Member Contributer NCSam Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 Sad, but a good message we all need to consider. Regardless of age, we are not as sharpe at the end of the day so we need to be aware of that fact! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 Very sobering . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KanadianKen Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 A lot of truth in that message. "At the end of your ride your speed may be slower, but your concentration MUST be higher". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 Wow. My heart settles every time I hear the V4s of my sons coming back into range when I am at home. I frequently think how distraught I would be should anything like this happen to them because it was I who gave them the opportunity to see if this was something they would enjoy, as I have for my entire life. I have never once looked at this from the other side. To see how Dave handled this is enlightening. My sincerest hope is that should anything like this ever occur to me that my sons would never forget the priceless amazing times that we experienced and the camaraderie and joy for life that we shared as we lived these adventures. There are many safer ways to pass through this life but I don't think that is what we were created for. We are hardwired for adventure and epic tales of conquest, too sad that many of our youth today only find this in video games and other safe activities that society approves of. Long live Dave and the memory of Mike, here's to fathers who pass on something to their offspring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer luvtoleanit Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 If sport touring or twisty riding and it's been a long day I slow down and instead of passing cagers I relent and follow. I can feel the fatigue and passing cagers like described in this vid takes effort so I just lay off. At track days, many years ago....I got into the habit of just skipping the last session altogether. I'm literally packing up while everyone else is on the track. At all the track days I've attended the most slides occur in the last session of the day and it's not worth it to me to get clipped. People are tired but not wanting the riding to end so they push under fatigue. Also the first track day of the season, first session, same thing. People are over excited and pushing with winter cobwebs while I try to take 5-10 laps to get my speed up. First few laps I'm putting around and don't care if people think I'm slow. More important to me to leave in one piece than to be the fast guy. I'll take the sandbagger title with pride. No shame in pulling over at a rest stop or stopping for a 30 min break and getting some coffee in you either. If in a group no shame in chopping the throttle, waving people by, and getting to the rear with the gear neither. Great video and message Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 I often catch myself just before I'm about to do a "questionable" maneuver, and I always think about the repercussions of what happens "if". This has worked very well for me and often I will suffer behind a slow car or two, or perhaps a group of Hogs, but knowing I'll make it home and not put my wife and family through an ordeal like this is comforting, yes it's frustrating to deal with but making home in one piece is the payoff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ultimatevfr Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 CC, I am having the same feelings , my son graduates from GSU in May and has told he wants a VFR to go riding / touring with me.On one hand I'm tickled to think of enjoying my sport with him , on the other ,mental images of something happening to him almost stop me in my tracks. As it sits we are presently looking at a 99' and a 2000 for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted April 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2014 I know this is lengthy and off topic a bit off topic, I actually considered sending it to you in PM. If any of the mods think it not beneficial to others in this thread pm me and I will delete it. I started both boys out on dirt bikes in Texas - the oldest (5 at the time) ran the little KTM 50 (that belonged to a riding buddy) into the fence, got off, looked at me sideways and walked inside to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was done. The younger one enjoyed it but was more into other stuff. I let it go but I sold my CR500 and kept riding on the street. Then about 6 years ago we got them both VF500F's and $65 HJC helmets from New enough (before they became motorcycle gear.com) and said see if you are interested before spending big bucks on gear and bikes. The youngest rode every day, commuting to an after school job, then other jobs and farther away to Macon for college a few times a week while the older one fell in the cul de sac, scraped his knee and walked back in the house with a sideways glance. The younger went down on the way home (uphill right turn from a yield lane with an off camber crest - too exuberant on the throttle probably) and didn't even tell his mom or I. I figured it out when I found my old tank bag and it had a scuff on the plastic map pocket the exact same size as his mom's scratched up GPS.... He was then knocked off of his 500 by a truck on the way to a Fall ride n NC about 4 years ago...we went home and swapped parts over and got back on the road 4 hours late...only to have an undetected small leak in the clutch cover leave us with a rod through the engine where the starter motor should have been. We were stranded at the GA/SC state line. His loving mother drove the Honda Odyssey up to meet us and we loaded it in the back...I was looking at a 3 hour ride home at 1 AM or a 2 1/2 hour ride to meet up with the VFRD Group in NC...kissed them goodbye and almost crapped my pants when I saw a bear running next to me up a mountain road at 3 AM. The younger brought his 500 to TexasMac the next year in the back of the Odyssey, unable to get it to run cleanly. We unpacked it and messed around with it, kind of had it running when Brian (MidLifeVFR) from NY offered the 4G he had brought down as he would be riding his 6G. I asked how much he had invested in the 4G and when he replied with a number that I liked I accepted the ride offer. I lead a relaxed group at TexasMac that day (many said it was the most "invigorating" relaxed group they had experienced) as my son was riding in position 2 with constant blue tooth comms between he and I and his mom (riding pillion with me). It was a mostly uneventful day (if you discount his running wide into the ditch on the sharp left hander leaving the Cherohala for 129 north and the fact that he fell in love with the 4th gen) but the VFRD group camaraderie cemented his love for motorcycling. We got home and I had just purchased a beautiful 5G from a member here who had fallen for an Italian Red Head so I "sold" my 01 (fully disassembled for the addition of USD forks and a Ducati hub) to MiniCarver for half price. Many of you here know the rest of his story as he is now my almost constant riding buddy. The older son has returned to motorcycles and not without incident. He has always been more careful in sports and life in general but is extremely logical in his thought process. Once he understands and proves a concept he heartily adopts it. He has progressed from his 500 (not a lot of seat time there) to a 91 3G that we found on CL. He now has a 6G with ABS and showed the most gain of the 3 of us who attended the Lee Parks Total Control riding classes last month. I could not be prouder or both of them and I could not have as much fun on motorbikes without sharing it with them. There are not many mistakes that a man can make that I have avoided but I know that having my sons as riding partners is not one of them. If you would allow one or two suggestions (worth as much as you pay for them) I would say to make certain that you both attend a quality rider instruction at the earliest convenience. I cannot strongly enough recommend the Total Control class. Start by buying the book and reading it while you search for a class that meets yours and your sons schedule. It will most certainly save you money and grief by making you both better and safer riders on the street. The other may be boo'ed and hissed at but I would suggest a lighter, less powerful bike if this is the first bike for your son. I would look at a CBR500 or even a used SV650 or something similar in power/weight. It may be only for a season but the first 2-3,000 miles of experience on a bike that adds to your confidence can make all of the difference in someone who grows into the sport or someone who never quite clicks with it. Whatever you decide lets try to get together before TexasMac for a ride and lunch, Woodstock is A LOT closer to the good roads of Northern GA but we don't mind heading up that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeper Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Something for all of us to ponder before TMac. I'm the only one in my family that rides, Thank God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Sobering indeed. Ride safe out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PirateRiderBen Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 My Uncle on my dad's side and his son have ridden since he and my dad were kids, starting on Honda trail 50's. I decided a couple of years ago that it was my turn and you guys see where I have ended up so far, right here on VFRD. I hope one day for a similar story to CornerCarver's. Only time will tell. The video Sam posted does indeed make some sobering but necessary points. Condolences to the family. Live to ride, Ride to live. -PRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Thanks for that - shared on the OzVFR and RC36 Facebook groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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