Witnessed my buddy go down
Riding Wednesday with my riding buddy and a couple other guys he rides with a lot. Only back roads that we are very familiar with. I was the last one in the group, which is where I prefer so I can "ride my ride if I want". Going into a left turn where a gravel road inters the road and he hits some gravel/dirt. Rear kicks out and he is just getting into the most turning part of the curve. Almost saved it and ran out of road and off into the grass shoulder. Bike caught the edge of the road and starts down on left side and suddenly snaps to the right and over. He leaves the bike and hits the road ahead of bike. We are 3 miles from my house!!
He went to hospital but is ok other than being extremely sore, nothing broken. I have relived this in my mind way too many times.
One really scratched up'14 ultra but my friend is going to be ok.
He went to hospital but is ok other than being extremely sore, nothing broken. I have relived this in my mind way too many times.
One really scratched up'14 ultra but my friend is going to be ok.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,577
Likes: 138
From: South of Dallas Area, Texas
Back in the day, I was following a friend on a 900 Kawasaki, I was on a 500 2 stroke triple, he got on it and it went into a head shake. Went down in front of me. Had some road rash but turned out OK. Scary as hell.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 35,773
Likes: 38,459
From: Post Falls, ID
Kawasaki Mach III's were wicked handlers and took on the nickname widow maker. Sure went fast though.
I watched a riding buddy ride too fast into an S bend and ran out of road, hit the median and he and his bike flew over the median, he landed on his front and skidded a 100ft on his belly. Amazingly survived with a fractured hand and a huge bump on his head. Totally his own fault but freaked out the rest of us. I couldn't sleep for a week replaying the incident.
Club Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,848
Likes: 17,894
From: Lafayette, Louisiana
Glad your buddy is ok.
Like I always say, I never ride the same road twice. What I mean by that is every time there is going to be something different therefore there is no such thing as I know this Road and its hazards.
Like I always say, I never ride the same road twice. What I mean by that is every time there is going to be something different therefore there is no such thing as I know this Road and its hazards.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,206
Likes: 6,082
From: Black Hills
I saw that statistic too and decided the probability of a wreck was high so I moved 10 miles away.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,206
Likes: 6,082
From: Black Hills
I had something like that happen to me in '82, I was on the road earlier in the day and it was fine, later in the day a gravel truck must have come through and laid a fine coating of small rock in the curve. It was like hitting ball bearings I was lucky I was able to walk away. I was a mess but intact, the bike not so much.
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 104
Likes: 11
From: Kansas
I have it in my head that when Kawasaki came out with the 500 it was touted as "the fastest stock bike in the world". Seems like that was around 1971 perhaps.
Anyway, a group of us were being young and stupid. We were running back and forth over a "hill" in the road that was built up for railroad tracks. We were getting a little airborne and thought it was great.
Here came the guy on the "fastest stock bike in the world". I'll never forget it. He was really moving, suddenly the front end started it's
"speed walking"......really? Wow I've never seen anything like it before or after. He kept his s**t together and slowly brought the speed down until the front end went normal.
Only damage that day was soiled shorts.
Thanks for the memories.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 410
Likes: 124
From: South Carolina
I'm at the beach, here you have to turn every corner like it has a layer of sand on it, and most of them do. We do have our share of gravel and coquina roads too. I was on one of the national forest roads sightseeing one time and hit the front brake and had the front tire lock up on a chunk of gravel once. Luckily I was going slow, was able to stop and just gently laid it onto the footpeg and had the handlebar kiss the ground.
I loved the old Kaw 2 strokes, had both the H1 and H2 growing up, scary quick, but they were really skittish in the handling.
I loved the old Kaw 2 strokes, had both the H1 and H2 growing up, scary quick, but they were really skittish in the handling.