In last weekend's ride up to Kernville, we had a chase vehicle follow us.
Every once in awhile, when we do these overnight rides, we'll have a chase vehicle there. It's not normally planned that way, but just seems to happen depending on who wants to come along, and what the circumstances are.
In this case, one guy took his daughter with him on the bike, and the wife wanted to go too. So, she took the jeep.
Depending on how you look at it, chase vehicles can be an advantage or disadvantage. It's good in that it can haul other people's stuff, and frees up space on the bikes. The bike is no longer top-heavy, and let's us carve up the canyons with more ease. In this particular case, the wife packed a cooler full of beer on ice. And when we stopped somewhere up on a mountain range, we pulled over for a butt break, and sucked down some cold ones. It added a nice touch to the whole ride, one that we would not have been able to enjoy otherwise.
But there can be some downsides to it. You can't lane split for one thing, otherwise you lose the chase vehicle, though that advantage only applies in California. Or, if only one person is in the chase vehicle, we can't use the carpool lane.
Interestingly, this woman had a CB radio in the jeep. My Ultra Classic has a CB radio, and we had a guy on Gold Wing with a CB as well, and the three of us could converse throughout the trip.
On one hand, there's something special about having only you, the bike, and whatever you can fit on it. It limits you to the bare essentials, narrows your focus down to just you and the road, and challenges your ability to master the bungee cord.
But it's still so nice to have a car there to carry all the weight for you, and then some, including the laptop, the tool box, the cooler full of beer, the Jack & Cokes, the illegal fireworks, the college girls, the sex toys...
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Riding With A Chase Vehicle
Sunday, September 06, 2009
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A vagabond who hauls a motorcycle around the country in a toy hauler, earning a living as a website developer. Can often be found where there's free Wi-Fi, craft beer, and/or public nudity. 
Interestingly enough I have had a chase vehicle on two trips and on both trips the chase vehicle became essential. Last October one of our "senior" riders decided to trailer his bike to the destination. On the final day of the trip another riders bike had a mechanical failure and we loaded both bikes onto the trailer. It would have been alot worse of a trip if we didn't have that option.
ReplyDeleteLast April we had a tragic accident that killed one and sent two to the hospital. My friend whose wife was killed was in shock and obviously not in any condition to ride. He had to be taken to the hospital where his son was being sent. Fortunately the son's girlfriend was following in a car and they were able to stay down in Virginia until the surgery was over and then drove back in the car. Our sponsoring dealership ent a trailer down to pick up his motorcycle along with mine and my wifes and another that was damaged in the accident. Again having the car along proved valuable.
I'm not saying I like having a chase vehicle, just saying God works in a funny way and things happen for a reason I suppose.