I really felt like a smacked *** after I did this. It's actually pretty embarrassing but I thought I'd share it anyway because at the end of the day, it is pretty funny and all I could do was laugh.

So, two mornings ago (Nov. 2nd), I'm on my way to work on the bike. It's 5:30 AM and the outside temp is 32°F. I had a book bag and lunch box strapped on the seat behind me. I have a 35 mile ride to work, part of it two-lane roads, part of it 4-lane.

I'm about 8 miles from work on one of the 4-lane roads when I suddenly realize that something is amiss. I reach behind me and realize that the book bag and lunch box are gone. So, I turn around and head back the other direction looking on the other side of the 4-lane for my stuff. A couple of miles back up the road, I see what appears to be my book bag lying in the passing lane on the opposite side of the road.

Once I'm turned around and get back to the spot where I saw the bag, it was no longer there but I saw part of my lunch box on the side of the road. So, I pull off, turn on the emergency flashers, and start walking the side of the road with a flash light. One of the few things I was able to recover was a pair of dress pants that I needed to wear to teach a class that morning. I found them lying in the grass in the median with only one of the buttons on the back pocket broken in half.

By the time I get back on the bike, my hands are completely numb, but I went on to work, taught the class, and later that morning (after the sun came up), a friend drove me back to the spot in his truck to look for my stuff. Here's the funny part. We're headed north on the 4-lane to turn around and come back south to the spot where I lost my stuff and what do we pass headed south? Three mowers.

Well as you might imagine, when we get back to the spot, we find more stuff but it's all in shreds.

Some of the stuff I lost:

- All of my credit and debit cards
- Cell phone
- 160GB Ipod Classic
- 64GB Ipod Touch
- 320GB External Hard Drive
- Work security badge
- Work beeper
- Extra cell phone battery
- Universal battery charger

I was able to recover my driver's license (but broken in half), my SS card, insurance cards, and a couple of grocery cards. I was also able to recover the memory card from my cell phone so I recovered the pictures that were on there.

So, I learned a valuable lesson about how and how NOT to strap stuff on the seat behind me. The ironic part is that a few months ago, I rode 5000 miles to Sturgis and back and all I lost was a towel. But, at the end of the day, all I could do was laugh about it. Just thought I'd share.

 

Oooops!

 

Note to self, tie the stuff with twice the tie-downs just in case.

 

Can I interset you in strapping my mother in law to the seat and taking her for a ride?

 

Sometimes youre the hammer.....Sometimes youre the nail!

 

I wonder if insurance will cover for some of the stuff...that was some good stuff that went into the shredder.

 

I was doing 70mph when I saw all my tools bouncing out of my tool bag one at a time. Had to try to shut it down quick but still had a lil walk to recover the dropped tools.

Another time one of my throw-over saddle bags caught fire due to Zippo lighter fluid in the bag on the exhaust side. Didn't notice till I got home and lifted my butt off the seat to have the remaining bag fall to the ground. I did recover the burnt bag & it's contents. Leather does burn!! I even got a write-up in my local Thunder Roads Magazine due to the fact that the latest issue was in that bag & burnt half of it....

 

Man, that would infuriate me. Glad you're taking it well. That's a lot of stuff to have lost.

 

I stopped at a gas station one day about five miles from a helmet state and decided i'd put on the helmet when I got to the last rest area. I'd opened my Bikers Friends bag, took a look at the map, saw my helmet and went on my way. I should have paid more attention and closed the bag afterwards! Needless to say when I got to the rest area, no helmet, no maps, no nothing in the bag.
Lesson learned........pay attention to the details!

 

Ur a better man than me to take it in stride lke u did. I guess u can always replace posessions. But at least you are still riding this time of year which is a plus in my books.