Joined
·
5,567 Posts
The OSSA Pioneer:
When i was in Jr High 8th grade, i had saved up the $$ and wanted to buy a HD 125. My Uncle K (dad's youngest bro) just about had a cow when i told him.. He's not a HD fan at all. (Though my mom's bro George and my dad both had HD Dressers). Anyway K, talked me in to buying a Ossa 250 Pioneer from him, for much less $ than the HD would have been. BUT the Ossa was in boxes! With much help from K, we put it together in his garage. The day we finished building it; his new Husky 500 was delivered to him.
Day one, me on my Ossa and K on his Husky ridding somewhere in the desert in Southern Utah. K tells me to fallow him close, as to get a idea of how fast hes going (The Ossa had a speedo the Husky did not). We are Haulin' Azz on this very long turn: The trail was just about 2 tire widths with tall grass and sage on either side. I glance at the speedo, It was at 115 pegged. The next thing i see is a board about 2 feet long, the end of witch was just in the center of that trail. Look at it you will hit it! 100%.. I clipped just the tip of that board with my front tire, it flipped. Hitting me in the right knee, then up side my helmet.. I exited both the bike and the trail to my immediate left.. The bike had no problem staying upright and just cruised on through the brush on a joy ride of its own. Me, on the other hand went flipping end over end in sideways cartwheels for what felt like ever.. I finally planted face down, sprawled eagle, with the wind knocked out of me, trying to re-learn how to breathe.. After a few minutes K discovers that i'm not fallowing him. So he turned back. Somehow he found me still face down, I think he thought i was a goner.. Then my arm moved. I heard his bike roll up but, i could not respond... When i finally roll over and eventually sit up. It was then that i discover i'm in a HUGE patch of Prickly Pear Cactus! Back then, ridding gear consisted of: helmet, gloves, denim jacket and jeans with loggers boots. When i got up i had more quills than a giant porcupine!
2nd Desert ride:
Ridding with a buddy who's on a Honda 100. His Dad (also our Scoutmaster). Drove us out to the desert somewhere west of Salt Lake. There were many trails going every witch way and a lot of jumps and a very large hill. There were 10 to 15 bikes running these trails. It was a cool riding area! All had been taking pokes at climbing that big hill. I had made a couple mild passes at it; Then i remembered K, telling me that this Ossa would climb a pole.. I got back and took a good long approach to the hill. I hit the base in 4th at WOT. I put everything i had up over the bars leaning out as far forward as i could manage. Downshift and gave it hell, downshift and keep that throttle pegged! I went past the highest tire mark on the hill as shifted to 1st, It literally leaped over the top cress! Much to my dismay, this hill was a TRAIN GRADE! Thank GOD, the tracks had been removed. However, this also meant this "hill" had a very narrow top! As i soon discovered my first true "flight". That hill went down the same angle on the other side! I was no-where near it! I backed off the gas, all i remember was the sound of the wind and my idling bike.. I had no idea how to land this thing... So i waited, till just before touchdown and NAILED THE GAS.. Yea! a perfect landing It amazed me how smooth it landed. I was expecting a mass of busted and scattered bike parts, with me turning to hamburger...I came to a very gentile stop. The bike made a hell of a racket. But when stopped it sounded normal, just idling. I roll a few feet forward and the racket? I stop get off the bike to discover the knobbies of the rear tire had got hold of the licence plate frame an literally cut-off the back fender with it. The licence and tail light assy were up in front of the rear tire. I pulled out the wires, Put the plate in the back of my belt. Then looked at that hill. It went east-west for ever.. Only one way back.. Yep I climbed it again.. This time making the mistake of stopping on top! Looking down that was 10X scarier than the "flight". In flight, i only had time to react. Now i'm thinkin' this shit!
When i was in Jr High 8th grade, i had saved up the $$ and wanted to buy a HD 125. My Uncle K (dad's youngest bro) just about had a cow when i told him.. He's not a HD fan at all. (Though my mom's bro George and my dad both had HD Dressers). Anyway K, talked me in to buying a Ossa 250 Pioneer from him, for much less $ than the HD would have been. BUT the Ossa was in boxes! With much help from K, we put it together in his garage. The day we finished building it; his new Husky 500 was delivered to him.
Day one, me on my Ossa and K on his Husky ridding somewhere in the desert in Southern Utah. K tells me to fallow him close, as to get a idea of how fast hes going (The Ossa had a speedo the Husky did not). We are Haulin' Azz on this very long turn: The trail was just about 2 tire widths with tall grass and sage on either side. I glance at the speedo, It was at 115 pegged. The next thing i see is a board about 2 feet long, the end of witch was just in the center of that trail. Look at it you will hit it! 100%.. I clipped just the tip of that board with my front tire, it flipped. Hitting me in the right knee, then up side my helmet.. I exited both the bike and the trail to my immediate left.. The bike had no problem staying upright and just cruised on through the brush on a joy ride of its own. Me, on the other hand went flipping end over end in sideways cartwheels for what felt like ever.. I finally planted face down, sprawled eagle, with the wind knocked out of me, trying to re-learn how to breathe.. After a few minutes K discovers that i'm not fallowing him. So he turned back. Somehow he found me still face down, I think he thought i was a goner.. Then my arm moved. I heard his bike roll up but, i could not respond... When i finally roll over and eventually sit up. It was then that i discover i'm in a HUGE patch of Prickly Pear Cactus! Back then, ridding gear consisted of: helmet, gloves, denim jacket and jeans with loggers boots. When i got up i had more quills than a giant porcupine!
2nd Desert ride:
Ridding with a buddy who's on a Honda 100. His Dad (also our Scoutmaster). Drove us out to the desert somewhere west of Salt Lake. There were many trails going every witch way and a lot of jumps and a very large hill. There were 10 to 15 bikes running these trails. It was a cool riding area! All had been taking pokes at climbing that big hill. I had made a couple mild passes at it; Then i remembered K, telling me that this Ossa would climb a pole.. I got back and took a good long approach to the hill. I hit the base in 4th at WOT. I put everything i had up over the bars leaning out as far forward as i could manage. Downshift and gave it hell, downshift and keep that throttle pegged! I went past the highest tire mark on the hill as shifted to 1st, It literally leaped over the top cress! Much to my dismay, this hill was a TRAIN GRADE! Thank GOD, the tracks had been removed. However, this also meant this "hill" had a very narrow top! As i soon discovered my first true "flight". That hill went down the same angle on the other side! I was no-where near it! I backed off the gas, all i remember was the sound of the wind and my idling bike.. I had no idea how to land this thing... So i waited, till just before touchdown and NAILED THE GAS.. Yea! a perfect landing It amazed me how smooth it landed. I was expecting a mass of busted and scattered bike parts, with me turning to hamburger...I came to a very gentile stop. The bike made a hell of a racket. But when stopped it sounded normal, just idling. I roll a few feet forward and the racket? I stop get off the bike to discover the knobbies of the rear tire had got hold of the licence plate frame an literally cut-off the back fender with it. The licence and tail light assy were up in front of the rear tire. I pulled out the wires, Put the plate in the back of my belt. Then looked at that hill. It went east-west for ever.. Only one way back.. Yep I climbed it again.. This time making the mistake of stopping on top! Looking down that was 10X scarier than the "flight". In flight, i only had time to react. Now i'm thinkin' this shit!