Assisted a Pirate last night...true story

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ConPilot1:
Against my better judgement, I assisted a struggling ill-equipped Pirate last night. But he was a biker in a low-level of distress, and I'd do it for anyone. Someday maybe the bike karma will come back to me in time of need.

We had a wicked nasty thunderstorm blowing through the area last night as I was leaving work. I got about 2 miles up the road heading home,
and decided to ground the bike at the local Turkey Hill and wait it out due to frequent and nasty cloud-to-ground lightning.

Now there aren't too many things that scare me off the road, but cloud-to-ground is one of them.

As I was standing under the shelter of the TH minimart watching the light show in semi-awe, having a smoke, here comes Mr. straight-pipes Pirate on a green naked Dyna, pulls up under the gas pumps.
No saddlebags, no tailpack, raingear, helmet, gloves, nothing but a doo-rag, sunglasses, jeans, boots, and an HD wifebeater. Stuff wadded up in plastic dollar-store bags bungeed to the back seat. He waddles into the TH and sees me, asks me if I know anything about the storm. Told him what I knew, that it was an intense storm, but should be short-lived, and coming from the south, headed north east. He goes into the store, does his thing, comes back out with one of those $3 cheapo squeaky styrofoam coolers that crumble when you touch them. He proceeds to remove the stuff from his bike seat, and pack it into the cooler. He's got a grand total of 2 cheap Walmart bungee cords he's using to strap that cooler onto the 6 inch back seat of the Dyna. He grabs it, moves it around. Wobbly. Tries again. Even more wobbly. And again. He fucked around under the shelter of the gas pump for like 15 minutes trying to secure that cooler on the back of the bike with no luck. Gives up, comes back over to me, and decides to hang out and bullshit. Talked to him for 10-15 minutes, he's from Erie, left the day before, got a hotel overnight, and proceeded to NEPA for some 3 day music-fest at Montage Mountain.

Erie to Wilkes-Barre's a 2 day trip, ya know. :rolleyes: :facepalm:

He's camping 15 miles northeast of where we were. That's where the storm's headed, I said. He goes, "yeah I got my tent set up, I hope it holds in the storm, all my stuff's in the tent. My raingear too."

Anyway he asks me if I thought they sold some straps or bungees in the THMM. I said probably not, but you might find a wad of clothesline rope. He goes back in, comes back out emptyhanded. "Nope. Nothing. No rope."

He goes, "yeah I got this cooler and it's not sitting too good on the bike." I replied "I know, I was watching you. Doesn't look too good. Not very stable. I don't think your stuff is going to make that ride."

He breathes a big sigh and looks to the skies. "That a BMW you got there?" Me- "No. It's a Kawasaki". Eyes get big. "Looks like a Beemer". Me- "Yeah, a lot of people tell me that. It's nice to have the hardbags, couldn't live without them. Wait dude, I might be able to help you out. I think I have some extra bungees in one of those bags." He goes "Really"??

I went over and opened up a sidecase and pulled out my CeeBaily bag liner, and carried it over under the overhang in front of the store and zipped it open. "Yep, dude, you're in luck today.
Here, take these. These are Harley-Davidson branded bungees, best bungees on the market. These aren't cheap bungees." LOLing under my breath." I handed him two 24" HD bungees and he goes "Thanks dude". Waddles back to his bike dangling a bungee from each index finger on both hands, straps the cooler on the back of the bike, fires it up, gives a wave and off he goes.

$6 dollars worth of HD bungees. Think he's offer me a couple bucks, or a pack of smokes or a spliff, or SOMETHING? ( I would have refused anyway, but just the point.)

Nope.

scottzilla:
Don't say anything bad or Connie will lock this thread. :crazy:

Justin:
Did you flash the axe when you opened the side bag? :thumbsup:

Kneescrubber:
Good on you Connie. :thumbsup:

melville:
Had to Google Map that Erie to WB distance. 300 mi +-!!!

I'll be doing that in my loud obnoxious slow cage this Sunday, and back the next day.

But good on ya fer helpin' a brotha of the road.

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