Lesson learnt in securing luggage...?

[beertastic]

So I was doing 70 ish in the fast lane of the M20...
On my way to Italy..!
My sleeping bag that was resting bhid me, came loose and instantly wedged by back tyre... and it locked...
so I am going from 70 to 0 in about 15 metres... ish...
Luckiy the traffic stopped and I stayed upright.. not sure how!

I spent 30 mins cutting apart my sleeping bag to free theback wheel...

I was very impressed that all the bikers going passed gave me a thumbs up, to make sure I was ok... it was very hairy, but I got back in teh saddle and I am in Italy now, waiting fr the ride home...

Saturday I drove 950 Km from France to Italy via Switzerland... and 11.5 hours..!!! my arse was NUMB!

Anyhoo, all this was tanks to cabbie...!!!
Cheers mate!!!

Oh, why Iàm writing too... there is lots of off roading here.. and I have no clue how to ride off road... too short a tim to learn here, but I fancy having a go... but were can I learn.. Wales???

Thoughts...?

[samben]

glad you stayed shiny side up mate.

[sbikerbud]

but were can I learn.. Wales???

Thoughts...?

The yamaha offroad experience is tops. I can def recommend it.

Infact i fancy going back for another day. perhaps we should do a group day

[kenny1950]

Well I was going to show a picture of my removable tent rack I made but i cant figure out how to include pics on here.
Just the small one at the side

Ken

[Steve C]

...snip Anyhoo, all this was tanks to cabbie...!!!
Cheers mate!!! ...snip

Glad you survived that Beerstatic
And even MORE impressed that you're in Italy on the Dommie Cabby found, when was it? - 21 August! An amazing story gets better and better!!!!

[Steve C]

Oh, and a good way to start some off road experience, is to go off road
I'm not against training at all, but lots of tracks are ok for a fool like me heaving an AT around, so you'll be well away with that modified Dommie you've got there.
Enjoy

[beertastic]

I found her too heavy off road...
I had a horrible experience in France on ym way home (oh, home now).. I got stuck in the middle of no-where on a CRAPPY track...
if I'd have known how to handle her better, I may not have bottled and gone the 20 km back the other way...

I reckon a weekend with a 125 or a 250 would give me a little confidence and not scare me if it fell on me... (I've only two scars, both from bikes, both on my feet...)

But I see your point, no better way than the deep end... I just want my training armbands.. ;-p

[Mervinh]

not quite on the same plane but about not securing things properly from south west bikers

Went down to Bridge this dinner-time, then after watching the start of the GP decided to head West on the A30 to come home via Okehampton.
Anyway found the A30 completely blocked ( both lanes stopped ) so made my way slowly through the traffic for about a mile ..............and there at the front of it all was a fellow biker laying motionless in the middle of the road surrounded by car drivers. quite a horrific sight!!!
Apparently ( some witnesses told me ) he was following a Nissan Qashqai at about 70 MPH which had four bikes strapped on the back when they just suddenly ALL 'fell off' giving the rider absolutely no chance to avoid an inevitable crash.
Luckily, one of the car drivers was a nurse who knew what to do, and after about ten minutes, the Police, Ambulance and fire brigade arrived to take over.
The air ambulance also soon arrived and landed in the road and after about half an hour took off again with the rider aboard.
I diid overhear the paramedic radio the hospital saying the rider was called "Steve Edwards" ( I think??) who was either 39 or 35 ( couldn't quite hear which?)......he was riding a Kawasaki ZX-9R V-Reg in Green..........it had PGH ( Torquay) stickers on it , so I'm guessing he was local, and that probably known by a few of you ?????.
I'm quite shaken up by it and had a sad ride home to Bideford.
Please, if any of you DO know him, I need to know if he's OK??
Thank [censored] he had ALL the correct gear on ( leathers, boots, good gloves etc ) so at least he stood a better chance than some recently.
And it was good to see plod taken the offending Qashqai driver into their patroll car where they took all his details etc...hopefully he'll get done for causing it all..... his missus told me that they only bought the bike rack yesterday and spent 45mins this morning fixing it and the bikes to the car ( I told her she obviously should have spent a bit longer!!!!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Driving up the middle lane of the M5 north of Bridgwater a few weeks weeks ago, the car in front suddenly swerved, and I found myslef staring at a large lump in the middle of my lane fortunately it was reasonable quiet, so I went into the outside lane and found myself passing a stack of three bikes , then noticed a renault scenic on the hard-shoulder with one bike hanging off the back of a carrier ..... Unfortunately for them the Artic lorry following me wasn't able to swerve so well and ran over the back of the bikes - he pulled over in control, but they won't be riding those bikes again

[Steve C]

Wow Merinh - what a story and what a traumatic experience to witness. Hope he - and you - are ok.

[Sharribee]

Oh, why Iàm writing too... there is lots of off roading here.. and I have no clue how to ride off road... too short a tim to learn here, but I fancy having a go... but were can I learn.. Wales???

Thoughts...?

I reckon there is enough experience on this forum for us to organise an off road experience day without the need to spend the money that some of the off road training days ask for.