Just a Biker

[Vaquero]

JUST A BIKER

I saw you; hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line. But you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.

I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But you didn't see me playing Santa at the local Mall.


I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant when you saw my bike parked out front. But you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the cyclone relief.

I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I rode by. But you didn't see me riding behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.

I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children. But you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.

I saw you stare at my long hair. But you didn't see me and my friends cut it off for cancer research.

I saw you roll your eyes at our Leather jackets and gloves. But you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old ones to those that had none.

I saw you look in fright at my tattoos. But you didn't see me cry as my children where born or have their name written over and in my heart.

I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere. But you didn't see me going home to be with my family.

I saw you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be. But you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.

I saw you yelling at your kids in the car. But you didn't see me pat my child's hands knowing she was safe behind me.

I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road. But you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.

I saw you race down the road in the rain. But you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.

I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time. But you didn't see me trying to turn right.

I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in. But you didn't see me leave the road.

I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass. But you didn't see me. I wasn't there.

I saw you go home to your family. But you didn't see me. Because I died that day you cut me off.

I was just a biker. A person with friends and a family. But you didn't see me.

Repost this around in hopes that people will understand the biker community.

If you don't repost this, it sucks to be you. I hope you never lose someone that rides.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE US, RESPECT OUR RIGHTS TO RIDE WHAT WE CHOOSE AND TAKE A FEW EXTRA SECONDS TO BE SURE WE ARE NOT IN 'YOUR' WAY

RP

[BrokenolMarine]

I hope a lot of folks take the time to read this all the way through... I don't ride anymore, haven't for years. Just because of an incident where an old woman in a brand new late 70s caddy pulled out in front of me in the rain, and nearly killed me. I was 18, and she looked RIGHT into my eyes before she pulled across my lane and stopped, waiting to turn left. As I skidded toward her, the bike leaning back toward me, my left foot sliding on the wet oily pavement, she looked in horror at the blank helmet covered face. I'd bet she wasn't worried about me... but the damage the bike was going to do to her brand new caddy with the dealer's invoice still pasted to the window behind her. Luckily the car in the oncoming lane stopped and blew the horn and she pulled clear at the last second.

My last year working patrol, one of our Motor Patrol Officers was working a funeral. He had just finished blocking one intersection, and was pulling ahead of the line of cars to block the intersection coming up about a half mile ahead when a Van in the line of the funeral procession ahead stops for some reason, and waves a flat bed wrecker on a side street through through the line of stopped traffic. The wrecker zips through the line of cars into the path of the motor officer, and the bed of the wrecker decapitates the officer.

I've often thought these days of getting another bike to tour the lonely mountain roads where we live. The scenery is beautiful and the colors in the fall are amazing. Then we'll be riding along in the truck and another driver will pull out in front of the full sized Titan, talking on their cell and we'll have to lock the brakes to keep from hitting them. Nope, don't need a bike.

[Vaquero]

Thanks for your post Broken.
I still ride, and I see all kinds of IDIOTS on the road.
Our work vehicle is a F250 Ford with a 18' trailer with ladders walk boards and such.
Some will pull right in front of you like ya ain't even there.

Getting less and less safe out on the roads.

RP

[Henry88]

I probably live in the biker capitol of the world. They're good people, would take them anytime.

I'll tell ya, this would be a tough place for an invading army with all the bikers, vets, rednecks (black and white) and fishermen.

Here's one for the bikers........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ7HY5jvib0

[BigAl52]

I still ride both kinds of bikes. They do the same to me on a bicycle. Ride a bicycle about 130 miles a week out there on the street. People are idiots! no thats givin some to much credit. Ive been flipped off yelled and screamed at to get off the road among other things. Better check your drivers manuals people bicycles do have a right on the road. Still ride a motorcycle to . Have for a lot of years. Thought about givin it up because of the one thing that has poisoned society. CELL PHONES. Im gonna ride that motorcycle till I cant walk anymore. I just like it to much to give it up. Theres just something about that freedom I feel on 2 wheels. Good on ya Vaquero for posting that. If Daytime Dave had a wave in the emcotions box Id send it your way

[Lyman]

Ridden Bikes most my life. I got knocked off one of my E-glides a few years back. 70mph on the freeway and some joker loses his mattress off his truck. It hit right above my fairing a like a ton of bricks. I now have a plate with 12 screws in my right arm and a few pins going through my right knee joint. I tumbled from 70mph to dead stop. My bike was a half mile down the road. Made the local news here in San Diego. The Black one is no longer with us.

two bikes.jpg (79.61 KiB) Viewed 2993 times

[Les]

That was very poignant, Vaquero - thanks for posting it.

[Vaquero]

That was very poignant, Vaquero - thanks for posting it.

Your welcome sir.
I didn't write it, a former member of MO,
OZ from Australia wrote it.
He was an avid motorcycle rider and loved his family.
Cancer took him year before last.

RIP Mark

RP

[Vaquero]

I still ride both kinds of bikes. They do the same to me on a bicycle. Ride a bicycle about 130 miles a week out there on the street. People are idiots! no thats givin some to much credit. Ive been flipped off yelled and screamed at to get off the road among other things. Better check your drivers manuals people bicycles do have a right on the road. Still ride a motorcycle to . Have for a lot of years. Thought about givin it up because of the one thing that has poisoned society. CELL PHONES. Im gonna ride that motorcycle till I cant walk anymore. I just like it to much to give it up. Theres just something about that freedom I feel on 2 wheels. Good on ya Vaquero for posting that. If Daytime Dave had a wave in the emcotions box Id send it your way

Dangit Al, 130 miles, way to go.
Haven't ridden a bicycle in a few years, but
I love the scooter fer sure,
gonna ride til I can't hold it up.
Nothing like just cruising down the rode in the open air.
Kinda like a fast horse.
Keep the shiny side up.

Hey, is Teach still riding??

RP

[PT7]

Wow, Lyman, that was some crash, with your cycle ending up a 1/2 mile away, and your arm and knee racked up!
Glad you are okay, and telling us that story today.

I'm a former biker, rode a lot of country roads mostly in KS, some in MO, on a Honda CB900 cruiser. That was a lot of years ago. Today, I'd like to ride again, but as has been noted so far in this thread, getting tougher to stay safe on the road. So I'll stick to having a car surround me as I tool down the highway!
PT7

Ridden Bikes most my life. I got knocked off one of my E-glides a few years back. 70mph on the freeway and some joker loses his mattress off his truck. It hit right above my fairing a like a ton of bricks. I now have a plate with 12 screws in my right arm and a few pins going through my right knee joint. I tumbled from 70mph to dead stop. My bike was a half mile down the road. Made the local news here in San Diego. The Black one is no longer with us.
two bikes.jpg

[Mags]

.
Nasty mash up. After recovering, did you get back in the saddle with the second?

Ridden Bikes most my life. I got knocked off one of my E-glides a few years back. 70mph on the freeway and some joker loses his mattress off his truck. It hit right above my fairing a like a ton of bricks. I now have a plate with 12 screws in my right arm and a few pins going through my right knee joint. I tumbled from 70mph to dead stop. My bike was a half mile down the road. Made the local news here in San Diego. The Black one is no longer with us.
two bikes.jpg

[Lyman]

.
Nasty mash up. After recovering, did you get back in the saddle with the second?

Ridden Bikes most my life. I got knocked off one of my E-glides a few years back. 70mph on the freeway and some joker loses his mattress off his truck. It hit right above my fairing a like a ton of bricks. I now have a plate with 12 screws in my right arm and a few pins going through my right knee joint. I tumbled from 70mph to dead stop. My bike was a half mile down the road. Made the local news here in San Diego. The Black one is no longer with us.
two bikes.jpg

Yeah, I just sold it a while ago as i was getting money together for a down payment on a house. I miss riding.

[Mags]

.
Glad you were able to saddle up again. My sympathy in selling it.

.
Nasty mash up. After recovering, did you get back in the saddle with the second?

Ridden Bikes most my life. I got knocked off one of my E-glides a few years back. 70mph on the freeway and some joker loses his mattress off his truck. It hit right above my fairing a like a ton of bricks. I now have a plate with 12 screws in my right arm and a few pins going through my right knee joint. I tumbled from 70mph to dead stop. My bike was a half mile down the road. Made the local news here in San Diego. The Black one is no longer with us.
two bikes.jpg

Yeah, I just slid it a while ago as i was getting money together for a down payment on a house. I miss riding

[Lyman]

I will find another Bagger when funds allow for it.

[RanchRoper]

I have never ridden a motorcycle, however I can understand your concerns. Sometimes I ride along roads with my horses, either moving cattle, going to cattle or coming back from cattle. Most are courteous, but not all. Some like to blow the horn. These are generally 3 types:
1. Those who know me and figure they'll say "hi" with their car horn
2. Those who don't know me but like it that they see a cowboy horseback
3. Those who want to see me get bucked off

Luckily my horses are immune to it, but still....a little common sense please.

[BigAl52]

Never honked a horn at a person on a horse but I have waved at some girls on horses and got a not so favorable response.

[BrokenolMarine]

The last bike I rode, was a trike, the pedal kind, a racer, my Catrike 700.

angels 7 can fly.jpg (220.36 KiB) Viewed 2222 times

I live out in Farm Country and used to log a lot of miles training for a big ride.

Farm Country.jpg (105.12 KiB) Viewed 2222 times

I had a special friend to watch my back, but he was there in spirit.

02 of course garfield got my back.jpg (145.16 KiB) Viewed 2222 times

I rode ten to fifteen miles a day when I trained, not bad for a brokenolMarine, but there were days when I exceeded that. The last day I rode before heading up for the big ride, I logged 28 miles in 2:40.

starting the Marathon in 2014.jpg (153.21 KiB) Viewed 2222 times

After I fell and shattered the right femur, there was always hope I'd ride the trike again, but after about two years of the my highly customized race trike sitting idle, I finally let it go to someone who would give it some use. With all the additions there was about $4,500 sitting in the boathouse doing nothing. I had upgraded the gearing, electronics, chain tracking, tires, horn, racks, better pedals and clips, improved seating and headrest, speedometer and computer, and more.

When I rode, most folks would see the bright flags and move over, see the Marine Flags and give a light tap on the horn and toss me a salute as they passed. There were a few however, who wouldn't move over, but would cut by at 55mph close enough that I could have reached out and touched the car. A violation of VA state law, and Reckless Endangerment. If seen by law enforcement they could be charged with a felony if judged as intentional and with malice.

One old man in a pickup laid on the horn and actually ran me off the road. After that incident, I rode with a video camera mounted on the trike. Sad comment on today's attitudes. One day, on a particularly long ride, a women pulled her van off the road fifty yards ahead. Her son jumped out and came running back towards me. He was carrying one of my marker flags which had fallen out of the mount on the back of the trike unnoticed. Made my week. There are some good folks left.

[BigAl52]

Those cat trikes are cool I see a lot of them on the trail I ride all the time. There popular with the older folks and I always give them the right of way. The trail path is a little over 6 foot wide so there is plenty of room for them. I think they have a small club of members here locally I often see them in bunches. There is one couple that have some in the lime green color and you can see them coming from along ways away. Its my favorite color as I wear the same color on 2 wheels. The trail I ride is nice goes thru some scenic country where one sees turkey,deer,snakes,racoon,and fox. Even had a moose out there this year wandering around in the corn fields. 21 miles long makes for a good ride for me. To bad your cannot still be out there marine sure do get alot of thinkin time on 2 wheels.

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks, BigAl. I really held out as long as I could and hoped for a shot at it, but it just didn't turn out the way I had planned. The damage to the leg was extensive. The worst part is that the wrong pressure applied could cause a major failure and they might not be able to fix er back up. It was a risk that the doc and I just weren't ready to take.

I gave the buyer a GREAT price on the trike and HE drove down from New England to pick up the trike. Maybe I was asking WAY too little.

[markiver54]

JUST A BIKER

I saw you; hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line. But you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.

I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But you didn't see me playing Santa at the local Mall.


I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant when you saw my bike parked out front. But you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the cyclone relief.

I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I rode by. But you didn't see me riding behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.

I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children. But you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.

I saw you stare at my long hair. But you didn't see me and my friends cut it off for cancer research.

I saw you roll your eyes at our Leather jackets and gloves. But you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old ones to those that had none.

I saw you look in fright at my tattoos. But you didn't see me cry as my children where born or have their name written over and in my heart.

I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere. But you didn't see me going home to be with my family.

I saw you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be. But you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.

I saw you yelling at your kids in the car. But you didn't see me pat my child's hands knowing she was safe behind me.

I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road. But you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.

I saw you race down the road in the rain. But you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.

I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time. But you didn't see me trying to turn right.

I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in. But you didn't see me leave the road.

I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass. But you didn't see me. I wasn't there.

I saw you go home to your family. But you didn't see me. Because I died that day you cut me off.

I was just a biker. A person with friends and a family. But you didn't see me.

Repost this around in hopes that people will understand the biker community.

If you don't repost this, it sucks to be you. I hope you never lose someone that rides.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE US, RESPECT OUR RIGHTS TO RIDE WHAT WE CHOOSE AND TAKE A FEW EXTRA SECONDS TO BE SURE WE ARE NOT IN 'YOUR' WAY

RP

Was going way back today reading some posts.
Randy ( Vaquero ) posted this back before I joined. Thought it was a good one to bring back.