| Author | Message | ||
     Al_lighton |
I just got in a bit ago. I had to hang around Mesa until noon for Chosa's to fix what they'd screwed up on my bike. In the vein of "Other than that, how was the parade, Mrs Kennedy?" department, here's my lengthy (read: boring) account of Torquefest. Thursday AM, after a couple weeks of open heart (tranny) surgery on my S1W and only two commutes to check it out, I went to start the bike to load it in the truck for the blast to Phoenix. CLick CLick. Damn, dead battery, and that doesn't happen for no reason. Charge it with a car charger enough to light it off, load in the truck with chargers, voltmeters, etc, I head of Phoenix in the truck with Joanne and Zach. Jim Witt's daughter gave us a sweet deal at the Legacy Golf Resort, a real nice place for a real nice price, and the room was georgeous. Even had a first floor patio to put the bike on to charge it all night. Next day, parking lot diagnosis proves my worst fear: Dead stator, only millivolts AC out (should be 28-35VAC) But a call to Chosa's, they have the parts and a tech standing by. What should be a 2 hour stator replacement job starting at 10:30AM ends at 3:45PM (2.9 hours charged labor), and they said it still wasn't charging and needed a new regulator too...$460  > the only good part is that it was obvious that there was nothing I'd done (i.e. nicked wire varnish) to cause the stator failure, it was coincidence that it happened when it did. But Victor (Viros) was cool, he hung with me at the dealer while all the others pressed on to Show Low. Bike on the road, 4:00, 97 degrees, Friday Rush hour traffic leaving town, and lane splitting ain't legal. But soon enough, we're moving and getting some altitude, passed Joanne and Zach in the truck, life is good. We make good time up into the hills above Salt River Canyon, and catch up to an Emergency Resue Squad truck with it's lights going. Thinking it a bit unwise to pass an emergency vehicle with it's lights on, we hang behind it for quite a long while, letting it clear the traffic out from in front of us at 75MPH or so. OK, we weren't 500 feet back, but we were cool. The thought crossed both our minds if that vehicle might have been responding to a downed bike from our group..... We were only the 10th vehicles back, but the accident had happened almost a full hour before we got there. The police and paramedics had gotten there just before us to shut down traffic put out the fire, and start the serious medical work. Jimmy was 30 yards from the trailer in the downhill lane, the smoldering remnants of the bike another 30-40 yards, and the whole front end another 25 beyond that. Traffic was all stopped and they had everyone clear a spot for the helicopter. Jim was air-lifted out about 15 minutes after we got there. Folks, never in a million years would I have even dreamed of passing on that corner. Downhill, blind, with a big pulloff for a scenic view of Salt River Canyon on the left. You saw Victor's pictures above, Jimmy is a VERY lucky man to be alive. Heck, he'd be lucky to have had an open casket funeral based on what he hit and how. His helmet was IN the trailer. The truck driver was visibly shaken, he was a motorcyclist, as was his dad in the truck behind the trailer with a Harley in the bed. Their vacation was surely ruined. Joanne drove the truck through there 1.5 hours later and they were still there. I hope Jim recovers fully, but I hope he seriously considers and learns from what happened. Nothing more we could do, Victor and I press on. As we get to the top of the Salt River canyon on the far side, I go to shift and my shifter isn't there. Well, it was, just not connected. The Chosa's tech must have left the Banke linkage nut loose, as was the splined shaft bolt. Pulled over at the top where I knew I'd have a downhill start if I needed it, Victor and I wire it together to keep the shifter from dragging, and I'm now stuck in 5th gear for the 40 mile blast to Show Low. Or not. Thumb starter, CLick CLick click. I've been running a total loss system since Phoenix, and the battery is getting real weak. Bump start it in second, hand shift it to 5th, ride clutch and we're off. Any uphill traffic in front of me meant I HAD to pass them illegally, I couldn't shift down, and I was running out of battery, headlight, AND daylight. Victor hangs, thankfully, because it got dark and my headlight was getting weak. Twilight was gone by 15 miles out of Show Low, and my light was about 1 candle's worth. A semi was passing a long line of oncoming cars, and he never pulled over for me. I went onto the shoulder, kinda blind, just missed the truck. But the MoFO didn't pull over for Victor either, and he had a full light. We hit an uphill red light just coming into town. 5th gear uphill clutch slipped startup with no starter or headlight...fun, fun. Limp into hotel, time to set up shop. Charge battery, rip of body work, and soon I had a ton of helpers. Daryl from NH jumped right in, took charge. He said he was a master auto mechanic, and we had the problem traced back to the stator in a few minutes. He (and now Murrae, Service manager from Santa Fe Harley/Buell) diagnose the problem to be the stator wire that was pinched between the starter flange and the primary case when it was reinstalled. Broke one wire, and shorted it to the case. Get Brad (Chosa's tech and weekend chase truck driver) over to witness it and help however he can, Daryl, Murrae, and Brad sever the wires and rejoin around the starter. A bit ugly, but I'm back in business for the weekend. Whoo Hoo! We had a few beers and did the requisite Buell BS'ing for a while. Daryl, who kept saying that the was three hours ahead of us and had to get to sleep, just couldn't rip himself away if there was Buell-speak to do. He was a definite enthusiast. He was a likable, energetic and animated dude in the few hours I knew him. Next day, in the morning pre-ride BS session, he was noticeably pumped. He was just chomping at the bit to be raging on his XB12S in the SW mountains. Peggy's cautions about group rides didn't sink in unfortunately, and his group riding skills were not well honed. He passed people prior to letting them acquire him in their rearview mirror, and at least once on the inside. He seemed competent enough, but I sure wondered about jeans and tennis shoes at the level he was pushing it. All we know for sure is that he ran right up the ass of the guy on the White/Nuke Blue X1. But I think that he may have had to have dodged a few baseball size rocks that were in the road right before the impact point, possibly causing him to miss slowing for the braking rider in front of him. I was 10 minutes behind at that point after getting hung up at the previous gas stop. Murrae and CJ were doing everything they could, but I'm sure that there was nothing anyone could have done. I think he was already gone when I arrived. I won't belabor the point here, but if his death has any meaning, it's that folks should learn about passing protocol and maintaining distance in group rides. I'm going to make a special post on badweb and sacborg concerning this. After the helicopter was cancelled, we pressed on, as we had a very full day left ahead of us, and the MUCH harder sections were yet to come. Everyone was a MUCH more reserved rider after that, there is nothing else you think about as you go around each corner after witnessing someone die. Morenci Mine was amazing, you've never seen so much earth moved in your life, and the road just hugs the side of the mine and climbs up the side of the hole out of the valley. Thad (I think) said the road was quite scary, as he had a little bit of height phobia. The two story high trucks looked like matchboxes climbing the side of the hill. 191 is an amazing road, I can say I've never been on a road with more turns. After a while, I was hoping for a short straight so I could rest a little. But NOOOOOO, curve after curve after curve. I'm glad they had convinced Peggy to do the route in reverse so that the majority of the turns were going UPhill. The sun set with about 40 minutes left to go, and I was seriously spooked about hitting an elk or deer, there were signs everywhere for them. Some guys saw some on the road, others got to see a Suburban that took out not one but TWO cows on 260. Everyone kind of went their separate ways on Sunday in small groups. Victor, Thad (From Chandler I know, And I THINK it's Thad, not sure) went to Payson, Thad turned south to Phoenix, Victor and I went north thru Pine (Jim Witt's mountain home community) and on to Camp Verde. Victor turned north towards Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon and happened to meet up with the older guy on the XB9R that had roomed with Daryl, I went west towards Jerome/Prescott. The road just west of Jerome is NOT to be missed. If you are ever near there on a motorcycle, go out of your way to ride it, it's a hoot. Got onto 17 heading back to Phoenix, and right before coming down the biggest grade, massive traffic jam. I was overheating, my bike was knocking, I saw Screw it if lane splitting is legal or not, I'm doin it. Amazing how everyone feels it's their civic duty to enforce the law by cutting me off, but I'll be damned if I'm just gonna cook in black leathers in 95 degree heat. At least until the state police dude pulls up and yells at me to "get that bike back in a lane" before dashing off to the accident ahead. Which turned out to be a sport biker dead at the scene of a gnarly motorcycle accident. Blanket was already over him. Didn't look like any other vehicle was involved. Back to the hotel (legacy resort again!!), got in the pool with my family, glad to be alive. Today Chosa's put in the new stator, another 4 hour job . They'd already cut one of the wires off my old regulator, and some of the potting was looking a little old, so I didn't insist that they prove to me that they hadn't replaced a perfectly working regulator. I just wanted to get on the road. I hope they put new nuts on the clutch and rotor as I insisted that they do....I'll give 'em a B+ for courtesy, a D for efficiency (their staff looks to be about 3 times bigger than necessary), and sorry to say, an F for performance. The stator wire was an easy mistake, but loose shifter bolts and a still non-functional charging system leaving the shop is just careless, especially when they took 5 hours to do it. The formal parts of the events were OK (good food at Licano's, and Peggy and Mary were great hosts). But everyone was kinda beat for the Saturday night function, and the days events took the party out of everyone. Heal fast, Jim and White X1W pilot (sorry, did get your name). Godspeed, Daryl. Ride safe out there, folks, and hug you children before you go. Al | ||
| Stubby |
Crap. This sort of behaviour really stinks on public roads. Stubby. | ||
| Court |
>>>Your descriptions of what caused these incidents are exactly why I no longer participate in these kinds of events. Ditto. I've survived more than my quota. | ||
| Ferris |
Al, thank you for the report. i was wondering how you and your family did thru the weekend. sorry to hear of your travails, and glad to have you and Joanne and Zach back home, safe and sound. well. i'm not sure if this is the place to preach, and i'm not sure i'm a particularly qualified pastor, but i will say this: There are ways to put on a group ride that greatly increase the odds of everyone still being riding at the end of the day. i know, as i've done a bunch of them, as recently as SPLASH on Mount St. Helens in July, where on Saturday morning we unleashed 43 snarling, snapping sportbikes onto the volcano, logged (most of the group, anyway) over 400 miles on God's Own Roads, and we ALL arrived in Packwood that night ready to do it all over again. i have the distinction of having organized what remains to this day one of the largest Buell-sponsored events ever, Blue Groove/Northwest in July of 1997, with 125 registered attendees, and Erik Buell himself on hand adding even more reason to be amped to the mix, yet in three days of balls-out Buellin', EVERYONE rode home. Court, you were there. i had your son Bryce on the back of the BLURR. we had a LOT of bikes up on the mountain, and covered a LOT of ground. and as Bryce told you later, some of it was "at speed". and we ALL rode home that weekend. i was only able to do day three of last year's All-Cal BRAG ride, but what a day it was, on a route thru the Sierra Nevadas that Leslie Prevish-Hudson asked me to map out. we covered a lot of ground that day, some of it at a most impressive clip, and the worst shunt of the day was a 20-mph low-slide as we "paraded" around a storm-dirtied corner for a photographer. and there have been literally a ton of memorable rides i've organized in between, some big (the annual Border Raid is a good example), some small, and most of them successful. There are ways to put on a group ride that greatly increase the odds of everyone still being riding at the end of the day. organized group rides aren't automatically a guarantee of an airlift to some distant trauma center (or worse), and it'd be a shame, in my opinion, for the terrible events of the Torque Fest to result in the cessation of same, particularly Buell-sponsored group rides. for emphasis, i repeat: Buell/BRAG, please don't go away! the liability during these gigs is huge, make no mistake. and the ingredients for Bad Things are certainly there in an organized group ride. i'm not trying to diminish the potential for risk, nor am i at all blind to the possibilities. but wouldn't it be truly tragic if what happened in Arizona this weekend "shuts down" future BRAG-sponsored group rides? OktoberFAST happens this weekend. so far it's lookin' like we'll have maybe a dozen or so Hooligans camped out here in the mountains of southern California, sportbikes at the ready, for three days of rollin', rockin' and ridin', and the camaraderie that comes from being motorcycle enthusiasts, and from being alive. i spent a good portion of yesterday glued to this thread, and was shocked, honestly, when Viros finally posted his photos above. i'm not afraid to admit that this stuff makes me cry. OktoberFAST will go on. i will give my standard (some would say boring) safety speech before we launch Saturday morning, and several more times thruout the day, each day. and i believe that i will print CJ's post from above and read it aloud before we depart. there ARE ways to make these gigs safer, and i hope that we enthusiasts continue to have the extreme privilege of being able to attend Buell-sponsored rides well into the future. we can, and should, learn from this stuff. and we should keep riding. like i said at the top, not sure this is the place, but i needed to say it, and maybe it'll help in some small way. Court, you're in the loop. if you think it's appropriate, please pass this message along to the powers that be. Godspeed to us all. Jerry Haughton, aka Ferris Bueller Lake Isabella, CA 10/07/2003 | ||
| Bikerguyx1 |
Sorry but just have the urge to say a little more. First of all, Cj's efforts and contribution this past weekend were nothing short of those of a hero. Really, he is not exaggerating when he says he held Jim's head for 75 minutes. Never once did he suggest that someone else should relieve him. Then he had to do it all over again less than 24 hours later. This time with much more graphic results and a devastating outcome. I roomed with CJ Friday night and he shared with me that he has been on scene for a couple other bike accidents with fatal outcomes. He continues to ride and enjoy it. Which brings me to my next comment. We are so privileged to have a pasttime that allows us to spend time with people like CJ, Dave Lundberg, Joanne (Al's wife, she helped me get some of my stuff back to Show Low as my bike was loaded up with as many of Jim's belonging that I could carry). I truly hope that someday I can share everyones company at another BRAG event. That is if my wife will let me go to another one. Al said it when he suggested that you "hug your children before you go." OK, I'll try to shut up about this thread. Chad Banning Phoenix | ||
| Ferris |
Chad, it is OK to talk about this stuff. what you have been thru is traumatic, and talking about it helps you. and us. we can learn from what happened, and be better prepared next time. what happened is tragic, and everyone is touched, even those of us who weren't there. getting the facts and details out in the open is important, for our future, and for our present. feel free to ping me at fastferris@hotmail.com if i can help in any way. FB | ||
| Court |
>>>Court, you were there. i had your son Bryce on the back of the BLURR. we had a LOT of bikes up on the mountain, and covered a LOT of ground. and as Bryce told you later, some of it was "at speed". That was the day that I ended up having to work the Buell demos, loaded Bryce on with you and Erik and never looked back. Both of you are excellent riders, but in retrospect, it was one of the dumbest things I have ever done. Please understand that's not a reflection on either of your abilities, just try telling a Mother you are putting her 15 year old on the back of a motorcycle with someone traversing mountain roads at >100 MPH. Most, don't fool yourselves, of these types of things that conclude sans incident are do as much to luck as they are skill. You'll recall what happened to your foot that day. The rock bieng there or not being there was CHANCE, your ability to survice the impact and retain control was SKILL and LUCK working in a combination that worked on that day and time. Old time Buellers will recal that in the early yeasr as I traversed 44 of these states doing the Buell group rides, I had a motto like: "If you have unresolved childhood or testosterone issues, don't come with me. Take the 9 Train to the South Bronx, wave a bicycle chain over your head and declare yourself "King of The World", but stay away". Time has made the words appear wiser. I am heartbroken to have read this. I can no longer count on my fingers the number of close friends who were SUPERIOR RIDERS I've lost. People like Joe Boyd, Dirk and Fran Crane were neither "pushing it" nor lacking in skill. As a person who's hobbies include motorcycles, airplanes and handguns, I never forget, this stuff bites and when it does , it bites hard. You know the drill Ferris. Talk to the folks this weekend and KEEP people from PLACING theiir heads in their asses....it's infinitely easier than pulling them out! Be careful and enjoy my friend.... Court | ||
| Bomber |
regardless of whatever role the riders may have played in their own injuries, I know all our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families . .. . that said, I'm looking forward to heading south to the Gap with my buddy Groundskeeper, who I have many hours riding with, and who I trust implicitly . . .. I'll watch everyone else on the road, and, with these events fresh in my mind, ride my own ride, knwing that I've got way too much to loose . . . .. . as do we all | ||
| Aaron |
What I told everyone before our canyon rides at last year's Team Elves Buellganza: if you go down, you don't just ruin YOUR day, you ruin everyone else's day, too. Fortunately, we rode canyon after canyon over multiple days and nobody went down at all. There's just no point in taking those kinds of chances on public roads. You can have a hell of a good time without putting yourself or anyone else at excessive risk. | ||
| Daves |
Very sorry to hear this news. It is always hard to lose a fellow motorcyclist. My thoughts go out to the families of those involved. Ride to the edge! Dave | ||
| Ferris |
Court, as always i appreciate your hard-earned wisdom -- thank you. i don't disagree with a single word you said (altho i will comment that neither Joe or Fran ((i'm unsure about Dirk)) were riding in an organized group ride). but i'm troubled by several things. one, of course, is that we lost a rider this weekend, came too damn close to losing another, and came too damn close to taking out some innocents in the process. and as an inevitable by-product, these awful events made our sport look bad to the non-riding community who was there on-scene. stuff happens, but this kind of stuff shouldn't. further, i am troubled by Jim Witt's comment above ("Your descriptions of what caused these incidents are exactly why I no longer participate in these kinds of events"), and your concurrence. it isn't that i disagree with you guys, and it isn't that i don't fully respect either of your opinions and your right to decide what does and doesn't work for you, not at all. but, as i said above, there are ways of doing a group ride that increase the odds of everyone still riding their scooter at the end of the day, and it saddens me to think that there are folks who won't do a group ride out of fear of what's possible. taken to the extreme, this fear (please feel free to substitute a more appropriate word) would keep one from ever venturing from the (relative) safety of their own home. and this fear/anxiety/reluctance/whatever, expressed in sufficient volume to nervous corporate ears, could have significant consequences. no disrespect meant to either you or Jim -- i DO understand where you're both coming from. perhaps MY biggest fear is that Buell/BRAG will stop sponsoring and organizing Adventure Rides because of all of this. what a shame that would be. i feel bad for all concerned, but none of this should keep us, and Buell and BRAG, from riding, individually or in groups. if there is anyone following this thread who knows personally any of the parties involved, whether they were riding OR driving, please pass on our most profound prayers, respects, and sympathies. Ferris & Denise | ||
| Ghostrider |
Well, another comment if I may... Peggy made a comment at the Saturday evening function that BRAGs policy going forward would be that they weren't going to discuss the fatal accident. I took that to mean that it wasn't going to be mentioned at all in the upcoming recap in FUELL, etc. Personally, I think this is a big mistake. This thread is evidence that when we talk about these things, we all learn from them. I think that BRAG needs to acknowledge that there was a fatality on one of their events and that all riders should try to learn from those mistakes. By denying the incident, it's possibly setting the stage for a repeat occurrence. I think that knowledge is power and we all need to be well informed and try to learn from this tragedy. | ||
| Court |
I guess my point is, and why I was stessing that it was not ability or judegment I was calling into questions, is that even the most skilled among us, under the best circumstances, is at SOME risk. Crowds, substnace impariment, weather, roads and the synergy of a group is more likely to diminish, rahter than enchance, safety. Josef Boyd was one of my best friends, certainly one of the best riders I've ever ridden with and his life was taken on a track that was empty except for his bike. (I'll copy the artice below here). B.R.A.G. should rightfully stand mute, they should remain without opinion, other than perhaps an appropriate expression of sympathy. The "assumption of risk" doctrine governs. People do dangersou things fully aware of the possible consequences. I think what Jim and I are saying is that I have witnessed "groups" to be a huge contributing factor. The first B.R.A.G. event claimed 9 of the 60 bikes, Deal's Gap, et al. B.R.A.G. can't and shouldn't be responsible. Each of us is ultimately responsible for our own actions. I've just become much a wimp in terms of street riding as I continue to loose friends and acquaintances claimed by their "hobby". Just thoughts.....most of all I feel very sorry for the family and their loss. Court Two Honda Motor Co. employees were killed Wednesday afternoon evaluating a motorcycle prototype, the company said Thursday. The accident occurred about 2 p.m. at the Willow Springs Raceway near Rosamond in Kern County. It was still unclear Thursday exactly how the accident occurred. Authorities are investigating. Honda spokesman Peter terHorst identified the men as Dirk R. Vandenberg, 48, of Mission Viejo, who was the manager of product evaluation, and Josef Boyd, 49, a Redondo Beach engineer. One man was making a routine test run of the vehicle when he lost control and struck the other man, who was photographing the test, terHorst said. Both were taken to Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, where they later died. Company officials said they could not yet confirm who was riding the prototype and who was taking photographs. Honda employees perform similar tests at least three times a month, terHorst said. Torrance-based Honda and the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration have opened investigations. "There's still a lot of chaos around the situation," said Cal/OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer. He said Honda and Cal/OSHA will examine training records and the protocol for vehicle testing and interview witnesses to determine the cause of the accident. "Honda is going to be looking at the prototypes very closely to see if there are any mechanical issues," Fryer said. "At this point, it's very early to start putting the pieces together." Honda colleagues described the men as avid motorcycle enthusiasts and highly experienced riders. Boyd was known around the office as "G.O. Joe," after one of the company's motorcycle models. Vandenberg owned a collection of at least 10 motorcycles. "They had at least 100,000 miles of riding time each [and] were very competent and qualified," said co-worker Mike Spencer. "I'm sure it was just a complete freak accident." Vandenberg's love of motorcycles had taken him from a Michigan motorcycle dealership to a development position in Torrance. He came to Honda 21 years ago and worked his way up from the service department, co-workers said. "It was a passion," said Jessie Carrera, an administrative assistant at Honda. "Dirk was a true expert." Vandenberg frequently spent vacations outdoors with his wife, Donna, and sons, Andrew, 16, and Nick, 9. "He was always a fun-loving, outgoing individual who enjoyed jet-skiing and go-carting and water-skiing. Anything that had an engine on it interested Dirk," said Spencer. "They'll be greatly missed." Said terHorst: "It's a terrible tragedy for everyone in the company. It's a very unusual situation when people are injured during testing." | ||
| Ferris |
Ghost, talking about it in public at the corporate level is a quite a slippery slope for Buell/Harley-Davidson, of that there is no doubt. one can be sure that B/H-D is talking about this weekend's incidents behind closed doors (and the "outcome" of these talks could be far-reaching), but they must be careful what they say in public, print, etc., not to "hide" anything, but mindful of liability, public perception, potential litigation, etc. like i said, if you're as big as Buell and Harley is, you gotta cover your ass. but i do agree that talking about, and learning from, tragedy like this is a good thing, and we are especially lucky to have this forum at a time like this. best, FB | ||
| Ferris |
yep, we are all at risk. Court, someday i hope to be lucky enough to put together another group ride that YOU participate in.  your bud, FB | ||
| Mikej |
Corporate prudence states one should remain silent. Not talking about something is not the same as denying it happened. The time to talk about it is at the rider's meeting before each ride, and to maybe include a clause in the advertising sign-up sheet for the ride about riding responsibly and obeying traffic laws and riding your own ride. I was not there and can only base an opinion on what I've read, and based solely on that both of these accidents could have been avoided. Actions have consequences, often beyond ourselves. I am saddened by what happened, it should not have happened, but it did happen. For those of us still alive, live and learn, for those not, rest in peace. I wonder what the group with the trailer are talking about today since it appears they were also riders. As far as Ferris' concerns that this may have far reaching effect, he may be correct. It may very well be that Buell sponsored events are limited to gatherings and BattleTrax on a closed controlled track, and possibly to track school days. It may very well be that Buell sponsored group rides will continue, or may be run under a very strict "break no laws" format, it may all depend on the eventual outcome of these crashes once all is said and done. Many people have said openly on this and other forums that they will not go on _any_ H.O.G. runs due to a variety of reasons, but mostly related to lack of control by riders in group formation. The bottom line is this: The road is for riding, the track is for racing. If you're racing then get the hell off the public roads and onto a track. There is spirited riding and there is stupid riding. Choose to be smart. The life you save may be your own, or the person's in front of or behind you, or the person in the oncoming lane or the ones walking down the shoulder of the roadways. There are too many uncontrolled variables on public roadways, ride for the conditions, ride smart. I've almost posted several times on this thread, and deleted a few near-posts as well, I did post on another crash thread. Crashing sucks. This is all I will say on this thread. The road is for riding, the track is for racing. 'nuff said. bye. | ||
| Jim_witt |
Al mentioned: ...... 191 is an amazing road, I can say I've never been on a road with more turns. After a while, I was hoping for a short straight so I could rest a little. But NOOOOOO, curve after curve after curve ...... Al, Cool …… that's like exactly what I wanted to hear from someone about the Arizona Torque Fest! Route 191 (AKA Route 666) is totally freaking awesome, seldom used and few even know about it to boot! I got the feeling that no one here believed me about the 460 plus turns on the Coronado Trail. BTW, you might not believe it but I’ve ridden it hundreds of times in the last 35 years or so and I’ve never seen another car, motorcycle or cop on Route 666. I usually camp around the outrageous Hannigan Meadow area. So your Chosa’s experience wasn’t a good one. Just think, it’s the only good Buell dealership we have in Arizona and we have to live with it! Tired to hook up with you on Monday but couldn’t swing it. Glad you guys liked the room too … they indeed are sweet pups! Hopefully they'll have another event next year and this time I'll have a place for you all to stay up in Pine. -JW:>  | ||
| Al_lighton |
Jim, I WILL be back on 191 again. It is very worth repeating, again and again. Reindog (aka Forger) didn't get to go on this trip, so I have an excuse to go back and drag him along. The Chosa's folks were very nice, and I would have like nothing else but to have written glowing praise of them rescuing my situation. But the fact is, they didn't perform the first time and it almost stranded me in the middle of nowhere, and I have a small scratch in my primary cover from the shifter gouging it after it coming loose. Mistakes happen, I make a LOT of 'em as a mechanic. But I expect better from people getting paid for it. | ||
| Jim_witt |
Ferris, I agree with you that these types of events can be made “much safer” but even “if” they are, I won’t participate in the ridding. What one individuals skills and perception of carving up some turns is, another sees it as outrageously reckless. Again, some absolutely see nothing wrong with a couple of beers at a stop, maybe even a few tokes, while others see it as totally ill responsible. Carving up the landscape in unknown territory, after rains, with rocks and sand is bad enough in small groups let alone large ones. BTW, I’m NOT knocking the events whatsoever but they aren’t organized properly from a ridding and carving safety aspect. That being the case, you won’t find me participating. -JW:> | ||
| Court |
My favorite 666 is from Gallup to Shiprock...yet to meet a 666 I don't like. To date, I have sen no mention of the homemade ice cream in Prescott. Why ride Arizona if you miss the ice cream? It's like going to Tucson and missing Lemon Mountain homemade pie? Gotta go....I'm getting hungry. | ||
| Mikej |
Apart from the crashes, it does sound and look like a nice region to ride in down around there. | ||
| Reindog |
I'm kinda glad (read REAL GLAD) I didn't go on this one even though I was bummed all weekend in not having gone. I rode to work today and all I could think about was Daryl. It is really sad. Hopefully, I'll get to meet some of you next year on the 666, for a safe and sane twisty ride. Even though I earned the name Forger on the FourPlay ride to SPLASH this summer, most riders will tend to see me in their rear views. I'll be watching for approaching maniacs in MY rear views. | ||
| Bomber |
it's a flat out, throw down GORGEOUS place to ride, Mike . . . . .. . it was one of two things that made being stationed in Az (long ago) during my waning days as a uniformed minion of the federal governement livable . . . . . edited by bomber on October 07, 2003 | ||
| Thad |
Al, It is Thad.  | ||
| Bluzm2 |
All, I wasn't going to mention my experience from this last Sunday evening as I'm still a bit rattled by the whole thing. But after deciding to ead the Torque Fest thread and all the above incidents I need to get it off my chest. This has been a bad weekend everywhere for motorcyclists. On Sunday evening around 8:30 I was driving home with my wife and daughter. As we came around a semi blind left hand curve on an entrance ramp, traffic came to a very sudden halt. Normally ramp speed is 45-55 Mph, I was very concerned about getting rear ended. As we slowly drove by the traffic problem I saw a man laying in the middle of the road with a couple of folks bent over hima and a bunch more milling around. It was then I noticed (it was quite dark out and poor lighting) the wadded up HD Roadking imbedded in the outside guard rail. I told my wife I had to stop to help. As I approched the rider, he was thrashing about and trying to sit up. A quick glance at his condition said getting up was a VERY bad idea. One person was pushing hard on his chest to keep him down, another was immobilizing his left leg. His right femur was obviously brokend in half at the mid point. I got his name and started talking to him. I told him I too was a rider and I wasn't going to BS him. I told him he was really busted up and we needed HIS help. I was totally honest with him, I told him he had broken both legs, his left arm, a couple of ribs, his left shoulder was dislocated and he had some nasty lacerations on his head. I told him we would stay till help arrived and help him anyway we could but he needed to stop fighting and let us take care of him. He immedately stopped fighting. Funny how the truth works some times. His passenger was amazingly enough walking around realitivly unscathed save for a very broken wrist and on the phone to 911. She also talked to someone else a bit later in a very angry tone, As I was stabilizing his leg, a person came up and told the events leading up to the accident. Turns out he was run off the road by a white pickup. The pickup was owned by the person the passenger was yelling at on the phone. The pickup was driven by the cycle passengers ex-boyfriend. About this time a car flys by in the inside lane only about 2 feet from us at about 50MPH !!!! I yelled at some of the gwakers to go stop traffic so no one else got hurt. A few minutes later a patrol car arrived and takes over traffic duty after seeing that we were handling things pretty well. Another minute or so and the EMT's arrive. It took 5 of us to help get Scott on the backboard an into the pressure pants. I got some antimicrobial wipes from the EMT's and started cleaning up. Within 30 seconds after strapping him to the gurney, they were gone to the trauma center. Needless to say, the rest of the drive home was very quiet. When I arrived home, I looked at my pants and shirt and felt almost sick. I went to the laundry room, stripped and threw everything in the washing machine. I then sat down and cried. I have tried to find out what happened to this guy but the ER and hospital won't tell me anything. There has been no mention of the incident in any of the local media. If it had been a road rage against another car it would have been all over the news. This was attempted murder!! Sorry for the long post but I needed to vent... Brad | ||
| Al_lighton |
Thanks, Thad, thought so....I'm so bad with names, and feared I might have gotten your name mixed up with another Az local. Good riding with you, I hope your return trip down 87 was more uneventful than mine, since I got to see yet another motorcycle fatality that day. Victor, I didn't hear about your return trip after we separated....did the loop to the grand canyon turn out like you'd planned, and did you make it to Flagstaff or the border that night? If you could be so kind as to throw the pics from the trip, plus the Cali ride pics from last year, onto a CDR, I'll do the same. I'll send you an email with address, reply with yours. You got WAY more pics than me, my camera is a POS. I've got Reindog's Cali ride pics to that I can throw on the CD too. Brad, Bummer story. Someone is going to jail for sure. Ya know, the stator thing and the breakdown on the way and all that, it's of no matter to me, it just goes with the territory. Adversity of that type on the road is the stuff stories are made of. I don't go hunting for it, and in fact do all the preparation I can to prevent it and to be equipped for it if it does. But if/when it happens, you deal with it and make lemonade from lemons. If it wasn't my bike that everyone was hovering over fixing on Friday night, it would be another, Buellers are in their element when such things happen. But injury/death is beyond all that. There is no lemonade there. I can't shake the images, and hope that I can still enjoy the sport. I've never seen anyone as they die before. Be safe, everyone. I'm planning on going to Oktoberfast this weekend, and I can't bear any more bad news before another group ride. Thankfully, no one puts on a safer ride than Ferris. Al | ||
| Darthane |
Just noticed this thread. My thoughts and prayers are with all involved. This has beena bad month all around for the Buellers. I learned my lesson (one of them, more to come, of course) the hard way at Deal's Gap last year. I'm more conscientious of not only myself and any passenger I may have but also my surroundings because of it. I was lucky enough to go down in the morning with no one else around and walk away from it relatively unscathed. This past summer on the NE Tour I had a great time tearing around, but continually reminded myself to slow down and not try to hot dog just to keep up with someone or show the people behind me a good time. Did I go as fast as I could have all the time? No. Did I have an incredibly good time riding around? Of course. It is possible to ride hard, safe, and have a great time. Know your limits, and ride to them if possible, but it's never a bad idea to leave yourself a buffer. Like Court said, there's too much luck and chance involved, good and bad, to rely on skill alone. Bryan | ||
| Bigj |
F.: My heart was in my throat when I heard the name of the rider on Saturday. I was concerned it was Sparky, too. This Torquefest story has made me incredibly sad. It sounds as if these wrecks really didn't have to happen. | ||
| Viros |
Al, I did loop the Grand Canyon then took off and arrived in Laughlin a little after 9pm. It was a good 12 hour day off riding for me. Also the weather kept cool so I have enough tire to do this weekends Octoberfast so we can exchange CD's there if you like. It sure sucks that all the beautiful sights I saw will be over shadowed by the image I have in my head of Daryl lying there dead. I’ve never witness death before and being one of the first on the scene I already assumed the worst. CJ and the other people who tried to save him deserve a lot of credit, what they did was real brave.I’ve never felt so helpless in my life and knew that being close up to Daryl would be something to traumatic for me to handle. I hope that none of us ever have to witness anything like this. | ||
| Ferris |
something good is happening from all of this. each of us, especially those who were on-scene, will carry something from these terrible events the next time we ride. and the time after that. and the time after that. it's so corny to say, but if we, the collective we, are better riders from here on out because of what happened this weekend in Arizona, then something positive has happened amongst all the negative. Al, your "safe ride" comment above is good for my soul, and i thank you more than you know. please ride safe, and smart, fellow Hooligans. Denise and i are looking forward to having some like-minded company this weekend. FB |
