Equipment Failure at 165 MPH

[nplenzick]

[size=2][size=3]I thought I would post the following article. Even though it pertains to two wheels it could easily be applied to four.[/size] Just a brief note about the person who wrote it. Mansoor was born in Pakistan, came here as a college student, fell in love with our country and became a US citizen, then went on to be a successful Wall street banker, quit that for his love of motorcycles and started a company called Roadgear in the mid 90's. I was lucky enough to cross paths with him a few years ago and now I represent his company. He is an inspiration to all that meet him and one crazy SOB! Enjoy![/size]


[size=1]Equipment Failure at 165—MPH that is—and a talk with Wyoming’s Finest

Mansoor Shafi

[color=#808080](Disclaimer: ROADGEAR does not condone irresponsible behavior. Please obey all posted speed limits, wear a helmet, and ride responsibly.)

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so it’s said. The two photos below tell the whole story!


 


Well here goes, for those who wish to know the whole tale. My colleagues—this August—insisted that I take a vacation. I was just driving all of them crazy. I came up with a host of reasons why that was not a good idea mainly because of my ‘speed addiction’ and that as the company’s CEO, perhaps I needed to be around.

We have a consensus form of management at ROADGEAR and then the final straw: Our VP—de facto the person who runs the company—Lorraine Giannetto-Glach filled up the gas tank on my Honda CBR1000, loaded up the bike, installed the electronic gear, gave me an admonishment to be careful and sent me on my way. How could I refuse?

 

As I headed north on I25 on a ‘dream vacation’ I thought about the movie Iron Man—which I have seen three times—and thought of Pepper Potts who kept Tony Stark on track. I consider myself fortunate in that I too have people in my life who truly care for me.

My trip took me through the hills of South Dakota where I spent a day at Sturgis, had my fill, and headed west on I90. On this trip I had a new ‘state-of-the-art’ radar detector to sniff out speed traps connected to a Bluetooth speaker in my helmet—hi-tech all the way! The system worked flawlessly, but then on the westward journey, unknowing to me the system malfunctioned—going from hi-tech to no-tech!

Here I was, happily speeding along, trying to find the upper limits of my CBR—oblivious to the fact that the detector had given up defending—concentrating on the ‘high’ that triple digit speeds bring to one…and then; I saw a friendly trooper parked on the opposite side of the highway.

I looked at the indicated 165 MPH on the Zumo GPS, braked hard, uttered an expletive and prepared to come to a stop. I had stopped even before the officer caught up with me with lights blazing. At times like this, it is best to stop before one is stopped, makes for a good first impression.

I put on my most courteous behavior, thanked the officer for ensuring my safety, explained to him that I was testing the mounting system on ROADGEAR’s soft luggage to ensure customer safety and that is why I had been risking my life. The good news was that the mounting system on the soft luggage worked flawlessly and held on at super high speeds; the bad news was that I may be getting a ticket.

The officer was a wonderful person, a true professional with a great sense of humor! I requested him for a photo and he graciously concurred (by that time back-up officers had materialized.) I left with a ticket in hand, none the wiser!



   ROADGEAR’s CEO, 
   Mansoor Shafi, likes to
   describe himself as a
   little crazy, a little
   hyper, ambitious and
   focused but above all
   one who is passionate
   about his work. He
   likes to live life to the
   fullest—his list of
   current toys include
   his ‘08 Honda
   CBR1000, ‘09
   Mercedes Benz
   SLK300, ‘92 Suzuki
   DR350, and a remote
   controlled helicopter.
   He finds inner peace
   and true relaxation
   while riding/driving at
   really high speeds.

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