Yesterday a good friend of mine (Mike Gumbert) and I decided to go for a ride and lunch. He was on his K75 and I was riding my sportster. We were going to ride a few back-roads to enjoy the changing leaves and then go to lunch at this little roadside cafe named Rosie's. We left town on a newly paved back road (Rt 1458). About two miles down the road there is a big left hand curve with a posted 35 mph suggested limit. Going around the curve at 45 mph, what should I see on the other side but two trucks stopped in the middle of the road. The detention center (jail) had a bunch of prisoners cleaning the roadside. They were standing around all over the road with their transport truck in the road. Another guy had apparently stopped, either to bullshit or wait for the prisoners to get out of the road. With guardrails on both sides of the road it was either stop or try to go between them. With a mighty heave and the will of god I stopped with prisoners jumping in all directions. Pulling the bike as close to the right side of the road as possible to give Mike more room to maneuver. Then I heard it, that sickening sound of a bike sliding on pavement. Everything got quiet. I hoped that Mike would be on the road beside of me unhurt. No, his motorcycle was there on its side up against the truck in the left hand lane. My stomach began to churn as I realized that the only other place he could be was under the truck. Turned off the bike, put down the kickstand, and jumped over the bike to see Mike. He was lying on his back with hands in the air with upper body sticking out from under the truck. He was conscious, and I told him not to move and asked where it was hurting. His chest and shoulders were giving a lot of pain. Fortunately, a few hours later after an ambulance ride and a stay in the emergency room, x-rays showed only a cracked collar bone. Bike totaled, helmet (full coverage) scraped and banged up, protective riding pants torn and abraded, leather jacket scuffed, he is going to be real sore for a couple of weeks, all considered not a bad outcome. Always remember that something is around the next curve and ready to make you crash. Always ride your own ride boys, ride your own ride......Dew.
