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TimTaylor751647545500

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Posts posted by TimTaylor751647545500

  17. CROTCH ROCKETS ARE A MENACE

    in Daily Ride

    Posted

    Enjoy this one, because his article is going viral.

     

    Three fatal motorcycle accidents in less than two weeks? What in the world is going on?

    Graham County Fire Chief Keith Eller, who’s responded to hundreds of wrecks in 29 years of answering emergency calls, has a theory.

     

    “For some reason we’re seeing more and more crotch rockets. For the last two or three years we saw more Harleys and big touring bikes, now these are coming back again,” Chief Eller said as he gestured to the Yamaha FZ-10 Chris Harris was riding when he hit a guardrail on the Cherohala Skyway.

     

    For those of you who prefer four wheels to two, a “crotch rocket” is “a specific type of motorcycle, typically distinguished by it’s aerodynamic ‘hunched-over’ seating position and high power-to-weight ratio. Often favoured by stunters, who choose the bikes because they are light and easy to perform tricks (such as wheelies and stoppies) on ... Also known as ‘sportbikes’” according to urbandictionary.com.

     

    No one witnessed Harris’ accident, and there’s no reason to believe he was doing tricks. He was, however, exceeding the 45-mile-per-hour speed limit on a machine rider magazine described as possessing “razor-sharp handling” and “raucous engine ... to sling it from corner to corner ... pushed to near redline it makes enormous power.”

     

    The NC Highway Patrol report estimates Harris was going 100 miles per hour into his final curve, 90 when he impacted the guardrail.

    By all accounts, Harris was a responsible, level-headed man. He certainly knew how to drive safely; he had a CDL license to prove it.

     

    So what happened? Adrenaline rush? Overconfidence? The desire to see what his machine could do? We may never know. We only know he was going dangerously fast.

    One of Harris’ friends messaged me to challenge the trooper’s estimate that Harris was going 100. “Maybe 70 at the most,” he said. To which I say, “Seventy entering a turn with a suggested posted speed of 25 is both foolish and irresponsible.

     

    As we waited for the hearse to arrive, Harris’ friend Billy Pierce told me, “If you’re trying to race the road, the road’s going to win every time. It will kill you. You’ve got to respect that kind of road.”

    Those of us who live here respect our roads. Too many visitors don’t. And their lack of respect endangers those of us who would never drive 70 in a 45 zone.

     

    Too many visiting riders seem to view our roads as their own personal proving grounds and/or drag strips. And the crotch rocket riders seem to be the worst offenders. Raise your hand if you’ve seen wheelies, speeding, tailgating, and passing on double yellow lines. Yeah, me too.

     

    Some of us stay off the Skyway and Dragon during peak riding season because we’re afraid we’ll encounter some daredevil seeing if they can touch the pavement with their hand or knee as they roar through a tight curve.

    Personally, I think crotch rockets should be outlawed on Graham County roads. Too drastic? Then let’s open a drag strip/obstacle course on private property, charge admission, and require riders to sign a waiver before they “sling it from corner to corner” and push the redline to their heart’s content.

     

    From where I’m sitting, these so-called supersports are more dangerous than alcohol.

     

    Did you know that crotch rocket riders are four times more likely to die in a crash than riders of other motorcycles? Did you know that crotch rocket riders account for more than 25 percent of rider deaths, even though crotch rockets make up less than 10 percent of all registered motorcycles? Those numbers come from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Insurance Information Institute.

     

    I, for one, expect the percent of fatalities to increase as crotch rockets get faster and faster, more and more videos of riders shredding pavement are posted on YouTube, and bloggers and writers will continue to romanticize “taming” and “slaying” our now famous roads.

     

    We can only pray that daredevil coming here to make an awesome GoPro video doesn’t veer into the path of one of our loved ones. We can only pray that our ambulance drivers never crash as they speed to a motorcycle accident, and that our Fire Rescue volunteers aren’t hit while directing traffic while our EMTs treat a stunt rider who lost control of his bike.

     

    https://www.grahamstar.com/opinion/crotch-rockets-are-menace

  19. Update request - Cornhole sets

    in Dumpster

    Posted

    Hey everyone.

     

    I got to thinking the other day about the number of sets of boards I made for people on here and for their friends/families. I'm no longer making them, but I was curious to see how they've been holding up for you all. Whether you've had any issue with them or if they're still in good shape. If you could chime in with any details and maybe some recent pictures too, that would be cool.

     

    Happy 4th!

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