Saturday, December 30, 2017

Takin' a Whiz

Got tired of sitting on the couch. My bike is still at a friend's house, so I hoisted my old 47 Whizzer up on the horses and began putting it together. I rebuilt the engine about 8 years ago and stuck it in a corner. Since it and I both celebrated our 70th I thought I should get it running. I need to get a few small parts. Luckily, I have a guy nearby that has tons of parts. I'm going to leave it as is, bumps, bruises and battle scars.........just like me

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

The End

It's been a while since I've updated this blog. The motorcycle era has come to an abrupt end. In October, while riding with my club on a winding canyon road, I stuffed it into a rock outcropping. While the damage to the bike is minimal (more on that, later)damage to my aging body was more significant. I suffered, what is known as, a Monteggia fracture of my right arm. This is where the ulna breaks and the radius is dislocated from the humerus. Additionally, the right elbow was shattered. Just to make it more fun, the MCL in my right knee was torn, though not badly. I was flown by helicopter to Huntington Memorial in Pasadena where the dislocation was reduced and the ulna was stabilized with external fixation rods and pins. After the swelling went down, the surgeon opened my forearm from wrist to elbow and reassembled the whole mess with titanium plates and screws. As of yesterday, the cast was removed and I have to endure PT until I get back whatever function I will have. I was told to expect some loss of range of motion. Hopefully, I will be able to swing a hammer so I can return to Baja in July to build some more homes. So, because of all this drama, I will be retiring my helmet and leathers. Nearly 55 years of riding was a good run and I will miss it. I have to consider Wifey's concerns, my age and how much this hurt. I hope to continue this half assed self promotion as soon as I get the bike home. It is at a friends house, in storage. I will, probably, repair it to the point that it is rideable, then offer it for sale. Once that has taken place, I hope to buy another antique car, almost certainly a Model A Ford.I sold my Model T to buy the bike. It was fun, but very impractical. The Model A is a much more refined car and can be driven every day. Until I can regain use of my arm, little will happen