Be careful out there

[Jeeper0505]

So, I just finished installing a larger fuel tank on my DRZ 400 and loaded it in the truck to fill it up and see how large the tank was. It's 4 gallons but that really doesn't have anything to do with this story. When I got home I left it in the truck until bed time and went out to unload and put everything away.

As I rolled the bike back to the ramp (a 48" wide quad ramp) I mis-stepped and my foot went through the gaps in the ramp. The events that unfolded next happened so fast that I cant even remember. The next thing I know, I'm on my back in the driveway with a pool of blood growing under my head. I could tell my shoulder we really hurt and my leg was contorted and still tangled in the ramp. I thought it must be broken. My beloved DRZ was laying on me pinning me in the driveway and I couldn't lift it. After a few seconds of trying to lift it I heard a voice say "Are you ok?". It was my neighbor who just happened to pass by the window in their house and see me laying there. She and her husband came over and got the bike off of me and got my leg unstuck. My wife drove me to the hospital which, fortunately, is close by.

The end result: six stitches in my knee, head abrasion and still waiting for an MRI to determine the extent of damage to the shoulder (nothing broken thankfully).

My reason for posting this story is to remind everyone that carries their bikes in the back of a truck to be really careful. I've loaded an unloaded my bike many times without issue but a split-second lapse in attention could have been disastrous. I'm going to throw my ramp away and get one that my foot doesn't fit through.

Be careful out there!

Michael

 

[haven]

Ouch. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[mkitchen]

No Fun

I have always wondered about ramps. I saw a youtube showing a fellow riding up a narrow ramp and loosing balance and falling over with the bike on him. I think I am going to look for a low trailer. As clumsy as I am, I would not do well with a ramp going up to a tall 4X4 bed. Hope your MRI shows no real damage.
Mikey

 

[pugslyyy]

Sorry to hear of your misadventure. Visions of me creating my own version of that scenario is exactly what led me to install a little winch to load/unload my TU250.

 

[Cabrito]

Glad you're okay for the most part.

Thanks for the reminder that even things we are used to doing over and over again still need our complete attention.. Maybe a friend would be nice to have along too.

 

[expeditionranger]

Hoping for you to have a speedy recovery. You can use small rope to make webs between the gaps in your ramp. Cheap, lightweight, and reduces the dramatic effects that come from stepping in those gaps.

 

[con kso]

Gnarly. Glad to hear you're fairly okay. I went with a three rail bike trailer and had expanded metal welded across the whole floor to prevent that exact kind of accident. Loading bikes up into the bed of a truck is sketchy- loading them six inches up onto a trailer is more my speed. Get better soon- glad to hear the DR is okay too.

 

[agavelvr]

Hope you get better soon. I have a versahauler just for this reason. Seems most injuries happen during loading and unloading.

 

[Gearspoke]

o0o0 Im sorry, I am hoping for a speedy recovery. I broke my collar bone while trail riding, took about 4 weeks to recover, but I babied my arm as much as I could. No matter much you want to look tough, just relaxing... taking care of your ... and don't push yourself. You will be back in no time.

 

[T.Low]

Ouch. There is no end to the crazy things that can happen.

My wife thinks I'm nuts because (among other things) I make sure no one loads the dishwasher with knives and forks with sharp ends pointed upward. The silverware holder is in the bottom rack , rolled out when loading, waiting for someone to slip on (often times wet) kitchen floor and fall onto pointy ends of knives and forks. Just put them pointy end down and mitigate the risk.

Good lunch with recovery.