Has anyone seen....

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Years ago when I was still street riding, I found myself standing in line for Van Halen tickets with a guy in his early twenties.  Seeing the Joe Rocket two-piece that I was wearing and the Shoei RF800 in my hand, the kid launched into a tirade about how dangerous sportbikes are, and how he'd learned his lesson when he'd been really hurt in a crash.  He then informed me that I should quit riding if I knew what was good for me.
Now I was pretty sure I'd been riding motorcycles since before this kid was born, so his oration irritated me.  Looking at the kid, I noticed that he had some fairly nasty roadrash scars on his FACE.  He was really starting to get worked up, and I was really not into hearing any more of his opinions, so I asked him if he'd broken any bones in his crash.
"Uh, no.  But I've had seven surguries, and still need more!"
"For skin grafts."  (I said this as a statement, not a question.)
"That, and rebuilding the tendons in my knee."
"Which were ground away in the slide."  (Again, a statement.)
"Well, yeah."
"So if you'd been dressed like I am right now, you'd have walked away without a scratch."

The kid didn't have anything more to say to me at that point....


And honestly, there but for the grace of God go I.  I too was once the twenty-year-old doing wheelies in jeans, a dago-tee, and sunglasses.  I guess I was just luckier than he was, surviving long enough to see it happen to others and grow some common sense.  Somehow though, you just wish that these lessons didn't need to be relearned at such a high cost with every new riding season, and every new crop of riders.
Early this week I saw a handsome young black guy riding along on an R1, wearing the Joe Rocket Jordan jacket, boots and jeans.  A color-matching HJC lid was securely strapped to the bike's helmet lock, and the kid was wearing a pair of motocross goggles....

[tshort]

One wonders who took the picture.  It doesn't appear to be at a track day, so there were no trigger happy long-lens-wielding Slider types hanging around in T4 firing 8 frames per second at each bike coming around. 8)  So how do you get a pic like that?  Hmmm...

could it be...PhotoShop?  Just a thought.

(But the self-righteous pontificating it produced was worth it, I'm sure )

[Dawn]

I'm thinking it was somone on vacation.  Expecially since the shot before the one posted on the board shows her smiling and waving to the camera.

Dawn

[msbrit1]

They are at the Gap.  It's some service that they have sitting there taking photos the whole time.  The girl actually posted up somewhere and had quite a bit of roadrash and some other small things wrong...

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

I don't think that's The Gap.  It's been a few years since I've been there, but it doesn't look right.  The rain gutter alongside the road, for example.  Nothing like that at the gap.  No gravel parking area on the inside of a corner anywhere at The Gap either, and the colors of the gravel and asphalt look all wrong for North Carolina.  The Gap is all reddish-colored stone walls on one side, and a steep drop into lush green vegitation on the other side.  I'm guessing it's a California picture.

[HAWK]

I too have been to the Gap Mr. Onwiler. I however remember only frantically averting my eyes from the straight darkies leaving the pavement and running into the mountain. How the hell do you remember the color of the freeking gravel?!?        Seriously though I don't remember any areas that weren't overgrown by trees but then I wasn't doing much sightseeing.

[msbrit1]

Thats just what I was told....I thought more Cali ish when I saw it but just going by what I was told.  Mr K3 knows this stuff because he's an author and you never know when something's going to turn it to a book...or whatever.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Thats just what I was told....I thought more Cali ish when I saw it but just going by what I was told.  Mr K3 knows this stuff because he's an author and you never know when something's going to turn it to a book...or whatever.

Hey now!  No disrespect intended!  I'm just observing and speculating, not trying to bust your, uh....... hump?

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

How the hell do you remember the color of the freeking gravel?!?       

Remember Paul, I'm the one who's job it is to look over his shoulder at full-lean and see how you're doing....



Seriously though, I used to go to The Gap midweek (no cops!) and spend 2-3 days at a time there.  I know that place as well as I know any racetrack.  Hell, it WAS my first racetrack!