Any Motorcycle Gurus?

Damn near killed myself on one of those things years ago....
I went over to my uncle's house and we figured out that the speedo sensor on my Harley had went bad and he threw me the keys to his VTX and said go get one at the Harley shop... The thing was pretty comfortable and I buzz down the freeway for about 5 mi or so till I hit the Gladstone exit and came off the exit not thinking but just downshifting like I normally do... Well don't you know my Harley had a foot clutch and hand shift ... By the time I figured out I was on a normal motorcycle the stop sign was coming close fast...
I barely got that thing to stop before I ran out into traffic....