Jared Eberwein: The Human Pack Mule.

“It was an early Monday morning, I had a school show in Anaheim. I always ride my harley as long as it’s not raining, mainly to avoid getting stuck in traffic, but I definitely enjoy it too. I was running a tad behind on time, so I was hauling booty to the show. I exit the freeway, get to an intersection with a red light. The light goes green and all of a sudden my clutch (what I thought right away) started slipping. I barely pull into the middle of the intersection and then it finally won’t even jerk anymore. I try to flag down traffic and push myself out of the way, I get up on the sidewalk, kill the bike. Step off and walk around, looking for anything that might stand out right away. I’m kind of frantic at this point, running late and something is wrong with my beloved bike. I had no idea what to think might be wrong, just knew it definitely sucks and is broken down. I’m at a gas station, I push the harley into a parking spot that seems to be a bit out of harms way. Unloaded my bike, take my rack off, remove my little handle bar bag, take EVERYTHING off just in case random people walk by with wondering eyes. I turn the bars and put the handle bar lock on, kick the bike into gear so it won’t roll. Quickly learning that its not going into gear, meaning that it is still rolling, making me think something is definitely wrong with the clutch. In a panic, look up the address, see that I’m a mile and a half away from the school address. I start pedaling to the address with my three upper body layer, motorcycle full face, heavy bike rack in left hand, two bag on my back. It was NOT a relaxing stroll to say the least. I get to the address and I’m in the middle of a street of a neighborhood with no school in sight. I panic, get angry and frustrated right away. I search the actual name of the school versus going off of the address I was given, sometimes that happens, get taken to the wrong location. The first address that came up when I searched the schools name popped up at 10 miles away, instantly was like OH MY GOD I’m not gonna make that! Realized the city name didn’t match up to the city I knew it was in. Searched again, found the exact address/location, I’m two and a half miles away. I’m like damn, that doable but I can’t hold this damn rack in my hand though. Figure out a way to strap it to my backpack, and pedal my butt off! My full face has a bluetooth setup in it, so I finally start making calls to say whats going on with me. I finally show up to the show 40 min late, super sweaty, and more than ready and warm for the show to start. I continue on with my day while heading to the next show and figuring out a plan to get my bike home. My friend Danny Josa came to my rescue, while loading up my bike into the back of his van, we discover that the pulley bolts must have came loose and all five snapped onside the hub and then shredded the hub because the pulley was being spun around by the belt drive. Basically, it’s like pedaling your bike and all the paws in your drive break and you just spin around a driver ultimately grinding away the insides of your hub: similar concept. I’ve had to by a new wheel and pulley since mine was too dangerously damaged to think about trying to make it work.”

• Jared Eberwein