Gummiente's Blog!
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blues2cruise
- Moderator
- Posts: 10184
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
- Sex: Female
- Years Riding: 16
- My Motorcycle: 2017 Africa Twin 1000cc
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
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Z (fka Sweet Tooth)
- Site Supporter - Gold
- Posts: 909
- Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:41 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Florida (Miami)
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Gummiente
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 3485
- Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 11:34 pm
- Real Name: Mike
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 38
- My Motorcycle: 03 Super Glide
- Location: Kingston, ON
Squids don't only ride sportbikes, they ride Harleys, too. I took my Super Glide out for an early morning romp before the heat of the day had a chance to bake the brains of the cagers out on the highways. I did my medium loop of 160km and things went well for most of it, with very little traffic or small furry animals trying to "fudge" me up.
Because it was going so smoothly I got cocky and let the adrenaline do the riding instead of my brain. As I was nearing the turnoff to the last 20km before home - a very nice bit of twisty road - I came up behind a car and an old Chev Suburban towing a big trailer. I just KNEW that they would be taking my road, which has few passing opportunities, leaving me stuck behind them at a snail's pace. And sure enough, both their signals came on just before the turnoff. "poo poo".
The first 1 1/2km after the turnoff was an uphill straight with lots of room to pass, but the car driver couldn't make up his mind and by the time he tried a move there was oncoming traffic on top of the hill and he had to tuck back in. 2km later was another, shorter passing zone and this was the last one before the twisty bits began. I waited for the cager to make up his mind again, but he kept waffling so I said "fudge" it, downshifted and went to pass him and the lumbering Suburban/trailer combo in front of him. Had I been paying closer attention and not been so wrapped up in getting around them, I would have noticed that we were now on a steep downgrade. Typical SUV driver lets gravity work with him and doesn't take his foot off the gas, which means by the time I get past the car and approach the trailer the combo has now sped up from 80kmh to approx 110kmh. This increases my passing distance and I have to wind out the Harley into the upper rev limit before shifting. By now the dotted line has ended, there's two solid lines in its place and there's a corner coming up fast. And, of course, this being rural Ontario on a long weekend there's no shortage of oncoming traffic and out pops a Chev HHR heading towards me.
It was close. Closer than I've experienced in a long time. I guess everyone was stunned by my stupidity, because nobody braked or moved over to make room. I barely cleared the Suburban's front bumper before hauling it over right in front of him - just before the HHR flashed by. This was one of the dumbest things I have done in awhile; another second and a few extra feet and it could have ended in disaster for me, my family and the occupants of the other vehicles I put at risk with my stupidity. All because I couldn't bear to have to follow a couple slower vehicles through one of my favourite roads.
I feel like such a squid.
Because it was going so smoothly I got cocky and let the adrenaline do the riding instead of my brain. As I was nearing the turnoff to the last 20km before home - a very nice bit of twisty road - I came up behind a car and an old Chev Suburban towing a big trailer. I just KNEW that they would be taking my road, which has few passing opportunities, leaving me stuck behind them at a snail's pace. And sure enough, both their signals came on just before the turnoff. "poo poo".
The first 1 1/2km after the turnoff was an uphill straight with lots of room to pass, but the car driver couldn't make up his mind and by the time he tried a move there was oncoming traffic on top of the hill and he had to tuck back in. 2km later was another, shorter passing zone and this was the last one before the twisty bits began. I waited for the cager to make up his mind again, but he kept waffling so I said "fudge" it, downshifted and went to pass him and the lumbering Suburban/trailer combo in front of him. Had I been paying closer attention and not been so wrapped up in getting around them, I would have noticed that we were now on a steep downgrade. Typical SUV driver lets gravity work with him and doesn't take his foot off the gas, which means by the time I get past the car and approach the trailer the combo has now sped up from 80kmh to approx 110kmh. This increases my passing distance and I have to wind out the Harley into the upper rev limit before shifting. By now the dotted line has ended, there's two solid lines in its place and there's a corner coming up fast. And, of course, this being rural Ontario on a long weekend there's no shortage of oncoming traffic and out pops a Chev HHR heading towards me.
It was close. Closer than I've experienced in a long time. I guess everyone was stunned by my stupidity, because nobody braked or moved over to make room. I barely cleared the Suburban's front bumper before hauling it over right in front of him - just before the HHR flashed by. This was one of the dumbest things I have done in awhile; another second and a few extra feet and it could have ended in disaster for me, my family and the occupants of the other vehicles I put at risk with my stupidity. All because I couldn't bear to have to follow a couple slower vehicles through one of my favourite roads.
I feel like such a squid.
Mike 
It isn't WHAT you ride,
It's THAT you ride
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Gummiente
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 3485
- Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 11:34 pm
- Real Name: Mike
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 38
- My Motorcycle: 03 Super Glide
- Location: Kingston, ON
See, I figure when my ticket gets punched it will be from either a cell-phone yapping, inattentive ditz in a minivan or a stupidfrigginbambi running out in front of me. So I'm a little edgy when I'm around either one while on a bike. The last few nights have been clear and calm and there's been a lot of deer wandering about, several times on the way home from work at 10:30pm I've had to nail the binders after seeing the telltale green eyes reflected in the bike's headlight. Last night was particularly unsettling; no sooner did I turn on to the Parkway when I spotted SIX of the buggers standing in a group of to the right side of the road. They made no attempt to move, even after I laid on the horn and revved the engine as I went by. A few klicks later and there's another pair of green eyes on the right hand side. Again, not the least bit concerned when I hit the horn. Another few km's and damned if there isn't a big buck standing on the right hand shoulder, not moving, not afraid.
Well, I lost it. I hauled that Ural down from 80kmh with the rear tire howling and the front tire juddering, then spun it into a u-turn so fast and so hard that the sidecar was still in the air when the rig left the road. I trundled down the grassy slope and chased that stupid peckerhead back into the treeline where he belonged, screaming obscenities at him the whole time.
Stupid. Friggin'. Bambi.
Well, I lost it. I hauled that Ural down from 80kmh with the rear tire howling and the front tire juddering, then spun it into a u-turn so fast and so hard that the sidecar was still in the air when the rig left the road. I trundled down the grassy slope and chased that stupid peckerhead back into the treeline where he belonged, screaming obscenities at him the whole time.
Stupid. Friggin'. Bambi.
Mike It isn't WHAT you ride,
It's THAT you ride
You're totally nuts!