On VolusiaRiders.com we were sharing our most embarassing moments...mine came in spring 2006. The C50 was my first bike and I had only been riding about a month or two.
One day, after a ride, I stopped at a Starbucks not far from home. There was a thunderstorm rolling in, but I wasn't concerned about the rain. If it hit before I left I was only a half mile from home and didn't care if I got wet. I ordered my coffee and took a stuffed chair near the window to relax and watch the approaching storm. As I was finishing up my coffee a young knockout, curvy blonde in a red silk dress & red high heels arrived in a shiny red Mini Cooper. When I lived in the big city (San Diego) it might not have been an uncommon site, but in Spokane...well, I couldn't help but admire, of course. As she was ordering her beverages I decided to get going. I had been watching the lightning, but now the wind was picking up and it was starting to rain hard.
As I went out a couple of baristas came out to grab the umbrellas from the tables. We chatted briefly under the awning -- the young lady had told them the wind was picking up and suggested they secure the umbrellas, but only because she was concerned one would hit her car. We laughed about that and I stepped out to my bike to start putting on my gear. I had parked my bike right in front of the door, and as I sat on my bike a gust of wind hit. It nearly lifted the umbrellas out of the tables and both baristas had to grab an umbrella to keep them from flying away. The wind calmed and the baristas got the umbrellas folded up.
At this moment the blonde came out holding two beverages. As she hit the sidewalk another gust of wind hit and sent her dress billowing upwards. My own personal modern-day Marylin Monroe moment. She was left standing directly in front of me, bare from the midriff down, showing off her matching thong. Red-faced, she tried to push her dress down while holding a drink in each hand. At this point there were now four baristas there and all eyes turned to me. I just smiled and laughed with them. The gust died down and she tried to make it to her car. Another gust hit and the incident was repeated. She finally managed to get into her car, parked next to my bike, and drove off without looking my way.
At this point the four young baristas were all laughing pretty hard. We exchanged a few comments and a couple of them complimented me on my bike. I was feeling pretty good at that moment; Mr. Smooth. Does an old guy's ego good any time he draws a little attention and compliments from the ladies. My bike was parked straight into the curb. I fired it up and rolled it back a few feet. Figured rather than rolling all the way out and straightening, I would just lean into it and curve away as I left (much more impressive). The four girls stood there to watch me leave; a few said gooodbye, one waved...I smiled...I let out the clutch, gave her some gas, leaned into it...and got slammed by a gust of wind! Stood me straight up. Now if you're not familiar with motorcycles -- you lean, the bike turns; straight up, the bike goes straight. Thought I was going to go into the curb -- I was on the brakes, trying to lean, feet flailing, trying to regain control. Almost dumped it, but managed to keep it upright, and pulled away. Rode home in the wind and rain feeling totally humiliated. Smooth. I'm sure they laughed hard about that blonde & the biker for a long time!
