I came upon this crash last night just after it occurred - Medina LEO was code 3 as I was in front of the Target on 55 headed West. The front of bike was demolished, I think the person I saw down was the passenger in the middle of the intersection, looked conscious, and face up next to the driver’s door of one of the cars involved. EMS first responders were just arriving.
I believe time of day played a role in the crash - road faces straight west, as I approached this intersection the same direction as the Impala driver who ran the light, sun was low on the horizon. While difficult to see, it's still no excuse for running a light. Prayers for a recovery for these people.
The old cliche applies here, you pick and choose your risks in life. Sometimes it requires self reflection and rationalization on your part before you can unequivocally state to your spouse, "This is who I am and how I roll."
A few years ago a neighbor dropped dead from a heart attack. He was only 49 but was a chronic smoker and drank to excess too often. I recall he once told me he used to ride motorcycle until the wife made him quit not long after they were married. Too bad she couldn't make him quit smoking and drinking too.
I covered that during our dating, prior to engagement: motorcycles are a part of who I am; not something that I do. She knows that is part of the package (and she responded by saying she was coming with a cat, and the damn thing is still around nearly 11 years later).
It's just been a rough couple weeks for my dear Mrs.
Authorities ID victim of fatal motorcycle crash north of Duluth The victim of a fatal motorcycle crash in Gnesen Township on Thursday morning has been identified.
The motorcycle and the SUV went into a ditch. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet. The SUV’s driver also was hurt, but their injuries were not life-threatening, the Sheriff’s Office said.
This one hit close to home. The vehicle driver is a member of my wife's family. She signaled her turn, was slowing, and I was told there was another vehicle behind her and the rider was attempting to pass them both. I haven't heard what the guy was riding, but I saw the B-roll on the local news and he hit hard - the rear wheel was bent, there was substantial damage to the rear quarter panel, rear passenger door (including a rip thru the sheet metal), and driver's door.
This was a reminder for me that more lives are affected than the family of the one lost. After a friend of ours was severely injured on 94 last month after hitting a deer combined with this wreck impacting our family, my wife is having a hard time with me riding these days, thinking about how horrible it is that a member of her family has to live forever with her role in a fatal crash.,
Can see in the photos how he started to go wide after his camera wave, then straightened up and stared straight ahead at the vette. No mystery that he drove right into it.
I rode through the Rockies the few days after Labor Day and there were already systems wreaking havoc at the highest elevations. A friend reported they have already closed some passes in the Sierras. At this time of year, the systems are too unpredictable and poor luck could leave you stuck in a motel room. Plus the whole vibe of attending your Grandma's funeral might distract you from a good ride.
+1. Wait and plan a good trip you'll enjoy instead of using the passing of your grandmother as an opportunity that is simply something you endured. It's late in the season to head West/SW, and tough to plan a route that gets there within 2 days of riding that doesn't at some point exceed 6-8,000 feet, minimum. Mid week forecast for central Utah and northern New Mexico is lows in the 20s, 30s in Flagstaff. Even west from Oklahoma panhandle would leave you with two very long days, and who knows what you'll encounter on the way home. How much faith you do place in the forecast?
I didn't know how drafty my until-now gear combination was until riding in this setup.
So good....bad....otherwise?
Most recently I was matching one of 3 leather jackets and Darien pants. I would call it satisfactory or I wouldn't have been using that combination for the last 11 years. I won't abandon that combination. Not to state the obvious, but in cooler weather, when riding in the one-piece I no longer have to ensure I am "sealed" around my waist. There are many times I've adjusted gear after a few miles (e.g. tuck shirts and/or fleece into the pants) and even then it was a place where body temp could exit, even if I eliminated a direct cool-air blast.
Yesterday I picked up a Roadcrafter that showed up on Craigslist in my size. It's in great shape, and much better priced than a new one! Took a ride in today's blustery, 48 degree weather. With only a tee, jeans, and a light fleece jacket underneath I was warm and comfortable. I didn't know how drafty my until-now gear combination was until riding in this setup.
But what the hell is a 16 year old girl doing in a place where she can get a ride from a drunk 52 year old? Mr. Carlson has a history of bad decisions, but it still makes me wonder why he would even risk putting himself near the trouble of a hauling a young girl on the back of his bike. He was begging for trouble, aware or not.
In my opinion, yes, Stich makes great stuff and they stand behind it. I bought my Darien pants in 2001 while in town for my 10-year class reunion and had a 20-25 mph lowside while wearing them in April 2002. They scuffed a bit, but I used them as-is for 10 years. It took until 2010 for them to start leaking throught the right knee area where they were damaged.
I was in Duluth over Thanksgiving last year and brought them to the store. I showed one of the technicians where it was leaking. After looking at them, he told me that the service life was about done - showed me the discoloration of the pants around the knees and told me that abrasion resistance is in tact, but the Gore-Tex lining is no longer very effective with vapor control/waterproofing. He told me I must have had them a while ... I told him when I bought them, 10 years prior.
He put a Gore-Tex patch on the area (lower leg) and also glued on some new velcro for a knee pad that has been missing for 3-4 years. All was done while I waited and drank a few cups of coffee, and the charge was $0 10 years after the sale. I was thanked for being a customer.
Bummer. I swear the deer are becoming the most common denominator of the accidents I hear about the last year or so.
I'll try to remove another one of these varmints off the potential threats list in the coming months. I hate the bastards until the bacon-wrapped back strap is on the grill.
I've always liked Hwy 38 from Grand Rapids to Effie. Also a fan of Hwy 65 north of Hwy 1 - for different reasons that twisties, which there are some. Old bridges wood plank bridges, the very short squirt through the Bois Forte reservation is very scenic, and it is extremely remote.
And the former Hwy 1 from Ely to Finland, pre-construction.
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