The worst is sometimes the best

[FifthGear]

Thanks for the new catagory. I hope people will share their stories even if they are as dull as mine.


When planning a trip, all one can do is hope for good weather and riding conditions. It doesn't always turn out the way you'd like though. In 2000, my wife and I planned a trip to the Republic Of Texas Bike Rally in Austin Texas. I scheduled a week off from work for the rally and for some touring afterwards. The day finally arrived for our departure. With three other couples in our group, we headed out for the short 200 mile ride to the rally. We were about 30 miles into our ride when we saw the pitch black clouds that we were heading straight for. It wasn't long before we broke out the rain gear and continued on. Now, the rain couldn't spoil the anticipation of a good time at the rally and a full week of riding fun ahead of us. With the normal dry weather of the Texas hill country and nearly a week to go, one would expect to have at least a few pleasant weather riding days. Wrong! It poured rain every day the whole week. We almost got used to it and our rainsuits became a part of us. Everywhere we stopped we would hear " This much rain is not normal for this area". Alot of good that did us. But we made the best of it and actually had a pretty good time. I sometimes think that trips like these are the ones that we like to remember and talk about the most, even though the conditions were the worst. I say "go for it". When you get old and are sitting in your rocking chair, the good times you will remember the most will be some of the toughest.

[soeastbiker]

Thinking on how quick trips uptown, are even quicker on your bike, I decide to go to the local Post Office and back before it closes. I'm wearing my blue flamed lounge pants(P.J.’s) tucked into my boots...aint no one gonna see me right?....I’m gonna ride the bike(FXLR) and make a quick little jaunt up to the post office to do a favor for someone and pick up a package....said he needed it today asap..... ok, no big dea I’ll get the bike out. Dangit! I locked the keys to the garage inside it...freakin’ Einstein, in a hurry….oh well I will deal with that later,Post Office closes at noon. I rode thru a light rain into town to the post office Unbelieveable, I found a parking place right in front of the door,yahoooo!! The package was marked fragile and just would fit in the saddlebags turned corner to corner and I couldnt close the flap. Now these are very tight,small town blocks, about 100 ft per shot.I take off again, hang a right onto an ancient street that was made of bricks in 18 hundred-and-god-knows when. The rear tire breaks traction and I do a killer slide on the damp uneven bricks like a flat-tracker and dont even loose the package!! I recover nicely getting a nice hand fulla throttle, just before a mini van runs me down.They’re not even able to react. The added momentum is unwanted as I come up on the hidden stop sign. Brakes grab.I lock em up w/o even trying and slide right thru the intersection(its a "T") but, I intended to turn right...go sliding between two parked cars at the “T” (sweet!) I realize I am no longer in control...let off the brakes.. lean left...pulled in the clutch, revvved up the motor cuz she wants to sputter,(of course she does!!) dump the clutch, and gas on it and I go around the front of the first car,and loop left back into the street headed the right direction!! Imagine that!! I still have the package too!! At the stop sign I see a van is approaching the railroad tracks but I have time to make it... with another little small slide over the bricks into the intersection, Im off and rolling.I hit 2nd gear and gas on it a bit....railroad tracks comin up...pull in clutch and coast.. let my hand off the throttle and hold onto package...it stays intact crossing the tracks..I let out the clutch and ease onto the throttle and hit 3rd and my clear lenses are so wet that I cant see very good and I end up trying to turn a block too soon..realize my mistake...a little compact ford coming at me...check package,yep, still there, down shift to 1st ...compact turns left in front of me...its cool (for once!) cuz Im at about 4 mph...couldve been worse!! I get up to the next block, road is clear, and dry(danged weird assed Florida weather) groovy....I make the turn and a pick up truck thinks he's about to hit me...locks up his brakes and goes sliding off the road blowing his horn,,,, Im thinkin, whats yer problem bubba? Maybe you wanna swap rides with me for a minute? ,,, you'll do more than blow yer horn!!! I roll on and all is well...I get to my destination... imbred rednecks in their yard...but, I ve never met a stranger, heh heh ...they wanna buy their mower....I laugh my nutsack off and give them their phone number and wave bye bye...rednecks are puzzled at the way I look and act, beard dripping wet and all…. they split post haste.I take the package inside come back out to the garage… sure enough, no gremlins or gnomes came by and unlocked the garage for me. I unscrew door handle latches ...damn good idea to leave that screwdriver stabbed in the ground by the garbage can....secure bike my ass!.....oh man, do I have ta whiz...raining harder now...c'mon and bring it God, I can take it!! Park bike... woooosh!!! Ahhhhhhhh damn good whiz….relief.....'bout made water come to my eyes. Closing the garage door I see an old woman
Across the street laughing,trying to catch her breath....some people think the weirdest things are funny.

[Karl Scott]

Funny chit soeast!

[fourhour]

Damn and no camera!ennis

[soeastbiker]

Yeah, it was a wild little 15 minute trip and definitely had a few "kodak" moments. I look back on it and think about all of my teenage dirt bike riding,and then into later years of being stupid and half bulletproof with some of the antics I was lucky enough to survive to be able to have those kinds of almost involuntary reactions and reflexes to once again keep the rubber side down behind my haste. It could've been worse we all know that.These days I try to leave the "idiot" variables out of of the equation but, you have these days when stuff just wont go right!!