Thought I would share this one -

A friend is breaking in a new Triumph Tiger 800 so we decided to play hookie on Friday and run to Duluth the long way (up WI 35, down MN 23 & 61).

Around 5:30pm we are heading southbound on 61, halfway between Stacy & Wyoming, MN.  Cars are stacked up from the stop sign in Stacy as far as the eye can see.  The freeway looked about the same.

I'm in the lead, running center of the lane at 60 indicated (not flying) -- Staring at oncoming cars, scanning for blinkers and the like.  Realize this is 3-4 miles of stopped cars.

All the sudden one of them turns out in front of me to make a U-turn out of the jam.   Sees me, changes his tune and dives for the grass ditch across the lane.

I grabbed hold of all the ABS I could find.  If you've never torn into the ABS on a BMW with the telelever front end - I tell you what.  It's a thing of beauty.


It's the closest call I've had in a long time.  So much so that we stopped for dinner in Wyoming.  Took a while to shake off the adrenalin...

Kind of feels like it...

I'm Ken.  Been around a bit - was the chair of Colorado HSTA a decade ago.  I've met a few of you.  If nothing else, you might have seen me at a track day on my 1100GS.  Sold it, now I'm on an RT.  Done a few rallies, a couple of SaddleSores, and one BunBurner Gold.

I haven't argued the benefits of Dunlop vs Bridgestone vs Michelin in a while so I'm back online.   

@Kemptar from Esko - you can either suffer long distances or you can be comfortable.  My suggestion would be to buy a used 'Stitch off an old, soggy BMWMOA member.  They're expensive for good reason.  I purchased my RoadCrafter in '01 or '02 and it's still going strong.  I think my Gerbing is from... '98 maybe...