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PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 6:31 am 
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Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2003 8:46 am
Posts: 215
Location: Alpine, UT
I'd be interested in reading some of the hair raising tales I'm sure all of you have.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:33 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2004 9:47 pm
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Location: Santa Rosa, CA
1972 Barstow to Vegas finish line. Lying on the ground pucking my guts out when a buddies girlfriend walks up with a friend of hers in tow. her friend says hi, I hurl, seven months later we were engaged.

Now that's hairraising! :shock: :shock: :lol:




(never did get hitched though.)


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 11:59 pm 
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Location: Santa Rosa, CA
OK, how about this one (since no one else is jumping in)

1970 SoCal Hare & Hound near Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave desert. Riding a 250 Bultaco Pursang. Coming through the pits pretty fast, see my clubs banner about a quarter mile ahead so I tweak it up wide open. All of a sudden the next thing I know I'm airborne going end over end. As the bike and I are making revolutions about 30 feet in the air I see this camper truck looming closer and closer on each revolution. Figure I was gonna splatter myself all over it. Then it was one of those sky, ground, sky, ground, sky, ground, ground, ground things. Finally came to rest in the middle of pit row bent around the bike like I was a yoga master. My leg was at a really odd angle and I figured it was busted. My left arm is wrapped around the swing arm and the engine is still revving full tilt. Chain is having a hayday with my jersey and skin. I hear everyone screaming and running around like the proverbial headless chicken. Someone gets the engine shut off.

OK, there I am twisted like a pretzel in the middle of the course figuring it's gonna be a long painful trip to the ER. People get me and the bike untangled and Rescue 3 shows up and gives me the once over. I can't believe I'm still breathing. Some guy comes over while I'm laying on the ground and is apologizing profusely. I'm still trying to figure out what the h**l happened.

Seems this guy and his bike cut right across the course without looking to see if anyone was coming. So I got to educate him on the importance of looking both ways before you cross the street.

So I get a quick medical go over laying there and they figure I'm probably OK but in need of some bandaging. One of my clubmates walks up and asks if he can borrow my bike to finish the race on my bike. Whaaa? OK, Steve had come in just before me and blew his engine in the pits. Sure Steve, salvage what you can and have fun. He rips my number plate off, bolts his on and goes out and finishes. And trophied I think.

They carry me off to the medical van and lo and behold all I have is a hematoma on my left arm. Where the chain was making whooppie with it. Nasty looking purple welt about the size of a softball. Patch me up and throw me in a sling and send me on my way with a recommendation to see my doctor when I get home.

Later, in a pizza eatery in Lancaster another of my buddies is there with his newfound blonde that he picked up two nights before who is most impressed with my tale of survival. She had watched the whole thing in fact. Everytime Alan walked away I tried for her phone number bemoaning the fact no one was home to look after me but she wasn't buying any of it.

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 Post subject: Ouch
PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 9:10 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2004 6:16 pm
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Location: Cape Canaveral
1) Went over a 3rd gear double on a 125 and while in the air I see the leader and second place guy laying on the ground with their bikes covering my landing area.

Looking down I see a bike laying on it's right side, with it's handlebars aiming into the dirt so that the rear of the front wheel is aiming up and already on the "steering lock" --- I dunno - but in my infinate 18 year old wisdom, I figured when I came down on the bikes front wheel with my rear, if I compressed is as hard as I could it would maybe rip the front end off the other bike and I wouldn't get killed....

I wore a Simpson helmet back then and they were "cut out" around your collarbones so you wouldn't break them in a crash. I did an endo so quickly that I was still sitting on the seat, head pounded into the ground and looking backward at the bike I had just tried to rip the front end off of - hit so hard that the two indentations in the helmet had RIPS deep into the face of the helmet where my collar bones nearly ripped through the helmet... LOL I dunno what I was thinking.

So there are three bikes there, I get up and walk off - the flaggers come over and are looking for everyone (this is in Florida). They figure everyone is up - and I said "No no there is another rider somewhere!" and they say he was laying on the ground over there and point to where I had crawled after the crash to get outta the way. I go NO NO THERE IS ANOTHER RIDER and head for the ditch on the far side of the track. A guy is laying straight down the side of the ditch with the top of his helmet in the water and I couldn't see his face because so much foam (read that again) so much FOAM as in BLOODY FOAM was gushing outta his mouth and nose that it was unreal - if he didn't slide down and drown in the water, he was going to drown in his own blood! It was gnarly - but I went back to the pits in my 18 year old infinate wisdom, got my bike ready could barely walk and had someone help me get back on the bike and they restarted the race before I got there - half lap down rode like a possessed pit bull after a T-Bone steak and got a top ten. By the time the race finished, I couldn't stand up to get off the bike - the doctor the next day asked if he could have the X-Ray because I had a straight vert, one to the right - a straight one, one to the left, a straight one, one to the right, a straight one, one to the left, a straight one... you get the point, it was such a powerful but PERFECT compression that it blew my verts out of line at diff angles for every other one LOL

That's just one of the many sicko~~ el'stupido accidents I've had LOL

Did I mention the time riding 2 up on a Z50 across a sand field wide open in an orange grove when we discovered that there was a quicksand hole? LOL I dunno how fast a Z50 goes, but when the front end disappears up to the handlebars at wide open with two guys on it - it's hilarious. We were like two supermen and I ended up bulldogging the other guy to the ground when I landed on his back - - - I'm sure 'RICK' will attest that I'm not a little guy so the guy that broke my fall really got pounded hahaha We laughed for 10 minutes then realized "Hey we can't get this thing out it's REALLY STUCK --- it no joke took us prob 10 minutes to get this thing outta this one little wet quicksand hole pulling and yanking on the handlebars as hard as we could. LOL too funny.

The rest are more painful, and I haven't had enough beverages to want to relive them with a laugh! LOL

MP

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:46 pm 
Gnarliest ever had to be Greg Albertyn. Albee was wayyyyyyyy out front at a race one day - came over a super high speed hill that you just launched off and down... in the landing zone of that 5th gear jump was a rather large RED DEER standing in the middle of the track. Albee hit that sucker wide open, nearly killed himself and I hear "DID" kill the deer. I dunno how he finished but it's a heck of a story to think that a guy on a factory bike tapped WFO in 5th hit a deer standing in the middle of the track! LOL

MP


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:27 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 7:42 am
Posts: 52
Location: Wellsburg, WV
Several years back, my nephew just got a CR80. He thought he was something on it, so of course. I had to give it a try. I just wanted to run down an open field, towards a house (about 1/8 mile) turn around and come back. I was quickly 6th gear, and had the bike wide open. I was amazed as to how quick the CR80 was. As I approached the house, I automaticly moved my foot to hit the rear break, I was hesitant to use the front not knowing how touchy it was. Unfortunaltly, the rear brake lever is tucked up under the engine, and my foot was too large to get ahold of it. Now I am rapidly approaching the house and saying to myself ooooo %^&*.... this is when riding a CR250 came handy... I simply down shifted to 4th, planted my left foot, leaned the bike over and hit the gas. Somehow, I excuted a perfect power slide turn. My nephew thought I was the king. My wife was even impressed. At least she was impressed until I told her the real reason I did that was because I couldn't get my foot on the rear break, and that was the only thing I could thing of.... Needless to say, I didn't ride the CR80 again.

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74 CR250M, bought new in 74, still stock, except for the new 36mm Carb, and proform exhaust.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:45 pm 
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Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 8:51 pm
Posts: 18
on a 3 wheeler i was going up the bank of a river when it got too steep and i fell backwards rolling down the bank into the river. i landed on my back and the 3 wheeler was downside up on me in about 3 feet deep waters. it was too heavy to lift off me and the water was high enough that i couldnt breathe. as i was drowning my buddy finally made it over to me and pulled the 3 wheeler off.

that was freaky.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 8:45 pm 
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Joined: Sat Dec 18, 2004 1:58 am
Posts: 9
Location: Novato, CA
Back in 1974 we use to ride in and along a riverbed near my house. There was a contruction project near the river that had been delayed for 6 months which had resulted in a sand mound about 20 feet high. We use to go flyin' up over that thing as best we could with only 4 inches of travel in the rear. One day my friend and I raced to be the first over the mound. I had a lead of a few bike lengths and as I came over the top I discovered that the dozers had removed half of the hill. Trying to lock up the brakes in pure sand is as fruitless as a British pie. I went straight down, 20 feet, and bounced off of the gas tank of my TM 125 and over the bars (unfortunately, this was not to be my last endo, but truely my most memorable). After inspecting my bike I noticed that my pelvic bone had made two round dents on the rear of my gas tank........................... I guess it does take knobby balls to race motocross.

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'74 CR125
'74 CR 250
'79 YZ125
'02 YZ250F


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 3:09 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2004 10:20 pm
Posts: 906
Location: San Clemente, CA
I had my 4th Honda delivered kinda quietly while I was away on honeymoon. Being shipped in boxes did not delay its discovery. You can guess the rest. :roll:

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Michael Stiles
1979 Honda CR250R Elsinore | 2006 Husqvarna SM510R | 2007 Service Honda CR500R-AF


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:26 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2004 10:40 am
Posts: 310
Location: Sacramento, CA
Michael,

I feel your pain. My wife really, really, REALLY wants her garage back. Have it shipped in boxes, now that's one I haven't tried yet. LOL

J

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#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:25 pm 
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Location: San Clemente, CA
Her garage? I am confused. :shock:

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Michael Stiles
1979 Honda CR250R Elsinore | 2006 Husqvarna SM510R | 2007 Service Honda CR500R-AF


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:31 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2004 10:40 am
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Location: Sacramento, CA
Sorry, her half. We live in California you know. LOL

J

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#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:37 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:12 pm
Posts: 159
Location: Salinas, CA
A buddy and I had recently bumped to the A class enduros, so we were pretty full of ourselves back then in 1986. Well, I was anyway. We were riding the trials faster than we should have that day, passing each other back and forth and having a great time. I saw an opening to pass him on a right hand sweeping fire road corner so I went inside and whicked it up to try my best to roost him and pull ahead. I'll be darned if the road didn't just disappear beneath me. The road was closed right after that corner. The downhill section had foot tall boulders placed all over the former road area, surely to keep anybody off of it. Somebody was looking out for me. I sailed through the air and somehow landed in the only path though the boulders and kept right on going. On the next trail stop, Steve, the riding buddy comented on my 'impressive bravery". That's smart aleck for stupid. My only response was to admit that I certainly didn't do it on purpose. New rule to self from that day on: "Don't ride faster than you can see."


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:45 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 9:03 pm
Posts: 39
Location: Sparta, Wisconsin
Brad's story about jumping the 20 ft sand pile reminded me of a similar experience on a brand new Hodaka Combat Wombat 125 I had just won in some contest. A buddy and I were riding in some sand pits we had never been in before. He had a new Honda and took a pretty fast run at a pretty close to vertical 15 or so foot sand bank. The air he caught was awsome. He nearly lost it on impact, but came back a little shaky but giddy with the excitement of having made it. I had to try it. I got a good run at it, and caught some great air. I had the bike angled just right for what I thought would be a hard landing and was waiting for the impact when everything went black for a few moments. When I landed, both footpegs broke off of the Hodaka. I made the obligatory dents in that shiny tank as well.

Another hairy ride was on a hill climb. There was a powerline trail that ran about 100 feet at a pretty steep angle. I had never made it to the top before, and that day, nobody else had made it to the top either. I had just picked up a little Yamaha 125 for next to nothing. It was pretty rough, but it ran. I went screaming up that hill with my head leaning out over the bars as far as it would go. I was about 15-20 feet from the top, down to first gear, when I couldn't hold the bike down any more. As it came up, I fell off the back. After I finished my short roll, I looked for the bike to see if it was coming back down toward me. The bike was gone! Somehow, the throttle had stuck and the bike had crested the hill without me, and I could hear it laying at the top, screaming its guts out. By the time I was finally able to climb to the top, it had seized. Another long push home.

My luckiest adventure was when riding with a buddy on some fire roads. We had stopped to cross a highway, with my buddy on my Left. I looked Right then Left and didn't see anything. For a moment I wondered why my buddy hadn't crossed the road, but dismissed the thought, and stood the bike on its rear wheel with the intention of showing off while crossing the highway. Wham! I remember spinning like a top on the rear wheel of the bike, before I landed in the ditch on the far side of the road. For a moment, I had no idea what had happened. Then I saw a car skidding to a stop on the road. When I had looked Left, my buddy's helmet had blocked my view of a car coming from that direction. Through some freak luck, or divine intervention, the car's Right fender and headlight had hit my front wheel as I had started across the highway and had spun me around. The driver was seriously concerned, but I wasn't hurt, and the only damage to the bike was a broken clutch handle, twisted forks, and a slightly bent rim. The car didn't fair as well, with a dented hood, broken grill and headlight and some nasty dents in the fender and door. I was pretty shook up, but the driver of the car was really shook up. When I told him I was OK, he shoved twenty bucks in my hand, said to get my bike fixed, and took off.

Now that I'm getting warmed up, its tough to stop. This is the last one, I promise. It wasn't so much dangerous as it was a lesson about riding blind on an unfamiliar track. My dad had let my brothers and buddies use a 15 acre field about a 1/4 mile off the nearest road to build ourselves a practice track. My buddy's dad had some construction equipment that we used to make some pretty nice jumps (nice for the early '70s and 4 inch rear suspension travel anyway), berms, and an overall pretty neat track. The neatest part of the track was a little stream that ran through part of it. We had dredged the stream to make it about 8-10 feet wide and about 6 feet deep, and made a down hill jump leading up to it. The water wasn't visible as you were coming up on the jump, and it could just be cleared when hitting it in 3rd gear. My dad was paranoid over being sued when someone got hurt, so the buddies that I rode with had to have their parents sign waivers, and no one else was allowed to use the track. One afternoon, we were up in the garage, working on our bikes, when we could hear a bike winding up back on the track. Everyone that was allowed to ride on the track was in the garage, so we all took off to see who was riding, and to warn them off. When we got back to the track, everything was quiet. We rode around the track, but couldn't find whoever had been there. Not until I took the jump over the stream. Just as I was going over the water, I nearly hit a wet, mud covered kid on the other side. He hadn't taken the jump fast enough, and his bike was at the bottom. We helped get the bike out and told him he couldn't ride there, but he had a long push home in wet leathers, and MX boots. His most dangerous experience was probably the blisters he must have had on his feet by the time he got home.

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Steve Amling

1976 CR 250M
1980 Yamaha DT100G
1980 XR 200
1981 CSR650


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 Post subject: Re:
PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:28 pm 
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redrocket190 wrote:
I had my 4th Honda delivered kinda quietly while I was away on honeymoon. Being shipped in boxes did not delay its discovery. You can guess the rest. :roll:


That is scarey!!!! Any scars?

Dan Troesken


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