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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Monday, October 02, 2006 - 08:48 pm: | 
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you say you could have ridden faster that day, i.e. you could've gotten around me? me no think so, kimosabe.
ps to M1Combat Don: my statement above sucks hard, and DOES sound like bragging, and i'm sorry about that. you're a great rider, and i don't want to risk damaging our young friendship by being such an arrogant arsehole.
that day we strafed 191 is one of the best times i've ever had on a bike, and that's saying a bunch. thanks for being you, and i'm looking forward to our next ride. 
FB |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Monday, October 02, 2006 - 08:49 pm: |
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ps to Blake: so Blake, when and where we gonna run?
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Blake
| | Posted on Monday, October 02, 2006 - 10:47 pm: |
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I only race on the track amigo. Can you get us onto Laguna Seca next year?  |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Monday, October 02, 2006 - 10:50 pm: |
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i can get us onto Laguna if you can score us a couple of Buell XBRR's to ride...
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M1combat
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 01:20 am: |
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No hard feelings at all Jerry . I whole heartedly agree ... The best time I've ever had on a bike for sure. To respond to one part though ... I'd never been on the 191 either.
I guess I was just trying to make the point that had it been just us (no Denise... because I know I kept my distance due to the fact that I'd be endangering a passenger who wasn't driving, and I'm sure your love for her kept our speed in check at least a little) we could have both gone somewhat faster. It would have helped tremendously if we weren't both using $5.00 lookin for gravel (which there was a good deal, I don't know HOW many rocks I took to the noggin from sticky FJR tires , sounded like hail at times ).
Best 40-50 miles I've ever put on a motorcycle in my life for sure. Could I have gotten around you? Maybe, maybe not (I'm leaning towards not , but I never tried). If I had, I'm certain you coulda gotten back around anyway and dicing it up on roads like that just isn't the right answer. To be honest, that day on the 191 had nothing to do with the bikes IMO . Both bikes could have been riden harder had the road been clean. It just wouldn't have been worth it. Not even close. Too much at stake. You see... I've since run the top 15 miles on the other side of the road (coming down)... I think we both ought to be glad that neither of us knew just how far it was... ... ... over the edge... ... ... But I didn't know that at the time so it wasn't there .
You certainly got around me once and I gotta set the record straight on that . I didn't let you around. Not in the least. I just had NO idea what sort of pace you and Rueben were running and when I looked in my mirror and saw a big blue winnebago I thought "Cool, It's Jerry..." and picked up the pace a little. I looked in my mirrors again about three turns later and all I could see were headlights... "Strange" I thought . I picked it up a little more and when I went to look in the mirrors for the third time I saw a Big Blue Billboard going by on the left (with a smaller red and black one just behind it). I thought... "Damnit... No more waiting for the S2 and XB9S, I'm following Jerry, that looks much more fun ." I didn't really want to follow the Tuono so I just parked about 3' behind him until he graciously waved me by. You'd made about 50yds on us by then so I had to catch up (and I think you backed off a little). I did and when I got within 10' of you I really had no idea what we were in for. I decided that if you went over I was following you. For those of you who haven't been there... 191 is certainly the most treacherous 70 mile stretch of DEEP canyon road I've ever been across that was paved. I kept my wheels pretty much where yours were and dragged the rear brakes mid turn when you did. Learned a lot from it too .
Anyway... I do indeed think I could have ridden faster that day, but I think you could have too. I think that neither one of us really wanted to. That's why I say that the speeds we were running were probably a lot more about rider/road than bike. Both of them could have gone faster .
In any case... I think that both of us experienced the 191 for the first time in about the best way conceivable .
So...
"that day we strafed 191 is one of the best times i've ever had on a bike, and that's saying a bunch. thanks for being you, and i'm looking forward to our next ride. : ) "
Ditto .
Oh , and thanks ... I already wear a large helmet damnit . |
M1combat
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 01:35 am: |
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To note...
While I was coming down the mountain (Took my GF up to Hannigan meadow... where we finally stopped to wait for the reast of the group) I was looking over the edge just to see exactly how dangerous it really was to be running that road at those speeds...
I couldn't take it any faster than about 20MPH and even then I was nervous and riding right on the yellow line. Granted, the road was wet, I was on an unfamiliar XB12S, it still had D207's, my GF was on the back... yadda yadda yadda...
It's a LONG ways down in a LOT of places.
Leesa and I parked at a particularly scenic spot (read - Big-assed cliff)and I told her about that ride and what kind of speeds we were running and how much fun it was and all that. She looked at me and didn't say anything for a little while and then with a bit of a lump in her throat she asked me to please not do it again. She had just lost a long time family friend to the infamous "Someone pulled out in front of him" wreck so whe was a bit sensitive.
She bought me my first track day and I'm going to start racing in February.
I most likely won't ever run the 191 like that again, but I'm glad the first time was following someone I could learn from . |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 08:49 am: |
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...To be honest, that day on the 191 had nothing to do with the bikes IMO...
Don, thanks for the comeback, and for the fact that our friendship is still intact.
as for the "nothing to do with the bikes" your point is well-taken, but i disagree. MY point all along has been that there are a lot of bikes that handle well on the market, including ones that one might not immediately think of as a good handling bike.
the 'Busa is the brunt of a lot of this uninformed criticism, because it's perceived as a "pig,", i.e. big and heavy and ONLY suitable for long-g-g-g-g sweepers or high-speed straights, when, in fact, it'll carve up a twisty road a lot better than it has a right to.
no, it's no XB in this regard, and that's not what i'm trying to imply. but it ain't the boat most think it is, either.
honestly, our ride up 191 that day surprised me in what the FJR was capable of. here you've got a bike that makes the 'Busa seem like lithe in comparison, with the added weight disadvantage of having a passenger on board, AND with the additional weight of two fully-stuffed saddlebags, and yet this veritable ocean liner of a motorcycle was able to dance a pretty mean jig, on a pretty mean road, against two pretty mean competitors.
and that's been my point all along: unless one has ridden a "heavy" late-model Japanese bike in anger, one has no idea what these weapons are capable of, and they're capable of dispatching a technical road with surprising alacrity.
Don, thanks again amigo. glad to hear you're takin' it to the track, and for those who might be questioning the sanity of our ride up 191 that day, the conditions - ALL of them - have got to be just right for me to ride like that on a public road. the conditions that day WERE just right, and our ride was the stuff of legend.
ride to lean,
FB |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 08:55 am: |
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ps: one of the coolest things about our stint on 191 was all the props that Denise got at Hannigan Meadows when we were done.
D's a great rider, with plenty of grand adventures of her own on two wheels, but she has also become a great co-pilot, and the trust and skill she demonstrated that day was amazing. she deserved every bit of the attention she got at the Meadows that afternoon.
FB |
Daves
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 12:42 pm: |
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The Busa is a still a pig of a bike.
Not saying a good rider can't hustle one around pretty good
I've had fun riding with Ferris too. It was good thing we had Prior leading us or I have a feeling things might have been taken up a notch or 6? |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 01:20 pm: |
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It was good thing we had Prior leading us or I have a feeling things might have been taken up a notch or 6?
ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth! (and the scary thing is, if this IS the truth, it means that Alex was our "moral compass" that day. wow, THAT'S truly frightening...)
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Daves
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 01:46 pm: |
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That is scary! |
M1combat
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 02:52 pm: |
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"Don, thanks for the comeback, and for the fact that our friendship is still intact. "
LOL ... You'd have to do a LOT more than that Jerry . You're a good guy, and it's good that you can be convinced to pass a bottle of Goldschlager around with the likes of Bartimus, CareyJ, Warp2, Wycked, Et Al... Oh , and Al ... I still think he woulda jumped onto that swimming pool cover after one more drink . Joanne would have murdered me if he got hurt though, so it's probably for the best . |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 04:44 pm: |
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Not really,Jerry.You just have to use a sliding scale--compared to the rest of you loons Alex was nearest to "normal".
Kinda like I am the nearest to "a normal,law-abiding,respectable citizen" --when compared to my other 3 brothers.Can ya just imagine-- |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 06:05 pm: |
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nearest to normal?
i like it. |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 08:49 pm: |
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Yeah,you know--not abbienormal. |
Pushrodpete
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 01:32 am: |
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Ahhhh, the good old 191 (formerly and more accurately the 666). I took it south from Alpine one time on my Heritage Softail loaded up with camping gear (the WRONG tool for the job!).
The optimist in me points out two things: (1) I only highsided once  (I momentarily lost focus after a car came around a tight corner the other direction -- first one I had seen in a good hour and it startled me), and (2) I got lucky in that I got tossed over the bars onto one of the few shoulders that road has. About any other place on that stretch I woulda gone RIGHT over the edge. 
Shoulda heeded that "10 mph next 11 miles" sign. GEEZ whatta gnarly road....
(Message edited by pushrodpete on October 04, 2006) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 07:50 am: |
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GEEZ whatta gnarly road....
well, since this thread has morphed from "Tastly Rumors" to "All 191, All the Time," here's what the new issue of RoadRUNNER mag has to say about this little slice of Paradise:
[From Morenci] we soon became fully engaged in the section of Highway 191 known as the Coronado Trail. Over 450 years ago, Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez Coronado led an expedition in search of the fabled, gold-laden Seven Cities of Cibola. Although he never found the cities or the gold, Coronado did leave a looping route through these mountains behind. Now paved, this veritable playground for motorcycles contains hundreds of esses, switchbacks, twists, and numerous bends in a little over 120 miles. Practically traffic-free, today's Coronado Trail adds a whole new meaning to one of my favorite words: 'twisties.' Throw in some spectacular scenery and almost 6000 feet in elevation change and there you have it, a road that tops the list on the itineraries of any rider in the area. -- Chris Meyers
sure wish i'd ridden 191 on a motorcycle that "handled" so i coulda enjoyed it more.
FB |
Oldog
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 08:12 am: |
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ps: thx to Oldog, Reep and Sparky for the speed props; i'll be adding a bigger helmet to my Christmas list...
Hey all any one has to do is look at "bobs" floor boards,
Ferris;
I think that your helmet is properly sized.
Interesting discussion.
My first "serious" riding foray with Jerry, Was on the legendary "dragon", He gets by the clueless brawd in the suv, then checks out on the group of us.
this was done in the rain.
The explanation is simple, I live on flat land and wear out the middle of my tires.
Ferris lives in the land of twisties, and wears out the outsides of his.
Natural tallent + LOTS OF PRACTICE = Skill
I Imagine that a lot of newbee kids get suprised when Mikey or any of the Franklin crew come whizzing by on their dressers
you had to be there ........
191 was 666 , "The devils road?" 120 miles of the dragon??????? please post a map...
(Message edited by oldog on October 04, 2006) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 08:46 am: |
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sheesh, now i need to move to a state with no helmet law at all, 'cause they don't make 'em big enough to fit my noggin' anymore...
thx Oldog.
do a Google on "Coronado Trail 191" and you'll get more hits than you can shake a Buell at. Road & Track calls it one of the best drives in America, and here's an excerpt from, of all places, National Geographic: The paved highway that retraces Francisco Vásquez de Coronado's epic journey in 1540 provides one of the greatest driving adventures in the West.
FB
ps: thx for the 'shine! |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 09:07 am: |
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you want maps? check THESE out!
Highway 191 topo maps |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 09:14 am: |
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Oldog, if you get some time and want some entertaining reading, check out the AZ Springfast 2005 thread. you'll have to muscle thru some preliminary chatter, as the ride planning slowly came together, and there are a LOT of pages, but it's a great read, with lots of photos, from a truly epic weekend of two-wheeled passion, adventure and camaraderie.
Bartimus ultimately took over the reins on Springfast, and did a splendid job of insuring that everyone had a great, safe time.
anyway, grab a cuppa (joe or 'shine, either will do) and check it out. you'll get a taste of 191, and a whole bunch more.
ride to lean,
FB |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 12:05 pm: |
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I was up at Shady Valley, TN this weekend. There were a bunch of guys on sportbikes there as well. So now I have something to add to the Busa debate:
Yes, I'm being silly, but it does bring up a serious question. When we say "Buells handle well," or "Busas are pigs," what type of rider are we assuming is on the bike?
For a beginning rider, I don't think it matters. Everything handles like a pig. For the super experienced rider, I don't know if it matters either. There is a guy at Deals Gap who makes his living riding behind people and filming them. He does this from his Goldwing. It doesn't matter what kind of bike you have, he can keep up. And half way through he will pass you so he can film from the other side. He isn't the only guy who can make Goldwings do magic either.
So what about someone like me. I've been riding just over 2 years. I don't generally drag my pegs around the corners. Are the handling qualities of the Buell something that I benifit from? Or do I have to become like the guys that make the Goldwings sing before they matter?
PS: The guy on the Busa was not badly hurt. I think he broke is wrist and scratched up his knee. I am told he was 6'3 and they took him to the hospital in a mini-cooper, which was probably interesting. |
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