removal

[will gilmore]

At the risk of adding a somewhat negative note to this string I feel compelled to share a recent experience I had with my fellow KLR riders. A few days ago I visited my long time bow hunting buddy in Marshfield Hospital here in Wisconsin. He just got moved from intensive care after a 3 week fingernail biter. During this time, according to his attending doctor's, his heart stopped on (5) seperate occasions - he basically died, briefly each time. Soon after his heart was stablized he had his right arm and right leg amputated after major infection set-in and, it became apparent each limb was so badly damaged that they would be of no use to him anyway. His life, and the lives of his 3 school-aged children and other family members is changed forever. To say nothing of the months and years of rehab he's going to go through before he can function near to what he did before. The only miracle of all this is that he didn't experience a head injury even though he wasn't wearing a helmet. All this because of a mixture of: stupidity and/or addiction (alcohol), inexperience (no motorcycle safety course and less than 3 months in the saddle), astride one of the largest and most powerful stock motorcycles on the planet (Harley) and speeds in excess of 80 mph (in a 55 zone). In a state of drunkeness and blinding speed he attempted to pass three cars, broadsiding the one in the lead just as the driver was making a left turn off a county highway - after signaling her intentions appropriately to those close behind her. Probably everyone out there has had an experience that's made them a more defensive and safety concious rider. This is one of mine and anyone else's who might need one. Will Gilmore, Columbus, WI p.s. If anyone out there is looking for a used Viper XL climbing tree stand, Mathew's compound bow (29" draw), case, quiver, lighted sight, and a dozen carbon arrows I know someone who's selling the whole works at a reasonable price.

[ron criswell]

Bummer, that kind of wreck happens around here a lot. Guy gets the Harley he always wanted, no helmet, beers at the hangout, ........BOOM! Major bad stuff happens. A friend of my brother had one of those on his Harley he hardly ever rides but he was more fortunate, broken shoulder and ribs. But............ bad things happen even with a helmet especially if you are stupid. I saw a kid on pipe on a 750 Ninja at 8;00 AM on a 40 mph street broadside a car. They estimate he was doing 95 mph. His head went halfway through the roof on the Mercury he hit. His nifty Shoie popped off like a champagne cork on impact. He lived just a few minutes. But even if you are careful ........... I witnessed a pickup yesterday plow into the rear of a woman at a light as he was obviously distracted by something other than driving. Luckily, I was behind him on the KLR. I have been hit from the rear on a bike by a drunk. No fun, I was lucky. Helmets do work. That new Wing with the airbag may be a good idea. Criswell

On Saturday, November 5, 2005, at 04:15 AM, will gilmore wrote: > At the risk of adding a somewhat negative note to this string I feel > compelled to share a recent experience I had with my fellow KLR > riders. A few days ago I visited my long time bow hunting buddy in > Marshfield Hospital here in Wisconsin. He just got moved from > intensive care after a 3 week fingernail biter. During this time, > according to his attending doctor's, his heart stopped on (5) > seperate occasions - he basically died, briefly each time. Soon > after his heart was stablized he had his right arm and right leg > amputated after major infection set-in and, it became apparent each > limb was so badly damaged that they would be of no use to him > anyway. His life, and the lives of his 3 school-aged children and > other family members is changed forever. To say nothing of the > months and years of rehab he's going to go through before he can > function near to what he did before. The only miracle of all this is > that he didn't experience a head injury even though he wasn't > wearing a helmet. > > All this because of a mixture of: stupidity and/or addiction > (alcohol), inexperience (no motorcycle safety course and less than 3 > months in the saddle), astride one of the largest and most powerful > stock motorcycles on the planet (Harley) and speeds in excess of 80 > mph (in a 55 zone). In a state of drunkeness and blinding speed he > attempted to pass three cars, broadsiding the one in the lead just > as the driver was making a left turn off a county highway - after > signaling her intentions appropriately to those close behind her. > > Probably everyone out there has had an experience that's made them a > more defensive and safety concious rider. This is one of mine and > anyone else's who might need one. > >

[jocelynlabreche]

That could not be more true that even when you are carefull you are exposed to surprises. I just bought my second KLR, I had a Concours before and I was thinking to get back to my first love since a couple of months, let me tell you how it happened ... On october 5th, a nice sunny day, in the afternoon, there was not much traffic, I was riding back home from work on my Concours. At some point I drive over the highway via an overpass. This overpass has 2 lanes in both directions separated by a kind of sidewalk (I don't know the right english word for it, that would be a "terre-plein" in french). Then I was about halfway on the overpass, when out of the blue, I suddenly saw a wheel (from a car) flying straight at me. It was really flying ! the wheel was about 4 or 5 feets in the air and its was coming from the left straight in my direction at a good speed. It happenned so fast that I could not avoid the impact, especially since there was a 45 feet truck at my right ! So I held on tight to the grips when the full wheel hit the bike right on the engine, 4 inches in front of my leg. It was like my engine exploded ! I had a glipse of parts flying around after the impact, but as strange as it sounds I was able to keep the bike straigth and continue to a safe stop. The impact was so strong that the wheel bounced back in the other lane to hit an incoming car ! You probably guessed what happened, initially a car comming in the opposite direction lost in rear wheel, (tire, wheel, brake drum, all the works) which continued by itself, hit the middle sidewalk, jump in the air and aimed to me. The Concours had for $5600. worth of damage, but I consider myself lucky since I had a chance in a million to get out of such an accident without a single bruise. The end of this story is that the insurance paid for the repairs, but since I could not thrust anymore a bike which had its engined cracked and on top of that I was planning to get another KLR sooner or later, I trade-in the Concours for a brand-new KLR 2006 which cost me a big $257 after the exchange ! I could not be more happy, and lucky. Beware of flying wheels ! JL

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ron Criswell wrote: > > Bummer, that kind of wreck happens around here a lot. Guy gets the > Harley he always wanted, no helmet, beers at the hangout, ........BOOM! > Major bad stuff happens. A friend of my brother had one of those on his > Harley he hardly ever rides but he was more fortunate, broken shoulder > and ribs. But............ bad things happen even with a helmet > especially if you are stupid. I saw a kid on pipe on a 750 Ninja at > 8;00 AM on a 40 mph street broadside a car. They estimate he was doing > 95 mph. His head went halfway through the roof on the Mercury he hit. > His nifty Shoie popped off like a champagne cork on impact. He lived > just a few minutes. > > But even if you are careful ........... I witnessed a pickup yesterday > plow into the rear of a woman at a light as he was obviously distracted > by something other than driving. Luckily, I was behind him on the KLR. > I have been hit from the rear on a bike by a drunk. No fun, I was > lucky. Helmets do work. That new Wing with the airbag may be a good > idea. > > Criswell > On Saturday, November 5, 2005, at 04:15 AM, will gilmore wrote: > > > At the risk of adding a somewhat negative note to this string I feel > > compelled to share a recent experience I had with my fellow KLR > > riders. A few days ago I visited my long time bow hunting buddy in > > Marshfield Hospital here in Wisconsin. He just got moved from > > intensive care after a 3 week fingernail biter. During this time, > > according to his attending doctor's, his heart stopped on (5) > > seperate occasions - he basically died, briefly each time. Soon > > after his heart was stablized he had his right arm and right leg > > amputated after major infection set-in and, it became apparent each > > limb was so badly damaged that they would be of no use to him > > anyway. His life, and the lives of his 3 school-aged children and > > other family members is changed forever. To say nothing of the > > months and years of rehab he's going to go through before he can > > function near to what he did before. The only miracle of all this is > > that he didn't experience a head injury even though he wasn't > > wearing a helmet. > > > > All this because of a mixture of: stupidity and/or addiction > > (alcohol), inexperience (no motorcycle safety course and less than 3 > > months in the saddle), astride one of the largest and most powerful > > stock motorcycles on the planet (Harley) and speeds in excess of 80 > > mph (in a 55 zone). In a state of drunkeness and blinding speed he > > attempted to pass three cars, broadsiding the one in the lead just > > as the driver was making a left turn off a county highway - after > > signaling her intentions appropriately to those close behind her. > > > > Probably everyone out there has had an experience that's made them a > > more defensive and safety concious rider. This is one of mine and > > anyone else's who might need one. > > > > >

[Richard L Gorbell]

How can I remove my e-mail address from this group? Thanks Rick Gorbell