Took it out for a spin .

[Speedblastr]

A nice , short , but cool cruise. ( Literally) Knocked the carbon out of it. As in the words of my Bro , Jimmy , " It ran like a scalded dog " !

[bonnevillebilly]

Speed
I bet it felt real good to twist the o throttle.

[Speedblastr]

You betcha,Bill. Somehow all of life's worries and troubles seem to fade into the distant for a short while , taking in the air , Pipes sound like : Potato Chip....Potato Chip........I Tore ass up the U.S. 30 Bypass , only bike on it at that time , people looking at me like I'm crazy........ ?......Well, I am. Speed.

[modre]

I started out building on 2 wheels...that meant learning all the skills, welding, fab, figuring out how and why engines run...alllllll that. then we ran them thru the woods like maniacs...when dirt bikes cam in we just up-ped the bar to lunitic riding skills...I was very very good...was a time you couldn't lose me, but chances were good you'd fall behind me...that gives you a sense of zone and comfort level...most all riding was below the skill level...got the picture?

this is serious.

for my 50th birthday I bought myself a BMW RT with the space age linked servo assist super brakes, and all the BMW supreme shit.

20 minutes after dark on 9-10-02 I was doing 35 mph (well below the skill level) and my brain cognized the profile of deer face in the left periferal, and the cat reflexes kicked in before the brain went thru the thinking process...if anyone could have avoided it it was me. next thing I knew time went into a couple flash freeze frames and I caught the deer's neck at the apex of the headlight...it's body mass dragged me down to the left and dropped me hard.

hip hit. shoulder hit and twisted me an unholy counter-clockwise wrench at the hips...BS 1/2 helmet hit and as I witnessed the twist, the visor popped off just as my nose touched the yellow line in the middle of the road. not a scratch or scrape...any more and I would have rasped my face off on rough asphalt.

so I stood up to the distinct impression I had better sit back down, this was not just another day in paradise.

result was the left hip muscle ripped off it's lower attachment point (cut the guy wires to the flagpole) and my lower back was broke. that was 5 1/2 years ago.

if you die that's one thing, people cry and move on...but if you live to suffer the pain, that's quite another.

you hoons should take a step back and consider this very seriously.
I was very good...I had all the skills...I had all the confidence in the world that my ability would keep me safe...I was well within the zone...and an unexpected variable came in from the outside and opened my eyes wide.

you do what you want, but I have to tell this story.

I take numbing pills endlessly and still ride...but now I understand the bigger picture.

I share your enthusiasm for goosebumps...I understand it...that was me too.

be more careful than you think you should...you don't want the hard lesson.

sad part is folks reading these words will think "fluff...modre's obviously a lesser"...and a percentage will learn the hard way. I wish I could transfer the wisdom and save you the heartache. and I don't mind looking stupid trying to do that.

be careful.

[Ohio TT]

Good advice, Modre. I learned most of the hard lessons on dirt bikes and the old Honda ATC's. Everybody learns that sometimes it gets to be too late real early. Everybody ride safe.

[mark]

sad part is folks reading these words will think "fluff...modre's obviously a lesser"

Not me.

Motorcycling is a calculated risk. Most of the variables are ones that can be factored into the equation, but you can never account for everything.

Deer are my #1 fear when I'm on my motorcycle. I get nervous as hell when I have to ride at or after dusk. Last summer I rode 100 miles, mostly in the dark along wooded roads, from Lake George back home after the Triumph dinner at Americade. I will never make that mistake again. I didn't end up seeing any wildlife at all (thankfully), but I was so sure deer and moose and all manner of other critters would come launching out at me like furry missiles that I actually wished I'd taken the car. I was incredibly relieved when I finally rolled into Burlington. Deer are a variable that you just can't plan for or protect against.

--mark

[b_mason]

Good story modre, 2 years ago I lowsided my sprint while going 30ish on a road I never rode before. I came around a corner hit some gravel in the middle of the turn. over eacted went down. I had full gear on except fot gloves. I could never bring my self to pay $80 to $100 for a set of gloves. I had to pull rocks out of my hands for two weeks after. I walked away from the accident fairly on injured compared to modre. It taught a very import lesson. Keep the speed down on an unknown road. prepare for the worse possible accident. I enjoy the speed but I am going to keep that on a track.

[Whisperinsmith]

Very wise advice, modre.

[mark]

I crashed my XR650L the day I got it.

I'd ridden it home in the rain (bought it from a guy north of Montpelier, so had a 50-mile-or-so ride home). No problems at all, was feeling pretty good on the bike by the time I got home.

That afternoon, the weather cleared and the roads dried, so I called up my best friend and suggested meeting him after he got off work so we could go ride a few dirt roads. As I was riding over to meet him, the car in front of me suddenly slammed on the brakes because the driver decided to let a pedestrian cross the road (nice gesture, but a little warning would have been nicer). I instinctively went for the front brake, but between the lever being positioned differently from my Triumph and my unfamiliarity with the bike, I braked too hard. Skinny little knobby front tire slipped right out from under me, and I catapulted off the bike. Bystanders told me I got an impressive amount of air. I smacked down hard onto the pavement and quickly scrambled to my feet so as not to get run over. I got the wind knocked out of me pretty well, but I was fine aside from a scraped left knee (rugburn from the inside of my pants, which stayed intact) and a sore left shoulder from landing on it. Bike was okay too except for a bent handlebar, which I replaced the next day for $20.

I got very lucky that day and learned an important lesson: when riding an unfamiliar bike, BE FUCKING CAREFUL! Leave more stopping distance, keep your speed down, don't lean too far in the turns, etc -- take it easy and get to know the bike.

After that crash I also got a set of Icon knee/shin armor, and I wear it anytime I go for a ride unless the pants I'm wearing already have armor built in. The only exception is when I'm only riding the 2-3 miles to get downtown/to work... and even then I won't ride without long sturdy pants, jacket, boots, gloves, and full-face helmet.

--mark

[Speedblastr]

Modre , I well understand what your saying , your reading too far into my words. I'm crazy but not that crazy. I don't live my life on rolling dice , If that spells it out better. I've paid my dues. You're concerned , Thank you. They say cats have 9 lives , If I were one I already spent 3 , but I'm not one , therefore I will not take risky chances on bike. Around here I have to worry about rolling cages unless I shoot out to the country , then It would be deer. I've got my own crosses to bear as well , involving death of some of my best friends due to accidents.......I was right there. Poker face for me while riding bike. I might make some calculated risks , I will be honest , But I always SEE. ...Search....Evaluate....Execute. Sometimes these things (accidents) are unpreventable ( riding at night,Deer, unexpected cages.) It goes along with the territory of bike riding , we always hope we don't become a statistic and we in turn are in no rush to become one , either. Thanks. That shows me that you do care. Speed.

[bonnevillebilly]

Modre
WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT FUCKING STORY HAVE TO DO WITH SPEEDY
ENJOYING A RIDE ON HIS BIKE AFTER A LONG WINTER????????????????

WHAT THE FUCK! ! ! TAKE ANOTHER PILL

Bill

[modre]

Modre
WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT FUCKING STORY HAVE TO DO WITH SPEEDY
ENJOYING A RIDE ON HIS BIKE AFTER A LONG WINTER????????????????

WHAT THE FUCK! ! ! TAKE ANOTHER PILL

Bill

yeah, that's right...another inconvenient tale of caution ...

are you the pretender selling those chicken shit highway bars?

[bonnevillebilly]

Modre
A word of caution is one thing and writing a fucking novel of your woes
is another.
The point is you took a good thing of a guy taking his bike out for a ride
after a long winter enjoying him self and turned it into some fucking horror story.
We all know the risks of riding I just didn’t see the point of you knocking the wind
out of a guy enjoying a nice ride after a long winters nap.

are you the pretender selling those chicken shit highway bars?

Now I’m laughing at you.
If you are talking about the bars New Bonneville sells and has sold over
300 sets to all happy customers.

If you are talking about the highway bars that are custom made to bolt
right on the Bonneville that not only look classy, strong and work.
and is a beautiful piece of craftsman ship.

If it’s the ones that come in 2 different finishes and can be mounted for long or short
legged riders
It it’s the ones that compliment the Bonneville.
Then yes I am the pretender who fabricates those chicken shit highway bars

BUT.
If you are talking about the ugly ones that look like they belong on a tractor or a
Sherman tank.
If you are talking about the ones that look like they were made in some guys
backyard garage.
Then no I’m not the pretender selling those chicken shit highway bars?

I'm still laughing at you.

Bill

[Hedge]

What the Fuck did this just turn into?
Rick, Billy makes a quality Highway bar that some real handsome thinking went into, no different to me than what you did with your lowering pegs! I think both of you found something that offer many of us extra comfort and you know what? My bike has both of your stuff on it and I couldn't be happier!
Lets knock off the slamming of anybody's shit here because real soon we're all gonna meet and I'm really looking forward to new friendships here and this kinda stuff doesn't fit in comfortably! I think your both smart talented guys in your own respect and we don't need one of those "My dick is bigger than your dick" contests! Let the Gay Harley Pirates go there! We're so much better than this!

[JEnfield]

Good for you Speed how did it make you feel did you get the same feeling that guy on the new viagra comercial did LOL. Hey I am glad for you brother may you have some nice weather after the shitty start to this year. May the weather break and you get to ride when ever and how ever you want and dont forget to finish that fuckin truck so you get your crazy ass to the bash.

Your New Brother

Jimmy