My TT Trip 2007 (or Bugger.) (long)

It was a fantastic 9 days out there, followed by a pretty shit day,
another shit day, a slightly better day and rounded off with a
reasonably pleasant couple of days.

The Good Bit.

Arriving to some changeable weather, I was wondering if volunteering to
marshal on the mountain was a good idea or not. It looked like I'd get
my taste of crap conditions, waiting about on a dank hill in the middle
of the sea for someone in an nice warm office to announce the days
racing was off, or worse, just postponed for another hour.

Thankfully conditions improved and the only really bad day was Mad
Sunday. I did go out for a short lap (this being the sneaky route of
cutting down the coast from Douglas to Ramsey, then back over the
one-way mountain section), but it might as well have been a short swim.
From just after Joeys to the Creg (about 12 miles) was rain and
standing water. I was expecting it to be damp, but not that damp. Of
course, it was one way, and there was no way out, and nowhere really to
stop. By the time I got to the bungalow (the only really safe stopping
place) I was wet, and the visibility was shocking so I pressed on.

The rest of it was fantastic - watching a sidecar loose a wheel at eek
mph, having the bikes go past one-lane-width away - great fun. Riding
the 10R around was fantastic, and I couldn't get enough of it (more
about that later). I really didn't realise what a reputation the bike
has. During one lull in Ramsey, while waiting for the mountain to
reopen, I got chatting to a few blokes about stuff. They asked about my
bike, specifically the damper as they'd not seen one like that before.
Me: "It's helped quite a lot, I'm glad I got it"
Him: "Yeah, they're quite flighty aren't they? It's the 6, right?"
Me: "No, the 10."
Him: "Whoa, really? Fucking hell. That's mental."
They then went a bit quiet, and thankfully the road reopened. It all
seemed a bit over the top for me.

The GPR damper, fitted just before heading over there, calmed down the
flappy front end but wasn't noticeable at low speed at all. Every time
I got on the bike I noticed it was there, but as soon as I set off I
forgot about it. Perfect. That, coupled with some suspension tweaks
from Mr. Bonwick saw the 10R very stable in the corners. Riding over
the mountain was serious fun, and the sheer feeling of elation I got
from that is why the next bit doesn't bother me at all.

The Bad Bit.

Well, as some of you already know (having dealt with the aftermath) I
had a bit of an "oops" over at the TT. Perhaps the chaps in Ramsey were
right after all. A few details have been left out as I'm still sorting
the whole thing out with the insurance company[1], but at least plod
don't seem to be interested anymore.

I'd nipped out for a last ride around, and on reaching Ramsey the
mountain was shut. Oh well, I thought. It's the last day, the boat's
leaving in a few hours, back to the hut and pack up. Bimble, bimble,
ooh, sky, ground, tumble, ow, slide, tumble, ow, stop, people, ow,
policeman, ambulance, morphine, ahh, helicopter, hospital. That's
roughly how it went.

The bike to me is still a bit of an unknown. Keith (known to a few of
these parts) was kind enough to pick the bike up sharpish and store it
for me while I was playing space cadets in the hospital. He's having a
few professional eyes cast over it to see if it's a) repairable and b)
worth repairing. Top chap. There's cosmestic damage down the left hand
side, along with a few other bits and pieces (apparently - the last
time I saw the bike properly was just before I last got on it).

The kit stood up quite well. It's all still over on the island, but
I'll look at it properly when I get it home. My MJK suit was cut off
(the remnants of which I still have, should I want to make a weird
biker-skin rug I suppose) but showed little damage. There was one small
hole in one forearm where I'd slid on the same part in a previous off.
Other than that it seemed ok. When I get it back I'll do a check for
burst seams, etc.

The armour in the suit only showed a small mark on one piece. The rest
was unmarked. I had foam in the shoulders and elbows, with a rubbery
stuff in the hips. No broken bones in those areas, and no bruising
either. There was a slight soreness and stiffness in the hips, but
considering the amount of tumbling I was suprised there wasn't a lot
more. Thanks for the recommendations on that Loz.

The daytona boots were a bit scuffed, but again generally ok. One boot
had a hole worn in the outer, but the inner boot showed only very light
scuffing on a plastic part. I did have bruised toes from the tumbling -
I felt that happening, and I'm not sure how that could be avoided other
than wearing lots of padded socks.

My brand new HJC helmet had some scuffing up the front, but was
otherwise undamaged. As it has been in an accident they cut the straps
off. It would've been nice to have the option to have it looked at, but
then again I don't think I'd risk it. I think I'll be getting another
one though.

The back protector showed no signs of damage, and the back of the suit
didn't show any marks or scuffing. I don't think I landed on my back at
all from the marks on the suit.

As for me, cosmetic damage to a few extremities (which has all but now
healed) and a more structural "fractured spine" (I've peered at the
xrays quite a bit but I don't know what they're on about). Each day's
an improvement, so it does appear to be just a matter of time.

In my short experience of crashing bikes[2] I'd say that the IoM during
TT fortnight is a great place to crash, providing you know a few people
there. While I was whisked away via helicopter to the hospital
everything else was sorted out for me. When I was discharged the
assembled UKRMers had faffed with ferry crossings to give me options on
returning. However, a very nice chap offered me a bed for an extra
couple of days recovery before getting a boat home. I can't thank
people enough, and I'm humbled by the effort everyone put in.

Huge, huge thanks to Adie, Andy, Keith, Harry, Kai, Statto, Champ,
Fish, Ginge, Mike, the people who stopped, the helicopter pilots, all
the staff at Nobles, and the IoM police force for sending a copper with
a decent bedside manner.

The only questions now are how long it'll be before I can get another
05 10R, how much it'll cost to insure, and how much is a new set of kit
going to cost.

[1] who've been most helpful so far. I've been with them for years, but
now we'll see if this side of them is any good.
[2] 2 majors, 4 minors, 1 comical.

 

<Traditional response>

Clumsy ****. GWS.

</tr>

 

Ouch. Still, you got a ride in a heli and a trip to Noble's where all
the top riders get to go. Cool!

Hope it all gets sorted and GWS.

 

Christofire wrote:

[stuff]

Glad you're on the mend.

You could always get an 06 on 0% instead.. Take whatever the insurance
pay out is, buy new gear, put £99 down, sign the forms.. enjoy.

You'll even get an ohlins damper that way.

 

<snip tale of fun and crashage>

GWS mate. Presumably you didn't have your young lady with you at the
time ?

1 comical ?

 

Oh, come on: everyone has a comical crash at some point, don't they?

Of course, it doesn't usually seem like it at the time, but once the
pain has faded, the bones have healed, chicks prefer a nice personality
to scars and the ribbing from your mates lasts forever.

 

Hmmm, I reckon that my crashing career probably consists of about 20
minors (including off-road ones), 2 comicals, and just 1 major, which
was also one of the comicals. I mean, if stoppying at 60+mph and
flying into the crash barrier nackwards isn't comical, what is, eh?

<Wince>

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Whaa-aat?! How many?

Ah. Well, those don't count, of course ;-)

 

How many?! You want to learn to ride, you do.

I don't suppose you thought it was comical in the first few days (or
even weeks) after. Good that you can consider it comical now though, I
guess.

FWIW, I can only remember 5 minor accidents although I'm sure there
were a few more insignificant ones on top of those. Even so, that's
not too bad really.

 

Nackwards? I'm not surprised you're wincing!

 

I learnt to ride off-road, where the old adage "if you don't crash,
you're not trying hard enough" is very much applicable. I probably had
about four or five on-road minors in my first few years of riding,
then about two a decade since then. Most of them were of the "kick it
straight, ride it home" variety. All bar one, I think.

I was being ironic.

Sorry, what's the difference between minor and insignificant? I was
counting them all, even the 2mph drops and suchlike.

How long you been riding?
--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Indeedy. If the ingredients are a monkey bike, a high kerb and a
shrubbery it's a recipe for comical disaster.

 

I can't count the ones that I can't remember, and I'm assuming that
they must have been insignificant if I can't remember them, iyswim.

Since 1980-86 and 1992-present.

 

You've got me thinking now.

Erm..... couple of minor spills, no three, when on my first bike, from
1976-78. Nothing serious. Fell off my 175 in 1979. Fell off my MZ.
Again, minor.

That takes us up to 1980.....

Then a gap of 25 years, and a 5mph/£1000 (and that was fixing it all
myself) drop of my Triumph Trophy in January 2006.

No serious ones (in the sense of incurring injury that needed any type
of medical attention) thank God.

 

AOL

 

Well mine's a complete 'finger in the air' guess too.
--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Christofire wrote:

<snip stuff>

Pillock. GWS.

Nice report BTW.

 

I've probably had about a dozen and they've all been minor (with the
exception of two mediums). And I've not been riding as long as Ace.

Being a dispatcher didn't help in the crashing stakes.

 

Christofire banged the rocks together and they said :

Is what you'll remember in 12 months time and (mostly) forget the rest.

So what happened then? And GWS you clumsy bugger :>

 

I was a DR for a couple of years, and only came off once....