Sunday July 9 to Burnsville/Big Laurel and beyond

[Broz]

Hey Gents just wanted to let you know Bob is okay. For those that were not on the ride as we were going over the top of 19 W outside of Erwin TN, a deer tried to commit suicide in front of Bob's bike. It was scary to watch it unfold and more so since Bob was knocked unconscious for about 3-5 minutes and obviously suffered a concussion. Scott somehow got a 911 call out even though we didn't have cell service. It took about 20-25 minutes for the police to show up and another 5 or so for the ambulance.
Bob wanted to thank you all for your help. I have to say you guys are good to have around in a crisis. From digging around for info for the cops to picking up the pieces on the side of the road, keeping us from getting run over from oncoming traffic. All around salute to Steve, Scott and Rod. I will try and upload pics but now they are too big. Also I think it's a real good idea to share your " in-case of emergency" contact info with your riding buddies. Bob was in no shape to call Jan but fortunately I had her cell number, and he has Kim's. That goes back to my days in the Corps with 5 point contingency planning. Take care, Thanks again Gents!
Broz

[Broz]

Pics, oil was all over road due to busted head cover.

[OldButNotDead]

Hey Broz, you did a great job helping coordinate with EMS to get him headed to the hospital. Sure glad he is OK.

[Brick]

Wow, bummer! I certainly hope Bob is ok!
Yesterday was not a good day. Another riding friend Gary Lackey had a lady turn in front of him. He has something broken in his right hand stuffed up knees and lots of bruises!


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[wheaton]

Glad that the injuries are non life threatening...sounded scary. I hate to see bikes all gnarled up, but they are replaceable...people aren't. Get well soon.

[NC-Canuck]

Broz
Thanks for taking charge and heading to hospital with Bob.

Below is a picture of Bob's helmet. As you can see it took quite a beating. Good thing he had a full face helmet.




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[beachy]

man oh man that really does suck I did one of those deer bike things in 2010 and I can say no fun. Bob if there is anything I can do for you just let me know hasnt been a good year for wrecks the good thing is nobody hurt bad. The new beemer not too good though

[tireatr]

Bob, Hope you are doing well given the circumstances. You never know what hazard is waiting behind every curve.

[wheaton]

I would guess the mcy seat has been cheek pinched to death...and might smell a little funny as well. Count that as totaled.

[LeeDavis]

Damn, this has been a tough year. Hope Bob has a full and speedy recovery.

[Bob]

Lee, ain't that the truth. I guess I am luckier than some before me, as sore as I am I did not break any bones, and thankful for that. Cudda been much worse fer sure. Thanks for all the help Scott/Rod/Steve/Broz and all the well wishes. I think the bike will be totaled, I'll update on that.

Heres a few more pics from Steve-->>

[tireatr]

So did the SHP give you a ticket Bob? It seems every time I've heard of a single vehicle accident they cite the rider, adding insult to injury.

[Bob]

Wow, bummer! I certainly hope Bob is ok!
Yesterday was not a good day. Another riding friend Gary Lackey had a lady turn in front of him. He has something broken in his right hand stuffed up knees and lots of bruises!
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Any details on Gary's crash, where it happened, etc?

[Bob]

So did the SHP give you a ticket Bob? It seems every time I've heard of a single vehicle accident they cite the rider, adding insult to injury.

Nope, he was very cordial. Kinda hard to claim hooliganism when you look at the type of bike damage, deer hide embedded on the front fork, and location (no curve, it was straightaway).

[007]

So did the SHP give you a ticket Bob? It seems every time I've heard of a single vehicle accident they cite the rider, adding insult to injury.

Nope, he was very cordial. Kinda hard to claim hooliganism when you look at the type of bike damage, deer hide embedded on the front fork, and location (no curve, it was straightaway).

Sorry to hear and glad you faired OK. This has been a heck of a year, and we are hardly halfway through. It isn't too late to buy CB500s and call it a day.

I almost died in 2006 after low-siding on wet pavement on old tires (before I knew better) and long before I did anything close to what I do now from a hooligan standpoint. I woke up in the hospital after getting hit by a truck coming the other way (I wasn't even going fast enough to slide all the way across the other lane). I still question the logistics of the accident based on my injuries but no going back now. The cop came by the hospital to cite me for failure to maintain control. He tried to tell me he wanted to cite me for speeding, too, but didn't have enough for that to hold up. I was in medical school and had zero points on my license at the time so it wasn't like they were teaching a young punk a lesson. They also towed my bike to a storage lot that cost some ridiculous amount per day rather than to a motorcycle shop. If my right arm had been in one piece and it didn't hurt to breathe or move at the time, there was a good chance he would have needed a hospital bed, too. These days, I will be sure to hire a lawyer. Glad your experience went much smoother, Bob.

[Bob]

Yes you were very lucky! Thanks for relating all this, it reminded me it might be better to get BMW Roadside to tow the bike to Asheville dealer today instead of letting it languish at the towing lot, which is $30/day.

.....It isn't too late to buy CB500s and call it a day.

How does that prevent deer strikes?

[Brick]

Wow, bummer! I certainly hope Bob is ok!
Yesterday was not a good day. Another riding friend Gary Lackey had a lady turn in front of him. He has something broken in his right hand stuffed up knees and lots of bruises!
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Any details on Gary's crash, where it happened, etc?

GARY WAS COMING DOWN 181 at Silver Creek a lady in a car in the left lane just turned right directly in front of Gary. she crossed both lanes to turn into Silver Creek or whatever the name of that swimming place is. I believe he avoided hitting her but the bike got into the guard rail. It sounds like the Honda Africa Twin is a total loss.

That's as much as I know.

[Bob]

What a bummer. Glad the guard rail didnt hang a job on Gary. Tell him we said get healed soon.

[007]

Yes you were very lucky! Thanks for relating all this, it reminded me it might be better to get BMW Roadside to tow the bike to Asheville dealer today instead of letting it languish at the towing lot, which is $30/day.

.....It isn't too late to buy CB500s and call it a day.

How does that prevent deer strikes?

Maneuverability / physics. It turns and stops on a dime, skates effortlessly over broken or debris strewn pavement. It also looks and sounds like an enormous angry hornet coming around the corner. Would you step out in front of this angry little bastard? I don't think so.

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Refined boxer farting noises may not disturb the local aristocrats, but don't exactly send the message that trouble is coming. There were deer all over the place on my ride home Sunday evening but they are usually running the other direction before I even see them. If they do manage to hit me, the 500 is built like a miniature tank (minus the SW Motech handguards that crack just looking at them). Oh yeah, I don't have to pay BMW prices during rebuild, which is also cheaper than wasting money on the insurance company for comprehensive / collision. Is there any downside?

I realize this post will likely result in dodging entire herds of deer and perhaps a few escaped zebras on my next ride.

[Bob]

I realize this post will likely result in dodging entire herds of deer and perhaps a few escaped zebras on my next ride.

Wildebeests even.

[LeeDavis]

I realize this post will likely result in dodging entire herds of deer and perhaps a few escaped zebras on my next ride.

Wildebeests even.

...and squirrels, lots of squirrels.

[Buddhistbiker]

So did the SHP give you a ticket Bob? It seems every time I've heard of a single vehicle accident they cite the rider, adding insult to injury.

I agree most cops act like assholes even when pulling you for speeding. When I crashed on Piedmont road I got a ticket. The local LEO and the Trooper on this event were very professional though.


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[Bob]

So did the SHP give you a ticket Bob? It seems every time I've heard of a single vehicle accident they cite the rider, adding insult to injury.

I agree most cops act like assholes even when pulling you for speeding. When I crashed on Piedmont road I got a ticket. The local LEO and the Trooper on this event were very professional though.


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If I had gone down due to sliding on sand or gravel, I bet they would have cited me. Assholes.

[007]

I realize this post will likely result in dodging entire herds of deer and perhaps a few escaped zebras on my next ride.

Wildebeests even.

...and squirrels, lots of squirrels.

The 500 abides.

[Bob]

The RT is officially totaled, so I am back in the hunt. Shouldn't take long.

[Bob]

That was quick--identical replacement due around Aug 1.
Its on a boat somewheres.

[wheaton]

That was quick--identical replacement due around Aug 1.

NICE!

[Bob]

And I'm driving to Erwin tomorrow to de-farkle as much stuff as possible off the total-ee so I should be ready to ride again in record time.

[LeeDavis]

That's not a bad outcome other than you'd rather not be attacked by deer.

[OldButNotDead]

That was quick--identical replacement due around Aug 1.

Wow, that IS a quick turn around! Nice thing about the RT is you it is a great bike. Only thing negative thing I've seen is availability and you have that covered.

Really great that it was only a temporary interruption in ride time and no major damage to you.

[Bob]

That was quick--identical replacement due around Aug 1.

Wow, that IS a quick turn around! Nice thing about the RT is you it is a great bike. Only thing negative thing I've seen is availability and you have that covered....

I think the RT is headed for its 2nd heyday. It was all the shits from around 2000 to 2009, even though it was a pig in the twisties. But in 2010 the new Camhead GS's starting eating the Hexhead RT's lunch due to that torquey new camhead motor and the more nimble handling, and RT owners started ditching the RTs for GS's in record numbers--I was one of them in 2010. Then in 2014 the RT was redesigned using the same chassis and LC motor as the new redesigned 2013 GS, but didn't really gain much traction due to all the "adventure" hoopla for the GS's (Long Way Round, etc). I test rode the new RT in 2015 before I bought my 2015 GS and thought it was really improved. Then after riding the GS for 2 years came to the conclusion the new RT was the bike I had wished BMW would make in the first place---nimble handling like the GS and complete weather protection like the RT. And it is. But I did enjoy my GS too!

[OldButNotDead]

I had never thought of the things you mentioned in your post and it explains a lot of things. When I was riding FJR's and Triumphs I was not impressed by their performance; however, in the last year or two I noticed RT's running the twisties way better than they used to.

[Bob]

And I'm driving to Erwin tomorrow to de-farkle as much stuff as possible off the total-ee so I should be ready to ride again in record time.

Mission accomplished, thanks to 800mg ibuprofen and a 5 year old hydrocodone tablet left over from knee surgery. They still work!

Pore ole trashed RT will be at the salvage yard in Knoxville come Monday.

[Bob]

Just realized I actually took a PIC on this ride--on Tilson Mtn Rd about 10 mins before we took the bambi break-->

[wheaton]

Nice piccie.

um, you said "break".

[mabie99]

Bob;
Glad to hear you're OK but too bad about the RT. Although I've only ridden with you one time, I still monitor the ride reports when I can and see a lot of rides reported up here around Damascus, Erwin and the Snake. Just a reminder that I live in Bristol between downtown and the lake on HIGHWAY 421. I'm available as a point of contact or a dirt floor garage in the event of mishaps, rainstorms or breakdowns. 423 put this number 943 in your kit 1327 if in the area and need anything I can help With. Pat

[Bob]

Thanks Pat, always good to know!! Lets do lunch one day.