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It was a nice crisp Sunday morning, 23rd March 2003; it had been arranged the night before that three of us would go for a nice fried breakfast. With a break in the weather, this would give us a chance to go for a ride, only 30 miles round trip, but what the hell, better than staying around the house. We left my house at around 10am, deciding to take a nice scenic route via Epping Green, Epping & Theydon Bios to the Log Cabin CafÈ in Abridge. My mate Bully was on his Metro trike, I was on my VN 1500 Classic. As luck would have it, Andy ran out of petrol (hey shit happens) so as I lived nearest, I went home for a petrol can. After filling up (a whole gallon) I left for the stranded trike....
At 10.30am I was following two cars down a country lane, no rush, just plodding along at about 40mph, plenty of room between me and the cars in front. That’s when it happened. The cars in front slow down, no problem, I slow down. At approximately 20 mph my front wheel finds some gravel (don’t they always) it decides it does not like me on the bike, slides, then grips again, throwing me off the bike and down the road; the last thing I remember was saying "Oh shit" (literally). When I wake up, I seem to be unable to move my head; after a few seconds I realise that my crash helmet is jammed between a car door sill and the tarmac. Some nice drivers came over and lifted the offending car off of my head and moved me just enough to put the car back down without it being on me. After undoing my helmet (yes I know I should not have done that, but I felt fine in that area, I could move my arms but that was all) I phoned my mate Bully to come down and fetch the petrol for Andy’s trike, which he did.
After trying to move about, unsuccessfully, I had my head put into the lap of a young lady car driver, with a low cut top on, this kind of takes your mind off of things for a while. Anyway, this being a country road, gets a bit blocked with traffic, so in comes the "Air Ambulance" to take me away. It gets me to hospital, but not before flipping bully’s bike upside down into a ditch at the side of the road with the downdraught from its rotors; shame, it had only done about 60 miles from new, sorry Bully, never mind, no damage done.
Anyway, in hospital I find out what my injuries are: Two broken ankles, a crushed left foot, left Tibial Plateau fracture, dislocated right shoulder and a very badly bruised left arm, from wrist to shoulder, it was that black you could not even see any of the tattoos on it. After three and a half months in hospital, with much framework in the left leg and the usual plates and pins everywhere, and a total of eight months off work, I am now reasonably mobile, although I still have to use crutches and am awaiting a complete left knee replacement.
This is where a Kliktronic gear changer has made it possible to get on a bike again, having very little movement in my left foot/ankle and only 90o bend in my left knee (what’s left of it). The Kliktronic is fitted to a Kawasaki VN 800 Classic and the work was very expertly carried out by Sam Coupland Motorcycles Ltd of Frithville, Boston, Lincolnshire, (01205 750266) who are Silver Affiliates to the NABD. Although I have not had a chance to ride it yet, except for a test ride on which it ran out of petrol (how ironic!) before transporting the bike back to my garage, I am hoping to get out on it soon and get a few miles on it, just a few to start with to see how my leg holds out.
I would like to take this opportunity to give a big thank you to the Harlow 70’s MCC, of whom I am a member, for the donation of £100 towards the Kliktronic conversion & also to the NABD for the grant that made it possible for the work to be done. I now have a big smile on my face; after riding continuously for 33 years, a year’s break (sic pun) was a year too long. Thanks to my wife Karen who has had to put up with a grumpy old bear and to everyone else who has helped me during this time, you know who you are, Thanks again!. Ride Safe ....
Alan (Tom’o) Thomas
This NABD grant of £316.63 was sponsored by The You’ve Been Nabbed 12A Rally
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