What did you do on or to your other bike part 2

[the Ferret]

What Cormanus said.

Man, I'm glad I don't have that "conditional visual perfection syndrome" lol

 

[Gone in 60]

I’m fine. We discussed some business strategy and new riders, and my jitters dissipated quickly for the long ride home in heavy Friday traffic.

He was glad I got a chance to try the airbag in a non-emergency situation and suggested that we have all of the riders try it. The “driveway test” has become a useful part of the initial assessment for potential new riders but I’m reeeeeaallly looking forward to moving to a shop on level ground soon.

 

[pdedse]

Glad you averted injury! Those things happen so quickly sometimes. I went over the left side handlebar last week on my klx300 out in the boonies, going down a fairly steep, rutted hill with 2-3" loose gravel patch, front tire hits the rut, and in a seemingly nano-second I'm on the groud wondering what happened.

I hope you get access to that dedicated shop soon. Maybe tell your boss to meet you at the bottom of the drive until then!

 

[The A-man]

Talk about it being a small world... I'm in Edinburgh Scotland on a tour bus today and I saw a bike covered in bright yellow decals coming toward the bus. Rider was all dressed in yellow also and I see "Blood" written on the decals. I immediately thought of Gone. First time I've ever seen anything like it. Plus, it was a BMW. All happened too fast to get a photo!

 

[Cormanus]

Gone's like Chickenman: he's everywhere!

 

[Gone in 60]

Gone's like Chickenman: he's everywhere!

Yeah, I popped over to Scotland for the day. Just flew home and will catch a quick nap before the DGR tomorrow morning.

Our boss is Irish and says you see blood bikes all over Scotland, Ireland and England.

Sorry to hear about your “off” Pdedse. Hope you didn’t pull or twist any that doesn’t want to be pulled or twisted!

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I hope you get access to that dedicated shop soon.  Maybe tell your boss to meet you at the bottom of the drive until then!

Ha! We have three part-time riders who come to the boss’ house, leave their bikes, grab a blood bike and return it at the end of the day. 

Two leave their personal bikes on the street at the bottom of the hill. One is brave enough to ride to the top, and he’s on a big Harley. For his efforts, I’ve noticed that the boss has given his bike garage privileges…

 

[rdprdp01]

Today, charging up the driveway, one of the cars was more askew than I was used to, and I tried to course-correct half-way up. I felt the bike lean over to the downhill side, and realized that if I stayed in the throttle, I'd hit a car. I made the futile effort to stop to get a better approach, but she was already leaning too far over, and the steep hill didn't give me a place to put my left foot to stabilize. I kept a grip on the throttle and the clutch until right before I did a tuck-and-roll to get away in case the bike rolled over completely down the hill. From inside the house, the boss heard an engine zing to the moon, followed by a loud THUD.

I rolled and stood up, but my neck was frozen and I couldn't move my head. I thought surely I had hit my head on the ground, hard. The boss came out and after a chuckle, said "So, how do you like the airbag vest? Pretty effective, eh?" I didn't even realize it, but rolling away from the bike, I yanked the tether for the airbag, which puffed up on my chest and back, and put a solid tube from my shoulders locking into the bottom of my helmet. I hadn't hit my head, the airbag kept my neck from moving. Happened so fast, I didn't even realize it. 

Gn6, the entire Forum is thankful that this mishap ended up as a relatively minor event. You were not lucky. You were prepared.

The National Safety Council estimates that 20% of all motorcycle accidents occur in parking situations. A fall under 10 mph can often cause fractures, joint separations, and severe soft-tissue damage. But because you are an experienced rider who was wearing a proper helmet, motorcycle boots, an airbag, an abrasion-resistant jacket, and motorcycle gloves while riding a well-maintained motorcycle with crash bars, you ended up with only a great story. It is an outstanding way to celebrate Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by setting a good example and sharing your experience! Take care and enjoy the Gentlemen's Ride. David

 

[Gone in 60]

Thanks, David! I did, however, set a rather poor example yesterday when I rode the DGR in a dress shirt, dress pants and tweed vest, and in the same outfit rode through traffic to mid-town L.A. for a burrito before using four different freeways to make the 45 mile ride home...

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Things are really getting busy in the medical delivery world! I'm a bit torn... I'm outfitting all of the bikes, which takes time in my garage, but we're getting more and more delivery orders, which is keeping me, our fleet and other riders on the road. Today, my pickups both had patient cancellations, so I was able to hightail it for home and finish off this one. Decals are complete, auxiliary brake light, spot lights up front with flashers, louder horn, cameras are mounted and cables routed, and the headlight bulbs are upgraded to LEDs. 

She's ready to rock!

 

[rdprdp01]

I prayed for you at Church after the moment. The angels were watching over you while you were appropriately dressed in classical gentlemen riding attire. Back to kevlar and body armor for you, my friend. David

 

[Gone in 60]

I prayed for you at Church after the moment. The angels were watching over you while you were appropriately dressed in classical gentlemen riding attire. Back to kevlar and body armor for you, my friend. David

David, I appreciate the prayers for safety more than I can say! Thank you my friend.

I do need to face that driveway again this afternoon... Maybe I need more prayers. Now that this bike is complete, I'll drop it off at the boss' house after my delivery runs and pick up another bike that needs a few more farkles and service. Analyzing the fall, I took the wrong approach. I stayed to the right to try to get a better sight line of the cars at the top of the driveway, but that put me in the steepest part - the part where Mrs. G's car just spun its wheels trying to get up. I thought that line was a good idea, but that was clearly a mistake.

 

[Gone in 60]

They say “Everything happens in threes”.

If that’s the case, I should be good from now on. I had the dump in the boss’ driveway Friday afternoon. That was #1.

I didn’t mention #2… Friday night, after dropping off my medical bags to make room in the storage box, I needed to pick up some jackets and vests I had dropped off at a tailor to have our logo patches sewn on. Rolling out of my driveway, maybe I still had a few jitters from earlier. I lost my footing and the bike tilted to the right. I just backed away from it and let it rest on the right crash bars.

I was a bit tired at that point and couldn’t get her back up. I got a floor jack out of the garage as a friendly Amazon delivery person walking past asked if she could help. I had her squeeze the front brake so the bike wouldn’t roll as I jacked it up to the point that I could lift the rest of the way.

Good thing our crash bars are already scraped up. I doubt I added any noticeable new ones.

And this morning, rolling the bike forward to load up for the day, I again lost footing and she tilted over. I gently let the side box rest against the back bumper of the car. Hopped over the bike and got her back up. No damage to bike or car.

So, that’s three things. I should be good to go from now on!

 

[pdedse]

Yep, you are forbidden to have any more incidents!

 

[Cormanus]

Agreed.

 

[Wisedrum]

Mounted leather saddlebags on my W800. They were reduced from 170€ to 120€ and I like them.

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[pdedse]

The saddlebags look very sharp and appropriate for the bike, nice!

 

[Wisedrum]

They would also fit the CB very nicely. A member of the German CB-Forum uses them with the CB. I have a different pair of leather saddlebags on my CB for many years, which I bought together with a used Honda Shadow C3. When I sold the motorbike I kept them.

 

[Gone in 60]

Those are very nice looking saddle bags!

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Managed to get a photo today of both of my jobs!

 

[pdedse]

Maybe one day the museum will take in one of the Blood Bikes after you all become famous : ) I can imagine you giving a tour: "And this is the very first bike that was used to deliver blood in the greater LA area...I'm told the decals were especially applied with loving care by the first Blood Dude, and he went on to deliver X liters of blood in his delivery days..."

 

[peterbaron]

Maybe one day the museum will take in one of the Blood Bikes after you all become famous : )  I can imagine you giving a tour: "And this is the very first …

Pdedse, are you suggesting that our Gone will end up in the museum as well… or just his bike..?

 

[Gone in 60]

Ha! Well, I am "In the museum" quite a bit, I'm just not stuffed and standing still. I'm spouting minutiae about old cars and motyorcycles to anyone who will pay to listen. 

I have made multiple attempts to get the Petersen to put my CB1100 on display, if not in the main motorcycle gallery, at least in the vault parked among the other cars and bikes.
It's a veiled attempt to get free, secure indoor parking for my baby where I can have access to it at any time, but I do make the point that it is an iconic, historic milestone for Honda. They'd rather display what they think are the historic and iconic Hondas, like the first Cub model imported to the U.S., the Dream, etc.

I have a new delivery location picking up at a hospital in Beverly Hills, and depending on the routing, it sometimes takes me past the museum. 
This isn't the ideal photo spot to get a motorcycle framed with the very recognizable Petersen building. The "money shot" is caddy-corner across Wilshire and Fairfax like the one shown here. This means pulling your bike up onto the curb in front of the long-closed, but historically protected Johnnie's restaurant. Recently Johnnie's has been refurbished to use as a venue for rotating art exhibits, so they frown upon motorcycles blocking their door.