The CityBike Wrecking Crew goes to Bungee Brent’s Backroad Bash every year—it’s become something akin to an annual corporate retreat, which I understand is what real companies call these outings that serve as backdrops for trust falls, sexual harassment and blackmail fodder. It’s a bit of a misnomer, though: we’re not corporate, and we damn sure don’t retreat. Ever.
Like all motorcyclists, I have witnessed, endured, and been the victim of distracted drivers for years. While my observations are non-scientific, and there is certainly the possibility of any number of biases, my view is that the risk exposure has increased significantly, and that today’s motorcyclists are in more danger than they have ever been.
It’s been too long since I last wrote about our CRF250L long term dual-sport project. I crashed it at last year’s Backroad Bash and broke my foot, and the subsequent recovery time kept me out of the dirt for a while, although much to my doc’s chagrin, not off bikes in general.
The scene has a real “The Hills Have Eyes” vibe—we’re in a grove of trees, with many high vantage (sniper) points surrounding us. The hodgepodge of digging and gardening tools, oddball collection of vehicles ranging from a dilapidated Vanagon to a modern Tahoe, and makeshift tent-like shelters add up to just creepy enough for concern. Against our admittedly limited better judgment, we poke around and call out a bit more. No dice.
