First "real" ride of the season

[87gsxrnut]

Well, finally went riding with some of the locals here today. Know some guys down the street that always are out polishing their bikes. I decided to ask them if I could tag along. There were a lot of 2-up riders, so the pace was "allgedly slower" than usual.

Ride itself was fairly short, but I got introduced to some local twisty roads. Not bad if I do say so myself. I hung back during the first half of the ride. Mid-pack or so, to see how these guys rode. Everyone had on decent gear (a first really from what I have seen around here). Everyone seemed to ride within their limits from what I saw. A lot of "gas it like crazy" on the straights, and grabbing the brakes entering the corners, but nothing over the top.

I didn't even want to match their straight-line speed (120-130 mph+), but I usually caught up to everyone at the corners. Just steady Eddie on the gas and latebraking and smart down shifting allowed me to catch up to many of the guys. I picked off a couple when it was smart to do so.

I made one error and misjudged a corner, crossed the double yellow. Hate when that happens. Luckily, it wasn't a totally blind corner. That really made me focus more for the rest of the ride. No more errors either. I had a guy on an R1 tailing me for the first half of the ride. He would catch me in the straights (because I usually wasn't gassing it hard). In the beginning, he followed me through a few of the corners quite well. Then I got into "racer" mode slightly. Nope, he couldn't match my corner speed.

During the second-half of the ride, I was more relaxed and rode probably with the front 1/3rd of the group. I had more fun just hanging a bit, then outbraking the riders ahead of me into the corners. I was trying to find a real good spot to set up four of them for a pass, but it wasn't happening. So, I delighted myself knowing I could stuff any of them IF I WANTED TO. I really thought about it, but I have no idea if the rider would panic and either crash, or crash and take me out with him. Not a racetrack. No competition. No trophies. Not worth it.

Well, it was fun. We'll see if I go out with them again. Maybe in the future. I need to get new tires on the 1100 before I can feel more comfortable and trusting there. These are a couple of years old already, and I don't want to push them that hard.

FYI: Judging on the speeds and effort coming back, I was riding at MAYBE 60% of track speed. Really comfortable and not pushing it. I wasn't even really trying and was keeping up just fine. Not bad for a 19-year-old bike.

- Nut

[mikesvsix50]

Oldie but a goodie, eh...? Sounds like a fun cruise.

[Gixxerdale]

Sounds like a much needed day off! Glad to hear you're getting out and about on the bike.

I got stuck wrencing and cleaning. But I did get to watch the superbikes at Fontana today!

[KAOS]

Nice one!!! it is sweet to hear that the 1st gen GSXR's are still up there with the newer bikes.
i was riding the other day by myself. and i looked in my mirror. and saw a sports bike behind me. at 1st i wanted to gas it. but i thought of my experience with my bike and decided against it. so we come up on a straight away. and the guy decides to pass me in between me and on coming cars mind you. and half way of passing me. he pulls a wheelie and rides it for alil' bit. the bike was a ninja. couldn't see which model cc's.

oh, Nut i brake going into my turns. and while doing so i feel it isn't the right way to do it. so how should i enter/while in it/ and exit a turn?

[St0nkingByte]

It was gorgeous here today and all the very unprepared seasonal riders were out for their first ride of the year. I saw novelty helmets, t-shirts, sneakers, cowboy boots, dudes leaving stop lights with their feet hovering for the first 50 feet, if it was stupid it was out today.

All I got to do was ride to church and back, do highway on/off ramps count as twisties?

[87gsxrnut]

Nice one!!! it is sweet to hear that the 1st gen GSXR's are still up there with the newer bikes.

On the street they are anyway when set up right. It was my first time on that road, so I was taking it real easy. All the other guys have ridden it tons of times. I was really wanting to pass those four bikes. That would have been sweet. I might have been able to do it, but, eh, it ain't worth it. The HPs of the new bikes would have made it REAL hard to pull four of them at once. I was just practicing setting them up, but letting them go. KNOWING THAT I COULD HAVE was more fun than actually doing it.

I was having fun seeing that R1 WAY back there in the mirrors once I started getting my transitions in order and really setting up the turns correctly. Getting on the brakes late and the gas early. Still way below track speeds, but fun anyway. I would not gas it on purpose and let him catch up a bit. Then go for it through some corners. Baiting him a bit. He rode smart and didn't get in over his head. I gained some weight last winter, so that isn't really helping me moving around on the bike. Trying to lose it now though.

This is really the first time out on anything twisty since October at that track day with Janis. So, I was really watching it. Need some track time soon . . .

- Nut

[jaydog19833]

Originally Posted by KAOS

oh, Nut i brake going into my turns. and while doing so i feel it isn't the right way to do it. so how should i enter/while in it/ and exit a turn?

'Nut will elaborate.....but slow in fast out.

[87gsxrnut]

I recommend Getting some reading material. Twist of the Wrist Volume 1 and Sport Riding Techniques. You will need to reread both of these books several times to start to understand how to apply the basic fundamentals. Since I have never seen you ride, there isn't a whole lot I can tell you from here.

If we were at a racetrack, that would be different. the only advice I can give you is to GET THAT SUSPENSION set up CORRECTLY before attempting any kind of fast riding. My streetbike has a stock fork setup (albeit fresh fluid/seals) and a Fox shock on the rear. And believe me, I could really tell on the street yesterday. I should get some emulators and springs and get those forks done up right, like on my 750.

There were times I could feel the front coming loose a bit, and I wasn't even pushing it that hard.

- Nut

[Nexus242]

Originally Posted by 87gsxrnut

Well, finally went riding with some of the locals here today. Know some guys down the street that always are out polishing their bikes. I decided to ask them if I could tag along. There were a lot of 2-up riders, so the pace was "allgedly slower" than usual.

- Nut

Yeah I've been one of those 2-up "slower pace" rides. I got blown by doin 110 by this guy and his wife on a sliver FJR on this really wide open section of cruise. "Slower Pace" my arse!!!

[KAOS]

yes i do NEED to get some books. but then again i'm not a big fan of reading. but since it has to do with MC's then i'm sure it's all good!!hehe

[Gixxerdale]

My wife beats me if I dare ride slower when we are 2 up! I don't like being beat up so what's a guy to do but go faster! Gotta keep the wife happy!

One of my customers who is a retired pro racer has the opposite problem. In 25 years his wife still isn't big on riding. So when he starts railing the corners and she gets scared, she gets her message to slow the *uck down across real fast. SHE COVERS HIS EYES! momentarily!

[87gsxrnut]

Well, to be fair, most of the 2-up guys did ride slow, but there were a couple really railing out there!

Faster than I was wanting to go.

- Nut