| Author | Message | ||
     Buellathebuzzer |
What is the WORST example of crappy riding you've witnessed first hand? yeah, it's cold out and I'm bored. | ||
| Froggy |
It was a gay guy.  | ||
| Slaughter |
Dipsh!t guy riding an XB9 (which was why I noticed to begin with) We were in the canyons and the weekend patrols were VERY active - EVERY BODY was signalling police, slow down. This doofus is whipping around everybody, passing all this "slow traffic" in impossible areas. We get lunch, head down the mountain and come up to emergency vehicles, pull over (they were clearing the area for helo medevac). Shut down and walk over and sure enough, there's this idiot's crashed XB! My first thought: "I GOTTA call the dealers ASAP to get in the insurance bid list!" for racebike spares. People like that deserve NO SYMPATHY. | ||
| Slaughter |
And Froggy, I'm not gay, just really happy. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I was on a BMW demo-ride once a number of years ago at Americade. For those that don't know, BMW does a rather lengthy ride, say 30 minutes round trip, with a stop in the middle where they do an ABS demonstration. We get through the demo and as we're heading back to the bikes, there's this guy who's been riding one of the sporty K bikes (I think it was a K1200S or R, not sure) - regardless, serious horsepower. He walks up to the lead rider and I hear him ask, "How do you make these things turn?" Oh boy. I rode at the back of the pack after that. | ||
| 86129squids |
Had to turn down a guy wanting to rent a Hog once- he showed up with wifey, both dressed suburban casual, no gear... Yes, he had an MC endorsement. Last time he rode a bike? "About 35 years ago, it was a minibike"... and, your wife? "She's never ridden before"... and, you're planning to join the rest of your family (all bikers) at a "slay the Dragon" rally locally?  At that point, all his answers were sounding the alarm in my head... I said, "OK, how bout this: I have to determine that you actually CAN ride safely before I allow you to rent, so before we do all the paperwork, let's just see if you can handle it..." Got him to sign a release waiver, brought up a Heritage softail, told him to ride it around the parking lot and show me... he manages to take off, then mistakenly gets it into 2nd, all the while obviously panicking... He miraculously managed to get back around to where he started, now with flop sweats... I told him sorry, but no can do... He actually understood, conceded that he and wifey should attend the rally in their cage, thanked me for my efforts and for being honest about not allowing them to rent. MANY other times, once someone had bought a new bike, got the willies just watching them trying to leave the premises... | ||
| Preybird1 |
I had a little honda enduro 350cc and we let one of the tire guys try it out (his first time on the street) He went about 15' and crashed into a customers car and slid under it. It took 2 guys to pull the bike from under the car. Then his buddy said let me try and he didn't even make it onto the bike before he fell over. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I watch some of the craziest, crappiest riding almost every Saturday during the warm months... but by mid day on Sunday, the light is starting to turn on for most of my students.... I always look forward to the slow turn, front brake grabber that gives me a story to tell. | ||
| Nik |
I saw a guy on a Ducati 916 try to negotiate a left turn by coming to a near complete stop, then stuck out every appendage he could to the left side of the bike and wobbled around the turn. I also saw a couple of (very large) guys on lowered stretched chromed out (former)sport bikes trying to show off at stoplights by reving really high and making lots of smoke as they took off... smelled like clutch and my truck was faster... | ||
| Doerman |
Me... ca 1979 (if there is such a thing as witnessing one's own actions). I thought I could handle my bike after 4 beers. Classic miscalculation. I ended up parking my bike in somebody's yard a mile from the bar and asked for a ride home. They did. I came back and picked it up the next morning and thanked them for the understanding and help. Never combined a drop of alcohol with riding since that incident. Very cheap lesson. | ||
| Notpurples2 |
Didn't get to see the guy ride but I did run into a idiot at bike night who was trying to tell a new rider that front brakes are useless and that he never uses his front brake. "The fastest way to stop is to lock up the rear. I do it all the time." He wasn't riding a chopper or an HD either, but a liter sportbike. | ||
| Harleyelf |
Daytona 2001 - Erik leads a BRAG ride of about 60 riders. Staggered two-by-two formation, close enough to reach out and downshift your neighbor if he gets fully alongside (Erik did it to his buddy) and the guy ahead of me was too wasted (not drunk - drugs) to stay on the pavement. Hits the dirt and starts fish-tailing and spinning his rear tire for reasons known only to himself. Suddenly the competent riders are in single file on the left side of the lane and we let the idiot have the entire right side for about fifty feet. | ||
| Jim2 |
In the Houston TX area I regularly see MC's running on the interstates, literally only 3 feet off of the bumper of the large pickup truck or panel van in front of them. Speeds of anywhere from 50 to 85 mph. I guess they are drafting. I'm not exaggerating either. It's a death wish. | ||
| Buellathebuzzer |
A year ago I was riding with a group and one of the riders had been sending up red flags to me all along. She would drive for miles with his directional flashing. he had a duffel bag (over nighter)strapped to his bike with bungie cords. 10 or more riders and she's near the front. 65+ mph on an interstate highway. Then the bag slipped out of the bungie cords and explodes in the air sending the riders behind her scurrying every which way. Then comes the I need to pick up my cloths! He makes me nervous to this day. No idea what he's thinking about or paying attention to. | ||
| Froggy |
I've done it where I was behind a car carrier, and the top rear most vehicle was a pickup truck, I was able to ride mostly underneath the pickup. It was great, I was maintaining about a 80MPG average during the 15 miles I was behind him on my 1125R. I would of loved to been able to stay there for a whole tank, that would of been an easy 400 miles. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It was in North GA. Some •••••• ran into another rider dodging a horse trailer. That guy sucked.  | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"I always look forward to the slow turn, front brake grabber that gives me a story to tell". And an incident report to complete  . And sometimes first aid to administer. When someone insists on covering that front brake when turning the bike, my money is on them to be the one that ends up on the ground. It is a reality check for the rest of the class that demin is not the most abrasion resistant material though. And good gear is worth its weight in gold when you need to use it. Any of us who have coached prolly have many colorful stories to tell of "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride"  . | ||
| Britchri10 |
I saw myself fall off going to supper in N.Georgia. (@ Buelltoberfest last year) I don't know who was more upset, me for falling off or the host of Buell riders trying to keep a "straight face" whilst I wrestled the Uly back upright! Possibly the worst riding I have EVER seen! More apologies to the guys who had to ride with me on the Saturday! Chris C | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
+1 on myself. I threw my poor X1 down in the H-D lot in front of an audience one cold day. (It was one of the first NEBO meetings) Cold rear D208 and frisky throttle hand. Funny....those tires were warm when I parked the bike an hour ago..... Duh. | ||
| Ratbuell |
+1 on the "sales willies" for new bike owners. There was the Sportster guy who dumped the clutch, rode about 15 feet in a straight line...and we had to pick him and his bike out of a pine tree. There was the Dyna buyer who managed to avoid the pines, but upon having to face traffic and turn left out of our lot (against our advice to just turn right and go around the block), dumped HIS clutch, shot across the road, up a curb, and into a pallet of display bricks at the quarry across the street. Or the M2 buyer who had to ask "ok, which is the clutch again?", got moving, went eight feet, panicked when he saw a car coming, grabbed that big ol' front brake, folded the front end...and managed to get out from under the bike enough for it to hit the curb and scrape the hell out of his brand new tail section. Oh wait. That last one was me. | ||
| Buellish |
Chris,I didn't realize you had fallen off,I thought you lost something in the ditch and were trying to find it.  | ||
| Stirz007 |
A friend at the local Ducati dealership has at least one "tale of terror" every year, usually about the guy on the brand new Duc dumping it in the intersection out front immediately after picking it up after purchase. And I have my own stories as do a lot of you guys about the 'group rides and rallies'. Don't even get me started about Tri-Glides..... | ||
| Britchri10 |
I was looking for my dignity! Chris C | ||
| Glitch |
I really hate to say it, but I've seen 'em damn near every March Badness, Buelltoberfest too, but no so many. It's people that come to an event after talking on the internet, think they have something to prove, or something I don't really know. They end up getting in a group of mixed experienced riders, and they're all trying to keep up with so-in-so. It's got to where I don't do group rides at all any longer. The worst I've seen myself was up towards Morganton on HWY60 coming south towards Suches. A gaggle of squid come racing down from the trail crossing towards Gixxer Turn, so we let 'em pass before it got too twisty. I have no idea how they made it through all the way down, they were all over the road, that area is double yellow all the way down the hill, and they were crossing it everywhere. Once it opened up they were on the gas and gone. We got past the firestation and the on coming were tapping their helmets, once we got over the next set of twisties, there they were. Minus two bikes. One had followed the other straight through a turn off the road. Up there off the road on one side is a cliff, the other a drop off. He was 150 feet up running in the tops of the trees with his buddy right behind him. They landed way off down the mountain. | ||
| Nukeblue |
i was at the w.v. buell rally setting up my tent. heard the sweet roar of an 1125 with a pipe. looked up in time to see some dude (heh heh) doin a wheelie, totally panic, blow the curve and arrive at his camp site through the tall grass.... ahhh memories | ||
| Alfau |
Years ago I took a friend to pick up his newly acquired triumph outfit, It was about a mid 60's era bike,650cc. He nor I had ever ridden a bike with a sidecar before. It was one of the funniest thing I've ever seen. He was an experienced rider but this Is a totally different ball game. The learning curve was about to begin. After he paid the guy and said his farewells, Started her up, popped it in gear and proceeded to take B line for the street light pole across the street.In all I suppose he travelled about six yards .It was great riding, He hit the pole dead centre. We laughed about that for years after. To get out of the dilemma he simply unbolted the side car and left it right there perched up against the light pole.The bewildered seller just stood there scratching his head. Another time one of our mob was fanging it around his back paddock on his Triumph outfit,sliding it sideways when he lost it on the turn and ended up in the middle of his dam with just the tank showing above the water. He was Running around like a Chook with it's head cut off trying to find a piece of rope to haul it out with the tractor. The tears in his eyes were very real. Needless to say we were rolling around on the ground pissing ourselves laughing. Fond memories  (Message edited by alfau on January 19, 2012) | ||
| No_rice |
It was in North GA. Some •••••• ran into another rider dodging a horse trailer. That guy sucked. ya that guy rearends alot of stuff! lol. as close as i came to being wiped out by that trailer at speed, i was sure no one was trying to come around behind me so i didnt give it a second though... and then barker and i sat and waited... and waited... down the road a ways... im just glad i had that extra 2 inches of clearance... im sure that trailer would have won the fight it damn near had with me and the 1125 (Message edited by no_rice on January 19, 2012) | ||
| Barker |
(putting my fire suit on) My presence in this thread could get interesting. This "fast" clown. Crossing the double yellow all over one of the most dangerous roads. (Message edited by barker on January 19, 2012) | ||
| Dennis_c |
I was behind a buddy of mine going about 60mph on a curvey rd the sign had more turns than I could count at the top of the hill. When I got there he was in the ditch. He laid it down he went about 100' on the black top then into the ditch for about 30' bounced off a elect. pole finely came to a stop past the pole. I don't need to tell you what his bike looked like. He now knows how good of a ride a ULY is. He tried it out on his way to the hosp. The best one about about 50yrs ago a guy could not make a turn and went through a corn field about 50mph with corn stocks flying up in the air that one was funny he was ok. | ||
| Iamike |
I was driving my work van on the freeway when I see a guy on a new Victory (paper plates). He was dressed in the AGATT of the beachcomer, tank top, shorts, flip-flops, no helmet. As we come up to a flyover with a 45mph he slows down, red flag. I tuck in behind him to see what he does from there. Good, he takes the exit I want. It is a downhill to a stop sign. As he gets close to the intersection he was down to about 5mph when the brake light goes out and both feet shoot out. He is trying to stop that bike with his feet in flip-flops! No front brake. I was hoping that he didn't live too far away or he wasn't going to survive long in traffic. |
