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Question for the go-fast riders


Green RT

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I sometimes wonder about riders who like to push the limits through winding road sections of public roads. What about sand or leaves or oil in the middle of the next corner. Do they first ride through more slowly to check out the road conditions, then assume there will be no changes the next time. And what about oncoming traffic that has strayed out of their lane, or cars that decide to stop and smell the flowers in the middle of a blind curve

 

As a very conservative rider, both out of caution and out of recognition of the limits of my abilities, I am very cautious riding in the curves. I never get close to the limits of the bike because I am always aware that there may be a surprise waiting for me.

 

Inquiring minds want to know. What do others do?

 

Edited by Green RT
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I'm not a go-fast rider on public roads, I leave that for the track...for the most part...

 

For me it is all about sight lines. There are some public roads where I will wick it up, but only to the point that I am comfortable that I can see and react. Even though the areas in Utah and other places where I ride are quite remote, they are usually very popular with tourists. Some of these tourists are driving rented RVs or riding rented motorcycles, almost all have their attention partially diverted to the scenery. Crossing over the center line is all too common. It only takes a few times of seeing an on-coming vehicle well into your lane, or gravel kicked into a sharp turn to make you question every corner where the sight line is obscured. This level of caution has saved my butt on several occasions.

 

I'm fortunate in that I can get to the track on a regular basis...not that I'd be considered a go-fast guy there either, but that is another story altogether. :P

 

 

 

 

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We crash and burn
That's what I thought.

 

Seriously though, so the pictures on KillBoy.com of knee draggers on the Dragon are the exception? There is a stretch of winding road out to Stimson Beach north of San Francisco that is popular with bikes. It used to amaze me that riders would go through those blind curves with so much faith in the conditions. I am glad to hear that others take a sane approach.

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Another method is to supply your bud with a Sena, pump his ego and send him down the road first. If you hear him scream momma, slow down! :rofl:

 

Joking but when I rode with a bud down south we talked about this. We were riding at an ok pace for not being native to endless twists and turns and we were calmly talking back & forth. We joked if one of us crashed would it be something like " well Jim, I just lost my front tire and I believe I'm going to crash" or would it be "oh £%€¥!!" :grin:

 

 

Pat

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I've never used method on a bike, but about ten years ago we were out on snowmachines and my wife went through the ice (just through the top ice into about two feet of water which was running on a thicker layer of ice). It was a scream and then and water noises and then quiet as her machine choked out. Pretty unnerving as I didn't have eyes on her at the moment.

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For me it is all about sight lines. There are some public roads where I will wick it up, but only to the point that I am comfortable that I can see and react. Even though the areas in Utah and other places where I ride are quite remote, they are usually very popular with tourists. Some of these tourists are driving rented RVs or riding rented motorcycles, almost all have their attention partially diverted to the scenery. Crossing over the center line is all too common. It only takes a few times of seeing an on-coming vehicle well into your lane, or gravel kicked into a sharp turn to make you question every corner where the sight line is obscured. This level of caution has saved my butt on several occasions.

 

I'm pretty much on board with eddd. I like to ride with a bit of alacrity, but it's always tempered by the fact that my powers of clairvoyance are not yet fully developed.

 

I do feel that my overall skills have improved over the years, but I'm also more aware of my limitations. This, and an understanding of the laws of physics as applied to motorcycles, really tempers my riding.

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Ride your own ride.

 

Words we all have either heard or said.

 

But I got caught up one time a ride with others. They were much better riders.

 

I finally came to my senses and backed off.

 

Self knowledge can be a good thing.

 

Ride Well

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Ride your own ride.

 

Words we all have either heard or said.

 

But I got caught up one time a ride with others. They were much better riders.

 

I finally came to my senses and backed off.

 

Self knowledge can be a good thing.

 

Ride Well

+1

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There are no guarantees in riding. You take a chance every time you get on a motorcycle. Competency and experience help temper the risk. As far as speed goes in a corner, Edddd said it best that it's all about sight lines, and I'll add, margin of error. Riders of differing skill will have differing speeds where safe sight lines and margin apply. It really is dependent on the rider, rather than the sign on the side of the road.

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There are no guarantees in riding. You take a chance every time you get on a motorcycle. Competency and experience help temper the risk. As far as speed goes in a corner, Edddd said it best that it's all about sight lines, and I'll add, margin of error. Riders of differing skill will have differing speeds where safe sight lines and margin apply. It really is dependent on the rider, rather than the sign on the side of the road.

 

Yup

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There are no guarantees in riding. You take a chance every time you get on a motorcycle. Competency and experience help temper the risk. As far as speed goes in a corner, Edddd said it best that it's all about sight lines, and I'll add, margin of error. Riders of differing skill will have differing speeds where safe sight lines and margin apply. It really is dependent on the rider, rather than the sign on the side of the road.

 

Yup

 

I would add that while all of the above focused on the "rider' and their skill set is true, I believe, speed through corners is also a function of the bike and the bike's suspension.

 

Same rider different bike and/or suspension different level of confidence and speed.

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Whenever we ride, it's all about taking calculated risks. I've done California Superbike School and a few track days so I am more apt to ride faster on the roads than others. I know that I'm much more comfortable going around left corners than rights on the road, my tires tell that story. I just got back from two days riding in Western Colorado and my biggest possible incident was on a straight stretch of ride, there was a deer standing on the shoulder and it quickly grabbed my attention.

 

I ride slower in the spring time because Colorado uses sand on the roads so until we get some good rain storms, we are going to have sandy areas on the roads and it's usually in intersections or on corners. I also take into consideration my sight lines when I am going around corners. I was on CO-92 and with the way that I was going (South to North), you can see the traffic that is in front of you in many sections of the road.

 

But the biggest thing is riding within your comfort zone and your skill level. I have crashed before and looking at my crashes, it's come down to target fixation and riding outside my comfort zone (I was trying to beat a rain storm home in that crash, didn't work). But we all ride motorcycles because we enjoy the freedoms that they give us and the constant feedback during the ride. Almost anyone can drive a car fast and a motorcycle fast in a straight line, it's takes skill to ride the twisties.

 

As for the Dragon, lots of people drag knees but I've also seen lots of pictures of bikes in the ditches there...

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... I just got back from two days riding in Western Colorado and my biggest possible incident was on a straight stretch of ride, there was a deer standing on the shoulder and it quickly grabbed my attention.

 

I ride slower in the spring time ... I also take into consideration my sight lines when I am going around corners.

 

But the biggest thing is riding within your comfort zone and your skill level....

 

I agree with Edddddd and Rob. I like to scoot, too, and do it plenty, but in what I think is a safe manner. That's subject to debate, of course, since someone else might think I go too fast, but I'm comfortable with my approach.

 

First, assume the bad thing is going to happen until you have proof that it isn't. In other words, when you stop at a light, assume you're going to get rear-ended until you see the car behind you slowing down. Applied to going fast in the twisties: assume there's a truck or a moose in the road until you see that there's not. Same with cars and trucks coming the other way around your corner. I guess I'm saying pretty much what Edddd said. Here's an example, though ...

 

About a dozen years ago I almost got my head smacked (might have taken it clean off, for all I know) while dragging my peg feelers (on my Harley they're called the kickstand on the left, the exhaust on the right) around a left-hand 45 mph curve on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A van coming the other way was going too fast, and wound up driving across double yellow. It had a towing mirror sticking waaaaay out there. Because I'd been taught to look through the curve, I spotted it, went wide, and saved my noodle.

 

Second point, and you have to take this with a grain of salt ... knowing how to ride fast is a safety feature. Sometimes you do have to get out of the way in a hurry. A swerve or a fast stop. Sure, you should spot those situations ahead of time and avoid them, but we're human. I sure as shootin' have gotten distracted when I shouldn't have. It helps to be comfortable with your bike's capabilities, and to practice a few hard stops, a few steep leans every so often.

 

ape

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I was riding a popular biker road on Friday and was saying to myself, "This road can kill you".

 

Taking the aphorism "Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly" to heart, and looking around me, I believe many other riders have swifter guardian angels than I.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have pretty much given up riding street for this exact reason. Come around a corner and there is sand, gravel, or just cut wet grass. Dogs, Cars, Trucks etc that come onto the road. But I am lucky, I have 4 tracks all within 4 hours drive of my home. 8 tracks within 7 hours drive. Three of my riding buddies have done the same and only ride track. However I have other riding friends who do not do track and only ride street. Who is to say which way is better, I know I feel a lot better on the track, and they seem to enjoy their street riding as well. And in the end I think that is the important point, enjoying what you are doing.

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I have pretty much given up riding street for this exact reason. Come around a corner and there is sand, gravel, or just cut wet grass. Dogs, Cars, Trucks etc that come onto the road. But I am lucky, I have 4 tracks all within 4 hours drive of my home. 8 tracks within 7 hours drive. Three of my riding buddies have done the same and only ride track. However I have other riding friends who do not do track and only ride street. Who is to say which way is better, I know I feel a lot better on the track, and they seem to enjoy their street riding as well. And in the end I think that is the important point, enjoying what you are doing.
+1 on your last point.

 

It seems to me that riding on a track versus riding street are two activities about as different as going for a walk in the country versus running laps on a track. The only thing street and track have in common is that both involve a motorcycle. They address different needs. Maybe that was the point of my starting this thread. Anyone riding on public roads and treating it like a track, must have a death wish IMHO. And if your interest is seeing some countryside, the track won't do it.

Edited by Green RT
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