Grounded

Wednesday morning I woke to a drizzle and a wet motorcycle. A quick check of the radar indicated a morning rain followed by clear skies in the afternoon. So I took my time getting ready and took off in between showers for the Maple Diner up the road, a small converted house made into a coffee shop. All locals in there, I was greeted friendly and read the local weekly newspaper while dining on some fine biscuits, gravy and home fries. It dumped rain again while I was eating and we could feel a cool, wet breeze through the spring hinged screen door that separated the dining room from the front wooden porch. As I finished up, the rain had stopped but large gray clouds loomed and I knew I would be wearing the rain gear for most of the morning.

Sure enough, it rained on me up until around 11:30 as I made my way south on VT route 100. Because of the rain, I didn't stop to take photos, I figured I would do some when the weather let up. I crossed state line back into NH heading for a Harley shop to pick up a quart of oil. I checked the dip stick and it indicated I should add a quart. I should know better, I should have added half and then rechecked it after putting some miles on. I don't know what the heck I was thinking.

I decided to run NH route 12 north. It had warmed up nicely. I had removed my rain pants and henley, but put my jacket back on. Because NH does not have a mandatory helmet law, I stashed the helmet in the tour pack. As I was coming down a hill, I was behind a pick up carrying a load of trash. He was going slower, and slower so when the next up hill opened up to a passing lane (two lanes going up hill, one going down) I pulled into the left lane to pass. The driver suddenly realized how slow he was going and sped up, so I opened up the throttle and blew past him. That's when I saw a big cloud of smoke in my mirror. I had over filled the oil tank and when I

opened up the throttle it blew the oil cap off and blew oil all down the right side of the bike. The smoke was from the oil hitting the exhaust pipe. Now as I pulled in front of the truck because the left lane ended, I could look down and see the oil cap dangling from the tank. I couldn't quit reach it to get it put back in and the shoulder was now very narrow, too narrow to pull over. I started scanning the road ahead for some place safe to pull over with the pick up truck right on my ass. Up on the left I saw a gravel truck pull off. No oncoming traffic, so I signaled and hit my brakes as I crossed the oncoming traffic lane. Unfortunately, my rear brake was bathed in oil and didn't grab at all and my front brake wasn't enough. I hit about a 6" deep dip from asphalt to gravel and me and the bike went down...quickly... into the gravel. The asshole in the truck kept going.

Fortunately, the crash bars (or engine guards as the HD dealers call them) did their job. I wasn't pinned under the bike. I hit the kill switch and proceeded to say FUCK about fifty times as I looked at my Buffalo's beautiful road king on her side in the gravel. I was pumped full of adrenaline by then and tore off my coat and was considering picking her up when a (different) guy in a pick up truck pulled over. Dressed in a three piece suit, he got out of his truck and helped me pick up the bike. Which is probably a good thing.

The bike was covered in oil and dirt but over all it appears to be fine. I tweaked my back a bit going down. It's still pretty sore this morning. I think I probably pulled a muscle. I am thankful I had my jacket on or my arm would have been really messed up from the gravel. (My jacket is cordura, not leather, and I was always told that shit is good ... guess that's true.)

I can sugar coat this and say I had a minor mechanical malfunction that was followed by a serious encounter with gravity. This morning I am off to find a car wash to get all the oil off the bike and check it out better. I think I will head north on VT 100 and check out some more of this beautiful state. It is beautiful. I consider myself fortunate and am going to make the best of what's left of my vacation. Thank goodness for Biofreeze and Ibuprofen.

Peace.