Funtime #1:
On a very smooth, very slippery, but dry and clean asphalt street around my office, I totally lost traction in my rear wheel this evening. I was doing maybe 15 mph in second gear because I had slowed down for a left-turner in front of me. When he cleared, I goosed it, and when the tach hit about 9K, I felt a very strange sensation and the engine revved differently than normal. Luckily I was completely straight and not leaned over or anything, so I just shifted and kept on my merry way. After I realized what had happened, I wavered between "Oh shit, that was close!" and "Hehe, that was cool" for several minutes. Anyway, yeah - over time, asphalt can get worn smooth, almost like black terrazzo. Be careful out there.

Funtime #2:
On the opposite end of my commute, I lost clarity for a moment and did not ride defensively. Divided four-lane road, me in left lane, dawdling cager in front of me, clear in right lane. Even though I saw the chick wanting to pull out of the commercial driveway onto the road I was on, for some reason I thought the open right lane was mine. Bad call. I signaled my lane change to pass the dawdler and started getting right, but the chick pulling out never looked at oncoming traffic again. For about five seconds, we were three vehicles wide on a two-lane street. I decided not to honk my horn, a) because what I was doing was not fun and required all the handlebar steadiness I could muster, and b) I didn't want to spook her. As long as she was being a typical dumbass and followed the normal pulling-out trajectory, I figured I could navigate around her. No sense in making her saw at the wheel or throw her car into a spin, right? I got off lucky, but would not recommend my experience to others.

Too much fun for one day! :D

I lost clarity for a moment and did not ride defensively.
Nine out of ten problems start out this way on the bike. Glad to hear you're still scraping by, ya freak. :P

I had an 18 wheeler pull the "no signal drastic swerve" game into my lane the other morning. Gotta love emergency stops. Hooboy. :ride

I had a similar moment a couple of months ago. I swear if I told my wife how many close calls I actually go through, she'd make me get rid of my bike. There are soooo many dumb asses out there! It's bad enough when I'm in my car so you can forget about it on my bike.

I did the same thing on a busy rush hour filled 8 lane commercial area. I was in the 2nd lane and moved to the right lane just before an intersection. I literally watched this guy on his cell phone just roll up with that glazed look on his face. I flipped my brights and he still did not look AT me. Already covering my brakes and clutch, I eased back as he pulled out in front of me, acrossed the 2nd then 3rd then 4th lanes. All trying to get to the left turn lane at the next intersection. All while doing about 20 mph in 45mph traffic. All while basically cutting people off to get there and all while NEVER having made eye contact of any kind with me or my bike - even as I waved to the finger to him at his right window! Asshole!!!

It does take the fun out of riding, but I'd still take an average day on the bike over most any other thing I can do! :)

I swear if I told my wife how many close calls I actually go through, she'd make me get rid of my bike.

A truer thing has never been said. As I tell my friends, "I 'almost get killed' every single day I ride the motorcylcle. Some days, I just 'almost get killed' more than others."

Pretty willy nilly stuff. I agree, everytime i tell my wife of a close call, that little voice in my head says 'you dumb ass! what'd ya do that for??'. And sure as shit she strongly reaffirms her disdain for my lifestyle. Ay, i gotta be me, ma.

Well other drivers are not the only dangers out there apparantly. My neighbor doesn't have a garage so i let him keep his Gixxer 6 in mine. Well the other night he was on his way home doin' about 60 on the highway and before he could react, BLAM, BLAAMM!! A friggin pothole in the right lane. He knew something was messed up because of how it handled but rode home anyway because it was late and he was only a couple minutes away. Well when he pulled in the garage, i happened to be in there at the time, we noticed he had two bent rims and nearly deflated tires. I swear i don't know how he made it home on those wheels.
Within a few days, one of my clients (the guy who i bought the Hornet from) was riding the Ducati GT1000 and hit a sinkhole in the road and ended up tankslapping and
lowsided. Broken ribs, collapsed lung, couple thousand in damage to the bike but he's otherwise OK.
This is just to say especially this time of year with changing temps and other factors that we should really be on alert for potholes and other shit in the road.

Close calls have been occuring more and more recently, but then again, that might be b/c of the ice patches on the road, and also b/c very few drivers expect to see a rider out in < 30F deg. weather. A lot of getting cut off around here, but then again, all it takes is for me to be more level headed and realize that I am in fact invisible to the rest of the cell phone artists on the road. But I've also made the mistake of trying to get a cell phoners attention that they cut me off earlier, when I didnt realized that there was a parked garbage truck in front of me. A nice flat spot on the tires, and a lesson to no longer try to convey my emotions of frustrations to other drivers, as it will take you away from your own riding.