| Author | Message | ||
     Jeffgre_6163 |
I was a member of a WA ‘bike club for some time in the ‘90’s In 1998 we had a 56 year old woman join that was known to no one. Recently divorced from a wealthy husband, family all left home, bored, She had always admired, but never owned or ridden a ‘bike before, never even had a BF with a ‘bike. She got her open license on the WA adult/experienced driver thing available at the time for perhaps $250 in training costs. When she went to buy a bike – don’t forget she had the choice of literally any ‘bike on the market - money was no object, nor was a capacity restriction. So she asked the salesman what was the lightest, smallest, bigger bike she could get? Her reasoning was that she was small and petite and so she would need a light, small bike but with a “bit” of power as she was going to ride out in the bush a bit. The salesman sold her, or perhaps I should say, she bought as her very first ‘bike, a brand new 1998 YZF1000R1. Every one in the club thought she was mental, but no, she insisted she could ride it. Seriously, she had about as much control as a drunken chicken on a rocket powered shopping trolley. After 6 months of scaring herself and every one around her to death she decided to trade it in on something more sensible. So she bought a brand new ZX9R! I shit you not! Her reasoning?, she had read all the magazines and they said it was not as twitchy or ferociously powered as her R1. Once again we thought she was nuts and feared it could only end in tears. The chicken may have sobered up a bit but it was still a chicken! Well it did. 3 months later on a club overnight run to a country pub, word goes round that 6 days earlier she had crashed, she’s ok but bruised, battered and very sore. 10.00pm that night she hobbles in on crutches. She had always looked all of her 56 years, but Man this time she really was a mess! Broken ankle, broken left hand, broken teeth on her left side, every finger nail on both hands had gone black, huge black eye and cheek, grazing everywhere Her story was that her new ZX9’s gear box had locked and it had spat her over the high side at 140 kmph in a single vehicle accident. I have absolutely no doubt that the crash was a monster, but the gear box locking up? Come on!!! She never admitted what had really happened but I would bet it was locking the rear brake in Neewbie panic as she arrived way to hot for the corner she crashed on. She pursued Kwaka in regard to her theory [mainly as a face saving exercise I think] of GB failure but gave up when an independent mechanics report found nothing when they autopsied the engine. She eventually settled down, bought a VFR800 and as far as I know, rides still having learnt some very harsh lessons. I lost respect for her as she was always too proud to ask questions, shot her mouth off over all things bike [often wrong] and tried way to hard to fit in. Met a few blokes like her in the past – Sadly some don’t get to hobble away from their mistakes But Man, do the type surely shit me to tears! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Nice to know 56 is midlife, I figure to get another crisis in before then. You know if you plan them right you can get away with more than just one. Left the house at 15 Left the University at 21 Leaving the domestic suburbian life at 40 (sept 2008) Planning another midlife crisis at 56... priceless | ||
| Rotzaruck |
You know, you have your birthday and your last day. The rest is all in the middle. It has to be cause you don't know where the middle is till the last day. Sometimes it's a long long crisis. | ||
| No_rice |
i had a zx9 transmission grenade and lock up. killed everything, locked up the tire and stalled the motor. although that was on a 197 mph run on radar back in the early 90's | ||
| Gohot |
Interesting, but a little troubeling getting those little gibberish letters to fit in the sentance, what? how Come? but what a story, She needs some help picking bikes, and then a little prudence riding them. Hay I'm 56 and a Pro rider, started at 15, but my Buell is enough for me. turning a newbe loose on a R1 is criminal. |
