I used to ride as tail end charlie but found I was taking more chances than the riders in front in an attempt to keep the pack in sight.
The thing which influenced me most was travelling home from a business trip in the car during the summertime along a country A road and coming across an accident which had just happened to a guy on a 748.
He was one of three riders who had gone into a fairly tight bend at I assume about 60mph only to be confronted by a woman driving a small hatchback out of a farm entrance. Riders 1 & 2 had made it past the car but the guy on the ducati hit her and knocked the car into the hedge with the force of the impact. His bike literally disintegrated into hundreds of pieces.
A few of us did our best to assist until the police & ambulance turned up but I
was later told that he had died. Apparently it was due to be his daughters christening the day after the accident....
I didn't touch the bike for months after and now ride either alone, or with one other rider and hardly ever go over 70 on an A road. I have had people skit at my riding ability as a result but as far as I am concerned my first responsibility is to my loved ones.
I'll get off me soapbox nowl
