Million Mile Rider Dead at 79

[Bengt_Phorqs]

My cousin sent this link to me yesterday about Lyle Grimes death in a solo motorcycle accident.  I never knew Lyle but enjoyed his columns in the MOA Owners News from time to time.  One million miles is a lot of saddle time and a milestone I'll likely never approach.  The article doesn't really say what happened, but let's all be careful out there.
http://www.examiner.com/x-8018-DC-Motorcycle-Examiner~y2009m8d11-Millionmile-rider-Lyle-Grimes-dead-at-79

[Semper Gumby]

It was raining at the GMR this year when I was up at the registration desk.  A late model Blue RS pulled up with three impressive dry bags wrapped on the back and this really old guy gets off the bike and doesn't really grin but his teeth and a couple of gaps show -- Louisiana plates.  Turned out it was Lyle Grimes.  I remembered thinking "I hope I'm still riding when I'm that old".  Very impressive.

He was a fixture at the Georgia Mountain Rally for many years.  His claim to fame was always being first in line for the steak cookout (I think).  He is sorely missed by the members of the Georgia Club that knew him.

RIP - Lyle Grimes    

http://www.bmwmoga.info/forum/showthread.php?t=1748

[montmil]

We've missed you, Gumby. Welcome back.     Monte

[suecanada]

I just cringe when I hear about another long distance rider down and out. We've had way too many accidents of late. I gotta say I stood up and listened even more when I read that Lyle Grimes crashed on a 2009 F650GS...same as mine. Despite my own thinking on the matter, Dr. Don Arthur (fatigue expert and seminar leader at the RA rally) and my own Derek and brother Rich do not think that I fell asleep or had a micro sleep on the F650GS last summer. Derek and Rich believe a catastrophic failure of the bike! Hmmmmm. I wonder what happened to Lyle Grimes...after so many miles?
Dr. Arthur can't see how I would get around a corner and then hit a long gravel section without waking up. The bike was 100-150 yards down the gravel section of road and I was only 15 feet from my bike...so it's not that the bike wandered there by itself.

[Ed Miller]

Sue, I'm pretty sure I slept most of the way one night between Salem and Turner, Oregon.  On a bicycle.  It's about 10 - 15 miles.  When I got to Turner I woke up, not remembering any of the trip.

That was back in college, before I started drinking.

[Semper Gumby]

We've missed you, Gumby. Welcome back.     Monte

Thanks Monte...never gone really just spread kinda thin.  My name should be semper peanut butter!

Sue -- On my 50 hours coast to coast my eyes closed for a second after 22 hours in the saddle and one Magnum Energy drink.  Scared the everliving sh|touttame.  I was pushing it and I knew it.  When it happened I was suprised for half a tic (with eyes closed) followed by a sharp inhale and then eyes wide open.  I pulled off at Ozona Texas.  Thank God there was an open motel there otherwise I would have been asleep by the side of the road.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7SUNA_en&q=Ozona+Texas&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=-NeaSsv3JY2CtgfYvMW0BA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Just lucky I guess....

Hey Where is Rob V.

[suecanada]

Semper and Ed...your falling asleep episodes make me really wonder how in the world I'd have been asleep for enough time to fall over 150 yds down a gravel stretch. You'd have thought my eyes would have popped open and a big inhale too as the sound is so different on gravel let alone a successful negotiation of a curve just before the gravel.

For those of you reading this please understand that I have taken full responsibility for the accident. If I didn't I can't learn a thing from the episode!!!  The questioning comes from pure curiosity and a certain down deep fruitless hope that it wasn't my fault...human nature I think?!