Motor Cycles and Steel Players,

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 21 Dec 2005 8:17 pm

Yes, I feel for Kevin and Bobby Lee very deeply, and for possibly the greatest steel player of all time Slim Ahdeho that was killed in the prime of his career(Pronounced Idaho), but millions of great, very happy hours have been spent by many hundreds of the greatest steel players in the world, Curly Chalker, Weldon Myrick, Doug Jernigan, to be added to all the names on the closed post of John Drury's.

John D. is very hurt by the pain felt by Bobby and Kevin.
I just wish to remind the world that there is danger in anything we do in our day to day endevors, I personally feel more danger in driving my cars in traffic, walking across a busy street, bungie jumping, rock climing, skydiving, skiing, or being a victim of a shooting in a convienance store than carfully riding my cycle.
Accidents? YES! It is very possible and it happens daily but I ask you all, where do we all draw the line? Should we all stay in the house 24 hours a day? The quality of life is measured in how much fun we have between the time we are born and the last day of our lives. I have done many things in my life to make it more exciting and richer, as many of us do. I have several personal airplanes that I use weekly, two motor cycles I use when it's warm, several fast automobiles that I push to the limit when possible and I'm careful as possible, and If I'm gone tomorrow because of an accident in one of these silly enjoyable hobbies, then let the undertaker try to get the smile off my face, he's going to have a rough time doing it!

My heart goes out to anyone that has lost a loved one because of these machines, but I keep thinking about Paul Bigsby, Curly, and the thousands of others that have enjoyed a higher quality of life because of the love of this hobby.

Most hobbies have a certian amount of danger, boating, target shooting, hunting, swimming at Panama City Beach,
you can even add football, fishing, baseball and scuba diving in here. You just have to be careful.

Again, my heart goes out to everyone that has lost a loved one to any hobby, cycles included.
Bobby Lee and Kevin have a very special meaning to my life and are very wonderful friends. I understand their pain. And we all should heed the warning they have shared with us.
We all have our own line we must draw between excitment and bordom. I criticize no one for where they choose to draw their line.

And thank you John Drury for a very fun thread that put me in another dream world, as it did many of the players on this forum.
Judging the amount of posters, I'm not the only one than enjoyed it.

God love you all and a merry Christmas,

Bobbe

B. Greg Jones · Post by **B. Greg Jones** » 21 Dec 2005 8:43 pm

Very well said Bobbe!!!! I too love the sport of motorcycling and realize the risks that come with it, but I am not one too stay indoors 24/7!!! My sympathy goes out to Bob and Kevin.

I too got alot of enjoyment out of John D's thread!!!! Thanks for starting it John!!!!

Maybe I can catch one of the "Loveless Cafe" rides next year with y'all.

Greg

Duane Reese · Post by **Duane Reese** » 21 Dec 2005 9:37 pm

I myself have ridden motorcycles for a few years (man, it's actually been a few now), and I agree what Bobbe says about life being full of risks and knowing where to draw the line, and be careful. But I think it's also important to note what b0b said in the other thread about the fact that at the end of the day, it didn't matter how careful his son-in-law was.

Now of course it depends on what you are doing, but one problem with bikes is not what the rider does, but what others around you do. Many people just aren't looking for bikes and they'll pull right out in front of you. In spite of defensive driving, I'm empathetic to those who still fret when a loved one goes out on the bike just for that reason.

I probably never will get my motorcycle endorsement because I don't have a good bike or the time and interest required, but I tend to think that it'd be a no-no for me if I had a family to look after (that's where I personally would draw my line). NOT to say that I consider my life any more expendable just because I'm a 26 year old bachelor with no kids, but at the very least I wouldn't want to think that I'm doing something that's causing everyone to worry for something that's not as important. That's the model my older brother set for me with bikes, and it seemed level-headed enough to go by.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 21 Dec 2005 10:08 pm

Also well put Duane, I myself worry about friends that ride, but then, I worry about people I love driving a car around town, yes, I feel the risk is greater on cycles, you never know when Grandma will pull out in front of you in a mini van, or a 16 year old with the dreaded cell phone in her(or his) ear.
[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 21 December 2005 at 10:14 PM.]

Sidney Ralph Penton · Post by **Sidney Ralph Penton** » 22 Dec 2005 12:06 am

how right you are!!! in 1998 i had a truck accident. i broke my back my hand and my uper right leg. the leg never healed. i have a perminate rod in my leg. the dr said to be very careful cause i could brake the bone worse bend the rod etc. well the heck with all that. i have a team of belgians they pulled a wagon over me didn't hurt much by my pride. got a couple scratches and a pulled muscle on my ribs. no big thing i enjoy my horses very much. took 3rd place 2 years running in a show class. they stand 18 hands tall and weigh 2200 pounds each. i got a trike vw type. it was a lot of fun but some guy from kc wanted it and traded me a harley for it. its been over 30 years sence i been on a bike i liked it but was a little leary of it at highway speeds. so i traded that for another trike. it has about a 88 grand am body (half a body) the front has a 350 cu in chevy engine putting out 450 horses. now thats more my style. i have my fun i like my fun and i believe that god intended for us to have fun here on earth so thats what i am doing. if any one knows how to post a pic let me know you gotta see this trike. its awesome. and in my spare time i play gospel music on my pedal steel zum going from church to church speaking of the many things that god has done for me and what he can do for others also. i am happy and content in what i am doing. just waiting for warmer weather so i can ride again. i belong to god and he watches over me and when it is my time its time no matter if i am on a motorcycle or playing my psg i'll be comming home. praise god. doc

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zum SD10 peavy vegas 400 peavy session 400 steelseats they are great at sales@steelseats.com
if its not a zum steel it isn't real
just trying to steel for the Lord>

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 22 Dec 2005 12:45 am

Forget it. Bobbe said it well enough and nicer than I would.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 22 December 2005 at 02:08 AM.]

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 22 Dec 2005 3:29 am

You guys haven't lived until you're waist deep in water with a nice size Trout on the line with a 5 weight fly rod in your hands! Next to playing steel guitar, this is it for me.

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 22 Dec 2005 4:22 am

I don't think anyone who sets up thousands
of dollars worth of gear in a beer joint with
no available bouncers in a room full of chemically altered roosters on a Sat. nite should be afraid of a little ole scooter.
Please don't misunderstand my humor, I feel
for anyone who has had a bad experience.
[This message was edited by Chuck McGill on 23 December 2005 at 02:19 PM.]

LARRY COLE · Post by **LARRY COLE** » 22 Dec 2005 6:04 am

Be careful Frank one of them big Trout fishes might pull you down in the water and it would be GOODBY FRANK. I have ridden bikes on and off since I was about 14. I didn't ride for about 15 years after I sold my V-45 Magna in 1986. Four years ago me and my wife took an hour ride on a Harley dresser and got the bug again. I now have a 2005 Yamaha Roadstar Warrior and my wife rides a Kawasaki 454-LTD. We ride to work, church,or anywhere we can. I wish I could ride today but it is too cold.

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Playing For JESUS,LC. WILLIAMS U12,SHO-BUD PRO1,CARVIN TL60,GIBSON LES PAUL CUSTOM,YAMAHA L-10A ACOUSTIC,ROLAND JW-50 KEYBOARD,G&L AND BC RICH BASS'S

John Ummel · Post by **John Ummel** » 22 Dec 2005 6:59 am

I just went back and read the posts by Kevin and bOb. My heart goes out to everyone touched by such tragedy. We lost a colleague here where I work last spring when a deer jumped in front of his bike. Very sad. You're all in my prayers I promise you.

[This message was edited by John Ummel on 22 December 2005 at 09:24 AM.]

John Ummel · Post by **John Ummel** » 22 Dec 2005 7:01 am

And yea Bobbe got it exactly right.

Mike Ester · Post by **Mike Ester** » 22 Dec 2005 7:18 am

I had been around motorcycles most of my life. I was about a week old when Dad gave me my first ride in 1959.

I rode as a kid, then spent 15 years turning wrenches on scoots after I separated from the military.

I tend to agree that anything in life has its inherent level of risk. It is an individual decision as to what level of risk each of us will take.

Consider our departed brother, Julian Tharpe. He was minding his own business and a couple of thugs took his life.

I lost a cousin in a car/motorcycle accident. I understand how b0b and Kevin feel. I'm not trying to diminish their grief and loss. I'm just trying to remind ourselves that life comes bundled with risk. We may not like that idea, but we can't escape it.

Wayne Morgan · Post by **Wayne Morgan** » 22 Dec 2005 12:58 pm

Stupidity,,, that would describe anyone that climbs on a two wheel thing that has ten times the power you need to get around, and no protection at all for your body.
And there has been times I thought of steel guitars as a stupid machine, but both have brought ultimate pleasure to me.
Scooters are dangerious, but most things in life are, I've had friends that lost limbs and some that lost their life and I am very sorry about that, and when I go for a long weekend trip, sometimes I kindy worry about the danger, and that makes me a better rider maybe !

Wayne

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 22 Dec 2005 4:03 pm

Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant rode motorcyles in So Cal.That is til Jimmy wrecked his and caught the hills on fire.

Duane Reese · Post by **Duane Reese** » 22 Dec 2005 7:02 pm

I was going to say, if Speedy had been the one that crashed he would've really lived up to his name - course maybe he did anyway, but just neglecting the part where you crash.

I was down in the mountains by Morenci, Arizona a while back and sure enough, we happened upon a motorcycle accident on one of the tight bends on the highway; not too big a deal, as he just had a broken shoulder, but he was coherent and talking - not too roughed up, but that was still freaky to drive up on.

As a matter of fact, I'm headed down there now...[This message was edited by Duane Reese on 23 December 2005 at 06:37 AM.]

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 22 Dec 2005 7:10 pm

only one word for a bike fans "HELMET"...I even wash my bike wearing one.
Friend of mine had a son who ended up in coma because he fell of the bike and had hit the edge of the sidewalk with the back of his head.Speed was about 10 mph and no helmet.If he had wear a helmet he would have dust himself off and kept on going.

Db

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"Promat"
~when tone matters~
http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne2/PROMAT.html

[This message was edited by Damir Besic on 22 December 2005 at 07:11 PM.][This message was edited by Damir Besic on 22 December 2005 at 07:16 PM.]

Ian Wilson · Post by **Ian Wilson** » 22 Dec 2005 7:10 pm

Have to agree with Frank, there is nothing in the world to comapre to fly fishing. I have made my living guiding on the world famous salmon river, the Miramichi River. And Larry, while Fly Fishing isn't dangerous persay, people do drown, maybe 2 or 3 every 10 years. If you happen to wear hip waders, and you fall, you are more than likely going to drown unless you happen to be very good at keeping your wits about you. It is impossible to swim in hip waders full of water

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 22 Dec 2005 10:07 pm

Merry Christmas to all you wonderful steel guitarists and your familys,

Bobbe Seymour

FONT>[This message was edited by BobbeSeymour on 23 December 2005 at 08:23 AM.]

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 23 Dec 2005 3:39 pm

Well,i have stayed out of the riders topic until now!!!
Many good times out riding,we rebuilt a Honda 750 few yrs. ago. guys riding behind me picking up pcs.that were falling off!!!
Kick start pedal ect. NOT A GOOD MECHANIC!!

After heart surgery 3 yrs.ago,i don't balance to good,SO I have gone to a Polaris 4 wheeler!!
GUESS WHAT! I was spinning DONUTS last yr. and turned it over!!!

Broke my shoulder in 3 places,and 7 ribs ect. WELL I STILL RIDE BUT DON'T SPIN NO MORE.

Started to ask HOW MANY STEELERS RODEO???
we watch that on tv.MAN WHAT A WRECK.

Also mountain climbing ect. trucks 4 wheelers ect. WOW.

I'd like to have a Jeep to spin around in.
YEP I'M KINDDA CRAZY I SUPPOSE!!!

AND Football is pretty rough tooooooo.
I plan to enjoy life as long as i can.

farris

Farris Currie · Post by **Farris Currie** » 23 Dec 2005 3:41 pm

OH YEA,MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.
LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
farris[This message was edited by Farris Currie on 23 December 2005 at 03:44 PM.]

erik · Post by **erik** » 23 Dec 2005 6:07 pm

I still have my endorsement but I sold my bike 5 years ago because I can't enjoy riding unless I'm breaking the law and I am too tense riding worrying about other vehicles who may pull out in front of me or make a lane change. Lately it's become much worse because too many are talking on cell phones and not paying attention. It's illegal here but 50% of users are holding a phone up to their ear. I'm glad I made the decision I did. It's like quitting smoking, haven't had one in 20 yrs, could go for one right now, but won't.

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-johnson

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 23 Dec 2005 7:51 pm

In 1978 I purchased a brand new Harley- Hog..full-dress, burgandy colored with white faring and side boxes. Loved it! Riding it was one natural step up from riding my Schwinn bike that I had for so many years.
Ten years with the Harley and never had to lay it over; not a scratch. I had to let mine go after ten years due to big D-#1. All my riding was legal. I was surprised how much those bugs sting that come at you sidewise and hit you in the upper leg. WOW!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 24 Dec 2005 7:19 am

My grandfather used to ride an Indian bike with my mom on board all over upstate New York back in the 1930's. It was a different time.

The risk for collision is now much greater because the population of the United States has more than doubled while the amount of land mass has remained the same. When you've got twice as many vehicles, the majority of which are bike killers, competing for the same amount of space, the potential risk increases.

I don't ride motorcycles, and I encourage my biking buddies to think safety at all times.

I fish out of a bass boat, and I wear a PFD. There's all kinds of risk in everything, even staying home.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 24 Dec 2005 7:33 am

I have riden over two hundred thousand miles on Harley's, Gold wings, Yamaha's, and a Silver wing.Pulling a trailer over 35,ooo miles, Time Out camper.
That is enough for me it is in the past, you guys that do it be carefull and be safe.
I 1982 Nan and I covered the smokies pulling a trailer. It was fun then, we do not feel like we need to do it any more.

ernie

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 24 Dec 2005 7:56 am

Herb, my grandfather used to ride an old Indian, for many years.

(My Grandmother was an old indian)