What was I thinking !!!

[bpdchief]

Back in the mid 80's I had a fully dressed 1979 Suzuki GS1000E (full fairing w/lowers, saddlebags trunk).

A friend and I were riding around Hulah Lake in NE Oklahoma... we were on Hwy 10, Jack got way ahead of me (I was looking at cattle) and so I was playing catchup, running 90mph on the bike and running the road ahead in my mind.

Suddenly, I realized I was going past the Labadie Feed Mill - just ahead was a 15mph S turn.

I locked both brakes, the bike squatted in a straight line skid and everything went into slow motion. I've got a death grip on the handlebars, the bike is still going straight - straight for a ditch and fence posts!

I'm thinking ditch, fence posts and 5 strands of barbed wire... This Is Going To HURT!!!

In, up and out of the ditch - didn't feel it. Looking at the fence posts waiting to be ripped apart by barbed wire. I found myself in the pasture looking at a bare dirt spot where the week before the Hulah Train Depot had stood.... They had moved the old train depot to Bartlesville and hadn't restrung the barbed wire.

Turned the bike around and met a white faced Jack looking for me. He heard the tires squeeling and thought he would be scraping me up off the road. I flipped my face shield up and said "damn that was fun - lets do it again". Jack said No lets just go home.

18 miles back to Bartlesville, no problem. Got to Hwy 75 and Frank Phillips Blvd... rolled up to the stoplight put my foot down and down we went. Fortunately, I stepped away and fell in the grass median as the bike fell to the curb. Jack and two other people got the bike back in its wheels ( Thank God for crashbars :-) ) I was shaking so bad it took about 15 minutes to calm myself after the reality of how close to dying I had just been sank in.

Lesson - Never over ride your ability. Be observant to your location and surroundings. Pull your head out and don't do 90 in a 55. I was ignorant, immature and damn lucky. Back then to get your endorsement you went to the license office and told them you bought a bike. IF the examiner felt like it, you showed him you could ride otherwise they stamped your license and took your money.