I want to say this before anything else: yfz's are bullet proof.

#1

So I was out duneing in Winchester Bay today. I was riding around and I noticed there was a slight lip on the backside of the dune known as the wall (I think thats what its called, someone who knows the name can help me its the third big hill in the back). Anyways I've always wanted to jump it so I figured today would be the day. The entire dunes have been beaten by storms lately so the top part of all the dunes are extremly soft. So I figured if i came up short it wouldn't be a big deal since it would be a downhill.

I rode up and down the landing (about a 75 foot tall dune) and figured I needed to land atleast 1/2 way down or it would bury on landing and I would get lanched over the bars. The hill is steep so I wouldn't need to be going too fast but I would need to get high enough that the front end drops down fast enough to land properly. So I went to jump it (spotter of course) and I hit it pinned in 4th and the bike just launched perfectly. The hill started dropping away and I could see my landing. The front end started dropping and everything felt perfect. I was bracing for the impact which I knew would be harsh on my stock suspension when I noticed a groove in the sand exactly where my front tired were going to land. Apparently a sand rail was roosting on the hill and my spotter must have not thought it important enough to stop me. Anyways my front tires landed in the track and sent me tumbleing down the hill. The funny part of this is there were groups of people watching. I can't remember what happened but they say it endoed in the track and flipped on top of me then the bike got back on its wheels and rolled to the bottom of the hill. All I remember is jumping off, doing a summersault then running down the hill to my quad to make sure it was ok. The bike it mechanically fine (starter isn't working so I need to fix that). Someone watching said they though I broke my back and I think everyone thought I was hurt. But I'm fine, a little embarrased but fine.

The lesson I learned... lessons... get a good spotter and check your landings thoroughly. My back does hurt a bit now that I think about it.

#2

Lets call this one look out for that tree. It happened a few weeks back and put me in the hospital with a bad headache (aka concussion).

This story is actually much like the previous one. It happened at the hosefall dune area in Oregon. I'll spare the the overbearing details of my stupidity and tell you what happened. I went to jump a hill, over shot the landing and over compressed the suspension. My stock suspension bounced the rear end up and sent me headlong into a tree. Cracked my One Trooper helmet but other than a concussion I was fine. Bike was fine too btw. I couldn't walk or talk and I was drooling for about an hour so that was fun. Doctors said I can't get any more concussions though but if I die its my time. Hell you only live once and when your dead your done so let the good times roll.

Lesson... Get a good suspension, don't overshoot the landing, don't jump near trees.


I'm learning.

New update... I had to get checked another MRI and the docs said it looked like my L5 was shattered. Since I'm not in any more pain than normal (compression fractured t4-t8 a few years back so my back never feels good) they think the previous fracture may have damaged some nerves. Surgery is coming it looks...

That's no good dude. Hopefully the recovery won't be too long.

A little update, no surgery is going o be needed. I've been doing physical therapy since the last series of MRI's and X-Rays.

Back on the bike for this weekend. Riding out at Winchester Bay all weekend! I'm on a white '07 SE with a Yoshi RS-7. I wear a blue OGIO waterpack and I have a blue ONE Trooper helmet and Fox AXZ Riders Tech shirt and pants. Say hey if you are out there. I'll either be jumping in the back or hanging out at Banshee hill.

Sounds like you were lucky. Glad you are ok!! Be careful, or you will end up tricking out an EZ go electric wheelchair with a Yosh pipe and making it go by blowing in a straw.

Lets see if I've got this right: you shattered a vertabrae in your lower back in December and you're riding again in February? Wow...

Yeah I'm still wondering why the doc gave me the ok for riding...

I was just getting checked out to see when or if I woul d be getting the surgery and he told me, after a few x-rays and blood tests, that it appeared to be healing fine on its own and as such I would not need surgery. The thing is that with my nerve damage from the previous break, I can't even feel this one. So I asked him if I could ride this weekend (finally get some nice days up here in oregon) and he said he couldn't advise it. So I asked him what would happen if I just putted around in my Rhino and he said I would be fine. To me that meant: go ride your yfz.

Something happened to my yfz yesterday though. I almost started crying...

In a nut shell... a tie down snapped and it fell off my trailer doing 80 mph... The bad part was that one tie down stayed in place so it was drug down the highway upside down. Damage really wasn't too bad considering. I was able to save my plastic with the help of the "race cut", steering stem is about 90*, handlbars are f-ed in the a, controls are all gone, both rims on the righ side are shot. Luckily no structural bdamage to frame, swingarm, axle, a-arms etc. Some how the grips are perfectly fine too...

I think someone is trying to tell you something..........

I'd say so. I'd get rid of that thing and get into freestyling wheelchairs.

The only reason I even brought it up is that my brother's a parapalegic, and suffered a T5 compression fracture and needed a Titanium cage built around his spine to stabilize it.The break took about a year to heal, yet you shattered a much larger lumbar vertabrae and healed enough to ride in a few weeks. Either your doctor has a very vague understanding of the word "shattered" or you're the toughest guy I've ever heard of. Be careful, wheelchairs are not a whole lot of fun.

I need a new steering stem?


If only they had 50 hp motors on them...


Well I can't feel that region of the back so its really not too bad. The only way I know if anything is wrong is if there is brusing/ swelling or the surrounding area hurts.

I really don't know the true extent of the break, so I can't comment of how bad it was. He was surprised to see that all the breaks had atleast begun healing.

I really wasn't riding too hard either, just hung out around Banshee Hill all day and did some of the trails up the left side. I did some jumps later in the day though. But the landing was pretty steep so any force was put into my legs. They were 5th gear over about a 150 foot gap, but for some reason the landing was stupid smooth... I've had rougher landings in second gear when I was learning how to jump.



I guess I'll know for sure if I wake up and can't walk anymore.

Either you're the dumbest person I know or you really do not care that much about what happens to you. Not trying to be an a-hole...but that's my honest opinion.

Its alright man. My friend usually call me the dumbest smart person they know so there is definately that. But I am also only 17 so my body isn't my #1 concern right now. I know that is a bit foolish, but the way I see it there are so many ways for me to die or be disaled at a yound age that I would hate myslf forever if I didn't find the extents my body will go. I mean if I get paralyzed I want to know it was because I met my match or that I lived my life to the fullest.

But thats just me. If the doc says no more then I'll quit for a few years. But if he doesn't say "no" then I will continue to do what I love... pushing my limits.

Man I sound like a cocky little w00ter... Sorry guys...

I'm a bit of the same way but not that dumb. I've got a bad back, bad shoulder, bad wrist, bad knees, and a bad hip. Took it easy on the back for awhile and I do stretches to help it out but had to have surgery to put my shoulder back to normal. I've been taking it easy so my shoulder will heal correctly but once I'm feeling 100% I'm going all out. I will require surgery on my back sooner or later but I'm trying to avoid being paralyzed also unlike you . If I ever do end up being paralyzed you can bet your a** that my wheelchair will be powered by some sort of internal combustion engine, and it will be fast!

Amen brother!

I have a bad back, shoulders (dislocated so many times the joint is almost worn out), wrists and elbows (mainly from golf), and ankles (I thought it would be fun juming off of my house with 4 trash bags tied to me).

I like to think of myself as somewhat smart, I took calculus as a freshman in high school and am currently taking my 2nd year of vecotr calculus as a senior, but I also like, or rather end up, doing stupid things. Hell worst case scenario is that I'm the next Steven Hawking right?

Yea my shoulder was completely destroyed.

You may be book smart but by the sounds of it you don't have very much common sense.

Does anyone else wonder what it'd be like if Hawking did freestyle with his chair? Get some long travel suspension on there and it'll soak up everything.

Or as my friends say... I am the dumbest smart person they know.

I just don't like my mind getting in the way of having fun.