The end of the expedition...

Tsiklonaut

GS pervert
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
3,473
Reaction score
4
Location
semi-homeless
After 17200 kilometres and 5 weeks of riding on our expedition of Persia and Middle-East it had ended just 800kilometres before home in Poland, where reckless fully tatooed young polish driver kicked us out of the road...

Like via life's irony - just on the last day if we wanted to get home in the evening someone just finishes everything for you, on very bad way...

It was more than 100kph speed, the car hit us by rapidly trying to push itself out of the row of cars from left of us, so we changed instantly about 30 degree angle from direct line we were heading off the road and we flyed about 20 metres, slided on tarmac, then on to road side and rolled off the road, few times bike rolled over us. In the end I flyed about additional 5 metres off the bike, Kariina (my girlfriend) was left under the bike when i ran back to bike to help, fuel flowed from gas tank to her and to hot exhaust and cylinders... With my blood of full of adrenaline fully loaded bike felt like air-light to lift off alone from her. She was half unconcious there.

We are really lucky people - just few metres away there was strong trees we flyed between them. If we'd hit them i'd not be here writing this. Even if to exclude this we are lucky - no bone brakes after lot of x-rays (Kariina went directly to hospital), the protective gear did it's job well and i thank Caja Sahel till the rest of my life - the panniers didn't give up on this outrageous speed to hit the ground with full force and rolling on the weight of the bike - they protected our legs on sliding on tarmac till road side, if there were plastic, Zegas with quickly removable mounts or soft panniers we'd have certanly had been in hospital now with broken legs. Panniers stood at the place till the end and i'm amazed how they resisted that much. Plastics or any other quickly removable panniers would have been broken into hundred pieces on the first hit onto the road, not counting the sliding and rolling of the bike.

But the contusion shock was very high - we're both in bad condition now. It's hard to move, everything hurts on every move. My father and brother came to Poland with car to pick us up with the bike. Home since yesterday.

Almost nothing is left from our beloved GS. Front is completely broken, paralever is with cracks, 41L fuel tank is broken, frame bent... Only engine seems to be OK part what's left. This probably means the end of motorcycling i love for unknown time... I've invested all my student's loans and all the money i earned aside the school to this bike and passion travelling together with Kariina. Half of the loans need still paying, repairing it seems impossible or outrageously expensive. Altough it's car driver's fault i'm sure this damned Polish driver don't want to give any money to insurance to cover all this up, because it's Poland afterall - animal traffic culture and insurance companies are already in problems there...

So the future is very dark for me... At least for few years i'm financially completely dead because this bike is my only real fortune. Probably have to quit university and find fulltime job. Doctors wanted to go on further inspections, will do that near days. So far i'm emotionally and physically very exhausted...

DSCN0251.jpg


Life is like chicken ladder, short and full of shit... Ride safe, Margus
 
Very sad to hear your news Margus, just be thankful that you are both well (sort of) and will feel physically better soon.

As for the bike - you have your memories and I'm sure a lot of photographs from your trip.

You will be back on a GS sometime, just hang in there until it happens. If you do try to repair and parts are difficult to find at home, just remember your friends at UKGSer - I'm sur there are many here who would like to help.

Iain
 
Hi Margus and Kariina,
i was reading the posts about your touring
,and this is a terrible way to end it.

But It is good news to hear
You have got home with your family
and here you are posting pics and info again :)

Someone as keen as you ,with a love of motorcycling
will be back on a GS when time and money allows.
The thing is that you are both recovering and you have done a big tour.
In the future you will be sending us all your great photo's.
best wishes
regards,Jason.
 
Margus, really sorry to hear about the accident. Glad that both you and Kariina are (relatively) unharmed. Don't worry too much about the financial side of things, money is something that can sort itself out. And a person with your talent and gumption will soon be back on his feet.

Good luck, and my thoughts are with you,

David
 
So sorry to hear about this awful accident... and so close to home (how common is that..)

And as others have said/will say - it could have been so much worse. As your injury's where fortunately fairly minor am sure you will both be recovered soon - that's the most important thing. :)

As we say (in some parts..) of the UK, money and bikes can be 'sorted'.

Best wishes to both of you and look forward to seeing more of your fantastic pics.

:)
 
Hi Margus & Karina - I am so sorry to hear that your epic trip ended for you both in such circumstances. You were brave to set out in the first place and have survived the best and the worst of everything that can happen on such an adventure. Time will heal the bruises - but time without your GS will be tough. Stay positive - you are both OK thank God - have a rest from biking and stay in touch with UKGSer. Bets wishes - Mel.
 
Margus & Karina

So sorry to hear about this Margus, hope you are both not too badly injured.
Hopefully you're wee GS will rise again like a Pheonix from the ashes and take you both to new places once again.
 
Glad to here the crash wasn't more serious on yourselves.... that said it seems you were very very lucky to still be alive. :) :) :) :) :) :clap :clap :clap :clap :) :)



what are the extent of you and your girlfriends injuries?

Glad to see Civils panniers came in useful :D

when you feel better can we have more pics
 
Margus,

Very sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you are both feeling better soon. I know you probably don't want to hear it but at least you are both still with us which is the most important thing.

I hope the polish guys insurance pays up and you can be back GSing soon.

Take Care and Best Wishes,
Andy
 
Margus and Karina.

I'm so saddened to read this, I know what having the bike meant to you. I hope you can take some concillation from the fact that you have both managed to survive what could have been a very damaging accident to you personally apart from bruises and abrasions if I've understood correctly.

Easy words for me to say I know, but you will get over this buddy... I hope things pick up for and Karina soon.

All the very best

Derek
 
Margus and Karina,

So sorry to hear about your accident. I'm so glad that you are both still here to tell the tale. it was obviuosly a very bad collision. Hope everything works out OK with the other driver's insurance and your beloved GS is back on the road soon.

I hope you are back posting your great photos very soon. :thumb

Ronno
 
Seriously bad luck Margus , hope you and Kariina mend soon. Luckily you were riding an 1100, cause they survive crashes well. Once you pull the bad bits off hopefully it wont look as bad. best of luck mate.
 
Marcus, I can only reiterate what the others have said, glad you both were able to walk away.
Life has a habit of throwing shit at you from time to time but you will come back from this stronger and wiser.

Get well soon to you both.

G C
 
margus and kariina ,thank god you are both still with us , my very best wishes to you both , as for the bike ? hopefully it can be repaired or at least made roadworthy again. i know lot,s of people on this site will be more than willing to help out with the bike in whatever way they can :thumb get well soon .
 
Man that's really bad luck. Thank god you're not badly hurt, and Kariina as well.

Go after the car driver for everything you can Margus, there's no way you should lose your beautiful bike just because of this twat. I know it's difficult over there, but is there any way you can get the law on your side about this accident and get his insurers to pay up?

If there's anything we can do?.......
 
Hi Margus,

sorry to hear about the sad ending to what was a great trip. I wish you and your girlfriend all the best and hope you do manage to get some kind of compensation and keep those photos coming.

Cheers Jay :beer:
 
Thanks fellows!

So far i have few blood-glumps on few places, some blac-and-blue marks, few scratches and chest has seen huge shock - hard to breathe and move, though x-ray sayes it should be OK. Back and leg hurted alot few days after, but now getting OK. Nearly the same is with Kariina, we need a bit more time to get physically ok. Don't know how much time the emotionally OK time takes though...

UKGSer really is the best place with good people!

Hopefully if some of my films survived the crash i'll got some photos from the trip. Caja Sahels protected even our laptop - it damn works, miracle! If there's time aside the work i'll "computerize" our travelling-diary too written on paper (i still prefer the paper you know...).

Some more sad pics as someone requested:
DSCN0250.jpg

On crash spot. Note the two trees. The sliding and rolling on roadside began from longer distance the last car is.


DSCN0257.jpg

The front just cracked off


DSCN0252.jpg

Our savers Caja Sahels. Note that even the lids stayed on.

Cheers, Margus
 
Margus,

Good to hear you escaped my friend. I can imagine the fear you had for your girlfriend. I saw a bike accident once and was first to be with the man and his dying wife. Unlike you, it was his fault for the accident. I cant imagine what happend after that evening. I am so happy to hear that you are both ok - bruised ribs are not nice when trying to breathe I know.

So when metal bends instead of bones, its a good thing, someone up there wants you around here still! So take heart - you have had an adventure and seen things that most people will never do or see.

DO write and get those pictures together, they will give you so much strength and pride in the future - if you can remember a day on the bike - write it down!! Even if its just "I saw a dog walk into a cats fart today".

Thank you for you're post to the site Margus, every one of the hundreds of people that read this post will feel for you both - look after each other,

Brian :thumb
 
might be worth contacting Caja sehels to see if they are interested in your story. Might sell a few panniers for them from the safety/strength viewpoint.Maybe even get a replacement set? Who knows, stranger things have happened. remember your pics are copyright too so they'll need your permission if they were to use the photos in any way.
 
What a terrible end to a seemingly great trip. As has been said already the bikes only a machine and you and your partner are in all essense okay. What makes it bad is the fact that you may loose out on the insurance front and someone in your position must have saved really hard for your bike.
I'm sure that the list can help in someway to get it back up and running - there always seems to be spare bits knocking around, anyone any ideas how we can help Margus...!!

Try and stay positive about things although easier to write than to do.

AndyT
 


Back
Top Bottom