Worst Bikers Ever

[Kronk]

I was at the Lethbridge 32nd (I think) anual Street Machine Weekend this year. It is really the only big motor weekend I have ever been to... My dad and I have been going for the 10 hour drive to get there every year since I was 8, as he was one of the original Street Wheelers. Any who...

I have never really paid much attention to the bikers there, but this was my first year there since owning a bike...

There is some abismal riding at this event...

I saw one guy who pulled out infront of me at a Hardley dealer.. Nice shiny new bike, shiny new leathers, shiney new helmet.... I passed him, then hung a right just a few Km up the road, and parked. My wife went into the maternity store, to check out some crutial baby stuff she needed to see while there was MILLIONS of raw horse power being shown off across the city... impressed.

Anyways I got out and I sat on the tailgate of my pick up and lit me up a smoke. While sitting there, I saw the Hardley had cought up. the rider approached were I had just turned right. He stopped at the red light, and when the light turned green, he started off... only to advance about three feet, stall, and come to a dead stop while leaning into the turn... He laid it down, and kind of jumped out of the way...

On the way back to the testosterone.... I mean car show, I had two riders infront of me. The one in front, on a wide left hand bend seamed scared of leaning. He got up on the right shoulder in about an inch of gravel, kicked the @$$ end out a bit, and he kicked the ground a couple times trying to stay up, I in the meantime being a voulenteer firefighter, and always being ready to be the first on a scene had my nitrile gloves out from the center console and was ready to go help him when he would go off the shoulder and down the steep embankment. He never did.... In about an inch of gravel skidding out while still maintaining the left hand turn, he some how kept it up... Horse shoes up his @$$ or something..

Any who... I was just wondering if Sturgis was this bad too, and if anyone had any stories of other bad riders they witnessed?

[fredintoon]

- - - Anyways I got out and I sat on the tailgate of my pick up and lit me up a smoke. While sitting there, I saw the Hardley had cought up. the rider approached were I had just turned right. He stopped at the red light, and when the light turned green, he started off... only to advance about three feet, stall, and come to a dead stop while leaning into the turn... He laid it down, and kind of jumped out of the way... - - -

Hi Kronk,
it's OK, Darwin will sort them out. Just be careful they don't make you into collateral damage while eliminating themselves from the gene pool.
But, according to your posts, you are new to marriage.
Trust me in this, you don't sit on the tailgate, you go into the baby stuff store with your wife and pretend you are interested.
And you'd best quit smoking. Second-hand smoke is bad for the child and perhaps 80% of the price of smokes is taxes!
Nobody should love the Government that much.

[bookem]

hey, kronk. I see your from good ol Grande Cache. Lived there myself from 2000 till 2008. I know what you're saying, too many weekend boot draging bankers at these rallies. Like the old saying goes $25,000 and 2 weekends does not a biker make. Don't know if I know you or not, I drove truck for Crater and shir-mac back in the loggin days. Rode a '94 virago for a while till some woman decided to mow me down in Drayton. Take care out there and watch out for the boot dragers

[malber]

Hi Kronk,
it's OK, Darwin will sort them out. Just be careful they don't make you into collateral damage while eliminating themselves from the gene pool.
But, according to your posts, you are new to marriage.
Trust me in this, you don't sit on the tailgate, you go into the baby stuff store with your wife and pretend you are interested.
And you'd best quit smoking. Second-hand smoke is bad for the child and perhaps 80% of the price of smokes is taxes!
Nobody should love the Government that much.

Fred's post made me smile.

I go up to Laconia for the annual bike week for at least one or two days just for the demo rides and to check out the bikes. Along with some really nice bikes I see A LOT of Road King riders with bermuda shorts and flip flops on the floor boards cranking the AC/DC, 20 day temporary plates, and obvious rentals.

[crazy steve]

...Any who... I was just wondering if Sturgis was this bad too, and if anyone had any stories of other bad riders they witnessed?

Hang around most any HD dealership when they're having an 'event' and you'll see plenty of this. They're nearly always older 'empty nesters' fulfilling what they think is their 'dream' and it's scary to think these guys (and gals sometimes) are out riding big, heavy bikes.

But don't think Harley has a patent on idiots; years ago I ran into some young squid on a brand-new-at-the-time VMax and he was intent on sucking me into racing him with my 11 and/or impressing me with his ability to 'burn rubber' at every stop. About the third or fourth light, it got away from him and down he went. Scrapes and skins for him, and his new bike didn't look so new anymore...

[gui_tarzan]

Back in 2005 I took the MSF course just to refresh my skills after several years without a bike, and get a discount on my insurance. Two of the people in my class, a guy about 60 and a guy around 30 both failed the road course for various reasons. The older guy went to do a power stop from about 15mph and his foot slipped off the pedal, rear end went up in the air about 3' and back down he went. Fortunately he kept it on two, but that was right in front of me and it was definitely a pucker moment. The younger guy couldn't keep his bike straight, had a heck of a time with cones and such, just wasn't able to maneuver anything he tried.

I don't know if the older guy ever put a bike on the road but about a week later I saw the younger guy coming out of our local watering hole and getting on a bike. Yikes!!! I'm glad I was walking the other way that day, I'd hate to be around him on another bike.

[RS Thornton]

Sad stats

The older riders are increasing their presence in the accident and fatality stats.

http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-coun...ules_help.html

The Harley riders do not own this issue as I have seen the same thing on Goldwings and Ventures. The requirements in most states to get your cycle endorsement after the age of 18 are laughable compared to the risk associate with our sport. Best we can do is encourage any and all riders to take some sort of training like Team Oregon or MSF, or get out on a novice track day for ~$150.

and Fred, sadly Darwinism does not work with this crowd. Most of them have all already done their breeding activities so the DNA is still out there in the gene pool.

Scott

[Kronk]

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Excelent article..

[mstic2000]

"Bikes today are so sophisticated and so competent that you can really find yourself in trouble because they don't transmit that same sense of handling characteristics and feedback," Garets says.

Nuff said.

[jetmechmarty]

This problem extends to cages. I think just about every state will hand a driver's license to anyone with a pulse. I don't remember it being so bad years ago. Be careful out there!

[Czekus21]

To answer the question, "Does this problem also happen in Sturgis?" Yes it does.
Good riding in Sturgis. Also have some pretty good riders, but, there's always going to be the few that are scary to say the least. I've seen some pretty stupid stuff through the years throughout this great country. Can't say that stupid stuff happens more in any particular place.