Kevin in Hospital

[Richard Hughes]

Kevin came off his bike on the Mt Elvire ride on Monday about 11.30 am between Murchuson and Cue.
Not sure of the details of the crash but he is in Royal Perth with broken collar bone, badly broken ribs, a suspected fracture in his neck and a few other broken bits, I spoke to his wife Michelle and he is in good spirits and awaiting an op to put him back together.
His bikes a mess and is stored in Cue until it can be organised to be transported down.
Shane and the boys took good care of him on the side of the road and the sat phone caled the Ambo's via Flying Doctor to come out from Cue, he flew down that night.
Again great country people helped out with transporting the bike 120's in to Cue and storing the bike.

So "One day Kev" is now "Two Day Kev"
Apart from that the trip was good, with afew other things happening but thats another story.

Richard

[_Wilks]

Yes - I cannot overstate how important it is that at least one 'adventure' rider should carry a satphone when out on the tracks less travelled. Remember, that track doesn't have to be in remote WA, it could be less than 100kms from Perth. When something unfortunate (and serious) happens to a fellow rider, it is the timeliness of response which is critical.

I was first to arrive at the scene and, after making the best checks on Kevin that I could, I was speaking to a RFDS doctor within 10 mins. Luckily, I was able to ring Richard (who was already in Cue) some 20mins later and he confirmed that he saw an ambulance heading out of town.

It was rough terrain for an ambulance (same as the ones you'd see in Perth) and it arrived just over 2 hours after the 1st call. In all of the circumstances that is a fantastic response. The RFDS and St Johns provide excellent response in regional WA in my opinion.

The first and only other vehicle we saw on that road was a truck. It passed us approx 4 hours after Kev's fall. In 35+ degree heat (with no shade), a fallen rider laying on the track on their own may resulted in a much different and tragic outcome. I'm not suggesting Kev's injuries were life threatening - I'm linking back to my original comment that those of us who enjoy this form of adventure riding should travel with at least one other where possible and to have a satphone with them. Buying or even renting - it is a small price to pay.

Get well Kev.

[bmwlefty]

Hang in there Kev, and Get Well Soon.

Lefty

[Cookie]

Hello guys,

Tough break Kevin (no pun intended), I hope you are on the mend and back with us soon.

cookie

[wightman]

Get well soon Kev!

To the rest of you, well done and don't be shy with the pics of the trip!

Just got back from China, can't wait to hear how it went.

Regards

John

[bmwlefty]

I spoke to Kevin tonight, he is in good spirits , and was just receiving some pain relief medication, so he was feeling even better, by the time the conversation ended.

He is hoping to get to the Dinner, as long as he has no setbacks.

[kev]

12 months ago I wrote off my K100RT and a few ribs on my right side. This time I bought really expensive gear to go with an GS1150 and smashed my collar bone and ribs on the left. It's a cruel world. I spent a week in hospital then today saw my GP for more drugs. He just kept saying "WELL AT LEAST YOUR BRAIN IS ALL RIGHT".
Some of you may recall me asking last year if this was an intellegence test; that was my second BMW I had written off. Well now it is three. No comment.
I would like to thank Chris and Robin for their extra coaching on dirt riding. Also a special thanks to Ben for teaching me the vector forces involved in cornering. Unfortunately I was going in a straight line at the time. Also thanks to the boys in blue for your undying faith in me, Told you Dren that I could get past one day. Thanks Gary for holding my arm off my broken ribs til the ambo arrived.
When you do a trip like this, you do it together, so Richard Chris and Dean thanks for organising bike recovery and storage (it's a small world).
Shane arrived with the satfone and the wheels started to turn. There is a lot of expertise and experience in this group so I am very pleased to have had my final ride with you all.
Sounds like the next few days continued to not go according to plan, but it still meant you were on your bikes and not at work, so still good.
Once I get my bike back from Cue and sell it, along with all the bits and pieces, I will be focusing on Europe next year.
Who knows what my next hobby will be, but I have put my family thru enough for the moment.
Kev

[Kalpara]

HI Kev: thanks for your update - am sorry to hear that this last accident has meant the end of riding for you - it is a shame when you get the realisation that your passion may kill you. It is also an "intelligent " move to recognise the signs and look for other ways to get your fun. Life is full of a variety of experiences -= we are lucky to be able to choose to do what we want. Enjoy your next passion with passion.

For us novice dirt riders, what exactly happend? Is there a lesson to be learned here so that we can avoid the same pitfalls? You input would be most appreciated............cheers............. Kalpara Mob

[kev]

Nope, nothing to be learned here. Both times on soft straight roads. Possibly speed was a factor. The first time I think I lost the front wheel while braking, but definitely not the second time. Apparently both times the bike was seeking its own path in the loose gravel, but it had successfully done this all day and the day before. I may have lost concentration because of tiredness as I'm an old fart, but I don't think that was it either.
What I have learned is that if you are not enjoying it, tough, because you are probably outside your comfort zone and therefore gaining invaluable experience. The bike was certainly better that this as I put it into a lot more compromising situations than this and it just ate it up. Not having experience with lighter bikes, it would be interesting to speculate if that may have made a difference. However there were also times when the momentum of the bike bulldozed me thru some tough spots. (Pigs and tractors have a lot in common).
That is part of the fun of adventure riding, just because you have a map (for those in our group who had a map), you still can't be sure where you will end up. So just get out there with your mates and ride.
That is what is so very special about your club, mates not cowboys.
Kev