| Author | Message | ||
     Fast1075 |
With the local Buell club ride happening only once a month, I went looking for others to ride with...Some poo poo the idea of "riding with someone"....I like to have someone with me in case I end up in the weeds or some other unsavory situation. So I hooked up with a couple of sportbike meet-up groups....have been on a dozen or so rides...most of the time the people have never ridden together or with me before. Where I am going with this is it is amazing to me the number of people that can show up for a ride on what appears to be a well maintained sportbike, wearing appropriate gear....that haven't a clue how to ride the bike....I rode with a group of ZX-10 owners a couple of months ago...I was invited by the event organizer to ride with them....I thought ok, this will be fun....but the first honest corner we went around (posted at 35mph...easily a 70mph corner) Seven of the riders rode across the centerline onto the grass on the other side of the road (I was riding trail and going maybe 45 if that fast). I was shocked...Pre-ride, I was the victim of some heckling about the geezer on the Boo-Ell from some of the same people that duck-lined offroad...it was both sad and funny....one of the guys had a helmet cam "so I can youtube the shredding"...yeah, right  Amazingly, nobody fell down (it was a putting green smooth wide grassy area with no dip or curb in the way)... Another ride had a husband/wife team on matching CBR600s...high speed left hand sweeper well banked long radius with perfect concrete roadway....posted at 55...they were running about 50...lady stiff-arms it right into the bushes at about 40....luckily no trees, fences, barbed wire, etc...just a nice fluffy row of bushes...skinned the bike up, no rider injuries. I have (out of maybe 40 people) met a few RIDERS....so if you know somebody that needs some training...please encourage them to get some....it will do us all good. Squids make us all look bad to the rest of the world. | ||
| Swordsman |
And they wonder why bike accident ratios are so high.  ~SM | ||
| Jaimec |
Too many people think that all they have to do to ride like Ben Spies is to get a Yamaha YZF-R1, or if they get a Suzuki GSXR1000 they can be just as fast as Mat Mladin. | ||
| Swordsman |
if they get a Suzuki GSXR1000 they can be just as fast as Mat Mladin. Oh, they can. So long as it's a straight line. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! ~SM | ||
| Fast1075 |
At the risk of the thread escalating to a political free for all.....I think the idea of graduated licensing is a good idea. It would be a wise move for the industry in general, with new riders moving up as they progress....and the manufacturers could bring in some of the really sweet Asia/Europe only small displacement bikes. You ain't had your butt kicked, unless you had it kicked by somebody on a 250...or a 125...as the old saying goes....anybody can go slow on a fast bike....it takes skill to go fast on a slow bike...I can't wait till spring...I'm taking my 'Tard to the mountains...woooooo hooooo... | ||
| Sifo |
You describe why I tend to stay away from group rides. You get a wide variety of experience. Unfortunately part of not having experience is not knowing how much experience you are lacking. This leads to wrecks like the lady you described. She would have been much better off gaining experience with a single person to get her riding up to a decent level. The experienced rider will be bored in a group with rookies. Mix them in a larger group and accidents are going to happen, and the rookie may take out an experienced rider. I do love riding with a small group of close friends where we know each others riding abilities. I enjoy it a lot less when the group grows to more than about 4 though. YMMV | ||
| Swordsman |
I'm an old member on the Ninja250 Riders Club forum. There was a guy on there once who was trying to decide if he needed to get a larger bike. So he cranked the throttle and dropped the clutch, and the bike very nearly bucked him off. He decided 250cc was plenty enough to get him hurt.  ~SM | ||
| Delta_one |
The only reason I'm not for graduated licensing is I for one wouldn't be able to buy 3 or 4 bikes to get to the one I wanted, and I'm sure all my years in the dirt wouldn't count for anything. I think if they provided more training or a more comprehensive test for motorcycles there would be less need for graduated licensing Or as a variable to graduated licensing provide the option to stop down a bigger bike Then they can run in the restrictor plate class  | ||
| Sifo |
A graduated license is pretty much useless without testing skills. Just because someone got their bike license X months ago doesn't mean they have any riding skills beyond the minimum requirements. In fact if they haven't been riding those skills will have atrophied. The governments idea of skilled enough to go play in traffic is enough to convince me that we don't need more government involved. | ||
| Skntpig |
Ok back the the thread topic Riders. I refuse to ride in the mid or front of a pack of riders. I've seen too many times when a Rider slows aggressively for a turn and tips it in to get mashed by someone who is going to fast for their skill level or afraid to use the brakes and actually corner the beast. What's worse is stopping for a red light vs. running it, to have someone behind you come sliding by with the rear locked up applying little if any front brake. I look at tire wear before I listen to bragging about "How fast they are". Riding around squids on a stock enduro tire KLX650 was fun in the day but I see now how dangerous it is now. I keep it to a small group of like Riders now. Training is the key but it's impossible to mandate or enforce. I do like the requirement that you have to do a MSF course before licensing in FL. | ||
| Fast1075 |
I always ride trail with new riders...and have asked a few to not come back. The small group of regulars (5) are really good riders...and the guys in the Buell group are ALL good riders. Delta_one...I have found that my dirt (motocross, short track, enduro) experience helps me a LOT on asphalt if things get a little slippery... Skntpig....the FIRST thing I look at is tires.... Speaking of Florida....The first round of tire testing since the complete repaving seems to indicate that Daytona is in better shape than it has been in for YEARS...it was getting really bad. | ||
| Babired |
It hurts when I read stories like this. Dirt bike experience is HUGE for riding street bikes never count that out. Fast do you teach MSF? Pick up a student or 2 per season and ride with them, it is so rewarding. In the beginning you might think it is boring but after a while they will be calling you everyday to go for a ride to nowhere in particular, just ride. And you don't have to take risks riding with the all the gear on s super fast bike with limited skills. I love riding with my students. You gotta ask yourself what do you enjoy the most out of the sport? | ||
| Fast1075 |
Not a teacher, just a rider...always happy to pass out riding skill tips though...I have two friends that are Total Control instructors...they really helped me with my riding...I was a bit rusty after not riding except in straight lines for years at the drag strip... I ride sort of "medium hard" on the street...Laws, common sense, and the fact that a lot of people depend on me making it to work keep me reined in...that and I don't heal as quick as I used to . | ||
| Charlie_zulu |
"I look at tire wear before I listen to bragging about "How fast they are".  +1 | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
to have someone behind you come sliding by with the rear locked up applying little if any front brake. .... lol... I do that behind people just to watch them cringe and brace for impact.... kinda fun for me  not so much for them | ||
| Babired |
Fast Bryan and Diane? They are TC instructors down in Florida? If so I took my TC instructor class with them in Georgia. I would love to see how they are doing. | ||
| Skntpig |
Fast...That's good news. I would like to do Daytona again. It's been a while but last time I was there it was a tire shredder. The G-Outs from the cars made for nice chest bruises and a sweet top end tank slapper coming off the bank before start/finish. Wolf...I do that too sometimes with my buddies. HeHe The best is to lock the back and end in a little stoppie. They hear the skid AND and an impact. (Warning this might get you punched) Threadjack complete | ||
| Fast1075 |
Babired...that is in fact who they are...they are working at a good independent bike shop down the road from my shop. Great people, true enthusiasts. The shop is called X-Techs in Winter Haven Florida....Bryan led the last Buell ride, Diane was under the weather and couldn't make it. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think a LOT of the group ride depends on the "leaders". Most incidents are the result of two main issues: 1) Riding beyond your abilities 2) Mental errors I think both can be minimized by conveying the "rules of the ride" before departure: 1) Ride your own ride 2) Ride "The Pace" 3) Stops at every turn 4) Hand signals 5) Hand signal checks at every turn stop (thumbs up, point to tank, point to bladder, etc.) 6) Overview of ride leg to come at full stop (not just turn stops) so that folks know what to expect (weird turns, speed traps, hazards, common road issues, etc.) 7) Ride Agenda: Expectation of ride duration, beginning and end times, lunch/dinner time, etc. (this allows people to concentrate on the ride instead of everything else. There should also be an expectation of proper gear. If you show up in shorts and a tank top, you will be invited not to ride with the group. If the ride looks "sketchy", reserve the right to develop a headache and leave. Rides are fun but only when you aren't pulling someone out of a ditch. | ||
| Ducbsa |
I went to a track day at Blackhawk years ago and after a couple laps was going to pull in because of the squids locking up the rears in front of me. Then a guy crashed in front of me (I missed him) and for sure pulled in. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Must have been intermediate group. | ||
| Jaimec |
Probably not even then... unless they've got access to Mat's old engineers from Yoshimura and the Suzuki factory... | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>"I look at tire wear before I listen to bragging about "How fast they are". << -1 Chicken strips mean nothing. I have big ones at the moment because my last 100 miles were all around town. | ||
| Babired |
Fast, tell them I said HI! and ask them if they are on Facebook or get an e-mail and PM me! Mental errors judging your riding based on how the fellow in front of you takes the corner, yeah "if he can do it that fast....so can I!" I talked to a guy this year who crashed because of this! Fast story how I met Diane in 2006 I was at the AMA womens conference down in Athens Georgia. They had an underground Battle Trax there I was on the XB9SX I got on the track and started to slide my feet in the corners. Diane was there and she said, "keep the feet on the pegs and lean into the turns!" I think she was on a HD when I meet her but did some racing on her Buell. Fast forward to 2009 to Lee Parks instructor school I recognized her and said "do you remember..." It was sooooo cool! She was the strongest female rider there in school she really did good. Bryan cracked his sidestand bolt trying to do body position while the side stand was down on his ULY CRASH! while waiting in line. then crashed on loose stuff on the parking lot, I did too during the class. | ||
| Charlie_zulu |
Bragging rights mean nothing also. I'd say (not ever seeing the guy ride) that a guy talking the talk and has no chicken strips has a little bit more cred (just a little) than a guy who has worn out the center of his rear tire. IMHO. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Depends on location too. I never wore out the edges in Aus. Never worn out the middle in NZ. | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Bragging rights mean nothing also.<< Yea. If they are bragging before the ride - I head in the other direction. I prefer to ride alone anyway. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Good points FB...we in fact have pre-ride "safety meetings" before all of the Buell club rides...how long or involved they are depends on who shows up.....if the ride is one of the "meetup" rides that I am organizing...it gets a bit more in depth...and yes, I have asked people to go back home that were on unsafe bikes, had no gear, or were obvious squids.... Those that stunt, do burnouts or other squidly behavior are asked to not bother to come again... | ||
| Skntpig |
Tire wear doesn't mean just chicken strips. I bet you can recognize a front tire that has been under-inflated all of it's life and cupped badly. It seems I can tell if a tire has Never seen a corner, not just the difference in CStrips from the recent roads. I'm sure you've seen a tire that has 1/3 on each side of the middle untouched with new numbs and molding pieces attached. I also look at how the chain is adjusted and maintained...or the lack thereof, and the kit of clothing...or the lack thereof. I'm genuinely scared for a rider that has a well worn rear rotor and a new shiny front. YMMV but I can't think of the last time I was surprised after a quick walk around then watching someone ride...Well I guess once. | ||
| Iman501 |
i don't consider myself a great rider yet, but i get by. i was riding with a buddy kyle (me on the bolt, him on his X1) and we were riding through one of the 3 twisty roads i know of, and we saw a group of 4 guys on I4's so we turned around to follow them just due to us being bored. this road is an easy 75+ mph road (if your willing to chance the tickets haha) these guys on the I4's would go about 50 through the curvey parts and then jet up to 90 on the straight aways. when we came to the end of the road and were sitting at a stop light one of the guys turned to me and said "whey don't you get a faster bike like we have instead of a buell?" i told him that when he proves that a "fast bike" will make him ride better I'd think about it |
