How bad we look in traffic...
- Thread starter DNGrumpy
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The Big Red One
Registered
+1...I never do more than 5 or so over in traffic. I do my real speeding on one of the many long, straight, quiet, open backroads we have around here. A cager took me out once....they won't get a second chance. And the Busa's alot cheaper to insure without a bunch of wreckless drivings on your record
The Big Red One
Registered
Hey CC have you had your Busa down to Auburn or Sac yet? I could not believe the power increase you get going from Reno down to sea level
There are some sweet top speed roads out my way, the next best thing to your own personal runway
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I didn't mean to accuse everybody of riding like an idiot, I more meant that we all(generalaztion) have likely blasted in, around or through traffic at some speed which likely caused somebody in a cage to soil themselves or just get plain pissed at anything on two wheels. I always ride faster than the traffic around me(not much but enough so I feel I have the edge in the situation) but save insanity for the backroads which is just as unsafe but more likely to kill "only" me and not a bunch of people around me if I blow it. I honestly hate riding the 3 or 4 lane highways unless they are deserted or I'm somplace desolate and I 'm running one or two exits and getting back off.
So I am sorry if I offended anyone.
Camaro where is that? I live about 10 minutes from Sturbridge at 20 and 84.
So I am sorry if I offended anyone.
Camaro where is that? I live about 10 minutes from Sturbridge at 20 and 84.
suzuki4life
Banned
I remember being handcuffed for 160+ in a 35 mph a few years back and the cop asking "what were you THINKING?!!!"
looking back....I know what I thought....."I'm not dead...so why did I stop?"
looking back....I know what I thought....."I'm not dead...so why did I stop?"
HAHAHHA! that is a very good thought! did you tell that cop that? Back on the subject though: We all like doing it. The question is who's luckier and in the right situation to do it.
I go faster than traffic more for BEING SAFE, but also comes the fun of it. That's right, I repeat 'I go faster than surrounding traffic to BE SAFE.'. And since drivers in So. Cal tend to be more aggressive than others around the country, it's not uncommon for traffic to be doing around 85 or 90 mph in a good flow. So for me to be around the 20 mph faster, I'm commonly in the 100 or 105mph range.
I've hit 170 mph and held for a few minutes. 1 time was at 3 am on the 10 fwy for about 3 or 4 minutes for the then entire stretch of the carpool lane which was about 6 or 7 miles. Wow that stretch ended fast.
And only other time that I did and held for that long around 175mph was when I was riding down to San Diego and I made the mistake of drinking a whole can of Monster during the last gas stop and I had to URINATE REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. So that was a good 7 minute hold at that speed to the next rest stop. Could've sworn there were a lot of parked cages on the 5 freeway during that run. Nearly tipped my busa over trying to unsaddle fast enough without upsetting the bladder.
greyrocket
Registered
did that yesterday playing with a R6 did 130+ i know. But later on the way home a benz flew past me when i was going 125. gota love those 5.4 supecharged V8's.
Grumpy is right - it's easy for bikes to look bad in traffic. Sport bikes whiz by me everyday on the way to work, but it's not just speed. A few years ago, while traveling in my cage I witnessed a 954 wheelie'ing at 65mph less than 10 feet behind the car in front of him. Luckily the cage driver didn't look in the rear view mirror, get spooked, and nail his brakes. At one point 954 pilot was wheelie'ing so close to the back of the cage that he could have landed his front wheel on the cage's trunk. My thoughts were; a very skilled rider ...with an IQ of a rock.
Truth is, the faster you go, or the more radical you drive your rocket, the more obvious you become; both to the public (as in: "And I was thinking what an idiot, traffic etc... "), and the cops (as in: "There's someone that doesn't need their drivers license"). You bascially stick out like a sore thumb.
Unfortunately, as we fly past the triple digit mark, reaction time has to continuously keep pace with the speed-o. That can be tough to do at triple digit speeds in a highly populated cage area's. (Hell, it can be tough to do at a track when everyone is traveling at approximately the same speed - much less passing mini-vans!) Something to keep in mind... at only 100mph the road is passing by at 121 feet per second. That doesn't leave much time to react, especially in close quarters.
It's tough for any sport bike pilot to keep all those ponies under control. It's a combination of human nature, and the nature of the beast. But hey, if we didn't want the power & speed, we'd all be on visiting scooters.org, right?
It's been my experience that (and this doesn't work for everyone) the older you get, the more common sense you tend to develop. Now-a-days I look for a [very] clear areas before twisting the grip. Less chance of getting hurt, hurting someone else, or getting hand-cuffed.
We own a machines designed specifically for high speed. We gonna speed? Yep! That's pretty much a given. IMHO, the key is to dial in some common sense and stack the odds in our favor. It's unfortunate but the unlucky and/or under-skilled have a tendency to eliminate themselves. Note my caption below.
Truth is, the faster you go, or the more radical you drive your rocket, the more obvious you become; both to the public (as in: "And I was thinking what an idiot, traffic etc... "), and the cops (as in: "There's someone that doesn't need their drivers license"). You bascially stick out like a sore thumb.
Unfortunately, as we fly past the triple digit mark, reaction time has to continuously keep pace with the speed-o. That can be tough to do at triple digit speeds in a highly populated cage area's. (Hell, it can be tough to do at a track when everyone is traveling at approximately the same speed - much less passing mini-vans!) Something to keep in mind... at only 100mph the road is passing by at 121 feet per second. That doesn't leave much time to react, especially in close quarters.
It's tough for any sport bike pilot to keep all those ponies under control. It's a combination of human nature, and the nature of the beast. But hey, if we didn't want the power & speed, we'd all be on visiting scooters.org, right?
It's been my experience that (and this doesn't work for everyone) the older you get, the more common sense you tend to develop. Now-a-days I look for a [very] clear areas before twisting the grip. Less chance of getting hurt, hurting someone else, or getting hand-cuffed.
We own a machines designed specifically for high speed. We gonna speed? Yep! That's pretty much a given. IMHO, the key is to dial in some common sense and stack the odds in our favor. It's unfortunate but the unlucky and/or under-skilled have a tendency to eliminate themselves. Note my caption below.
I'm not going to contend that there aren't SQUIDS out on the road that does make the rest of us on 2 wheels look bad. In your example of citing that squid that was tailgating a cage at 65mph while doing a wheelie is a good example. Was it necessary? I can't see in whatever circumstance there is that was warrant it.
But there are times when it is necessary for speed. I think I presented some examples. True that as speed is increase so does the inverse of the reduction of reaction ability. But I know personally that I was rather take that chance to get in a clearing than be stuck in a pack of traffic waiting for some retarded cager to slam on their brakes for a 10 degree curve to get crushed in.
I guess it's a judgement call for each rider. I know I can rationalize my calls 99% of the time. As for the SQUIDs, other than them saying they want to show off like a bunch of sideshow clowns, I can't see their reasoning.
But on the flip side of the coin, we should pose the question of "How bad cages look in traffic to US". I've countless encounters with as*hole cagers that would put my life and those of ANYONE at risk on the road to defend their egos or "their" lane space. I know it can get as bad in other states, but none as treacheous as the So. Cal. would you see so much aggressive "I will not let you pass or get in MY lane" syndrome.
But there are times when it is necessary for speed. I think I presented some examples. True that as speed is increase so does the inverse of the reduction of reaction ability. But I know personally that I was rather take that chance to get in a clearing than be stuck in a pack of traffic waiting for some retarded cager to slam on their brakes for a 10 degree curve to get crushed in.
I guess it's a judgement call for each rider. I know I can rationalize my calls 99% of the time. As for the SQUIDs, other than them saying they want to show off like a bunch of sideshow clowns, I can't see their reasoning.
But on the flip side of the coin, we should pose the question of "How bad cages look in traffic to US". I've countless encounters with as*hole cagers that would put my life and those of ANYONE at risk on the road to defend their egos or "their" lane space. I know it can get as bad in other states, but none as treacheous as the So. Cal. would you see so much aggressive "I will not let you pass or get in MY lane" syndrome.
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