anyone go for a ride today? Pics?

[dorkburger]

Did a couple of hundred miles with my cousin today. Left our home base for the week of Cedar Run Pa, and rode thru Watkins Glen, Ithaca, Cayuga NY, and many small towns. Great weather, great day.

[Jedz123]

Jethro came over for the weekend and he brought his boat so the twins and us went out and cruised around the lake.

Our Rugged captain chauffeuring us through some choppy waters of lake Champlain.


The next day we went for a 2 wheeled blast, Jethro grabbed the T120 and I lead on the B-12... Went on a nice little loop.

[B.C.G.S.]

No mention of Champ so I guess you didn't him/her/it. Yo Jethro, how did you like the T 120?

[kerrfunk]

Yes, that is a pink elephant in the background. And a giraffe.

My wife is a golf pro and teaches at a driving range that has a mini-putt - hence the pink elephant. I stopped in to meet her for a ride home together. Beauty of an evening in southwestern Ontario!


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There's a pink elephant in my town, just standing there. Couple miles down the road there's a pink and green giraffe. Also just standing there. I don't have a picture with it, though.



I went for a quick ride today, maybe 20 miles to visit somebody in the hospital. I was in a turn lane to exit a parking lot and there was a 9-yo boy in the passenger seat of a car next to me. He smiled big and waved at me on my bike, and I beeped the horn and waved back at him. Made his day, I'm sure. Plus it was nice for me, too.

[Carter Turk]

Had a fun day at the Ridge Motorsports Park, got in 7-20 minute sessions, came back in one piece, though many folks on expensive Italian bikes (Aprillia, Ducati) had visits with the asphalt and dirt. Some Japanese bikes, but no Germans, but maybe one Brit, Ugh.
Maybe they were riding too stiff/rigid worrying about crashing their expensive machinery or weren't properly hydrating, going too fast, who knows.

The last session was the best, my buddies were already drinking beer packing up, but I still had my leathers on for the last session, as most other folks are packing up too and there are fewer people on the track. Hooked up with a gal and dude with a nice clean pace, she ran wide in one section, so I hooked up with a guy who was on an R1.
We did about 4-5 laps together with near zero traffic and he seemed like he was just out for a tour, (relaxed/calm style) but disceptively fast and smooth, so I thought just try to hang with him and don't crash pushing beyond my limits. Learned a lot in a short amount of time following him.

[steve murdoch]

Seven sessions is fantastic for a track day.
Obviously a well organized host.
I bet you will be sore for a couple days.

[Buffalo Bill]

Had a fun day at the Ridge Motorsports Park, got in 7-20 minute sessions, came back in one piece, though many folks on expensive Italian bikes (Aprillia, Ducati) had visits with the asphalt and dirt. Some Japanese bikes, but no Germans, but maybe one Brit, Ugh.
Maybe they were riding too stiff/rigid worrying about crashing their expensive machinery or weren't properly hydrating, going too fast, who knows.

The last session was the best, my buddies were already drinking beer packing up, but I still had my leathers on for the last session, as most other folks are packing up too and there are fewer people on the track. Hooked up with a gal and dude with a nice clean pace, she ran wide in one section, so I hooked up with a guy who was on an R1.
We did about 4-5 laps together with near zero traffic and he seemed like he was just out for a tour, (relaxed/calm style) but disceptively fast and smooth, so I thought just try to hang with him and don't crash pushing beyond my limits. Learned a lot in a short amount of time following him.

Sounds fabulous!!!
I'm not sure my legs can handle 7 sessions.
This year I decided to ride intense as I can, then get off the track as soon as my legs can't move me bum from side to side. I can come back the next session full strength. Seems like it's working for me. I get more very good laps, fewer bad laps. I think it helps my learning process too. Can't learn anything if my legs are tired, but I can get into bad corner situations.

[Jen]

I had a nice spin the other night, rode over to my friend Sarah's place at the lake. She got this pic of me when i went to pull the bike under her awning before the rain- which is the reason for no helmet!

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[earlfor]

well I will be the dissenting voice on hi viz. I personally don't think its that drivers don't see you .. I think they see you fine .. I think that most of them just think you are unprotected and when they make the left in front of you it is a solid "FU deal with it."

Its your antennae not your clothing that will get you home.

Having said that .. there are times when it may provide added security. Before I left NYC I rode my bicycle to work about 12 miles one way though heavy traffic. I installed one of those blinking led lights on the front and back and damn if you couldn't see it from a mile + away.

I left before the sun was up and often rode home after it was down .. at least the drivers who cared saw me and the ones who didnt had a clear shot.

But in my experience .. they just don't care, thinking you have to give right of way or die and challenge you by doing unsafe stuff. I see it on almost every ride over almost 40 years.

I agree with you! I wear hi viz, but I don't assume it will be useful and look at it from the standpoint of it can't hurt. I depend on my radar, probabilities, predictions and awareness to get me through, not what clothing I happen to be wearing that day. There are too many drivers that truly don't give a $hit and are driving and texting, etc. with their eyes wide shut.

[Carter Turk]

Sounds fabulous!!!
I'm not sure my legs can handle 7 sessions.
This year I decided to ride intense as I can, then get off the track as soon as my legs can't move me bum from side to side. I can come back the next session full strength. Seems like it's working for me. I get more very good laps, fewer bad laps. I think it helps my learning process too. Can't learn anything if my legs are tired, but I can get into bad corner situations.

My folks grew up during the depression, so they're always trying to save a buck, and I think it became ingrained in my brain.
I always try to get my money's worth, so when doing trackdays, If I did 4 of 7 sessions, I'd be bummed, cause I shorted myself the $200 entry fee, not to mention the gas and loading/unloading/driving. This gixxer is weird for me, it has no issues, I push the start button and it starts, I park it for a month, it starts.
Still want to get the Kat going again just need to dive in to the engine sitting on a block in the garage.

Steve, I can feel the legs today, but I think it was more the pawnshop leathers I got for $175, not fitting perfectly. Had a local leather shop widen the leg portion for cheap, yet they do really nice work. Made a huge difference in comfort by the end of the day.

[Redman]

Took a break from babysitting dutys over the weekend when daughter was available

and got out for a 6 hour ride last weekend (from daughters place in Oceanside).

ROde into SanDiego for a BMW owners club breakfast.
Lots of new bikes. Most all conversations were just dripping with affluence. THings like eurpoean 2-3 week tours, comparing Swiss Alps to Italian Alps, renting boats for traveling canals in France, which dealer offers better trade in on 2-3 year old bikes, Aerostitch suits ..... and such.

Afterwards, I took my 2002 bike, and my 12 year old TourMaster jacket and my work boots, and got out to Wildcat Caynon and Old Julian Highway, then back to Palomar Mountain.









The three shots of the same two bikes were taken from standing in the same place.

The old Indian at Mothers Kitchen up on Palomar Mt.

Then next day the other 2 grandkids were there visiting also,

so had lots of stuff going on for a few days, didnt get out for other rides.
THen put bike back in storage mode... and headed home. <<heavy sigh>>

[ChicagoBob]

Took the "new" 1980 GS550 cafe bike for a ride. Surprisingly little vibration in the solid-mounted clip-ons and rearsets.

[ChrisMA]

After nearly two years in pieces in my garage, I finally took my GS1000G out for the MSF ERC / BRC2 course. I was holding my breath, because I only just got it running well last week (after much trial and error), and didn't know if it would hold up to a day full of stops, starts, and idling in the heat. But she ran beautifully, and I swear it felt like she was happy to finally be out on the road again.

Here she is, representing for GSR in a class full of Harleys (except for the instructor, who rode a Bandit - almost like a little family reunion)

[cowboyup3371]

Rode the 550T down to Hamilton to help JBrewer8 with his bike then back home through Germantown. I need to run through some maintenance but it was nice to be on it again

[gbw]

Going to Gingerman for the track day soon so figured I better get the Tiger out and make sure it still works. Haven't ridden it much since Brown County.

My go-to loop near home has some great twisty roads, elevation changes, and a cool dam. It was early and foggy so the dam picture didn't actually show the dam. But here's the dam sign.


Then I ran across this a few miles up the road. Gotta find out the race schedule. I think they do hill climbs here in addition to drag races.



Sorry for the humongous pictures!