Nice story, I love my truck and I love my Harley, but without my truck there would be no Harley!

 

Welcome to the addiction. Nice story.

 

Thanks for the story. my ex- ather in law was a lifelong OTR guy, Now that he has retired, he is a roving biker, on his 4th ultra. He will appreciate your writing.

 

I'm not a trucker but I agree with everything you said. Great writeup!

 

Great write up. Congrats on the new ride. If you hang around here, it will cost you even more money.

 

Excellent write-up. Especially to us Harley riders. You're preaching to the choir here. Might get a different response on a rice burner forum. Just saying.

 

Well done!

 

Welcome and thanks for a good tale!

 

Sounds like you are happy. I know I like my Harley just fine. Even with some of its idiosyncrasies.

Since you are a trucker and a motorcyclist, do you ever protect riders? I ask because several times I have had big rigs go into protection mode around me, especially in the rain. Once riding my son's Dyna home from work and got caught with no rain gear. Big rig came in behind me and stayed there, another came up beside him and blocked the fast lane (on a 4 way). I couldn't make good speed, but they would not pass me! And a few times on the interstate I have had similiar occurances where they let me get a BIGGG gap between them and just stay there with a ton of room in front of me and behind me and going slower in the right lane because there was so much rainwater on the roads. Kinda nice and strange at the same time.

 

I said I would not respond to my thread replies but, you asked me to. The answer to your question is "NO".

The reason is simple. Each of the 18 tires I roll has over 100 lbs of air pressure. Each tire carries between 1000 and 5000 lbs of load.

I was east bound on I-40 just leaving Texas and bound for Missouri. Another semi passed me and as he did his rear passenger trailer tire exploded. It threw rubber into my windshield and up on my roof. It shattered the glass and caved in the upper part of my mid-roof. If I was on a bike and this happened I would be dead.

While I understand you were in a rain storm and should have headed for shelter ASAP, and what those trucker did for you sounds nice.....

Let me just say this. When you pass a semi, do it quickly and decisively

Maintain at least 100 yards distance in front or behind a semi.
NEVER surf alongside a SEMI's trailer, even if your not in his blind spot.

A SEMI is a BOMB waiting to kill someone.

I have personally run over 5 cars in my career. None of these accidents were my fault. The results are deadly without going any further.

SEMI's are BOMBS. KEEP AWAY FROM THEM AT ALL COSTS!!!!

And I've also survived being hit by another SEMI in the rear end while I was stopped at a highway construction backup.
The other driver was doing 70 and never hit his brakes.

Always check "6" as fighter pilots say! When you have to stop
on any highway or street, check behind you to see if they are stopping also. If not, head for the ditch before you are killed!

I've seen my fair share of death.

As far as motorcycles are concerned, I have seen only 2 common types of death on the road.

#1, bikers pulling trailers and they overload the trailers and the trailer picks the rear of the bike off the ground in a bounce over some road holes and throws both occupants to their deaths. Cars have also hit these trailers on many occasions.

#2. people riding pocket rockets and pushing the limits.


Finally,

When coming off the ON RAMP to enter a highway,,,,,
TURN YOUR HEAD AND LOOK TO SEE WHATS TO YOUR
LEFT BEFORE YOU ARE RUN OVER!!!!

EVERY DAY, I almost collide with other motorists who fail to yeild the right of way because they didn't look. I did not give the statistics for the cars I've run over into ditches but it's over 100 a year. Every day, at least 100 vehicles do this to me.
My personal decision is simple. If your failing to yeild and in the lane to my left is some woman with a minivan full of kids
and I can't stop in time, I will take you OUT! I don't care who you are, cop or not.

And YES, I have run 5 cops off the road this way in my career.
CAMERA ON BOARD FOR TO RECORD ALL DETAILS FOR A COURT OF LAW.

Cops can be stupid people too.

When I'm on that FLHTCU, I'm your buddy.
When I'm in this cab, just treat me like I am your worst enemy
and stay well away from me, ALL THE TIME...

Think Afghanistan is ruff? Iraq? Korea or Viet Nam.
Try our American Interstates!

And that ends my preaching. I'm truely sick of this.