black chevrolet

The headlights are circular. And bright. And diverge as they approach. My peripheral vision meantime is busily measuring the distance between my front wheel and the slow car's left front fender.

Crap.

This car and that truck and my motorcycle are all going to converge on the same spot. But I'm going to make it. I know I am. 7000 rpm 8000 why am I stuck in cooling wax why is this damn thing so slow but I'm going to make it I'm going to make it I'm not going to die

dodge right

the oncoming truck blurs by, slapping me hard with its wake.

The driver I have just cut off slows down in my rearview mirror. I look up, frightened. The curve of the road is...in my face. And I am going too fast. Far too fast. I cover the brakes. But I may not brake, braking at this point is not allowed. I slam the motorcycle over deep and hold it. Hold it down....down, far over.....upright and out. Out. Now I may brake.

I'm feeling just fine. Great, in fact. I'm not drunk, I'm not tired, I'm not angry, I'm not even near being stressed. Is there something wrong? What's wrong? Is it me? I begin descending the Grade, slowly and carefully.

Why is the car in front of me now pulling over? I'm not that close to his bumper.

Now about halfway down the Grade, I downshift before the fourth hairpin from the bottom. And now as I roll on the throttle to power through the turn and my right boot scrapes the pavement, something that I trust gives squeak.

I am all over the seat and the rear wheel is all over the road what the hell just happened I CHECKED THIS TURN OUT, IT WAS CLEAN

keep it stable keep it up keep it upright

I touched the pavement with my boot, and the motorcycle seemed to tuck together and straighten itself out. Another pair of headlights flashes by my face. I am surprised. I have ridden tired, ridden dirty, ridden stressed but now I am none of these things and this, this is not funny...I am not amused.

At this point there is only one sensible thing to do and I do it. I pull over, find my phone, and call a friend in the area and ask her to tell me to get off the road and get into shelter.

Later, hunched over a roll and a beer at a sushi house in Oakview, I ask myself. Why? My judgement, usually so conservative and sensitive, is today intent on killing me. I am driving normally, only today normal driving has nearly killed me twice. To drive normally is what I do, yet today it is It is against my instincts. I am very, very frightened. But I feel fine...