I was at my buddy Neil's place out in the country and saw a ditch alongside an established trail. It was about 1:30 am or so. We'd been riding and cleaning trails since lunch that afternoon. I was out on my Scrammy along with Ray who was on his KFX700. We were just doing a leisure ride, I was wearing clean clothes and everything.

I don't know what made me think it was a good idea to venture into the unknown but I went. I thought Ray was right behind me. I crossed through the ditch and went left behind a corn field. I was cruising along knocking down some light vegetation that was outside of the crop.

I realize now I was going faster than I should have been. I was standing up so I could see ahead better. The next thing I know the bike drops out from under me and I keep going arms first into an thick patch of thorns and other strong, green vegetation. I felt my neck pop when I hit and I felt thorns digging in all over me. I'd dropped fast and hard into a drainage ditch between the fields. Adrenaline kicked in and I managed to get down the hill and get the bike 90° turned around and then it rolled on me. I didn't feel a thing that time. Righting myself I pulled the left handle bar grip off and I threw it into the field and continued wrestling the bike. I got it turned in the direction I'd come from but even in AWD the ditch was too steep to ride out of with no momentum and I was having trouble keeping it running at the angle.

I was calling for Ray every 30 seconds or so but he was about 200' away stuck in the ditch I'd crossed through. We wrestled my Scrammy out of the drainage ditch, got him out of the ditch he was in, then booked back to the house. I took inventory of my injuries and damage to the Scrambler. I had to bend the headlights back up and order a new left grip.

I didn't fare so well. My neck got stiff. My shoulders and back got sore. From my thumbs to my elbows feels bruised. My wrists may be fractured otherwise injured. If they don't feel better in a day or two I'll go get X-rays. I have a bruise and minor abbrasion about the side of a softball on my left thigh. I have a bruise the size of a golf ball about 6" to the left of my belly button. I have scratches from my left eyelid all the way around to behind my left ear and down my left elbow. Also there's scratches on my right forearm, right knee, and right calf. I rode a little more Fri night because I had to tow the KFX700 about a quarter mile back to the house (broken belt) and tow my buddy Neil's Scrambler (wrecked hard by Ray's friend Doug) back (broken left control arm, bent steering shaft, bent floorboard, etc.) as well.

I slept most of Saturday. As of right now both of my wrists steel have a slight burning sensation although there's no significant swelling or real discomfort. None of the scratches are bleeding or hurting. My palms feel severely bruised but aren't showing anything yet. My neck is at about 85%. Left shoulder is at about 40%. Right shoulder is at 90%. Elbows are about 85%. Wrists are about 50%. Fingers, toes, knees, ankles, hips, and back seem fine. I plan on going to work tomorrow. I'll see how I feel once I get there.

I don't feel too bad considering what I put myself through. I'm really happy that the Scrambler rode away essentially unscathed. I don't think there's really any safety equipment that would have helped so I don't plan on ordering anything new in that department. I do plan on checking out the trail again slowly and in the daylight. I have plenty of time to heal though. It will be a week or so until Neil or Ray have a running ATV again. Ray's belt should be under warranty but Neil will probably be ordering a few hundred dollars worth of new parts.

So what's your story?

 

ditches are scary man! i love ditches, thats mainly what i ride, but when i ride i new ditches i ride slow cuz u never know what crap will be in them. Also when i'm with guys i ride in the back, so i dont have to find out the hard way'

the latest story i hvae is getting stuck in that dang river all by myself, trust me, i was scared[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

I've done the Superman over the bars of my 250x a few times but was lucky enough to hit the ground and start rolling and not get hurt or sore at all. Good luck on your recovery!

Steve Lubecki

 

ive had the luck of not being thrown off my quad before, but i have dropped my dirtbike and flew off the bars on that, heheh, not fun, but its sure funny when you look back at it later. this'll be a story to talk about when ya sit down with your buddys [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

wow that would have really sucked!! I have only seen one quad drop off the face of the ditch once....that was my dad on the magnum. We went out for a trail ride and going through a ditch and he found a drainage area....luckyly I had a two strap and my bomb(that thing can pull a heck of alot!!)

Hope you are alright in the end....you can never have to much saftey equipment on

 

ouch, have fun healing.

 

I went in to work a couple hours late today but I've pushed myself hard all day. Just got home and my new goggles, gloves, and K&N air filter were here so I climbed all over my truck and Scrammy pulling the original filter, cleaning the gas out of the air box, etc. I feel better now than I've felt all day. I think by the end of the week I'll be ready to ride again...if anybody else has fixed their bikes by then.

 

I rode again Friday night. First stop, the might drainage ditch. I found my handlebar grip so I was stoked. We rode some fast spots, some mud, some hills, and quite of a bit of technical stuff. I learned that AWD can let you finesse your way over a tree and keep you from bending your floorboard into the belt case. I also learned that a 115 lb guy can jump on a Scrambler floorboard hard enough to bend it away from a belt case. I also learned the a KFX700 will gum up stock tires bad in sticky mud. I'm jealous of the engine but not the rest of the bike. It probably has the power of my 500 and my buddy Neil's 400 put together but I wouldn't trade my Polaris for anything.

I'm gonna try and go clear some trails and ride some more Sunday. My wrists are still sore, my neck's still a little stiff, my thigh muscles are sore after Fri night but I still can't wait to ride again. I'm sure a lot of you have been where I am before!

 

I have found that trails and dark eqaul trouble.Better off going in the daylight .

 

Well I've bolted enough lights on my truck to cruise trails comfortably at night. Maybe I just need to do the same thing with my Scrambler.