Modern Vespa

This is how it went down... My ride in to work everyday takes me on the interstate for about 15 miles from Mt. Pleasant to North Charleston.(I-526). On this highway I have to maintain about 70-75 mph to keep up with traffic. So as I am fighting 20mph cross winds coming over a high bridge, when I noticed a huge patch of sand on the highway, which I am assume was there to clean up after an accident. Well anyway, I hit the patch of sand at about 65mph. My front tires made it though fine but my back tire got real squirrelly, and I was no more the 10ft behind an 18wheeler slamming on his breaks. Looking back on it, I think it came down to wrong place at the wrong time.

One of those times when two wheels up front has possibly saved disaster.

Hope you only had a thrill, and not a hurt?

10ft behind an 18 wheeler? Definitely in the wrong place.

No thank God i was not hurt on that one, and as far as being 10ft behind the 18wheeler, got tunnel vision on the sand

Here in north New Jersey it's not sand, it's gravel. They throw it down when it snows, when it rains, I swear they must think gravel soaks up fuel spills. Terrifying to hit coming around a blind corner. I was driving around a 120 degree turn on the Shadow (2 wheels), saw the gravel and slowed to 10mph to pass while the car behind me is laying on the horn, ticked off at how slow I'm going. Frankly one of the reasons I got an MP3. I realize not everyone appreciates that I sometimes criticize Piaggio and the MP3, but this is one area where it truely shines. I won't say I no longer slow down for gravel, but not to a crawl anymore - I still respect gravel, but I'm no longer scared of it.

Glad you're okay; if you were on a sports bike you wouldn't be.

I was thinking that if i rode the Ducati in today i might be a qhole lot worse hitting that sand at 65mph. I might have been planted in to the back of that truck. and that my friend is not cool!!!! lol, but it is a lesson learned about riding, not to get tunnel vision on one thing in your way and know that there will always be something else right after