I think I need

[Jarlaxle]

KBB about $8K, damage $5500.

Sportster, so no fairing or floorboards.

[Jarlaxle]

I'm really, really sorry this happened to you, because I know you loved riding and looked forward with great anticipation to your riding vacations. Please do consider getting some assistance with the PTSD, because that IS what it is. The sooner the better, before it's burned too deeply into your neural pathways. You may or may not decide to ride again after working through what you experienced - that's not the point at the moment, and hopefully Liz will give you some space on this (she sounds cool, so I'm betting she will). You should process what you experienced either way, because it's a terrifying thing and won't just go away on its own. I know you're a tough guy Jarl, but there is no shame in tackling PTSD with assistance.

No, it's quite simple. I enjoyed riding. Therefore, it could not be allowed to continue.

For all I understood your link, it might as well have been in Swahili.

[RayThom]

Jarlaxle, you say you're giving up two-wheeling. With all your previous biking experience, with few accidents, I feel you're giving in to your deepest fears way too quickly.

You say you're getting the bike fixed. From your description, if the work is done correctly, your Sportster will look almost like new. Once it's rebuilt why not think about flying out to Wichita, or whatever city 1400 miles got you, and then drive the bike home to New Hampshire.

I'm betting within a few miles of the return trip you'll regain your confidence. Then, once you make it home, you can weigh your options as to your future riding habits.

BTW -- I agree with BSG, you seem to have a more mild form of PTSD. You may want to talk to someone about that -- even if that person is not a profession. Talk therapy does wonders... don't discount its benefit.

[Jarlaxle]

Jarlaxle, you say you're giving up two-wheeling. With all your previous biking experience, with few accidents, I feel you're giving in to your deepest fears way too quickly.

You say you're getting the bike fixed. From your description, if the work is done correctly, your Sportster will look almost like new. Once it's rebuilt why not think about flying out to Wichita, or whatever city 1400 miles got you, and then drive the bike home to New Hampshire.

I'm betting within a few miles of the return trip you'll regain your confidence. Then, once you make it home, you can weigh your options as to your future riding habits.

BTW -- I agree with BSG, you seem to have a more mild form of PTSD. You may want to talk to someone about that -- even if that person is not a profession. Talk therapy does wonders... don't discount its benefit.

By then, I will no longer have a motorcycle endorsement.

[Big RR]

Hang on to the endorsement Jarl; if you ever change your mind, you'll be happy you did.

I can only imagine what an accident like that does to your state of mind; I had a close call skiing this winter and ended up with a bad sprain and seriously considered not skiing anymore, but I ultimately changed my mind and went back later in the year. If it's something you really love, I wouldn't walk away from it too quickly.

[Guinevere]

Hang on to the endorsement Jarl; if you ever change your mind, you'll be happy you did.

I can only imagine what an accident like that does to your state of mind; I had a close call skiing this winter and ended up with a bad sprain and seriously considered not skiing anymore, but I ultimately changed my mind and went back later in the year. If it's something you really love, I wouldn't walk away from it too quickly.

I think he is absolutely correct. Having PTSD is not the state of mind in which you should make major decisions, if you don't have to. But I also hope you get some good sleep soon.

[Jarlaxle]

Almost six hours last night.

[Jarlaxle]

Hang on to the endorsement Jarl; if you ever change your mind, you'll be happy you did.

I can only imagine what an accident like that does to your state of mind; I had a close call skiing this winter and ended up with a bad sprain and seriously considered not skiing anymore, but I ultimately changed my mind and went back later in the year. If it's something you really love, I wouldn't walk away from it too quickly.

That is EXACTLY why I need to remove the M endorsement...remove the temptation, like crossing a bridge, then burning it so retreat is impossible.

I do not want to stop riding...but I am not willing to make my mother bury another son.

[MajGenl.Meade]

You are rationally balancing pleasure against risk. I agree with your conclusion.

Per vehicle mile traveled in 2015, motorcyclist fatalities occurred nearly 29 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes.

In the early 1980s the proportion of fatally injured motorcyclists who were 50 and older started to increase, rising from 3 percent of all rider deaths in 1982 to 13 percent in 1997 and 36 percent in 2016. In contrast, 29 percent of the fatally injured motorcyclists in 2016 were younger than 30, compared with 80 percent in 1975

.

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Pu ... ion/812353

I don't ski (either on snow or water) because death and injury from skiing is more likely to occur when skiing than when not skiing.

[rubato]

Glad you're alive and relatively unhurt. The only valuable thing on a motorcycle is the pilot and he/she is the only thing which values itself so cheaply. I get it, they're fun and when I was a kid I enjoyed them too but when I grew up I realised I had an obligation to the people in my life not to die unnecessarily and leave them in the lurch. Even if it was fun getting there.

yrs,
rubato

[Bicycle Bill]

Could you die on a motorcycle?  Of course you could — in fact, my nephew, who will forever be 27, was killed on one as the result of an accident that was probably 98% his fault.  And in response to Meade, yes, you can also die skiing.  You can also lose your life skydiving, or bicycling, or soaring in a hot-air balloon, or riding in a DUKW a/k/a 'Duck boat' ... all of which I have done (and much, much more) at some point or another in my life.

You can also die by slipping in the bathtub, being hit by a car while walking across the street, becoming the victim of random violence (like those people at the Pulse nightclub, the Route 91 Harvest festival, or the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City), or while on the toilet straining to take a crap.  Just getting out of bed in the morning carries a certain level of risk.

So whaddya gonna do?  Wrap yourself in bubble wrap and packing peanuts and slowly atrophy away while life passes you by, or cowboy up and get back on that-there horse (cycle), pardner?  If it were me, I know what my decision would be.

Burn out or rust out.  It's your choice, Jarl.

-"BB"-

[Jarlaxle]

You are rationally balancing pleasure against risk. I agree with your conclusion.

Per vehicle mile traveled in 2015, motorcyclist fatalities occurred nearly 29 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes.

In the early 1980s the proportion of fatally injured motorcyclists who were 50 and older started to increase, rising from 3 percent of all rider deaths in 1982 to 13 percent in 1997 and 36 percent in 2016. In contrast, 29 percent of the fatally injured motorcyclists in 2016 were younger than 30, compared with 80 percent in 1975

.

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Pu ... ion/812353

I don't ski (either on snow or water) because death and injury from skiing is more likely to occur when skiing than when not skiing.

No, I am simply acknowledging that everythng I touch turns to shit. I loved riding...but that cannot be permitted.

[Jarlaxle]

Could you die on a motorcycle?  Of course you could — in fact, my nephew, who will forever be 27, was killed on one as the result of an accident that was probably 98% his fault.  And in response to Meade, yes, you can also die skiing.  You can also lose your life skydiving, or bicycling, or soaring in a hot-air balloon, or riding in a DUKW a/k/a 'Duck boat' ... all of which I have done (and much, much more) at some point or another in my life.

You can also die by slipping in the bathtub, being hit by a car while walking across the street, becoming the victim of random violence (like those people at the Pulse nightclub, the Route 91 Harvest festival, or the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City), or while on the toilet straining to take a crap.  Just getting out of bed in the morning carries a certain level of risk.

So whaddya gonna do?  Wrap yourself in bubble wrap and packing peanuts and slowly atrophy away while life passes you by, or cowboy up and get back on that-there horse (cycle), pardner?  If it were me, I know what my decision would be.

Burn out or rust out.  It's your choice, Jarl.

-"BB"-

What will i do? Tentatively...pour rotgut down my throat until i puke.

[Big RR]

Well Jarl, Meade was right and you have to make your own determination about what degree of risk you will tolerate vs the pleasure gained. I wish you the best in dealing with this decision, as it is not an easy one and it is yours alone.

[BoSoxGal]

Pouring rotgut down your throat until you puke is a sure fire recipe for chirrosis and/or cancer and other nasty paths to an early death. It’s essentially slow-motion suicide. The odds are much higher that you will cause your loved ones misery on that path than if you go back to riding when your bike is fixed.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Here in KY there is no requirement for a helmet if you are 20+. I know that presence or absence of a helmet is not a factor in whether an accident occurs. I do see a lot of older bikers (whom seem to be the majority these days) on those three wheeler bikes. I am sure that there is a lot of (hopefully good-natured) ribbing from the two wheel fraternity when one of their number buys a tricycle, but it seems like a very sensible solution. Especially if there are aggressive car and truck driving idiots out there who think it's fun to run a bike off the road.

[RayThom]

Jarl, have you considered a conversion kit? This one looks fairly cool without having too much of a drain on on the ol' testosterone.

Waukesha firm develops kit to transform Harley V-Rod into Scorpion Trike
https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/n ... ley-v.html

[Jarlaxle]

Pouring rotgut down your throat until you puke is a sure fire recipe for chirrosis and/or cancer and other nasty paths to an early death. It’s essentially slow-motion suicide. The odds are much higher that you will cause your loved ones misery on that path than if you go back to riding when your bike is fixed.

It worked for my grandfather.

[Jarlaxle]

Jarl, have you considered a conversion kit? This one looks fairly cool without having too much of a drain on on the ol' testosterone.

Waukesha firm develops kit to transform Harley V-Rod into Scorpion Trike
https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/n ... ley-v.html

I have zero interest in a trike.

[Burning Petard]

It has been more than 20 years since I seriously looked at the accident statistics for motorcycle riders. At that time 90% of fatalities involved riders with less than one years experience, or alcohol. I doubt that has changed much. There is a big difference between hazard and risk. The rider can do alot to reduce the risk. Nothing is safe --only a comparative of more or less safe.. We all must find our own acceptable balance between risks and safety.

snailgate