I know there are many motorcycle enthusiasts on this forum, so I want to share this with you. This last weekend I had the unpleasant task of tending to a good friend, and riding buddy, on the side of the road after he lost control of his motorcycle while rounding a 10 mph curve. I won't give details, other than we were not speeding or being reckless. We had been through several sharp turns on this road and were respecting the speed restrictions. Unfortunately, my friend wasn't wearing his helmet. Thanks to the low speed during the accident, his road rash is not severe, but his head injury has him in the ICU yet. He will fully recover but, due to the head injury, that recovery is going to take much, much longer. My plea, to any motorcycle rider - Please Wear Your Helmet! I have heard all the excuses why not to wear a helmet, and used a few myself over the years. Thanks to another riding friend, who, by always wearing his helmet over the last couple of years, has encouraged me to wear mine. I realize wearing a helmet won't prevent accidents, but you don't want to deal with the head injuries if you can help it. So, I would like to encourage all of the motorcycle riders on the forum to lead by example and wear your helmet.
I used to be a die hard non helmet wearing rider believing that a helmet wasnt going to make much of a difference if I had an accident riding my bike, and I'm still not convinced it would do much at the speeds I travel at, but I do wear my helmet everytime I ride now. Not for me, but for my family members. It makes them feel better.
When the law first passed in MI I never wore a helmet no matter where I went but now with the increase of terrible drivers, it is always on. Highway and no helmet on a Ninja is sketchy to say the least.
Praying for a quick recovery for your friend. I have had 2 motorcycles in the last few years and sell them quickly. Idk why but I want one and then I have one I just fear for my kids growing up without me so I sell it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My brother walked away from a motorcycle accident in the 1970's that shattered the side out of his helmet. He is still around thanks to that helmet. I remember holding that broken helmet and thinking that would have been his skull if he had not worn the helmet. My parents required him to wear it. It saved them from burying him as a young man in my opinion.
It's a joke to see some of the helmets bikers wear. They barely cover the top of their head and there's really no padding on the inside. In no way is that going to protect them.
I have a cousin that was killed when he crashed his Harley. No helmet. All of my brothers have crashed one way or another on their bikes and because they had helmets, survived with no head injuries. One of the crashes resulted in a cracked helmet. I work for emergency rooms... motorcycles will always be good for business, helmet or no helmet but more money can be made off an injured person than a dead one.. so suck it up and wear a helmet. Side note: I took an advanced motorcycle class, the kind wear they teach you to go around in teeny-weenie circles and make 90 degree turns from a dead stop with no duck paddling. Crash avoidance and all that. It was the kind of class where everybody was dropping their bikes left and right. I highly, highly recommend taking a class like it. Anyhow, the guys that run it are the motorcycle cops you see on the videos doing the impressive and challenging courses. They had a whole bunch of statistics with them on crashes and they said that the half helmets are a bit better than the full face helmets. They said any advantage of the full helmet in protection was negated by the limits in hearing and vision. So, there's that.
By the grace of God I'm alive today dispite the stupidity of youth of not wearing a helmet in an ATV wreck. The knee to hip raspberry healed up, the bruises healed, the two vertebrae (C7 and T6) that I broke healed too...poorly but they healed. Accidents are that, and happen in a blink. Be careful with your bikes AND ATVs/UTVs.
I don't see how anyone can justify not wearing a helmet. I was always in full leathers, boots, helmet and gloves. This is my bike after crashing at roughly 60 mph. Never got a scratch or any injuries. Bout 25 people seen it and came running and they said they figured I was dead. Prayers for your buddy
Wow! Glad you are safe. I met a guy, who was part of another MC, named "Deer Slayer". I naturally thought that he hunted, so I striked up a conversation with the guy.. Me : "Nice club name, do you bowhun?" DS : "Nope, never have." Me : .. "you just gun hunt?" DS : "Never hunted in my life" He was having fun screwing with me I think. ME : I'm sure i had a puzzled look on my face.. "So why the club name Deer Slayer?" DS : "I hit a deer, a buck specifically, at 60 mph, head on" ME : Jaw on the floor, "How did you survive?!" DS : "It was November, so I had my chaps, jacket, gloves, ect on.. I was layered up. I hit the deer right before a long sweeper and when we collided, I went over my handlebars, somehow missing the deers antlers, and into the dead leaves and rolled. Didn't break a bone or anything. I did however, kill the deer.. hence the club name, deer slayer"
Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well wishes. My friend is coming home tomorrow, but getting out of the hospital isn't the end of his recovery. It may be several weeks yet before he can go back to work. He will be on activity restrictions for another 4-6 months, so he'll miss hunting season. It may take a while, but he should fully recover.
I'm glad to hear he will recover, even though it will cost him the hunting season. And I didnt mention this before, but as a rider, I do appreciate that you had enough concern to make a post about it. Thank you!
