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What's Your Most Incredible Motorcycle Experience?

Speedfilm

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I road one into and out of a Tornado!

Back in the 80s when I road raced, I had a Honda Hurricane 600 I used for production racing. My truck was in the shop so I decided to ride the bike to get some lunch. It was sunny although clouds were moving in from the west but it looked like I had plenty of time to leave and get back before it rained. I was almost there when I noticed the guys in front of me at a light were looking back at me and I thought they were looking back because the pipe on my bike was so loud but when I turned around I noticed the clouds were almost upon me and looked an evil dark green.

By the time I got to the sub shop, it was on me, lighting struck the building just as I pulled away as it started raining great big drops. By the time I was on the main road, it was pouring and suddenly the car in front of me stopped. As I went around the car, I noticed why they stopped, three power lines were down across the road but it was too late for me to stop so I gunned it and lucky for me, crossed the lines as they all were down on the ground and not whipping in the wind.

At that point, I was thanking me lucky stars and figured that was my close call of the day. No sooner did that thought clear my head that I noticed in front of me about 500 yards was a churning gray wall of wind and debris that looked like an ocean wave breaking turned at 90 degrees. Looking to my left, I noticed a brick liquor store and was going to pull in behind it thinking it would be the safest place to be but looking back ahead, the wall of wind was almost on top of me.

Instinct took over and I clamped my knees on the tank and put my head down as far as I could and looked straight down my leg at the pavement to gage my position on the road. The wind shook me as bad as a 100 mph tank slapper as I was blown across the road. I saw the first yellow center line cross under me and then the second(2 lanes with turn lane in center) then a curb which I knew would crash me. I twisted the gas WFO and leaned into it as I shook like a rag in a dogs mouth and began moving against the wind, I crossed back over the first yellow line then as I crossed the second yellow line, I was through into blue sky but had to nail the brakes because a giant tree had been blown across the road.

Once I got home, it had sustained roof damage from fallen trees. I guess I was still in shock and didn't realize how lucky I had been until the next day when I went back to retrace my steps and noticed the brick liquor store I was going to shelter behind was obliterated and the occupants had survived by hiding in the walk in cooler.
 
Darn near got struck by lightning once. It was in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s, and were were heading into a storm on the way home from a motorcycle camping trip. It was before radar and cell phones, etc, so we never knew what was up ahead. Well the storm was looming, the rain was starting, the lightning was flashing. I could feel electrical tingling in my arms as they held the handlebars, so at that point we parked the bikes by the road and went down into a ditch. Not long after, lightning LOUDLY struck a highway sign post about 100 feet away and split the sign post into pieces. Now, that was a scary experience. That’s the closest I’ve ever been to lightning.
 
There are many incredible experiences in my memory and most are either of amazingly beautiful views or amazingly close encounters with my Creator and usually these two are intertwined.

On the other hand if we are talking about close calls on two wheels I can't decide between the lady driving the way on the interstate that I passed right side by right side by easing onto the left emergency lane (she was killed instantly when she struck head-on the pickup truck following me) or the oncoming car that pulled out to pass a slower vehicle and forced me onto the right shoulder. We all passed three abreast on arrow straight GA Hwy 57 on a fine spring day.
 
Back in the 80's i was working at a truck stop in north Tucson Az. I had ridden a Honda 650cc Nighthawk to work and then the wind picked up and a monsoon hit bringing some lightning with it. We all stood just outside the main office/C-store area under a covered walking area and watched the storm with lots of excitement and the storm didn't disappoint. Very soon after, while all of us were out there watching the storm we saw lightning strike a large power transformer at the top of a pole across the freeway from us, it was an instant fireball that then travelled along the wires across the freeway and hitting another large power transformer at the top of a pole on our side also exploding into a fireball. All of our lights instantly went out! What an incredible storm, i'll never forget that day.
An incredible experience. :{)

Two years ago i met up with youTube star Tim Tewster at the Porthill Idaho Canadian border crossing. From there we rode over to Kalispell Mt where he was staying for the night. We had a great supper at a Montana steakhouse and i rode the return trip to my place. While on MT200 just before dusk, i had a nice Mulley Buck try to side-swipe me coming up out of a ditch. That stretch of MT200 is 70-75mph and i had just passed a family in a large Suburban. The buck came out of the ditch on my left and diagonally crossed in front of me gaining speed as i got closer but he veered more with me than crossing the road. As i grenaded the brakes and used every bit of the threshold braking ability i had i swerved left to slip in behind him. The big jerk looked back at me and actually slowed down and moved a little left as if he was trying to hit me as i passed behind him. Still hard on the brakes and fairly committed to swerving left and now seeing him pull this little stunt, i quickly pulled right and narrowly got around him just as he pulled his head back to the right watching me pass. I could have easily reached out and slapped him on his Jib!! That little bugger, i could not have missed him by more than 6"-8". Immediately afterwards and realizing that i actually missed him i jumped up on the pegs and i must have did 15 fist pumps into the air in joy that i didn't crash nor actually it him!!! I sat back down on the RDL seat and noticed the family in the suburban also going around him and now passing me. The entire family was fist pumping me as they passed by with big smiles!! WHEEEW, Man what an incredible experience! I'm telling you, that'll make a praying man out of you quickly haha!! :{)

I have a few more that i may share later. :{)
 
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I’d say my most spectacular (incredible?) experiences have probably been on my dirt bike, years ago. One I’ll never forget was riding around with my younger brother on some small hills adjacent to the Columbia River (Pacific Northwest USA). From where we were riding, the river was about 350 feet down. We were riding up over the small hills, jumping over the tops, having a good time. For whatever reason, at one point I decided to jump over the last hill above the river. I got a pretty decent run so I’d get decent air, and when I crested that hill the entire world just disappeared. There was nothing but blue sky and puffy white clouds. The front end arced down and down as my stomach departed my body entirely. I _finally_ saw the very large ridge about 20 - 25 miles away, then the sand and desert between it and me, and then the river. Landing on the extremely steep slope of the hill down to the river, it took me probably 50 yards to finally get stopped. I was half-terrified, but it was SO SPECTACULAR! My brother rode to the crest and stopped to look down, thinking I’d plunged to my death and _might_ even be getting washed away, so I waved him down and we rode down on the river bank for a bit. Getting back up that hill took several tries, but what a ride down!
 
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My gosh boys ! Incredible stories of tornadoes, lightning, large animals and wrong way drivers on the Interstate.
I locked up my front wheel once trying to miss a squirrel, but other than that, I got nothing. Not sure if I wish I had ridden with you all, or dang glad I didnt ! :oops:
 
Riding Alaska last summer (2019) was amazing and beautiful. The standout was riding the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel into and out of Whittier. 2.5 miles, one lane with railroad tracks (inbound and outbound changes on the 1/2 hour in the summer), so the space for a motorcycle is literally about 3 feet wide between the rails.:oops: And it was wet from rain all day. I was never so happy to see daylight at the other end (and then realized we'd have to ride back through the tunnel to get out). This part of the trip sticks in my mind and likely will forever.

anton-anderson-tunnel-whittier-tunnel-jesse-flris.jpg
 
Riding Alaska last summer (2019) was amazing and beautiful. The standout was riding the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel into and out of Whittier. 2.5 miles, one lane with railroad tracks (inbound and outbound changes on the 1/2 hour in the summer), so the space for a motorcycle is literally about 3 feet wide between the rails.:oops: And it was wet from rain all day. I was never so happy to see daylight at the other end (and then realized we'd have to ride back through the tunnel to get out). This part of the trip sticks in my mind and likely will forever.

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Rode it last year as well. What scared me was unexpected blast of air from ventilation fans and strong enough to move bike sideways. Only rode one way as we took ferry to Valdez.
 
I rode around Lake Superior last year. The east side in Canada was amazing. A hundred miles of forest and water, not a single house or business.
 
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