[beerock]

that is the question!!

I have friends that all say im nuts for buying a bike. Now, I am not a stranger to street or dirtbikes. On the dirt the guys I ride with are pro level when people come ride with us they cry because we dont take too many breaks. We ride fast and sometimes very close to one another. Also alot of the trails have very tight sections between trees where your regular rider would possibly get hung up etc. We ususally never have issues because we are very experienced.

On the street I have ridden in different countries ranging form the small narrow streets in paris and italy to the nice smooth paved roads in africa. That is the extent of my street riding experience.

I worked at a dealer building, preping and test riding all the bikes that were new and or sold to clients. I test rode them in the parking lots and the service manager would go ride them on the street etc. I have never had my motorcycle liscence. Obviously though I have experience and the lisc is just a paperwork and test thing, not a big deal...


When i worked at the dealer I have seen alot of bikes that i built the week or even DAY before come back totaled. This makes me shake my head at the owners of the bikes.

The reason im bringing all this up is not to brag its more to fill you in on my experience. I feel I am a excellent rider and I ride offensive as well as defensive. I always ride within my limits, more so now then when i was younger. I just have that sense that I know something could happen. Like they say if you own a bike you will crash/drop it.(popping your cherry).

Obviously my friends who are being negative about it are worried about me. I guess im at odds with them because I know that I am very careful when I ride and i do have fear of being hit by someone else, which would keep me on my toes.


IS this enough to keep me alive though???

I know **** happens etc, im a day or two away form buying a rc51 and just wanted to know everyones opinions on the motorists out there and the close calls you have had. How you handle street traffic idiot drivers etc..


thanks in advanced


BTW I already thought of a sweet paint design for the rc51 if i buy it i will show everyone hehe

[Big Kahuna]

This thread is pointless. No one can convince you to ride or not, it's something you need to decide on your own. If you don't want to ride anymore than don't. If you still love riding then by all means go out and ride.

[beerock]

Originally Posted by Big Kahuna

This thread is pointless. No one can convince you to ride or not, it's something you need to decide on your own. If you don't want to ride anymore than don't. If you still love riding then by all means go out and ride.

im just trying to get peoples opinions on it I know its my decision.

heres a reply I got on a BOAT forum

I grew up in a riding family. My father ran flat track in the Midwest (quite successfully at that) and although he quit to get a 'real job' when he got married, he eventually got back into street riding and now both he and my mother ride regularly. They've done all the lower 48 and parts of Canada by bike. (it always freaks people out to tell them my mother rides an FZ-1)

I started on dirt with a Honda XR80 as a kid and eventually worked my way through a series of street bikes including my current Triumph addiction. I've been in 2 accidents on the street. In 2000, a woman swerved across an empty lane and clipped my right rear just behind my leg with the left front of her car. I woke up at the hospital with a minor concussion and some road rash where I had ground through my gear, but was out the next day. Fairly minor given that I slid from the inside divider to the outside shoulder on a 4-lane highway during the morning commute. Totaled the bike, which was about 1 week old. Within 4 days of the accident I was back at the dealer ordering an exact replacement for the bike (2000 Triumph Sprint RS). After all, I had a bike trip planned the next month to the Monterey Historics and I needed a replacement bike right away! I later put over 45K on that bike before selling it.

On Nov. 2nd 2004 I was riding a 2002 Triumph Daytona 955i home after watching the election returns at a local bar. Yes, I had 2 beers over about a 3 hour period, but no, I don't really think it had any bearing on what happened. About 10 pm that night I was on a park road in the marina where I had my boat, going around a right hand turn marked at 15 mph at approx. 40 mph - my normal speed through this turn when there was no traffic as was the case this night. I lost the front tire in some gravel that had washed down across the road due to a construction project on the outside, uphill part of the turn. Being a narrow park road, I slid across with little damage until I hit the curb, which broke my ankle and flipped the bike on it's other side. I laid there a few minutes then picked the bike up and gently nursed it about 1/2 mile to my boat (lots of adrenalin at this point) then called my girlfriend to come get me. By the time she got there I had realized what I'd done to my ankle as I couldn't put any weight on it. Other than that I only had a few bruises - my gear took care of me. I later replaced all the plastics, the bar, and the pipe, on that side of the bike and eventually sold it for my current Speed Triple. It's easy to remember the date on this one - I told everybody I was so broken up over W. "winning" again I had to throw it down the road in protest...

(As an aside, I came back a couple days later with the truck to pick up the bike and stopped at the scene of the crime to check things out; I found Kawasaki parts there. I was riding a Triumph, so at least one other bike went down in the same mess that week)

I'd estimate since 1995 I've done about 150K miles on bikes, mostly in CA traffic and with plenty of lane splitting and 'sporting' riding. I've had 2 accidents in that time; one my own fault (had I been going slow enough I probably wouldn't have gone down in the gravel) and one I couldn't really do much to avoid (I had an empty lane between me and the woman that hit me...how much more do you need?). Is that an unusually high or low number of incidents? Don't know. I do know I have no intention of giving up riding any time soon. Heck, I bought a little 250 dual sport last year to teach my girlfriend to ride on. Both my parents have been in accidents as well, but again, given that they've logged hundreds of thousands of miles on two wheels, who's to say they woudn't have had the same problems if they'd been traveling in an RV? (and no, despite both being 'of an age' and retired, neither is giving up their bike anytime soon either)

I've found that most of the people who worry about riders either have never ridden themselves or if they did ride, rode very poorly. Those who have ridden and can speak honestly from direct experience know there are risks, but that they can be mitigated to a degree by riding with some common sense and wearing decent gear. Ride like a squid, doing wheelies on your GSXR down the center line in flip-flops and a T-shirt, and you'll likely suffer because of it. Ride like a hell's angle wanna-be on your Harley from bar to bar doing shooter along the way, and the same is true. But regardless of what you're riding, if you simply wear some good gear (Myself I use a BMW jacket, AlpineStars pants, Danise boots, Arai helmet, and Held gloves - EVERY RIDE) and ride at a reasonable pace for the conditions and your experience, and you can expect to spend many years on two wheels. And note that I don't necessarily believe that a reasonable pace is what it says on the speed limit sign...http://www.donzi.net/ubb/wink.gif

If I was to give the most basic advice about riding and staying safe, I could boil it down to a few simple things:

Wear the gear. All of it.

Ride your own bike. Don't get sucked into riding over your head or doing something stupid because of a pack mentality.

Assume every car on the road doesn't know you're there. Most cagers are half asleep anyway, and the ones that aren't still aren't looking for bikes.

Now get out there and RIDE! Last month I flew my brother out for a long weekend and we did about 800 miles of super-twisty NorCal mountain roads - best time I've had all year! You can't beat it!

Plus, as I’m always pointing out to my non-riding friends who are into cars or boats or whatever…bikes are small and (relatively) cheap. You can put 4 of them in the space of one car in the garage. They’re also very practical as toys go. Nothing like lane-splitting through gridlocked rush hour traffic on your way to work and cutting your commute time in half, all the while causing less wear and tear on the infrastructure, getting 40, 50, or more mpg and reducing our dependence on oil, and you arrive fresh and invigorated for work as opposed to struggling to stay awake behind the wheel for 2 hours of 1st gear stop and go.

Yeah, I’m pro-bike. Like my license plate says: One Less Car!

[KDA]

Ride track only with a well run organization. This is just my opinion, but riding a 1,000cc sportbike on public roads is like riding a motocross bike on a 1/3 acre house lot. No chance to legally and safely enjoy what the bike has to offer. Happy riding.

[Big Kahuna]

Originally Posted by KDA

Ride track only with a well run organization. This is just my opinion, but riding a 1,000cc sportbike on public roads is like riding a motocross bike on a 1/3 acre house lot. No chance to legally and safely enjoy what the bike has to offer. Happy riding.

Well then you're just missing the point. It's not all about speed, it's also about agility, acceleration and power. All can be used well on the street without getting yourself in too much trouble.

I enjoy my 1000cc bike everytime I ride it.

[KDA]

Like I said, it's just my opinion. I prefer acceleration through a few gears maybe even all six. This is not legally possible on public roads. In NC, you can have your license suspended or revoked for 15 over. I prefer agility to be experienced cornering near the limit of traction. This is not legally possible on public roads. I stress the word "legally". If a road is engineered for safe navigation by a dump truck at the posted speed limit, and yes they are, how can we possibly experience the limits of traction while staying within 10mph of the speed limit? As for power, same response as above regarding acceleration. I spent time on the street and found it frustrating to be so close yet so far away from real fun. My RC has no lights, no mirrors and no license plate. That is the way I prefer it. Not that I intend to change anyone's mind. Just my opinion. I would suggest to anyone who has not done any track riding to give it a shot. If nothing else, it should help make you a better street rider. Happy riding.

[taurag]

Originally Posted by Big Kahuna

This thread is pointless. No one can convince you to ride or not, it's something you need to decide on your own. If you don't want to ride anymore than don't. If you still love riding then by all means go out and ride.

well said!!

[jj_long]

i live in south florida and through out my life have very much enjoyed off road riding. dirtbikes. then even fourwheelers. i love it. but then here in south florida that type or riding siezed to exist. only riding possible became a local track, 1.5 hrs away or some sachioned harescrambles. only certian days and times and at a cost to enter. that is when i had to hang it up. i still ride my street bikes, i still have four of them, and dont plan to stop. i think a track day would probably be great fun. but... i ride because of the freedom to ride. when some one tells me i can no longer ride here or there or its too loud, we dont like it, its dangerous.... it goes on and on. thats when riding is no longer fun. regulations suck. i dont need to be regulated or told when, where, and how to ride. i guess thats why i sold off all my dirt bikes and quads. for the rest of you, have fun at the events.

[Big Kahuna]

Originally Posted by jj_long

...i still ride my street bikes, i still have four of them, and dont plan to stop. i think a track day would probably be great fun. but... i ride because of the freedom to ride. when some one tells me i can no longer ride here or there or its too loud, we dont like it, its dangerous.... it goes on and on. thats when riding is no longer fun. regulations suck. i dont need to be regulated or told when, where, and how to ride. i guess thats why i sold off all my dirt bikes and quads. for the rest of you, have fun at the events.

Nice, could not have said it better myself.

I ride to spend time with friends on great roads and new places. Although I plan to do a track day at some point, riding around and around over and over again just doesn't sound like fun to me. I'd rather take a ride out to some of my favorite roads and spend the day with my friends and family who also ride.

No offense to those who love the track, just don't expect everyone else to want to do the same things you do. Some of these track guys/gals are like those religious folks who walk the neighborhood trying to convert you to their beliefs. What does riding the street have to do with wanting to ride on the track? My intent on riding is to not go as fast as I can on my bike, it's to enjoy the ride when ever and where ever I want.

I don't worry about getting through all the gears while out on a a ride, I just concentrate on the ones that give me the best acceleration and traction per my current circumstances. Most of the roads where I ride are twisty enough to keep you under the posted speed limit anyway. to me it's not how fast you go in the straights that makes for a great ride, it's how well you enjoy the corners.

[Red Rider]

Of all the hundreds of people I've introduced to the track, only one has not become addicted to it...

[taurag]

Of all the hundreds of people I've introduced to the track, only one has not become addicted to it...

I am going to open a track school when i retire. everyone I meet seems to be promoting it, so I'll save a millions with all the free advertising going around. Are you sure you guys aren't receiving commission from these track day school owners?

[Red Rider]

I wish...

[KDA]

Not trying to change anyone's religion. You will note, my posts all include "in my opinion". Track riding is all about enjoying the corners. The straights are a rest between the corners. I ride at VIR. Not much in the way of straights there unless you run the full course which is rare or the front straight on the north course which has a 6th gear kink about 2/3 of the way to keep your attention. Plenty of 3rd and 4th gear sweepers to keep you entertained. I like to ride fast and in my opinion it's not safe or legal on public roads. If a corner is designed for a passenger car to take at the posted speed, there's no way you can push traction without exceeding the speed limit by a wide margin. Not trying to say you can't have fun on the street, just not nearly as much with the margin for error you have on the track. If you run wide you won't hit a tree! My opinion. The original poster was soliciting opinions and appeared to have some safety concerns so I offered mine. Like I said earlier, any street rider will probably learn a lot by taking a school and doing some track days. Don't knock track riding until you've tried it. I've done both street and track riding and it became a very easy decision on which to focus on. Happy riding.

[Big Kahuna]

I'm not knocking track riding, I just not that type of rider. I'd much rather take a ride out on my favorite roads, eat at my favorite spots and even stop for for a sip at my favorite coffee shop.

[HondaGalToo]

I LOVE trackdays, love 'em, can't get enough of 'em. BUT, I still do enjoy riding my liter sportbike on the street as well. The track riding has made me a better street rider, not only in terms of skill, but also because it's made me slow down on the street. I know in a few weeks, I can get my speed fix at the track. Now the streets are about enjoying the twisties at a reasonable pace, the company of friends, scenery, and great breakfast/lunch/dinner stops.