Riding Motorcycles During the COVID-19 Pandemic Part II

[Lowndes]

I'm gonna HIJACK THIS THREAD bact to the topic right here and now: Riding Motorcycles During the Pandemic.  

 

It was a GLORIOUS TIME to be alive and a bike rider.  It was STUPENDOUS!!  NEVER, EVER will anything like that ever happen again in our lifetimes.  They will "never have that recipie again.", as the song says.  It was a wild and crazy time and I took full advantage of it.  It was the GREATEST RIDING EVER in the history of the WORLD.

 

It seems like several years ago, now.  On Aug 22, 2019, I was at the gym on a stairstepper when I felt a twinge go down my left leg.  I remember thinking, "IF i had any sense, I'd get off this thing and go home NOW."   But, I didn't qualify and kept going. 

 

A week later and with the help of a $20 quack chiropractor, I had a full blown useless left leg, no feeling in the leg, zero strength or control, not to mention the uncomfortableness in the back.  Several weeks after that a Spinal MD specialist diagnosed it in 30 seconds as L3-L4 sciatic nerve pinched by a bulged disc.  He told me that I would make a 100% recovery but it would take TIME.  "Maybe a year."  It was almost a year before I had 95%.  But before that, Covid started.  I was walking, kinda, and began to get some strength back in it, feeling like I just might be able to ride again, maybe.  I had not been able to ride at all since that day in August.

 

The day I decided it was time to try it just happened to be the first day of SHUTDOWN here, maybe March 21.  It was a Thursday about noon.  I was not even aware of all that Covid stuff, just "could I, would I be able to ride again".  I stopped at the Cycle Gear shop a few blocks from the house to get something.  There was NO ONE on the streets.  ZERO traffic in our town.  Mid day and NO traffic was VERY spooky around here.  Surreal.  Just like a movie.  Not even a cop.  So, I hopped on the expressway (GA 400) and headed north toward the mountains and my favorite roads, some 20 miles away, and T.W.O., my favorite MC meeting place/camp ground/resturant a few more miles up.  THERE WERE NO CARS.  ZERO CARS.  I did see two other solitary bikes going other directions.  We waved heartily at each other.   It was so much fun.  ALONE on the roads in the North Georgia mountains. 

 

The nex day was Friday and since no one was working I was going riding again.  Left home early and headed north again.  The weather was perfect.  There was ZERO traffic, AND there were no cops.  That Thursday evening there were discussions on TV about "people should get out and ride bicycles." Remember that??  Friday there were bikes out.  Hondas, Kawa's, BMW's, Suzi's, and Harleys.  Nothing was open, couldn't get lunch anywhere, but you coud still get gas at the self serve CC pumps.  No restrooms open, either.  Oh well.

 

Friday was so much fun I decided to go again on Saturday.  Up early, left home in the dark and chill.  NO traffic.  But I began to see a few bikes.  All headed in the same direction: north.  To the mountains.  As the sun came up more and more bikes were out.  No cars.  I stopped at the top of the mountain on US 19, Neel's Gap and the AT trail crossing in the parking lot of the store at Walasi yi.  It's kinda THE meeting place for bikes, sports cars, tourists and hikers in the middle of this big playpen of really good roads and a trail.  There must have been 100+ bikes in the parking lot, more wizzing past in both directions, some on one wheel.  No cars and no cops. 

 

There were a few of us standing around looking at each other like "CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS??"  and, "THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!"  One guy said the sheriff of Union County had posted on FB that they would not be stopping anyone for minor traffic violations or responding to nuisance calls, and "do NOT call us about any loud motorcycles."  Someone said there was a patrol car on the north side of the mountain but they weren't stopping anyone.  About that time we saw a big SUV sheriff's cruiser coming from that direction and pull into the parking lot.  We figured they were going to arrest everyone there.  It was a "SHE" and she rolled her window down and said to our group, "Ya'll are standing too close together.  Yer gonna have to spread out.", rolled up her window and left the way she came.  We just looked at each other.  Bikes still whizzing by.  Some on one wheel.

 

Sunday did it again.  More bikes and no cars or cops.  Coming home that evening down GA 400, a big innerstate type commuter road to Atlanta, I fell in with a guy on a Harley that was setting a quick pace.  No cars and no cops.  After a few miles a Ducati wizzed past going a little quicker.  I decided to see how much quicker and he didn't seem to appreciate the company or something and tried to leave.  After I finally got past him I notced a car way over in the right lane ahead doing about 55.  As I went past him I glanced over and saw "POLICE" on the side and looked at my speedo that was coming down past 120.  It was the proverbial "Oh, shucks" moment.  I quickly checked the mirror.  No lights, no sireen, nuthin.  Just like it never happened.  I did the limit the rest of the way home, tho.  Got the vid on the helmet cam.

 

Two weeks later the Honeymoon was over, the bloom was off the rose, the cops were out in force and traffic was beginning to come back.  It was over.

 

If you stayed home you missed a great riding experience.  I decided that if I was going to get the Covid, it was going to have to catch me.

 

 

 

 

[Hosstage]

I stayed working steady thru the last year, and rode quite a bit too.

Like Lowndes, I rode often those first few weeks, it was a little eerie, but rode long hours, little traffic, no place to stop except gas stations, but I was ok with that. Rode as much last year as any, probably more. No other obligations demanding my time, everything was cancelled!

[Rougarou]

Yep, I stayed steady, working daily, and riding daily.  I had about as much concern about falling and going to a hospital during the peak of covid as I had prior to covid,....which is to say, I had no concern.....I really did not see my level of risk rise due to the pandemic.

[super rat]

I poached a couple ski hills, on my snow bike, when they shut everything down and rode and camped while most were locked down. I don't lock down.