore. However, their effectiveness wains. Codeine causes constipation. It is also habituating. Tylenol is an anti-inflamation compound. Do not drink any alcohol, because the combination is devastating on the liver. Since both substances affect the whole body when only you ankle (and finger?) need help. (PS same treatment for the fingure. A tongue suppressor splint is a good idea, or get one of those metal ones from Long's. Same reasons as stated above.)

Sorry for going on and on, especially in the forum. But everyone can use this advice. Folks in emergency rooms are great, but they are not great for what happens afterwards.

I would also be cautious that their opinion that there is no break. Often small fractures get missed in xrays. Sometimes they are simply not visible. Since you did some cartwheeling, you could easily have cause a compression fracture. Long distance runners get these frequently.

Don't try doing what you did at age 61. You are young, and will heal.

I respect your courage. Spend some time picturing the '06 to keep you from being miserable while healing.

See ya soon, geoirishbox (shea).

Take my advice still. Geo

Thanks George! I have an appointment this afternoon with an ortho in Fremont, and will be continuing the RICE up until then. A buddy of mine actually sent that to me yesterday as RICED, with D for whatever drugs are available at the time. :) I do have crutches, and certainly need them as I still can't put any weight on my ankle even if I was dumb enough to choose to.

Did you get the carbon fiber crutches yet? :bounce

Picked up some good viewing last night. The "Faster" collectors DVD has the additional 2004 MotoGP season on it as well...perfect for heavy RICED sessions!

no cf crutches yet, but i am the proud renter of a snazzy wheelchair. why, pray tell? Well, I'm going to be laid up for a few weeks. Not so good news coming from the ortho; I now have hard casts on both my right ankle and right hand due to a fractured ankle (talus bone) and fractured pinky. Ever try to use crutches with a cast on one hand? It's going to be a fun time. Please remind me to buy Annie something nice just about, oh, every week after I recover. Here is a link (http://www.montgomerybikers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225) to a new thread about the recovery process...

Upside is that I'll probably have a full recovery at soime point soon, and I get to learn from this. It could have been so much worse. BTW, the ortho said motorcycles are dangerous and I should do what I can to avoid them in the future. :D

Here's me, finally with the time to grow a full beard, learning to type with one hand, in my preferred location for the next few weeks....

http://aciurczak.smugmug.com/photos/35012720-L.jpg

yowza....that wasn't what i expected to hear...a cast or booty on the ankle maybe...but a forearm cast for a broken pinkie? where is it broken?

what are you doing about work?

when can we sign your casts?

i hear pizza helps bones heal...

i see an "island" in ann's future!

yowza....that wasn't what i expected to hear...a cast or booty on the ankle maybe...but a forearm cast for a broken pinkie? 1. where is it broken?

2. what are you doing about work?

3. when can we sign your casts?

4. i hear pizza helps bones heal...

5. i see an "island" in ann's future!

1. it's fractured right at the joint where it connects to my hand, there's a small chip there. evidently this will help ensure full function.

2. tbd. probably short term disability

3. whenever you like

4. i sure hope so...

5. only if it is compatible with the '06 R6 fund.... :D

Umm... now your throttle hand doesn't work... better change that signature again! :D

As for buying me stuff - why wait? You have internet access. I hear 1800flowers.com delivers. :p

I can work with dbmann on the island while you recover.

OK, funny story 1 of the day. If you look at the picture of Alex on the couch closely, you will see that his pinky and ring finger are casted together. His thumb, index, and middle fingers are not casted. As the othopedic's assistant was casting Alex's hand, I was making comments like "Live long and prosper!" and "Nanu, Nanu!" The doc had a good chuckle. Alex was not as amused. Personally, I'm still laughing at my own joke - it's funny!

Funny story 2 - after the doc visit, we went a few doors down to a store to rent the wheelchair and purchase a few other items. Alex was not in the mood to shop, so remained in the car. A lady in the store was helping me. I was looking at the cast shower guards so Alex can bathe without getting his two casts wet. I grabbed an arm one and foot/leg one. The lady pointed out that one was for the arm and one for the foot/leg and asked which one I needed. I said "both". The lady helping me said "both!!!" and then she and the other lady at the cash register busted out laughing - so did I. :D They then both apoligized and hoped that Alex recovered soon, but were still chuckling.

Hey guys (Mark, Ben, and Kim)! Did you notice Alex's T-shirt in the above pic? It's the "Why?" shirt you guys brought for him at the hospital!

Alex:

I add my best wishes for a speedy recovery and congrats on dodging what could have been a rather nasty bullet!

And I hope you will skip the Wayne Rainey method of dealing with injured digits...

Hey guys (Mark, Ben, and Kim)! Did you notice Alex's T-shirt in the above pic? It's the "Why?" shirt you guys brought for him at the hospital!

I'll see if I can get some "Why?" pajamas from Ben Spies! :D

Yes! They'll go well with his Teddy Bear! :D

Finally checked the forum since getting busy the first of Sept. :( BUMMER Alex. All my get-offs have been slow and embarrassing instead of too painful!
I understand too well the recuperation! Terri had spinal decompression and fusion a week ago Monday and I am playing the "primary care-giver" for a while.

I understand too well the recuperation! Terri had spinal decompression and fusion a week ago Monday and I am playing the "primary care-giver" for a while.Well, hopefully your "Patient" is better than mine :p.

Annie,
I refuse to make a comment on a semi-public forum! Heh! Heh! :D