Chronicles of Alan:- Bass Player, Song Writer, Biker, Sound Engineer, Tuner, Speed Freak , Father, Husband , Lyricist, Poet, Legend in his own mind and General Nut Case. (and quite a few other skills)
1980 August 17, Total Life Changing Date.
August 16 :- Dad phones me , "Isn't it about time you bring my Grandchildren and yourself to Church?" so I reply in the affirmative.
Short while later I am phoned by a Band with corporate sponsorship and a credo to become the next Big Thing.... can I come jam with them with a view to being their Bass Player, I agree go jam and was accepted, much excitement....
Go home tell the better half... I'm on my way to fame riches and World Peace etc.
Peter calls me and say's "my wife won't go on the Breakfast run unless Chris (my wife) comes with".
Take out my Scales, One side... go to Church... other Side Breakfast Run to Sun City.
Easy Decision, let down Dad... Call Mother-In-Law to Baby sit the kids.
Peter belongs to the Italian Motor Cycle Club who we are going with, I have a modified Kawasaki 900 which also handles much better than the standard issue.
Great ride there , lunch, talk rubbish and then leave, coming back a different route.
First Problem, break my own rule " Don't race on a road you don't know" (or at least have just checked)
Get through to Maanhaarrand, Guy's say, "right, road has just been resurfaced lets go for it", I let the fellows get ahead (those with the biggest mouths) and then opened up charged in between two of them and get into the lead and lay the bike down into a left hand bend at 210 Km p h.
The resurface ended halfway round with potholes and sand ahead.
The Guys behind saw the dust cloud and hit brakes, 2 of them went down with minor injuries.
I do not recall it but my Wife says I grabbed her by the Collar and threw her off as I started skidding . The Ambulance took 3.30 Hours to get there .
I was lying next to the Bike (which caught fire) and I could feel my left arm was behind me but my hand was behind my head.
Two Traffic Cops came up to me, one nudged me with his foot and said in Afrikaans...
"This Guy wont last 10 Minutes".
The Ambulance collected us , My Wife had an arm broken in three places with bone protruding and a fractured ankle with her one little finger practically off.
Also lots of scarring.
They put a drip in me and then the other attendant pulled it out again saying it was a waste.
A lot of what happened I only found out later. When I got to the Hospital My Folks were notified to come quickly as I would not make it through the night. Two Gentlemen from our Church (I am LDS, by the way) came and gave me a Priesthood Blessing and immediately they had to lie down (told me later it was as though I had sucked all their energy out of them)
I went into theatre and they started repairing me.
The Doctor came to see me afterwards and said I could have my arms locked bent or straight, my decision.
I swore at him as well as you can with a jaw broken in multiple places and half your teeth missing.
When they decided I was going to live, it was said I would be in hospital for 5 -7 months, I walked out of there 31 days from the accident, Shattered elbows, broken arms, broken Pelvis, multiple broken ribs, fractured skull, badly broken nose.