Decisions...

[Mr Jensee]

Today I received a validation that there is a God like no other. I took the bike out to Harbor Freight then rode to Sunset to visit a friend. Coming home something happened that has forever changed me.

Somehow without realizing it I lost focus. In fact I think I fell asleep. When I woke up which could only have been seconds from when I drifted off the bike was headed for a black and yellow highway marker and a deep ditch. Somehow I corrected at the last second. I hit the marker but managed to fishtail out of the ditch. Earlier I had broken a tether while getting something out of my left saddlebag. The jar made it fly completely off and landed on the highway. A truck behind me slammed on his brakes and stopped. Meanwhile I was fighting to keep the bike upright because it nearly flipped. Somehow by the grace of God I straightened it out and rode it to a driveway across the road. To say I was shaken is a downplay. I was really rattled. All I could think of was retrieving the saddle bag lid that sat in the middle of the oncoming lane. Funny the things that go through your mind when you nearly die. Fortunately the driver of the truck stopped got out and retrieved it. As he handed it to me he said he just knew I had lost it. He was just as shaken as I was. I thanked him and told him that momentarily I had drifted off. I inspeced the lid, the same one that cost me $400 some years ago, was undamaged. Another miracle.

Then because I had shut the bike down I got off to put the lid back on with shaky hands. Locked it then inspected the bike. I couldn't find any damage just a ton of mud under the bike and the gear shift. I cleaned it off the best I could then tried to start it. It started but died every time I tried to put it in gear. I decided to get out of the driveway and park it on side of the road in the shade to try to figure out why it wouldn't run in gear. While doing that because I was still shaken I lost balance with the Voyager and it fell on it's left side. Another biker named Jason ( a name I will never forget) passed me and stopped and ran over to help me upright it. After doing so miraculously not only did it start but it went into gear and moved. I thanked him so much and resumed the ride home. A notion hit me on the way that I nearly died. With all my medical problems I probably would either have died in that ditch or on the way to the hospital. It finally dawned on me that my wife being out of state, would not find out for hours what had happened.

My sister had just agreed to give me a kidney if we matched and that would not have happened. So folks I have come to a decision, it is time to sell the bike and get out of motorcycling now for good. I plan to put it up for sale. I am done riding. I am done being in denial that riding it could literally kill me. I am no longer strong enough to get it up if it falls over. I can barely now get it on and off the center stand. I finally have it like I wanted but now it terrifies me to risk riding it. I hate to leave this site because you have all been so supportive of me given all my last health problems. But it is time to hang it up and move on. Thank all of you friends. I wish I could have met you in person. I would give each of you a warm hug and a thanks.

[cranky]

Don't leave!

Come and visit your family. God did bless you, and your decision, like all...

Your life - your choice ..... I totaled my body once and thought it was all over..
that was 11 years and many x,xxxs of smiles ago... Never regretted getting
back on.....

[SgtSlag]

There is a reason you lived through all of this. Whether you ride, or not, I will respect your decision. We have one life to live, and how we live it, is our choice, alone. Your sister is giving you an incredible gift. I wish you, your sister, and both/all of your families, the very best. Cheers!

[cranky]

[Mr Jensee]

Thank you StgSlag and Cranky for the kind words. Unfortunately at my age and current health I am too fragile to be riding a motorcycle. I wish I could ride for ten more years but such is not the case. I have a membership here for the rest of the year. If you copy and paste my link to the page by page service manual after I am gone you will still be accessible to them. Right now the thought of getting back in the saddle terrifies me like it never has before and believe me I have dropped a number of bikes in my 66 years. It is just time to say goodbye to this portion of my life. I plan to put the bike up for sale after I replace the broken tethers.

[cushman eagle]

Mr.Jensee,I respect your decision to stop riding.
But I would still like to see you stay on the AVA site,as you have much wisdom to offer,and kind words to give.
I know sometime I will have to make the same decision,when I do not know,but at 70 years old my health could change very rapidly.
I hope it is not for many years,but God only knows.

[Mr Jensee]

Cushman I was riding for 52 years give or take. I never wanted it to end but I cannot trust myself on an 800 lb. motorcycle anymore. It will be hard to let it go but I must. Thank you for believing I have that much wisdom!

[ekap1200]

Mr. Mike, I know this feeling all to well. When I found out I had COPD the lung doctor had given me a 3 time a day inhaler then switched me to a once a day for the morning. However it sometimes would give me fits of coughing on the drive to work. Several times I had blacked out WHILE DRIVING. Still aware but without the ability of movement and my vision would cease..... just like turning off an old time tube TV, VISION would shrink down to a dot then going black... Had to triple the time going to work by going all back roads thru farm land roads and very low speeds. I came very close to not being able to drive without concern of a bad outcome.. This went on for a few weeks and after some time he changed the inhaler again. This time i broke out in small patch's 3mm tall by 8mm round dead skin , and had lost all hair on arms / legs and began to occur elsewhere . These dead patch's of skin would just fall off while I slept. No MORE being a test subject for big pharm Co's I quite all the inhalers. All the side affects of these med's are sometimes worse than the benefits and listening to the add's on TV and reading all the small print hardly readable on the screen I said no more. I am no worse of it and just deal with sometimes having to stop walking and catch my breath at times....For me when it says your condition may worsen / other issues may occur including cancer or death I will take my chances. When they give you a 100.00 script for 10.00 it is because they are using you in a clinical trial to see how long it will take to kill ya.....I have seen this med be replaced four times now and each one has different POSSIBLE SIDE AFFECTS. I can now take a deep breath but have never gone back to being able to taste anything with the exception of sweetness and salt. I can smell the food , just can't taste it.
They can't cure copd but I don't want to rush my impending death from it. I have my good days and bad depending on the amount of welding and grinding going on at work. Can't retire here in NJ , You need half a million dollars or more for that with how they treat and tax seniors here. Even taxing your social security.....
Gene Kap

[sheiserman]

Sorry to hear about all this Mr.J. I am glad to hear you and the bike made it out ok.

I have no words of wisdom for you, but will echo other's sentiments and say I would hate to see you go.

[the2knights]

Glad you are in one piece. I normally hate to see people give up on riding, but with the over riding health concerns I understand, but you're still part of the family here forever!!

[Mr Jensee]

Gene I totally understand about trying to retire in NJ. I have a good friend who lives in Elizabeth and works at a hospital as a chaplain. He and I are the same age and with his health problems he is in a conundrum. He cant afford to retire and cant afford to keep working either. I dont know what is going to become of all of us as we age. I have too many health problems to stay in denial and keep riding. I am scared to death the sleep episode will repeat and next time the outcome wont be as good. I tried tonight to post the sale of my bike on the AVA classifieds but I keep getting irritated with it. First it wont accept my log in so I registered or tried to again then it is telling me that cant have 2 accounts on the same IP. Now come on which is it? Maybe I will just post it on Ebay. Today was another dialysis day and it destroyed me again for the rest of the afternoon. You guys should really try this having your entire blood supply run through a machine for 13.5 hours a week. It will kick you in places you didn't know you had. To top it off my Nephrologist wants me to come in on Tuesday and Thursdays as well to get off the excess fluid I have accumulated. It is a no win scenario. No it is time to say goodbye to the one hobby I had left. I think I am going blind watching endless hours of TV.

[HMB Don]

Mike

Bravo, on that decision. Most folks wait to long to make a very hard decision, and we all read about those outcomes in the paper. I'm hoping that you continue to visit this forum because as you said you'll miss riding. Well as a group here on the AVA forum will miss your input and stories. Just because you give up riding doesn't mean you have to give up a very important part of your life.

Would still like to go down to Lafatette and have a Gumbo weekend in October some year.

[Mr Jensee]

I'll stick around Don for at least a year anyway. After all I just renewed my membership. Come down and I will personally make you the best chicken and andouille sausage gumbo or seafood gumbo you ever put in your mouth.

[cushman eagle]

I'll stick around Don for at least a year anyway. After all I just renewed my membership.

Thank you Mr.Jensee for sticking around the AVA
We appreciate the wisdom you offer!

[Steverides5]

It’s sad to hear of your retirement from riding but it’s also probably wise. I think as we get older we all fear having to step away from what we enjoy. That said if your still comfortable with driving maybe a convertible is in your future. Either way I wish you well and hope to see you in these pages as your still part of the family. Good luck with everything. SG

[Mr Jensee]

Thank you Steven. I have the car I want now a stylish Kia Optima EX. Leo, my friend who died had a little 2 seater convertible. He always meant to give me a ride in it but unfortunately long life was not in the cards for him. I never got the ride. The last time I rode in a convertible was my brother's MG back in the 70's. He is gone too now. Guess convertibles just weren't in my destiny. Cheers.

[Mr Jensee]

Well I've put the Voyager up for sale on the Facebook AVA page and the Classifieds here. Already I have a guy coming here from Virginia to look at it. It will be sad to see it go but it was time.

[cranky]

... God Bless ya, I'm afraid I don't have the good sense to do that and
see me riding to the point of failure... sigh...

[Mr Jensee]

The Voyager is for sale. I have it listed in the classifieds here and on Facebook's AVA site. Accessories include several helmets in various sizes, 2 2x Mesh Jackets in silver, a pair of size 9 riding boots. Everything must go and are included in the price of the bike. Thank you. Phone number below my avatar.

[Nails]

Apologies again for responding to old posts. Obviously, I don't get to General Chat very often.

Would still like to go down to Lafatette and have a Gumbo weekend in October some year.

Come down and I will personally make you the best chicken and andouille sausage gumbo or seafood gumbo you ever put in your mouth.

Don, I happen to know for a fact that he can deliver on this!