"cavelamb himself" wrote

Or skin...

Oh, I did forget to mention that, didn't I? g

Yes, there was some skin lost. I think I picked up the equivalent weight of
gravel, ect., in exchange, so I *think* I ended up about even. ;-)

It was the only time I ever dropped a bike, in a big way.

First ride of the spring, in the first spring owning a bike, in the first
year I lived in Southern Ohio.

I took off down my favorite curving, fun, winding back-road.

I lined up, and picked the perfect line around the first major curve. About
half way through it, I realized I was about to be in big trouble. You see,
in Northern Ohio, where I grew up, they used straight salt on the roads.
After the snow melted, and it rained a couple times, there was nothing left
on the road but some white stains. In Southern Ohio, they use mainly slag
(burnt coal crunched up a bit larger than sand) with a little salt mixed in
when needed, and there was still a lot on the road, between where the tires
hit the road in the lanes.

My perfect line was about to take me through that pile of slag in the middle
of the lane, and I quickly calculated how the reduced coefficient of
friction would impact my ability to track the corner. The result of the
calculation said I was going to be *significantly* short of successfully
navigating the corner.

I decided the best thing to do was reducing my speed as much as possible
before I hit the road. (so it would hurt less) I straightened up, and
grabbed a boot full of rear brake, and a hand full of front brake, as much
as I thought I could, then backed off at the edge of the road, and tried to
turn. The important word in that sentence was "tried."

I dropped it at probably 35 or 40 MPH when I went down, and slid over the
right side of the lane, and through the shoulder, and into the grass beside
the road. After muttering a few choice words and looking around to see if
anyone saw me, (that is the first thing that all bike riders do when they
drop it, isn't it?) I picked it up, and rode back home to pick the gravel
and slag out of my knee, elbow and shoulder.

I decided to avoid doing that in the future. g

I think many people that fly also like to ride, because of the feeling of
banking through the corners, and the challenge of doing something that not
everyone does, and doing it with as much precision as possible while pushing
the limits a little bit.

I have not owned a bide for about 20 years, although I do get to ride my
son's crotch rocket a few times a year. It isn't the same as a cruiser,
though. I think I like the cruiser better, all things considered. With the
crunch of gas prices now, I may have to think about picking up an older
cruiser that would get me a better mileage per gallon than the 20 my mini
van gets, or the 13 my 3/4 ton van gets.

I had always said that it was a fool's chase, trying to come out money ahead
by driving a motorcycle, once you consider the cost of the bike and
insurance, ect, but I think gas at 3 bucks a gallon may make that equation
come out a little more favorably.

I think the electric car chase may be a fool's chase, too, at least for a
lot of people, after purchase cost and depreciation are figured in, and
especially so if it is necessary to keep another large vehicle for working.
--
Jim in NC