Alive Day

Holy mother lovin shit! I've heard some crazy stuff but damn. You my friend have been through the ringer multiple times if you can even call it that. Hats off to you on your recovery and fact you aren't in prison for revenge on any level.
For real. I've known fellas with similar stories & a lot of them are complete disasters. Props to @Wildman for keeping his shit together. Dude can crash in my basement anytime.
 
Your Harley looks waaaaaay more comfortable than that CJ5 lol. How do you use the rear brake? Does your prosthetic work with the pedal or do you have an alternate set of controls installed?

I went back and edited my other post when I realized that I hadn't answered your question about the brakes. I went to a shop by the name of Soft Break over in ID. Since he was so close I just rode over to his shop and he worked on the bike for me and set it up with me right there. It was a nice 5 hour ride each way.
 
I went back and edited my other post when I realized that I hadn't answered your question about the brakes. I went to a shop by the name of Soft Break over in ID. Since he was so close I just rode over to his shop and he worked on the bike for me and set it up with me right there. It was a nice 5 hour ride each way.
That's badass, so with the pedal relocation you have enough leverage with the lower prosthetic to actuate the pedal? Sorry if I'm keying in so much as to how it works, but I'm a life long rider & really curious about stuff that's out there to let guys with prosthetics still ride a bike.
 
Thanks for your many years of service!
After all the misery you've had to deal with in your life, I wish you lots of good juju and happiness for the rest of your days.
I've enjoyed reading your past posts.
 
For some reason HD had change the pedal on the Rushmore bikes (2014 & newer) and it sits really high. So trying to get my leg up and onto the rear brake was a REAL PITA. Also the socket hits the air cleaner so I moved the floorboards out 1" and the pedal is moved out the same. And two inches lower and by lowering it that also moves the pedal forward. All that mean I hardly have to lift my foot off the floorboards. After riding BearTooth and the Going to the Sun last rear I've got it pretty mastered. Since I can't really feel it it's hard to judge how much pedal I am applying.

The reverse I have replaces the stock drive pulley on the rear wheel.

 
This entire thread had me choking up. I've never served in the military, but have the utmost respect for those who do, or have. I cannot relate to any of the military and/or injury aspects of your story, but having been married four times (I'm a slow learner, apparently), I'm all too familiar with the personal/relationship aspects of what you've shared here.

I have to say that your strength and resolve are beyond impressive. I would think that there are so many different ways that your story could have ended, given the struggles you've had to endure, through no apparent fault of your own. I admire you, Sir, and applaud your perseverance and sheer strength. It's an honor to know you, inasmuch as any of us truly do.

Best regards,
Mark
 
I've heard Alive Day mentioned a couple different times and wherever I heard it I figured it was some far left liberal style something that I didn't really care about.

Thanks for correcting me on that and THANK YOU FOR YOUR 28 YEARS. I'm also glad to hear how far you've come since then even though much of it didn't sound easy.
HBO did a documentary on 5-6 soldiers that had been almost killed. It came out around 2007 so watching it for me was not a easy task. Brought back some nasty memories.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0933877/
 
This entire thread had me choking up. I've never served in the military, but have the utmost respect for those who do, or have. I cannot relate to any of the military and/or injury aspects of your story, but having been married four times (I'm a slow learner, apparently), I'm all too familiar with the personal/relationship aspects of what you've shared here.

I have to say that your strength and resolve are beyond impressive. I would think that there are so many different ways that your story could have ended, given the struggles you've had to endure, through no apparent fault of your own. I admire you, Sir, and applaud your perseverance and sheer strength. It's an honor to know you, inasmuch as any of us truly do.

Best regards,
Mark


Hehehe, damn we're a pair let me tell you. I've been married & divorced 4 times. I am flippin DONE/Finish/Terminado.
I'll have a lady friend MAYBE for fun stuff and all the better if she likes Jeepin but no more "I do's"
As I said earlier my Fucking picker is broken.

And Thank You very much for what you said. Being able to talk about all this today has really been helpful and beneficial for me. It's a hard story to share but as we all know keeping it bottled up inside is way worse.
 
Last edited:
Wildman, incredible story, thanks for sharing and thank you for your 28 years. That takes and unbelievable amount of sacrifice, and I know I could never do it. My hats off to you!

We got alot in common, (Jeeps, Bikes) and that is one badass CBR. Glad to hear you can be on two wheels again. Had two Vmax's, one stock and 'Black Betty', my 170hp 1420CC monster (both Vmaxes' are gone), and currently still have my 1987 Honda Super Magna 17,000 miles. It has been in my shed for 3 years now,, haven't ridden it in 6 years.


20180803_090952.jpg


20180803_090858.jpg


IMAG0427.jpg
 
The one bike I wish I'd never gotten rid of was my Buell XB9SX. When I could walk again in May of 2005 I traded the CBR in on this bike. Now I'd had 6 months of no weight bearing on my leg while the femur knitted itself back together. Because I was missing so much bone in my femur they had to do a bone graft from my right hip. I'll tell you what they say it hurts a little but I'd rather be shot again than have another bone graft.


So I'd always rode sport bikes and use to give all my Harley buddies a bad time about riding a couch. So when it came time to move from a sport bike to something else I choose a Buell Lightning in Hero Blue. It was a awesome bike and the only reason I sold it was because I needed a bike that my daughter could ride and I wasn't going to put her on the back of a Buell.

IMG00052.JPG



IMG00058.JPG



When Harley dumped Buell the dealers were selling them for a reduced amount so I bought the last XB12 Firebolt they had left.
It wasn't really a smart move because this was about the point when my leg had gotten to the point where I couldn't ride it they way it should be rode.


IMGP0016.JPG



IMGP0018.JPG



IMGP0020.JPG


They were both beautiful bikes and it was IMO a very stupid action on HD's part to sever ties with Buell. And look at them now they are making a dual sport/adventure bike and a sportier bike which Buell had already these covered. Now used Buell's are getting harder and harder to find.

@qslim if you have any other questions on how a amputee handles things on a bike just ask away. If I can answer it I will.

Now something you might find a little funny. On my Harley I went thru 4 different mounts for the highway pegs before I found some that angled up slightly. Why is this important? When you're doing 65mph+ down the highway because I don't have muscle in my lower leg I can't put a lot of force on my foot to keep it on the foot peg. And having your leg all of a sudden whip into the breeze it can be a little unsettling and gets the ol'heart beating.
 
Last edited:
I LOVE buells. I never got a chance to own one and HD pisses me the fuck off for dumping Eric.


I had a ‘09 Streetbob and loved it. I made it mine and had a lot of fun on it. I too came from sport bikes (traded in my Ninja on the Bob) and owned a few VFR’s and GSXR’s as well,



I’m going to buy an adventure bike next. However, I’d love a floating couch to your on.



Not sure I’d look toward HD at this point but I always loved the roadglides.



Indian and BMW have my eye these days for a touring bike.


Loved the HD and yours is beautiful. Maybe used for the right price! They sound amazing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: motomick76
I'd never buy a CVO new as they are TOO much for a bike to cost. $43K is a TON of money but mine was 4 years old when I bought it. But it only has 6400 miles on it. It's over 12K now and I didn't ride this summer.

When I got out of the Army in 1992 I had a 92 GSXR 1000. It was my first street bike. Then I had a Yamaha FZR 600.
 
Thanks for sharing your stories! I'm sure you get a lot of questions from strangers about the prosthetic leg. I'm curious how you reply since it's a complicated story and you probably just want to be on your way and not have to tell the whole tale to that guy in line at the grocery store.

For comparison, a friend of mine joined the Army to be a Ranger but hurt his knee and couldn't finish. He wound up in some weird branch of the Army doing cavalry reenactments. During one of their mock combats, the hilt on his saber broke and it ended up cutting off his finger, and they couldn't reattach it. So now he gets to explain to everybody that he lost his finger in the Army during a fake combat with swords and horses. :ROFLMAO: We enjoy giving him a hard time about it.

Back in HS I worked at a camping/surplus store, and one guy came back after Christmas break with his right arm in a cast. But his story was not some exciting adventure like he was skiing or something. His brother was trying to leave a family gathering and drive home drunk with his kids, and several of them got in a fight over the car keys, and my co-worker broke his wrist or hand in the altercation. Well, working retail and wearing a cast is just a magnet for questions from EVERY customer, and he didn't really want to tell them all that his brother was a drunk asshole, so he made up some story that he told the customers, haha.
 
What haven't you had for a bike is gonna be my next question? I am waiting for the next rabbit trick you are going to pull out of your hat! I have always admired Eric and his ability to rethink how a bike should be and not follow any norms, and put them into reality. At one time I really wanted a XB12, but realized they were not my type of bike. Beautiful examples you have had!
 
Hopefully my question before wasn't offensive at all. That was not my intent. Maybe I'm reading something into it that's not there. I haven't served myself, but I have friends and family who have. I perceive that there could be some frustration with getting wounded while serving, but from a freak accident like my friend had and not from battle. Like this is not a noble or worthy injury. But I think any civilian would certainly consider it to be equivalent and appreciate the sacrifice regardless of how the injury happened. That's all I was getting at.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tomcat and qslim
Thanks for sharing your stories! I'm sure you get a lot of questions from strangers about the prosthetic leg. I'm curious how you reply since it's a complicated story and you probably just want to be on your way and not have to tell the whole tale to that guy in line at the grocery store.

For comparison, a friend of mine joined the Army to be a Ranger but hurt his knee and couldn't finish. He wound up in some weird branch of the Army doing cavalry reenactments. During one of their mock combats, the hilt on his saber broke and it ended up cutting off his finger, and they couldn't reattach it. So now he gets to explain to everybody that he lost his finger in the Army during a fake combat with swords and horses. :ROFLMAO: We enjoy giving him a hard time about it.

Back in HS I worked at a camping/surplus store, and one guy came back after Christmas break with his right arm in a cast. But his story was not some exciting adventure like he was skiing or something. His brother was trying to leave a family gathering and drive home drunk with his kids, and several of them got in a fight over the car keys, and my co-worker broke his wrist or hand in the altercation. Well, working retail and wearing a cast is just a magnet for questions from EVERY customer, and he didn't really want to tell them all that his brother was a drunk asshole, so he made up some story that he told the customers, haha.

Most of the time if an adult is asking me what happened they ask "were you wounded in the war?" Since there are so many veterans who have lost a limb due to a IED it's normally an assumption this is why. A couple of the amputee groups I belong to on FB people talk about people assuming they are a vet but they lost a limb due to a motorcycle accident or other types instead

I have more fun with kids asking me what happened. A lot of the time their parents are telling them don't stare and get embarrassed when their kids want to ask. I tell them it's okay that I don't mind and will try to answer the kid questions. I was at a ball game last year and this little girl asked me what happened. So I say I was injuried in the war. She looks at me innocently and goes "what's a war?" Had to stop and think about that one. So I told here a war is when people are fighting each other. She was like OK. So I told her I'd had a really bad owee and the doctors couldn't make it better so they had to remove my leg. She was happy with that answer. Parents that won't let their kids ask just baffle me. Kids are naturedly curious about stuff and IMO if you don't let kids ask questions it makes them less likely to accept someone who is different.

If you look at my socket it's pretty obvious that I was in the military. At least to me it does.

20190805_113427.jpg



20190805_113434.jpg



20190805_113440.jpg


I look at designing a wrap for the socket like choosing what tattoo to get next. When they make the socket if you want a design in it the prosthesis uses a piece of cloth that they inlay before the final layer of carbon fiber. I designed this wrap and then sent it off to a company that makes the wrap and then my prosthesis adds it to the socket. So you can have pretty much anything you want as long as it can be printed onto cloth.


What haven't you had for a bike is gonna be my next question? I am waiting for the next rabbit trick you are going to pull out of your hat! I have always admired Eric and his ability to rethink how a bike should be and not follow any norms, and put them into reality. At one time I really wanted a XB12, but realized they were not my type of bike. Beautiful examples you have had!

I got my fist bike when I was about ten. It was one of those old mini bikes and I had to rebuild the 5 hp Tecumseh engine. Then when I was 14 I got my first dirt bike. I've had a few different bikes over the years.

This was my ex-wife's Harley. She let the thing get repo'd when she left. If I'd know she couldn't afford it I would have kept it. It was called a Softtail Convertable CVO ( CVO stands for Custom Vehicle Operations) and this bike was designed with easily removed saddle bags, rear seat pillion & windscreen.

IMG_9011.JPG



IMG_9014.JPG



My first Harley was a Softtail Nighttrain. On my daughters 5th birthday I picked her up from Preschool on it.

IMGP0275.jpg


IMGP0277.jpg



IMGP0658.JPG


And this was my old Road Glide Ultra that I traded in for the one I have now.

IMGP0055.JPG



IMGP0059.JPG



And who can tell me what TV show that mural was made famous from??

This is why I'm BROKE all the time. It's either a Jeep or Harley that takes all my money.
 
Most of the time if an adult is asking me what happened they ask "were you wounded in the war?" Since there are so many veterans who have lost a limb due to a IED it's normally an assumption this is why. A couple of the amputee groups I belong to on FB people talk about people assuming they are a vet but they lost a limb due to a motorcycle accident or other types instead

I have more fun with kids asking me what happened. A lot of the time their parents are telling them don't stare and get embarrassed when their kids want to ask. I tell them it's okay that I don't mind and will try to answer the kid questions. I was at a ball game last year and this little girl asked me what happened. So I say I was injuried in the war. She looks at me innocently and goes "what's a war?" Had to stop and think about that one. So I told here a war is when people are fighting each other. She was like OK. So I told her I'd had a really bad owee and the doctors couldn't make it better so they had to remove my leg. She was happy with that answer. Parents that won't let their kids ask just baffle me. Kids are naturedly curious about stuff and IMO if you don't let kids ask questions it makes them less likely to accept someone who is different.

If you look at my socket it's pretty obvious that I was in the military. At least to me it does.

View attachment 197413


View attachment 197414


View attachment 197415

I look at designing a wrap for the socket like choosing what tattoo to get next. When they make the socket if you want a design in it the prosthesis uses a piece of cloth that they inlay before the final layer of carbon fiber. I designed this wrap and then sent it off to a company that makes the wrap and then my prosthesis adds it to the socket. So you can have pretty much anything you want as long as it can be printed onto cloth.




I got my fist bike when I was about ten. It was one of those old mini bikes and I had to rebuild the 5 hp Tecumseh engine. Then when I was 14 I got my first dirt bike. I've had a few different bikes over the years.

This was my ex-wife's Harley. She let the thing get repo'd when she left. If I'd know she couldn't afford it I would have kept it. It was called a Softtail Convertable CVO ( CVO stands for Custom Vehicle Operations) and this bike was designed with easily removed saddle bags, rear seat pillion & windscreen.

View attachment 197416


View attachment 197417


My first Harley was a Softtail Nighttrain. On my daughters 5th birthday I picked her up from Preschool on it.

View attachment 197418

View attachment 197422


View attachment 197423

And this was my old Road Glide Ultra that I traded in for the one I have now.

View attachment 197426


View attachment 197427


And who can tell me what TV show that mural was made famous from??

This is why I'm BROKE all the time. It's either a Jeep or Harley that takes all my money.
Wasn’t that on Northern Exposure?
 
Wasn’t that on Northern Exposure?

Yes it was, they had the moose walking down the street by it. This is Roslyn, WA and the bar they used in the TV show is called the Brick and they have the BEST French Dip... Washington’s oldest continuously operating bar, established in 1889.
 
Yes it was, they had the moose walking down the street by it. This is Roslyn, WA and the bar they used in the TV show is called the Brick and they have the BEST French Dip... Washington’s oldest continuously operating bar, established in 1889.
I think that whole show was filmed in Washington. Watched it as a kid and was disappointed when I found out it wasn’t done in Alaska.