see ya later chicken strips!
06-04-2013, 11:10 AM
#1
Senior Member
Superstock
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MN
Posts: 325
see ya later chicken strips!
hey guys!!
i got to go on a awesome ride this weekend with a motorcycle group in the twin cities area called zero gravity. we did a 150 mile trip on saturday and let me tell you it was a blast.
there was a group of about 35 sport bikes ranging from 250's to a zx12 and only myself on the hawk and 1 aprilia falco representing the big twins. my brother on his new sv650 was there as it was supposed to be a ride for the beginners to get used to riding a little more aggressively and in a group.
there were about 15 guys that were quite experience...the "lead guy" had no intentions of hanging back and helping the new guys he was there just for fun. he rode a well equipped zx6 track bike that he really knew how to throw around.
after 30 miles of hanging back with my brother (his 1st season riding) i starting creeping up to the front of the group. i chased a new porsche carrera RS? through some nice twisties and man could that guy DRIVE! kicking up rocks like a B*!@* though...
we hit a nice road with no gravel and very new pavement that was about 4 miles of twisties and i was right behind the lead guy on his zx6 and boy was if fun chasing a little bike through the corners, this guy was a little faster than i was but i kept up for the most part. before the ride i had tiny 1/8th inch chicken strips on the rear and after the ride they are all gone and the edges of my tire are ripped up
it was an excellent time besides 1 motor blowing an 1 guy crashing that kind of put a damper on the day. the guy who crashed had a really built gsxr600 that he just got this year and didnt know the bike well enough. but he walked away with very little injury.. thank god
ill get pictures up whenever i can but man what a great ride
i got to go on a awesome ride this weekend with a motorcycle group in the twin cities area called zero gravity. we did a 150 mile trip on saturday and let me tell you it was a blast.
there was a group of about 35 sport bikes ranging from 250's to a zx12 and only myself on the hawk and 1 aprilia falco representing the big twins. my brother on his new sv650 was there as it was supposed to be a ride for the beginners to get used to riding a little more aggressively and in a group.
there were about 15 guys that were quite experience...the "lead guy" had no intentions of hanging back and helping the new guys he was there just for fun. he rode a well equipped zx6 track bike that he really knew how to throw around.
after 30 miles of hanging back with my brother (his 1st season riding) i starting creeping up to the front of the group. i chased a new porsche carrera RS? through some nice twisties and man could that guy DRIVE! kicking up rocks like a B*!@* though...
we hit a nice road with no gravel and very new pavement that was about 4 miles of twisties and i was right behind the lead guy on his zx6 and boy was if fun chasing a little bike through the corners, this guy was a little faster than i was but i kept up for the most part. before the ride i had tiny 1/8th inch chicken strips on the rear and after the ride they are all gone and the edges of my tire are ripped up
it was an excellent time besides 1 motor blowing an 1 guy crashing that kind of put a damper on the day. the guy who crashed had a really built gsxr600 that he just got this year and didnt know the bike well enough. but he walked away with very little injury.. thank god
ill get pictures up whenever i can but man what a great ride
06-04-2013, 12:28 PM
#2
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Posts: 1,689
Be careful on those group rides.
Don't watch the guy in front of you. Look at the road in front of him and in front of you. Better yet, let him go and watch the road in front of you.
Don't watch the guy in front of you. Look at the road in front of him and in front of you. Better yet, let him go and watch the road in front of you.
06-04-2013, 01:15 PM
#3
Senior Member
SuperSport
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nooksack WA
Posts: 834
Also, remember that you don't want to out brake the rider behind you in an emergency. I almost had that happen when I was on a sport bike and my buddy behind me with a Norton Commando. I didn't realize it until he described how close he came to my back end.
06-05-2013, 08:01 AM
#4
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SuperBike
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Posts: 1,689
the best, most memorable rides come from long periods of absolute focus. They stay in your mind forever.
Focusing on the guys back wheel in front of you is dangerous and far less enjoyable. Take that stuff to the track, where you can get the rhythm of the track, rather than on the road with unknown variables and obstacles.
Focusing on the guys back wheel in front of you is dangerous and far less enjoyable. Take that stuff to the track, where you can get the rhythm of the track, rather than on the road with unknown variables and obstacles.
06-05-2013, 08:25 AM
#5
Senior Member
SuperSport
SuperSport
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
Posts: 524
I see group rides as scary dangerous retarded... I barely trust one or two guys I know to ride safely with just the two of us... One of them introduced me to bikes and has been the owner of a red 98 Hawk since 97 and the other guy I taught how to ride two abreast... I avoid groups like the plague, personally.
Ride safe, bruddah...
Ride safe, bruddah...
Last edited by supermarto; 06-05-2013 at 08:33 AM.
06-05-2013, 11:28 AM
#6
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Back Marker
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Ottawa Ontario
Posts: 142
Sounds like you had a blast! I love group rides, pushes me to lean more each time.. the track was fun too but taking a course at the track was the best, your all on the same bike and the instructor is leading, all you have to do is follow. thats when you relize how much lean you can really get! at least on a track. my fear seems to kick in long before I reach the limit of the bike.. Fear keeps you alive! it's all good!!
Wish I was there!
Ps.. what are you running for tires?
Wish I was there!
Ps.. what are you running for tires?
06-05-2013, 12:21 PM
#7
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,033
I agree about group rides. I wont do them. There is a dynamic of losing focus on the other bikes as a danger and racing each other that makes crashing @ 10 times more likely than by yourself.
I get the kind of concentration & all that, but a group of bikes on the street is not a great place to do it, thats why there are racetracks. Sounds like you need a track day.
And like RCVTR said, your natural human circuitry will cause you to target fix. Even top level racers can be seen following a crashing bike right off the track.
Glad you had a good ride, go practice the skills by yourself before you forget them
I get the kind of concentration & all that, but a group of bikes on the street is not a great place to do it, thats why there are racetracks. Sounds like you need a track day.
And like RCVTR said, your natural human circuitry will cause you to target fix. Even top level racers can be seen following a crashing bike right off the track.
Glad you had a good ride, go practice the skills by yourself before you forget them
06-05-2013, 06:48 PM
#8
Moderator
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Gettysburg, Pa
Posts: 5,072
Of course I am a bit selective as to what group I ride with. I try to stay away from squids and if someone starts stunting, I'm gone.
06-05-2013, 09:29 PM
#10
Senior Member
SuperSport
SuperSport
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
Posts: 524
What I think I was really saying was get a Road Glide Street King Bagger FLHXL uhh, Glide, and mount a 6'x10' American flag on the back if you're the parading type
I'd do Toys For Tots and HAVE done poker runs, but... They weren't giant packs of Rodney Race replicas pushing each other to go for more on public roads.
And let me further add, if the members of THIS forum wanted to group ride, I'd also do that in heartbeat. For the most part you guys (and Hawk owners in general) aren't the Fast & the Furious types and ride with maturity, I'd reckon... So yeah. That's a compliment to you all.
I'd do Toys For Tots and HAVE done poker runs, but... They weren't giant packs of Rodney Race replicas pushing each other to go for more on public roads.
And let me further add, if the members of THIS forum wanted to group ride, I'd also do that in heartbeat. For the most part you guys (and Hawk owners in general) aren't the Fast & the Furious types and ride with maturity, I'd reckon... So yeah. That's a compliment to you all.
Last edited by supermarto; 06-05-2013 at 09:35 PM.
06-06-2013, 07:51 AM
#11
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,033
Marto yeah, parade type rides are slightly different. But for example, there is a charity parade lap of my home racetrack once a year.
The speed limit is 20mph, and there are STILL accidents. I quit doing it since I wanted to safely get to my races!
And yeah, you can do something for years, but that doesnt make it safe. Kinda like all the harley guys who wear no helmet or jacket and scoff at me in my full gear. "Been ridin 25yrs" they always say.
Everyone asseses risk in their own way. There a countless safety articles written about the increased risk of group rides.
But heck, here in the city, people get their risk/thrills out of running accross busy city streets (laughing as they do it). I wont do that either.
The speed limit is 20mph, and there are STILL accidents. I quit doing it since I wanted to safely get to my races!
And yeah, you can do something for years, but that doesnt make it safe. Kinda like all the harley guys who wear no helmet or jacket and scoff at me in my full gear. "Been ridin 25yrs" they always say.
Everyone asseses risk in their own way. There a countless safety articles written about the increased risk of group rides.
But heck, here in the city, people get their risk/thrills out of running accross busy city streets (laughing as they do it). I wont do that either.
06-06-2013, 08:06 AM
#12
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Posts: 1,689
Group rides are a lot of fun. I love the comeraderie with a group.
It's when someone posts about how he was keeping up with the fast guy and riding faster than he ever has and getting to the edge of the tire for the first time that raises a flag.
Group rides are best for riders with a lot of experience and/or a lot of self-control.
It's when someone posts about how he was keeping up with the fast guy and riding faster than he ever has and getting to the edge of the tire for the first time that raises a flag.
Group rides are best for riders with a lot of experience and/or a lot of self-control.
06-06-2013, 06:45 PM
#13
Member
Squid
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 44
I've done a few group rides, used to ride with a group called STLriders. It was a lot of fun, hanging out with a bunch of like minded riders, is great...some of our rides were really a lot of fun, but the emphasis that they kept instilling on me was to "ride your own ride".
This was a great relief for a semi-experienced rider (4-5 years riding), and absolutely novice sport bike rider, especially as the limits close in. I ended up riding on some of the slower paced rides with the guys, try to get advice from the well versed ones, and learn something along the way. The uber fast paced stuff didn't interest me nearly as much, it's the stuff I'd have felt ok about doing on a track, but the uncontrollable variables in street riding doesn't permit that level of confidence in the road conditions.
I can speak to it being rather fun, especially when you're severely banked over in a turn, looking as far through as possible, and happen to notice the lean angle of a biker you're following...then you realize just how "low" you are...that was one of my favorite motorcycling experiences, and I can only imagine how much more enjoyable it would have been on a race track where I wouldn't be looking for a dog standing on the side of the highway, or worrying about a car running wide coming the other direction.
This was a great relief for a semi-experienced rider (4-5 years riding), and absolutely novice sport bike rider, especially as the limits close in. I ended up riding on some of the slower paced rides with the guys, try to get advice from the well versed ones, and learn something along the way. The uber fast paced stuff didn't interest me nearly as much, it's the stuff I'd have felt ok about doing on a track, but the uncontrollable variables in street riding doesn't permit that level of confidence in the road conditions.
I can speak to it being rather fun, especially when you're severely banked over in a turn, looking as far through as possible, and happen to notice the lean angle of a biker you're following...then you realize just how "low" you are...that was one of my favorite motorcycling experiences, and I can only imagine how much more enjoyable it would have been on a race track where I wouldn't be looking for a dog standing on the side of the highway, or worrying about a car running wide coming the other direction.
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