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How well does a Harley float?


Casper

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http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=100233

Oh man, I can't stop laughing.....

You have to read the story along with the pics. Freaking priceless.

Stay tuned for the answer....

Badfaerie and I headed off to ride the dragon from CROT (Deals Gap Motor Inn at the cross of 129 and 28) on our own for our first scout run. Took our time, and went all the way down to tabcat's bridge at the north end.

There is a large, newly paved pull over spot there and we stopped to stretch and chat for a moment before heading back south bound on the dragon. Great ride! Shortly after we stopped, a fully dressed Harley comes down the hill headed north... and pulls in to turn around.

As he pulls in, he gets too close to the edge of the paved area and his front wheel dropps off. Now, this paticular spot is pretty thick pavement, and the dirt shoulder is slightly slanted downhill as well. So when the front wheel hit the dirt... his engine bars hit the pavement and that pretty much bounces the bike to roll over. No way he could have stopped it at this point from rolling over, but the guy trys and ends up in the saddle as it rolls over on top of him.

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Did I mention this shoulder is also only a few feet wide before a near sheer drop?

KatRidersRally154b.JPG

So, for perspective... The following picture is taken from where I was standing when this all started. The 3 people you see standing by the motorcycles at the edge of the pavement are at the spot where he rolled over.

KatRidersRally157b.JPG

So I'm sitting there, after having just taken my gloves, helmet, and jackete off and watch this Harley ride up and promptly fall over onto the top of this very steep bank. Rider no where to be seen.

I run over and find him still in the saddle, bike upside down at the top of this bank. His leg is pinned under the bike, and he can't free himself. Calls out he's not seriously hurt, but he is pinned. My wife, myself... and this guy are the only 3 people atm.

What do you do?...

So I climbed down below the bike to see if I can at least help him get out from under it. I lift, he pushes... we get the bike to shift a little off him. Now... let me tell you, if you ever though lifting a 900+ lb bike off it's side from a flat spot.... try it one day with it on a hill, tires on the high side. 012.gif

It's lifted just enough to for him to slide his leg out, and gets up with his feet under him. We are both at this point kinda resting. What happens next is really fast. Another person shows up and everyone is still working on this sense of urgency! Before I know it, someone gets the idea (no me... 009.gif) of just lifting the bike on up... I mean, there are 3 of us right. eusa_doh.gif

No one grabbed the front brake. Tire shifts and rolls just enough.... so the entire bike rolls over.

Did I mention I was on the bottom side? icon_eek.gif

I'm knocked backwards and proceed to tumble down the hill. At some point in this tumble I do have 2 thoughs come to mind.

  1. There is a very heavy bike about to land on me!
  2. There are some really friggen huge rocks below me!

So I do the first thing that comes to mind... Push off from the bank and dive for the water.

(Pst.... I'm still in my leathers and boots, and it's DEEEEEEEPP!)

I surface, struggle to keep my head above the water and swim back over to the bank. I hear someone yelling (OMG, you okay? You okay?) and shout out I"m fine... wet, but fine!

The bike is now laying in the water, on it's side. I get over to the bike, just as the rider slides down the hill and jumps into the water to try to lift the bike out of it.

Together we get it up on it's wheels, waist deep in water. Check we are both okay (no appearant injuries) and take a breath pretty much saying our perspective thanks it wasn't worse.

Then I look over.... and see this.

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For perspective....

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Here are a few attempts to get pictures of the bank.

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And here are a couple of distance pics to give you an idea of how tall the bank is.... Bike is on the left side of the pictures. You can just make it out in the distance....

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These pics are from the top. The guy in the grey shirt is the rider... looking down with a friend of his at his bike in the water.

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I was at the bottom, in the water, with the camera getting a few pics of the bike when along comes these 2 guys fishing. eusa_shifty.gif

They look at me kinda strangly. I yell over to them... "Good luck with your fishing... Never know what your gonna catch. *then point at the bike in the water and say* I'm thinking I might mount this one on the wall. :smt101"

They just kinda nodded.. and kept right on going. laughing.gif

So I get the pics, decide it time to start working on drying out.

KatRidersRally158b.JPG

hrm... that might take a while, better get on the bike and get some air flowing!

Actually, I pulled off the boots, ring out the socks... air dry for a few minutes in my shorts and t-shirt, letting the leathers and boots drip dry a little. It's at this time that I find out the reason the officers were so quick to arrive (only took 15 minutes for such a rural area) was because of another 2 accidents. Both north and south of us a HD rider had run off the road, and unfortunately those accidents resulted in injuries, so the officers were in the area.

Get dressed, mount up and head over to the tree tops. Running late now for the group buy at the warehouse! (made it just in time!)

BTW, if you havn't figured it out yet... the answer for the title of this thread is.. (Not very well! laughing.gif )

Krey

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I wonder if he was sighted by the TN sheriff for wreckless opp? :)

Judging by the pictures, the sheriff saw him alright. I don't think what he did could be considered "wreckless", I'm pretty sure he wrecked.

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Doesn't suck that bad, 1) Never seen an HD without full coverage 2) That dude looks like a Dr/Lawyer/Management/Important type. The hurting is likely only to his pride and not his wallet.

My 2 cents anyway

I totally agree.. I can tell by the picture of that guys back that he is either a Dr, or a Lawyer, Manager or some type of important person, thus it is perfectly OK that this happend to him.. Thank god this was not some real blue collar rider with a bike that is not worth full coverage, that would have been bad.

You are right, it's prob just his pride that hurt after this.

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so when I read "turn around area" I thought it might be understandable that the dude got close to the edge because those are typically really small and narrow. No, thats a parking lot! Why get that close to the edge to begin with when you have so much room? :nono:

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Its a dresser, he needs that kind of room.

lol..I could turn my tractor trailer around in that amount of space

Bike looks like it held up ok for the tumble it took..time to "upgrade" the engine I suppose :cool:

I like that color combo...

Sux..for anyone..

maybe he should have bought an enduro?

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