An eventful first group ride.......

["Jon Stiffler" <jonstiffler@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello All:
I have to tell what happened this last weekend on our first long group ride. 
  My fiance just got a 900ss Ducati a couple of months ago, and alongside my 
ST we took off on a Concourse Owners Group (COG) ride up to Weaverville, CA, 
300 miles North.  India slid a bit on a turn 200 miles in, and road her Duc 
off the side of a twisty mountain road. She and the bike are fine, but she 
just missed a tree and slid the thing 25 feet down the embankment into 
poison oak, broke a fingernail is all (besides that we are itching like 
crazy).  Luckily some guys in pick ups were behind us, had a rope and we 
pulled the Duc up the side of the hill, I tested the bike out, and she got 
back on and road another 100 miles through twisties to get to Weaverville.  
I love this woman! She rode some in Europe 20 years ago with her ex-husband, 
but this is HER first bike.  She's got guts and now REALLY loves her Duc.
BTW, best roads I have ever been on up there in the Trinity Alps, ride there 
if you have a chance.
2 RS's and another ST were there, only non Kawasakis other than Laurie's 
Duc. The word on Triumph's must be getting out.
On Saturday night, India let Homer, a 72 year old Concourse rider, have his 
first ride ever on a Duc.  He loved it. Went on and on about the power, 
sound, and how fun it was to ride. Really sweet guy, and he has more than 20 
years riding under his belt. Turned out it was his last ride on any bike but 
his own.  Next morning we were heading toward Redding for the easy ride down 
I5 toward home (SF Bay area) and Homer's group said he was riding faster 
than he ever had, sparks flying as he was scraping pegs on his Concourse.  
Homer lowsided on a long decreasing radius hairpin and slid free of the bike 
into one of those metal reflector posts, square on his chest, and severed 
his aorta.  Leader of the group held him as he died.  We arrived on the 
scene 45 minutes later to witness the body covered on the side of the road, 
shaken riding partners, etc.  Saw Homer's wife last night at a gathering of 
the riders, and she is handling it really well.  Homer went out doing what 
he loved, she says.
India feels really lucky now, considering her worst worry is getting a new 
side panel and turn signal for the Ducati.  She also feels that Homer was 
going too fast partly because he got excited riding her Ducati.
I have to admit that after leaving the accident scene and continuing home, I 
had the thought of selling both of our bikes ASAP.  But, I got over it!  We 
are just continuing to focus on riding as well and safely as possible.
Looking forward to meeting more of you on some Bay Area rides and hopefully 
on the Western Rallye next year.
FWIW, I vote for the Trinity/Shasta/Lassen area in Northern California for 
the Wesern Rallye.  No traffic, great scenery, fantastic roads.
Sorry about the multiple subjects in this post.
Regards,

Jon Stiffler
'00 Blue ST



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