You just never know what’s to come!

Ahh, the early southern California sun always casts a spell on me. I wiped the dew from my SV seat and cranked up the sweet twin to the roar of a perfect harmony. The usual Sunday morning activity gets me on my naked SV, setting it into gear, and roaring off to hit the 134 Pasadena. Old Town is the right spot to meet the boys before heading out for a day in the canyons. The hub of coffee shops along the main strip in Old Town is notorious for a parade of Gixxers, Ducati’s, CBRs, and YZFs. You name it. You see it.

The route leads me to Osborne with 10 to 15 riders passing one another on the freeway before reaching the canyon roads. I am usually in third or fourth in the front. Sometimes I challenge my buddy on his RC51. Forget it! I may have added more power to my SV with a Dynajet Stage I kit and a full Yosh exhaust, but this little twin is still no match for the open liter the RC packs under the fairing.

Although, the story changes when we hit the twisties. I gear down, flick, and drop the knee on my first set of turns. I am in the zone with the open liters. I truly believe the SV was made for these canyon roads. I hang with the open liters without a hitch until we hit the straights. It is there where I drop off REAL quick.

For several hours the gang roared through the canyons around the lake stopping at various pitstops. On the ride home I gave it a little juice and then pulled back on the reins as traffic thicken on the freeway. I found myself separated from the rest of the pack. As I approached the 14 interchange on the 5 freeway, I kept to the right into the truck route. I watched a white pickup swerve to the right and then brake to avoid hitting the big rig in my lane. I watched the same truck again brake hard and cut right in front of me. There was enough room between the rig and me to park 747 passenger jet. Why did this numbskull have to lock his brakes and swerve 2 feet in front of me?

At that moment all time slowed as I watch myself collide into the truck’s passenger side at 65mph. I flew over the pickup’s hood and landed approximately 100 feet later only to summersault for another 200 feet. The visor on my helmet broke off. My sunglasses popped off! I finally stopped.

I was so freaked out. I looked up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The driver was trying to get away. He fishtailed in front of me as I dove out of the way to avoid the approaching truck. The driver continued forward with a blown out rear wheel.

One look, one glance, I was stunned. My beautiful SV lay in ruins. Nevermind that I was in shock! Nevermind that my left hand looked like a giant melon or that my right ankle looked like a twisted pretzel! The front forks mangled! The crankshaft cover dislodged from its original state. The taillights were smashed!

I had spent the last several hours enjoying a beautiful day with my buddy’s in the canyons. I consider myself a “good” rider having several years of riding experience. All this experience and all this know how could have not prevented the tragedy that I endured on that day. The driver was drunk on that Sunday afternoon. I just became one of the tens of thousands of victims struck by a drunk driver.

No matter how good we are there always something that could happen to us.

You just never know what’s to come!

As my doc always said, “keep the shine part up, and the rubber side down.”

Yeah, he’s a Harley guy, but his wisdom rings in my ears today.