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This really should have been written a couple of months ago, but I'm getting around to it now, so here goes.
One day in early July, the first day I got my XS back together after sitting for nearly 2 months in pieces, I took it out for a test drive. I had torn the engine apart to fix the 2nd gear problem and replaced a couple of main bearings I noticed going out. It took me over a month to track down the right bearings and only 2 afternoons to put it together after that. The plan was that I would leave the farm and head 12 miles into town. If all was running well, I would call my dad and head another 70 miles at 75 mph on the interstate to meet up with a friend who rides a '79 KZ1000. Everything went well, and it surprised the hell out of Paul when I walked in his front door with a helmet under my arm. He was expecting me, but not on the bike. We decided we had to go out for a ride to celebrate my bike's roadworthiness. I asked where he wanted to go and he stepped into the house to make a phone call. When he came out he just said 'follow me'. We ended up at my brother Ben's place, another 80 miles down the interstate. Ben had just 2 weeks earlier gotten his bike fixed up and it was our first chance to all ride together. He invited his fiance along, but she said she'd just slow his bike down (He had a 72 Honda 350 twin) and told us to have fun.
We cruised Omaha and some county roads for a couple of hours and put on another 50 miles. Paul and I stayed at Ben's place for the night and rode a few more miles the next morning. Ben rode to the city limits with us and then waved goodbye. Paul and I rode back to his place to kick back and work on his other toy(another 72 Honda 350 twin).
By the time I left Paul's place it had gotten dark. I rode home on the interstate and was passing a semi-truck, even with his cab, when I saw a movement out of the ditch ahead. Before my mind processed Deer, my reflexes were slowing down the bike. Motorcycle Safety Course kicked in and I applied "Maximum Braking"...by the time the semi hit the brakes, I had gone from next to his door to next to the rear tires on his trailer. He chirped the brakes and my next thought was 'Oh no, he's gonna jack-knife the trailer into me!' In braking, I lost sight of the deer and about the time I heard his brakes chirp, I saw the deer clear the front of the Semi, his foot missing the bumper by about 2". He took one more bound and flew over my head. His foot cleared my fairing by about 2" and I couldn't help but duck as I went under his hoof. I picked up speed to avoid getting rear-ended and passed the semi, pulling off at the next exit.
I decided I had 2 options. I was 20 miles from home and could call Dad to bring the pickup and come get me, or I could wait til my pulse returned to normal and finish the trip home.
I waited another minute or two until the adrenaline wore off and got back on the interstate. A half-mile down the road I passed the same semo that saw my near-miss. He had apparently been waiting to see if I was alright because as I passed, he started to accelerate and honked and waved the 'OK' sign. I waved back and left him behind. I made it home fine, but from then on, I've driven a little more carefully.
I'm certain the MSF Riding course saved me from a world of hurt! Had I not taken it, one of two things would have happened. Either I would have locked up the brakes and crashed at 75 mph, or I wouldn't have slowed down enough and would have hit the deer on his way up instead of passing under his rear quarters.
In all, my first trip on that bike totalled 407 miles and gave me a firm connection to my ride. At first I wished I had been in my minivan that night, but after I gave it some thought, I realized I wouldn't have been able to miss that deer in a cage. It was riding the motorcycle that saved me a world of trouble!
Jon
One day in early July, the first day I got my XS back together after sitting for nearly 2 months in pieces, I took it out for a test drive. I had torn the engine apart to fix the 2nd gear problem and replaced a couple of main bearings I noticed going out. It took me over a month to track down the right bearings and only 2 afternoons to put it together after that. The plan was that I would leave the farm and head 12 miles into town. If all was running well, I would call my dad and head another 70 miles at 75 mph on the interstate to meet up with a friend who rides a '79 KZ1000. Everything went well, and it surprised the hell out of Paul when I walked in his front door with a helmet under my arm. He was expecting me, but not on the bike. We decided we had to go out for a ride to celebrate my bike's roadworthiness. I asked where he wanted to go and he stepped into the house to make a phone call. When he came out he just said 'follow me'. We ended up at my brother Ben's place, another 80 miles down the interstate. Ben had just 2 weeks earlier gotten his bike fixed up and it was our first chance to all ride together. He invited his fiance along, but she said she'd just slow his bike down (He had a 72 Honda 350 twin) and told us to have fun.
We cruised Omaha and some county roads for a couple of hours and put on another 50 miles. Paul and I stayed at Ben's place for the night and rode a few more miles the next morning. Ben rode to the city limits with us and then waved goodbye. Paul and I rode back to his place to kick back and work on his other toy(another 72 Honda 350 twin).
By the time I left Paul's place it had gotten dark. I rode home on the interstate and was passing a semi-truck, even with his cab, when I saw a movement out of the ditch ahead. Before my mind processed Deer, my reflexes were slowing down the bike. Motorcycle Safety Course kicked in and I applied "Maximum Braking"...by the time the semi hit the brakes, I had gone from next to his door to next to the rear tires on his trailer. He chirped the brakes and my next thought was 'Oh no, he's gonna jack-knife the trailer into me!' In braking, I lost sight of the deer and about the time I heard his brakes chirp, I saw the deer clear the front of the Semi, his foot missing the bumper by about 2". He took one more bound and flew over my head. His foot cleared my fairing by about 2" and I couldn't help but duck as I went under his hoof. I picked up speed to avoid getting rear-ended and passed the semi, pulling off at the next exit.
I decided I had 2 options. I was 20 miles from home and could call Dad to bring the pickup and come get me, or I could wait til my pulse returned to normal and finish the trip home.
I waited another minute or two until the adrenaline wore off and got back on the interstate. A half-mile down the road I passed the same semo that saw my near-miss. He had apparently been waiting to see if I was alright because as I passed, he started to accelerate and honked and waved the 'OK' sign. I waved back and left him behind. I made it home fine, but from then on, I've driven a little more carefully.
I'm certain the MSF Riding course saved me from a world of hurt! Had I not taken it, one of two things would have happened. Either I would have locked up the brakes and crashed at 75 mph, or I wouldn't have slowed down enough and would have hit the deer on his way up instead of passing under his rear quarters.
In all, my first trip on that bike totalled 407 miles and gave me a firm connection to my ride. At first I wished I had been in my minivan that night, but after I gave it some thought, I realized I wouldn't have been able to miss that deer in a cage. It was riding the motorcycle that saved me a world of trouble!
Jon
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