Crossroads,a question

[not2slow]

I am in no way as an articulate a writer as one of my favorite that contributes here on a regular basis, speaking of UberGoober of course, but I hope I can at least get you interested enough for your TRUE heartfelt thoughts on what you feel about what I am about to post here.

A very few of you know that I did a couple day trip up to the Tail of the Dragon and some of the most awesome roads that this country has to offer anyone that enjoys riding motorcycles around the first of June. At first I had a bud going with me but something at work came up that prevented that from happening for him. I was disapointed but as we all know things like this happen and as I have been up there countless times it was like one of those hey this can be one of those"a man and his machine on the road" lol type of trips and to be honest I was really excited about it.

So the ride up through the north Ga. mountains and the several passes on the Tail etc. were as fun as always. I got in about 375 miles total before I decided to stop for the day. Stayed at Two Wheels Inn in Robinsville( just a side note if you are up that way, every room has a enclosed garage that you can park your bike in).

So the next day I leave out around 8:30 do a couple passes on the dragon and hang out at the resort for a bit, then head over to the Cherohala Skyway . For those that have never been, if its at all possible PLEASE try to make it there if you can. In my personal opinion it is at least 10 times as fun as the tail. But I tend to enjoy the faster sweepers to the tighter stuff that you find at the gap.

After close to 550(total) plus miles I am on my way home. Most of the time, and this wont matter to those that have not been there but when hwy 68 runs into 515, I usually slab it down 515 (15 miles or so) until you hit 129 in Blairsville and go that way back.(129 is a great road also) But this day I had skipped lunch and was a little beat and decided to cross over 515 and go strait down 60 as this was shorter time wise.

The reason I usually skip this part of 60 is because of the IMO dreaded "tar snakes".Georgia uses some type of injected material that fills in the crackes on the highway. I usually avoid this part of 60 like the plaque because of this. It really seems the hotter it is the more slippery they get.

My decision to travel hwy 60 has made me really think about my love of all things about riding motorcycles. I have been riding some type of bike since I was 9 yo. And I have always excepted the chance of being injured/hurt as a consequence. Let me tell you about my recent experience and lets share.

I am about 4-5 miles south of Suches heading for Riders Hill looking to grab a bite to eat before the hour and a half ride back to the house.

I am only doing around 30-35 because I hate this part of 60 because it suxs, and did I mention it suxs?. Going up is not that bad but going down is like riding on marbles IMO when it comes to the tar snakes.

Well here it comes, I am a bit to the outside of the middle of my lane because there were more tar snakes in toward the middle than on the out side at this point on the highway. There was a cager in front of me(she was my only witness and was like Florance Nightengale(sp) the way she came back and cared for me. And just a side note she was in her early 30's and was drop dead gourgous and I would have hit on her if I wasn't hurting like hell and she had 2 kids screaming about something in her car) lol.

But it was one of the most freaky things I have felt in my 40 plus years of riding. I ran over a 3 foot(or there about) tar snake perpendicular to my direction of travel. I mean I spent 8 years roadracing and the only thing I can relate it to was like a bike that had dropped oil on the track because in an instant my front end stepped out to the right by at least a foot or more, which put me in the side of the road gravel and then in the grass a foot from the guardrail, then I was down. The lady in the cage in front on me said I did a complete flip in the air. She is watching this in her review mirror of course, and because this road is gaurdrail on one side and mountain on the other it took her a bit to find a place to turn around and come back. She was amazed that in the couple of minutes it took her to turn around I was already up and sitting on the gaurdail.( The R6 was a total loss, the only thing keeping the front wheel attached to the bike at all was one brake line lol.)

But at LAST here is the question if anyone is still here and reading this. I am 8 days from my 51st birthday, I have a son that is starting college after the summer and yeah I have insurance that will cover that and way beyond but no matter what before this freak accident and by that I mean a FREAK deal I would have said the day I can no longer ride go ahead and put me in the box because I can not deal with no longer being able to ride. But BECAUSE of the way this happened,no one turning left in front of you, a jackass hitting you from behind, etc. etc. it just made me think and I want to hear how anyone that has had a simular situation wotked through it. Thanks.

[Alawicious]

Good write up Ken.

Also just wanted to say, I'm glad you came out of your crash ok, as in no major physical injuries. I really felt bad when I found out because I feel I didn't give an adaquate warning about the road after my ride in that area just a week or so earlier.

Are you asking "When is enough, enough when it comes to riding?" My answer to that is, IMO it depends on the rider and their confidence in their physical abilities. (things like strength, eyes, response time ect). I don't think there is a set age for riding retirement

I hope I understood what you're asking

[Builtgypsy]

You get back on the bike, and for a while you become extra careful and vigilant about your surroundings while you ride. But you get over it eventually as you slowly build your confidence back up. I had something of a similar accident along a mountain road without any kind of guardrail a couple years ago. Luckily it sent me into the ditch rather than other over the edge, my head got turned under so the bike was laying on my helmet.

And you have to just make the decision and go with it. Get back on the bike and take it slow for a while, or don't and think about it until you decide to put it up for good or try again.

[Alawicious]

^^

You should get back to riding before you decide

[LaurenOE]

Ken, this is my $.02.

You will stop riding when you want to. Plain. Simple.

Everyone crashes on a motorcycle. It's not a question of *if*, it's when.
Most of the time we walk away, sometimes we don't.

Everytime I get on my motorcycle, I ride as if that day is going to be my day.
It's why I don't ride unless I am 100% into it. It's why I don't go out and ride "just for fun". I never "turn off" like I do when I ride in a car.

Even though you say it was a freak accident, the presence of tar snakes, to me, is like ice on the road or a big fat warning sign.

I have never had predictable traction on tar snakes. I have ridden behind people that seem to ignore them, but to me, they are too unpredicatable with temperature and age.

They are crazy dangerous.

When I ride, I never stop inputing things that might jump up and bite me - and tar snakes - as in snakes - already have the capacity to "bite".

So, give up riding because some dangerous data slipped by you on an awesome day of riding, where you were already thinking about making it to Rider's Hill?

We are human, shit happens, ya got bit. My day is coming, when I also let some data go by my brain and my mind is somewhere else. I hope not, but I'm human too.

Only you can make the determination of your ride.

[Electrical_Tech]

Keep riding if it's what you want to do. But stay away from that section of route 60 from now on k?

Glad you're ok.

[blurr]

For your 51st birthday you should Learn to ride at an appropriate speed for the road conditions.
Good to hear you are still kicking though.

[acalliste]

I thought this was going to be a story about how you went to the crossroads at midnight and let the devil tune your bike so you could be the next Rossi, in return for your soul.

So disappointed.

[Electrical_Tech]

I did that last year. I'm no Rossi, and now thanks to that sneaky SOB I also have no soul

[Builtgypsy]

Originally Posted by Electrical_Tech

I did that last year. I'm no Rossi, and now thanks to that sneaky SOB I also have no soul

Hey, I'm taking good care of it. I put it on the top shelf.