exclusive! five time world champion mick doohan writes for amasuperbike.com
Doohan Rides
by mick doohan
october 3, 1999I'm flying back to San Francisco on Tuesday to see the doctors who've been looking after me. They'll take a look at the injuries and we'll go from there. Hopefully all's okay and I won't need any more surgery, because if I do, I won't be turning up to ride in South America. I'm still not that special at getting around. If I'm on my legs too long, I need to take a rest, and if I really stay on them too long, I need a walking stick.
After the crash at Jerez I really thought this would be a three-month injury - fix the bone and get going again. But I broke the leg at the knee joint and I've got nerve damage in the arm, so it's all taken a lot longer than I expected. And I can tell you I've not had a lot of enjoyment from sitting around and taking it easy! It was good to be at Phillip Island over the weekend but it was the hardest race for me to go along to because I realistically I though I'd be competing there.
The last time I was at a race, at Donington in July, I wasn't expecting to be racing, so it was no big deal being at a race but not riding the bike. I had a lot of fun when I did a couple of laps for the crowd on Sunday morning. Some TV guy said I must be a maniac for taking off the way I did, front wheel in the air, so I guess that's what I am! I probably should've gone a bit slower but riding bikes fast is what's kept me in the sport for so long - I just love it. I kept a little in reserve because I hadn't ridden for a while and the bike wasn't set up, so I didn't want to flick it in too hard. I've definitely still got the feel for it, though I couldn't move about too well.
I reckon I could race now and finish 11th or 12th but what's the point? Mentally I feel the same as I did before the accident and I've been in this situation before, where you try to make yourself do stuff you can't, because you physically can't do it and then you end up throwing yourself down the road. People would be saying 'what the hell is he doing out there?'. As I've said before, I race motorcycles, I don't ride them.
All weekend at Phillip Island everybody was asking me about my future and I'd say I'll know by the end of the month exactly what's going on, whether I'll still be competing as a rider in 2000 or whether I'll be involved in some other role. I still love everything to do with Grand Prix and motorcycles, it keeps me excited, so I want to stay involved.
Honda have been really good. I've been keeping them informed of my progress and they've put no pressure on me. I'd like to give them some firm answers on my plans but I don't want to do that until I've hopped back on the bike and decided whether I want to keep on riding into next season. Whatever, they've said there's a bike there for me if I do want to race. I've been talking with them a lot to see what can be put together for next year. I guess it all depends on what I do, whether I continue to ride or not. -- Mick Doohan
