07/31/2022
My buddy and I left Baker City, Oregon 2 weeks ago on our 2017 BMW r1200gs motorcycles for a 4,500 mile 12 state ride. By the time we got around to Sturgis, SD. we weren't sure if our back tires would make it home so we booked some service time at Sturgis BMW to get some new rear tires installed. My buddy has been thinking about buying a Goldwing for a while and he spotted a very clean newer used Goldwing on the showroom floor. After sitting on it he realized it was much too small for him. But right next to it sat the mighty BMW K1600 Grand America. After throwing a leg over it he realized that this bike fit him much better. The salesman quickly offered him a test ride which he accepted. 20 minutes later he returns to the dealership and asks them how much they will give him for the GS. 20 minutes later the K1600 was his.
The next morning we leave Sturgis and head to Crazy Horse then up to the Devil's Tower. Not 3 minutes after leaving the Tower an antelope runs full blast into Mike's newly purchased K1600 turning the front tire into a full left lock. Mike immediately does a swan dive off the bike at around 55 mph and begins sliding on hands and knees down the highway. I'm hard on the brakes and watching my friend spin a 180 and now he is facing my bike. His bike slides into oncoming traffic and hits a new Ford F350 King Ranch head on. The explosion is deafening. The bike flies through the air and lands on the opposite side of the highway only feet from where Mike was laying. I immediately ran to Mike and he got up and said "I'm ok". Mike was outfitted head to toe in Klim gear, boots, pants, jacket and helmet. He attributes his safety to this companies products. Wear your gear all the time has become a redundant saying but please head the warning, your life actually depends on it. After hours dealing with the Wyoming State Police, medical staff and tow trucks we ended up back in Sturgis. The following morning we were waiting at Sturgis BMW when they opened. A second K1600 was purchased so that we could finish our trip back to Oregon. We arrived home a few days later safe and sound.
