Bad week for this old guy

[Hef]

I'm 68 yrs old and have ridden all my life. Rode Goldwings from 1983 to 2007. Bought my 2000 Valkyrie with 10K mile in 2007. It now has 117K and is a great machine. This past Tuesday, I had a nice ride of about 275 miles. Passed my daughters house on the way home and noticed they were all outside so I stopped to say hello. Went to leave and was turning around in their driveway when I hit some loose gravel with front tire. It slid out and I lost my balance and dropped the bike on the right side. Attempted to keep the bike from going down and put my right foot out. My ankle rolled on me and my knee popped out. Needless to say the bike went down. I ended up in the hospital ER. Did xrays and thankfully nothing broken and knee had went back in place. Lots of pain and swelling in both knee and ankle. There are three classifications for ankle injuries I suffered the worse one. Dr said it would be three to four weeks before I can walk without an aid, but I'm hoping he is wrong. I'm using a walker to get around and it is a real pain but I will do what I have to do. In all the years of riding big bikes, this is the first time I have done this. Good news is the bike wasn't hurt. (LOL)

[oldsmokey]

NASTY!! Sorry for the injury, to your pride as well I'm sure. I fear such activity myself. I haven't reached your milestone yet, but certainly don't believe I could jump clear as quickly as I might have been able to before, and I think that point of no return for recovery is much less than it used to be. Hoping for a speedy recovery with good results. (like you said, the girl isn't hurt)

[Jess from VA]

Sorry to hear it Hef. 

I continue to stick my leg out when the bike slides or wiggles even though I know rationally (right after I do it) that I will likely mess up my leg if it goes over.  Instinct is not always rational.

I've had it go over in the driveway (working on it), where I just let it go down to the guards, easy.  But mostly, I stick my leg out like I am the Man of Steel.

I hope your ER visit let you keep your home. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I agree with Jess. It's pretty hard not to react and stick your leg out. I imagine you are a little like me, in that you were concerned about the bike getting hurt. I've had more crashes on dirt bikes and street bikes than I care to admit. But the one common denominator about them is I always worried more about what I had done to the bike. Heel up soon my friend. 

[cookiedough]

ah, 4 weeks is not horrible and am sure you are glad no damage to the bike, consider yourself lucky I guess? 

Has not happened to me yet since once around 1990 when I tipped over in uneven driveway my 500lb. honda magna.  Then again,  I tried holding up the bike and let it down gently busting only minor parts under 100 bucks to fix.  I too was pissed off and upset more than I should have been, but no damage to my body.

[old2soon]

When I broke my ankle last August my first question when I came to wuz-how's ma bike?  Bikers git this-NOBODY else does!  When I was motocrossing in Japan and effed up-first question-can I stay in the race?  When I got to the nice lady Doctor the first thing she told me-I do NOT want to plate yer ankle-so Listen to me and do NOT displace your fracture. Walking boot BUT use the crutches and the knee walker-grown up's skate board!  Do NOT rush any of your healing-it WILL take as long as it takes. If you screw up the healing process you gitz ta start all over again!  So do the 4 or 5 weeks the Doc calls for OR miss the entire summer! Your choice-I listened to my Doctor!  TRUST me when I tell ya I KNOW what yer goin thru-been there done that Not ONLY have the T-shirt-also got the walkin boot the crutches and the knee walker! Reminders ya might say!  RIDE SAFE.

[rocketray]

the rehab exercises are critical--the best one is just flexing and extending the ankle-up and down--as often as you can