[Garym262]

I ride fast. I ride with my eyes closed and hands straight up in the air. I go by girls and stare at them as I pass by. I read billboards and look at street addresses. I split lanes the hard way..between the cars coming at me and the ones to slow to get out of my way. I ride the way I saw a guy in a movie ride...Like a madman. No-one is ever going to change me. No matter how hard they try. It just can't be done.
As I look down among the living and see the guys who ride just like me, I wonder which of them are going to be riding along side me tomorow. :scoot:

 

[jxpfeer]

gary,
as much as i talk about safe riding, and say how "dont' do this and don't do that" i still do messed up stuff sometimes... i try to avoid it, but sometimes i don't..

i stare off the side of the road, i rip up city streets at high rates of speed... i throttle it to make a red light... i definitely don't obey speed limits when there are twisties...

but, when my brain is working, and not feeding off my adrenaline, i'm a safe rider (which is most of the time)... we all F up sometimes

 

[Badtz Maru]

Good post Gary, gives you something to think about. I am like Jay though I just cant help letting her rip sometimes. By the way, cool avatar!!

 

[Peggrinder]

 

[Bluto]

I think I follow 99% of the speed-limits in and around town . My biggest "fault" , is when I'm out on some back road , and seem to be the only human for miles , I start to look at the scenery to much . I kind of have an eye on the road but , kind of don't at the same time . I don't go very fast when I'm doing this , maybe 40 or so . I just get so caught up in mother nature that I "become" part of it all . It's such an "all inveloped" feeling . Me , my bike , and nature . It's far better than any "high" you'll ever experience .

 

[TVil]

Bad habits die young, so do their riders

 

[Barry_Sherwood]

Safe Riding

I ride as safe as I can till I screw up! :shock: Nothing like that sinking feeling when you see the ground getting closer and closer.

 

[TheBruise]

I'm still too paranoid to do too much in the crazy dept.. Maybe one I get a few thousand more miles on the Vol... then again I'd like to get a whole lot more than a few thousand on it!!

 

[Hambone]

Good Gary I think part of the bike thing is being on the Edge sometime
and being to tell about it later.

 

[billy barty]

Gary,
I couldn't tell a wrench from a hacksaw, but I have finally found an area in which you and I share common ground. I ride in EXACTLY the same fashion as you. I've made repeated attempts to change my crazy style, but alas, it is never to be.

Some rock&roller once said: "It is better to burn-out, than to fade away"
I'm inclined to agree with him...

 

[jxpfeer]

Bad habits die young, so do their riders

very true. very true.

 

[Push]

I am way guilty of running wide open at times mainly cause I can and mainly cause I am real used to it. As for splittng lanes it only takes one ass hole to open a car door an you are gonna try to take a dirt nap. I gave up jumping my bike at a tender age of 15 when I realize that after going down you can truely go down. I still like to put my feet on the handlebars and lay back a little take curves with no hands.. the easy stuff.

 

[Garym262]

I haven't poked my head in here in while and thought about what Push was saying.
I found on this bike I very seldom take both hands off the bars for any length of time. Feet on the bars? Not on this one. Stand on the seat? Not yet. I am guilty of riding with one hand all the time, no hands for short periods, but still feel that the width of the bike is very intimidating as a stunt bike. There aren't too many roads out this way to be doing crazy stuff on it anyways.
I am guilty of speed and cornering fast as well as the next guy. I try to keep it to a reasonable speed though. I couldn't bear to watch this bike tumble down the road with me along side of it. It's happened to me with several dirt bikes and such machines. I've been down twice on pavement and there is no other feeling in the world like it. Helplessness is the only way to put it. It doesn't grab like dirt or feel like dirt and I don't want to conjour up any old feelings like those.
What I'm saying is that there's a time and a place for everything. Choose it wisely and be carefull while doing it. That's the bottom line. :wink:

 

[skiertodd]

Gary...Geat first post! I havent checked this area out before. Some interesting riding styles. Me, I ride like a grand ma. I want to keep this bike for a while.

 

[Studly]

I'm with Skiertodd, I ride like an old man. I'm still pretty much a newbie but I don't have the desire to do the wild riding. I got all the crazy shit out of my system years ago with fast cars. This is more of a pleasure toy for me now. I ride the speed limit and enjoy my surroundings. For me it's about getting there and back in one piece so I can ride somewhere else to enjoy tomorrow.

 

[Bluto]

That sounds like a good plan ......

BUT , I did get crazy once or twice this past year .

 

[DawnPatrol]

Gary,

It was great meeting you last Sunday morning. The short time we rode together down Main Street in Willi Rico was a blast. Those open pipes you and Mike run really sound great! As you saw, I'm not much of a hot dog on a two wheeler, yet I still get my ass in a jam occasionally.

After we split up, I headed out to Plainfield to check out how my sheepskin seat covers were coming along. The ride out on RT14 was great. The ride home on RT 12 was something else.

I was going about 10 over coming into Jewett City. Suddenly, somebody's elderly grandmother decided to cut out in front of me from a road on my left. I thought I bought it! It was close. What save my butt was hard braking and countersteering. By the time I got it reeled in, I was straight up, nearly stopped, about an inch from her rear bumper.

Believe it or not, she didn't even know I was there!

I overcame the impulse to rudely warn her of my presence and just backed off.

I was caught up in the moment. I've ridden that road many times and know when to back off. This time, I didn't, and almost paid the price.
I chalked this up as my first "incident" this year. But, I also learned from it.

Your post says a lot. I hope folks hear it.

Ron

 

[Studly]

Good job Ron! That's the kind of story I like to read - accident avoided! 8)
How long have you been riding? I'm pretty much a newbie myself. Started back last March and so far I havn't had any real close calls. Hope it stays like that too!

 

[Studly]

That sounds like a good plan ......

BUT , I did get crazy once or twice this past year .

What! A quiet conservative guy like you got crazy! :shock: I'm shocked! :wink:

 

[DawnPatrol]

Good job Ron! That's the kind of story I like to read - accident avoided!
How long have you been riding? I'm pretty much a newbie myself. Started back last March and so far I havn't had any real close calls. Hope it stays like that too!

My first ride was a '67 CB160 (new) then in order:

1964 Sportster H (used)

CB750 (new, first one shipped)

6 month lay off (scared the shit out of myself on the Honda 4)

Suzuki 500 Titan (used)

850 MotoGuzzi Elderado (used)

1 year lay off (financial)

CB500-4 Honda (used)

750 Yamaha Virago (used)

2 year lay off (financial)

CB400 Honda Twin (prestine used)

R75 BMW (basket case)

1 year layoff (got bored with riding)

CB400 Honda Twin (bought the same bike back, not so prestine condition)

10 year layoff (maximum stupidity)

'02 Blue and Black Volusia (came to my senses)

I love riding. I guess I just needed the right bike to make it fun again!

I've had a few close calls and have been down hard three times (road conditions and not paying attention). I've seen my right kneecap twice and my left kneecap once (I ride with engine guards now) and have been knocked out once. Nothing serious, but these stupid little accidents kept me off the bike for a few months at a time when I really enjoyed riding.

The best advice I could pass along to you is: "Be Aware of Traffic Conditions AND Road Conditions. Practice accident avoidence techniques at the begining of each riding season and once a month after that. Just pick out an empty parking lot and go play for an hour or so. If you can, bring a buddy who can critique your technique.

Safe Travels!

Ron