Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Motorcycle TourMagazine

Publisher Rathjen weighs in on different things pertaining to motorcycling. Sometimes a bit hard to the point and slightly abrasive, his Free Wheelin’ column is not afraid to make a stand on issues that he feels are of importance to riders and riding.

Name: Brian Rathjen • Age: 51 • Birthday: May 27

Current Rides:

Honda VFR, Kawasaki KLR 650, BMW R1200GS

Favorite quote:

If you think you can or you think you can't, you're probably right.

- Henry Ford

Blink

In a flash and a blink of an eye, in the second that passes you by.

In a flash and blink of an eye, it all can change overnight.

Blink - Ben Onono

I received this the morning of July 31st:

We are sad to report that Bruce Rossmeyer, owner of Daytona Beach Harley-Davidson and many other Harley Dealerships, died just a few hours ago in a motorcycle accident in Wyoming on his way back from a Dealers meeting in Colorado enroute to Sturgis.

A family friend said Rossmeyer was riding with several motorcyclists when they pulled out to pass a recreational vehicle. Rossmeyer was the last in line and was killed when the RV strayed into his lane, hitting his motorcycle.

In flash and a blink of an eye.

We as riders consciously have to realize that each time we get on the bike we are at risk. But, as adults we are aware of these risks and do our best to lessen them. Still even with all the practice and skill we can learn, muster and accrue bad things can happen.

My friend Larry Grodsky was one of the most talented riders I knew. He spent a lifetime teaching others how to ride safely only to be killed by a deer strike in Texas a few years back.

Blink.

Another friend, Greg McQuide, from Motorcylcist Magazine, was one of the nicest, most sincere and all around greatest guy I knew of in the industry; but it all ended suddenly at the Honda Hoot a few years back when a truck rode into his lane and ended his life. For those who knew Greg, we all still miss him and would like to be just half as real as he was.

Blink.

All three of these riders were experienced motorcyclists, yet things happened to them that were completely out of their hands.

The unthought-of variable. The unexpected. Chance. Chaos.

Blink.

I am always reluctant to have what we call "Debbie Downer / Negative Nancy" articles, but over the last weekend I personally witnessed two events that reminded me of what can happen in a blink; although, luckily for us, these both ended just okay if not happily.

Both happened in and around our Backroads Summer Squeeze and they directly involved both Shira and me.

The first was on our run to New Hampshire from Vermont for a visit to a restaurant that specialized in chocolate.

We were all gear up correctly and we all were experienced riders. But what was to happen had nothing to do with our gear or skill, as sometimes other variable come into play when were are on the road, be it other drivers on the road or something of a mechanically nature.

We had a good-sized group and even had three kids with us as passengers. Riding through Brattleboro Shira had taken point and was following her route heading east. She entered the large traffic circle, planning on taking the 3rd exit towards New Hampshire, with the rest of the group right behind her.

Riders and drivers already in the circle always have the "Right of Way," but that didn't stop the young girl, arguing with her boyfriend, from storming into the circle from Shira's right.

Shira had just put on her signal when she caught the sedan barreling right at her. She instinctively gunned the bike and the car, the driver all over the brakes, came to a screeching halt right where Shira's 919 was just a millisecond before.

For me, riding right behind her I could only think, in that one second, that I was about to watch my life get swept away from me. The rest of the group all had adrenalin spikes as well.

It was that close.

Blink - but this time we were lucky.

We would be lucky twice this trip.

On the way home we took I-84 from the Hudson River, trying to get back before the huge storms that were floating in from the west arrived.

Many times when caught behind a semi you will get all sorts of wind and buffeting. Usually we just wait till it's safe and quickly pass the truck and get into calmer breezes.

I was coming up on a large truck in the right lane and I started to get that wind vortex pushing my GS around. Okay, that happens, so I checked the left lane and signaling, pulled out to pass the truck; Shira right behind me.

As I accelerated past the semi the wind got worse - much worse and I turned it on even more to swiftly get by him.

Clearing the truck it became apparent that something else was seriously wrong. The machine was now rolling to the left and right and becoming extremely unstable.

I had a flat in the rear. At 80mph. With a semi just yards behind me, doing just slightly less.

All this just took seconds, but for me it seemed a bit longer.

Shira saw the emergency and went to get onto the shoulder. Fortunately for me the trucker also saw what was going on and did his best to scrub off speed, so as not to crush me like a bug.

At this point I was trying my best to safely slow down without low-siding, high-siding or any siding at all. Unfortunately Shira had picked the very same spot I was going to be decelerating through to stop and I had to make a slight course adjustment...while trying to slow down and not get pulverized by my friendly neighborhood truck driver.

I just scooted by Shira's bike as I crossed the rumble strips and then came to a stop down the shoulder a bit; the semi flashing by and blowing his horn.

I wasn't sure if he was conveying "good job" or "asshole" but it was good to hear as his horn Doppler shifted away. Better a horn blare than what came as close as it has come to that "Blink Moment" for me.

The point of this story is this. Things can happen that are totally out of our control. Still, with that being said, and with acknowledging that we really did have luck with us, both these events ended safely because of constant practice and years of saddle time under our belts.

But, it makes sense to diligently stay aware of our surroundings and recognize, on the roads, what can gravely hurt or even kill us.

I know I never want to hear that a friend or reader has had that final "blink" moment ever again.

Ride Often, Ride Safe, Ride Smart!