So, it's sunny and 75° in SE MI today (I know, just like the song ) Just doesn't get better. No humidity. No wind. Not a cloud in the sky. Got some house work done in the morning and the wife wants to go for a ride. So we go. Ride out to the Irish Hills Area (one of the few nice places to ride around here). Take some curvy deserted back roads, ride by a couple of the beautiful, blue lakes. Get on US-12 and enjoying the curves but it's getting heavy in the traffic department. Just past MIS, I see traffic slowing down and way more flashing lights than there should be for a minor car crash.

As we go thru the scene after getting the OK from the police directing traffic, there is a mangled Ultra Classic and a body under a sheet. And a busted up vehicle or two. Not hard to imagine what happened. Not 100% sure but it looked like a car pulled out of a driveway and the rest is history. Absolutely no reason for this. Bright, overhead sun shining.

I turned off and headed for home right then. Couldn't shake it the whole way home. Hundreds of bikes out today. I know it happens every day but I don't see it up close every day. I think I'm pissed off more than anything. Just because someone was too stupid to look properly, this guy is dead and his whole family has to deal with it and everything that goes along with it now.

I realize we all take the risk every time we go for a ride. And everything that goes along with it. I'm just imagining a guy that decides, like hundreds of other people around here, to go for a ride on the nicest day of the year by far. He was supposed to have dinner with his family tonight (assuming here). Looking forward to another summer of riding here in MI (assuming again). And some stupid bastard ruins several lives forever.

Now, I'm obviously making a lot of assumptions on this particular situation, but the exact scenario I described happens all the time.

The ride home was pretty depressing.

Yeah that sux for sure. People in cars are usually not aware of motorcycles, especially this time of year - first several nice riding days. We do all we can to bee seen and heard, but sometimes that's still not enough.

We just gotta pray for everyone out there on bikes, and pray for the people in cars too.

No doubt. All it takes is a little inattentiveness on both parties to result in a bad day.

I know this will sound callous but it happens all the time. Don't let it get in your head.

Now that I have said that, my prayers to his family and friends

Tug wrote:
I know this will sound callous but it happens all the time. Don't let it get in your head.

Now that I have said that, my prayers to his family and friends

I know man. That's why I mentioned it in my original post. Hell, I've even seen it before. Something about this one though. Maybe I'm just getting old and in touch with my own mortality or whatever.

Was planning on riding a bunch more today too. Parked it at home and took the truck for the rest of the day though

I'm new here, but I've been riding street bikes since the late 70s.
I was much younger and bolder in the 70s and 80s.

My wife used to ride with me in the mid 80's until we were nearly run over by an 18 wheeler, who decided to change lanes as I was right beside his driver's side fuel cell.
11pm on a Friday night, heading home from the Roger's Sale up St Rt 7 in Eastern Ohio.
Driving thru the truck stop area near the turnpike gate.
Guy was leaving the tire shop about 200 yds ahead on my right, I moved into the left lane to give him plenty of space.
He kept on coming left, ran me into the turning lane, and further left yet, into oncoming traffic.
I could feel pounds of my flesh being gouged in my abdominal area by wife's fingers.
My very 1st white knuckle, butt pucker experience on 2 wheels.
God himself steered us through several oncoming vehicles.
I shook like a paint shaker the rest of the way home.
My wife has not been on a bike since that night.

Her father was in his local VFD, he was called out to a cycle accident 4 miles from his home.
He picked up a helmet with the driver's head still in it.
He told us both about that wreck - ruined the wife for good.


My 2nd and 3rd wkbp experiences happened here in PA.
I was about to die via broadside hit from a Buick sedan travelling WAY over the speed limit while running a red light.
God extended my redline in 1st gear that time.

Next time was a lady in another sedan, moving from the slow lane across the fast lane, toward the turning lane in a single swift motion.
I saw that she was not looking at me, near me, for me, in any manner at all.
My right peg was in her driver's door as I ran the bike angular up onto the 8" high median.
I stopped on the median, staring at her rear view mirror to look in here eyes.
She was on a mission to beat that light so she could hit the freeway. Hitting me was not an issue for her at that moment.

I've been very lucky back in those days.
I've learned long ago to never trust what a vehicle is going to do, ahead, behind, or beside you.

To appease my wife and be a father that was alive to see his children grow, I stopped riding altogether and sold my bike in 1990, when my son was 1 year old.
I began again just last summer - my kids are 24 and 26 now.

My son lost 2 buddies and another was crippled for life, a few years ago - riding mile long wheelies on crotch rockets down the freeway.

I waited too long to get back in the saddle, but I'll not cry over time that can't be reclaimed.
It can all be gone in a twinkle - so I'll enjoy riding now, and I appreciate it more than ever.


My wife has never regained the confidence to ride again, and I had to up my life insurance greatly, before getting back on to ride.

Sorry to hear that. Just got home and it is 67, sunny and dry. Rode with some Star Riders to Vashon Island for lunch and just before we got to the ferry, there was a Valykrie on its side in a 35mph twistie area. Some one sitting up in the ambulance. Our group were conservative riders. We had a great time, saw several deer, had ice cream.

Thanks for sharing Timbo.

I know we all have stories about close calls, actual crashes, and everything in between. I sure do. Some of you may remember my crash. It'll be 3 years come early June. Hit by a truck at an intersection cause the idiot "didn't see me".

Sorry y'all had to see that. I wrecked in 95 with my wife on back. She hasn't ridden much since. I sold the bike in 2000 and never had another until I bought Whitey 2 summers ago. The first time I got my wife on back we made it only a couple miles up the road when all traffic stopped. Finally the cops waved us on and when we got to the wreck they stopped us and let cars go the other direction. We sat there as they winched a girl up the side of the mtn on a stretcher. She was wearing shorts a tank top and flip flops. She was road rash from head to toe. We took the back way home and she didn't ride again that summer. She rode 60 miles last summer. I wish I could get her out of these hills and curves sometime and get on an open road to help build her confidence.

Well, gotta take back my bad feelings for the car driver. Just got the story from the Michigan State Police. It was the riders fault. It was actually a double fatality. Most likely the rider and his wife on the back.

Still, it's typically the cars fault when there is a car/motorcycle crash. Like mine. I think that has a lot to do with my angry feelings. Every time I hear about or see a car/mc crash, I just wish there was real prison time for people who kill bikers with cages. If they are 100% at fault obviously.

Still sucks big time for everyone involved. My source got the story from central dispatch. I asked him if they were wearing helmets but that info wasn't available to him right now. Might be on MLive! In the next day or two though. Sounded like it wouldn't have mattered in this case though.