RIP GS1200 rider, Terry Dilley :(

[moto-rama]

I had this happen to me less than two weeks ago.....

I can think of a few close calls where this happened to me as well. In fact, this Friday AM at the very top of Sonora Pass, in the narrowest of places, some shitbird was doing a 6 point U-TURN in the middle of the highway. Blind corner on both the Westbound and Eastbound lanes, so it couldn't have been a worse place. Of course I almost expected something like this, and was traveling at about 20 mph through there. The driver gave one of those stupid, "My bad." kind of looks as we waited for him to sort out his stupidity. Of course within 100 hundred yards were 2 turnouts.

 

[Maygoddess]

Damn!! Like I said. Hard to hear any fellow rider dies, but when you know them. Terry joined in our random Misfits rides. Always seemed to be at Posers back then. Back when it was open and we stopped for quick coffee there. I remember one ride with our usual small group heading towards dam and he liked to ride really close on my back and I always thought he wanted to pass so I would wave him around but would never pass me. He was a nice dude. I remember a story he told me about his job at the soup plant and they made something with jalapeños and the fumes from the spices cleared the plant.

RIP

Just edited as I found a pic of Terry (R) with Greg (StarMan) as we got ready for our Misfit Goat Ride back in 2011. That was an fun ride..probably have more random shots of Terry but this one was a good one!

Talked to Greg earlier today. Hoping that a memorial is posted if anyone wanted to attend. Perhaps we can set up a ride in his honor..a final stand at Poser's Corner perhaps.

Shit.....I just saw this notice and did a little digging.

It looks like this was Terry. I was just there on Sunday bs-ing with him. We both left Corners around the same time. I headed back to Sac...he mentioned something about going to get something to eat. I am guessing that he headed out in the Turtle Rock direction.



This sucks....Terry was one of the few riders who has been riding over Berryessa way forever. He just retired a couple years ago from a long career at the Campbell's Soup plant here in Sac. He could be an opinionated old grumpy dude (aren't we all on occasion) but it was fun bitching about all the crap in the world with him...

Sunday rides over there Berry way aren't going to quite the same now.

If this truck driver was making a U-Turn in the middle of the road.....he needs to get charged.

 

[hophead]

What a cruel twist of fate---maybe he went quickly and without knowing it though? To be 68 years old and then suddenly the switch is shut off and there is nothing............

 

[elmofongo]

The sad irony is that I was admiring his GS with a friend in the 4-corners parking lot about an hour before the crash. My buddy was telling me: "That's our bike in 10 year".

 

[budman]

Sorry to those that knew him and more to those that loved him.

Looks happy In that pic.

 

[rodr]

Aw crap. Yep I've met him.

 

[Ozymandias]

I wasn't going to post in here, but I knew it was Terry almost immediate on reading this thread. I knew him quiet well and rode with him on a lot of occasions. He's the reason why I own my GS and I've ridden the GS that he was on. I even joked with him one day

Me: "You know, I blame you for why I own a GS"
Terry: "You're Welcome "

He was quirky but that only added to the entertainment when he was around. He was a cautious rider and out of all of the riders I've ridden with he's the last one that I would have thought this would happen to.

I'm going to miss that guy.

 

[WoodsChick]

I'm sorry you lost your friend, Ozymandias

Perhaps the respectful thing to do would be to add Terry's name to the thread title now that we know who "GS1200 rider" was?


Peace and comfort to all who knew him




WoodsChick

 

[Lou~Lou]

Very sad RIP. I remember seeing him at the corners one time and chatted with him, as a friend and I admired his BMW.

 

[Maygoddess]

Aw crap. Yep I've met him.

Yeah Rod...he was a semi regular on Misfit rides and some general small group rides when we happened upon him at Poser's. I saw him recently up there..was probably spring...I have not been up there as much as I used to.

Like Ozy said..as soon as I saw the thread, I had a bad feeling it was indeed him..older, solo, BMW...yup..

I hope he did not suffer long and I know at least he died doing what he obviously loved to do.

 

[PorradaVFR]

I'm sorry for your loss Ozymandias. He sounds like a great riding buddy.

 

[FourT2Infinity]

Yup... I know Terry. Godspeed, my friend...

 

[Greeley]

Hi, I am Greeley the owner of Lake Berryessa Market located at Moskowite (posers ) corner at lake Berryessa.
Over the last 15 weeks we have been open I have gotten to know Terry, he stopped here almost every weekend for coffee and to visit with fellow riders. He was a neat person with good stories. He will be sorely missed and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones. I am truly sorry for there loss.
I also know John Rowley and feel I must comment on his character. he is known up here, as a good man who will do any thing for any one. And he has been a friend to the market since we started helping us with many clean up jobs and cabinetry work.
Any way I know when accidents like this happen it is hard on every one I just thought I should comment on johns character. I also know he has not left his house since Sunday and is grieving deeply over the accident.
The accident was truly tragic , and could of been avoided but it truly involved two good people
Thank you

 

[i_am_the_koi]

I remember a story he told me about his job at the soup plant and they made something with jalapeños and the fumes from the spices cleared the plant.

When I saw the article in the paper, I just knew it was him in the pit of my stomach.

First thing I thought of was his story about pepper spraying the plant and having the fire department called out in hazmat gear.



I'm just at a loss right now

 

[Lunch Box]

I also know John Rowley and feel I must comment on his character. he is known up here, as a good man who will do any thing for any one. And he has been a friend to the market since we started helping us with many clean up jobs and cabinetry work.
Any way I know when accidents like this happen it is hard on every one I just thought I should comment on johns character. I also know he has not left his house since Sunday and is grieving deeply over the accident.
The accident was truly tragic , and could of been avoided but it truly involved two good people
Thank you

Thank you very much for weighing-in here. I don't believe that most of us think that Mr. Rowley is a bad human being. The issue is that Mr. Rowley, like so many other drivers, did not use good judgment in his driving. We motorcyclists see this every day when we observe people texting, reading, putting on make-up, etc. while driving. People REALLY need to understand that they are operating a dangerous piece of equipment and should exercise the appropriate level of caution.

It would appear that Mr. Rowley didn't pay attention to his surroundings, nor did ne choose a smart place to make his U-turn. At some point, we need to stop calling things like this accidents and start being honest about the causes. These things can really only be avoided if people understand that driving is serious business and that carelessness or inattentiveness can be fatal. If a driver is paying complete attention to the task at hand and something unforeseen happens, then it should be considered an accident. If the driver is not paying enough attention or is doing something stupid, then he/she *should* be responsible for any negative outcome.

 

[flying_hun]

It would appear that Mr. Rowley didn't pay attention to his surroundings, nor did ne choose a smart place to make his U-turn. At some point, we need to stop calling things like this accidents and start being honest about the causes. These things can really only be avoided if people understand that driving is serious business and that carelessness or inattentiveness can be fatal. If a driver is paying complete attention to the task at hand and something unforeseen happens, then it should be considered an accident. If the driver is not paying enough attention or is doing something stupid, then he/she *should* be responsible for any negative outcome.

Well said.

 

[lolibater]

I drove upon the scene right after police arrived. It was so depressing RIP Terry. The placement of the car at the scene was really weird. Definitely the drivers fault, no question about that. The place the it happened was NO spot to make a u-turn. As my gf and I were coming up through the surrounding twisties, we actually made comments about how some people were u-turning at the world's worst spots. That day it cost a rider his life. I too, like many of you, don't view this as an "accident"; more so blatant disregard for rules of the road and common sense safety. Again, RIP Terry.

 

[firstbuell]

R.I.P. Terry


grrrrrr.....

 

[gixxerjeff]

Ugh.
Some of these hit closer to home than others.
No, I had never met Terry, however I live close to Berryessa and ride those roads often. That easily could have been me (or any one of us for that matter)
These random, hammer out of the sky accidents....as brutal as they are...serve as a reminder to all of us that life is fragile and often unfair.

 

[budman]

I agree with Kurt. Well said Lunch Box.

Greeley thanks for coming to us and your info on Mr. Rowley.
It is good info to know and good to hear.

We are a damaged bunch in ways from decades of accidents where families were destroyed by the lives lost due to driver error ( error is a nice way to put it). We have seen the court systems constant treatment that says we are not equal to other humans when it comes to repercussions for killing or maiming us due to driver error.

The courts have made it loud and clear that accidents happen and because we choose to ride we should accept that we can die. Well sir that is what outrages us. That is why drivers errors are not acceptable to us. That along with the devastation it brings to the individuals who are impacted directly rings so strong within us. Almost every rider knows someone who has been affected by this.

Tolerating lousy, inattentive, DUI, careless or aggressive drivers is not really going to happen. Add to that when one of us has a driver try to crash us the same courts usually will say that because we did not crash they can do nothing about it.

The AMA has a campaign called Motorcyclist Matter. It has not been super effective at correcting these things and I will tell you why IMO.

It is because the Judges and DA's have not felt the ripping pain of losing a Father, son, daughter or Mother to a motorcycle accident caused by driver error.

We are still considered to be less than other motorist, because we are not intelligent enough to NOT ride. Throw in the antics of some riders that inflame the general public with their illegal activities and we are looked down on by many of whom should be giving us the same respect as others. That sir is why I get upset with every death I see caused by driver error.

We just had a wife of a rider who was killed (with two kids) come to us looking for information. "How could a driver make a left turn in front of her husband on a sunny day"?? Well Mr. Greeley it was driver error.

Again total respect you coming here. Thank you. We have met if only by the exchange of a few bucks.