Island Sightings

[118811]

The story has it that the owner had a crashed a high end Bimmer while DUI, had no license as a result and couldn't get/afford insurance.

Riding a Pani. & .can't afford insurance.......outlaw!

[MadDuck]

The story has it that the owner had a crashed a high end Bimmer while DUI, had no license as a result and couldn't get/afford insurance.

What was that quote from H. Thompson? "If you ride fast and you crash then you're a bad rider. If you ride slow and you crash then you're a bad rider and if you're a bad rider then you shouldn't ride motorcycles."

[118811]

What was that quote from H. Thompson? "If you ride fast and you crash then you're a bad rider. If you ride slow and you crash then you're a bad rider and if you're a bad rider then you shouldn't ride motorcycles."

True, True, True dat!!

[Thermite]

I have a friend who's name is H. Thompson.  I don't know who yours is but it sounds like a pussy that should keep his F'n opinion to himself.

If you crash and can't get back on you are a bad rider.  If your friends crash and you can't get back on you are a bad rider.  If you look down into the eyes of your little children and can't get back on you are a bad rider.

I don't think you can be any good at all if you haven't crashed.  There would be a whole perspective missing from the equation in your brain.

I'm sorry but I can't remember a time before my first motorcycle crash, for that matter I can't remember my first crash either.  Is there anyone out there who hasn't crashed and can tell me what that feels like?

[MadDuck]

I have a friend who's name is H. Thompson.  I don't know who yours is but it sounds like a pussy that should keep his F'n opinion to himself.

If you crash and can't get back on you are a bad rider.  If your friends crash and you can't get back on you are a bad rider.  If you look down into the eyes of your little children and can't get back on you are a bad rider.

I don't think you can be any good at all if you haven't crashed.  There would be a whole perspective missing from the equation in your brain.

I'm sorry but I can't remember a time before my first motorcycle crash, for that matter I can't remember my first crash either.  Is there anyone out there who hasn't crashed and can tell me what that feels like?

The H. Thompson that I referred to is the late Hunter S. Thompson and the quote is taken from a piece he wrote for Cycle World years ago called The Song of the Sausage Creature. Look it up or go buy the latest Cycle World with the Ducati 848 Evo and the MV F3 on the cover. There is a reprint in there along with a story about the story.  You should read the quote in it's proper context.

You should be such a pussy.  I would have liked to have been such a pussy.   

This guy with the Pani crashed at speed while DUI on a high powered bike and then lost the Pani at low speed without a license and no insurance. Go figure. Thus the reference to HST.

I remember my crashes because they were memorable.  And few. Did they make me a better rider? Possibly but hard to say as I learned a lot from the mistakes of others too. Would I still have been, dare I say, a good rider, without having crashed? Also very possible.

[freeflydive]

Is there anyone out there who hasn't crashed and can tell me what that feels like?

I've come close, but I've never put down a bike...knocking on wood.

Now that I have jinxed myself... 

[Xerxes1769]

Sucks to be that guy, who in their right mind would skip insurance (regardless of the bike's price), hopefully he's ok. I believe crashing my D675 made me a more aware rider, maybe not more cautious, just more aware (a few of you guys were even there when I crashed!). $7800 is a lot for just "scratches" but then again the D675 was totaled for a scratched swingarm.

[118811]

but then again the D675 was totaled for a scratched swingarm.

A little off topic, but
do Insurance Co's really "total" bikes for scratches!!?

[Xerxes1769]

Yup. Due to the danger of "unseen" structural damage, insurance companies would rather claim the bike as totaled than risking part failure while you're riding. That's why salvage bikes are usually uninsurable

[Thermite]

You should be such a pussy

Read the story.  Sounds like many of the people I've ridden with, myself included.  Dropped acid and rode the night many times before we became such a police state.  Loved it!  Used to be one of my favorite pass times.  Sounds like the guy that was my wing man at the new barbarians concert (riot) in Milwaukee, and one of the many fatalities at the Hayward crash.  Puked off the left side navigating by watching the yellow dashes go by in the dark.  Broke my left wrist three times, the right just once, four fingers, and my nose three times.  Detached left retina and road rash to the make the beast with two backsing bone in four places.  I've been hit by a galvanized garbage can and a semi load of 4" PVC pipe.  I've lost a cousin to a deer, and my best friend to the guy wire on a telephone pole, just to name a few.  Were speed and alcohol a factor?  Go figure.

I grew up in the dirt.  My first crash as far as I can figure was in 1967.  I've crashed many times...in a day.  5 times on the street.  One thing has been a constant.  Just before I crash I always think " make the beast with two backs this is going to hurt" followed by "oh, that wasn't so bad" but that's when you pass out from the pain.  That's okay though because when you take ownership of the pain is when you begin to heal.

If you haven't been there it's a wild mix of earth/sky/earth/sky/earth/sky with a whole bunch of bumps mixed in.  If you're wearing a full-face helmet you may get to watch the shield turn white as it grinds the asphalt.

BTW you mis-quoted the man.  My reply may have been as far off base as the quote.

[MadDuck]

OK. You win.

[Shieldze1025]

 

[MadDuck]

Never you mind.      We're keeping this friendly.

I'd have some other bike stuff to show but I can't get my dumbphone to communicate with my computer just yet. Samsung Brightside (yuck) to Mac. 

[Thermite]

Hey Shieldze,
Haven't seen you around in awhile.  Mac's right, better you save your popcorn for RedBox night.  You see I've never been able to transition from biker to motorcyclist so I'm usually way off base here.

Mac,
My apologies.  I read a copy of the story on a Triumph forum and the part about slow wasn't there.  I read another exactly as you quoted. WTF?  I'm sure what you quoted is the original and I was duped by a bad copy.

OK. You win.

Well, I don't think I've won anything, and I don't think the story was about winning.  Not losing is my interpretation to which all I can say is;

(in order of departure) Ken, Eddie, Troy, Janet "OH, Janet" (I miss you the most), Wayner & Scotch rest in peace my friends.  No, I haven't won anything but to the sausage creature I have lost much.

[MadDuck]

Glad you got a chance to read through an original copy.      Any omissions are a sin in my opinion.  I was wondering how you could have thought that I mis-quoted, and I did, actually, but only just slightly. I just didn't care to push it at that point. It's only a silly internet forum for cryin' out loud.   

I've been face to face with the Sausage Creature a few times ( once on that damned Kawasaki H2 that Hunter mentioned ) and have lost a few good folks over the years to it too. IAG.  Cheers!