Injured - need advice!

1909 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by R6Racer, Jun 23, 2000

R6Racer

Discussion Starter · Jun 20, 2000

I broke my right ankle in a racing crash a couple of weeks ago. The outside leg bone (don't know if its the fibia or tibia, but it's the small one) broke just above the end of it. So the outer ankle bone in other words. I am in a cast probably for another 4 weeks.

Have any other racers out there had this same injury, or a similar one? Any advice on getting back into racing form? Also, this is the first time I've ever been hurt, and I'm worried that it's going to slow me down.

Lastly, I am thinking of buying a pair of Daytona Safety boots. They have a hinged carbon-fiber inner shell that prevents your ankle from twisting. I thought this would be a good way to prevent a re-injury, but the darn things cost $750 (from Helimot). Anyone have these boots? Good idea? Know where I can get a better deal?

Thanks

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SpeedPhreak

· #2 · Jun 20, 2000

sorry dude, that really sucks.

i dont have experiance w/those boots, but i hear they kick arse. & u should know by now to spend every available penny on saftey gear... so i u have it get em.

i havent broke that bone.. but have a messed up ankle from my 1st crash. it doesnt effect my riding.. directly. the effects u more than likely will see is your aggresivness.. u will be scared to do the same type of corner as fast for a while... u just have to face the fear & do it.

good luck.

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FZR400Tony

· #3 · Jun 21, 2000

marrietta sells daytona boots too, i don't know the price, but i think they were cheaper on the cheaper model daytona boot than helimot was. call 1-888-fast-lap.

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Tony

00 GSX-R750-yellow & black
88 FZR400-krylon black
94 CBR600F2--sold

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R6Racer

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 21, 2000

Thanks for the feedback guys. I called Marietta, and they want $795

Apparently they get them from Helimot, so I might as well go straight to the source and eliminate the middleman. But I have ordered stuff from Marietta before, and they usually have very good prices, but not on the super-high-tech stuff that I require

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Johnny Roadrash

· #5 · Jun 21, 2000

Hello,
Ouch!
Thats probably a long rehab your looking at. I injured the same ankle twice. the last time was on 4/15 at my first track day. It was "only" a sprain but it is still stiff and sore today. Dont rush your rehab.
I'm in Birmingham so when you do get back in the saddle look me up.
jr

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speed good. speed limit bad.

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R6Racer

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 21, 2000

Hehe cool, you probably live about 2 miles away from me. Sorry to hear about your injury. I actually heard that sprains can be worse than a break in many cases. I guess bones heal better/faster than ligaments and tendons do. So hopefully, I won't be in bad shape after a few more weeks. I am hoping to get the cast off in mid-July, and, God-willing, back on the bike in time to race in early August. If not, I am not going to have much chance to get a good championship result.

Hey Johnny, if you have ICQ, look me up at 52288833, or email me [email protected] , I'd like to check out that '00 R6

Do you ever hang out on Main on Thursdays?

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Scooter

· #7 · Jun 21, 2000

Sorry to hear about the ankle R6....hope it heals well, and you get "back in the saddle again" real soon.

Interesting about the Daytona boots. I saw my first pair on an instructor with the CLASS school. I'm sure they are much more sophisticated than what they looked like at first glance. They almost look like they could be something you could build yourself, if you were good with fibreglas/kevlar/carbon fibe type fabrication. Just think....they'd be a custom fit!

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"Black streaks on the street, brown streaks on the seat."

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AZ Scott

· #8 · Jun 21, 2000

Hey R6 Racer,

I would have replied sooner, but hey, you've got time, right? Heh, heh.

I can relate to what you're going through. I've had a few ankle sprains in my day, and as it happens, I'm coming off a pretty badly broken right foot. Back in November, I crashed the R7 at Buttonwillow, and I broke four metatarsals in my foot. I had surgery to install a plate and three pins in the foot, and I was in a cast until mid-January.

After that, I was wearing a hard-sole shoe thing for about another month or so, walking with the aid of a cane at first, then walking (well, limping...) unaided by mid-February. My first time back on the track was the first of March, four months after the crash...

Although I've been through this kind of thing before, this was the worst, as far as time off the bike, and the extent of the injuries. So there was a sliver of doubt in my head about whether I'd be able to go 100% again.

Well, within two laps of practice, I felt like I hadn't even missed a race! Things were flowing, and my only real problem was a little muscle fatigue, due to being relatively out of shape.

At the start of the first race on Saturday, I went from the fourth row of the grid into about 6th or 7th place by the time we came out of the first set of turns, and I ended up passing a couple of guys and finished 4th.

Unfortunately, Sunday's forecast was for rain all day, and (I think I've mentioned this before...) I DON'T DO RAIN!

So I sat out the day. But it felt really good to get "over the hump", as it were.

So, basically, the key is to just get back out there when you can, and just think about your racing, and not about the injury. Since it's your right ankle (the Fibula is the smaller leg bone, by the way) it shouldn't cause you too much trouble, as far as actually riding. Unless you're a heavy rear-braker... (?) Left ankles are much more of a problem, since you feel it every time you shift!

You'll be fine. When you get back on the track, make a point of hooking up with someone fast, so you can concentrate on dicing with them. It'll take your mind completely off your injury, and once you get that first race out of the way, you're good to go...

Good luck!

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I'm not joking. And don't call me Shirley.

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R6Racer

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 22, 2000

Thanks for the feedback guys

Big thanks to you, Scott, your post is very encouraging. You know, as I was sitting in the ER after the crash, I was thinking about where I would post the ads to sell my racebike, but now I'm glad I didn't sell it. I"m really anxious to get back at it.

You crashed your R7?!?! S**t man, how many bikes do you own?!?!?! And when can I take that R7 for a spin???

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AZ Scott

· #10 · Jun 23, 2000

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by R6Racer:

You crashed your R7?!?! S**t man, how many bikes do you own?!?!?! And when can I take that R7 for a spin???

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, I've got, umm, a "couple" of bikes...

And when can you take the R7 for a spin??? Hmmmmm...

When you stop crashing! LOL

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I'm not joking. And don't call me Shirley.

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