When the road gets curvy, what happens to you?

[bradleymaynar]

I just had an epiphany...



And now all you midwest and east coasters see why the GSR international convention should be in the west!

I think we'd be able to find some roads that'd surprise you!

Brad tt

[Poot]

nice....I live in Jasper National Park (rocky mountains) , so there are a few interesting rides here and there....

[Mr. Jiggles]

I just had an epiphany...



And now all you midwest and east coasters see why the GSR international convention should be in the west!

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

Windy Ridge-Cougar

Mopolopo,

You've done Mt St. Helens out of Randle haven't you? Some fine turns to Windy Ridge and on down to Cougar. I live up North so I have turn around a go back which is a bonus. Carter

Made that run before...Windy Ridge on St. Helens south to Cougar ..I made the run just a few months after they laid the asphalt, plenty of time for the rain to wash away the oil. Wonderfully smooth, curvy & high on traction. Unfortunately they weren't done yet and I ran into some ten miles of deep gravel that was prep for the asphalt.
Rick...

[Dark Jedi]

Happened across this today, the road through the park I talked about:

http://www.nps.gov/romo/visit/weather/scenicdrives.html

[Carter Turk]

Richard,

I made that run in 1984 just after completion. I was trying to squeeze more power out of my 750 ET like a dumb highschooler, running velocity stacks raised needles and bigger jets.

It was cool for a couple of weeks than it must sucked in too much dust and would only rev to six grand. So I rode that whole stretch, short shiftin, wishing I had the full rev range.

When I got home I put the airbox back on with 115 mains to complement the Kerker and it ran perfect. Dumb adolescent.

Actually, the other side of Mt St. Helens is triple digit sweeper heaven. I hit that for the first time a year ago in July about 8pm, when it stays light till 10. Nobody around, glass smooth pavement. You have to be really wickin it up to enjoy it, as the sweepers are large.

[mark]

Grab a bite to eat at Alice's Restaurant west of Palo Alto in California, then head straight out to the ocean, (through LaHonda I think). Anyway I live in Nebraska now where the most exciting part of my drive is the stop sign, but I've ridden all over the West Coast and that's about the best I've been on for curves and good road.

[KGB]

hmmmmmmmm........


Any of you guys ever ridden in New England?

We took cow paths and paved them. Not many straight roads around here.
Yea we get frost heaves and ripples but as to curves, almost endless.
Our mountains may not be as high as the Rockies, but we built some pretty sweet roads on and around them.

I've been on Pacific coast highway north af SF, beautiful road, great curves, good pavement. Never ridden the mid west..someday.

Anytime you guys head east, let us know.
Ask DPEP-Don, he rode up from Florida to ride with us one weekend.
And LOVED it. We're all fortunate to have civil engineers that designed
our roads....I always thank my Dad for a job well done

[Carter Turk]

Everyone who posted here seemed to go off on a "great road tangent", but nobody talked about what's going on inside their heads when the road starts getting twisty.

What about your mental state of affairs, thats kinda what I was getting at when I initially posted. Carter

[RobGS850L]

Lots of twisties here and I have to admit I speed up a bit and let my buds know it's time to party. :twisted: Wahoo!

[Dink]

Everyone who posted here seemed to go off on a "great road tangent", but nobody talked about what's going on inside their heads when the road starts getting twisty.

What about your mental state of affairs, thats kinda what I was getting at when I initially posted. Carter

I myself drop into " The Zone" I am fairly confident you know what I mean 8O that "Zen like" state, where thought is not required "it just happens", I know I do it whenever "the Twisties" show up cause our beloved Queenie reckons it can take quite a few thumps before I respond
Dink

[KGB]

Yea..........what Dink said.

The zone.looking as far thru the turn as possible, scanning all the way thru. Pressing on the bars, maintaining throttle, using as little braking as possible to keep corner speed up and the suspension settled.
Rolling on the throttle thru the turn, again keeping the suspension from
po-going.
Setting a comfortable pace, not always at 10/10ths.....
Even in the group rides we do in New England. We all set our own pace.

Everyone has a different comfort zone or pace that works for them.
Once into the zone maintaining it is the key.

usually with some Stevie ray Vaughn song going on in my head.
Little Pride and Joy keeps my rythem. Rythem is what keeps the corners flowing. Looking thru the turn, scanning to the sides for critters, in the mountains......deer or moose even wild turkeys.

My wife gets into the zone also. She's learned to look over my shoulder to the inside of the turn. She keeps her body in line with mine.


And at the end of the road to quote David Burn and the Talking Heads
"How did I get here?"

And we do have great roads around here

[earlfor]

I settle into my total concentration mode and bump the speed up enough to make it fun. I like to run the twisties in a surgically precise manner. I plan ahead and concentration is well beyond the bike. I try to miss nothing.
The one thing I dont think about is the bike. It just flows with my thoughts.

Earl

Everyone who posted here seemed to go off on a "great road tangent", but nobody talked about what's going on inside their heads when the road starts getting twisty.

What about your mental state of affairs, thats kinda what I was getting at when I initially posted. Carter

[Nerobro]

The same thing that happens to me in a car...

My mind clears, in my minds eye I see the path the bike will take. I feel the tires grip the road, traction circles growing and shrinking as I roll on the throttle. It's trance like... It's why I enjoy driving.

[mdole]

I just had an epiphany...



And now all you midwest and east coasters see why the GSR international convention should be in the west!

Agreed.

I was born in San Francisco, and was stationed in California twice when I was in the Navy in San Diego and in Mare Island, but they have way to much traffic on the left coast to enjoy riding there.