OPINIONS!

I wrote a post the other day "Road Rash Finally-Unfortunately" about the wreck I had last week . I did it while I was sitting around here recuperating, talking to percosets and pain. While I admit I am not very eloquent with words and probably didn' t paint a good picture of the wreck, I did take Smokey's personal after looking back at it a few times. Now that I keep looking back at it feel like I will make my last post on here. I have been riding bikes off and on since 91 but have put over 40,000 miles on my Suzuki Marauder vz800 and my VTX1300R for the last six years and I didn't know it was Smokey"s responsibility on this site to question people's ability to ride. I guess he is the only expert rider out here, oh except for the couple times the vtx washed out from under him on the sand and gravel. I guess you can't see sand and gravel as good as you can running over a dog. Not sure if it was so much his ability to manuever as it was his response time to react. I will say that I had enjoyed this site even though I didn't post very much. I did go on this site at least every night reading and learning about different subjects. I did take Smokey's advice and go on youtube and check some of the videos of bikes hitting animals, some did okay,some not okay. Also what I did learn is not to lock down on the front brakes where the front of your bike is pointed downward so if you do impact the deer you will most likely be jacked. I do see your point but talking to alot of different bikers of all kinds of bikes they all came to the same conclusion I did and that is every situation is different and you have to take all the experience that you have acquired either thru riding or from information from other riders and put it in those couple of seconds and to react accordingly. Could I have saved the bike from wrecking by throttling thru? It's possible. But given the steep ditch and the woods while I was in a curve, hitting the deer and possible veering off into the woods did not seem to me to be the best solution. I didn't want to be a repeat of my 22 year old cousin that did that very thing and died last Easter. Take from this what you will and at least Ride Safe! T J

TJ, I didn't see what Smokey said as a put down of your skills or your ability to ride. I saw it as I see most of the posts around here. Knowing what I know of Smokey, he would not post a put down out in the open, if he had something negative to say he would do it in a PM. Going back and rereading the last 2 lines I qoute "Look forward to sharing the wind some day.
Sorry if this rant hits as personal, it is not intended as such. Intended as a learing tool." Seems like he was offering information based on his experience. No 2 riders have ever had the same thing happen to the exactly the same way. Even riding side by side you see thing from a different perspective.
If you choose to leave us, your input will be missed.

Jerry

Sorry TJ....I didn't know! Listen right or wrong, writing on a board take everything personal out of a conversation and is left up to the person reading to decide what someone has written regardless of the character that wrote it. I have been miss understood on forums...hehehehe I know, I know, hard to believe huh??? Heck if you ever seen me and Smokey write each other, you would think we wanted to kill each other. I want Smokey for my friend because I can tell you this that if a fight broke out and every one ran, I know he would still be standing there with me! Don't have many friends like that!

I know Smokey personally and have ridden with him many times and this I can tell you! He has the biggest heart for riding and the people who ride of anyone that I know! He cares a ton for people and has been awarded for saving someones life and received his companies highest award. Now this is not to toot his horn. But maybe just a miss communication of some sorts!

Don't take it that way and we all have bad days....like hitting dogs! Heck, I have been down twice, so I don't think anyone is questioning you riding ability! I haven't followed the thread, but I can assure you....that's not what Smokey meant.

.......................bobby

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When you talk to someone face to face you get feedback, nonverbal, gestures and fluctuations that help you understand the full meaning of a thought.
BUT when you write things down you only have words that can be easily misunderstood . That is why it takes 1000 pages of text to do anything in the government , and that is just to order a fuel pump for an aircraft. Whet do you think it is like to get South Korea to allow us to fly a training mission over there coast.
Misunderstanding is so easy to do here , I myself like to joke around and pick on people, not to be mean but to make people smile . for the longest time I have been picking on Twin about the empty box he sent to one of our riders by mistake. We pick on him all the time . As far as that goes every picture of BadMoon that was on here was of him with a scowl on his face , I picked on him about it and if you read it the wrong way it sounds like I don't like him and was putting him down , I was just joking around, he and Twin both have a great sense of humor, but it could have been taken the wrong way.
I have read the reply Smokey sent and I don't think he was doing anything other then trying to help you and any other people that read the posts here,.
I feel everyone has knowledge that can be passed on and that everyone has something to learn. I am sorry that you feel like he was trying to tell you whet you should have done but I think that it could be read ether way, advice is just that advice , (if you have black ice on the road drive strait) it sounds good but I am not there , the driver is and he has to think and do whet he feels is best in that situation , a curve , cars , dog and all the other things going on at the time.
Defensive driving is a state of mind not just a bunch of "whet if's" things to do.
THIS IS MEANT NOT TO CRITICIZE BUT TO HELP
No one on this site wants to offend anyone, we do want to help if we can.
HORSE (Jonathan)

TJ ….I read Smokey’s post and let me say a few things.

I agree with all the other posters that have posted ahead of me. Just like Twin, I’ve ridden with Smokey too. I know that he is the guy I’d want beside me if a fight broke out or if I was injured and need of first aid or a million other situations. He is a true friend. He would never hesitate just react to the situation as he has planned in his mind time and time again.

The first time I met Smokey he got me a day off with pay to go riding with him. I asked about taking an early and extended lunch hour and the owner of the company asked what we were going to do and we said “eat and ride”. She said it looks like a beautiful day for that and gave me the rest of the day off with pay.

I was new to riding and Smokey was riding 2-up way better than I could ride alone. Let’s just say I almost ended up as a hood ornament twice trying to ride my machine like he did his. Afterward Smokey and I talked about how I could be a better rider.

The last time I saw Smokey we spent about 2 hrs. In a parking lot after dinner with Smokey proving to me that all the talk he had been talking he could back it up. I said it couldn’t be done on my bike and Smokey proved me wrong. He got on my ride and showed me. He and Twin are the only people that I've ever let ride my bike. There are some handling differences from the C to the R because of the setup but he rode it like he rides his C. He showed me technique after technique; he did it on my bike to prove to me that it could be done.

T3REBEL wrote:I did take Smokey's personal after looking back at it a few times. Now that I keep looking back at it feel like I will make my last post on here.

I agree with Horseman ….. You should go back and look at the last 2 lines.


There’s so much more I could say but in closing….

This forum was created to get away from Trolls and the likes of them. I’m know Smokey & he’s a man I’m proud to call my friend. I’m sure he never meant to step on your toes, UNLESS stepping on your toes meant the possibility of saving your life someday…..well I know he’s the kind of guy that would look you dead in the eye and stomp the shit out of your toes.

Just my .02

Welcome to the Madness,
Muntz

TJ
I hate that you took my post as personal. Again I assure you it was not meant to be.
First I want to address your digs on me and my riding, not to start a pissing match but to enlighten you and others. The time my scoot washed the front end out on the sand and gravel I had been back on a bike for about 2 months after a 20 year hiatus, I posted that little screw-up as a reminder to all that it happens, look out for it. All my other screw-up’s are all my fault. Pushing my machine past it's point and on occasion there have been outside factors involved but all I ingested on my own free will . You will not find a more honest guy about anything in my life than I am and that includes my screw-ups. Just ask Cassie she can vouch for me that I am open about it.
My post in response to you and your post was more of a theory about riding strategies and techniques than anything else. Since I bought my VTX I have become a very serious student of the art of motorcycling. As such I am involved in 6 different motorcycling forums and I read everything I can find about motorcycling. Cassie again can vouch for me being full of useless information but I also have a lot of good stuff stored in my head. When I have the opportunity to disseminate that information I tend to do it. I do so as I see appropriate at the time. If I feel I have knowledge that will benefit others on 2 wheels I throw it out there
I take the art of motorcycling to an obsessive level, living, riding and enjoying it to the fullest. I take it to almost religious proportions. There is nothing more important to me than the fellowship and brotherhood of the ride than my immediate family. As you can see by some of the posts ahead of me some of the guys on here that respect me and my riding efforts are more than 700 miles away from me.
The reason for this is that I have gone out of my way to ride with and meet these guys. Several times.
I hate that you have taken it personally when I was truly just trying to share information and my own experience with you and all on this forum. As one of a few people to hit a 70 pound animal and keep it on 2 wheels I truly believed I had some valuable input to share. Trust me Brother there was no personal or malicious intent involved in any of my posts. The only ornery or almost personal attacks you will ever catch from me are directed towards the few “friends” I have met on here and they are all in good fun. And always sent with a heart in love with the motorcycling world.
If you must depart this forum because you feel slighted, or slammed . Please reconsider as that is not the case. The information I shared id my opinion and experience and was shared for information only and never meant to disrespect anyones actions or circumstances.

Looking forward to sharing the wind

See you out there
Smokey

T3Rebel,
Having read both your post and Smokey's post several times, I am trying to find anything in the two that would have anything but helpful information in both of them. This may be a little lenthy, but please bear with me as I am trying to understand why you would write "your last post on this board" when Smokey was offering a helping hand with his having experienced the same unfortunate experience as you. After having ridden scooters since I was 13 (am now 53) I thot I needed some more advanced training. My wife bought me the video "How to ride like a pro IV" by Jerry "Motorman" Paladino and that info has helped me tremendously. He showed me things I've been doing wrong an I didn't even know it!!!!! He did to me what Smokey and all the other posters did for you. And after all these years, I'm still learning. When I stop learning, its time to put the bike up. I am grateful for friends who have helped me over the years to be a better student of the two wheel experience. Yes, I've been down many times, and the LORD has allowed me to still be here. My Dad says, "It's a matter of when, not if, when you crash". All you can do is try to "mimimize" the impact or "try" to avoid it alltogether. I don't know Smokey or any of the other posters on this board (I hope that will change in the future, to include yourself) but you did what many others wouldn't have done. Admitted you wrecked your bike on a public board. Many wouldn't have the cajones to post that. You did and it is a way of healing, also. You are in the majority, having had that experience. Your "brothers and sisters" all said they were grateful that GOD spared your life to ride another day and to continue to be a good husband and father. This is a humbling experience and when experienced riders like Smokey, Twin 1300 and all the others who replied, wished you well, those are "friends" and I don't believe for a minute they would have wanted to be in your shoes at that moment, but would have traded places with you, had they had the opportunity to take the hit instead of you. Think about the friends who offered their advice and kind words and please reconsider. Thanks for listening and I too, hope to share the wind with you all one day. Semper-fi Mike