Crashed my Motomax into a lake 10ft deep. Recovered an hour later. Is there any hope?

TestYourMight · 07-27-2020, 12:56 AM

Not proud of any of this. Took one of my daily routes yesterday. Wearing nothing but my helmet, shorts, and shoes. Hit one particular left turn at 60 mph like usual except this time there's sand. Try to correct, but I lose control, smash over the curb on the right, and crash into a retention pond. My left shoulder and left temple of my head slam into the concrete curb separating the grassy bank from the water. Come to a few seconds later and realize I'm underwater. Thank God for my helmet. My head is completely submerged and my feet still aren't touching the ground. I'm 6'2". I try to swim down to retrieve my keys and phone that are still attached to the bike. Realize quickly that my left shoulder is severely injured and I can't move it, much less swim at all. I grab the grass bank with my right hand and pull myself out. Start walking, some guys in a truck stop, ask me if I'm ok and take me home after I refuse the hospital countless times. I shower off the slime, grab a sling and an Advil and head back to the pond with a friend, a Ford Ranger, and a rope. We spot the lights underwater, still on. An hour after she was submerged, she was on the back of that truck in all her mangled glory. I went home, took the spark plug out and laid the bike down to drain water from the engine and exhaust. The front suspension is twisted and bent. In the picture, the handlebars are actually straight, but the wheel is turned completely to the left. Other than the front suspension, fender and headlight, everything else looks good. Frame isn't bent as far as I can tell. Is there any hope for this flooded bike?

OneLeggedRider · 07-27-2020, 01:31 AM

First off, spit in your hand twice, and then commence to slapping yourself as hard as you can until your hand is dry. That's for not wearing the proper gear.

Stand the bike up on the rear tire to make sure all the water is out of the exhaust, and then drain the crankcase. Next drain the fuel tank and carburetor, and buy a new air filter. Be prepared to drain the float bowl several times over the next few months because residual water will keep finding it's way there.

As far as your front end, if the forks aren't bent loosen up.the triple tree clamps and force them back into alignment. Lastly change your oil one more time after the initial run, and slap yourself again for good measure.

**JerryHawk250** · 07-27-2020, 07:39 AM

And to add to what Frank said. After letting a good friend slap you around a few times for not wearing your gear. Pull all the electrical connectors apart to dry them out them apply a good electrical grease on them. If not they will end up corroding and cause issues down the road.

OneLeggedRider · 07-27-2020, 08:24 AM

Years back I would let my cousin Curtis ride my little FourTrax and I'd be on the 200X. Well his idea of a good ride was to see how drunk he get, and was facilitated by me having a big cooler bolted to the front racks. On our last ride together he was really snookered and decided to jump my FourTrax into a pond, for fun ofcourse. I had to borrow a neighbor's tractor and straps to retrieve it, and it was fully submerged for atleast an hour. Needless to say that was Curt's last ride on my bike. And for the next 6 months I had to carry a screwdriver with me, the bike would get to running rough and I'd have to stop and drain the bowl. Tough little bike though.

Spins · 07-27-2020, 02:57 PM

How’s the shoulder doing?

TestYourMight · 07-27-2020, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spins

How’s the shoulder doing?

My physician prescribed me an MRI. He says one or more of my rotator cuff muscles are most likey torn and will need surgery. Gonna cost around 10k, but we'll see how much my shitty health insurance through work covers. Still in a sling. Hurts my left side to breathe deeply. Can't rotate the shoulder in any direction whatsoever. I'm a bartender and I ended up working yesterday, making drinks all night with one hand. Bad idea, should've rested and saw my Dr earlier.

Spins · 07-28-2020, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TestYourMight

My physician prescribed me an MRI. He says one or more of my rotator cuff muscles are most likey torn and will need surgery. Gonna cost around 10k, but we'll see how much my shitty health insurance through work covers. Still in a sling. Hurts my left side to breathe deeply. Can't rotate the shoulder in any direction whatsoever. I'm a bartender and I ended up working yesterday, making drinks all night with one hand. Bad idea, should've rested and saw my Dr earlier.

I’ve been out of commission for about 5 weeks now. Crashed my Brozz and broke my left humerus bone at the ball joint. Four weeks in a sling, I’m out of it now and in physical therapy. My Dr hasn’t ruled out surgery yet. Even without surgery I’m out 3K and counting with insurance.

I hope all goes well for you.

Bruces · 07-28-2020, 11:29 PM

I had a torn rotator about 5 years ago ,I had to wait so long for an MRI ,that it started healing improperly ,and while waiting I went to a physio lady who deals with all the broken down pro hockey players .She had to re “break “ it ,her words ,which involved her literally having all her weight jumping on my arm while I was lifting her up ,she is one of those body builder lady-guy’s ,not a lightweight ,but it honestly was awesome to have someone finally help me .I will say if you want to start helping yourself ,grab something like a large jug of juice ,hold your bum shoulder against a wall ,then make circles on the wall with the juice ,and your arm extended ,it will hurt and you won’t be able to hold your shoulder tight the whole way around at first ,but keep doing it as it will help you down the line with your range of motion which you are already losing . Do that as often and for as long as you can stand it ,it will help you later on .She would hook me up to shock machine as well ,before really beating the hell out of me .If your physio person doesn’t literally beat the hell out of you ,go somewhere else as they are not helping you .Every single one of those NHL tough guys ,were crying from the beatings she gave them .It was wonderful !I have had a full recovery ,no motion issues in that shoulder ,I guess I saw her about 6 times at about $100.00 a visit ,worth every penny .Good Luck with your recovery .

oincman · 07-29-2020, 06:27 PM

I hope you mend quickly. I got ran off the road the other day and managed to just lay the bike down in grass and jumped clear. Stressed my wrist and elbow trying to keep it from dropping hard. I was wearing jeans, jacket, helmet and gloves (since I'm a super wuss).

As for the bike. Drain everything. Buy a head gasket kit while your at it. fill the crank with oil and drain several times. Remove the head cause more than likely if it was running you blew the head gasket.

My granddaughter did the same thing to her bike. The throttle stuck open and she jumped off of it and it went into a creek while running and completely submerged. It was a Kazuma 110cc.

Rebuilt and it's running better now than it did previously.

Just my .02.

TheChairman · 07-29-2020, 10:27 PM

Did the engine ingest water when it sank?

Because if it did, water in the crank is the least of the issues.

OneLeggedRider · 07-30-2020, 08:00 AM

Oh now folks let's not make too big of a deal out of submerging an engine. And I did forget to mention pulling the spark plug before trying to turn it over afterwards. Over the years I've drowned quite a few bikes, a couple of Chevy V8s, Toyota 4 cylinders, and even a lawn tractor at the tender young age of 6, and it never did any actual damage.

Just last summer cousin Jay submerged my Hawk briefly. He drained the airbox, removed the air filter and spark plug, cranked it over by hand and checked the oil level. Fired it up, rode it home and we changed the oil even though there was no sign of water contamination.

I know a liquid cannot be compressed and given the right rpm and amount of water damage is possible, but I've found usually the engine starts to suffocate first, rpm drops and then locks when liquid does reach the cylinder. Which isn't the same event as blowing a head gasket where the water immediately reaches the cylinder.

When I was 14 I fully drowned my XR80 and had to push it back to the campsite. My Dad had dropped us off for a 3 day ride and we didn't have any oil to change it and just a few basic tools. But I knew water is heavier than oil so I let it set overnight and the following morning drained as much as I possibly dared, and then ran the milky remaining oil (not recommended at all) for the next 2 days. Then changed the oil a couple of times after we got home. Keep in mind the little Honda CB motors were almost bulletproof, and I'm quite sure the CG is even more so.

bogieboy · 07-30-2020, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spins

I’ve been out of commission for about 5 weeks now. Crashed my Brozz and broke my left humerus bone at the ball joint. Four weeks in a sling, I’m out of it now and in physical therapy. My Dr hasn’t ruled out surgery yet. Even without surgery I’m out 3K and counting with insurance.

I hope all goes well for you.

be glad it wasn't a clean break thru... did that back when i was 15, (32 now) spent 6 days in the hospital, 2 surgeries, and an arm now worth just shy of $60,000 thanks to the complexity of the break that required the lead sports doctor for the Chicago Bears to be the one that did the work...LOL but, 17 years later, my arm works fine, after 3 doctors looked at the xrays and said they couldn't fix it, and would possibly have to amputate...

my one word of advice for anyone going thru arm trauma is DO THE PT RELIGIOUSLY.... a buddy of mine had a similar break to mine, got put back together and didn't follow up on all the PT, he has 50% range of motion now, and about 40% of his original strength. i have 98% motion and 95% strength back from originally.... it does make a difference...

07-27-2020, 01:31 AM	#2
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	First off, spit in your hand twice, and then commence to slapping yourself as hard as you can until your hand is dry. That's for not wearing the proper gear. Stand the bike up on the rear tire to make sure all the water is out of the exhaust, and then drain the crankcase. Next drain the fuel tank and carburetor, and buy a new air filter. Be prepared to drain the float bowl several times over the next few months because residual water will keep finding it's way there. As far as your front end, if the forks aren't bent loosen up.the triple tree clamps and force them back into alignment. Lastly change your oil one more time after the initial run, and slap yourself again for good measure. __________________ ~ Don't poke the bear ~ M.M.I. Dean's List graduate class of '95 and Specialty welder 2020 Ice Bear Terifecta 150cc Trike 2011 Honda Foreman 500ES 4x4 2001 Polaris Scrambler 400
	4

07-27-2020, 07:39 AM	#3
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,561	And to add to what Frank said. After letting a good friend slap you around a few times for not wearing your gear. Pull all the electrical connectors apart to dry them out them apply a good electrical grease on them. If not they will end up corroding and cause issues down the road. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	1

07-27-2020, 08:24 AM	#4
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	Years back I would let my cousin Curtis ride my little FourTrax and I'd be on the 200X. Well his idea of a good ride was to see how drunk he get, and was facilitated by me having a big cooler bolted to the front racks. On our last ride together he was really snookered and decided to jump my FourTrax into a pond, for fun ofcourse. I had to borrow a neighbor's tractor and straps to retrieve it, and it was fully submerged for atleast an hour. Needless to say that was Curt's last ride on my bike. And for the next 6 months I had to carry a screwdriver with me, the bike would get to running rough and I'd have to stop and drain the bowl. Tough little bike though. __________________ ~ Don't poke the bear ~ M.M.I. Dean's List graduate class of '95 and Specialty welder 2020 Ice Bear Terifecta 150cc Trike 2011 Honda Foreman 500ES 4x4 2001 Polaris Scrambler 400
	3

07-27-2020, 02:57 PM	#5
Spins Join Date: Jan 2020 Posts: 287	How’s the shoulder doing? __________________ 2019 Z 400 2020 Tan Recon 2021 KLX 300 2022 GPX FSE 450R
	0

07-30-2020, 08:00 AM	#11
OneLeggedRider Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Stockport, Oh. Posts: 1,442	Oh now folks let's not make too big of a deal out of submerging an engine. And I did forget to mention pulling the spark plug before trying to turn it over afterwards. Over the years I've drowned quite a few bikes, a couple of Chevy V8s, Toyota 4 cylinders, and even a lawn tractor at the tender young age of 6, and it never did any actual damage. Just last summer cousin Jay submerged my Hawk briefly. He drained the airbox, removed the air filter and spark plug, cranked it over by hand and checked the oil level. Fired it up, rode it home and we changed the oil even though there was no sign of water contamination. I know a liquid cannot be compressed and given the right rpm and amount of water damage is possible, but I've found usually the engine starts to suffocate first, rpm drops and then locks when liquid does reach the cylinder. Which isn't the same event as blowing a head gasket where the water immediately reaches the cylinder. When I was 14 I fully drowned my XR80 and had to push it back to the campsite. My Dad had dropped us off for a 3 day ride and we didn't have any oil to change it and just a few basic tools. But I knew water is heavier than oil so I let it set overnight and the following morning drained as much as I possibly dared, and then ran the milky remaining oil (not recommended at all) for the next 2 days. Then changed the oil a couple of times after we got home. Keep in mind the little Honda CB motors were almost bulletproof, and I'm quite sure the CG is even more so. __________________ ~ Don't poke the bear ~ M.M.I. Dean's List graduate class of '95 and Specialty welder 2020 Ice Bear Terifecta 150cc Trike 2011 Honda Foreman 500ES 4x4 2001 Polaris Scrambler 400
	1

07-28-2020, 11:29 PM	#8
Bruces Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 1,579	I had a torn rotator about 5 years ago ,I had to wait so long for an MRI ,that it started healing improperly ,and while waiting I went to a physio lady who deals with all the broken down pro hockey players .She had to re “break “ it ,her words ,which involved her literally having all her weight jumping on my arm while I was lifting her up ,she is one of those body builder lady-guy’s ,not a lightweight ,but it honestly was awesome to have someone finally help me .I will say if you want to start helping yourself ,grab something like a large jug of juice ,hold your bum shoulder against a wall ,then make circles on the wall with the juice ,and your arm extended ,it will hurt and you won’t be able to hold your shoulder tight the whole way around at first ,but keep doing it as it will help you down the line with your range of motion which you are already losing . Do that as often and for as long as you can stand it ,it will help you later on .She would hook me up to shock machine as well ,before really beating the hell out of me .If your physio person doesn’t literally beat the hell out of you ,go somewhere else as they are not helping you .Every single one of those NHL tough guys ,were crying from the beatings she gave them .It was wonderful !I have had a full recovery ,no motion issues in that shoulder ,I guess I saw her about 6 times at about $100.00 a visit ,worth every penny .Good Luck with your recovery .
	0

07-29-2020, 06:27 PM	#9
oincman Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 99	I hope you mend quickly. I got ran off the road the other day and managed to just lay the bike down in grass and jumped clear. Stressed my wrist and elbow trying to keep it from dropping hard. I was wearing jeans, jacket, helmet and gloves (since I'm a super wuss). As for the bike. Drain everything. Buy a head gasket kit while your at it. fill the crank with oil and drain several times. Remove the head cause more than likely if it was running you blew the head gasket. My granddaughter did the same thing to her bike. The throttle stuck open and she jumped off of it and it went into a creek while running and completely submerged. It was a Kazuma 110cc. Rebuilt and it's running better now than it did previously. Just my .02.
	2

07-29-2020, 10:27 PM	#10
TheChairman Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 115	Did the engine ingest water when it sank? Because if it did, water in the crank is the least of the issues.
	0