This article is written by the noted and enthusiastic rider… me.
Today is Friday; I needed to go to the bank to cash a small check that was my final insurance claim payment from my past employer. It did take two months to receive this check which usually arrived in a month or less. I should also note that the amount was incorrect. HR is seeing that UMR will correct the error and send another check to complete the claim.
After cashing the small check and since I was using the motorcycle for transportation, I unwisely decided to go for a ride. It was 10:30 when I left the bank and it was already too hot to ride in any semblance of comfort.
In the north the bikers put their motorcycles in storage during the winter as it is too cold to ride. We Texans should put our bikes in storage during the summer months as it is too hot to ride.
Knowing it has been 100 plus each day this week and they are predicting a record high for today of 104 I should have used better judgment and stayed inside. There are things that most bikers know to watch for and in the summer some are more threating.
Alligators: are the parts of a truck tire that are left lying in the road after the truck tire has come apart. These tire parts often have steal belts in them and if you run over them the steel can puncture your tire.
Damage to other parts of your bike may occur from hitting one of these alligators.
A friend of mine hit one of these alligators at highway speed and broke his foot.
Snakes: are usually found on asphalt roads. The cracks in the road are repaired by pouring hot tar into the cracks. These cracks filled with tar can be a few feet long up to who knows how long. A non-rider might not think much of these snakes but I am here to tell you that these snakes get slick when the sun heats them up.
I was turning from one highway to a secondary road and there were several snakes in the turn. I had slowed to 10 mph or less and as I began the turn the front tire began to slide. I did not have time to think but I did react quickly by putting my foot down on the pavement just long enough for the tire to gain traction again.
I have always been told to never try to avoid hitting an animal that is shorter than my front fender. That would mean I should either stop if possible or run over anything less than 22 inches high. The truth is when something runs out in front of you there is not enough time to think of what to do so you react. For most riders the reaction is to swerve away from the animal which can cause you to die. If you swerve to miss a dog and hit a car head on, a tree or ditch at highway speed it may be over for you.
I thought of all this during my uncomfortable ride today. I was on a secondary road and I was running 60 plus mph. There was a vehicle coming from the other direction at highway speed. I could see something close to the road surface crossing the road. I had time to apply the brakes (the Gold Wing has excellent breaks) and I missed hitting one of the biggest snakes I have ever seen. This snake was alive and moving fairly quickly across the hot road.
I know what you are going to ask; “what kind of snake was it”. I don’t know what kind it was. I don’t do snakes and I was not about to follow that snake into the deep weeds on the side of the road.
Arriving back home at 1:00pm I was able to take my afternoon nap in my recliner out of the heat.
From the serpentine mind of Don Ford
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