Stupidest thing and Smartest thing You've done on a Motorcycle

[Bob_M]

Other than participating in this forum (which could be put into either catagory)

The Stupidest thing I have ever done on a motorcycle was about 25 years ago when I was touring Mexico on a honda XL 350. You remember the ones with the silver tanks and the genuine magnesium cases. I was a young man, in the Yucatan in leisure "hamock" mode at a cenote, which is a sink hole that had filled back up with water, to make a deep, clear swimming hole surrounded by tropical jungle. An American came by to offer me "magic" mushrooms. I bought some. The next day inflated with the giddy confidence and invunerability induced by the "hongos" I passes a chain of cars, and the carbon belching truck that had backed them up on the right on the gravel shoulder. This was so stupid in so many ways that I am lucky to be able to tell about it.

On the same trip I was rolling down the road on a very rural 2 lane road (with limited shoulders). In the oncomming lane a bus had stopped, and was no obstruction to me, but a bell went off. I dropped anchor and braked hard. I stopped at the rear bumper of the bus just as a peasant woman stepped in front of me. Damn! Sometimes the angles whisper softly.

[knary]

Don't know about THE smartest or stupidest moments, but here are a couple smart and stupid ones...

Smart: In dense but fast moving traffic following a truck. For some reason I was riding in the middle of the lane. A little whisper in my head of something I used to tell students in the MSF, "What can a truck or car do that you can't? They can straddle an object on the road." I then moved over to the left side of the lane, in line with the rear wheel of the truck, just in time to miss a full size car tire.


Stupid: I got lost in the South central mountains of Utah with insufficient water, food, fuel or maps. But that's a longer story. :D

[Belg]

Smart: In dense but fast moving traffic following a truck. For some reason I was riding in the middle of the lane. A little whisper in my head of something I used to tell students in the MSF, "What can a truck or car do that you can't? They can straddle an object on the road." I then moved over to the left side of the lane, in line with the rear wheel of the truck, just in time to miss a full size car tire.


And this is why talking to other riders is a good thing. I never consciously considerred this... Yes, I am almost always left-side behind the car tires, but thats because of oil buildup road-center. My personal favorite: "Stay off the paint!"

Smartest... one night leaving my friends house, I had kept it down to one beer.... 4-5 less than normal... stopped to check my tire pressure on the way home, got finicky about it and corrrected the 1-lb difference. Rode relatviely easy (20-over) down the dark, country road. Braked enough to only hit the deer at around 25-30 instead of 75. Deer decided to double-back and walk into my left side turn signal lights. Bike shook like hell but stayed upright.

That, and just about any time I was on a bike and the logging truck came barrelling around the blind corner leaving 2 feet between his left door and the right shoulder. Motorcycles save lives, I tell ya...


Dumbest... I'm not sure which one qualifies. But all of the "dumbest" stories involve quantities of long island iced tea as a precursor... so what's that tell ya? Glad I made it long enough to grow out of it.

[knary]

And this is why talking to other riders is a good thing. I never consciously considerred this... Yes, I am almost always left-side behind the car tires, but thats because of oil buildup road-center.

FWIW, I never worry about any grease in the middle of the road except where vehicles stop - toll booths, intersections, etc. These days and in this neck of the woods, I'm more aware of the moss on the less traveled roads.

[Belg]

FWIW, I never worry about any grease in the middle of the road except where vehicles stop - toll booths, intersections, etc.

Given the fact that I commute in on I-66 in No. VA, that "where vehicles stop" part is about 40 miles long :\

[Callmethebreeze]

Given the fact that I commute in on I-66 in No. VA, that "where vehicles stop" part is about 40 miles long :\


Is there an HOVcarpool lane? If not, that would not be a fun commute especially in the summer.

Breeze

[BubbaZanetti]

i'm still young, so i get to be stupid for a few more years.........


lets see.........doing 140 on the S this summer and riding it down a sidewalk to avoid a traffic backup probably qualify..........


smartest, devising a way to carry 3 bundles of firewood on the airhead in the redwoods last fall........(at least it was "crafty")

[redhot]

This is sooo silly!!!

The dumbest thing I did - last fall - I had bought my first ever motorcycle - BMW - Rode it back and forth to work a couple of times (about 10 miles) just to get used to it. Feeling a little daring - thought I'd take it at lunch and run through the drive through. Pulled up to the window - BIKE IN GEAR - Had three things going on in my head - take the money out, grab the food and take my hand off the break not the clutch!!! Guess which one I did first - Popped the clutch - startled me and over I went IN THE DRIVETHRU!!! Very humiliating!!! So bad - the guy in the pickup truck behind me - dressed in very nice office clothes - had to get out of his truck to help me lift it!!! :banghead

Smartest thing I've ever done - Took the ERC class in Lima and spent about 15 minutes with Skert - learning how to properly pick up a bike!!!! :clap

[PacWestGS]

Let’s see, I'm still thinking... Trust me the list is long and distinguished, so would be the accolades for things done right.

Top of the Stupidest List: “Drinking and the Bike” (Interesting Thread, by the way for you newer members)

Top of the Smartest List: Sold that 150-MPH street missile, while I was still alive and was insurable. It just wasn’t the same fun as it had been in Germany. Can’t imagine why? We don’t have Autobahns here, and at the time the nationally regulated speed limit was 55.

Number two on the Smart List: I’ve always worn a helmet.

Number two on the Stupid List: Failing to observe proper scrubbing in procedures for a second new front tire in two weeks. (First one had a sidewall defect, so I took it back for a new one) 25-miles later, I was picking myself up in an intersection surrounded by cars and people. At least my Rolex was OK.

[knary]

Stupid: forgetting to deploy the sidestand before trying to lean the bike over on to it. :ha Once was enough to teach me.


Smart: Eating tiny morsels while riding. I fill a pocket with what ever is small enough to slip to my mouth while riding and wearing a full face helmet but big enough to grab with a gloved hand. I then do my best to pace the consumption of the goodies (e.g. Mike and Ikes). Eating them slowly, especially after a meal, helps keep my blood sugar even, holds off sleepiness, and gives me something else to do when bombing down the interstate.

[BradfordBenn]

Stupid:

Riding with a group before I was ready. Ended up riding too fast for level of profeciency. No injuries just lots of cold sweat.

Smartest:
Stopping after 40 miles cause I was not feeling awake. It was day two in a three day trip....

[Hodag]

stupidest:
drunk at night on a crotch rocket seeing how fast I could go wearing only shorts and sandles.

smartest:
getting married and having kids

[Visian]

Stupid:

Riding into a garbage dump in the middle of the night in the pouring rain.

Smartest:

Taking the Back Way to Bike Week. (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5500)

Ian

[BMWBeauty]

Stupid: Is Under The Thread "Drinking And Riding"

Smartest: Buying My Own Bike, Taking The MSF Course In April Of This Year
Obtaining My Endorsement, And Learning To Ride My Bike... :thumb
2nd Smartest : Marrying Someone Whose Passion For Motorcycling Matches Mine.... :love

[PacWestGS]

smartest:
getting married and having kids

You got some kinda Lady, you got married and created kids on a bike. I've heard those LTs are big, but I didn't think they were that BIG. HEhehehehehe :bolt

[Callmethebreeze]

Mark,
You got married and had your kids on the bike? Wow, that's hard core.

The stupidest thing that I've ever done on a bike was try to have face to face carnal knowldge of a young woman while riding slowly through the Mineral King State Forest at night.

smartest: deciding to ride year round, come hell or water.


breeze

[dbrick]

Stupidest #1:
Out of desperation for some male bonding, riding while I had the flu. Riding with impaired equilibrium is not a Good Idea, and I was appropriately rewarded.

Stupidest #2:
Riding with a too-fast group. I never crashed, and this lesson had to be presented many times before I caught on.

Smartest:
ATGATT. (Most of it, anyway...sometimes I omit the armored riding pants)

[djw]

Stupid: forgetting to deploy the sidestand before trying to lean the bike over on to it. :ha Once was enough to teach me.

I wish once was enough. First time was at the starting line of a 24 hr rally.

Smartest? Got on a motorcycle to begin with.

Don

[Hodag]

all right the getting married and having kids on the bike may have stretched it a little, didn't actually have them "ON" the bike, but made me a smarter rider.

the bike was the "something blue" for the wedding however.

[basketcase]

Stupid = rode once at interstate speeds from Chattanooga to Nashville in a torrential rain, visibility maybe ... 25 yards. On the upside of that, my Roadcrafter did keep me mostly dry...

Smartest = jumped straight up and off the bike before T-boning a car that pulled in front of me in 1970. I thus flew over the cage and landed on the pavement 30+ feet away, instead of body-slamming the cage at speed.

I was wearing a helmet, remained conscious, and subsequently was able to roll out of the way when the ambulance nearly ran over me as it parked. The idiot driver was looking back at the mangled mess instead of where he was driving.

[PacWestGS]

Smartest = jumped straight up and off the bike before T-boning a car that pulled in front of me in 1970. I thus flew over the cage and landed on the pavement 30+ feet away, instead of body-slamming the cage at speed.


I'm glad to hear someone else think that way, good for ya Rick.

Speed doesn't kill - It's the sudden stop that does.

I remind myself of that always: jump high, jump hard, jump to clear the obstacles and jump at the right time.

You must have been a dirt biker, and knew that sliding to a stop was less harmful than wadding yourself up.

[Rich]

Stupidest - Joining a group of Harley riders on a poker run and consuming a 12 pack of beer along the way. (Long ago, thank god) My wife has never let me forget that one, she retrieved me from the bar. God bless her.

Smartest - Heading to Spokane, in western Mt. I was following a semi a little too close, due to increased traffic, not feeling right about the situation, backed off just in time to miss a deer carcass laying right in my lane. It made me shudder.

[RedBeemer]

One of the most lame brained stunts of years past, riding WFO across the wilds of New Mexico...know what an arroyo is? Talk about doing a stoppie on the far bank. :banghead

Best item was going to the BMW brand :german

[Vuulfie]

Stupidest? ...let me count the ways...

Stupid #1: Failing to deploy the sidestand in front of the house. Guilty, your honor. Damn, I hope the neighbors didn't see that.

Stupid #2: Getting a little overconfident riding over Pigeon Pass into Livermore and barely missing a guardrail and a 50 ft. plunge on a fairly easy left hander that got out of hand. Fortunately, my bike is smarter than I am and she pulled me right through without missing a beat. Whew!

Stupid #3:...ok that's enough for today! :hide

[lorazepam]

Stupid: Lots of these, but passing a truck on 135 in Indiana ranks up there.

Smartest: ATGATT

[PacWestGS]

Stupids' # 3 and 4:

Stupid: Introducing my wife to motorcycling (pillion) for the first real trip and not having a 'Guaranteed' room reservation on the other side of the mountains’. Thirteen-hours, (eleven of them in the saddle), and we were back home, tired, hungry and pissed off, well she was, I was just tired and hungry. How was I supposed to know that Fire-fighters were using all the available rooms to put out a forest fire? Tacoma to Wenatchee over (2), up to Winthrop and back over on (20) back to (I-5) and home. I was planning to stay in Lake Chelan. What was I thinking? (The SS Minnow, a three hour cruise, yeah right)

It took me almost a year and several short trips to get her back on. I think the Spokane Rally and Rocky Mayer Saddle helped make a big impact on our two-up riding. So, kudos to Rocky; that was a SMART choice.

Stupid: Is riding while being pre-occupied or inattentive to riding/surroundings. Any time I get my head in a funk, it’s time to park.

Smart: Never giving up on street riding, glad I came back after a nine-year hiatus. Glad I bought a BMW.

[PacWestGS]

Smartest thing I ever did off the bike: Join the BMWMOA :buds :brad

[bmdubyou]

Dumbest:
forgetting to RE-ploy the sidestand on my Guzzi after stopping to make a phone call. I pulled out of a driveway turning right and a short distance later at highway speeds I found myself nearing the shoulder but when I leaned left to get back to the center my sidestand was scraping the pavement and wouldnt allow me and...the car behind wouldn't allow me to stop quick. I managed to slow down enough in time before I ran off the road but I sure was shaken up.
Smartest:
buying a bike with an auto retracting sidestand!

[Kenny2]

Stupid: the "drinking and riding" fits it. "GOD looks out for fools...."

Smartest: Practising emergency stops (activate the ABS).

[RichardCook]

New rider...

Smartest thing I have ever done is to read this thread...lots of really good hints here.

Dumbest thing I have ever done...TNTC (that's medspeak for Too Numerous To Count)

[tourunigo]

In 2001 my wife, Mary, and I were on a 12,000 mile tour of the United States (from out Nova Scotia home) on a 75/5. After visiting Bruce Lee's grave (and that Irishman next to him!) we considered our next step. Although late in the afternoon, I thought that we could make it to Yakama that night. Stupid. The following is a a draft diary part for our emering book 'Shadow Chaser'.

"Departure from Seattle provided a valuable, trip-long lesson: when overtired, hungry and defiantly determined to reach your destination the stage is set for a tragedy. The mountains of Snoqualmie Pass (The Summit ski area) assaulted us with darkness, cold and dense fog as we climbed its walls to just over 3,000 feet.

Meandering over anything that looked like a road, I was reminded of the lines of a country song that said “there’s a light at the end of the tunnel . . . Lord, I hope it ain’t no train!”. Refuge came by the light of a Best Western/Summit Inn and we were drawn to it like two shivering moths. Lucky to have made it and foolish to have tried. We gained all of 40 miles. Our first adventure of that next 8,000 miles."

What is it that makes you think such an unmanageable thing?? Anyone who has travelled this route can understand the stupidity of this rider's thinking. That's my contribution. (blush) -Bob

[RavenGS]

Newbie to the forum, first post

Stupidest: Buying an new R1150GS three months before the R1200GS comes out (after grilling the dealer and being assured nothing new was in the works)
http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=91891#
Smartest: Same (love the little bugger) http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=91891#

[PacWestGS]

Newbie to the forum, first post

Stupidest: Buying an new R1150GS three months before the R1200GS comes out (after grilling the dealer and being assured nothing new was in the works)
http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=91891#
Smartest: Same (love the little bugger) http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=91891#


:nyah That ain't the stupidest thing you could do. There is nothing wrong with an R1150GS GSA or Adventure.

For your first post that is a bold and Stupid statement, but, I'm glad you corrected it. :ha2

Welcome to the club and many miles of smiles. :clap :clap

[Dutchman]

Smartest:Buying my first bike 31 years ago.......

Dumbest: Putting the bike away for winter.......(only happened once!!)

Cheers

Dutch

[RickG]

Stupid motorcycle things I am guilty of:
Pretending my R80 G/S with Pirelli Scorpion street biased tires is a real dirt bike and following a buddy on his KTM 640 ADV with full knobbies onto some muddy and rutted logging roads which resulted in me getting tossed several times and eventually breaking my hand side lining me for 6 weeks this summer.

Dropping my brand new day old 04 1150 GS while taking it off the center stand after a fuel stop and the bike fell right into the pumps. I had to get a couple of contruction workers who were near by to help me lift it back up. Damn those things are top heavy with a full tank.

Also dropping every other bike I have ever owned by one means or another.

Making an aggressive lane change on a freeway allowing someone else to dictate the outcome which was me sliding down the highway watching my Sprint RS slide off the road.

Some actual smart things that I have done on a motorcycle:
Being ATGATT when I had that brain fart on my Sprint RS. I was able to get up and walk off the road and did not need to visit the ER after being cleared by the EMT's.

After my divorce from the woman who hated motorcyles, I found a wonderful lady who loves to ride with me. 2up riding with a loved one can be magical.

Finally buying a bike at age 40 after having wanting one since I was a teen without feeling the need to ask my father for permission! Dad hates bikes just like my Ex.

Hanging out and riding with guys with way more experience than I and who are happy to share their knowledge. It was their influence that changed me from a novice and naive motorcycle owner to a dedicated ATGATT motorcyclist.

Taking the MSF course to get my license and the Experienced Rider Course twice. On the subject of riding class, taking a 2 day track course with Sport Bike Track Time.

Buying and reading Nick Ienatsh's book Sport Riding Techiques. GREAT BOOK! Put it on your holiday wish list.

Rick G
:brow

[RickG]

Newbie to the forum, first post

Stupidest: Buying an new R1150GS three months before the R1200GS comes out (after grilling the dealer and being assured nothing new was in the works)


That is funny because I bought my 04 1150 GS when the new 1200 GS was already on the sales floor. The 5 grand I saved qualifies as one of the smartest things I have done!

Rick G

[JohnHall]

Smartest thing: Letting the salesman talk me into buying a new K100LT rather than the used R100 I was looking at (I still want the R though).

Dumbest: Well.....Let's just say that it involved me, a couple of improvised plywood ramps, a row of school buses, one guilded cape and a lot of broken bones. :p

[eddie]

Da== John,you have got to be kidding.If you ever try to jump those buses again let me know,sure would like to watch,I think.

[JohnHall]

Da== John,you have got to be kidding.If you ever try to jump those buses again let me know,sure would like to watch,I think.

Yes, that would be another attempt at humor. Shamelessly borrowed from the late great Jim Varney. Some of his best work was on the old Fernwood Tonight Show. Unfortunately, his career was overshadowed by the purile Ernest character. I really liked the skit where he jumped motorcycles with a Winnebago :laugh

[eddie]

Yes, that would be another attempt at humor. Shamelessly borrowed from the late great Jim Varney. Some of his best work was on the old Fernwood Tonight Show. Unfortunately, his career was overshadowed by the purile Ernest character. I really liked the skit where he jumped motorcycles with a Winnebago :laugh
Dang,I thought maybe we could get you to jump at our next Beemers in the Bluegrass rally,would have been some great intertainment.