The Subject says it all, especially today.

Just received notice that an acquaintance of mine lost her son in a
motorcycle accident last night here in SoCal.

No other details available yet.

As a former motorcycle rider, I often wonder how I got out without
being hurt or killed.

It was during my junior and senior years in high school.

Sold the bike to go to college.

Rode from April thru Oct.

Winters in Ohio are not for motorcycle riding.

Still remember the line in my yearbook,
"He has two loves, his motorcycle and the hardware store."

Lew

Half a dozen of my friends lost their lives in motorcycle accidents
when I was a young adult.

One had to have his legs rebroken nine times to straighten out his hips
and knees after accepting his only one ride home on a motorcycle. Yeah,
it was the other driver's fault for the accident and he was almost dead
right. After 40 years of hobbling he has developed some internal organ
cancer that will fix all his suffering once and for all. Now two of my
sons have scooters. What can you do?



-----------
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
b.com...

The Subject says it all, especially today.

Just received notice that an acquaintance of mine lost her son in a
motorcycle accident last night here in SoCal.

No other details available yet.

As a former motorcycle rider, I often wonder how I got out without
being hurt or killed.

It was during my junior and senior years in high school.

Sold the bike to go to college.

Rode from April thru Oct.

Winters in Ohio are not for motorcycle riding.

Still remember the line in my yearbook,
"He has two loves, his motorcycle and the hardware store."

Lew

I used a motorcycle for years as my only transportation (year round).
Snow and hurricanes (1 really bad) were killers for me. I survived all
that, but a drunk driver rear ending me showed me how vulnerable I could
be...

I don't miss those frigid rides, the cold rainy rides. The snow , the
power cable knocked down by the hurricane winds, and sparking as it
almost hit me as I rode by with my feet out to steady myself in case the
wind pushed me over... You do what you have to do.


On 6/17/2012 11:42 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
The Subject says it all, especially today.

Just received notice that an acquaintance of mine lost her son in a
motorcycle accident last night here in SoCal.

No other details available yet.

As a former motorcycle rider, I often wonder how I got out without
being hurt or killed.

It was during my junior and senior years in high school.

Sold the bike to go to college.

Rode from April thru Oct.

Winters in Ohio are not for motorcycle riding.

Still remember the line in my yearbook,
"He has two loves, his motorcycle and the hardware store."

Lew

On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:45:09 -0400, m II wrote:

Half a dozen of my friends lost their lives in motorcycle accidents when
I was a young adult.

Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous. They're also a great deal of fun.
I'm 75 years old. I've been riding since I was 14. I've been in
situations on a bike that could have killed me if I'd been in a car, and
vice versa. And for many of the early years I, like everyone else, rode
without a helmet.

But a great deal of it depends on the rider. I owe a lot to the guy at
the dealer who taught me how to ride. After I got pretty good tooling
around a big meadow, he told me to get going about 35, lay the bike down,
and get off. I was horrified at the thought of bending or even
scratching my brand new bike. I was told if I didn't, I would not be
allowed to buy the bike! I learned :-). Can you see the lawyers going
into hysterics if a dealer did that today?

The other thing he kept telling me was to always assume that if another
vehicle could do something to cause me to wreck, it probably would. In
other words, be paranoid :-).

There's also the Hurt report of a few decades back that found something
like 80% of one vehicle motorcycle accidents involved a rider on his
first or second ride on a new bike - regardless of how experienced the
rider was. I kept that in mind every time I got a new bike.

BTW, the majority (I don't recall the percentage) of accidents involving
another vehicle was a car turning left or pulling out in front of the
motorcycle. See above - ride paranoid.

So there are things one can do to lessen the risk. But I wouldn't give
up all the enjoyment I've gotten for all the safety in the world.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

One of my best friends was riding his big road bike home in the middle
of the night when he was rear ended by a distracted semi driver. His
death sealed it with my wife about my desire to get another cycle. When
we were married 33 years ago, we needed a new fridge and stove and I
volunteered to sell my bike. Flash forward 10 years and I am flush with
some unexpected cash and ask her to come with me bike shopping. "You've
got two kids ... you can't have a motorcycle." After a bit of
negotiating, she agrees I can have a bike when the kids graduate from
college.

Ten days after I paid my daughter's last tuition payment, I bought a
sailboat, but I still had cycle fever. A few years later, we were in
Hawaii and I rented a Harley for a ride around Maui. I gave her two
instructions: hold on and don't touch the tailpipe. She ignored the
latter and nearly needed a skin graft on her ankle.

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

Larry


On 6/18/2012 12:28 PM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:45:09 -0400, m II wrote:

Half a dozen of my friends lost their lives in motorcycle accidents when
I was a young adult.

Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous. They're also a great deal of fun.
I'm 75 years old. I've been riding since I was 14. I've been in
situations on a bike that could have killed me if I'd been in a car, and
vice versa. And for many of the early years I, like everyone else, rode
without a helmet.

But a great deal of it depends on the rider. I owe a lot to the guy at
the dealer who taught me how to ride. After I got pretty good tooling
around a big meadow, he told me to get going about 35, lay the bike down,
and get off. I was horrified at the thought of bending or even
scratching my brand new bike. I was told if I didn't, I would not be
allowed to buy the bike! I learned :-). Can you see the lawyers going
into hysterics if a dealer did that today?

The other thing he kept telling me was to always assume that if another
vehicle could do something to cause me to wreck, it probably would. In
other words, be paranoid :-).

There's also the Hurt report of a few decades back that found something
like 80% of one vehicle motorcycle accidents involved a rider on his
first or second ride on a new bike - regardless of how experienced the
rider was. I kept that in mind every time I got a new bike.

BTW, the majority (I don't recall the percentage) of accidents involving
another vehicle was a car turning left or pulling out in front of the
motorcycle. See above - ride paranoid.

So there are things one can do to lessen the risk. But I wouldn't give
up all the enjoyment I've gotten for all the safety in the world.

Computer simulators should be able to satisfy all that adrenaline addiction
soon.

-------

"Gramp's shop" wrote in message ...

One of my best friends was riding his big road bike home in the middle
of the night when he was rear ended by a distracted semi driver. His
death sealed it with my wife about my desire to get another cycle. When
we were married 33 years ago, we needed a new fridge and stove and I
volunteered to sell my bike. Flash forward 10 years and I am flush with
some unexpected cash and ask her to come with me bike shopping. "You've
got two kids ... you can't have a motorcycle." After a bit of
negotiating, she agrees I can have a bike when the kids graduate from
college.

Ten days after I paid my daughter's last tuition payment, I bought a
sailboat, but I still had cycle fever. A few years later, we were in
Hawaii and I rented a Harley for a ride around Maui. I gave her two
instructions: hold on and don't touch the tailpipe. She ignored the
latter and nearly needed a skin graft on her ankle.

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

Larry

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:
One of my best friends was riding his big road bike home in the middle
of the night when he was rear ended by a distracted semi driver. His
death sealed it with my wife about my desire to get another cycle. When
we were married 33 years ago, we needed a new fridge and stove and I
volunteered to sell my bike. Flash forward 10 years and I am flush with
some unexpected cash and ask her to come with me bike shopping. "You've
got two kids ... you can't have a motorcycle." After a bit of
negotiating, she agrees I can have a bike when the kids graduate from
college.

Ten days after I paid my daughter's last tuition payment, I bought a
sailboat, but I still had cycle fever. A few years later, we were in
Hawaii and I rented a Harley for a ride around Maui. I gave her two
instructions: hold on and don't touch the tailpipe. She ignored the
latter and nearly needed a skin graft on her ankle.

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

Larry


Six years ago I had a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic - Very Black and Lots
of Chrome. Wonderful machine.

One afternoon a young girl driving daddy's Lincoln Navigator suddenly
realized she missed her exit and dove for it.

Sideswiped me at about 45 mph in the exit.

It speed-wobbled but didn't go down - I stiff-armed out of it.

But that was the last ride.

I kept the bike for another year - kept trying to ride it. But it
wasn't fun anymore. It scared me being in traffic of any kind.

I sold the bike and bought a sailboat. (!)
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~sv_temptress/

Never missed the bike.

I wouldn't mind having a thickness sander either.



Richard

On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:33:09 -0500, Richard
wrote:




I sold the bike and bought a sailboat. (!)
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~sv_temptress/


You could have bought a power boat that burns 25+ gallons an hour at
$5 a gallon and had more fun.

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

NOOOOOO Not the same...

If you ride a full dresser you are right.

But if you ride an unencumbered bike... there is nothing that can
simulate that feeling.



On 6/18/2012 10:43 PM, Josepi wrote:
Computer simulators should be able to satisfy all that adrenaline
addiction soon.

-------

"Gramp's shop" wrote in message ...

One of my best friends was riding his big road bike home in the middle
of the night when he was rear ended by a distracted semi driver. His
death sealed it with my wife about my desire to get another cycle. When
we were married 33 years ago, we needed a new fridge and stove and I
volunteered to sell my bike. Flash forward 10 years and I am flush with
some unexpected cash and ask her to come with me bike shopping. "You've
got two kids ... you can't have a motorcycle." After a bit of
negotiating, she agrees I can have a bike when the kids graduate from
college.

Ten days after I paid my daughter's last tuition payment, I bought a
sailboat, but I still had cycle fever. A few years later, we were in
Hawaii and I rented a Harley for a ride around Maui. I gave her two
instructions: hold on and don't touch the tailpipe. She ignored the
latter and nearly needed a skin graft on her ankle.

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

Larry

"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:45:09 -0400, m II wrote:

Half a dozen of my friends lost their lives in motorcycle accidents when
I was a young adult.

Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous. They're also a great deal of fun.
I'm 75 years old. I've been riding since I was 14. I've been in
situations on a bike that could have killed me if I'd been in a car, and
vice versa. And for many of the early years I, like everyone else, rode
without a helmet.

Sounds like my father... A bit older than you and only recently took his
Harley off the road... still has his Corvette on the road though.

Bicycling can be a risk too when it comes to vehicles, crashes, and other
people. With heavily loaded touring bicycles things don't go well at times.
Wind, gravel, cracks, riding at the edge of the blacktop, etc., can lead to
loss of control. Last summer on our trip from La Junta CO to Pasco WA my son
and I both had crashes from drifting off the pavement. In Frisco CO Jesse
did equipment damage but in a superman like fashion managed to avoid the
carnage and land on his feet despite the clip less pedals. Me.. in Lowell ID
my equipment was fine bit I had a very bloody left knee with a hole where
there used to be skin and I cracked some ribs. In Yellowstone, a fellow
cyclist whom we first encountered in Frisco, was run off the road by a
motorhome. The motorhome driver was arrested for vehicular assault as in
addition to Tom's complaint an eye witness to the driver's behaviors leading
up to the incident stepped forward. On my FL to NY trip I was attacked by
drunk red necks a few times and narrowly escaped robbery another time. I
also crashed just north of the FL / GA border when I got into some sand on
the shoulder. Next year's trip with my other son will hopefully be less
eventful in these respects!

John

On 6/19/2012 7:46 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!


I had'a a 73 XLCH Sportster

On 6/19/2012 10:42 AM, Leon wrote:
On 6/19/2012 7:46 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!


I had'a a 73 XLCH Sportster

79 XLS

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:00:13 -0400, John Grossbohlin wrote:

"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:45:09 -0400, m II wrote:

Half a dozen of my friends lost their lives in motorcycle accidents when
I was a young adult.

Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous. They're also a great deal of fun.
I'm 75 years old. I've been riding since I was 14. I've been in
situations on a bike that could have killed me if I'd been in a car, and
vice versa. And for many of the early years I, like everyone else, rode
without a helmet.

Sounds like my father... A bit older than you and only recently took his
Harley off the road... still has his Corvette on the road though.

Bicycling can be a risk too when it comes to vehicles, crashes, and other
people. With heavily loaded touring bicycles things don't go well at times.
Wind, gravel, cracks, riding at the edge of the blacktop, etc., can lead to
loss of control. Last summer on our trip from La Junta CO to Pasco WA my son
and I both had crashes from drifting off the pavement. In Frisco CO Jesse
did equipment damage but in a superman like fashion managed to avoid the
carnage and land on his feet despite the clip less pedals. Me.. in Lowell ID
my equipment was fine bit I had a very bloody left knee with a hole where
there used to be skin and I cracked some ribs. In Yellowstone, a fellow
cyclist whom we first encountered in Frisco, was run off the road by a
motorhome. The motorhome driver was arrested for vehicular assault as in
addition to Tom's complaint an eye witness to the driver's behaviors leading
up to the incident stepped forward. On my FL to NY trip I was attacked by
drunk red necks a few times and narrowly escaped robbery another time. I
also crashed just north of the FL / GA border when I got into some sand on
the shoulder. Next year's trip with my other son will hopefully be less
eventful in these respects!

John

I ride a bicycle(breezer-liberty) a lot, haven't done any touring (maybe
one day) mostly day trips.
Even if drivers see you it seems as they go brain dead about what to do
when they see a bicycle(do I really have to wait at the stop sign for the
bike to go by?).
Thinking that they will even grant you the right to exist will get you
killed. The roads in Al and the drivers aren't very bike friendly, I even
had one city cop suggest I should stay off the road.

basilisk

basilisk wrote:


I ride a bicycle(breezer-liberty) a lot, haven't done any touring
(maybe one day) mostly day trips.
Even if drivers see you it seems as they go brain dead about what to
do when they see a bicycle(do I really have to wait at the stop sign
for the bike to go by?).
Thinking that they will even grant you the right to exist will get you
killed. The roads in Al and the drivers aren't very bike friendly, I
even had one city cop suggest I should stay off the road.


What you say may be true, but equally true are the number of brain dead bike
riders. Those with the attitude that they have the right, so they will
exercise it, regardless of how stupid it is. Here, we have wide paved
shoulders on all but the smallest town roads. What do you see? Bikers
riding side by side on the sideline of the traffic lane rather than on the
paved shoulder - because they can. Refusing to acknowledge the other
traffic on the road, because they have a right. Hell - with almost 8 feet
of paved shoulder, there is plenty of room for both cyclists and vehicles to
peacefully coexist. But...

--

-Mike-

That's the same with many cars/motorcycles. I had been cutoff many times
by someone crossing in front of me even though I had right of way. Here
in NJ and NY headlights on motorcycles are on all the time... Yet for
some reason the cars wait until you are right there and go..

Some bicyclists though are asses. I live in farm country here in NJ, and
many bikers ride 2 and 3 abreast on country roads, where it's tough to
pass. You would think with a car behind they would single file, but they
don't they just block it up.. My son now rides competitively, his school
team asked him to join when he went for rides with them... And if I see
him doing that ****, I'll scare the crap out of him...

On 6/19/2012 1:39 PM, basilisk wrote:


I ride a bicycle(breezer-liberty) a lot, haven't done any touring (maybe
one day) mostly day trips.
Even if drivers see you it seems as they go brain dead about what to do
when they see a bicycle(do I really have to wait at the stop sign for the
bike to go by?).
Thinking that they will even grant you the right to exist will get you
killed. The roads in Al and the drivers aren't very bike friendly, I even
had one city cop suggest I should stay off the road.

basilisk

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 14:22:21 -0400, Mike Marlow wrote:

basilisk wrote:


I ride a bicycle(breezer-liberty) a lot, haven't done any touring
(maybe one day) mostly day trips.
Even if drivers see you it seems as they go brain dead about what to
do when they see a bicycle(do I really have to wait at the stop sign
for the bike to go by?).
Thinking that they will even grant you the right to exist will get you
killed. The roads in Al and the drivers aren't very bike friendly, I
even had one city cop suggest I should stay off the road.


What you say may be true, but equally true are the number of brain dead bike
riders. Those with the attitude that they have the right, so they will
exercise it, regardless of how stupid it is. Here, we have wide paved
shoulders on all but the smallest town roads. What do you see? Bikers
riding side by side on the sideline of the traffic lane rather than on the
paved shoulder - because they can. Refusing to acknowledge the other
traffic on the road, because they have a right. Hell - with almost 8 feet
of paved shoulder, there is plenty of room for both cyclists and vehicles to
peacefully coexist. But...

Your right, I see them too, personally I stay as out of the way as
possible, the bike/car contest is a losing one for the cyclist.
I do have the right to be there, but I see self peservation as the top
prority, a distracted driver will run over you long before he worries
about your rights.

basilisk

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
That's the same with many cars/motorcycles. I had been cutoff many times
by someone crossing in front of me even though I had right of way. Here in
NJ and NY headlights on motorcycles are on all the time... Yet for some
reason the cars wait until you are right there and go..

Some bicyclists though are asses. I live in farm country here in NJ, and
many bikers ride 2 and 3 abreast on country roads, where it's tough to
pass. You would think with a car behind they would single file, but they
don't they just block it up.. My son now rides competitively, his school
team asked him to join when he went for rides with them... And if I see
him doing that ****, I'll scare the crap out of him...

While cyclists legally have the same rights to the road as other vehicles
there is that "common courtesy" thing that is often missing. Riding 2-3
abreast is fine if there are no cars but to impede traffic is a simple lack
of courtesy. It's not just them though. When I ride on some of the local
trails the running club takes the entire trail... no "keep to the right"
mentality with them. Motorhomes in FL and Yellowstone have been the worst
in my cycling experience. They are either arrogant as hell, like the guy who
ran Tom off the road in Yellowstone, or they have NO CONCEPT of the vacuum
effect their large vehicles have on bicyclists. I had a guy on Rte 41 in the
Everglades nearly take me out with his step... he didn't fold it up.

John

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

You could have bought a power boat that burns 25+ gallons an hour at
$5 a gallon and had more fun.
---------------------------------------
Before you are allowed to own and operate a stink boat, you have to be
certified as having only two (2) brain cells and at least one (1) of
them is dead.

Lew

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!

When I got my insurance settlement I thought about getting another
bike. Then I thought about the titanium rods in my femurs & the crazy
loons on the road and bought an excavator. Not very fast but it sure
makes work around the property a lot more fun.

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/.../P10000291.jpg

Mike M

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

I'd give the percentages 50/50 there. Suckage and luckage.


But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Ditto here in southern Oregon on spring and summer mornings.


Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!

Amen to that. I got rear ended in a parking lot in my big truck with
the headlights on. The guy didn't even look. If I'd been on a scoot,
he'd have broken my legs, at minimum.

My very first vehicle was a 1969 Kawasaki Street 90. I could drive it
alone with my learner's permit at age 15-1/2 in CA. I must have been
up and down every single street in Vista at least once before I gave
up that bike. A friend had a Swedish trencher. I rode it once and the
toggle-switch-like throttle scared the absolute **** out of me. That
Husky 400 would dig a trench a whole lot faster than a DitchWitch,
lemme tell ya. g He was a motocrosser. I never did get a larger
bike, but in the one accident I was in, I was happily ensconced in a
nice fiberglass helmet. It saved me arse, it did. My helmeted head
hit the Cadillac's rear door in the center and it broke the window.
My only damage was a rug burn on my right forearm, which I used to put
myself squarely on top of the bike when it went down. I was glad I
had a coat on that drizzly morning.

--
It is easier to fool people than it is to
convince people that they have been fooled.
--Mark Twain

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:03:38 -0400, John Grossbohlin wrote:

Motorhomes in FL and Yellowstone have been the worst in my cycling
experience.

Not just there and not just for bicycle riders. Out west, most hill/
mountain roads have signs every few miles "slow vehicles must use
turnouts" - apparently that message is in some indecipherable alien
language.

When I was pulling a big 5th wheel I'd check my mirrors and use the
turnout if there was even one vehicle behind me. I've seen motorhomes
and trailers with 10-20 cars behind them go blithely past turnout after
turnout.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

On 6/19/2012 5:36 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

I'd give the percentages 50/50 there. Suckage and luckage.


But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Ditto here in southern Oregon on spring and summer mornings.


Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!

Amen to that. I got rear ended in a parking lot in my big truck with
the headlights on. The guy didn't even look. If I'd been on a scoot,
he'd have broken my legs, at minimum.

My very first vehicle was a 1969 Kawasaki Street 90. I could drive it
alone with my learner's permit at age 15-1/2 in CA. I must have been
up and down every single street in Vista at least once before I gave
up that bike. A friend had a Swedish trencher. I rode it once and the
toggle-switch-like throttle scared the absolute **** out of me. That
Husky 400 would dig a trench a whole lot faster than a DitchWitch,
lemme tell ya. g He was a motocrosser. I never did get a larger
bike, but in the one accident I was in, I was happily ensconced in a
nice fiberglass helmet. It saved me arse, it did. My helmeted head
hit the Cadillac's rear door in the center and it broke the window.
My only damage was a rug burn on my right forearm, which I used to put
myself squarely on top of the bike when it went down. I was glad I
had a coat on that drizzly morning.

Ouch ... I had one laydown that left a lasting impression, and I'd bet
not only on me.

I might have told this one here before, but ...

On an Easter Sunday morning, an idiot with his wife and kids in tow,
passed me while I was driving the speed limit (35) in the right lane of
a four lane boulevard; just as he was fully into my lane he slammed on
his brakes to make a right turn into, fercrissakes, a church parking lot
(???). Sensing the danger as he'd passed, I'd already hit the brakes,
but still had to lay the bike down to keep from going over the top, and
me and the bike skid further than I cared to under his back bumper.

Unhurt, but highly ****ed, I extricated myself and the bike while he
just sat in the car as if nothing happened. As I walked up on the
drivers side, he rolled his window down, and before he could say a word
I had him by the lapels of his christian leisure suit and had hauled the
best part of his funky ass out the window while banging the back of his
head against the top of the window frame with each tug, all the while
telling him what a stupid SOB he was in a most unchristian manner, a
sermon everyone in the church parking lot had not anticipated on an
Easter Sunday.

If his wife hadn't started screaming, and the kids crying, I'd probably
still be pounding on him ... Yep, most unchristian like behavior on my
part, but thanks ONLY to the relatively low speed, and me laying the
bike down, it was NOT me that he _did_ kill.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

On 6/19/2012 3:19 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

You could have bought a power boat that burns 25+ gallons an hour at
$5 a gallon and had more fun.
---------------------------------------
Before you are allowed to own and operate a stink boat, you have to be
certified as having only two (2) brain cells and at least one (1) of
them is dead.

Lew





I dunno, Lew, you may be on to something there.
From what I've seen of them anyway...

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:32:41 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 6/19/2012 5:36 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

I'd give the percentages 50/50 there. Suckage and luckage.


But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Ditto here in southern Oregon on spring and summer mornings.


Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!

Amen to that. I got rear ended in a parking lot in my big truck with
the headlights on. The guy didn't even look. If I'd been on a scoot,
he'd have broken my legs, at minimum.

My very first vehicle was a 1969 Kawasaki Street 90. I could drive it
alone with my learner's permit at age 15-1/2 in CA. I must have been
up and down every single street in Vista at least once before I gave
up that bike. A friend had a Swedish trencher. I rode it once and the
toggle-switch-like throttle scared the absolute **** out of me. That
Husky 400 would dig a trench a whole lot faster than a DitchWitch,
lemme tell ya. g He was a motocrosser. I never did get a larger
bike, but in the one accident I was in, I was happily ensconced in a
nice fiberglass helmet. It saved me arse, it did. My helmeted head
hit the Cadillac's rear door in the center and it broke the window.
My only damage was a rug burn on my right forearm, which I used to put
myself squarely on top of the bike when it went down. I was glad I
had a coat on that drizzly morning.

Ouch ... I had one laydown that left a lasting impression, and I'd bet
not only on me.

I might have told this one here before, but ...

On an Easter Sunday morning, an idiot with his wife and kids in tow,
passed me while I was driving the speed limit (35) in the right lane of
a four lane boulevard; just as he was fully into my lane he slammed on
his brakes to make a right turn into, fercrissakes, a church parking lot
(???). Sensing the danger as he'd passed, I'd already hit the brakes,
but still had to lay the bike down to keep from going over the top, and
me and the bike skid further than I cared to under his back bumper.

Defensive driving was hammered into me by both Mom and Dad before I
got my bike. Kudos on using that same principle to save your life.
It's a nightmare out there.


Unhurt, but highly ****ed, I extricated myself and the bike while he
just sat in the car as if nothing happened. As I walked up on the
drivers side, he rolled his window down, and before he could say a word
I had him by the lapels of his christian leisure suit and had hauled the
best part of his funky ass out the window while banging the back of his
head against the top of the window frame with each tug, all the while
telling him what a stupid SOB he was in a most unchristian manner, a
sermon everyone in the church parking lot had not anticipated on an
Easter Sunday.

A most excellent way to put the fear of God into the guy, and what an
appropos setting for everyone to start thinking about others on the
road besides their hypocritical, asshole, Christian selves.
(apologies to the 3% of churchgoers who _aren't_ HACs.)


If his wife hadn't started screaming, and the kids crying, I'd probably
still be pounding on him ... Yep, most unchristian like behavior on my
part, but thanks ONLY to the relatively low speed, and me laying the
bike down, it was NOT me that he _did_ kill.

Har! I'd likely have done the same thing if my accident had been
caused by anyone other than a stupid, blind old lady. I hope she lost
her license for that. I had my headlight on and everything. I
certainly hope that your little motivational session with the guy made
him more aware of his surroundings while driving every time he drove
after that.

--
It is easier to fool people than it is to
convince people that they have been fooled.
--Mark Twain

I wrote:

Before you are allowed to own and operate a stink boat, you have to
be
certified as having only two (2) brain cells and at least one (1) of
them is dead.
-------------------------------------

"Richard" wrote:

I dunno, Lew, you may be on to something there.
From what I've seen of them anyway...
------------------------------
As Bill Pinkney observed when he stopped in OZ on his way around the
world.

"The milling of the Searays is the same the world around."

Lew

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:26:16 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard
wrote:

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:03:38 -0400, John Grossbohlin wrote:

Motorhomes in FL and Yellowstone have been the worst in my cycling
experience.

Not just there and not just for bicycle riders. Out west, most hill/
mountain roads have signs every few miles "slow vehicles must use
turnouts" - apparently that message is in some indecipherable alien
language.

When I was pulling a big 5th wheel I'd check my mirrors and use the
turnout if there was even one vehicle behind me. I've seen motorhomes
and trailers with 10-20 cars behind them go blithely past turnout after
turnout.

And just last month, I came upon a pair of bicyclists who were riding
tandem, taking up half my lane. There was another car coming and the
riders still didn't get off the road or go single file. I glared at
them on the way by, slowly, and they looked at me as if was from
another world and wondering "What did _we_ do?" sigh

This morning, on the way into town, a girl was stopped in the right
lane, halfway up the hill. She stood on the road with her front tire a
foot into the lane and just looked at me as I had to veer into the
other lane to pass her. Again, the "What are you looking at?" look.
These riders are not only stupid and arrogant, they're just sitting
ducks for inattentive drivers.

Viva la Darwin Awards!

--
It is easier to fool people than it is to
convince people that they have been fooled.
--Mark Twain

"Swingman" wrote

On an Easter Sunday morning, an idiot with his wife and kids in tow,
passed me while I was driving the speed limit (35) in the right lane of a
four lane boulevard; just as he was fully into my lane he slammed on his
brakes to make a right turn into, fercrissakes, a church parking lot
(???). Sensing the danger as he'd passed, I'd already hit the brakes, but
still had to lay the bike down to keep from going over the top, and me and
the bike skid further than I cared to under his back bumper.

A cop once told me that Easter Sunday crashes are quite common. Lots of
folks go to church once a year, on Easter. And they are often late and get
a little stupid trying to get to church on time.

I witnessed a collision between two Easter Sunday church goers myself. I
was walking by the church when it happened. They crashed into one another
right outside the church. They got out, exchanged information and went to
church! I guess it is just so hard to get it right when you only do it once
a year.

"Mike M" wrote

When I got my insurance settlement I thought about getting another
bike. Then I thought about the titanium rods in my femurs & the crazy
loons on the road and bought an excavator. Not very fast but it sure
makes work around the property a lot more fun.

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/.../P10000291.jpg

Counting the dog, you have three diggers in that picture.

On 6/19/2012 8:23 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:

A cop once told me that Easter Sunday crashes are quite common. Lots of
folks go to church once a year, on Easter. And they are often late and
get a little stupid trying to get to church on time.

I witnessed a collision between two Easter Sunday church goers myself. I
was walking by the church when it happened. They crashed into one
another right outside the church. They got out, exchanged information
and went to church! I guess it is just so hard to get it right when you
only do it once a year.

Yup, two people were killed a few weeks back on our 407 toll highway like
that. Perhaps somebody else knows the details.

--------

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
And just last month, I came upon a pair of bicyclists who were riding
tandem, taking up half my lane. There was another car coming and the
riders still didn't get off the road or go single file. I glared at
them on the way by, slowly, and they looked at me as if was from
another world and wondering "What did _we_ do?" sigh

This morning, on the way into town, a girl was stopped in the right
lane, halfway up the hill. She stood on the road with her front tire a
foot into the lane and just looked at me as I had to veer into the
other lane to pass her. Again, the "What are you looking at?" look.
These riders are not only stupid and arrogant, they're just sitting
ducks for inattentive drivers.

Viva la Darwin Awards!

Nice Land Cruiser. Looks in good shape...

I wish I had that Kubota... I could use it..

On 6/19/2012 6:23 PM, Mike M wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 6/18/2012 9:25 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:

In my pocket right now is a raffle ticket for a Harley 883. Yah, I'm 66
but I still want that bike. And a thickness sander.

My Sportser was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

But ... I do get the yearning now and again, especially when driving the
mountains in AR on a beautiful day.

Then, I get in my truck, deal with all the asshats on the road these
days, and think, Naaaah!

When I got my insurance settlement I thought about getting another
bike. Then I thought about the titanium rods in my femurs & the crazy
loons on the road and bought an excavator. Not very fast but it sure
makes work around the property a lot more fun.

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/.../P10000291.jpg

Mike M

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

My Sportster was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

How does a Sportster get stolen? Ignition gets picked or punched or
the bike gets dragged onto a flatbed and driven away?

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:23:27 -0700, Mike M
When I got my insurance settlement I thought about getting another
bike. Then I thought about the titanium rods in my femurs & the crazy
loons on the road and bought an excavator. Not very fast but it sure
makes work around the property a lot more fun.

In THAT case, here's a way you can have some GREAT fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=CuGBpwnWW2I

In article ,
says...

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
That's the same with many cars/motorcycles. I had been cutoff many times
by someone crossing in front of me even though I had right of way. Here in
NJ and NY headlights on motorcycles are on all the time... Yet for some
reason the cars wait until you are right there and go..

Some bicyclists though are asses. I live in farm country here in NJ, and
many bikers ride 2 and 3 abreast on country roads, where it's tough to
pass. You would think with a car behind they would single file, but they
don't they just block it up.. My son now rides competitively, his school
team asked him to join when he went for rides with them... And if I see
him doing that ****, I'll scare the crap out of him...

While cyclists legally have the same rights to the road as other vehicles
there is that "common courtesy" thing that is often missing. Riding 2-3
abreast is fine if there are no cars but to impede traffic is a simple lack
of courtesy. It's not just them though. When I ride on some of the local
trails the running club takes the entire trail... no "keep to the right"
mentality with them. Motorhomes in FL and Yellowstone have been the worst
in my cycling experience. They are either arrogant as hell, like the guy who
ran Tom off the road in Yellowstone, or they have NO CONCEPT of the vacuum
effect their large vehicles have on bicyclists. I had a guy on Rte 41 in the
Everglades nearly take me out with his step... he didn't fold it up.

The other problem with bicyclists is that they don't think that the
traffic laws apply to them. I've seen them go cruising through stop
signs and red lights like being on a bicycle gives them the right-of-
way. And then there are the ones who ride facing traffic.

On 6/20/2012 12:34 AM, Dave wrote:
On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:46:46 -0500, Swingman wrote:

My Sportster was stolen about 28 years ago ... all said and done the
asshat might've done me a big favor.

How does a Sportster get stolen? Ignition gets picked or punched or
the bike gets dragged onto a flatbed and driven away?

Chain cut, picked up, loaded in a pickup, and it's gone. Our banditos
are nothing, if not brazen ... hell, they can steal an entire AC
condenser unit, without losing the freon, in less than two minutes. DAMHIKT

Much of this stuff ends up in Mexico. Highway 59 going South out of
Houston, on any given day, a caravan can be seen, one car/truck pulling
another, both loaded to the gills with loot, heading for distribution
South of the border.

Your bought and paid for politicians just look the other way ... so why not?

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

J. Clarke wrote:

The other problem with bicyclists is that they don't think that the
traffic laws apply to them. I've seen them go cruising through stop
signs and red lights like being on a bicycle gives them the right-of-
way. And then there are the ones who ride facing traffic.


Works both ways.

Case in point, in Idaho a rolling stop ("stop sign as yield") on a bicycle
is perfectly legal. Title 49, Chapter 7, section 720. Been on the books
for almost 30 years. Its right there in the state drivers manual as well.

Yet the only motorist I meet who seem to know about it are also active
bicyclist.

As far as I know, the bicyle/car accident rate in Idaho is no different than
any other state.

--
Frank Stutzman

Frank Stutzman wrote:


Works both ways.

Case in point, in Idaho a rolling stop ("stop sign as yield") on a
bicycle is perfectly legal. Title 49, Chapter 7, section 720. Been
on the books for almost 30 years. Its right there in the state
drivers manual as well.

Yet the only motorist I meet who seem to know about it are also active
bicyclist.

As far as I know, the bicyle/car accident rate in Idaho is no
different than any other state.

Makes you have to wonder why - with the proliferation of bicyclists these
days, such a law would remain. Back in the day, bikes weren't such a common
sight sharing the road with vehicles. Much different today. You'd think
the laws would be updated - it does not even make sense to keep such a law
on the books. But then again, there are a lot of laws that originated a
long time ago and have outlived their usefullness...

--

-Mike-

In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:
I was happily ensconced in a nice fiberglass helmet. It saved me arse,
it did

I thought the idea of a helmet was to wear it on your head ?
g

--
Stuart Winsor

Only plain text for emails
http://www.asciiribbon.org

On 6/20/2012 11:33 AM, Stuart wrote:
In article ,
Larry Jaques wrote:
I was happily ensconced in a nice fiberglass helmet. It saved me arse,
it did

I thought the idea of a helmet was to wear it on your head ?
g

+1

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop