Death of a Stuntsman

[Pagan]

A story I felt like sharing. This is the 2nd person this year that I've met who's died on a motorcycle. In both cases, they lost control of their bike after being unable to recover from a mistake, and neither was wearing a helmet.

So I'm hanging out in the mall with a girl I know, Jay, and here come two guys with helmets. No other safety gear, but they do have fubu jeans and sweatshirts, immaculate white high tops, the whole nine yards. I start talking trash to the girl I'm with, including the definition of squid, etc. She says "Oh, they know how to ride."

I reply "Burnout and stoppies aren't riding . . . getting a knee down on a track, that's riding."

"So you think you know how to ride better then they do?"

"Pick a road, I bet I'll get to the other end faster."

"Okay then." She pulls out her cell phone, and says into it "This guy I know wants to race you."

The two guys stop, turn around, and walk up. I had a bit of an oh-shit moment, but they were polite, albeit cocky. They mention some local roads they like to ride, we chit chat, and then head our seperate ways. One of 'em, a short, muscular guy with a baby blue helmet is named Victor. The other guy, tall and skinny, is named dwayne.

I hang out at the mall a while, chatting with my friend. Turns out she's got a huge crush on Victor, but he's playing hard to get. This girl is quite the looker, so I take notes on how Victor got her attention. We finish our shopping, and then it's time to leave. As I pull up to the stoplight, guess what I see. . .

Two bikes . . . one baby blue, the exact color of the rider's helmet. Although it's been completely repainted, it looks like a CBR 600. Dwayne is riding a beat old up old r6, which has only the top fairing over the handlebars. The exhaust pipe looks like it's kissed pavement more then once, and it wasn't just a friendly peck. I pull up, and ask where they're headed. We talk back and forth for a moment, and then Victor leads the way. The whole time, he's popping wheelies, standing beside the bike as he goes down the road, etc. Keep in mind, this is a road with decent traffic, we're speeding, and the only safety gear he has on is his helmet and some gloves. Blue jeans, hightops, and a sweatshirt make up the rest of his wardrobe. He's got some ungodly loud race can on the bike, and it sounds like angry hornets thru a cheap megaphone.

Victor leads us past the local airport. It's two lanes in each direction, with the center alternating between a suicide lane and curbed islands. The speed limit is 60, Victor's doing 140. Now this road isn't "twisty" by any stretch, but at those speeds, it does become a little more interesting. I've never ridden this fast on a public road before, and it's disconcerting. Passing Dwayne on his trashed R6 is no problem, but Victor is just ****ing crazy. He's got his throttle pegged, and damn the torpedoes. He leads us to a gas station, where he fills up. While I'm waiting for him to gas up, he notices my boots. Black riding boots . . . He looks at Dwayne, chuckles, and says "this guy's no joke!" It's mid august in TX, and these guys have just helmets and casual clothes. I've got boots, a Joe Rocket Jacket, helmet, and gloves.

Victor's done getting gas, so I tell them to follow me. I show them a road that really twists; curve warning signs showing 25, 35 MPH. Dwayne can't even begin to keep up, but Victor stays with me pretty well. After a mile or two, I can't even see Dwayne's headlight in the mirrors. I slow down, and then Victor pulls up. "HIS GAS LIGHT CAME ON! WE GOTTA TURN AROUND!" WTF? We just got gas . . . but oh well. Victor and I turn around, and we pass Dwayne on the way back. When we get to the end of the road, we wait for Dwayne. he takes for ****ing ever; I almost think he's crashed and we're going to have to yank his corpse out of a cedar tree or something. But no, he's just taking his time. We go back to the gas station, and Dwayne says "Aww you know my front tire man, and all that gravel . .. " By then, it's getting dark, and we all had other plans, so we split up.

I gotta admit, that was bit past my comfort zone. I've never ridden that fast, and I couldn't imagine doing it with nothing on but a helmet. I decided that I'd never do that again; I do enough track days, and I'm fast enough on a track to know I've got nothing to prove.

Jay is a coworker of mine, hears that I've "got game" after she talks to victor over the next couple of days, and flirts with me a bit.

Cut to today. The girl gets a phone call, then collapses in tears, screaming and crying.

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1840547.html

She'd been wondering why he didn't call her . . . Didn't even have a helmet on. From the sound of it, he was trying some crazy stunt down one of the busiest roads in town, and lost it. Soldiers are required to wear their helmet at all time when on a bike. If you die without it, you lose all your post mortem benefits, such as life insurance payout to your family, etc.

That's the third person I know this year who's died on a bike. They all have something in common : they lost control of the bike after making a mistake, and they didn't have helmets on. I know riding is dangerous, but it seems that this death was easily avoidable. I just feel bad for Jay; she's not the emotional type, and she was damned upset today.

[FishWitch]

That story is enough to turn your stomach. Using good judgement & good sense is sometimes hard to do. This is for sure a Reality Check for any of us who have ever done anything crazy.

Safety gear certainly would have helped but sounds like this guy was flat out pushing his luck. He not only ruined his life but the lives of many others that live on.

[FD929]

For anybody else having trouble loading the page:

Victor Manuel Gonzalez, Jr., died late Saturday night after losing control of his motorcycle and veering into oncoming traffic in the 1500 block of South W. S. Young, Killeen police said Monday.

Gonzalez was a Fort Hood soldier.

His motorcycle collided with an oncoming passenger car driven by a 48-year-old Killeen woman, who received minor injuries in the collision.

Justice of the Peace Bill Cooke pronounced Gonzalez dead at Darnall Army Community Hospital and ordered an autopsy.

Gonzalez was not wearing a helmet, police said.

________________

I feel for the family of this soldier. Hopefully they will find some good in this senseless tragedy.

[G8ESCAP]

[Law Dawg (ret)]

His mistake was stunting in traffic and an excessive case of over confidence. Too sad...especially for any of his family and friends.

[brandoncbr]

How come all these guys are from texas? just playin

[Warrior]

What's really sad is that if he had wife or kids they would get nothing. We had a girl die riding on the back of a motorcycle without a helmet, and the Air Force payed none of her death benefits. Seems cruel, but everyone knows the rules and you can't bend them.

[1911]

sorry,but if he was stunting on a busy road with traffic then Darwins at work.I feel sorry for the poor women who he hurt.

[Scarman]

Really sad to see that. When it's someone you've met before it makes it hit a little closer to home.

I'm one of those that will ride in the high temps with a t-shirt. I always wear gloves, fullface helmet, and riding boots when I have them. I'm in the market for some new boots right now. I have a nice leather/mesh riding jacket that I wear if it's under 100 degrees. Over 100 and I actually don't ride much, but if I do it's in a t-shirt.

A guy I used to know down in LA was in a head on accident with another motorcyclist last year. Both riders were geared up to the extreme. Both were traveling close to 65mph at impact. Both riders walked away from the accident with minor cuts and bruises.

Below are the pics of an R1 owned by the guy I knew. The other bike was going too fast for the riders skill level and he crossed the double yellow in a sweeping turn into the path of this R1. Both bikes disintegrated on impact. Both riders took a long slide on the road surface and into some sand and gravel. I'm sure it doesn't work out that well in most cases, but without all the leather and body armor they were wearing they would have left a lot of flesh on that road.

[Jester]

+1. It's hard to argue with the laws of physics.

Ouch Scarman, Them bikes be munched!!

GEAR GEAR GEAR!!!!!

Originally Posted by 1911

sorry,but if he was stunting on a busy road with traffic then Darwins at work.I feel sorry for the poor women who he hurt.