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Houston Sportbike Network Ride 04/18/03

Tourmeister

Keeper of the Asylum
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Location
Huntsville
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Friday
Howdy,

:tab I managed to head South to Montgomery and actually hook up with a group from the Houston Sportbike Network. While chatting with Paul Lewis about his beautiful new Thunderbird at the Texaco on FM 149 and Hwy 105, the HSN group came rolling in for gas. What luck! They are planning on heading up FM 149 to Anderson and then running FM 3090. While we are at the station and everyone has their helmet off, I start running around trying to take pics of everyone before we head out.

AC and his 2002 Yamaha R1

Tommy Whittaker and his 2001 Kawasaki ZX9-R

John Corarro (sp??) and his 2001 Kawasaki EX-500

Blake Johnson on his 2001 Yamaha YZF-600

:tab Before I get all the pictures taken, my pager goes off!! It will really suck if I have to go to work right when I meet everyone to ride :angryfir: After getting the number from the paging service, I call the person back. It's Patrick from Motorcycles Unlimited hehe, whew!! He informs me that the Ohlins rear shock for my 01 VFR is on back order until early June, doh!! I place the order anyway and then get back to the ride. Relieved that I don't have to work, I saddle up and we head out. I'll try to get more pics later.

:tab We head up FM 149 through the Sam Houston National Forest. There is a bit of traffic but we still have fun. Cam, one of the people I never get a picture of, is leading the way on his Kawa ZX9-R. He makes sure the group stays together and that everyone knows when a bad corner is approaching. I am bringing up the rear with John. When riding with an unfamiliar group, I like to ride at the back to watch everyone. Cam stops a few times to make sure the whole group is accounted for. Then we head out to Richards and then to Anderson. John has stopped a few times ahead of the group so he can get pictures as everyone comes by him.

:tab In Anderson, we head out on FM 149 to pick up the middle of FM 3090 and run it over to FM 244 near Carlos. At the intersection of 149 and 3090, Cam stops and warns everyone about the road ahead. This road is notorious for gravel strewn 30 mph curves. Many a bike has been destroyed or severely mangled out here. My Dad's riding career came to an unhappy end out here as well a few years back.

:tab The group seems to be doing fine and Cam is setting a brisk but not insane pace. There is only one curve I am really worried about, a decreasing radius left hander where I have seen numerous people blow it and leave the road. The first time I came through here I almost sucked the cover right off my seat! The corner is not well marked. As we approach, Cam taps his brakes and waves his arm giving the signal to slow down and be cautious. The signal is passed right down the line to me at the end. As I begin to enter the turn and look for the exit, I see a cloud of dust rising in my peripheral vision. CRAP!! Someone has gone down... But then further up the road, I see another bike in the ditch. Double CRAP!!

:tab I pull up in time to see Josh emerge from the weeds and stand up looking a little dazed but with no immediately apparent injuries. I walk over to him to make sure he is okay. He seems coherent but understandably excited. His hands are a little banged up but his clothes look mostly intact. The Katana is not so lucky. It hit the barbed wire fence and wrapped itself in the steel fencing line. It appears to have flipped once or twice. The forks are both completely twisted like pretzels. Most of the bodywork is in bad shape. Both mirrors and the windscreen are gone. The tank is dented and scratched. The seat has tears from the barbs. This is not gonna be cheap and is likely to be totalled.

:tab The lead guys came back and helped AC get his R1 uprighted and out of the ditch. It suffers a small dent in the left side of the gas tank and some slight scuffing on the clutch cover. AC is fine. When Josh left the road, AC had to stand up to miss him and this made him run off the road. Fortunately, he was travelling mostly straight and slow when he fell over. No sooner than the dust has settled, out pop the cameras hehe.

:tab We get everyone's bike up the road and out of the path of any other potential bikes running off the corner. The homeowner arrives and we have his driveway blocked. We move all the bikes so he can get in the drive. He informs us that in the last few weeks, ten bikes have gone down on this corner. Add two more. Moments later some Honda Superchickens come booming around the corner and stop to help. It takes four or five guys to get the Katana untangled. It has to be flipped over to untwist the wires before it can be freed. After all the bikes are moved to a safe location we collect our wits and take stock. Josh has a little rash up his left torso, but it is not too bad and is barely bleeding. I think Josh smokes about a pack of cigs in the next hour or so while we wait for his Dad to arrive with a truck.

The corner, it doesn't look so bad eh?

The Katana, it doesn't look so bad either, till you look closer...

Josh looking back up the road, "Where did it all go wrong?"

AC's R1, "Tis only a scratch, I've had worse!"

Don Vann on his first street bike! He's got lots of dirt riding experience. Nice ride!

:tab A few of us head to the gas station in Carlos to get water for everyone. When Joh's Dad gets there, we load the bike in the back of the truck. It looks so pitiful laying on it's side in the bed of the truck. Fortunately, Josh has full coverage insurance on the bike! Once the bike is loaded, they drive off and the group mounts up and continues on towards the end of FM 3090. Once again I am bringing up the rear.

:tab The pace is a little more sedate. Seeing a wreck in person has a way of doing that to you. Besides, we want to make sure AC is doing alright on his R1. I enjoy watching Vittorio on his Honda 919 gracefully arc through the corners. He is a classic rider, slow, look, lean and roll. Nice. We make our way back to Anderson and stop at the gas station there on the big curve in Hwy 90. A few guys grab a snack, Vittorio heads out on a different route home. The rest of us run FM 149 back to Montgomery.

:tab When we reach Montgomery, Tommy, Blake and I stop for lunch and ice cream at King's Cafe. It is nice to get to sit and visit with these guys after all the riding. So often I ride with people and seldom get time off the bikes to get to know them. We all had a great time despite the excitement. The best thing is that it could have been so much worse but we got lucky and there were no serious injuries, just bruised pride. Been there done that :roll:
 
nice to meet you scott,

other than the wreck it was a nice ride.

I am just glad no one was seriously hurt (no ambulance)

when the camera comes out cam seems to disapear.

I can't believe I saw 2 wrecks friday in my rearview mirror.

When Cam and I went through the turn I glanced back in the mirror and saw a little dust, then I got slightly worried, then half a second later I saw TONS of dust and more than one object, I just started cussing, I was so worried that someone may have gotten seriouly hurt. Then when Cam and I stopped and turned around and started to head back to the corner, I saw the Katana in the fence, and I was really concerned, I saw AC and his R1 tring to off road again, and saw everyone else helping out the katana and its rider (insert name here) sorry, I'm bad with names.

Anyway I decided to help AC get his bike uprighted and back on the road (down twice in one day and only a scratched case cover, some grass, and a small dent in the tank). I was just glad that nobody was hurt bad enough for an ambulance.

Other than that it was a good ride, with a lot of people that I have never ridden with, and it was nice to meet everone (although I am very bad with names)
Lunch was great, it was nice to sit and relax, look at the scenery :-D and talk with scott and blake (see i can remember a couple of names).

Blake and I headed out after lunch (for me)and gas (for the bike), we went down 105 to loop 336 then to 1314 back to 59 south (yes scott, we remembered). blake got off in kingwood, and i got off in Humble to get my paycheck, and to give everone a hard time about not being at work and how nice of a ride i had.


ready to ride.

later
tommie
01zx9r
"594"
 
Huh?

Anyway I decided to help AC get his bike uprighted and back on the road (down twice in one day and only a scratched case cover, some grass, and a small dent in the tank).

Did something happen before I met up with you guys at the Texaco? I only recall him going down the one time on FM 3090. :?
 
yes scott,

AC went off the road before we met up with you, don't know what road we were on, but we went through a left hand decreasing radius turn, and AC went off the road just a little bit, but kept it upright, and managed to jump a crossroad while doing this too !!! He did a very good job keeping it upright and not laying it down. got to see it all through my mirror. was no big deal, but all in all he went off road 2 times, thats why we were giving him such a hard time about getting some knobbies for the R1. I saw both off road trips in my mirror, while Blane got to see them happen in front of him. R1's are tough.

tommie
01zx9r
 
HSN 4/18/03 Ride

Hi Scott

It was indeed nice to meet and ride with you. Wonderfully said and great pictures.

Sorry for the late post. :oops:

Ride safe

Vittorio
 
I just got back from my parent's house and all I could think about was that scratch on my cover and that dent in my tank :angryfir: I really had a good time and can't wait to go again. Talk to you guys later...
 
Howdy AC,

:tab Welcome to the board, nice to have you. Are you really going to have the tank fixed?! I can see the cover getting fixed... it is sooo obvious ;-) Well, the dent would drive me nuts even if no one ever noticed it. Every time I got on my bike I would see it and it would drive me crazy hehe.
 
Hi, yea I'm going to see if my friend will be able to pop that dent out. He's been in the business for over 10 years now, so hopefully he will be able to do it. I'm like you...any scratch, nick, or etc. really bothers me no matter how small. That picture you posted of my R1 with a scratch on the cover really tears me apart :) I will definitely have the cover replaced... Talk to you later...
 
Contact info.

I'm going to see if my friend will be able to pop that dent out. He's been in the business for over 10 years now, so hopefully he will be able to do it.

AC: Please. Can you post who's you contact for fixing the dent in your tank....???? I also put a dent/ding on mine and I'm looking for a decent person/shop to fix this.

Thanks.
 
Dents..

I will be going over there probably Sunday and when I do I will post up his contact info.
 
Nice Ride

Hey Scott,

Nice to meet you and the guys. I can't remember all of the names. It was comforting to see such a serious dismount that was not accompanied with an ambulance ride and serious injuries. I hope your friend heels quickly and gets a new ride soon. Sorry for the delayed response, been out of town alot. Also, thanks so much for the pic of me on the new bike. Each time I look at it I'm so stoked and can't wait until the next ride. Hope to ride with the gang again soon. :-D Take care,

Don
 
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