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Mr. T's Terrible Tale
Tuesday - I'm picking up brake pads at my local Honda dealer. The sales guy, a friend, is discussing financing with a potential customer and his wife. They are an Asian couple in their mid-30's by my reckoning. He seems a bit hesitant about the length of the loan, but she says, "Don't worry about it, just get your toy. You deserve it. You're a hard worker, a good husband and a good dad, just get it." He decides to get a motorcycle.
...He didn't seem or sound very experienced, but that could be deceiving.
Thursday - back at the dealer for oil and filter. Chat with my friend and learn that Mr. T was all over the closeout deal on 2008 CBR1000RR's and was picking it up tomorrow.
Saturday - I swing by to show off the new tank on my VFR. Mr. T inspired no confidence in anyone when he came to pick up the bike with a flashy new ARAI lid. He was qualified to ride it because he had passed the MSF course. The dealer personnel tried to convince him to let them deliver it to his house, but he insisted that he would ride it home to show his wife and that they would return later to pick up his car. Pressing on, the salesman at least convinced him to let them take the bike to a nearby open lot so that he could get a little more comfortable on it before heading into traffic.
They take the bike to the lot, Mr. T follows in his car. He's looking shaky as they leave him there.
20 minutes later, with 4 miles on the bike, Mr. T arrives holding the keys, mumbling something about too much throttle and then too much brake.
We go look at the bike. The entire right side is thrashed. The frame is deeply scratched, muffler ground through creating a hole, all plastics destroyed. The Arai is also trashed and Mr. T probably wounded both his body and his ego.
The CBR1000RR is many things, but "a forgiving learning tool for inexperienced riders" is probably not one of them.
By virtually forcing him to take it to the open lot, they probably saved his life.