Got caught in a thunder storm and pouring rain while out riding...I mean torrential rain...easing along about 45mph....lightning struck about 100' from me.... I could feel the heat from the lightning through the pouring rain...happened too quick to be scared.... It just wasnt my time to go.....

Get spooked all the time, might be one of the reasons I enjoy riding.

One item that consistently scares is are bridges covered with open, metal grating. - The ride always feels "nervous". - Never confident of the result should it be necessary to use the brakes, never confident of the traction or lack of same..
For short bridges hit the throttle as cross as rapidly as possible but on "The Big Mac" keep it slow, don't care if I back up traffic all the way to Flint and hug the tank bag like it has teats.

......

Once, just once I was truly scared. Some years ago, I had just finished the break in on a 2000 Venture. I packed everything up and headed for Tennessee from Missouri. Great ride down to the Smokey’s! Spent the night outside of Gatlinburg with the intent to get up early and beat the traffic and morning up into the Mountains to watch the Sunrise from Newfound Gap , then ride on into Cherokee N.C. Early spring morning, up before the sun…..right on track for what I wanted headed up into the Mountains and enjoying the curves until I came into the first curved tunnel and that black ice! I felt the ass end gaining on the front end while I’m running 55 through this tunnel, I was convinced I was going down and opted to go off the high side in my head. All I could see was the asphalt below me and the concrete surrounding me when I slid out of the tunnel, felt the rear wheel catch and the bike line out. To this day, I cannot tell you how I stayed upright. I can tell you where the pucker mark in that seat came from.

I saw the sunrise, and enjoyed every second of it....sitting right there. I also slow down for tunnels now.

yep last week I was making left hand turn and when I got the bike covering the whole lane I saw a car coming straight at me and I told myself [ oh f*ck I;m dead ], but the girl driving missed me by a foot and ram the telephone pole in front of me and I could hear her screaming as she went by . after cops got there they said she was running 48 in a 35 construction zone with no passing . oh by the way the cop got his estimate from her speedometer reading which was froze on 48 . at least I still had some luck on my side or I would have been worm food and pushing up daisys .

Especially when they are wet.  Just don't like the idea of wet metal under my tires

Riding 40 years and last week I thought I could get up north for a wedding before a big storm hit. I was wrong. I just got on the freeway, 35 from North Branch, MN and heard sirens behind me going off, then it hit . . . . 40-50mph winds, rain and large hail coming sideways along with tree branches, boards, signs, and my helmet and goggles fogged up so along with the rain, hail and wind I could only see a few feet in front of me. Still thought I'd better get to a turn off rather than sit on the side of the road and get hit from behind as everyone except me was pulling over. Made it 15 miles to exit ramp at 15 mph, yes a long ride, pulled into open business, glad to be alive!! Thought I was going to get hit by a tornado.

"Scared" ? No. "Worried ? ... A LOT ?" Yeah. People who are familiar with this area will appreciate more than those who aren't. Didn't know many people around here and ran into a bunch of riders while filling up. After several minutes of B.S at the pumps, they encouraged me to join them to "Gilligans" ( a bar on the Md. side of the Potomac River ). Now getting there from Fredericksburg, Va. involves riding several miles of rural two lane road to Rt. 301 and across the Harry Nice Bridge ( a two lane, raised bridge with only a jersey wall between the travel lanes and a LONG drop to the river and only a double yellow line between the single North and South bound lanes ) followed by another few miles of rural two lane road to Gilligans.
We arrived at Gilligans and there was a band playing and A LOT of bikes -- there was A LOT of drinking going on and before I knew it, it was midnight and, oh shit, the realization that I would be riding back through unfamiliar, unlighted two lane roads, and across that two lane bridge, at night and badly "impaired". Yes, I made it in one piece. No tickets, no accidents and no jail but man, let me tell you, that was one LONG ASS RIDE !

I remember in the mid 70s old enough to first start street riding. I was on the I-26 in the middle lane, when a car started coming over from the right lane. not only did they not see me but they didn't see the car beside me in the left lane either. They were going from the slow lane all the way over to the fast lane. By the time they saw me and the other car I had my arms out and a hand on each car. That was kinda scary. Or the time I was playing in the dirt, took a jump and my handle bars came off in mid air. It's not a good feeling to be holding on to the bars not connected to the bike

I have ran into trees, fences, cars, and hillsides. I have been hit by cars and deer. I have slid my bike under the frame of cars rather than a direct hit. This was in my younger years. And at that point of my life I was never scared; I just got back in the saddle and rode again. Now much older I have been able to avoid the stupidity of my youth. The only accident I have been in in my recent years was a hit an run as I was hit from the rear and thrown from my bike and landed head first into a curb. This is the first time I was ever scared because I had to call my wife the doctor and tell her I was in an accident.

I passed a vehicle in the middle of no-where, dude got on my ass, I went faster and he stayed on my ass. I was scared to slow down. I've heard carry pocket full of bearings, but didn't have any that day, or any day for that matter. I was scared. He will get his.

Recently I had a good wakeup call myself.I typically like riding out in the canyon when the weather is decent.Lately the weather has been unbelievabley nice,and it lulled me into not staying as alert as I typically am on a spring ride.
Usually I look for debris or loose stuff in turns,which there are plenty of.Came around one turn and was riding in the center,didnt see the whole lane had sand n gravel strewn across it,my rear end started to slide out.I quickly pulled her up, barely, even threw my foot out n struck the pavement,when I panicked at first n thought I was going down.Other than getting a great wake up call I didnt lose it,and was mighty glad I didnt !!!

A long time ago, I was riding my BSA 500 single on I-25 in going home traffic. All of a sudden the lane I was in (fortunately, the extreme right lane) decided to stop. My long time dirt bike training took over, I didn't hesitate to dive off the road, past the shoulder, onto the weeds and stuff. The car behind me at the time hit the car ahead of me with a big thump.

A few weeks back I was riding the Twisted Sisters with several members of our HOG Chapter.  We'd just left the Bent Rim Grill and were heading out of Leaky, TX on FM337...when a javelina (wild pig) started running across the road.  I tried to stlow down enough to miss it but even after locking the brakes the collision was unavaoidable.  The was by far the biggest "oh, shit" moment I've experienced.  I did a full ride report at: www.curtcarter.com/2014/01/when-harley-and-javelina-collide.html. />
Curt Carter
Live Free. Ride Hard. Be Happy