Great pic. Since you're teasing. Ok, I wanna know why Smokin' Jacket?
Let's Roll
I hadn't ridden the new bike more than a couple of times, and it was really hot, and I wanted to look like everybody else. Nobody was wearing their jackets on this particular HOG outing. I wanted to keep the bike looking clean, so no bags of any kind. I also wouldn't be caught dead in a backpack. So.......... I rolled up my jacket and put a bungee cord around it and strapped it to the back of my seat.

I kept seeing one of the sweepers waving wildly in my rearview mirror, and I saw smoke coming from the bike.

At first I didn't even realize it was my bike and then I thought- Damn Harley, a new bike and already there is trouble. (I'm the trouble).... read on.....
We were on a sweeping freeway curve and I realized it was my bike so I slowed down and stopped on the FAST side of the freeway, thinking someone was going to come and help me.

They were all smart enough to pull over to the SLOW side of the freeway. When I finally realized that I needed to cross the freeway, on a blind sweeping downhill turn, I choked a little, but made it across 4 lanes.

The bike was running very sluggishly and really smoking at this point. The guys started yelling for me to turn it off and I got off the bike. They pulled my jacket from the rear wheel (I didn't know the wind could really take the arm out from under the bungee and get it wrapped up in the wheel), stomped out some flames, and told me that my rear wheel had nearly locked up. The brand new jacket had holes burned through it, so we just tossed it on the side of the freeway.......and then I remembered that my key fob was still in the pocket, so I retrieved it. They said it was a "bell ringer" and we moved on.

I felt so stupid. Here I should have been wearing "all the gear, all the time" but I liked the feeling of freedom and the sun on me and figured nothing could ever happen to me. I could have been killed, with my unworn gear causing my problem. So, at the next HOG meeting, I was presented with some bonehead biker award and one guy said "we now call her Smokin' Jacket".
Funny now, but a careless mistake. I went back and bought the same jacket so I wouldn't cave to superstition. It was an expensive day. Now, I'm not saying "never again", but I have worn my jacket, gloves and chaps ever since. I save looking cool for when I arrive.
