You can’t make this stuff up!

Some stories and other assorted random motorcycle stuff.

STORY #1, from the 1996 Three Flags Classic

Aug. 31, 1996 – The “High Energy” Day

In 1996 the Three Flags Classic (3FC96) went north on I-15 through Salt Lake City and the second checkpoint opened at 10:00 on Saturday morning in Pocatello, Idaho.

Friday night I stayed in Salt Lake City with my friends Frank & Jess and when I woke up Saturday morning I noticed the big full moon still in the sky and mentioned it to Jess. She said, Chris, that makes it a “high energy” day.

Frank went to work early and I took Jess out for some breakfast and then took off. My only goal was to be in Pocatello when the checkpoint opened.

As I was cruising north and checking the time I figured I’d arrive around 09:30. As I was coming around a curve and looking ahead I could see a long straight stretch ahead going straight downhill. So I started accelerating my ST1100 as I was coming around the last curve and that’s when I saw a local sheriff sitting off to the side. Oh oh. No point in even trying to ignore him. So I figured I’d just pull over and wait for him. Well it did take a bit to come to a stop and I had my helmet off and was digging out my driver’s licence when he pulled up behind me.

After my feeble explanation about this wonderful piece of highway and how, for the first time ever, I was trying to see just how fast my motorcycle would actually go he gave me a speeding ticket that cost me $103 US!

I thanked him immensely and promised that I would pay this ticket as soon as I got home.

He had clocked me doing 128 mph in a 75 mph zone! And I still arrrived at the Pocatello checkpoint before 10 am.

Later, on that “high energy” day I was driving through Montana on the way to the checkpoint at Trout Creek. Michael Gasper had been behind me much of the day on his Gold Wing and it seemed that any time I stopped for any reason he’d drive by and then I’d have to catch him again. Now we all know that the 3FC is not a race, but I didn’t want him to get to Trout Creek before me, even though this checkpoint wasn’t even open until 11:00 the next morning.

In Montana the speed limit at the time was “Reasonable and Prudent”. As I was just cruising north on Hwy 200 with the sun shining and Mr. Gasper behind me somewhere I was very surprised when I saw a highway patrol car turn on his lights and pull me over for speeding. I didn’t understand why he was giving me a ticket. I was being quite prudent I thought.

He told me I was a bit out of the “reasonable and prudent” zone at 109 mph and I had to pay a $70 fine on the spot.

This brought up the next situation as all I had was $100 bills and he had no change so he wanted me to follow him back to Thompson Falls (about 15 miles) to get change. Well I was not ready to be back tracking, especially behind a highway patrol car, with a vision of Mr. Gasper in my head, laughing at me and beating me to Trout Creek. So I said to this fine policeman, “Look, I really don’t want to be going back to Thompson Falls right now so how about I just give give you $100 and because you’re a policeman I trust you to send me the change”.

He then proceeded to tell me that I’d also have to pay the postage. No problem! I gave him the cash and was on my way again. Mr. Gasper did not go by and I was the first one into Trout Creek…. but it is not a race!

My “High Energy Day”, two tickets, two states for a total of 237 mph and $173 in fines. My favorite ticket story, not that I have very many!

For you statisticians, that’s an “average” ticket of 118.5 mph for an average fine of $86.50!

August 31st, 1996 is a day I’ll always remember as my High Energy Day! Two weeks later I got my refund and it was exactly $30 US.

You can’t make this stuff up!

Story #2,   …. coming soon