Last Saturday a few of my friends who went to Maggie Valley NC were heading home east bound on I-40. They were in a construction zone where the road was being repaved. One lane had been paved, the other ground down waiting on new asphalt. The new asphalt was about four inches higher than the old. There were several signs warning not to change lanes. Mike, who was leading the group, was on a Boss Hoss. They were running about 70 on the old asphalt and came up on a slow car. Mike decided to pass. Bob, who was directly behind Mike, said that Mikes front tire crossed the lane with no problem, but, the rear (which is a car tire) hung on the new asphalt. This got the bike side ways and Mike high sided. This section of I-40 has a concrete barrier as the median and is a steep down hill grade. Bob said Mike and the bike both were tumbling down the interstate with the bike only a few feet behind Mike. Mike and the bike hit the barrier several times with the bike almost going over the five foot barrier.
Mike was wearing jeans, a light jacket, a non DOT helmet and no gloves. Believe it or not, his only injuries was road rash to his hands and upper body along with two black eyes and a few small cuts to his face!
The bike didn't do as well. Totalled. Bob said as the bike tumbled, there was a steady trail of parts flying off! It even ripped the foot peg bosses out of the frame.
There was another larger group of bikes that stopped and cleared the bike and all the loose parts out of the traffic lanes.
The moral of the story is if the sign says "stay in your lame" STAY IN YOUR LANE!