So I was out riding my trails, putting the big girl where she probably doesn't really belong when all of a sudden I caught a rut (obscured by tall grass) and went down hard in the blink of an eye. I was pretty ok- shoulder got torn up... But worse (for now) I noticed when trying upright the beast (after my bell stopped ringing) that the handlebars/risers had ripped right off of the triple clamp! No bueno! My fault- I made 1" risers and my new bolts didn't extend through them far enough... Maybe 3/8" and it just yanked the threads right out. Good thing I wasn't alone- hopped on my buddy's DR and followed my gps breadcrumb out of the woods and back to my cabin where I cut the riser lifts in half (not fun-hacksaw) then got back to the bike and got it put together using washers/a Swiss Army knife (to get the aluminum out of the threads)/motor oil from the DR (to get the bent bolts to thread back in) and a little luck- I was back up and rolling. Rode all day- man was I sore. Learned 2 things: A) separated shoulders heal on their own. B) lighter bikes are way less work. Added a GasGas 250 to the stable after this episode! Cheers! Kyle
Glad you are ok. Dropped mine when out riding alone,didn't get hurt but realized i need a second "extreme riding" bike. Got the Gas Gas 450 for that now. Much easier to pick up.
Hahahaha.... C and D. I guess I set myself up for that. I was embarrassed enough when I realized what I did. Thanks guys!
I don't know about (A)? It all depends on how severe. When you damage or separate your shoulder out on your dirt bike riding It will likely heal on its own over time. Its nice to think so. When you do the same thing at work however. You get an impairment rating and collect a settlement. Nearly every guy where I work (US Border Patrol) has gone down while working on the "Quad Patrol" or the "Bike Patrol" and has gotten a life long impairment rating and a Fat Settlement from the US Dept. of Labor for their shoulder injuries. No matter how minor. Its the Govt. way. You and I and all the rest of us pay for it. I hope your OK. I've had dislocated shoulders myself, at work on both sides while building Border fence. I've had surgery done on 1 side only. I hope the other one heals on its own. The pain and stiffness after surgery can be worse than the injury and the crunching in the joint itself. Its not fun over time.. Sounds like the GAS GAS will do much better in that sort of riding for sure.
I went to the doctor a few weeks later- he said about the same. There's many different degrees of severity when it comes to a separation... I'm guessing mine was minor? I had my Klim Latitude jacket on, it definitely cushioned the blow. My head did too. It was a matter of time before I got hurt I guess- I've been down on the tr a lot in the woods but never really hurt myself. It dawned on me while we were dragging our bikes under some big fallen trees that 400+ lbs is a LOT of weight. I've grown to love that bike and it continues to be my road warrior- plus it tears up fast gravel really well. The gasser is a total blast though.
I agree the Doctors words being either "Separation-----or------Dislocation" covers a lot of degrees of severity. If you had to have a few buddies pull it back into socket like I did my left shoulder twice you'll be hurting for awhile. I popped my right shoulder out one time working and the guy I was working with, stood there holding his breath with his jaw down to his belt line when I asked him for some help. I proceeded to the closest light pole to try to slam it back into socket without success. I then tried to make it on foot to use the upright leg on the rack on my Flatbed Work Truck. By the time I got around the back of the trailer. My eyes had glazed over and I was nearly crawling on my knees. I got it back into place myself using the 2"x 2" tubing and some slamming pressure from behind. I learned this from past experiences I've had when nobody will help pull it back into place. Painful? you bet it is but had to learn how to do this myself. Riding protection is key for sure. I usually wear a left shoulder brace but always wear my Alpine Stars armor jacket with a built in kidney belt, that's compatible with The Bionic Neckbrace. A pair of Allsports dynamics wrist braces, MSR Knee guards etc. my boots, helmet, goggles, etc. My buddies hate waiting for me to get all suited up to ride but doing this to minimize any injuries is the only way I will ride. They hardly wear anything more than a helmet gloves and goggles. They also are just beginning to see the stuff I may get up from unharmed when riding and they are getting hurt and banged up from the slightest minor get offs. They can't say I didn't tell them so.
Well... Goddamn! That made my eyes glaze over just reading it! DAMN! You're tougher than a $2 steak. After my bell quit ringin' I thought I had broken my collarbone again. After I checked in on my condition I was pretty sure it wasn't broken but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something sticking out of my shoulder- it was so weird. Doc says that's typical with a separation. Funny thing was that it felt better when I was back on the bike. Couldn't have been too severe, 4 weeks on and I've got full range of motion. I picked up a Fox Impact Rig for some extra protection. I want to ride till I've got grand kids who have grand kids. Doc says the best thing for these creaky, grinding joints is exercise. He says if there's no pain- keep exercising.
indeed i do ,but ,have to give it a go ,sun, beautiful days ,blah ,no damage done, just ...not looking at my ride . big lesson.
