"Listen" to the smell!

[dynodon]

let me explain: Was coming back on the interstate yesterday on a new to me bike, enjoying the scenery at 70 mph. Kept detecting a burning smell. OK, on a new used bike, so I checked it out but could not see anything and nothing was malfunctioning and the smell went away. I chalked it up to someone burning brush on the sides.

 

Later, I kept getting whiffs of the smell, but I didn't put smell and smell together....Then:

 

BANG

 

Big explosion thumped my chest and scared the whatever out of me, and cars in front had brake lights and were scattering as I started seeing bits of tire all over the road, then bits of sheet metal all twisted, then a cargo trailer that I remembered passing me being pulled by a pickup. Construction material and pipe all in and over the trailer. Now the right fender was torn and mostly gone and at least one of the tires was coming at me! None of the cars around me would let me change lanes to get out of the debris, so I slowed way down and weaved around it. Truck/trailer pulled over, a few cars stopped (probably had debris damage) and I moved on.

 

So if you get a whiff of something burning on the road, "listen" to it and see what might be about to explode in front of you!

[SilvrT]

Certain things have specific smells that automatically cause a "red flag" in my mind ... overheated brakes, hot or burning rubber, skunk, etc .... as soon as I catch a whiff of any of these, I immediately start looking for where it's coming from.

[LilBeaver]

Yikes!! Glad you are okay.

 

And like both you and SilvrT mentioned, I do the same thing. As soon as I detect something that is abnormal (besides the driver) I probably look like a squirrel trying to find his... acorns.

[KiteSquid]

Good advice.

 

My nose might tell me about impending danger.

 

 

THANKS for the reminder!!!!

 

 

Safety is PARAMOUNT!!!!!!!!

[BuddyRich]

If I listen to a smell my wife usually tells me to leave the room.....

[MAINEAC]

Hey don your 1st mistake was letting a truck with a trailer pass you.... just sayin...

[_Yoda]

my first motorcycle trip through Monteagle pass in TN was similar ... started to smell something like a burning smell. About 1/2 mile ahead was a tractor/trailer rig, must have been overloaded and burning his brakes. Got the hell out of the way *and* past him before anything bad could happen. At first, I thought it was something on my bike (Just had my RoadStar converted to a BigBore with HSR 42 gravity feed, so lots of engine/fuel changes had me worried )

Now on the Venture, I *know* the smell of burning brakes, burning rubber, and roadkill due to all the miles I've been. At the first hint of roadkill, I hold my breath as long as I can. Summer roadkill always smells like a$$, BAD.