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June 99, two weeks after the TT, I fell out of the sky, well I had a paragliding accident. I’m great at flying, just need to brush up on my landings a bit.
The result was a T1 complete paraplegia. Bikes really are my life, I’ve been a motorcycle mechanic (Technicians we’re called now) for fifteen years, so to say that I wouldn’t be able to ride bikes any more was the last thing I wanted to hear from my doctor, to say the least.
While I was on my back, taking in the news, a chap from NABD came along and gave me a copy of Open House magazine and told me of all the fantastic things that can be done to enable you to ride again. I joined the NABD immediately and looked forward to the next copy of Open House.
Upon leaving the spinal injuries unit, after much humming and hah’ing I decided to go for a sidecar outfit over a trike, so a Suzuki GSX 1300R ‘busa should do the job.
I then contacted NABD for a grant application, which I eagerly filled in and not long afterwards, received the good news that my grant had been approved for a thumb brake. I must say a great big thanks to Billy for his mega-efficient work as Adaptions Officer.
My thumb brake was then spirited to the great Merlin sidecar workshops, where the Chief Wizard, Ken Mims was working his magic along with the rest of his family and great engineers, in pity on me. Nothing was too much trouble for them in the adaptions department and having many great ideas to choose from on how to mount wheelchairs, make hoists, anything really.
What you see is the end result. I can’t stop grinning when I look at it, let alone when I ride it and to think it was never going to happen until that visit from the NABD member.
I’d just like to thank you all, Merlin boys and NABD members, for making it happen. Keep up the good work.
Terry Chard
This NABD grant of £210.00 was sponsored by a donation from
The Virago Star Owners Club
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