Are you the Real Kevin Schwantz?

Are you the real Kevin Schwantz?

Years ago, as I was riding with a sales rep in Houston, a Ducati 916 passed us on the freeway and was picking off the slower cars. The rider had on a replica Arai Schwantz helmet and the Dainese replica jacket with ‘Schwantz’ across the back. I said to Lewis (the rep) “There goes Kevin!”  He said “You do realize you are in Texas, and it just might be!”

I guess that’s the trouble when you travel a lot; you forget where you are. We then stopped at a Honda shop and the lo and behold, the bike is sitting outside!  Since it was towards the end of the day, everyone was standing around as they closed up.  “Kevin” was hanging around because happened to be buddies with the parts manager. We start talking and he told me he was an attorney.  I kidded him about his “Kevin” gear and he says:

Let me tell you about the time I was in Austin. I was on a case and had a few extra days so I took my bike to ride in the hill country. As I am riding along, not too fast, when a sheriff passes me, makes a big U-turn with his lights flashing and then pulls me over. He jumps out of his car then tackles me to the ground. I am screaming the entire time ‘I am an officer of the court let me go’. After he takes the hand cuffs off he explains he was out here two days earlier and chased me all over but I got away. He was 

convinced it was me because I had Schwantz all over my helmet and jacket.

We all had a laugh because we knew it was probably the real Kevin.

Several months later I ran into the real Kevin Schwantz at a show and told him the story. He got a big smile on his face and said “Could have been”.