"Motorcycle racer Bill Warner died while attempting to become the first person to exceed 300 miles per hour (483 kilometers per hour) over a one-mile stretch on a conventional motorcycle. He was 44."
Hardly survey related, but I know there are some of us that ride.
I had several buddies when I was younger that never made it past their twenties due to ridin' scooters. Speed is not your friend. The best part of a good ride is making it home in one piece.
'In other news, famed freefaller Joe Fernert met an untimely demise today in an attempt to be the first to survive jumping from an unpressurized aircraft at 28,000 feet with no parachute. He was 33.'
A now-deceased, former co-worker liked to tell tough guy stories about his motorsickle (that's how he said it) riding days. It was a miracle he lived to be 30. One particular occasion happened somewhere in Oklahoma. His was riding double with a buddy on the other guy's motorsickle. They slipped in behind a huge semi and were coasting along doing nearly 80 mph while hiding close behind his rear doors. Suddenly, the semi made a sharp swerve to the left, so they did too. Next thing they knew they were a long way from the highway in a big grassy expanse, wondering where the motorsickle was. The fact they were both drunker than a hoot owl probably saved their lives. My buddy discovered he had no right arm, so he went searching for it all over the field, ditch and road to no avail. Eventually, his buddy found it for him. It was still attached but dislocated and laying across his shoulders behind his head.
The semi driver had swerved to straddle a huge dead dog on the highway. The motorsickle hit it just right to put these idiots off the road.