[Eric]

On Monday my brother a CAT member knowen as Frosty sent me a text saying he was going on a birthday ride with his two sons. The birthday boy is serving in the army and is going on an overseas post. And because he will not be home for some time he was going to sell his bike before he starts his post. His older brother now has a young son to look after and his bike was going to be sold as well. So Frosty said this would be the last time for some time to come that we could all go for a ride together. This was a last minute decision and I wanted in and it was already 3pm. So with all the pretty please I could muster I put it to Vanessa. With a yes I asked the two kids nif one would like to come and Kemeri was a starter. The very latest I could leave would be 4:30pm because it get dark at 8pm and you don't want to be out with the roos for too long and it is a 280 miles ride to Frosty's place. I packed the bike with tent, air beds, sleeping bags and clothes for us both. Then at the last minute Kemeri pulls out because she is not feeling that well. So now I pull her stuff out again and got on the road at 4:15pm.
Normally I would have the bike full of gas, tires checked and bike serviced. I did nothing but get on the bike and headed to Tailem Bend an filled up with gas. At Tailem Bend While I was having a drink an older gentleman was talking to me about the latest Goldwing and I talked to him for 15 minutes in full knowledge that I would be riding in the dark with the roos. But sometimes you feel that you are making a small difference to someone by giving some of your time. I got to Frosty's at 9:15pm and only seen 3 roos who didn't try the Hari-kari. So all was well. Then we did an oil and filter change on the wing and checked all bikes. So we are ready for the morning departure.
We are on our way with 2 older brothers and 2 younger brothers and smiles that would normally last all day. Well it only lasted 40 miles.

 

[Eric]

At the 40 mile point Frosty took the lead and at the speed limit for this road, which is 60 mph came around the bend and hit a badly damaged peice of road. He went into a tank slapper that he couldn't save and high sided it as he came off. I was only about 10 yards behind him when he went down right in front of me. I was braking as hard as I could and still have control of my big beast but I now had a bike and rider down right in front of me. Luckier for me because the bike started to go to the left and Frosty was rolling to the right and that left a gap to go down the middle. Frosty rolled 6-8 times for about 70 yards and ended up face down on the opposite side of the road. I stopped about 5 yards in front of Frosty's down bike Mathew the youngest lad that is going to his overseas posting is having the worst posible birthday is next to arrive and stops before the downed bike. Luke arrives next and in a good peice of thinking stops his bike on the wrong side of the road to put a block to protect his father. By this time Mathew who is also trained in first aid is with his father and holding his helmet to protect his spine. I could see that Mathew had the first aid in hand and I looked down the road in the directing that we had just came from and the corner was only about 150 yards away. So I take off running to slow the traffic that will be coming around a blind corner and only have 150 yard to make a good choice. This is where I find out that I am all of my 54 years old. I was to stay there until releived by the Police slowing all traffic.

 

[Scooter1]

Eric, so sorry to hear about Frosty's highside. How is he? Our prayers are with him and his family.

Dan and Debra Bowman

 

[Eric]

Now by the time I get back to the scene, Frost is still where I left him and he is responding to everyone and knew where he was and what had happened. I was told that they were going to air lift him to hospital and I was thinking that he can't be too good if they were going to air lift him out when they had an ambulance car already there. He was lifted out and we stayed for the tow truck to arrive and loaded the bike. At about this time the hyw person arrived and I walked down to met her. Now I was not in the mood to bull s...t around and I asked her what she was doing. She said she was from the council and ask what had happened. And I said come with me and I will show you. It was a silent walk to where the holes in the road were. I explained what had happened and that I had taken photos of the road and paced out the measurements. I hope that the council had a good lawer because they were going to need them.
Here are some photos of the road.

 

[budoka]

Eric that is so sad, I hope Frosty is going to be ok, we're all pulling for him. Not sure about down there, but sometimes air ambulance is just a better way to transport a crash victim due to time and travel simplicity (more direct).

 

[Eric]

The rest of the day was spent in the hospital with Frosty. And at day's end he was cleared of any major damage. Today after the xrays were looked at it comes down to a broken collar bone and fractures in his back. At the moment we still don't know if they will operate or not. This come back and bit me on the rear end after making light of road conditions. To be quite honest I wouldn't have beleived that holes in the road could cause a tank slapper. There are two things to learne out of this.
1/ Please wear your protective gear. You don't know which day it is going to go pear shape. This may have saved his life again. He had everything on and it was 105f.
2/You are special to far more people than you would think. So take care of their friend, brother, father, husband. Eric

 

[fossil92]

Eric our thoughts are with you & family.

 

[Eric]

Thanks for you responses but I am tring to bang this out as fast as I can. I went back to the hospital this morning and he was looking a lot better. We are still waiting to see if they are going to operate on his back. Tomorrow should be the day. How is this for being positive. He is already planing his next bike so we can do the Great Ocean Road. Photo of his bike and chopper. I am a little drained and I will finished the report in the morning. Eric

 

[detdrbuzzard]

tell frosty i'm at work praying for him
tell him we are rooting that his next bike be ... a goldwing

 

[budoka]

Looks like the bike didn't sustain a whole mess of damage considering, but Frosty is more important. The 'slapper' is another reason to consider a steering dampener on just about any bike. Take care and rest well Eric, and give your mate our best.

 

[Ron Robertson]

All our BEST to Frosty and wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[crownfire]

I am very sorry to hear about this. I hope that he comes out okay. Glad to hear he is already planning on getting back on the horse.

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

Eric, sorry to hear about your friend. Will pray he recovers quickly and completly. Keep us informed.

 

[Eric]

It will be about another 8 hour before we know if they will operate on Frosty's back.
On Tuesday I stayed at the hospital as long as I could. Which ment I was going to be pushed to make it home by 6:30 dinner. It was going to be a 400 mile ride home and I was leaving at 11:30am. I rode through to Penola a distance of 120 miles and had lunch. Some photos from Hamilton to Penola.
These photos are taken in Victoria. You see those lovery rolling hills and then I road down a road that followed a river. How nice was that. Eric

 

[Ron Robertson]

Wow; Eric' That looks just like my first wing same color.

 

[Chopin]

Late to read, but not too late to be concerned. This is big bad news here on the forum, Eric.

 

[Eric]

Thanks guys for your concern and support. I gave my brother the handle of frosty ( softer than a soft serve icecream ). But now I think he deserves a tougher name. From now on he will be knowen as Slapper. Slapper is being transfered to a surgeon in Mount Gambier who will see him on friday. Things have turned out better I had hoped for when I seen how he come off. I really thought he was a gonner but by the time they had air lifted him we knew there wasn't any brain damage and that he could feel his feet and hands. I was starting to feel that he had a good chance. I will keep you up to date with his recovery.
The hwy department has been out today and put up signs and flags. But Luke went out yesterday and got some footage from the car. So they will have evidence of how the road was on that day. Eric

 

[fossil92]

Thoughts still there Eric.

 

[Eric]

I am by my nature a positive person and am sure that in time he will be back. I was talking to him in the last hour and he said that he was told that his fractures are about the worst that they have seen. Without putting my head in the sand, I think in about 6 months he will be all good again. Mentally may take a bit longer. It has traumatised his boys a bit. And he said he didn't like loosing his name Frosty. So he will just have to be Frosty Slapper.
I will finish my return trip. Lunch was had at Penola. Penola is in the middle of a great wine growing erea and is the location of our first saint. Mary Mckillop.

 

[Eric]

I had underestimated the distance from Hamilton to Adelaide and had given my ETA as 6:30 pm. So I am at Penola and with 300 miles to go and 4.5 hours to do it in. It was a big ask but I was going to give it a shot. This is a long way of saying I didn't have time to stop for photos. My next stop was Kingston for gas, a distance of 200 miles and 5 US gallons. After filling my tank I was topping up the inner man with an orange juice, when up rolls 3 lady motorcycle riders. In the conversation I found out they were planing to go down the same road that Frosty Slapper had gone belly up on. So out came their map and I showed them a better road to travel on. With the extra time spent with the girls I was not going to make 6:30. I road nonstop from Kingston to Adelaide. And made it by 7pm. Eric