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Owen

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Everything posted by Owen

  1. Owen

    aharbi Down

    We are very glad to hear from you Art! Fast recovery and God bless!
  2. Owen

    aharbi Down

    Apparently Art was involved in a bad crash. This is the content of a posting from the Stormtroopers forum: I had never ridden or even met Aharbi prior to this morning, only conversed a few times via posts and PMs on this website. Anyway, we met as planned in Medina and talked for about 15 minutes before beginning our ride together. We rode the 40 miles into Leaky with me in the lead. I didn't know Aharbi's comfort level or ability so after "testing" the pace up and down for a few miles I settled in right at the posted speed limits and Aherbe was never more than a few bike lengths back in my mirrors and showed to be a solid and capable rider. After a burger in Leaky, we headed out Hwy 337 to begin our loop ride. Right away the road gets very twisty with multiple back-to-back 90 degree hair-pin, blind cliff-side turns with posted speeds between 10 to 20 MPH. This is a very narrow road with 2-way traffic so when a car is approaching from the opposite direction you cant see it until you're in the middle of one of the many turns. And because of the sharpness and quantity of turns, it's really tough to be proactive and look ahead because your focus is directed at the turn you're navigating. All that said, leaned over in one of the turns as a car comes whizzing by 3 feet away from the opposite direction can be somewhat startling. I lead us through the first few turns and came to a small stretch of straight road where I checked my mirrors and Aharbi wasn't there. I slowed to a crawl, then pulled to the side of the road and waited about a minute but he didn't appear. We had only gone about 2 miles so I knew something was wrong. I turned back up the road and two corners later I found him laying in the middle of the road with his bike on its side...... I ran over and found him conscience but very startled and shaken up. A few other bikes soon stopped and began directing traffic (mostly other bikes) around us. Eventually he was able to sit up and confirm nothing was broken and that he could move all his parts. He was wearing ATGATT which I think probably saved his life. We got his helmet off and helped him to the side of the road, still dazed and very confused, not able to remember what happened or even where he was at. It was a tough situation....... About 15 minutes later the Sheriff and then the Ambulance arrived. The Paramedics checked him over and confirmed no bones appeared to be broken but they were concerned with his dizziness and dementia. We checked his helmet and found multiple deep scratches and gouges. He was wearing a full face HJC. The Paramedics decided to take him into Uvalde which was the closest hospital, 40 miles away. Aharbi's Wee was mashed bad. The front wheel was shattered and the forks are bent back to the left side of the frame. The front of the bike is toast and I'm sure the frame is tweaked as well. Its probably a total. I decided to stay behind to wait for the wrecker and accompany his bike back to the tow lot in Leaky. I'm not a doctor so there was nothing I could do for him at the hospital, so I tried to put myself in his shoes and think what I would want someone to do for me given the situation. After the wreck Aharbi couldn't even remember where he was so I felt like he would probably later appreciate that his bike was confirmed to be in safe keeping. While waiting with the Sheriff we concluded that based on the pavement gouges it appears that while in the apex of the left-hand turn Aharbi made an abrupt right-hand correction which stood the bike up and sent him head on into the guard rail...... Good thing the guard rail was there because the other side was a 50+ foot drop off........ I confirmed to the Sheriff that we were not speeding (entered the corner at approx. 20 MPH) and he agreed that an on-coming car most likely startled him and caused him to veer to the right and into the guard rail. There were no skid marks found and no flat spots on either tire, so it appears he hit while still under throttle....... Per the Sheriff, they are called out for motorcycle accidents on the Three Sisters at least 2 or 3 times each weekend during the summer. And about half of them result in fatalities. This was one of the more well known turns for accidents. While we were waiting for the tow truck, the Sheriff got a call on his radio stating that while in transit to the hospital, Aharbi had gone to a "Code 1". The Sheriff explained that this meant he had gone critical...... ***? This just seemed to be a routine concussion 10 minutes ago? The Sheriff stated that unfortunately it's common because once the adrenaline wears off the real injuries come to the surface. So I ditched the plan to stay with his bike and decided to make a bee line for Uvalde. The Sheriff was a super guy and gave me his card, stating he would make sure Aharbi's motorcycle was secure. I made it the 40 miles to the hospital in 25 minutes. When I arrived Aharbi was in bad shape and fading in and out of unconsciousness. They had already done X-rays and CT scans and found swelling on his brain and fluid in his right lung. Uvalde is a little country hospital so they called in Life Flight and helicoptered him to San Antonio. Ok, here's where it gets interesting. First the Sheriff, then the Paramedics, then the hospital, all asked me loads of typically routine questions; What's his name? Aharbi What's his real name? I dunno How old is he? I dunno Where does he live? Ummm, somewhere North of Austin Where exactly? I dunno Is he married? I think so What's her name? I dunno What's her phone number? I dunno How can we contact his family? I dunno OK sir, you're not very much help. Are you being serious? What do you mean you just met him over the Internet? All this sounds pretty crazy sir. Due to the head trauma while out on the highway and in the hospital, Aharbi couldn't recall much at all. He remembered he had his cell phone in his jacket, but couldn't remember his pass code so we were unable to unlock his phone to find any phone numbers. He couldn't remember if he had any allergies or prior medical conditions. He couldn't remember much personal info at all. Eventually he recalled his home phone number, which I called but got an answering machine. I had no choice but to leave "one of those messages" that he had been in an accident, was in the hospital in San Antonio, and to please call me. This was 2:00 this afternoon and it's now 10:00 and I have received no call. I hope to God the hospital was able to locate his wife. Not sure of Aharbi's status at this time. I did confirm that he made it to the ICU at SAMMC hospital in San Antonio, but because I'm not blood they won't tell me anything more. I'm gonna try again tomorrow and also try and contact his wife. And more update: Hello to all and thanks for your posts and concern... I received a call from Ahabri's wife late last night and he was still in ICU but doing much better. The swelling on his brain is under control and he is starting to get some of his marbles back. He has no recollection of what happened to cause the wreck, and no memory of the events that unfolded afterwards. She had a positive attitude about the whole situation and was in good spirits. I figure ill give it a couple of days then touch base to see how he's doing.... I'm really glad he's doing better as I was pretty distraught last night worrying. I've been down twice myself before, but nothing like what happened to Aharbi. Thanks again for all the comments and ill post again once more is known.
  3. Specific to Goldwing but probably worth checking yours. clicky for report.
  4. Mine is named 'Mr. Meaner'...
  5. So here are some statistics from as recent as last year. Does this change your point of view on lane splitting?? http://roadwarrior.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/14544/motorcycle-lane-splitting-controversial-and-legal/
  6. Yep, 250 2 stroke... It was pretty fast for it's day.
  7. I was 19... 2 stripper in the military... she was my first... http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/1973Kawasaki250_zps0874dec7.jpg 3 banger 2 stroke... what a blast! Wish I still had her!
  8. Here is an interesting perspective on the act of lane splitting. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/19/local/la-me-smith-lane-split-20130119 What are your thoughts?
  9. You mentioned the part number was xxxx-DT. Maybe that is a Tour Deluxe version??? Are the rear seats the same on the RSV and TD??? Call Corbin and ask about the part number...
  10. Well I went for a ride today. I know... soooo? So its been what seems like forever since I was on the bike last. November I had surgery for cancer. That went fine and with good results, no radiation or further treatment needed. Four weeks after that I was involved in a car accident that totaled my truck and left me pretty banged up. Most of that has now been resolved also. Today was the first day with decent wx that I actually felt good enough to ride. So, I did. Short run for about an hour but, Dang, that was nice!
  11. Ride safely and Enjoy! I am envious!
  12. Don't know about a cell phone but she was most definitely distracted by something...
  13. My insurance will cover it but you can bet that my attorney will have a run at the other driver... As mentioned, probably nothing will come of it...
  14. This one was a 2006 with only 213,000 miles on it. Just broke in!
  15. Driver that struck me from behind was ticketed for failure to maintain her lane and... NO INSURANCE!
  16. 9:30am... Houston I-45 heavy traffic moving about 60mph... I'm in left lane... cars start to slow down and so did I... 3 car lengths space in front of me... slowing, not abrupt stopping, just slowing... now about 45 - 50mph... I hear screeching tires... look in rearview mirror and see closest vehicle about 4 car lengths behind me and also moving slow... still hear screeching... Wham! Hit in right rear corner by a car in center lane. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/IMG_4267_zps2030827b.jpg This being the perfect Pit Maneuver, I spin counter clockwise and smash into the center concrete barrier... airbag deploys... glasses gone... continue spinning counter clockwise... cross center lane and broad side an 18 wheeler that was still moving... as I see the center of the trailer rapidly approaching all I can think is 'This is gonna hurt!'... I hit hard just in front of the rear wheels and the force of his movement continues to spin me counter clock wise as the fender of his rear wheels slices through my front right fender... http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/IMG_4263_zps553176f6.jpg On my journey back across the center lane toward the concrete barrier for the second time it was deja vu... Hit the barrier hard again and came to rest facing the wrong direction... http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/IMG_0054_zpsfc0dc7d5.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/IMG_0053_zpsd36758d5.jpg EMS extricated me from the cab with neck brace and backboard... 6 hours later I walked out of the hospital with only arm abrasions from the air bag, sore muscles and slightly tweaked lower back. This little Toyota truck took good care of me. Interior cab was undamaged. Nothing crunched or folded into the passengers area. This was after 3 very hard front end hits. Now where's that rum....
  17. Of all things... Westboro Baptist Church is planning to picket the Shady Hook school funerals. I pray our brothers prevent this travesty. Report
  18. Sorry if this is a duplicate post... There are still treasures to be found out there. $21,000 for a Yamaha
  19. CB750 was my first street ride. It was crazy fast for a crazy kid. I loved it. This does bring back memories!
  20. Owen

    Big Tex Rally

    Well I finally wrote up my full report... I left home Thursday evening and headed to Orange, Tx for the starting point. It had been a very hectic week working late hours and I did not feel rested or totally prepared for this excursion, but damn the torpedoes full speed ahead. When I got to the hotel which was about 200yds. from the start location, there were already a couple BMWs parked in the lot. Looking at their setup and all the stickers from various rallies and all, I decided real quick that I was well out of my league here. Be that as it may, I had no lofty goals going into this. What I did want was to complete the rally with enough points to be a 'Finisher'. I can not tell you how many hours I spent working on routes for this rally. Seriously! Dave helped a lot by spending time on the task also and his input was invaluable by giving me a different perspective of the task. Thanks Zippy! When it was all said and done, I had what I felt were 4 viable routes. One was short, about 1250 miles, and the longest was about 1650 miles. All of these would give me enough points, when added to the static boni, to afford me the 30,000 minimum for finisher status. Right from the starters meeting I learned quickly that you have to be able to adjust your plan on the fly. Two things changed my plan big time. First was the extra bonus locations that were handed out. Most of the additional locations carried a score more than twice of all the others. More on that later. The next thing they did was take you driver's license and insurance card and seal them in an envelope. If you reached the scoring table with it still sealed, you were awarded an additional 5000 points. Point being? You were not stopped by the PoPo for speeding or something else. If you needed ID to use a credit card or something you had to talk your way out of it or find a different method. Glad I was carrying a fair amount of cash! 6:01am on my start receipt and I'm off. A lot of the riders were heading for Boliver Ferry for the first bonus and then to the next one on Galveston Sea Wall. I chose to skip Boliver because I have crossed that ferry many times and have always had a long wait. I figured that rush hour traffic would be a big slow down. Turns out I was wrong about that. I went straight to the Sea Wall for my first bonus. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0232.jpg My next bonus location was the brewery in Shiner, Tx. My route took me up I45 to the beltway and around to I10. Unfortunately, there was a Fedex truck VS 18 wheeler wreck near 288 and I could not get off the road or get around it. Damn! I sat still for about 1/2 hour then the traffic just poked along. I lost a lot of time here. I made it to Shiner almost an hour behind sked. I collected my bonus there and checked my time and route. I needed to make a decision about my next bonus which was the Alamo in San Antonio. The problem being that I wanted to get to my mandatory bonus location, Judge Roy Beans in Langtry, Tx, today. But they close at 5pm. My gps told me that I would arrive at about 4:50 if I go now. So I chose to skip the Alamo even though I would be going right past it and would loose only about 20 minutes total. It proved to be the right choice. It's a long run to Langtry, 305 miles. I could not afford anymore delays. Over the next 5 hours or so I watched my estimated arrival time vary. It is so hard to make up that 3 or 4 minutes you loose from a stop or slow traffic. Speed limits out west are typically 75mph. That was not going to get me there on time. I pushed it a little when safe and clear. As I approached Langtry, I was already planning an alternative route. I figured that if I miss this one because of time, I would run on out to Valentine for Prada and Ft. Davis. This would add a lot of mile and time but I would be back at Langtry for the 8am opening. When I turned into the road at Langtry it was 5:05. Damn too late! As I pulled up and parked there were two other riders there just getting ready to leave. One told me they locked the door behind him. I went over to the door and banged on it hoping to sweet talk my way in for one photo. No one answered... Then I heard one of the riders call out to the lady and man that were walking away from the building out back. He said there was one more that needed a photo and would they please allow me in for just a moment. They were all too happy to oblige! Yes! They were very sweet and friendly and very happy to help me out. He even took the photo for me! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0235.jpg Getting this one done really helped my state of mind! My next bonus location is Camp Wood, Tx. There is a historical plaque there that marks the occasion of a young, 21yrs, Charles Lindberg landing in Camp Wood. Upon his take off to leave, he crash his plane into a store. He destroyed the plane and the store. This would be about 155 miles. It was dark by the time I got to Camp Wood. I had to run up and down main street a couple times to locate the marker. I did find it but the locals including an INS truck and local cop were keeping a close eye on me. I pulled up the the marker, shut down my bike and got a flashlight out to check the sign. Yep, that's the one I was looking for! As I walked back to the bike, I noticed the two officers watching intently. I got to the bike, got my camera and flag out and was going to put the bike in neutral so I could start it and use the headlight to light up the marker. I did not notice how much of an incline I was parked on and when I put it in neutral, it rolled forward and dropped hard on the left side. Damn damn double damn! In less than 10 seconds both officers where there along with a local resident that was passing by. I figured that I was about to have a lot of explaining to do. But the two officers quickly helped me upright the bike and when I said I just needed a photo of the plaque the cop asked if there was a rally going on. Cool! Didn't ask to see my license or anything! Got my photo and off I went. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0236.jpg So you see, now Charles Lindberg and I both have something in common. We both suffered an unfortunate incident in Camp Wood, Tx. Maybe when I get all famous they will erect a plaque next to Charlie's! My next bonus location is Luckenbach, Tx. This would be about 130 miles. This is where things get a little dicey. As I leave Camp Wood, I am still a bit preoccupied with the bike drop and don't really notice where my gps is taking me. I start out this lonely 2 lane road that has some good twisty curves and think to my self that this would be really fun in the light of day. As I get a bit further up the road I start to feel as though I have been here before. Then the route sign comes up and I'm on Ranch Road 337. Damn the Twisted Sisters after dark! I stop for a moment and check my gps for options. I'm too far out to turn around now so onward I go. Let me tell you this is not a road I would ever want to ride after dark even if the deer rut was not on. This run was very intense. I had to pay attention to the windy road, hills and all the critters. I lost count of the deer. I dodged hogs, skunks and coyotes. By the time I got into Leakey I was already exhausted. I had been on the road for about 15 hours and it had not been a pleasure ride. In Leakey I got on 83 and headed toward Kerrville. Along the way I tried to call Tom to let him know I would not be stopping by for my rest period. Of course the phone did not work way out in the boonies. By the time I got to Kerrville, I had had enough! I was mentally and physically zeroed out! Time to stop. I had planned a 4 hour rest but quickly decided that 6 hours would be in order. I found a hotel, checked in with cash, went to my room, set an alarm and crashed on the bed. Next thing I remember is the alarm. I felt much better. Rest will do that for you. With the extra time spent resting, I decided to skip the Luckenbach bonus. It was to locate a car license plate from Alaska that was nailed to a building out behind a biker bar on a dirt road. While I do like a challenge, I could just see myself at 6am with a flashlight wandering around behind some biker bar looking for a needle in a haystack! Pass... My next bonus location is the Throne of Magnificence in down town Austin, Tx. The plaque reads 'This is dedicated to the Magnificence that is you'. What ever... This leg is only about 105 miles. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0238.jpg When I arrive there are two other riders there. We get our photos and chat a bit. They have decided to head to one of the high point extra bonuses that were given out at the last minute. I thought about it for a couple minutes and decided that if we could score the 7000 plus points at this one, I could shorten my planned route by 3 stops. But I knew it would be risky. Ok... I'll tag along and off we go. It's only about 30 miles away. The bonus specs tells you to find a visitor to the park and have them hold your flag at the water's edge for a photo. Ok... When we get to the park and pay our $12 for entry it is explained to us that this is a nude beach. Hippy Hollow! Damn! Well there is no stopping us now. We park the bikes and grab our flags and cameras and head down to the beach. Ummmm... there are only two guys here this early in the morning and I can assure you they wanted as little to do with our cameras as we wanted to do with their nakedness! Crap, wasted time! I then saw a guy walking in with a fishing pole and cooler. Fully clothed! I sweet talked him into posing for the photos for all of us! Fred is my hero! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0240.jpg What a break! That 7600 points just shortened my route by a couple hundred miles. My next bonus location would be in Hearn, Tx. Only 90 miles away. I'm feeling much better now. This is the grave site of Rosie Moore. Yep, Aunt Jemima! The run on the dirt road was short and it was in pretty good shape because of the oil well drilling in the area. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0243.jpg My next bonus location was in northern Dallas. This leg was about 175 miles. I needed to get a photo of the service manager at a local BMW motorcycle dealer. Rupert Austin was very friendly and willing to help out. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0245.jpg Next location is the Texas Theater where Oswald was arrested after shooting JFK. This was also in Dallas and I only had to run a few miles. Oswald ducked into the theater and neglected to pay for the movie. The manager called the cops and that was how he was arrested. There is a poster of the movie that he was watching that was signed by the star and the manager at that time. The theater has since been converted into a bar. Surprisingly enough, or not, no one there knew the poster was hanging on the wall or it's significance. I took the time to explain it... http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/DSCF0248.jpg I stopped on my way to the finish to pick up a cold six pack that was also a bonus. When I arrived I had about 30 minutes remaining before penalty points started. I was elated to have completed the rally. I knew I had acquired enough point to be a 'finisher'. I only had to endure the scoring process and hope all my photos were accepted. I ended up with about 37,600 points and great satisfaction for having successfully competed my maiden rally. At the finish line. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/IMG_1431-1.jpg Margaret was there to meet me at the finish. The staff had prepared a great banquet for us and we spent the night. Sunday morning we headed home. Round trip from home was about 1650 miles with about 1360 miles on the route. It was a blast and will definitely do this again. Owen
  21. Owen

    Big Tex Rally

    Completed the BigTexRally. This was my first rally and turned out to be an adventure. What I learned was that you can plan routes and times all you want, but stuff happens and you better be able to plan on the fly! Ended up with enough point to be a 'finisher'. That was my prime goal for my first rally. Also learned that you need to look closely at the routes your mapping software chooses. For instance I would never have planned to ride one of the 'Twisted Sisters', 337 from Camp Wood, Tx up through Leakey, Tx at 10:00pm. By the time I got to Kerrville, I was whooped from dodging deer, skunks, pigs, and coyotes. I did not make it to Tom's to spend the night. I stopped in Kerrville. Round trip from Houston was 1640 miles, 1370 or so during the rally. I had a great time! You guys need to give one of these a try. Here is a photo of me arriving at the finish line. Woo Hoo!!!!! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/IMG_1431.jpg
  22. Owen

    Big Tex Rally

    I'm packing my bike now to head over to Orange, Tx which is my starting point. That 1650 mile route is a bit more ambitious than mine. This being my first rally, I didn't want to bit off more than I can chew! Good luck and ride safely twigg. See you in Dallas!
  23. Owen

    Fjr1300

    I don't miss my venture at all! You're right about fun! I certainly seem to go through tires a lot quicker. Zipcode Dave and I made a 1200 mile run a couple Saturdays ago and I was every bit as comfortable on the FJR as I was on the venture.
  24. I just purchased new tires. I checked everywhere. Best price around was jc_motorcycle_accessories on ebay for my radials. 45K feedback, free shipping. I ran E 3's on the venture and liked them just a little less than the Avon Venoms.
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