Survived around 7-8 years of high speed scoot craziness. The few times the bike went down or I hit something were low speed mishaps. 116 is not near the top end of fast bikes. I was bike mechanic in the 70s during that time. Customers were 90% crazy kids. I’d get a “engine seems to start missing at around 120...”. This was after I had worked on it and they wanted me to take it out and check it for them. I refused to. I would check it the best I could with diagnostic tools at my disposal but my shop didn’t have a dyno.
My own bikes were a different matter. I’d take it out when traffic was light. Lets say 6am on a weekend and push it up to whatever it would give me. Not too bad with near zero traffic.
I scared myself a few times and realized that as long as I rode those things I would tend to push it. So I sold my last bike around 77 and bought a fishing boat. Much more relaxing.
When my kids got the bug, I told them I’d break their legs and save them the trouble doing it on a bike. Then I told them horror stories that one tends to hear about in the bike industry. Perhaps they should have learned on their own like I did.
I had the pleasure of pumping a teen’s chest to keep him alive after he flew around me and t-boned the car in front making a LEGAL left turn.
You don’t pay too much attention to the wrecks listed in the paper till something like this happens. After this I noticed lots of deaths by motorcycle in the paper.
I’ve had too many family members injured or killed by motorcycles.
When the mid-life-crisis hit the plant I worked at many of the men bought Harleys. They tried to get me to do so but I refused. Even back during the EASY RIDER days I had no desire for a motorcycle.
My neighbor (State Trooper) told me at his last post was came up on a bike accident one day. Said this stretch of road was known as a thrill ride for the crotch rockets. Big sweeping curve with long straight away before it. The thrill was to see how fast you could take the curve.
Anyhow this biker lost it on the curve, went airborne and hit a post holding the guardrail. He was disemboweled. Said it gutted him like a fish.
A friend of mine (who was also an ardent motorcycle rider) witnessed a fatal motorcycle accident in FL. Said the other rider lost control & hit a high curb at a high rate of speed. The impact launched the rider OVER a power line. Needless to say, he did not survive. My friend was never the same, afterward. Turned to other stuff (drugs & alcohol) for “thrills” (my word) and ended up permanently institutionalized.
Me too
My folks wouldn’t allow it
First semester Ole Miss in 76 I had a 74 H2 with smoothbores and three in one denco and three in three hookers when I wanted to be artillery loud..lol
Second in 79 was a NIB. Suzuki GS 1100RS WITH KUNIS AND HANDBLOWN YOSHI ETC...10.2 bike and 175 top end...road racing slick
Last rideable bike was my GPZ1100 triple bored out to 1264 and all the gear and nitrous.....rand low 9s with right guy and about 190 topped out
Best toy bike was an XR750 I wish I’d kept...squirrelly is thy name but what a torque beast ...I thought I was King Kenny on it
Had a couple of BMW flat twins and loads of dirt bikes....still do...KTM TWO STROKE BABY!
My insurance won’t allow bikes now.
My oldest boy aged 16 wanted that KTM four stroke 390 Ducati looking thing called the Duke for high school
I told him no way jack....u get killed I’d have to bury yer mommy right along with you....and u gonna wreck
I have had my share and pins in me to prove it ....several of my pards died on bikes...it’s just how it goes and I had bikes as primary mode all of college..even for dates...me at ole miss with my KD or DDD or Chi Omega hotness on the back going to the Gin....hell yeah..cops were nicer then about that
Anyhow I shared with him a tragedy from 1973 when a friend went out after school and hung out and smoked some bong hits with all of us and hopped on his Kawasaki KZ350 two stroke street rocket and on the way home crested a hill at high speed right into a steel bed garbage truck that pulled in from of him with doing about 75
One of our buddies dad a neurosurgeon was first on scene and he was still alive and whispered to the doc “tell me momma I’m so sorry ....”
And that was it..gone forever at 15...a long time ago now but I ain’t forgot..it shook all us with him that afternoon but good
Nope no motorcycles for teenagers....
As for the tough talkers here....I doubt they are up for much in the real world if you get my drift....anyone who has lived doesn’t talk that sort of smack..dead giveaway ...never busted a grape