My real sad moto guzzi story

[stogieBill]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, Rick.

 

I would like to echo what others have said about not acting too rashly in giving up motorcycling.

 

Some of life's lessons are tough to swallow, but we learn from our mistakes and become better riders because of them.

 

Best wishes for a speedy and complete healing.

[waspp]

Wow! Rick I'm sorry to hear about your accident, I hope you recover completely. I know it might sound trite but it can always be worse. Take care

 

waspp

[slug]

Glad to know you're going to be OK Rick. Here's to a speedy and complete recovery!

[Guest nathan]

Heres to a speedy recovery Rick

 

So... I'm looking for a triple tree to put on my 00' v11. Do you think yours will fit and what do you want for it? Or how good is the condition of you complete front end after your "tap and burn."

 

Again speedy recovery.

 

Nathan

[badmotogoozer]

That really sucks Rick. Hope you recover to normal again. I'm still waiting for medical plastics to get to the point where they can replace my shattered knee cap from a crash several years ago...

 

This brings up a good point though. When my bike fell over in my workshop, gas was gushing out the absent tip over valve. When I pulled my back trying to lift the Guzzi both bikes and myself were now lying onthe floor in a puddle of gas with me freaking about losing everything I have in a fire if it ignited.

 

While lying on the floor it occurred to me that if I ever went down the bike would quite likely burn...

 

So how do we solve both the tank suck problem AND still not be left with a burnt mess after a minor slide???

 

Rj

[Anthro]

Rick, that was a terrible experience, I am glad you only had recoverable injuries.

 

I am really respectful of your desition of selling the bikes, but please stand by until thiings cool off in your mind and family.

 

Parting the MG may sound sad but you may get to recover more money that way.

 

Anthro

[Frenchbob]

Been there. This is my Thunderbird. Took me nine years to get it to this state after a minor accident in 1983 resulted in a total burn-out. Three of the nine years were spent wondering where I could possibly start.

 

We're now in 1992. Thunderbird finished. Proud. Major getting off my Ducati. Broken bones, time off work, shit flying in all directions. Wife saying stop riding or divorce. Sold all the bikes except one: the newly-finished Thunderbird. It was a year before I rode again, and another year before I got on a faster bike.

 

I'll just echo what the others have said, Rick. Keep one bike, any bike and don't close the door completely. You'll be back.

[Guest Bruce]

Here's to a speedy recovery Rick. It says alot about you that you'd not only share the details of the accident but your personnel decision as well. A sobering reminder for sure. Best of luck with the next chapter in your life.

 

Bruce

[al_roethlisberger]

...really sorry to hear about your accident and injury Rick.

 

I am glad to hear that you are healing up!

 

Good luck.

 

al

[TX REDNECK (R.I.P.)]

Keep one bike, any bike and don't close the door completely.

 

What Bob said Here's to speedy recovery

[tikkanen]

Echo all the abovementioned. Get well soon, Rick.

 

Cheers

Søren

[dlaing]

So how do we solve both the tank suck problem AND still not be left with a burnt mess after a minor slide???

88793[/snapback]

I remember the first time someone showed me the tank suck fix, and reached under my gas cap and pulled out the little seal plug and tossed it to the ground saying, "problem solved"

I chased the bouncing rubber, grabbed it, and put it in my pocket.

I later sliced a small slit in it and reinstalled it.

The fuel should drain more slowly.

In retrospect I would go with an even smaller slit, as it only needs a pin hole to breathe.

Or better yet, the "proper" solution is to allign the tip over valve properly, relative to gravity.

This might require longer hoses and duct taping to the frame.

Some valves may even have been installed backwards

[Guest Nogbad]

I remember the first time someone showed me the tank suck fix, and reached under my gas cap and pulled out the little seal plug and tossed it to the ground saying, "problem solved"

I chased the bouncing rubber, grabbed it, and put it in my pocket.

I later sliced a small slit in it and reinstalled it.

The fuel should drain more slowly.

In retrospect I would go with an even smaller slit, as it only needs a pin hole to breathe.

Or better yet, the "proper" solution is to allign the tip over valve properly, relative to gravity.

This might require longer hoses and duct taping to the frame.

Some valves may even have been installed backwards

89208[/snapback]

 

If the tip over valve design works on most V11 Sports, and it does on mine, clearly the solution is to put it together properly. It's also worth noting that the incidence of vehicle fires has increased markedly with the introduction of unleaded petrol (gas). For the safety of others as well as yourself, I would say taking the tip over valve off or the cap seal out is tantamount to negligence, but that is just my opinion. Your bike may never fall over.

[Guest ratchethack]

I would say taking the tip over valve off or the cap seal out is tantamount to negligence, but that is just my opinion.  Your bike may never fall over.

Good point. It might never be stolen, either. The concept of cheap "mechanical insurance" against downside possibilities - even when the probabilities are very small, yet overwhelmingly devastating - makes sense for most riders, myself included.

[orangeokie]

. . .I suffered 2 broken ankles, a few broken ribs, a broken wrist,and elbow. I am currently recouperating at home in a wheelchair,after a month in the hospital in Tucson. sad to admitt.... after much deliberation,and discussion with my family, I have decided to give up motorcycle riding . at my age , Im just too old to risk another accident in the future. . . .

88641[/snapback]

 

Rick I'm really sorry to hear of your misfortune. I have posted the photo below on here before as a reminder to myself and others that there is a very thin line between life and death when we are out enjoying one of life's little thrills.

 

thumbnail

 

Before totally my SL mille in this accident, where I broke my wrist, I had another less catastophic get off about six months earlier, where I was relatively uninjured save for a few bruises and a pulled groin muscle. One constant in each get off was the fact I was wearing full leathers with armor, helmet, gloves and race boots (Alpinestar Super Techs to be exact). I think those boots saved my ankels in both accidents. I am just curious as to what riding gear you wore the day of your accident, and if you had it to do over again, would you choose different gear. Sort of a "safety question" if you don't mind. I'm a safety manager for my company, and most of our riders are "Easy Rider Harley image" types. Most don't even wear a helmet, and I am always looking for ways to influence their decision to wear some or more protective gear.

 

As for giving up riding entirely, we all know that is strickly a personal decision since so much is at stake (a life and death/financial risk decision), but I can tell you, at 53 years of age, I thought long and hard about giving up riding because I doubted my personal ability to ride safely and competently on a litre sport bike. I did consider getting a Triumph Thruxon or TBS just for local cruising, until I found this forum and my beloved Rosso Corsa. It is the perfect bike for my riding style and I'm glad I bought it and kept riding. My wife worries about me every time I go out, but she understands it is part of my nature (risk taking) and helps to keep me young at heart. As a former military pilot, I know a thing or two about risk taking, and it is something that never crosses the minds of most folks in their day to day, mundain lives.

 

The good thing about your injuries are that they will heal over time. I parted my aprilia out and concentrated on healing. Nevertheless, during that recovery time, I spent many hours purusing this forum and dreaming about the day I would own another motorcycle, and how I would change my approach to riding (reducing risk). Knock on wood!