Went out for a leisurely ride yesterday, breaking in my Sprint RS, with my wife following along on her Buell Blast. We took Cienega Rd. past Hollister Hills to Highway 25 (a great road, if you happen to be in the area check it out). As we were crusing through the curves a group of 10-12 BMWs with a Triumph and a Harley mixed in passed us.
We caught up with the group at a turnout a few miles later and stopped to talk. It was the Sunday Ride group from Santa Cruz BMW/Triumph, where I bought both my bikes. They invited us along to King City for lunch, but my wife isn't comfortable riding long distances yet (it was only her second time out) so we declined. Sue and I hung around a few minutes after the group left, then headed south on Highway 25 toward Pinnacles National Monument. A few miles later I noticed fresh skid marks and dirt on the outside of a corner, then around the next corner saw a dust covered guy staring at a formerly pristine Harley.
We stopped and asked if he needed help. Fortunately, he was OK and the Harley was still ridable. He said he was going through the left-hander about 35 mph with the brakes on lightly (big mistake) when he ran over a sanding disc in the road. The front end washed out and he was on the asphalt before he could react. He even had the sanding disc as proof.
The one thing this guy did right was wearing a brand new Arai Quantum F helmet. The helmet was badly mangled, but his head was physically OK. He was pretty pissed at himself and at whomever dropped the sanding disc in the road, but his ego was more bruised than his body.
The moral of this story? Keep off your brakes in corners, and never borrow a Harley for a Sunday ride.
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"I was born yesterday, but I was up late last night."
Gary P. Nunn
[This message has been edited by photobug (edited August 21, 2000).]
We caught up with the group at a turnout a few miles later and stopped to talk. It was the Sunday Ride group from Santa Cruz BMW/Triumph, where I bought both my bikes. They invited us along to King City for lunch, but my wife isn't comfortable riding long distances yet (it was only her second time out) so we declined. Sue and I hung around a few minutes after the group left, then headed south on Highway 25 toward Pinnacles National Monument. A few miles later I noticed fresh skid marks and dirt on the outside of a corner, then around the next corner saw a dust covered guy staring at a formerly pristine Harley.
We stopped and asked if he needed help. Fortunately, he was OK and the Harley was still ridable. He said he was going through the left-hander about 35 mph with the brakes on lightly (big mistake) when he ran over a sanding disc in the road. The front end washed out and he was on the asphalt before he could react. He even had the sanding disc as proof.
The one thing this guy did right was wearing a brand new Arai Quantum F helmet. The helmet was badly mangled, but his head was physically OK. He was pretty pissed at himself and at whomever dropped the sanding disc in the road, but his ego was more bruised than his body.
The moral of this story? Keep off your brakes in corners, and never borrow a Harley for a Sunday ride.
------------------
"I was born yesterday, but I was up late last night."
Gary P. Nunn
[This message has been edited by photobug (edited August 21, 2000).]