May 5th, 2019

Toronto, Ontario – A perfect day for riding! Bright and sunny, with the air warming by the minute.

Brian and I loaded up our bikes, had a farewell coffee and said our goodbyes before going our separate ways.

Brian tried starting his bike with the same results. He was now pretty certain that the problem was the battery itself. There was enough power to run all the lights, but not nearly enough to crank the engine.

As we did yesterday, we rolled the bike to the top of a slope in the hotel parking lot, and I pushed him along to pop the clutch.

No joy this time…We repeated the process again except this time, I gave it everything I had. When Brian popped the clutch, the bike coughed and burped and suddenly came to life. In the split second that the bike took off, I realized my centre of balance was too far forward, and I was headed for the pavement. Thankfully, I had all of my leathers on, which saved me from getting some serious scrapes and cuts. I had hit the ground hard. However, the leathers could not protect me from the impact on both hands. As soon as I was back on my feet, I knew something was wrong with my right wrist/arm.

As Brian circled back on the bike feeling jubilant that the bike had started, the mood became sombre as we took stock of the situation.

We decided to let his bike idle for a bit as I considered my options and waited to see if the pain subsided. There was no sign of anything being broken, and I had hope that at worst, it was a severe sprain that would dissipate in the days to come.

I also felt some pressure to get going as I was scheduled to have lunch today with Mitch Jacoby and his family in Shorewood, Illinois, followed by dinner with Dave Brull and his family in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

With my decision made, I reassured a very crestfallen Brian that I’d be OK, and we’d be laughing about it in the days to come. On that note, we said our goodbyes, and I thanked him again for the very generous gift of his company on Day 1 of my journey, as well as the beautiful Guardian Bell that he and Eleanor had given me the day before. We rode together and then separated at the opposite on-ramps of Interstate 94, hoping we’d see each other in June.

As I continued westward along the Interstate, I realized there was little mobility in my right wrist, and the pain was becoming acute. I started to consider my options, which were:

1. Stop immediately and seek medical attention somewhere.
2. Proceed to Mitch Jacoby’s, and on his recommendation, get it looked at in Shorewood.
3. Visit Mitch and family and then proceed to Dave’s and get his advice on where to get it examined in Vernon Hills.
4. Return to Toronto and have it examined at home

The fear I had with options 1 – 3 was that if there was a fracture (which I was beginning to suspect), I’d end up wearing a cast and have to return home without my bike. I’d need to find a place to have it stored safely for the weeks/months to come until I was fit to return.

After 90 minutes of cruising with pain increasing and mobility decreasing, I decided that heading back to Toronto was the smartest move. Even if I had to give up en route because of the pain, or I felt that I could no longer safely operate the bike, my options would improve the closer to home I got.

I pulled into a rest stop where I got on the phone with Lori, Mitch and Dave advising them of what had happened and my decision. I also called Mike Anderson in Milwaukee, whom I was supposed to visit tomorrow for the day/evening.

With that tough decision made, I saddled up and rode down the Interchange to the next exit and got back in the eastbound lanes to head home.

Suffice to say that the pain worsened progressively, and the two fuel stops I made were sheer agony as I mounted/dismounted the bike. The only part that was worse was the stretch between Hamilton and Toronto where it became a stop/go situation because of the traffic. Maintaining control of the throttle and brakes with an injured wrist left me with a pain I’d never experienced.

Lori was waiting for me when I pulled into our driveway, and upon seeing her, a huge wave of relief swept over me. I had nothing left in me, and I needed her to help me off the bike.

Having unpacked, we’re off to St. Michael’s Hospital to find out what the damage is and learn when I’ll be riding again.

Total Distance Travelled Today: 765 km (475 mi)