Kawasaki Motorcycle Forums - View Single Post - Self induced ride from hell...lesson learned.

09Vulcan500 · 08-01-2008

Well, I did learn something today. Just read Cycledudes sticky “50 steps to stay alive“. #37 caught my eye and is directly related to me tonight. I learned that if your not in the mood to ride, and don’t have to...then don’t! I’ll share a quick story about my ride tonight. Sitting at home about 9pm and thought, “I’ll go for a ride”. Being a new rider I thought practice makes perfect, right? Well, that may be true, but the practice is pointless and possibly deadly if your not in the mood. I really wasn’t in the mood to ride, but I was bored and wanted something to do. So off I go. For starters I only wore a half helmet (with eye protection) at night. I live near many corn fields and wooded areas. Corn fields and wooded areas + night + summer = lots of bugs!! Lots of bugs + 55mph = Lots of pain!! Ok so the first problem was my own fault. I have a full face helmet which I usually wear at night, but I thought what the h***. So this was ****ing me off. Did I turn around? Nope, kept on going. 3 or 4 miles down the road I get sand blasted by an 18 wheeler (really, I think he was hauling sand). This REALLY ****ed me off. Time to go home? Not yet. So I’m cruising along and here comes Mr. stop sign. Wants this? How the h*** can my left foot be caught between the foot peg and the gear shift lever?! But it was. I swear someone ran along side me and glued my foot into place when I wasn’t looking. Now I’m beyond ****ed off. I’m pulling at my foot so hard that I’m shaking the bike! My foot comes free, but the stop sign is now 50 yards behind me. Thank God the intersection was like a ghost town and no one was around. I was so ****ed off at the whole foot thing that I forgot about the stop sign and went right through it! Thinking of home yet? Not on your life. Oh, have I mentioned that by this time a moderate fog has rolled in? I ride for a bit longer when I come to a right hand curve in the road. There is an oncoming car. In my lane and silhouetted in the cars head lights…well it’s something. Oh yeah, and nice chunk of concrete about the size of a tennis ball! I’m in the turn, in the lean, in the fog with an oncoming car. My front tire rolls up on the chunk and then slides off to the left. Something on my body puckered…bet you can guess what that was! Front end go’s funny and wobbles around. Fortunately, and I don’t know how, I was able to regain control. Time to go home? On my way. The ride home was fine, but I was pretty nerves about what else was going to go wrong, and really did not want to be on the bike any longer. I’m home safe, bikes in the garage. So to quote Cycledudes sticky….

“37. Emotions in check?
To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yoself before you wreck yoself.
Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you’re mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put.”

This is so true. I really wasn’t in the mood to ride, but did. I learned the hard way tonight…

08-01-2008	#1 (permalink)
09Vulcan500 Still On The Kickstand BTK Beginner Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mid-Western Illinois Posts: 41	Self induced ride from hell...lesson learned. Well, I did learn something today. Just read Cycledudes sticky “50 steps to stay alive“. #37 caught my eye and is directly related to me tonight. I learned that if your not in the mood to ride, and don’t have to...then don’t! I’ll share a quick story about my ride tonight. Sitting at home about 9pm and thought, “I’ll go for a ride”. Being a new rider I thought practice makes perfect, right? Well, that may be true, but the practice is pointless and possibly deadly if your not in the mood. I really wasn’t in the mood to ride, but I was bored and wanted something to do. So off I go. For starters I only wore a half helmet (with eye protection) at night. I live near many corn fields and wooded areas. Corn fields and wooded areas + night + summer = lots of bugs!! Lots of bugs + 55mph = Lots of pain!! Ok so the first problem was my own fault. I have a full face helmet which I usually wear at night, but I thought what the h*. So this was ing me off. Did I turn around? Nope, kept on going. 3 or 4 miles down the road I get sand blasted by an 18 wheeler (really, I think he was hauling sand). This REALLY ed me off. Time to go home? Not yet. So I’m cruising along and here comes Mr. stop sign. Wants this? How the h* can my left foot be caught between the foot peg and the gear shift lever?! But it was. I swear someone ran along side me and glued my foot into place when I wasn’t looking. Now I’m beyond **ed off. I’m pulling at my foot so hard that I’m shaking the bike! My foot comes free, but the stop sign is now 50 yards behind me. Thank God the intersection was like a ghost town and no one was around. I was so **ed off at the whole foot thing that I forgot about the stop sign and went right through it! Thinking of home yet? Not on your life. Oh, have I mentioned that by this time a moderate fog has rolled in? I ride for a bit longer when I come to a right hand curve in the road. There is an oncoming car. In my lane and silhouetted in the cars head lights…well it’s something. Oh yeah, and nice chunk of concrete about the size of a tennis ball! I’m in the turn, in the lean, in the fog with an oncoming car. My front tire rolls up on the chunk and then slides off to the left. Something on my body puckered…bet you can guess what that was! Front end go’s funny and wobbles around. Fortunately, and I don’t know how, I was able to regain control. Time to go home? On my way. The ride home was fine, but I was pretty nerves about what else was going to go wrong, and really did not want to be on the bike any longer. I’m home safe, bikes in the garage. So to quote Cycledudes sticky…. “37. Emotions in check? To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yoself before you wreck yoself. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you’re mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put.” This is so true. I really wasn’t in the mood to ride, but did. I learned the hard way tonight…