Hello Guys
Do hope you are all very well, after a rather challenging year thought a wee update as I’ve been away from the forum for quite some time. April 22 my Mrs & I were heading out for Sunday lunch on the WM20, we got diverted to Hospital on the way as a guy turned across us, Sarah ended up 10ft off the back of the car, I went into the bonnet & windscreen, she broke 3 ribs, me dislocated hip, smashed pelvis, broken R Tibia, L radius came out my arm, bent fingers back, brain bleed & broke my neck at C1 into 3 bits, the kind of break that either kills you or leaves you breathing through a tube paralysed from neck down, I was extremely lucky being the 1% who ‘get away with it’. 6 weeks in hospital off my nut on codine, hallucinating for 3 days, can’t remember a thing from the day or much of hospital but the mac n cheese was nice, 16 weeks in neck brace & 12 in plaster. I now have a plate in my L wrist, 12 pins in my hip with scaffolding holding it together, plenty of soft tissue issues..
Had to learn to walk again, the rest was painful, challenging, loads of physio which still having & few other issues but off the pain killers which I found my body had an addiction to which was awful, however still here thats the main shizz, didn't need my neck rodded as I wore brace for much longer than needed taking every supplement known to humanity, healing well, its still painful but there we go…Criminal case the guy got away without a single point even though it was all his fault, Police got statements incorrect, didnt submit Sarahs, CPS forgot to send us the Court dates and no means of appeal…yup you couldn’t write it! Next is the Civil case
So lots of tears at times even randomly cry on the treadmill looking at my legs working, emotions & determination Im doing OK, still limping, some pain blar. In the gym getting fit as lost loads of weight & muscle.
BSA as you can imagine is pretty bent but starting to think about rebuilding as that green motorcickle means a great deal to me & my Children - forks, wheels, mud guards, bars, frame, mounts, bars, links panniers etc etc.
IF anyone has any parts they’d like to tell me about or donate I would gladly use them.
Normandy is off for me this year sadly, very pleased to be working again, Goodwood I kidded myself, was still too broken & WLA in bits, was hoping we’d make it but doing a cheap firework impression it was totally unrealistic, just about out of the wheelchair. Normandy 80th imagine will be on the HD WLA maybe 4 wheels (I know ‘turned to the Dark side’) it has had nut & bolt restoration job done by Bill Burridge, should be finished very soon. She was pretty tired, even needing a new headstock so gained the nik name Antoinette (I call her Mrs B after a promise I made to my Grandmother a long time ago) We think it was a Russian LendLease, breaking down, chucked in a ditch, headstock filled with water/froze/split & was never repaired, Bill found some odd stamps on the frame & pitted down one side. Fortunately, paid for it pretty much when I was working but having a year off the BSA ‘Idris’ has had to rest up for the time being but making rumblings to get her straight.
So that’s my news, very much looking forward to 80th in some form, hopefully at the Bar in Etreham getting drunk, buying beers for whoever is stood next to me, smiling in my helmet next to you lot enjoying the weather the spectacle, the remembrance it will be & some lovely sea food in Port en Bessin so go easy on the ‘Yank’ that’ll prob cost me more beer tokens;)
May not be on the forum a whole lot but certainly read it, imagine when the time comes to make good the WM there will be a few questions;)
Best, Kit
email (option): kut247@hotmail.com
Hi Kit. Well at least I know the whole story now, although we do speak by email occasionally. I've seen pictures of the bike of course and my initial feelings were that it's a total right off.
But since you are so intent on saving as much as possible, I guess the first thing to look at is the frame. The front frame is basically straight tubes (bananas in your case). So that's were I'd start. It might be a lot easier to replace the bent parts of the tubes rather than try and straighten them. To that end and with decent pictures of the front frame, I might be able to determine if it's something my local tube guys would be able to fix. Or when you next visit Bill, bring it with you and I'll take it to them.
Regards Ron....Who has also stared at the walls in Orthopedics for weeks:face_with_thermometer:
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Crikey, I had no idea. The determination to rebuild the bike is what kept me going when I took one over the roof of a car many years ago..Even if it's not cost-effective, it helps the feeling that the careless driver hasn't won. My "assailant" was convicted, but in the end, that doesn't help much, other perhaps than to make the insurance claim harder to defend.
It sounds as if you're going to be making use of your contacts in the old bike world in the foreseeable future.
There isn't much of Kit's bike that isn't bent or broken:scream: Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
An awfull tale Kit, the first I had heard about it, I'm glad you are still with us and on the mend.
As to your WM20, perhaps a donor bike is your best option?
Rob
email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk
This one shows just how bent it is. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
I'm inclined to agree with Rob Miller...Perhaps look for a donor bike..As many accurate parts as possible and perhaps devalued by a re-stamped frame number and / or lack of V5 and then concentrate upon re-tubing the original front frame section. I rebuilt my Commando with a new Andover Norton frame which is a luxury not available to brazed lug bikes.
That's a dreadful story, Kit.
Best wishes to you & yours.
So sorry to read this, I hope you both recover well. :(
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Not the story I wanted to read forst off after getting back from a weekend riding.
I have been there myself so I feel for you
In my case it was my own fault
Glad to hear you are on the mend , take it easy & slow
A slow full recovery is a lot beter than a fast partial recovery
Your bike does not look too well but just remember all of the stories of Wm20's that were hit with sheels ,ranover mines etc but were returned to service
just wanted to wish you the best after reading about your awful experience. grim at so many levels, from police failure to all your and your wife''s pain and suffering. but want to send all v best wishes and hopefully things will now be on the up xxx all best peter
Only seeing this now, and hope you are a bit better already! It surely brings back memories, of my big accident in '84, altered my life forever, but still riding!
Hang in there!
Lex
email (option): welbike@welbi**.net
That whole saga stinks to me,you must have a claim/case for incompetance or corruption in police/cps surely?
I wonder if some outside pressure or favouritism/influence is involved? I got shot in the leg some years ago and encountered nothing but obstruction trying to get the known culprit prosecuted.