jkcmotox
08/05/02, 10:02 AM
You guys ever get this when you are out for a trail ride?:
Meet someone on the trail at a water break or something, ride a bit with them and at the next break (or when you are waiting at a intersection for them :)) and they comment on how good you ride, then they ask you the question "Do you race?" Of course, you say yes..........and the whole ride changes from there. They find out that you race and then they have to prove something. I'm still not sure who they are trying to prove something to, themselves or me, but it always happens.
So you take off, they ride over their head and you guessed it......they crash!
True story from my Sunday ride:
I was at my truck for a water break and a quick check to make sure T-bunny wasn't bored $hitless yet, dude rides up on a brand new spankin' fresh DRZ400E. Starts telling me how bad @$$ his new ride is, starts asking me about "Blue Thunder".....and of course, asks me if it is fast. Why do they all ask if your bike is fast? Of course it is fast........that is why it is a race bike! Anyway, we take of from the parking area (Bartlett Rd and Cave Creek rd) and head into the single track, ride some washes, etc. We stop for some water, he compliments me on flying through the whoops and asks if I race. I say "Yes, but not much lately" and I see him get a serious look on his face. We head back to the parking area (about 10 miles away) and he starts riding alot more agressively, which is fine to me. I hesitate at an intersection trying to decide if we go to the right and over the big rocky hill I am not sure he will make........and BLAM....dude flys past me to the left! I follow him, we go over a few big G-outs and on the fourth one he goes way to the left and ends up in a 2 foot deep rain washout on a big downhill in third gear! Hate to say it, but it is kinda' cool -like watching slow-mo seeing someone crash. I thought for a second that he would ride it out. He made it through the washout still on the bike but mostly steering with his chest on the bars..still had the grips though. Kinda tryed to jump clear of the bike and got his legs tangled in the bars (most guys could have ridden this one out) and went over the front fender. Needless to say, his new DRZ rode HIM the rest of the 30 feet or so to the bottom of the gully. Twisted his right knee pretty badly and he cried like a little kid. Please don't think I am cruel here, when I talk about him crying, I know it hurts but come on, I have seen guys with collor bones sticking out or most of their back skinned like a rabbit and heard less crying than this. Anyway, long story short, his new DRZE had some wiring loom damage and would not start. Now the bad part. It has NO kick starter! The only thing to do was for me to push that 270 pound turd to the top of the hill and bump it. I tried it twice and exhausted myself, no luck at all. Anyway, I ended up with him as a passenger, took him back to the parking area. We talked some poor, unsuspected 4x4 owner into picking up his bike and he called his wife.
What I learned:
1. I will never again say "Yes, I race" to a guy with a brand new bike.
2. Dirt bikes should have kick starters.
3. Blue Thunder is not the heaviest thing out there.
4. I am starting to believe what T-bunny always says about everyone that rides with me ending up in the E.R.
5. Stock brokers from Troon North do not make good offroad riders.
Jkc
#31
"One outa' two ain't bad"
Meet someone on the trail at a water break or something, ride a bit with them and at the next break (or when you are waiting at a intersection for them :)) and they comment on how good you ride, then they ask you the question "Do you race?" Of course, you say yes..........and the whole ride changes from there. They find out that you race and then they have to prove something. I'm still not sure who they are trying to prove something to, themselves or me, but it always happens.
So you take off, they ride over their head and you guessed it......they crash!
True story from my Sunday ride:
I was at my truck for a water break and a quick check to make sure T-bunny wasn't bored $hitless yet, dude rides up on a brand new spankin' fresh DRZ400E. Starts telling me how bad @$$ his new ride is, starts asking me about "Blue Thunder".....and of course, asks me if it is fast. Why do they all ask if your bike is fast? Of course it is fast........that is why it is a race bike! Anyway, we take of from the parking area (Bartlett Rd and Cave Creek rd) and head into the single track, ride some washes, etc. We stop for some water, he compliments me on flying through the whoops and asks if I race. I say "Yes, but not much lately" and I see him get a serious look on his face. We head back to the parking area (about 10 miles away) and he starts riding alot more agressively, which is fine to me. I hesitate at an intersection trying to decide if we go to the right and over the big rocky hill I am not sure he will make........and BLAM....dude flys past me to the left! I follow him, we go over a few big G-outs and on the fourth one he goes way to the left and ends up in a 2 foot deep rain washout on a big downhill in third gear! Hate to say it, but it is kinda' cool -like watching slow-mo seeing someone crash. I thought for a second that he would ride it out. He made it through the washout still on the bike but mostly steering with his chest on the bars..still had the grips though. Kinda tryed to jump clear of the bike and got his legs tangled in the bars (most guys could have ridden this one out) and went over the front fender. Needless to say, his new DRZ rode HIM the rest of the 30 feet or so to the bottom of the gully. Twisted his right knee pretty badly and he cried like a little kid. Please don't think I am cruel here, when I talk about him crying, I know it hurts but come on, I have seen guys with collor bones sticking out or most of their back skinned like a rabbit and heard less crying than this. Anyway, long story short, his new DRZE had some wiring loom damage and would not start. Now the bad part. It has NO kick starter! The only thing to do was for me to push that 270 pound turd to the top of the hill and bump it. I tried it twice and exhausted myself, no luck at all. Anyway, I ended up with him as a passenger, took him back to the parking area. We talked some poor, unsuspected 4x4 owner into picking up his bike and he called his wife.
What I learned:
1. I will never again say "Yes, I race" to a guy with a brand new bike.
2. Dirt bikes should have kick starters.
3. Blue Thunder is not the heaviest thing out there.
4. I am starting to believe what T-bunny always says about everyone that rides with me ending up in the E.R.
5. Stock brokers from Troon North do not make good offroad riders.
Jkc
#31
"One outa' two ain't bad"