Dixie Shunpikin' 2015 - Rush in NOLA, Tumble in Music City

FJRBRITBOB · Jun 28, 2015

Nice one Turk - can't believe I got back to your place 4 weeks today - I remember it all so vividly as if it was yesterday! We have discussed the trip by e-mail , text and Chat since, we both voted the 4 hour 'Hellbender' route around the Ozark National Scenic Riverways followed by the tube ride down the Jack's Fork River as the best day of the trip. Indeed, what made Dixie Shunpikin 2015 so special is the fact that we bothered to 'get off your ass' and saw some of the beautiful countryside inaccessible to the bikes, did some museums, a tube ride, a concert - variety sure is the spice of life!

As I mentioned in my journal, thanks for lending me your bike, thanks for taking me to see Rush, thanks for letting me back into the room after my early hours tour of the hotel in my underpants, thanks for letting me into your home, thank you big man - top bloke!

hppants · Jun 28, 2015

Sorry to hear about the off. Kind of puts a damper on the ride but it could have been worse

How did the electronics fare?

FJRBandit · Jun 28, 2015

Thanks for the kind words Bob! I don't recall ever being a top bloke. ;-) as long as I have a bike in my garage you have a ride in the States my man.

Pants, I actually meant to provide an update regarding the electronics in the report itself and forgot. Amazingly, everything survived to ride another day. I wasn't that surprised about my phone, as it's supposed to be waterproof. As for the GPS, I usually slip a Ziploc bag over it when rain threatens, but didn't. It powers right up, no problem. The two things that surprised me the most were the radar detector and the tank bag. The radar detector shouldn't have even been mounted since it's so easy to take down and is unnecessary in rain anyway. After the tumble it was hanging off the bike, help on by wire plugged into the audio jack. As for the tank bag, the rain didn't even penetrate the compartments containing to the power apparatus and the connections powering the devices.

You are correct, I was very fortunate on all fronts. I had a buddy with me to help get the bike uprighted and assist with getting me back on track. I was extremely fortunate I wasn't thrown into the traffic, and literally thrown under the bus. I was fortunate to have a good friend close enough to come retrieve me and the bike. And, although I had serve bruising of ribs, foot and ego, since I was fully atgat, I didn't get any road rash at all. One might say lady luck was on my side.

Mihalis fjr · Jun 29, 2015

Great report with wonderful photos!!

Thanks for sharing with us and,sorry to hear about your accident at the end..

hppants · Jun 29, 2015

Your report of the incident kind of reads like you were pushing it. It's a PITA to put on all of the gear, plug in everything, etc. Frankly, this is a big reason why my riding buddies and I usually don't stop very often (perhaps not less than 50 miles anyway). It's just too much trouble to gear down and gear up. Weather comes, then traffic, and a feeling of urgency overcomes your thoughts. Believe me, I get it. I can picture myself doing the same things, thinking the same thoughts. I hope when (not "if") that situation presents itself to me, I have the gumption to just pull over and wait it out.

Not casting stones - I just wanted you to know that I'm trying to learn from your unfortunate situation. We'll see if that actually pans out....

FJRBandit · Jun 29, 2015

Dunk43 said:
GRR....sorry about the get off.

Thanks Dunk! BTW - I saw that you had your bike for sale a few months ago. Did you sell it or change your mind?

Mihalis fjr said:
Great report with wonderful photos!!Thanks for sharing with us and,sorry to hear about your accident at the end..

Thanks for the kind words Mihalis! It's nice to know that the report is being enjoyed half way around the world.

hppants said:
Your report of the incident kind of reads like you were pushing it. It's a PITA to put on all of the gear, plug in everything, etc. Frankly, this is a big reason why my riding buddies and I usually don't stop very often (perhaps not less than 50 miles anyway). It's just too much trouble to gear down and gear up. Weather comes, then traffic, and a feeling of urgency overcomes your thoughts. Believe me, I get it. I can picture myself doing the same things, thinking the same thoughts. I hope when (not "if") that situation presents itself to me, I have the gumption to just pull over and wait it out.
Not casting stones - I just wanted you to know that I'm trying to learn from your unfortunate situation. We'll see if that actually pans out....

Not taken that way at all! I appreciate the insight. It's one reason I have relived it over and over is to learn from my mistakes. Also, that's the reason I was so detailed in my description of the events, so that I could help others possibly learn from my mistakes and avoid making the same ones, like you said, when the situation presents itself. Actually, just prior to the bottom dropping out we were seeking a place to pull over and wait it out until we got caught in the midst of it all. That's when all sensibility went out the window for me and I got focused on just finding an overpass, or even an exit.

BTW gang - I meant to post my Spotwalla link at the end of the RR. (the Spot is waterproof and was sitting right in it's little Ram mount still mounted to the bars after the tumble, just as designed)

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=d3be555e70de598a9