One Perfect morning

creative words or images - your own or by others - that express for you the feeling of motorcycling
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redpaso
paso grand pooh-bah
Posts: 654
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:00 am
model: 906 Paso
year: 1989
Location: Land of OZ (traylia that is) Troy Bayliss Country

One Perfect morning

Post by redpaso »

I was on my way to work the other day, beautiful crisp autumn morning, sun shining, birds chirping & I was stuck in the car. That was not a great problem as I was accompanied by three of my beautiful daughters as I conveyed them to School rather than have them catch the bus that they always say smells of old apples. We were having a laugh & listening to some good music on the radio but still my mind was wandering to the world outside the car, it was glorious & I wanted to be on the Paso so bad I could almost feel my helmet pressing against my cheeks & imagined the V-Twin rumble through my body. Alas, I was here in the car, in body at least. I dropped the girls at school saying “Enjoy the day; it is another perfect one in Paradise”.

Alone in the car for the last 5km of the journey before commencing another working week. Oh how I wish I was on the Paso! Change the radio to my favourite station (girls are not into blues this early in the morning) & head off.

I stop at the intersection to turn back on the main drag & as I look across the intersection something is not right. It takes a few seconds to register the bike laying on the road, a middle aged man struggling to pick it up & move it out of the way. As I scan the scene I observe the rider laying on the Median strip, he is not moving & there is a lady frantically trying to remove his helmet. There are 2 cars parked off the side of the road & the remainder of the traffic continues on its way around the scene. Wait! I know that bike! Scan back to the rider, I know that helmet! The rider is moving & is now removing the helmet himself. (sigh of relief) I know that rider. A mate, he works in the same building but for a different firm. Commutes his 5 km to work on his Jap Superbike daily, same route same time. I drive across the intersection & park. I hurry over to him looking to assess what had happened. The other parked cars are not damaged, has it been a hit & run?
“Mate are you all right?” (a really stupid question in these situations but I can’t think of anything more appropriate.) It was obvious he had been winded & was a bit bewildered but he replied that his ankle was sore but other than that he felt OK.
“How bad is my bike?” that was naturally his big concern as it is with any passionate motorcyclist.
“ I hope you are insured” I replied “What happened?”
“Don’t know I just came round the corner & she kicked me off, is there any oil on the road just there?” He pointed to the road approximately a metre before the obvious signs of metal & plastic etching themselves with force onto a bitumen road. I looked, “No mate, there’s nothing there”
“Stuffed if I know must have just been cold tyres; I did not gun it or anything. The Bike felt fine.” It certainly did not look that way now as I watched it being wheeled off the road, it had hit the “Keep left” sign & that has really messed up the fuel tank. “Nothing hit you?” It was obvious from the bike that it had not been hit but I just had to ask.
“No there was nothing in sight.”

The Ambulance arrived the same time as the Police & his wife. He stated he was Ok but they carted him off to hospital just to make sure & to check the ankle.
“Can you let work know & tell them I will call soon?”
“Sure no problem” I replied. The bike was safe in the yard of the business on the corner, I checked that it was Ok to leave it there for now & they are happy to keep it safe till he can retrieve it.

As I climbed back into the car I glanced back at the road, “no nothing there” I said to myself. Makes you realise just how close to the edge we are sometimes & we don’t even know it. Even on a perfect day with no warning signs our life can change & there is nothing we can do about it! Still I would rather be out there on the Paso!
Redpaso
"My favourite peice of Ballet is a long sweeping corner"
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Skins
paso grand pooh-bah
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Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:00 am
model: 750 Paso
year: 1988
Location: Kapiti, New Zealand

Post by Skins »

Sure, mate. Me too.

Still, it's not a bad thing to read a story like that now and again. Thanks.
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fasterdammit
paso grand pooh-bah
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Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:00 am
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Post by fasterdammit »

Well that didn't end how I was expecting it to ... but then again, your mate's ride didn't end the way he expected it to, either. Good writing, good experience to pass along Red ... hope your bud is ok & the bike isn't too far gone.

And isn't it odd how ... even an experience that was that close to you - having just missed it, having it happen to a friend, on a day when you'd been thinking about riding - it still doesn't change anything. We'd still rather be on two wheels ourselves ... go figure ...
Just because you're not dead doesn't necessarily mean you're living, either.
1988 Paso 750 #753965
1997 Monster 750
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redpaso
paso grand pooh-bah
Posts: 654
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:00 am
model: 906 Paso
year: 1989
Location: Land of OZ (traylia that is) Troy Bayliss Country

Post by redpaso »

Thanks guys. My mate actually came out of it a bit worse than he expected. His ankle is pretty messed up & he will be on crutches for a few weeks. His back is one big black bruise, & really sore ribs where he slid into the gutter. The bike was lucky that it fell on the non-pipe side but will need new tank, pegs, bars, & fairing so his insurance has finally paid off. he can't wait to get back :thumbup: out there
Redpaso
"My favourite peice of Ballet is a long sweeping corner"
wiggs

Post by wiggs »

reading that reminds me of the 1st time i saw a rattle snake in the wild. glad i did and hope i don't see another. glad your bud is not too badly damaged. these stories are the kind we don't really enjoy reading but then again a reminder isn't a bad thing.
ride safe everyone,let's keep this group active.
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