Renpro

Those who have been down and those that well go down; the Number 1 biker rule you can’t break.

 Lately I see a lot of ladies taking up the bike as they get an empty nest. You know I understand the freedom of the ride been there done that. Here is a little food for thought the biker rule that comes true no matter who you are, it just take time.

  Those who have been down and those who are going down, when I was younger and more durable I tested the theory. No matter how cautious you are eventually you will relax and day dream while you drive a bit or just try to forget about the week from hell. That’s when the Moron that should not have a license , cuts you off, runs a light, or just don’t see they are coming to a light and slams into you, Ya it’s them that kill you, not just dumb mistakes!

  I myself spent years riding and still crave to take a ride when I see that perfect road that was just made for a bike. You know the road I am talking about when the curves are tight and a slight bank, new clean pavement, which runs for miles. I to this day hit them roads and just feel the turns, the wind, the smell, the excitement and the edge of out of control you feel from riding a bike on them. 

  As a young man I road my motorcycles every place. My first bike was little 67 ok and 69, 70, and a lot of AMF parts but hey it ran true and was balanced. The first week I ran it back and forth to the ship in San Diego navel station; white lining through traffic life was good.  She just held the curves so well and you know how it is you accelerate through the curve for best control. Well That is my excuse and I am sticking with it !!  Anyway I had fixed pegs and was leaning into a tight on ramp looking forward to the merge, Ok there was no traffic but I was going to shoot out of that merge lane like a bullet. I was in heaven and everything was clear in front of me and traffic was light. That’s when you learn those lessons, only experience can teach.   

  Ok picture this, you’re on an on ramp and pushing it for the merge you know you want to be doing 70, Ops excuse me 55 when you hit the freeway. Well I was dragging pegs and having so much fun when my bike slid out from under me. Ya that woke me up quick! The ass end of my bike for some reason was moving faster then the front, Go figure. So the old dirt bike and gravel pit experience kicked in and I crossed up the front wheel so I was at least going strait. Well I was still sliding with the bike laying down at a 45 deg angle my heal of my right boot sliding an the pavement and the weight of the bike laying on my right leg thinking the whole time which by the way seamed to last way to long, any way I was thinking oh This is going to hurt!! 

 I really did feel like I was slowing down when I got to the edge of the road Moran me was thinking Oh ya soft ground, this wont be so bad! That is when everything abruptly changed, You see my fixed pegs hit the soft soil and dug in, ya my nuts slammed into my fuel tank and the front of my bike spun back in front where it should be but the tail shot up and sprung like a pogo stick off the front forks vertical over my head. As it flew over my head I was thinking oh shit my nuts, Ok and I hope that freaking bike lands anywhere but on me! 

 She did She came down embedding the front wheel and forks first and tweaked the frame so bad I couldn’t afford to fix it. The only thing that was hurt besides my nuts was my pride and well the heel of my boot was ground right off. Thank god I always wear my riding boots they have a 45 dig heal solid leather it was the only thing that save my foot.

 There was anti freeze on the road and the hot sun in San Diego turned the ash fault to snot; so a lesson learned. Always Wear Riding Boots!! :)  Oh ya and Anti freeze on the road is a bad thing.

 Then I spent the next few years running around California on a Suzuki Savage small cheap and a fun ride. Every other day it seems there is some one not paying attention and you have to look out for everyone because it only take one Moron in a 6000 weapon to kill you. Man I have seen some bad ones and the not funny thing is the Biker never wins!!

  I finally got out of the navy moved to St Louis Mo. Oh what a place they don’t care about bikers they will pimp you off or just plan run you off the road one of the worst places I ever road a bike!!

  I was on my way to work one morning and it gets so common the 45 min ride each way every day. You get to a point where you’re trying to let lose of the stress of work on the way home or planning how to attack the day in the morning the bike was such a nice way to get back and forth. One morning I was just paying attention to my self raped up in thoughts of the day to come it’s funny I can remember everything about that morning even what I was thinking, It is amazing what can cause you to make a time stamp to remember crap.

  I was on a 5 lane part of 40 west of forest park I was on a big banking curve and it was starting to bundle up a bit, so I moved over to the center lane so I can maneuver either way on the bike it just makes me feel safer.  Well not paying attention to what was happing behind me I had a high boy Aluminum trailer pull up beside me  I remember looking at it and thinking what a nice trailer this was in the late 80’s them trailers was expensive. By the time I looked back over I was boxed in and traffic was moving 70 mph. I started to slow down a bit to give me distance and the car behind me was right up my ass. I looked to the right and this lady is cramming a sandwich in her mouth and not paying attention to what she was doing, so my this is not good mental antenna went up!!

  Well the lady in this little car just cuts over in the spot I was and there was only room for me so I shifted over to the trailer and my shoulder was under the trailer his under deck rig box was 10 inch in front of my front wheel and the trailer wheels was about a foot behind me. Ya to this day when I hear the hum of semi trailer tires it bring back those thoughts. We are still moving at 70 mph and I am praying the semi don’t change anything. It seams to be taking forever I can’t get out the car behind me has backed off but this bitch as me pined and I am looking for shit to grab and hold on to if this goes bad! I didn’t want to scare the lady she did not even see me so I tapped on the side of her car. When she turned to look she turned white and didn’t even look she just cranked the wheel over and cut everyone off all the way over to the right lane. I didn‘t wait to see the turn out I romped on it and fallowed her path and got to the side of the road.

 I felt totally in charge and had all my faculties about me and made it to the side of the road. I got off my bike and to this day can’t tell you what I was thinking I was seeing red and beat the shit out of my bike I ripped the battery cover off the side, kicked the bike over took my helmet off and slammed it against the bike yes I had dents to remove.

 The lady had pulled over about 100 yards ahead of me and when she seen me trip out she hauled ass, I am so glad she did I have know idea how I would have reacted or what I would have said but it would not have been good..

  This was twenty years ago there was no cell phone, Texting, laptops, TV, or any of the distractions that are out there today.  So when I see these ladies getting away on there bikes from their empty nest syndrome pushing for adventure. I hope they have fun and are safe. Please remember the number one rule of biking there is those who have been down and those who are going down!

 You ladies find a good road and ride it for me. :)