Glad I'm not a passenger

Thread Starter

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,788

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,661
which is why one should always wear a helmet, proper foot ware and clothing. You never know when you will be sliding along the street with your motorcycle.
 

joeyd999

Joined Jun 6, 2011
6,337
which is why one should always wear a helmet, proper foot ware and clothing. You never know when you will be sliding along the street with your motorcycle.
In Florida, one should just hitch a coffin to their motorcycle. It's not a question of if you'll die, but when.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
In Florida, one should just hitch a coffin to their motorcycle. It's not a question of if you'll die, but when.
Actually there are riders who tow a casket and a few riders who have a casket sidecar. Google brings up a collection of them. Some are like me Vietnam Vets commemorating war dead or MIA.

which is why one should always wear a helmet, proper foot ware and clothing. You never know when you will be sliding along the street with your motorcycle.
When I was young I was of course invincible. Today, not so much. It was a beautiful and rare October day, October 9th two years ago. Temperatures in mid 70s F and sunshine. I looked off the road for a moment and when I looked back all I saw was brake lights. I went into a slide and 950 pounds of Harley Davidson Electra Glide came down on me. A smashed ankle would have been much worse if I were not wearing my boots. Then the 5 broken ribs, it hurt to breath. Ended up in a trauma ER and ICU for a week followed by a week in trauma. Then a week in a rehab center. My left boot was partially shredded. Interesting day. I began riding when I was 21 and stationed in Iwa Kuni, Japan. I was into motocross for years. Never laid down a bike and when I did it was nobody to blame but myself. I took my eyes off the road maybe 3 seconds if that. My helmet had a hell of a dent which would have been my skull. I have rode a few times since but maybe at 72 my time has come, at least for large heavy motorcycles. My bike actually came away not bad really. :)

Ron
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,661
Good point. When discussing the need for a helmet I often refer to my helmet and explain that the dints, dings, and scrapes would have all been in my head if I had not worn it. I stopped riding about two years ago realizing that into my '70's my bones don't bounce like they used to.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
Good point. When discussing the need for a helmet I often refer to my helmet and explain that the dints, dings, and scrapes would have all been in my head if I had not worn itt. I stopped riding about two years ago realizing that into my '70's my bones don't bounce like they used to.
Same. I have been out a few times since the crash but wife worries and seeing how people drive these days in the US going for what was once a nice ride has become a chore trying to figure out what the other guy may or may not do. Maybe it's time and I enjoyed all those years but like you the bones no longer bend well and damn bumps take a long time to heal. :)

Ron
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
Nice guy huh? Never would have dreamed an idiot would ride a motorcycle on the boardwalk. Rockaway was one of the three best beaches in NYC located in the borough of Queens. Still nice my last visit and that boardwalk id about 5 miles long. Coney Island was a another really nice beach and my later LI years were spent on Jones Beach and Lido Beach. The summers were all about the beach and fond memories of Under The Boardwalk with a girlfriend and blanket. The nicer beaches were extended more out from the city.

Something incredibly cool was in September the toll stations shut down the winters on the beach with rides and shops all closed the Winter brought a certain solace and quiet beauty. I loved growing up there. Every year for decades we try to make it home for one more party on the beach.

Ron
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,892
Hard to tell the scale but that's some pretty impressive precision flying! Scale has to be huge to get the fingernail detail in.
That was really pretty cool. The skies above us have been busy, the Cleveland National Air show is going on Sat, Sun and Mon. This year The Blue Angels who alternate years with the Thunderbirds. Everything has been flying daily practice so it's pretty busy up there. :)

Ron
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,499
I used to play a small public 9-hole course that was part of the old WWII Glynco Naval Air Blimp Base here. The base was broken up and their 5000'+ heavy capacity runway that even landed Air Force 1 when Bush came here for their G20 meeting was given to the county (Gulfstream has one of their facilities there in addition to their main plant in Savannah) and most of the base is now the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center/ICE/Homeland Security where they train all Federal Officers (including Park Rangers and some courses for State/County/City officers) except for the FBI boys. Playing one day and you could hear their car tires screaming around their pursuit training course on one side and on the other was their shooting range with them firing some machine guns full auto that day and overhead at near tree-top level were the Blue Angels screaming by practicing for their air show at the airport that weekend on the third side. Very interesting day. Post 911 they closed the 9-hole course for "security" reasons.
 
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