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1. Putting a terrified girl on the back of the bike, and 50 miles later, she hops off with a huge smile. 2. Blowing past the slow lanes on the HOV at 80mph every single workday. 3. The sudden breeze through my hair when I realize I left my helmet vents closed, and pop them open on the highway. 4. The half second of near silence when down-shifting, just before the engine roars even louder than before, and I'm nearly pulled out of the seat. 5. The way no matter what my actual speed is, it feels like I'm going somewhere around a million miles an hour.
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Aug 15, 2009 15:07
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Raven457 posted:In all honesty though, you are some kind of weirdo. Hey gently caress you buddy  And yeah, the idiotic-looking smile is one of the many reasons I'm happy I have a full-face helmet.
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Aug 16, 2009 01:32
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800whp per ton never gets old.
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Aug 16, 2009 05:18
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1. That old guy. You know the one. Riding the full dress Harley or the Goldwing. He rides the same road over and over, knows it better than anyone. He loves to bait kids on sportbikes. I followed one of these fine fellows on Highway 21 in Idaho and it was all I could do to keep him within sight distance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo Or this guy. 2. Hay fields on hot days. When they're being irrigated there's at least a 20 degree temperature drop as you ride by them. 3. Off camber up hill corkscrew turns. They produce this feeling in your stomach that's irreplaceable. They may even have to be right hand. 4. Walking down the street in your gear. Maybe you're going to get breakfast, but you'll run across some other guy in gear (in case it was a very nice Olympia once piece) who will ask you for directions to a nice local road or just sit and chat for a bit. I met a guy this morning who was doing the Ultimate Coast to Coast (Key West Florida to Deadhorse Alaska in 30 days) IBA ride. Amazing fellow, must have an rear end of steel to ride that. I'd have never met him had I not been wearing my gear.
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Aug 16, 2009 07:44
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Taelrin posted:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo Or this guy.
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Aug 16, 2009 17:48
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Taelrin posted:1. That old guy. You know the one. Riding the full dress Harley or the Goldwing. He rides the same road over and over, knows it better than anyone. He loves to bait kids on sportbikes. I followed one of these fine fellows on Highway 21 in Idaho and it was all I could do to keep him within sight distance These guys own and I with there were more of them
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Aug 16, 2009 18:06
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My dad gives me old issues of Performance Bikes, and one article was talking about the Goldwing. The writer was refueling next to a sportbike rider, who was giving him crap about riding a big ol' bus. He agreed it was a bus, then complained that the tail pipes scrape the ground too soon when you wheelie it. The sportbike rider looked at the tail pipes, swallowed hard and walked away.
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Aug 16, 2009 23:35
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1. Riding my loaded bike past a small town's motorcycle convention in 10C weather during a thunderstorm after being on the bike for 12 hours and everyone stops what they are doing and gives me a big wave and the guy on the loudspeaker says something in French that I don't understand. 2. Getting directions to better riding routes from fellow bikers at gas stops. 3. On ramps. 4. Making mental lists of what to bring on a long trip over and over in the weeks before leaving. 5. Seeing old cruiser guys who only wave at other cruisers hesitate to wave at me because I'm wearing full gear and a full-face helmet. This is only my first season of riding. Next season I plan to add: 6. Riding an enduro around random bush roads and trails and being completely alone in the middle of nowhere. 7. Riding a bike with foreign plates because I've left my country.
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Aug 17, 2009 01:53
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Mr. DNA posted:5. Seeing old cruiser guys who only wave at other cruisers hesitate to wave at me because I'm wearing full gear and a full-face helmet. Seriously, what's with the cruiser riders? A good 50% never wave back. Scooters, sportbikers, dualsports everyone waves back except for the cruisers.
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Aug 17, 2009 01:57
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lostleaf posted:Seriously, what's with the cruiser riders? A good 50% never wave back. Scooters, sportbikers, dualsports everyone waves back except for the cruisers. I was always under the impression that this happens no matter what you ride. I just mentioned it because I'm on a cruiser and they get confused by my gear.
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Aug 17, 2009 01:59
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Mr. DNA posted:I was always under the impression that this happens no matter what you ride. I just mentioned it because I'm on a cruiser and they get confused by my gear. I get the same thing too. I've got a cruiser and wear my gear always. I've noticed that it is never the pilot that waves at me (if any cruiser riders do), it is always their passenger. No idea why.
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Aug 17, 2009 15:56
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Mr. DNA posted:5. Seeing old cruiser guys who only wave at other cruisers hesitate to wave at me because I'm wearing full gear and a full-face helmet. I had a dude on a new Harley roll up next to me at a stop a couple of summers ago on a blisteringly hot day. This was about a month after I wrecked the Yamaha and I was taking her out for a rebuild spin, all geared up in my scuffed leathers. So this dude rolls up next to me, short-pants, sandals, no shirt, little non-DOT skid lid and we make some small talk. Finally he asks, "Man, ain't you hot in all that poo poo?" I just smiled and turned the palms of my gloves to him so he could see the heels of my palms ground down and the scuffs all up the insides of my jacket sleeves. His eyes got all wide under his skid lid and I just smiled and said, "Yeah, I went home and hosed my wife later that night". Then the light turned and I pulled into my neighborhood. Some people...
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Aug 17, 2009 16:26
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BSAKat posted:I had a dude on a new Harley roll up next to me at a stop a couple of summers ago on a blisteringly hot day. This was about a month after I wrecked the Yamaha and I was taking her out for a rebuild spin, all geared up in my scuffed leathers. So this dude rolls up next to me, short-pants, sandals, no shirt, little non-DOT skid lid and we make some small talk. Finally he asks, "Man, ain't you hot in all that poo poo?" I just smiled and turned the palms of my gloves to him so he could see the heels of my palms ground down and the scuffs all up the insides of my jacket sleeves. His eyes got all wide under his skid lid and I just smiled and said, "Yeah, I went home and hosed my wife later that night". Then the light turned and I pulled into my neighborhood. Some people... thats kind of a weird thing to say to a stranger
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Aug 17, 2009 17:11
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BSAKat posted:I had a dude on a new Harley roll up next to me at a stop a couple of summers ago on a blisteringly hot day. This was about a month after I wrecked the Yamaha and I was taking her out for a rebuild spin, all geared up in my scuffed leathers. So this dude rolls up next to me, short-pants, sandals, no shirt, little non-DOT skid lid and we make some small talk. Finally he asks, "Man, ain't you hot in all that poo poo?" I just smiled and turned the palms of my gloves to him so he could see the heels of my palms ground down and the scuffs all up the insides of my jacket sleeves. His eyes got all wide under his skid lid and I just smiled and said, "Yeah, I went home and hosed my wife later that night". Then the light turned and I pulled into my neighborhood. Some people... You should probably replace those gloves
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Aug 17, 2009 21:22
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This thread makes me want a bike so bad, I wish i wasn't so broke.
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Aug 17, 2009 21:53
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whereismyshoe posted:This thread makes me want a bike so bad, I wish i wasn't so broke. It'll probably only make you want a bike even more To add content: 1. The subtle things you don't notice in a car: Smells, temperature, airborne moisture, etc. 2. Being the only motherfucker bike commuting mid December, in the pissing rain. 3. Leaning the bike into high-speed corners or even quick lane changes. 4. Clutchless upshifts 5. 2nd gear
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Aug 17, 2009 23:13
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redscare posted:You should probably replace those gloves I replaced them years ago. And as for being a weird thing to say to a stranger, it was either that or ruthlessly mock him for being a loving idiot for wearing only a pair of ratty cut-offs and generic TEVA styly sandals. Obviously, I was insinuating that my gear saved me from a night in the hospital.
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Aug 17, 2009 23:38
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Already did my list but I wanna add "riding by a sign that says 'twisty scenic road ahead for 3 miles' with a 40 mph cautionary sign below it". I said "gently caress yeah!" when I saw that. Of course 25mph for 20 miles would've been unbelievably more awesome, but you can't expect much for Michigan roads.
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Aug 17, 2009 23:57
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BSAKat posted:I replaced them years ago. And as for being a weird thing to say to a stranger, it was either that or ruthlessly mock him for being a loving idiot for wearing only a pair of ratty cut-offs and generic TEVA styly sandals. Obviously, I was insinuating that my gear saved me from a night in the hospital. Or you could just answer his question or maybe engage in polite small talk. Why is your only option being an rear end in a top hat or making weird comments about loving your wife?
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Aug 18, 2009 00:24
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1. Biker waves give me that warm fuzzy feeling 2. Cruising down the highway at dusk with the smell of freshly cut hay in the air 3. Rocking a twisty back road and meeting a fellow UJM rider in full gear doing the same thing you are, and loving it 4. Waving at kids and watching them smile 5. Having random people talk to you that wouldn't if you were driving a car
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Aug 18, 2009 00:34
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Smile posted:Or you could just answer his question or maybe engage in polite small talk. Why is your only option being an rear end in a top hat or making weird comments about loving your wife? What are the top 5 things you love about riding?
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Aug 18, 2009 00:46
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Smile posted:Or you could just answer his question or maybe engage in polite small talk. Why is your only option being an rear end in a top hat or making weird comments about loving your wife? I thought it was funny and made his point quite well.  His point (in case you missed it) was that wearing gear saves lives and he was fine from his crash.
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Aug 18, 2009 01:11
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Smile posted:Or you could just answer his question or maybe engage in polite small talk. Why is your only option being an rear end in a top hat or making weird comments about loving your wife? Because goons
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Aug 18, 2009 01:52
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whereismyshoe posted:This thread makes me want a bike so bad, I wish i wasn't so broke. I never rode when I was young, but I always thought bikes looked like fun. I eventually decided I was going to save up some money to try it out by signing up for the local Motorcycle Safety Foundation course http://www.msf-usa.org/. This gave me the opportunity to get a little instruction and a couple afternoons on a bike, and it was awesome. Definitely consider trying it out. In many states you can even get your motorcycle license through the MSF course, but regardless you will get to spend some time on a safe bike in a safe environment. It really is one of the best things I've ever done. There's nothing quite like a good ride on a motorcycle. For me, it's pretty much the most fun thing in the world. If you really can't afford it right away don't worry, just save a little bit up at a time. There's no age limit on bikes. You can do it next year or even a decade from now. I promise you...bikes will be even more fun in the future than they already are. tl:dr - sign up for the MSF course to get some time on a bike; you'll love it
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Aug 18, 2009 02:56
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Mechanism Eight posted:If you've never ridden and can find it cheap try getting a taster by signing up for an introductory bike lesson such as the MSF or CBT (in the UK) I plan on taking the MSF probably whenever I can, but right now $275 for a bike course isn't in the budget for me.
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Aug 18, 2009 03:26
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whereismyshoe posted:I plan on taking the MSF probably whenever I can, but right now $275 for a bike course isn't in the budget for me. This might be a blessing in disguise because once you take the course the desire for motorcycles turns from small gnawing feeling to full fledged obsession which expands into gear obsession. It's about to spread to track obsession soon. I'm still crying over my bank account  . I only stop crying when riding.
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Aug 18, 2009 03:31
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lostleaf posted:This might be a blessing in disguise because once you take the course the desire for motorcycles turns from small gnawing feeling to full fledged obsession which expands into gear obsession. It's about to spread to track obsession soon. I'm still crying over my bank account Bike's need to be subsidized Where's my Obamacycle? I would happily pay taxes for that. Edit: this is meant as a light hearted joke not a political declaration of war.
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Aug 18, 2009 03:40
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Aug 18, 2009 07:36
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1. Riding at night in a forest with other riders and seeing the headlights reflecting off of the leaves up on the branches. 2. Riding at 2AM in the city when it was 95+ degrees earlier in the day. 3. That kinda smug feeling you get when a new rider (squid or new harley guy is best) finds out that you've been riding for 20+ years. 4. The call of the wild you feel when a bunch of sportbikes with aftermarket pipes go hauling down the road. 5. The purest shiver down your spine when a Ducati drives between two city buildings.
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Aug 18, 2009 15:20
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blugu64 posted:What are the top 5 things you love about riding? since i was apparently sounding like a negative nancy: 1. even going to the grocery store is fun because you can accelerate around everywhere you go 2. riding a bike is relaxing and puts me in a better mood 3. the gas mileage is cool 4. dunno it's just fun 5. ?
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Aug 18, 2009 17:11
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1. Riding through a quiet city with sunset fading into night and feeling like I'm living Hang-On 2. Spotting a long hole in traffic two lanes over and actually having the size and energy necessary to get there 3. Ruining a mom's day by waving to her kids and revving the engine 4. Decently fitting motorcycle gear feels like home, especially in the dead of February when you haven't worn it in months 5. Honking down out of the mountains and feeling everything get warmer e: Honorable mention: guessing people's intentions in traffic and being proved right. Even better is when it manifests as spider-sense, you're not sure who's going to do something stupid but sure enough someone does and you're three steps ahead of them Phy fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Aug 18, 2009 |
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Aug 18, 2009 18:19
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Phy posted:e: Honorable mention: guessing people's intentions in traffic and being proved right. Even better is when it manifests as spider-sense, you're not sure who's going to do something stupid but sure enough someone does and you're three steps ahead of them Ha, I've picked this up too. I'm rarely surprised by drivers antics these days, even when I'm not the person driving.
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Aug 19, 2009 00:36
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1. Lane Splitting 2. Lane Splitting 3. Lane Splitting 4. Easy parking 5. Being next to a 100k+ car and having the kid in the car/sidewalk wave at you I know lane splitting is a hot topic but I would get so frustrated if I couldn't do it. (Legally, at least). Being able to scoot by that 2 mile backed up college traffic and all other traffic is awesome. Not talking about splitting at 80 mph on the freeway.
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Aug 19, 2009 01:42
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Christoff posted:Lane Splitting  Curse you Californians!To be fair, I think in most big cities with heavy heavy traffic you'll probably get away with it okay as long as you're not being a massive squid. Riding around NYC I think I went like an hour without ever NOT lane-splitting (6pm friday night traffic), and there seemed to be plenty of other people doing it as well. I just got told off by a cop in Portland for doing it. Was splitting through stopped traffic on the highway (accident up ahead) and ended up splitting right by a squad car. I yell "poo poo" to myself inside my helmet, and pull into the lane next to the cop. When I look over my shoulder at him, I see him with his arm outstretched wagging his finger at me. I wave gratefully and didn't split again that day.
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Aug 19, 2009 16:28
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I generally follow the lane splitting guidelines I heard before I started riding. I'll split in traffic that's traveling up to around 40-50 mph, but usually not more than that. And I won't go more than about 10-15 mph faster than the traffic around me, in fact usually much less unless its on the highway. I was passed by a couple guys yesterday on the 210 that were splitting when traffic was cruising along just fine at like 70.
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Aug 19, 2009 18:27
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Tsaven Nava posted:
I am fairly certain doing this in Boston would get you killed within a few minutes.
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Aug 19, 2009 18:32
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sirbeefalot posted:I generally follow the lane splitting guidelines I heard before I started riding. I'll split in traffic that's traveling up to around 40-50 mph, but usually not more than that. And I won't go more than about 10-15 mph faster than the traffic around me, in fact usually much less unless its on the highway. I was passed by a couple guys yesterday on the 210 that were splitting when traffic was cruising along just fine at like 70. If you think about it logically, while there's a huge increase in travel speed if you're splitting at 15mph through stopped traffic, you get some pretty serious diminishing returns when you're splitting at 55 through 40mph traffic, in exchange for a lot of additional risk.
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Aug 19, 2009 18:37
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Myrddin Emrys posted:I am fairly certain doing this in Boston would get you killed within a few minutes. I'm more referring to the legality of it, not the personal danger to yourself from doing it.
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Aug 19, 2009 19:18
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Z3n posted:If you think about it logically, while there's a huge increase in travel speed if you're splitting at 15mph through stopped traffic, you get some pretty serious diminishing returns when you're splitting at 55 through 40mph traffic, in exchange for a lot of additional risk. Definitely. Most of the time I'll just fall in line whenever traffic moves again, but sometimes I just get impatient. 
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Aug 19, 2009 19:25
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Tsaven Nava posted:I'm more referring to the legality of it, not the personal danger to yourself from doing it. Ahh, I took you literally.
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Aug 19, 2009 22:09
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