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View Full Version : Turkeys and brakelights


kneedragger26
08-09-2006, 08:47 PM
So I like to hit the McKenzie View road from the house to work and back. Its a nice little wake up and a nice rip to the house, void of idiots in minivans and other dangerous driver machinery. I do it in a short 10 minutes, but try to keep the speeding to places I can see. I pretty much have every turn down in my head. Forward and backward. Just like a one-way racetrack..... I was also working different hours before, and when I rode it, people were at lunch, or evening when everyone was pretty much home.
Anyway, today, I had a small warning that I ignored, but not until after this happened I realized that it was "higher up" warning. Sounds silly huh? Just read on.

I go to work. Its early and the people that live out there that actually still work are driving it too. Not many though..... One or two cars or pickups. So I come around a corner and blast the throttle seeing that a newer van, (its just me and it), up the road in front of me. Well, I get close, and the first thing this idiot does is tap the brake lights. I slow down and think.... WTF? Is there a turn here? Is he(or she) going to turn left? Turn right? Nothing around. I blast by and continue on to work. That was my warning.
I leave work at 5:30 and hop on the bike. Ride the freeway home..... HELL NO. I hit McKenzie View again. So I am coming up on Mile Marker 4 or 5 and out of the blue, the car in front of me stabs the brakes.... Why? Because there were turkeys or whatever crossing the road. I have no time to brake but manuver to the oncoming lane and pass the car..... and didnt even get close to the turkeys(or whatever), who managed to make it safely to the other side already. All I could do it sit up on the bike and throw one hand in the air in exasperation. I saw the car in my rearview continue on and I did too. Normally I should have gone right up its tailpipe and they knew it.
Anyway, after thinking about everything later, I recall seeing something that just did not fit right before this happened. On my side of the road, in a gravel driveway, I saw an old man with a stick holding the hand of a very young girl. As I passed with the bike tached up about 9 grand he raised his stick as if to greet me. Straight up as if he were waving. I just dont think that old dudes were that animate about sportbikes.....

See why I say it was weird.
Anyway, thanks to the cat-like reflex I seem to still possess and Gods will, I am still typing with all of my fingers sitting safely at home. No accident, no harm, no foul.
I did want to share it as a reminder though.

Moral to the story: Dont EVER think that "it" will never happen to you.
....and stay clear of people in minivans.:yes:

:angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

Jane Honda
08-10-2006, 01:55 AM
Wow man. several close calls. Does anyone else ever feel like they just should have stayed home and in bed after theyve gotten on their bike and started hitting a few local roads? I know I do.

v8zman
08-10-2006, 07:42 AM
mother nature keeping u on your toes

kneedragger26
08-10-2006, 07:47 AM
No, no. Not several close calls. One very close call and the events that led up to it.......

Summer4ever
08-17-2006, 06:24 AM
I'm glad you're okay Kneedragger. This has been a year of far too many accidents for some reason. I sure don't remember that many from last summer. Hopefully we'll all be keeping the rubber side down now. I, for one, would really like to keep this bike for a while.:D