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My ridding lesson with the master
One sunny weekday in the Spring of 1982 I was out ridding my slightly modified 1978 Ducati Darmah on Angeles Crest HWY 2 when I came up behind a couple of riders.
The lead rider was on a green bike and the second on a black Suzuki 850 shaft-drive with saddlebags.
At the time I was living in Glendale and spent all my free time ridding the Crest between La Canada and Wrightwood, I knew every corner of that road.
Not recognizing either rider, I quickly passed them both and went on my merry way.
Next thing I know the green bike rider passes me entering a fast sweeper, I was surprised but happy to have run across another fast rider to dice with.
As I rode behind him waiting for a chance to re-take the lead I noticed how smooth and effortlessly he rode, making it look so easy while I was doing my best to stay with him.
I could tell that he didn’t know the road as well as I did so I set him up going into a downhill series of sweepers and got around him again. We diced back and forth all the way to Newcomb’s.
When he got off the bike and removed his helmet, I was shocked to see it was “Steady” Eddie Lawson.
We chatted over a coke, he didn't speak much but was nice enough to give me an autograph on the only piece of paper I had, my Ducati owner's manual.
The other guy on the Suzuki was a magazine photographer, the two of them where out riding and looking for a good location to set-up some photos.
Enclosed is a scan of his autograph from 26 years ago.
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Never accept mediocrity, always demand competence.
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