PO-SLOKE
08-31-2008, 07:51 PM
I suppose this is my ride report for the day . A bit on the amazed yet stunned side of thought after it was all over .
Anyway , I jumped on the Versys today for a spin . I found myself over in Maggie Valley again bumping about after lunch at Legends Sport Bar ( great place by the way , good food and friendly staff ) . I took 19 up to the BRP . That has become probably my favorite road ride on the Versys . Lots of really long sweepers an plenty of short twisity stuff . After hitting the BRP , I suddenly realized I must have been in one of those traffic pockets where I was seemingly the only thing on the road for several miles . Coming up the long hill with some really good sweepers and awesome pavement , I thought I would give it a bit of a push .
Tooling along North Bound , around 60+ mph coming up on the sweeper next to the cliff line at the 439 mile marker , I am pretty much at my personal peak for speed and lean . Leaving myself very little for margin of error for my personal skill level . About the time I am really getting some decent G's going on , here comes a big ole' whopping' Cruiser south bound . Two up , riding a Suzuki Boulevard 109C . Dang pretty bike too .
Never the less , as I get a bead on him , I realize and tell myself , " this guy ain't got the first sign of a lean on that monster " . He suddenly leans hard left and lows sides . Apparently he was target fixed on the view and did not see the sweeper he was barrelling into . The front wheel knifed into the dirt hard . Knifing in like it did must has really given the thing a whirl because the rear end came around fast and started sliding hard down the shoulder . Obviously , some of his shiney chrome farkles made good grip with the shoulder , and the bike began to barrell roll back on to the road .
Both the man and the woman were hung up on the bike and were barrell rolling like rag dolls with the bike . Finally the bike let them loose and starting sliding down the road and let them go . They scattered about in what looked like nine directions but were at least no longer connected the the beast . As the bike was sliding , it became apparent the D*** thing was looking to cross my path right through me .
Talk about pucker factor . Considering the hard lean I was in , the speed I was moving , and again , my skill level , THE BRAKES WERE NOT AN OPTION !!!!! I fortunately made the correct decison and gave the throttle one good hard twist . ( Now I am pissing my pants ) .
I really didn't feel like I had much left as far as lean goes , but the Versys handled it like a champ and darted through there like a friggin rocket . Luckily , I had been winding her pretty good at around 6K rpm primed for some serious torque , and the V loves to be throttled hard at aroung 5500-6000 . . Man I was pround of her .
The Boulevard cane within a bout 2 feet of me and was still sliding hard . I shot around the curve , stood on the brakes , whipped back around the curve , with still not another vehicle in sight . Pull off the road and as I assess what I have to deal with , I am standing there all alone with TWO lifeless bodies and a motorcyle scattered about in a curve known for speed . I dash over to the man because he is stretched out across the yellow line . Still , no signs of life . I say " $%^ " !!!!
Just as I kneel down to get a grip on this guy and drag him out of the friggin road , all I could hear was tires squeeling and horns blowing . Traffic suddenly had found me and it was about to really go to hell in a hand bag and I mean in fast a hurry . Luck again is on my side . The cars get stopped and a guy jumps out and I yell to him , " MAKE THE CALL , MAKE THE CALL , TWO DOWN ON NO SIGNS OF LIFE " . Two cars are thinking fast and go to head off more oncoming traffic into the curve . Whew , I now have help and the road is blocked , I think .
As I reach down to drag the guy , he starts trying to get up . Thank GOD , this one is alive . I help him to the shoulder of the road and make him sit down as I check on his wife . As I reach down to get a pulse , she graons a bit , then raises her head looks me straight in the face . WHEW , two live ones . Man , things are looking up fast .
I look back up and of course , I have a bikers mindset on my hands and this guy is trying to stand his bike up . MAN !!!!! I go over to him and politely ask him his name , he says Ron . I say ." Ron , don't be upset with me " , ( and then I yelled at him ) " GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE , SIT DOWN AND OR LAY DOWN AND DON'T MOVE " The bike will be fine . He smiles , and tries to lift it again . Then it came to mind , these two were knocked out for few minutes and really weren't gonna be able to think for themselves . By now , I have two ladies helping him find a place to sit and MADE him stay there . Dang biker at heart that guy was . LOL
Anyway , after injury assessment was done and over with , Ron , ( now my new pal ) was pretty eaten up with road rash . Do I need to tell you what his ATGATT consisted of ? Wifey , aka .... Linda is knoced pretty goofy and seems to have a broken ankle .The local Volunteer rescue was pretty quick on scene ( thank goodness ) .
Shaken up pretty good , I ended up doing the accident report , talk to the Ranger , call the wrecker , wait on said wrecker and ended up feeling like a resident of that curve . Ron Rides with Linda to the hospital and I now am the temporary proud owner of a NEW Boulevard . At least till the wrecker gets there . The Ranger asked me if I would ride teh Boulevard up the road and bring it back around to a safe spot so I get to ride my first Boulevard . I really can't say I can give the Boulevard a fair ride assessment until I ride one that doesn't have a horrible rattle and has straight handle bars . But it was pretty comfy and BIG .
All that to say ..... the ride down hwy 215 and all it's twisties was a gingerly one in the downpour I now found myself in nearly all the way home . Sounds like they are gonna be ok , but this was a close one and I am sure they will both be quite sore .
In the past I have picked up several strays along my way and am prone to do that , but I think I will wait quite a while before I make freinds in this fashion again . Just thought I would put this out there as my todays ride report . Talk about a sudden mishap . Skeert the crapola outta me two . Quite the helpless feeling with what first strikes you as two dead people and noone to help , in the middle of NO FRIGGIN WHERE .
See you guys tomorrow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway , I jumped on the Versys today for a spin . I found myself over in Maggie Valley again bumping about after lunch at Legends Sport Bar ( great place by the way , good food and friendly staff ) . I took 19 up to the BRP . That has become probably my favorite road ride on the Versys . Lots of really long sweepers an plenty of short twisity stuff . After hitting the BRP , I suddenly realized I must have been in one of those traffic pockets where I was seemingly the only thing on the road for several miles . Coming up the long hill with some really good sweepers and awesome pavement , I thought I would give it a bit of a push .
Tooling along North Bound , around 60+ mph coming up on the sweeper next to the cliff line at the 439 mile marker , I am pretty much at my personal peak for speed and lean . Leaving myself very little for margin of error for my personal skill level . About the time I am really getting some decent G's going on , here comes a big ole' whopping' Cruiser south bound . Two up , riding a Suzuki Boulevard 109C . Dang pretty bike too .
Never the less , as I get a bead on him , I realize and tell myself , " this guy ain't got the first sign of a lean on that monster " . He suddenly leans hard left and lows sides . Apparently he was target fixed on the view and did not see the sweeper he was barrelling into . The front wheel knifed into the dirt hard . Knifing in like it did must has really given the thing a whirl because the rear end came around fast and started sliding hard down the shoulder . Obviously , some of his shiney chrome farkles made good grip with the shoulder , and the bike began to barrell roll back on to the road .
Both the man and the woman were hung up on the bike and were barrell rolling like rag dolls with the bike . Finally the bike let them loose and starting sliding down the road and let them go . They scattered about in what looked like nine directions but were at least no longer connected the the beast . As the bike was sliding , it became apparent the D*** thing was looking to cross my path right through me .
Talk about pucker factor . Considering the hard lean I was in , the speed I was moving , and again , my skill level , THE BRAKES WERE NOT AN OPTION !!!!! I fortunately made the correct decison and gave the throttle one good hard twist . ( Now I am pissing my pants ) .
I really didn't feel like I had much left as far as lean goes , but the Versys handled it like a champ and darted through there like a friggin rocket . Luckily , I had been winding her pretty good at around 6K rpm primed for some serious torque , and the V loves to be throttled hard at aroung 5500-6000 . . Man I was pround of her .
The Boulevard cane within a bout 2 feet of me and was still sliding hard . I shot around the curve , stood on the brakes , whipped back around the curve , with still not another vehicle in sight . Pull off the road and as I assess what I have to deal with , I am standing there all alone with TWO lifeless bodies and a motorcyle scattered about in a curve known for speed . I dash over to the man because he is stretched out across the yellow line . Still , no signs of life . I say " $%^ " !!!!
Just as I kneel down to get a grip on this guy and drag him out of the friggin road , all I could hear was tires squeeling and horns blowing . Traffic suddenly had found me and it was about to really go to hell in a hand bag and I mean in fast a hurry . Luck again is on my side . The cars get stopped and a guy jumps out and I yell to him , " MAKE THE CALL , MAKE THE CALL , TWO DOWN ON NO SIGNS OF LIFE " . Two cars are thinking fast and go to head off more oncoming traffic into the curve . Whew , I now have help and the road is blocked , I think .
As I reach down to drag the guy , he starts trying to get up . Thank GOD , this one is alive . I help him to the shoulder of the road and make him sit down as I check on his wife . As I reach down to get a pulse , she graons a bit , then raises her head looks me straight in the face . WHEW , two live ones . Man , things are looking up fast .
I look back up and of course , I have a bikers mindset on my hands and this guy is trying to stand his bike up . MAN !!!!! I go over to him and politely ask him his name , he says Ron . I say ." Ron , don't be upset with me " , ( and then I yelled at him ) " GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE , SIT DOWN AND OR LAY DOWN AND DON'T MOVE " The bike will be fine . He smiles , and tries to lift it again . Then it came to mind , these two were knocked out for few minutes and really weren't gonna be able to think for themselves . By now , I have two ladies helping him find a place to sit and MADE him stay there . Dang biker at heart that guy was . LOL
Anyway , after injury assessment was done and over with , Ron , ( now my new pal ) was pretty eaten up with road rash . Do I need to tell you what his ATGATT consisted of ? Wifey , aka .... Linda is knoced pretty goofy and seems to have a broken ankle .The local Volunteer rescue was pretty quick on scene ( thank goodness ) .
Shaken up pretty good , I ended up doing the accident report , talk to the Ranger , call the wrecker , wait on said wrecker and ended up feeling like a resident of that curve . Ron Rides with Linda to the hospital and I now am the temporary proud owner of a NEW Boulevard . At least till the wrecker gets there . The Ranger asked me if I would ride teh Boulevard up the road and bring it back around to a safe spot so I get to ride my first Boulevard . I really can't say I can give the Boulevard a fair ride assessment until I ride one that doesn't have a horrible rattle and has straight handle bars . But it was pretty comfy and BIG .
All that to say ..... the ride down hwy 215 and all it's twisties was a gingerly one in the downpour I now found myself in nearly all the way home . Sounds like they are gonna be ok , but this was a close one and I am sure they will both be quite sore .
In the past I have picked up several strays along my way and am prone to do that , but I think I will wait quite a while before I make freinds in this fashion again . Just thought I would put this out there as my todays ride report . Talk about a sudden mishap . Skeert the crapola outta me two . Quite the helpless feeling with what first strikes you as two dead people and noone to help , in the middle of NO FRIGGIN WHERE .
See you guys tomorrow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!