| Author | Message | ||
     Shotgun |
Ever since the news that Gordon Buhle died last week after "crossing the double yellow line" and getting hit head-on by a cager, I haven't been able to get the concept out of my mind. Gordon was an experienced rider. His bike was always in meticulous repair. He didn't drink and ride. Yet he bought it crossing the line. A head-on crash like that is inevitably a blind right-hand curve. Because who would cross a double yellow in traffic on a straight? And on a left-hand curve, you not only start out on the outside, but your "bail out" if you mis-judge or over-cook it or find the slick or the gravel is always to the outside, not into oncoming traffic. I've been there. I've bought the ditch. Beats buying the SUV. So, for sake of discovery, let's say it was a tight, blind, downhill, decreasing radius curve, and the SUV (or whatever cager it was) was, who knows, in his lane, on the double yellow, or in Gordon's lane. How did Gordon get there and what could he (or I) have done to minimize that risk? We ride, therefore we are at risk? To some degree that is true. But when I have crossed the double yellow on a blind right hander, it was because: A) I was lazy and not paying attention, B) I was leading the pack and felt "pushed" by them to perform, C) I was following a good rider and trusted his line (til he was in the other lane and it was too late and then I wasn't just over the double yellow, I was over the edge of the other lane and down the hill and into the trees and rocks and thrilled to be in one piece and that nobody was coming at me at the time). I don't know what got Gordon over the line. It doesn't matter now. But think for a second, if that double yellow line was a concrete barrier between the lanes, solid, impenetrable, sometimes even inching into our lane, how often would we put ourselves in position to crash into it? Maybe, well maybe we'd slow her down a notch, make sure we're not too tired and very sober and in control of our testosterone and give the wall a little more respect than we do that double yellow line. | ||
| Frausty_void |
*nods* Excellent post man, makes ya think about where we put ourselves every time we "throw a leg over" whatever two wheeled, or 4 wheeled machine we decide to operate at the time. It disgusts me to hear about any one getting seriously injured or killed in an accident, even more so, a rider. The reason isn't so much as "what the driver/rider did to cause it" but , "what didn't the driver/rider do to prevent it." | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
post edited to remove erroneous information. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on August 17, 2005) | ||
| Frausty_void |
man... I'm speechless. Not to pour salt on the wounds man, but is it possible he had front tire damage before impact? I mean I see one solid dark skid mark thats extremely long. Which of course would only/could only be that long if no front brake were being applied (thus the idea of front tire malfunction/flat/blow-out) If that were the case, I could see why he's so far over the double yellow, hard to just stand the bike up with a flat front. *shakes head* such a shame. | ||
| Dave |
skid? shadow from an overhead cable along the road? | ||
| Frausty_void |
Yup, you're right.. didn't see the other three faint lines running parallel to the dark one.  | ||
| Doughnut |
Please don't think less of me, I have been hearing about Gordon Buhle for the last few, but I have no idea as to who he is. Could someone please explain. Take care, be safe. | ||
| Mellow_yellow |
Gettin'hit head on -Man,that is my worst fear with riding motorcycles.My blood goes cold just thinking of it.May that never happen to anyone of us who read this board.I did'nt know Gordon,but reading the heartbreaking posts of his friends brought tears to my eyes.I have a good friend that rides a BMW K1200LT(big touring rig)We do at least two or three long trips a year.(I also own a Honda ST1100)If what happened to Gordon ever happened to my friend,I would mourn and miss him the rest of my life,I'm sure of it.We're lucky to have one or two GOOD friends in this life,and this Gordon was that friend to quite a few it seems.I guess the only positive thing we can do with what happened is to learn from it.Like Shotgun says,slow it down a little,I guess?-I don't know,by all accounts Gordon Buhle was a good,experienced rider,yet this happened.This sport that we all love is not without risk,that's for certain.Ride smart everybody! | ||
| Skyguy |
This post is in no way meant to show any disrespect to Gordon. I have been paragliding for almost 13 years and 3,600 hours. In our world EVERY pilot will go through what we call "Intermediate Syndrome". High hour pilots (riders) such as myself will go through it more than once. It works like this: Fly (or ride) several hundred hours with nothing going wrong. Every thermal (or corner) goes where you want. The weather (road) behaves exactly as predicted. You handle several unexpected things without a hicup. Like a new guy cutting you off (or unexpected gravel in the road). It is easy to forget how vulnerable you really are. It is easy to forget that it can happen to you. I never knew Gordon but from what I have read and the picture/description on this thread I think that he may have fallen victim to the dreaded "Intermediate Syndrome". Be carefull out there guys because ALL of us will do the same thing. The longer you fly/ride the harder you have to watch yourself. Very sad about Gordon, I think he would have been a great person to know. (Message edited by skyguy on August 15, 2005) | ||
| Shotgun |
Ferris, that's just so wrong, man. A blind left means Gordon was either way over or the cager was way over. Cutting a corner? Gordon? It don't seem right. He starts out on the outside edge and what??? Cuts in too soon? Over corrects? I'm with Frosty. Give me a mechanical failure to cling to. Ride safe. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Jim Armstrong's photo above is looking uphill, the direction that Gordon was traveling, at the very last vestige of the corner that Gordon was negotiating. the skid marks in the photo were made from the van that Gordon hit. it's plain to see the van driver was in his/her lane. the thin, curving black line in the photo is the shadow from a power line. the photo was taken at approximately the same time of day as Gordon's crash, so the lighting is about what he would have been encountering. at the very bottom of the photo, on and next to the fog line, you can see a tiny glimpse of the paint marks indicating where Gordon came to rest. this would also be about where he hit the van, and indicates that Gordon was WAY over in the oncoming lane. i can't explain how he came to be in such a terrible position. i've read a third-hand account from a witness to the crash, but i'm not willing to repeat third-hand information here. Gordon was a good man, and a seasoned, veteran rider. he, by all accounts, made a terrible mistake, and paid with his life. i don't respect or love him any less for that. anyone who rides has made mistakes. all of us who ride will make MORE mistakes. we're only human. i have no morbid curiosity about Gordon's crash. what i have is an intense desire to know what happened, how such a good rider put himself in that position. that knowledge would, for me, help provide closure, and, i suspect for all of us, would help remind us that we're mere mortals, and that this sport can kill. if we all ride a little more within our limits in the future, remembering the loss of a man so dear, if each of us has a quick mental flash of Gordon the next time our right hand is trying to rule the ride, if we slow down even just a tiny bit and think of all the friends and family who value having us around, then Gordon's death will not have been in vain. ride in peace, Gordon. i will not forget. FB | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
post edited to remove erroneous information. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on August 17, 2005) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
post edited to remove erroneous information. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on August 17, 2005) | ||
| Skyguy |
I am not a very emotional person and I have lost a lot of friends to flying and riding. I am not sure why seeing these pictures causes me so much pain. I never even knew Gordon.... Perhaps it just brings my losses to the surface. Perhaps it is the emotion in all of the posts. Either way I am sorry for his family and friends loss. | ||
| Jon |
I think this thread is necessary. I don't have any morbid curiosity about the details either. I'd rather just stick with honoring his memory. However, we can and should learn from this. Less crashing, more enjoying the sport. | ||
| Jima4media |
Shotgun, Gordon was one of the best riders I knew, and I had to know why and how he came to his premature demise, because I couldn't believe it when I heard it. As a couple of the founding members of American SportBike Night, Gordon and I rode together and saw each other almost monthly for the past six years, so I can attest to how he rode. Always very carefully, and sometimes spirited. With probably 150,000 miles on a couple of Buells, he knew the roads he traveled much better than most. At first I thought it must have been some sort of mechanical malfunction. I have had brakes lock-up on my Buell 3 times, so I know that is a distinct possibility. After hearing the eye witness reports from a couple of people on scene and second hand reports from the people he passed that day, we can start to paint a picture of what happened. No one has mentioned anything about a mechanical failure, and I didn't see any evidence of that. Still, I had to know more, so I went up to Bear Creek Road on Saturday and shot that picture above, and a dozen others, from every angle. The evidence is clear, but I would like to talk to the driver of the Isuzu truck to get his side of the story. I would also like to see the police report. When I first posted that picture on SacBorg, I warned that the thin lines were shadows from the overheard power and telephone lines, and to disregard them. As Jerry said, it appears that Gordon made a serious mistake, and paid with his life. When you said he didn't drink and ride, where did you get that information? Gordon and I usually had a beer or two together every month at American Sport Bike Night. We rode home down six lane highways in the dark every month, and not down the twisty trails. We were never drunk, and always in control, and usually had several hours between the last beer, and the time to hit the road. The one night I knew I was going to be going home on Palomares road at night, all I had to drink was iced tea. Wouldn't you know it, that was the night my front brake locked up, and I ended up in the hospital, instead of going to Laguna Seca the next weekend. I started the Crashes and Mishaps thread many years ago on BadWeb, so that we could learn not only from our own mistakes, but from others mistakes as well. Don't cross the Double Yellow, unless you can see the future is a cardinal rule. Jim Armstrong | ||
| M1combat |
It seems fairly self explanatory to me and please don't take offence to that. It looks like Gordon was on a fast line. He was having a good time. I don't mind people having a good time at all. RIP Gordon. I'll remember... | ||
| Sportsman |
Could have been a fox or a deer in the right lane and at a moderately brisk clip he decided to swerve across the line to put some space between them. Focusing on the animal he may not have seen the oncoming van. We'll never know for sure. RIP, clearly he was loved by lots of people. | ||
| Branebanger |
I'd have to agree with sportsman. from what people have said about Gordon's riding skills, he was probably in that part of the road out of necesity not choice. the only thing that could possibly make me go into that lane in a blind turn, is an animal or person blocking my way at the last second. I never thought about it before, but if I'm ever in a blind turn and an animal is in my way, clipping the dam thing may be an option I had not previously programmed myself for. If its a person I guess I'd have to decide to lay the bike down or not. before reading about Gordon, I'm sure i'd have swerved left without even thinking, it'd be instinct. (Message edited by branebanger on August 16, 2005) | ||
| Pdxs3t |
REGARDING GORDON BUHLE's CA. MEMORIAL SERVICE I am so glad I came across this site. I am Gordon's ex-wife, Monique. I am helping in planning a casual memorial for Gordon this friday, Aug 19th.. (family funeral to be in Penn) Time and place not confirmed yet, but if you would like to come, please contact me via phone (408) 272-8363 home or (408) 315-2158 cell. I walked the accident site, and found his turn signal, eyeglasses, and other pieces of his bike. Gordon's family is planning on meeting tomorrow at 2:40pm on bear creek rd, at the crash site. (7.6 miles up from highway 17). If you would like to pay your respects, and join us, I think that would be encouraging for his family. I hope someone reads this tonight, and gets the word out.. Thanks Monique (Buhle) Morales | ||
| Bomber |
I never met the man, yet the grief shown by all who knew him is word enough, I believe -- thanks for the pics and analysis -- since I'm in the "intermediate syndrome" population, this is a reminder to myself to pay a bit more respect to the yellow lines, and to remember one who's so well loved Ms Morales -- all out thoughts and good wishes are with you and all of Gordon's family -- | ||
| Jima4media |
Monique, Thanks for posting these details. I will be calling you this evening when I get home from work to let you know that I can help organize some of the details on getting Gordon's friends there on Wednesday and Friday. Jim Armstrong | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Jim: Monique posted on Monday night 11:41 p.m. PDT; thus, i believe the gathering at the accident site is today (Tuesday), not tomorrow. today marks one week since it happened. FB | ||
| Jima4media |
I just talked to Monique on the phone and she confirmed that the ride by Gordon's brother and friends will be TODAY and not tomorrow. Monique also gave me details on the memorial service on Friday, but those plans are still being worked out, and she will call me and post more information when it is available. Thanks to Jerry for pointing out the time difference in the post. Jim Armstrong | ||
| Motomedic |
Well, I've been lurking now since hearing the news, and it's obvious G will be sorely missed by more than a few folks, including me. I rented a room from him (well, for the last few months- mostly he let me live there free!) and went on many road trips/day cruises with him. I was also the wrench that helped w/ the S2. Like BCSteve, I also commuted on Bear Creek for the better part of 4 yrs. For him to be that far over on that part of the road makes me think of the scenario of coming out to pass on the uphill (come on now Steve, we've all passed a cager there), seeing the van and trying to dodge to the left of the van, knowing there was probably a car he was trying to pass on the right. 3 in the afternoon (commute start)? Deer? probably not. I liked Gordon, rode with him as much as anyone, and would go so far as to call him a conservative rider on twisty roads, but I can see him going to pass here if he was going in EITHER direction- like I said for those of who ride/rode Bear Creek, it's a common pass spot. Ofc. Crouch doesn't hang out there for nothing, after all. I wasn't there, I don't know what was in his head, and neither does anyone else. I certainly do not wish to apply blame to anyone involved, G or otherwise. All we can do is learn from this and move on. Remember, the double yellow can/does/will save your life if you let it. Godspeed, Gordon-may your bike never run out of gas and your tires never wear out! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks for posting, Feike. FB | ||
| Eeeeek |
Feike: I'm designing a paver for Gordon. Do you have the serial number of his S2? Vik | ||
| Jon |
I can't do the ride...I just found this information. I am at work in Oakland. Was this announced earlier and I just missed the notice?? | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Jon, the info on today's ride was only just posted late last night by Monique. there is a memorial service on Friday. i believe that Monique will be posting info here on the site, and i have asked Jim Armstrong to keep us advised as well. any news i hear i'll pass on as soon as i hear it. FB | ||
| Jima4media |
Hi All, I just got back from the accident site, and I had the directions wrong in the pictures. The first reports had Gordon going away from his home towards highway 17, and he was going in the opposite direction, from 17 towards his home off Bear Creek. I've got more pictures to explain everything, but won't be able to post them until later tonight. Also, for some reason SacBorg is down right now. The new pictures don't explain any more than before, if anything they are more confusing. The memorial get together for Gordon is planned for Friday at 5PM in Vasona Park in Los Gatos, so far. I'll be posting more news on that tomorrow also. Gordon really had a lot of good friends that I met today. I imagine there will be a lot more that I will meet on Friday. Jim |
