Wilsons Sandbox

I usually ride solo also Andy. There are pro's and cons for sure. You ride with a group and you have someone there to help if you crash. But....group rides I have been on, someone starts pissing on the tree and starts going fast, usually faster than I want to go the older I get. The last group ride (street) there were all of us zooming on a 2 lane through southeastern Oklahoma at 80 -90 mph or more maybe. A guy in front of me fell hitting some gravel on one of the slower turns trashing the plastic on his bike. I went home early. They called me about another ride out in Big Bend TX. I didn't go with them as I had the previous year as I didn't like the speeds they were going on the River Road to Presideo. I was out there though during that time and was in Terlingua drinking beer on the front porch at the store. One of them crashed and died after hitting a car I heard. But last fall, a friend riding alone southwest of Austin Texas hit a deer (or really, the deer hit him). He was unconscious until being loaded on the care flight. I don't mind being Ricky the Racer on dirt bikes but get really uncomfortable doing the same on street bikes. Criswell

On Feb 8, 2012, at 6:51 AM, Andrus wrote: > This brought back old fond memories from 1959 and 60 when I was trying to learn my way around a Scrambles Track with the mentor of an old AMA Flat tracker and A Louisiana State Motorcycle cop. I was advised to learn a bit of the art of Judo. Which teaches you to go with the fall and lessen the impact. Going down like a sack of potatoes is not good for your body. > Since, even today, I ride 99% solo and on lonely back roads, I ride with that knowledge that if I go down and get hurt, I might become part of the food chain before anyone finds me. Be it on my 1250S Bandit or my KLR650. > > Andy in Jennings. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]