A Part Of Life

[Wild Will]

This was received from a pal of mine named Stan, 65 years young, today. My comments follow.

"Hello: Catherine was killed today in a motorcycle accident on Highway 1 at about 2:00PM….She died at the scene…The Bodega Bay Fire department, California Highway Patrol, California Park Rangers and the Sonoma County Sheriffs department were all involved…She is now resting in the hands of the Sonoma County Coroners in Santa Rosa, Calif…..until we can make proper arrangements…I would suspect she died of head injuries…She was properly dressed in full riding apparel including leathers and a proper helmet…nonetheless: she was taken….I suspect I am in shock myself right now and do not quite know what will happen next….
I have always known that the most important things that happen, happen without your vote….. Stanley…"

Stan is a moto head retired bachelor, and he'd met Catherine 5 years ago. She was 52, very attractive, and had just gotten her motorcycle license. Stan, who has many years of sport riding experience, was her mentor. He and I had just had a heart-felt conversation about the great deal he was getting for her on a fully prepped 2 year old Honda CBR 600 F4i. I suggested in vane that she get a 250 Ninja, a sweet little machine that is very potent and fast, with its own class in AFM racing locally here in Northern California. I believe it was her first bike. She had just taken the beginning rider course.

She and Stan were on highway 1 in Bodega, and she went too fast into a corner, grabbed the brake, stood the bike up, and was high sided into the steel guard rail. Killed immediately, right in front of her unbelieving partner.

Well, what can one say. We all face this situation at some point in our dangerous sport. Stan was a regular at Isle of Mann, where he is close to top rider from San Fran, Tom Montano. Stan is a real character. It's fabled that he gets Viagra for some very famous ex- world class GP stars, and he regularly send me photos of he and this former great. Stan gets lots of attention and perks at the IOM. I'd love to go with him.

I have a few friends who have helped their significant other get a bike that is too much for a new rider. All have dropped the bike already and one has quit as a result of that little faux pas. Maybe it's the right decision. Maybe she'd have done the same thing on a smalller, lighter, less powerful machine.
Too hot into a decreasing radius turn, panic, get ejected and hit immmovable object with soft flesh. I know Stan will be second guessing himself for a long time. My heart goes out to him, and to pretty Catherine, wherever you are.

[DJ Down Under]

Will...you've just brought a tear to my eye reading that...sorry about you and your friends loss....it's very sad indeed.

I'm just about to head off to work (ICU) where I see death almost daily...but it's just not the same...thanks for sharing that with us.

DJ

[Promethean]

Damn! I don't know what to say. I'm sorry for Stan's loss.

[1MPH]

Will...My condolences to your friend Stan for his loss.

Catherine RIP :love:

[BobFV1]

Man Will - what a tough story.

Most of my students are either new to motorcycling or re-entry riders. I taught 100 students the Basic Riders Course this month, and many, many times I was asked "now that I have my license, what's the best way to practice my skills." Many of my colleagues give a cute response, like "in a church parking lot next to a hospital". I give the same advice I followed myself when teaching my oldest son, who is now a very proficient rider and a verteran of a few track days on my Ducati - that advice is to select an experienced rider who you trust to understand your skill level, and go for a ride with that person taking the "lead" on a ride in an area without heavy traffic. Let the experienced rider set the lines, entry speeds, and other street survival strategies and aspects.

Hard to second guess this particular case. CBR 600 is a lot of bike, even for an experienced rider. My friend was killed on a brand new CBR 1000 the day after Thanksgiving - I told him it was too much bike for him just a couple of short weeks before he low-sided and collided with a guard rail, sustaining non-surviveable injuries and dying at the scene.

God rest the soul of Catherine, and our thoughts and prayers to Stan as he deals with the loss.

Be careful out there....

[Ed K]

Will, Very sorry to hear the sad news... and hope that you will have the strength to help your friend Stan through the difficult progression of emotions until acceptance.

[Bones]

Will,
So very tragic in so many ways. Godspeed to your friend, who clearly meant only the best for his girl and things just got away. No question he will replay over and over and over again the whole incident, which will likely torture him for a long time. There is nothing to say that will take that pain away.

Re the bike, there are probably a few ways to look at it.

First, there is no question that a modern 600 is a handful for anyone, including all of us here, even those who have raced competitively. If anyone here thinks otherwise, it is either simple arrogance or stupidity. All one has to do is watch the AMA races in the 600 class. Those bikes are not much different than an out of the box 600. The F4i is just one little notch down from that, but for a newer rider...you get the idea. It is easier to get into trouble with a powerful bike than one with less power, but the experience of the rider has a lot to do with it.

On the other hand, a newer rider on ANY bike in a decreasing radius turn with guardrails around is a recipe for bad things. She could have been on the Ninja you mentioned or even something more sedate and it could have happened. Maybe less likely, but still it could have happend. That doesn't make it any better for Stan.

I agree with what Bob said re mentoring, but that doesn't help here, either. Stan sounds like a great rider. Sometimes great spirited riders can take for granted what a new rider isn't capable of. I recall now how lucky I was that for about the first 1,000 miles after my MSF course, I rode with two very thoughtful guys who took it upon themselves to show me real world stuff exactly as Bob described, and it really helped.

But that is retrospective viewing.

I am truly sorry to hear about this. One can only hope that her departure was a kind of quick ending with no pain involved. Peace.

Jeff

[fganger]

Will,

Just a couple of thoughts. I'm sure that anyone on this site, who has ridden a number of years, knows someone who was killed or seriously injured while on their bike. It is always a shock and it stays with us (at least it does for me) for the rest of our lives. It is like losing a family member. Even if I don't know the person involved and I'm reading about it, like now, it is like hearing about the passing of a distant relative.

Sometimes the accident occurs when the rider is doing something really stupid; racing drunk down the street. That type of accident reinforces Darwin's Theory. However, when a person goes due to a slight lapse in judgment, or an unforeseen event, it is very sad to me.

Frank

[jamming]

Will, I'm truly sorry for Stan's loss. Stan, Catherine, and you will be in my thoughts today.
I know Stan's lucky to have you have as a friend to share his sorrow, its not easy to lose a loved one.
Take care.
Rog

[geechie]

Will,

I am so very sorry to hear of this tragic death.

I'm glad you chose to share it with us, though. We all need to contemplate, from time to time, our own mortality.

George

[mnnden]

Wild Will, I logged on this morning and received the news, how sad, Stan and Catherine will be in my thoughts for some time. I wish there were something I could do or say to ease the pain. Lossing a loved one is about as tough as it gets, I hope Stan has people he can lean on. Den

[arkline]

I can add nothing but my sympathy and condolences. Very sad situation and irreversible. The saddest part is that these folk who die in pursuit of something they love are usually people you wish you'd had a chance to get to know.

[Capt. Blackadder]

Sad news indeed... my heartfelt condolences to Stan, and may Catherine rest in peace. :wilted_rose:

It may be a small comfort, but if I take the final trip while riding my motorcycle, I hope my family and friends take solace in the fact that I went while doing something I love to do.

[Sir Limpsalot]

Very, very sad. There are, of course, no words that can ease the grief of a situation like this. Despite the best efforts of the Cafe regulars (as compassionate a bunch as I've ever had the pleasure of knowing) this will probably haunt Stan for the rest of his days. The "what if's?" and "maybe's?" will torment him beyond reason.
The only possible redemption here is if each and every one of us learn from it in some small way. Let's hope we can.
My most sincere best wishes.
Simon.

[Wild Will]

That's the reason I decided to share this with the forum, a very, very fine group of enthusiasts, to be sure.

[socalrob]

My heartfelt condolances to Stan & to you Will.

Catherine sounds like a person it would be a privilege to know. 52yo women with the adventurous spirit to ride a sport bike are in short supply indeed. I'm guessing that she wanted to share in part of what made Stan such an great guy for her, a fellow adventurer of life.

I understand the what ifs about talking her into a more beginner bike, but were she a man it would be a bit easier to rationalize that "he" was ultimately resonsible for the bike decision. I'm betting that Catherine was a modern woman & would have no part in Stan (or you, or others) second guessing her final decision & responsibility, regardless of the tragic consequences, & she would not want Stan to carry this guilt. Easier said than done I know.

I hope the intended tone of this post came through. I hope you & Stan & Catherine's friends make it through this dark time as best as possible. My thoughts are with you.

[fnfalman]

My condolences to Stan.

However in this case, I don't think that it's the bike fault. While it's true that she should have started on something milder but you can only go so fast in a canyon, so if she were to go fast enough on the F4 then she would have gone fast enough on the EX250 to induce panic as well.

It's sad, but that's just part of the moto scene.