Keith Farmer: 'If the bike had landed from my waist up I might not be here talking'

Farmer won the British Superstock 1000 title for the Tyco BMW team in 2018

"When I came off the morphine the pain was absolutely horrendous. It made me think over things".

Northern Ireland's British Superbike star Keith Farmer candidly admits that the extent of the injuries he sustained in a qualifying crash at Knockhill in June led to him seriously considering his future in the sport.

The 32-year-old underwent two operations in the days after coming off his Tyco BMW and suffered bilateral fractures to both legs when he tangled with his machine.

"I just went a couple of inches too wide and clipped a white line in torrential rain. The bike collected me, landed on my leg and I was in agony," said Farmer.

"The marshals put me on a stretcher and put me on the tyre wall. I had time to look down and when I looked down and saw the left leg was facing the wrong way I knew it wasn't good.

"I've taken the positives though as I'm very, very lucky that the bike didn't land from my waist up. If it landed on or above my waist I might not have been able to be here talking today. I'm so grateful I'm still here and in a position to get back to full fitness.

"I had an operation straight away to put titanium rods from the top of my knees right down to my ankle and then another on Tuesday to remove a little bit of bone that had broken off and to get a skin graft done.

"When I came off the morphine and onto normal painkillers it was horrendous for a week or so and I though that was it. I have had enough.

"Since then I have made gradual progress and when I had a review last week it showed that everything is going to plan."

Farmer received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Irish Motorcycling Awards in January

The Clogher rider is continuing to receive regular physiotherapy and is also cycling and swimming as he continues the period of rehabilitation which he hopes will culminate in a return to racing in 2020.

"At one stage I was a little bit worried about my left leg, the one that had the compound fracture, because the fibula wasn't attached and wasn't healing but after the 12-week x-ray and review everything is going really well," Farmer said.

"The only thing that's hindering me now is my range of movement. I have to put time into exercising and stretching my joints.

"The doctors say the bones are all but healed and just need a little bit of time to strengthen up so the next stage will be to get the rods out, which will probably be in the new year.

"I would be happy to jump on a bike now as I've sat on a bike and can move but there would be no point in going racing with two rounds remaining. The risk would outweigh the reward."

'If I don't get wages for racing I'm happy to retire'

Farmer's impressive CV boasts four British Championships successes - two in the Superstock 1000cc class, one in Supersports and one in Superstock 600s - but the Cumbria-based racer says his return to action depends on securing a paid ride next season.

"In all the time I have been racing I've never earned a penny out of the sport - I've still had a full-time job and have had to work to pay my bills," he said.

"I think I haven't been looking for money out of it because I enjoy it so much but there comes a point where you think 'if I'm going to put so much effort in I want something in return'.

"Now it's got to the stage that if I don't get money or wages out of it as a job I'm happy enough to retire.

"I have a wife and an eight-year-old daughter and it takes a lot of effort to balance family, work, training and motorbike racing. I'll see if I can get a job next year in the racing paddock and if not I'll be back to work."