The Bus Crash

[Davidfl]

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At the Snail's send off show last night he presented me with an old pic outside the original GT Rider bar


An injured GT rider with a full leg plaster. Not a broken leg, but one with 100+ stitches from getting clipped by an orange crush tour bus (on R11 north of Uttaradit).

So I dug out a couple of other pix from the time. The year 1994 or 95.

The bike - a beaten up Honda NV400SP





Note the fuel tank sliced open - by the bus door hinge or fender? As I was catapaulted off the bike, up & over the handlebars my left leg was sliced open to the bone.
I did a full 360 degree somsersault & landed in the roadside drain, sitting bolt upright, with legs out in front as if reading a book. No sliding down the road & not a mark on my body, just one hell of an “open meat sandwich” for a leg. Amazingly no broken bones either. Joe from Joes Bike Team was riding behind & saw it all. He was also first on the scene - thanks once again Joe.

Anyway, unbelievably David Lek fixed up the old Honda NV400SP - better than ever & I did tens of thousands more kms on the bike. What a mechanic & reliable bike.

Below: 2 Moons, David Unk, Bobby Bender, Julien.

[backdoorphil]

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Love these old pioneer rider reports Dave, can spend hours looking at them.

[Ian Bungy]

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Amazing how Fast Time passes Us By and the Years start clocking over like a Speedometer! I must say that Julien seems to have Aged very little compared to the Rest??? Maybe He is related to the "Highlander" Anyway Well done Guys!

[Franz]

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David, love the oldie pictures even if they come from a crash , btw is this already Jason after the making ???? If so, then wow you've been a quick one there too...55555. cheers, Franz

[Davidfl]

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Ian, yep I looked a lot younger then & indeed I was. But I was also as fit as a fiddle, playing squash almost everyday plus jogging around the Gymkhana Club. To keep fit we used to play 1 - 1 1/2 hrs squash mid afternoon in the heat with no aircon, most days. I also did not drink much then. Being fit possibly "saved" me & I was back on the squash court inside 2 months & the doc (Sudhee) said I would be on crutches for up to 3 months. However in 2 years the left knee & ligaments packed it in & that was it. I miss playing squash almost more than anything.

Franz, yep that's a young Jason alright.
The bus crash really was a ripper. Coming up out of Uttaradit, 9.30AM, heading North on R11 on the 3-lane immediately before the sala viewpoint. The bus is in the left slow lane & as I am overtaking in the right fast lane & he makes a right hand turn into the sala viewpoint without any indication. I almost made it past, but just clipped him, or he clipped me. I was picked up & literally swung onto the tray of a police pickup & rushed to hospital in Uttaradit. Luckily I was there in 30-45 minutes. The Uttaradit hospital service & treatment was a bit ordinary, so on the same same day I had myself transferred to Lanna & Dr Sudhee, but not before we had a huge argument to get transferred & it was only Dr Sudhee's phone call that "saved the day."
My bike & the bus were kept at the police station & a couple of weeks later my lawyer went to Uttaradit to clear up & sort out damages. The bus was gone & the contact details we got from the police for an address in Nakhon Si Thammarat, were incorrect. End of the story. Not worth chasing up. I got zero baht compensation for the bike & hospital bills.

[David Learmonth]

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I also enjoy these "oldies" Your bus experience prompted me to write this :-
Thats how I got "my" leg. Hit & run with a crazy Indian bus driver on the Sindari Road between Balmer & Oodiphur in Rajasthan! My buddy hired a pick up to take the bike - a 350 Royal Enfield & myself to Jodphur. About 500 baht of damage to bike - not a mark, scratch or bruise on me - just a badly shattered tibia & fibia on the right leg. It was a 100 mile journey to Jodphur & the road was rough to say the least! No police for miles & no time to try & bribe/induce them to come out. Had 5 nights in Goyal Hospital - thankfully it was a private one & very good. Had the "pleasure" of being there for New Years Eve 2004. Even this far down the line it is still not right. Just had metalwork out of the front 11 weeks ago at Overbrook (Excellent) in ChiangRai. Today is first time I've been out on the Bonnie for 11 weeks & very good it was too!

[SilverhawkUSA]

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I also enjoy these "oldies" Your bus experience prompted me to write this :-
Thats how I got "my" leg. Hit & run with a crazy Indian bus driver on the Sindari Road between Balmer & Oodiphur in Rajasthan! My buddy hired a pick up to take the bike - a 350 Royal Enfield & myself to Jodphur. About 500 baht of damage to bike - not a mark, scratch or bruise on me - just a badly shattered tibia & fibia on the right leg. It was a 100 mile journey to Jodphur & the road was rough to say the least! No police for miles & no time to try & bribe/induce them to come out. Had 5 nights in Goyal Hospital - thankfully it was a private one & very good. Had the "pleasure" of being there for New Years Eve 2004. Even this far down the line it is still not right. Just had metalwork out of the front 11 weeks ago at Overbrook (Excellent) in ChiangRai. Today is first time I've been out on the Bonnie for 11 weeks & very good it was too!

Good to hear you have managed to get out on the Bonnie. I know you have been looking forward to it.

[David Learmonth]

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Thankyou! It made me feel much better - had started suffering from "cabin fever" Paying for it slightly today though - both lower legs & both arms are a bit stiff but that is no fault of bike or damaged leg, just lack of use & muscles not used to work after 11 weeks of nothingness. Thanks also to Kiwi Cruiser & Phantom Phil for coming along as well in case assistance was required! ( It wasn't).

[HTWoodson]

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I love these reports from the B-4s, as they used to call you guys that have been expats forever. (B-4 what? Digital cameras I guess.) There are so few good pictures from back in the film days; this forum is a gem.

[David Learmonth]

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I think so too! But BTWoodson I must admit I have only been here a little over 3 years as a full time resident! My first experience of Thailand in any shape, form or size was in November 2004 when I came here on an organised motorcyle trip! I was not looking for a wife but funny how things work out! Now I have the wife & also live here full time. Somehow even 4 years ago I knew that I would be back but not quite as things actually turned out. Life can be funny & holds many suprises but this was the best suprise that happened to me!

[2wheels]

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" My bike & the bus were kept at the police station & a couple of weeks later my lawyer went to Uttaradit to clear up & sort out damages. The bus was gone & the contact details we got from the police for an address in Nakhon Si Thammarat, were incorrect. End of the story. Not worth chasing up. I got zero baht compensation for the bike & hospital bills. "

I guess some things never change eh David?

[Davidfl]

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" My bike & the bus were kept at the police station & a couple of weeks later my lawyer went to Uttaradit to clear up & sort out damages. The bus was gone & the contact details we got from the police for an address in Nakhon Si Thammarat, were incorrect. End of the story. Not worth chasing up. I got zero baht compensation for the bike & hospital bills. "

I guess some things never change eh David?

Missed this while I was on the road for 3 weeks. 2Wheels yeah well you could say that, but I don't think it is all that bad nowadays.