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Tire Shine suspected in Rider Cash/Death


Indy Dave

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Greensburo, NC

 

http://www.greensboro.com/rockingham_now/news/eden_reidsville/eden-doctor-dies-in-motorcycle-wreck/article_92e50b68-57af-11e8-a2dd-3fd82945249f.html

 

EDEN — A motorcycle wreck tragically took the life of local family physician Kirk Bluth over the weekend.

 

Bluth, 50, of 617 Highland Drive, and his son were riding their motorcycles west on N.C. 704 in Sandy Ridge on Saturday.

 

At 12:14 p.m., after passing Steele Road and approaching Hope Beasley Road, Bluth lost control of his motorcycle in a right-hand curve, according to N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper J. Tuttle.

 

“He crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and hit a Dodge 2500 head-on,” Tuttle said. “He and the bike separated, and the truck hit the bike first and then went over him. We believe he died on impact.”

 

The driver of the pickup truck, Donald Neal of Madison, was distraught and needed oxygen at the scene but was not injured, the trooper said. The bike punctured one of the truck's tires.

 

“Mr. Bluth's son was riding behind him and had no part in the collision. He saw the wreck, locked up his bike and stopped to try to help,” Tuttle said.

 

“It looks to me like [bluth] had used ‘tire shine' on his tires and if he accidentally got it on the tread, it would make it slick. Other than that, we're not sure how he lost control,” Tuttle said Monday morning as he finished examining the motorcycle.

Bluth was a Chicago native and a veteran of the U.S. Force, where he attained the rank of major.

 

He attended Brigham Young University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and completed his family medicine residency at Harrisburg Hospital in Pennsylvania. He then joined the Air Force. He worked in private practice in South Dakota and Utah.

 

A father of six, Bluth was employed by UNC Rockingham Health Care since 2007, at Family Practice of Eden with Dr. David Tapper. Their office is located on Thompson Street, behind 213 Kings Automotive on West Kings Highway.

 

“The UNC Rockingham Health Care family is very saddened by the death of Dr. Kirk Bluth,” a hospital spokesperson told RockinghamNow Monday afternoon. “Our heartfelt prayers and thoughts go out to the Bluth family, the associates at his practice and the many patients whom he cared for in our community.”

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That's a very tragic incident. I think we've all been inclined to spray on some ArmorAll at one time or another, when detailing our bikes, but in my case, I was lucky and my older brother cautioned me that it might "grease up the tread".

 

Very sad indeed.

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Ya, my youngest daughter wanted to wash my bike one year, she was about 12ish. Her and her friend commenced to taking care of the bike. Toward the end, I saw them spraying tire shine on my tires. Didn't fuss at them but did let them know that it had to come off. They used the degreaser to clean them dull again.

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That's another one of those things I have never understood. Why anyone would want shiny tires. I think they just look horrible with that stuff on them. And for what purpose?

 

Here is a perfect example, if indeed it was the tire gloss, that there are just too many things in life that should not exist.

 

I once almost had to refuse to accept a new car because of that stuff, but the sales lady made a fast phone call and assured me that they would have the gunk washed off in just a few minutes. Yes, I had previously told her that I would not accept the car if it had that stuff on the tires. There were also a few other specifications, if not met, I would not accept the car, but she forgot that one.

 

To me tires are supposed to look like tires. Not patent leather shoes, or something.

dc

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It's funny you should say that but that was exactly what was on my mind. As the saying goes, "Keep the shiny side up!". So why do we shine the tires! :dopeslap: Too bad that somebody has to lose a life over it.

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That's another one of those things I have never understood. Why anyone would want shiny tires. I think they just look horrible with that stuff on them. And for what purpose?

 

 

The same reason people want shiny metal, shiny plastic, shiny fiberglass, shiny rocks and shiny apples,.....personal preference and personal opinion on looks. You may like your sheetmetal on your car, truck, bike to shine,....others may want the dull leave it to nature look.

 

Here is a perfect example, if indeed it was the tire gloss, that there are just too many things in life that should not exist.

 

I once almost had to refuse to accept a new car because of that stuff, but the sales lady made a fast phone call and assured me that they would have the gunk washed off in just a few minutes. Yes, I had previously told her that I would not accept the car if it had that stuff on the tires. There were also a few other specifications, if not met, I would not accept the car, but she forgot that one.

 

dc

 

wow!!,...five minutes of your time to take off the spray would cause you to turn down a vehicle,......everybody has their odd quirks.

 

 

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40 years ago I worked at a Suzuki & BMW shop. Shop guy put together and shined up a new Suzuki GS550 and took it for a ride. Low sided a new bike - new tires and too much lean.

 

 

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It's one of those things that is in common use on car tires, but terribly dangerous on bike tires. Even if you think "oh, I'll just put a little on the side walls", it's liable to kill you. I mean, yeah, you put it on car tires. Well, it's just another tire, right? And it's not like anyone ever touches the tires, so it's not obvious how slippery the stuff is.

 

I learned my lesson as a teenager. I put some on the brake, clutch and gas pedals in the car. One trip around the block, and I was in there scrubbing that crap off. It was like stepping on ice cubes.

 

For me though, it's just a waste of money. Put it in your 401(k) instead.

 

Terrible and unnecessary shame that someone had to die because of it. I wonder how many deaths can be attributed to it.

Edited by elkroeger
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Rider1200RT

Tragic and sad indeed and if proven true about the tire shine, quite preventable.I dislike that stuff on my car tires too.

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Besides being super slick, the stuff does not stay on your tires. It flings of onto your lower quarter panels when you drive. On the occasions when we're had a car detailed, that crap ends up soiling the sides of the car. Much like the shiny stuff detailers put on your engine - it looks nice when you pick up the car, but the stuff is a dust and dirt magnet.

 

Like most bike accidents, it's doubtful one will ever know absolutely the cause of this tragic event. Even so, we can raise awareness of the dangers of tire shine, etc on tires and hope to avoid the issue for others.

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