Short ride with the idiot bikers.

[Guest]

Didn't have much opportunity to get in some riding this lovely long weekend......family obligations took precedent. As I haven't ridden in about 5 weeks I've been pretty antsy to get out. I did manage a few hours around lunch time today but it wasn't as much fun as I expected.

The bike has been running a bit rich and has started to die ( again) at stops and that can be damned dangerous as I nearly found out.

Lots of bikes out today and traffic was heavy everywhere. Folks enjoying the day.

The bike runs well once rolling but, as mentioned, dies at stops.For some reason people behind me crowd right up. On three different ocassions bikes come up on me at lights, don't notice that I'm not moving immediately (when the light changes) and proceed to go . One guy on a (you guessed it) Hardly even bumps my back tire before I get the fire relit.

Another time three guys on metric cruisers are behind me and end up swerving all over the place in their haste to get around me. One fella was nice enough to give me the finger as he passed.

Guy number 3 gets about 2 feet from me, swerves out when i don't roll immediately and almost smacks an SUV in the left lane as he goes around (those cruisers are hard to turn:-D). I didn't hear what he yelled, but I don't think he was complimenting my ride.

I would like to have stayed out longer but I figured after these near misses I'd better head for the barn. especially knowing that we have lost 3 riders in our region so far this weekend.

Oddly enough, the cagers were really good today and gave me plenty of room.

Hope you are all having a good and safe long weekend.

Cheers all,
Spyug

[t3rmin]

Man I'd be ticked if somebody bumped my back tire. Sheesh!

[long_av8r]

Sorry to hear about the posers on bikes. I'm a little shocked nobody stopped to offer help. That would have been the first thing I would have done. My CB900F has a valve problem and does not run very well right now so it stays in the garage, fortunately I have other bikes to ride, but it sounds like you may have been better off fixing it this weeknd in prep for next weekend. At least nobody ran into you hard like the squids in SoCal do. They seem to have fun bowling and riding at the same time.

[Pete Logan]

those cruisers are hard to turn:-D

Spyug

No they're not - I can turn a tighter circle on my shovelhead than I can on my 750.

I'm sure you already know this, but people who ride motorcycles and have no sympathy for other people who ride motorcycles are idiots who shouldn't be allowed out on rollerskates.

It's a shame that there seem to be more and more of these morons on the road, who aren't worthy of the name motorcyclist, let alone biker.

Personally, I think this is where the average cager can do us all a great favor by killing as many of the idiots as possible.

Did I say that out loud :-D

[MelodicMetalGod]

No they're not - I can turn a tighter circle on my shovelhead than I can on my 750.

I'm sure you already know this, but people who ride motorcycles and have no sympathy for other people who ride motorcycles are idiots who shouldn't be allowed out on rollerskates.

It's a shame that there seem to be more and more of these morons on the road, who aren't worthy of the name motorcyclist, let alone biker.

Personally, I think this is where the average cager can do us all a great favor by killing as many of the idiots as possible.

Did I say that out loud :-D

Harsh, but hard to argue with...

[oldschoolorange]

No they're not - I can turn a tighter circle on my shovelhead than I can on my 750.

Not going to argue about the turning radius on your Harley with normal sized tires, however most modern metric cruisers have massive rear tires as they are going for the chopper look and don't like to turn too tight.

[jbs80106]

tire size aside....

I'd wonder what most people's slow speed maneuvering capabilities are, or if they've even tried spinning that figure 8 we all had to do in MSF basic class on their personal bikes. Most people in my class had trouble with slow speed maneuvers on the little 125s. never mind a big cruiser....


Anyone can get up to speed and ride a straight line or highway curves. If these guys had to sweve around you they obviously ride by assumption vs. seeing/knowing. Hey the lights green so I'm SURE the guy in front of me is going to go so I might as well go too....bump...

My friend actually did this on his new Suzi 1300 something or other. Told me he almost dropped it because the car in front of him didn't start to move when the light turned green...he obviously had started moving and had to brake to avoid hitting the bumper....then he was ticked off at the driver, flipped him off and all that.....

[jknappsax]

Low speed manuvering

We all know that our 500+ (when wet) dinos have enough 4-cylinder width and a high enough center of gravity that they can be a handful at less than 5 MPH; I've seen slow-speed contests where the Harleys, with their low center of gravity and narrow engine, seem to really shine. I still love the GSes, and would never have enough cash to buy a machine that costs so much and has so many weak points, but except for a full-dresser, they have it over the GSes in the low-speed stuff. Back in the day before Suzuki came out with their four-strokes, I had a Yamaha XS 650 that I took my drivers test on, and for figure-eights and small-radius circles, it could do things I can't with my GS. Now the examiner also wanted me to accelerate through 3 gears, then lock up both wheels! I did it, but knew that he didn't understand riding a motorcycle at all!

[t3rmin]

We all know that our 500+ (when wet) dinos have enough 4-cylinder width and a high enough center of gravity that they can be a handful at less than 5 MPH; I've seen slow-speed contests where the Harleys, with their low center of gravity and narrow engine, seem to really shine. I still love the GSes, and would never have enough cash to buy a machine that costs so much and has so many weak points, but except for a full-dresser, they have it over the GSes in the low-speed stuff. Back in the day before Suzuki came out with their four-strokes, I had a Yamaha XS 650 that I took my drivers test on, and for figure-eights and small-radius circles, it could do things I can't with my GS. Now the examiner also wanted me to accelerate through 3 gears, then lock up both wheels! I did it, but knew that he didn't understand riding a motorcycle at all!

After messing around on the DMV test course the other day, me on my GS 700 and my buddy on his ZZR 1200, my friend joked that I should rent out the GS to people taking the test. It's so stinkin' nimble and flickable, even at low speeds. I seriously could not coax his ZZR through the course successfully, but the GS practically drove itself through.

But my 650 and 750 GSs were way worse. Dunno why, since the 700 is lighter, but not THAT much.

[MelodicMetalGod]

I'd wonder what most people's slow speed maneuvering capabilities are, or if they've even tried spinning that figure 8 we all had to do in MSF basic class on their personal bikes. Most people in my class had trouble with slow speed maneuvers on the little 125s. never mind a big cruiser....

Just took the ERC last weekend. It was more challenging, but I managed to pull off the smallest U-Turn box (the one used for the BRC) on my bike. Nobody else in the class was able to do so (7 students), but I had the smallest bike. Next closest was a guy riding a 600 (Z1?). However, I must say that I was pretty impressed with the guys riding the 750 and 900 lb HD's who managed to pass the course even in the low speed stuff. While I didn't care for their bikes, they rode very well. According to the instructors, the U-Turn exercise can be more difficult for sport bikes due to the shorter handlebar turning "lock". I'm not sure that I agree with that, but I do think that it's more difficult on a cruiser due to center of gravity issues and the "swept back" bars that hit almost hit you in the ribs if you turn them far enough and are sitting forward.

Anyone can get up to speed and ride a straight line or highway curves. If these guys had to sweve around you they obviously ride by assumption vs. seeing/knowing. Hey the lights green so I'm SURE the guy in front of me is going to go so I might as well go too....bump...

My friend actually did this on his new Suzi 1300 something or other. Told me he almost dropped it because the car in front of him didn't start to move when the light turned green...he obviously had started moving and had to brake to avoid hitting the bumper....then he was ticked off at the driver, flipped him off and all that.....

Sounds like your friend could use some "sensitivity training" and maybe a few defensive driving lessons.

After messing around on the DMV test course the other day, me on my GS 700 and my buddy on his ZZR 1200, my friend joked that I should rent out the GS to people taking the test. It's so stinkin' nimble and flickable, even at low speeds. I seriously could not coax his ZZR through the course successfully, but the GS practically drove itself through.

But my 650 and 750 GSs were way worse. Dunno why, since the 700 is lighter, but not THAT much.

[Pete Logan]

Not going to argue about the turning radius on your Harley with normal sized tires, however most modern metric cruisers have massive rear tires as they are going for the chopper look and don't like to turn too tight.

That's a fair point. My shovel is on the original-spec same-size tires (130's) front and rear.