VFRRider
0
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2003
- Messages
- 585
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- Garland, TX
- First Name
- Larry
- Last Name
- Gates
This little story summarizes up my first big trip, all within the first 100 miles.
I had just moved to Texas in the winter of 1979, so I neither understood the word “hot” as in, “Is it hot enough for you? Hang around a while, we’re fixin’ (is that a word?) to cook up some eggs on this here sidewalk!”, nor did I understand that a grasshopper is a deadly weapon and has a mind all it’s own.
I bought my first official new (as in from a dealer) motorcycle in the summer of 1979, a brand new Yamamamamaha XS850, a 3 cylinder, air cooled, shaft driven, triple disk braked sport touring machine, about 2” too tall for me, but that does not count when you’re moving.
Well about March of 1980, it was already 85 degrees in the shade and I started going everywhere on my bike. It was so pretty, all black and aluminum. And with my new black helmet from Arai, with the aftermarket flip-up visor so you can talk and such other stupidity, a gift from the dealer for buying his death machine. Well by April I had figured out that rocks and sand off the road in Texas are everywhere, and it hurts when a truck picks up a pebble and throws it right at you at 80 MPH (we all know those trucks won’t do over 65, SURE THEY WON’T). So I hunted around for a fairing or something that would fit my image (duh uh) and wound up in Ft. Worth buying a Krauser Sport Cockpit. Oh, you haven’t heard of that one, let me tell you all about it. They were all the rage in Europe, just right for the little Beemer. 2 mirrors attached to a little fairing just big enough for a headlight and a sport windshield and a radio. I had everything I needed. Came up to about my chin when I replaced the handlebars with superbike bars. See I like to lean forward, it takes the weight off my back, which I need. But that’s another story (gotta save a few for later).
So I have my new sport fairing and sport handlebars, I am so COOOOOL. Went for a trip up to Amarillo. Left here at 5 AM (why so early, she whined). Weather was great and down in those little valleys, it was nice and cool yet. Well by 11 AM, the cool was gone. How hot was it? **** hot! Hotter than a freshly polished aluminum muffler after a 30 minute quick ride on the bare skin under the calf of a shapely 16 year old, that’s how hot! SO just past the Dairy Queen just south of Wichita Falls on Hwy 289 is the most interesting phenomenon. The prevailing wind (why do they say prevailing, it never stops) up there is west to east, right across the road. Right at that point there a 3 grain silos on the west side of the road. So here is this line of bikes (4 in all, single file) going north at about 70, with the wind pushing everyone to the right, so we’re all leaning left. Went past the silos and everyone translates to the right about 3’ and back again right after. Such a pretty little S curve, just like out of Tron, that wonderbust from Disney that has some of the neatest motorcycle fantasy scenes ever created.
Than I see him, just sitting on the highway, playing chicken with me, the grandpa of all Texas Grasshoppers. He was a little hungry, I could tell by the way he tensed up as I approached, you know, kind of like cocking the gun, and saying “I dare you”. Well how was I to know, I’m not from Texas. Grasshoppers to me run from everything, they don’t challenge buses, rip off mirrors, and run the junkyard dog out of town. Well, I see him from an easy 100’, but I think, surely he won’t move now! I’m the 3rd in line and he hasn’t even flinched at the first 2.
Surprise, here he comes. Tachyphasia sets in, and everything goes in slow motion. Can’t steer away, only so much road. Can’t brake, someone behind me and they will never believe I braked for a grasshopper, even if he’s 4’ long, has green and yellow bobby socks on, is picking his teeth with cow bones, weighs 80 lbs. and is looking to eat my new bike. By now we’re approaching each other at around 100, and he is not chickening out. Now I’m praying, get altitude, get altitude. He did.
Just missed the top of the windshield, you know, the one that’s just below my chin.
But not enough to actually hit the stupid flip up visor. NO, that would have been too easy.
Did I ever tell you that those Texas grasshoppers are a little sweet? Yep, right into the closed mouth. Strained through the lips. Almost knocked me off the bike.
But, on the good side, I wasn’t hungry again for 2 days. Don’t know why?
Yep, just love it.
I had just moved to Texas in the winter of 1979, so I neither understood the word “hot” as in, “Is it hot enough for you? Hang around a while, we’re fixin’ (is that a word?) to cook up some eggs on this here sidewalk!”, nor did I understand that a grasshopper is a deadly weapon and has a mind all it’s own.
I bought my first official new (as in from a dealer) motorcycle in the summer of 1979, a brand new Yamamamamaha XS850, a 3 cylinder, air cooled, shaft driven, triple disk braked sport touring machine, about 2” too tall for me, but that does not count when you’re moving.
Well about March of 1980, it was already 85 degrees in the shade and I started going everywhere on my bike. It was so pretty, all black and aluminum. And with my new black helmet from Arai, with the aftermarket flip-up visor so you can talk and such other stupidity, a gift from the dealer for buying his death machine. Well by April I had figured out that rocks and sand off the road in Texas are everywhere, and it hurts when a truck picks up a pebble and throws it right at you at 80 MPH (we all know those trucks won’t do over 65, SURE THEY WON’T). So I hunted around for a fairing or something that would fit my image (duh uh) and wound up in Ft. Worth buying a Krauser Sport Cockpit. Oh, you haven’t heard of that one, let me tell you all about it. They were all the rage in Europe, just right for the little Beemer. 2 mirrors attached to a little fairing just big enough for a headlight and a sport windshield and a radio. I had everything I needed. Came up to about my chin when I replaced the handlebars with superbike bars. See I like to lean forward, it takes the weight off my back, which I need. But that’s another story (gotta save a few for later).
So I have my new sport fairing and sport handlebars, I am so COOOOOL. Went for a trip up to Amarillo. Left here at 5 AM (why so early, she whined). Weather was great and down in those little valleys, it was nice and cool yet. Well by 11 AM, the cool was gone. How hot was it? **** hot! Hotter than a freshly polished aluminum muffler after a 30 minute quick ride on the bare skin under the calf of a shapely 16 year old, that’s how hot! SO just past the Dairy Queen just south of Wichita Falls on Hwy 289 is the most interesting phenomenon. The prevailing wind (why do they say prevailing, it never stops) up there is west to east, right across the road. Right at that point there a 3 grain silos on the west side of the road. So here is this line of bikes (4 in all, single file) going north at about 70, with the wind pushing everyone to the right, so we’re all leaning left. Went past the silos and everyone translates to the right about 3’ and back again right after. Such a pretty little S curve, just like out of Tron, that wonderbust from Disney that has some of the neatest motorcycle fantasy scenes ever created.
Than I see him, just sitting on the highway, playing chicken with me, the grandpa of all Texas Grasshoppers. He was a little hungry, I could tell by the way he tensed up as I approached, you know, kind of like cocking the gun, and saying “I dare you”. Well how was I to know, I’m not from Texas. Grasshoppers to me run from everything, they don’t challenge buses, rip off mirrors, and run the junkyard dog out of town. Well, I see him from an easy 100’, but I think, surely he won’t move now! I’m the 3rd in line and he hasn’t even flinched at the first 2.
Surprise, here he comes. Tachyphasia sets in, and everything goes in slow motion. Can’t steer away, only so much road. Can’t brake, someone behind me and they will never believe I braked for a grasshopper, even if he’s 4’ long, has green and yellow bobby socks on, is picking his teeth with cow bones, weighs 80 lbs. and is looking to eat my new bike. By now we’re approaching each other at around 100, and he is not chickening out. Now I’m praying, get altitude, get altitude. He did.
Just missed the top of the windshield, you know, the one that’s just below my chin.
But not enough to actually hit the stupid flip up visor. NO, that would have been too easy.
Did I ever tell you that those Texas grasshoppers are a little sweet? Yep, right into the closed mouth. Strained through the lips. Almost knocked me off the bike.
But, on the good side, I wasn’t hungry again for 2 days. Don’t know why?
Yep, just love it.