It Was Prettier Than Mine


B

buzzbomb

Senior Member
Elite Member
So. My day off. Had an errand in town. Took the backroads all the way. I reminded myself that I can still hang off and lean turns. The Dragon kind of scared me out it. It was good to hang off again.

Anyway, I'm at a gas station, grabbing some beer, and I pull up next to a copper and black Gixxer. I think it had "750" on the side. Didn't know they made one.

Regardless, it was sharp, it was bright, it was stretched. In short, it was beautiful. My wondrous Tora Tanshi looked so worn and tired next to that beast of a machine.

Bwaaahhh Haaaa Haaa! That poor guy can't hardly take a right turn and stay in his lane! That bike doesn't leave his freakin' garage unless the weather is gorgeous.

All the miles, all the twisties, all the left and right and back again. All the riding in all weather. All the joy, all the love of riding. He doesn't get to enjoy any of it.

He's got a pretty bike and it looks pretty. That pretty much covers what he's spent so much money and time on. I've got a pretty bike that I RIDE!

A moment of silence, please for those less fortunate than us. Those that ride a bike just because they think they look cool. Maybe they do look cool. Maybe their bike is really pretty.

I felt sorry for that guy. I couldn't even invite him to run my twisties with me. Even if he wanted to, his bike couldn't do it. Not stretched the way it was. He would have been like an anchor, always holding us back.

Sad.
 
B

Brock Kickass

New Member
Head down to the bar/nightlife neighbourhood on a nice Saturday night in the summer and you'll see plenty of guys in a) designer jeans and slightly too tight tshirts, or b) pristine riding gear, cleaner than mine was when the UPS guy dropped it off at my door. They're all hanging around, leaning on sport bikes that would be a blast to take out and flog. They have slip on exhausts, and all of the requisite mods, and they're showroom-clean. They're usually on OE tires, barely worn, even on the 2 and 3 year old bikes. You will see them again in the exact same place the next time you are there.

Head to the street with the expensive restaurants and you're bound to see 3 or 4 HD Sportsters sharing a parking spot. Keep your eyes open for the group (often 2 couples) of middle aged affluent white people who belong to them. They can be identified by their well groomed silver hair, and their crisp, clean attire. Almost everything they are wearing will say Harley Davidson on it somewhere. You will see them again the next time you get dragged antiquing on Mother's Day. They'll be out for brunch.

And then some of us ride. On the way out of town, in the parking lot of some fleabag motel, you'll see a cluster of sport bikes covered in road grime and bug guts. Head in the the bar and you'll see a group of people with helmet hair and sweat stains on their tshirts, usually wearing their leather one-piece at half mast because they didn't have room in their tank bag for a pair of jeans. They'll be sharing a pitcher of beer and intently studying a map, deciding where to head off to at some sickeningly early hour. You'll see them again, but never in the same place. They will be scarfing a box of chips by the roadside, filling up with fuel, passing you when you are driving your family to the cottage. They only stop when they need to.

We all ride for different reasons. The guys in the first group probably get more chicks than I do, but I'm married anyway. I finished chasing girls in college. Now I chase apexes. I show my bike now and then because I'm proud if how I have made it look, but I ride to ride. My tires wear to the edges and there are usually bugs on my headlight. My riding gear smells evil and my gloves are softer than my newborn son's bottom. And I love it!
 
Last edited:
D

Daemonich

New Member
jacobdahl said:
Head down to the bar/nightlife neighbourhood on a nice Saturday night in the summer and you'll see plenty of guys in a) designer jeans and slightly too tight tshirts, or b) pristine riding gear, cleaner than mine was when the UPS guy dropped it off at my door. They're all hanging around, leaning on sport bikes that would be a blast to take out and flog. They have slip on exhausts, and all of the requisite mods, and they're showroom-clean. They're usually on OE tires, barely worn, even on the 2 and 3 year old bikes. You will see them again in the exact same place the next time you are there.

Head to the street with the expensive restaurants and you're bound to see 3 or 4 HD Sportsters sharing a parking spot. Keep your eyes open for the group (often 2 couples) of middle aged affluent white people who belong to them. They can be identified by their well groomed silver hair, and their crisp, clean attire. Almost everything they are wearing will say Harley Davidson on it somewhere. You will see them again the next time you get dragged antiquing on Mother's Day. They'll be out for brunch.

And then some of us ride. On the way out of town, in the parking lot of some fleabag motel, you'll see a cluster of sport bikes covered in road grime and bug guts. Head in the the bar and you'll see a group of people with helmet hair and sweat stains on their tshirts, usually wearing their leather one-piece at half mast because they didn't have room in their tank bag for a pair of jeans. They'll be sharing a pitcher of beer and intently studying a map, deciding where to head off to at some sickeningly early hour. You'll see them again, but never in the same place. They will be scarfing a box of chips by the roadside, filling up with fuel, passing you when you are driving your family to the cottage. They only stop when they need to.

We all ride for different reasons. The guys in the first group probably get more chicks than I do, but I'm married anyway. I finished chasing girls in college. Now I chase apexes. I show my bike now and then because I'm proud if how I have made it look, but I ride to ride. My tires wear to the edges and there are usually bugs on my headlight. My riding gear smells evil and my gloves are softer than my newborn son's bottom. And I love it!
Click to expand...
This... was beautiful
:steve:
 
C

cezell09

New Member
jacobdahl said:
Head down to the bar/nightlife neighbourhood on a nice Saturday night in the summer and you'll see plenty of guys in a) designer jeans and slightly too tight tshirts, or b) pristine riding gear, cleaner than mine was when the UPS guy dropped it off at my door. They're all hanging around, leaning on sport bikes that would be a blast to take out and flog. They have slip on exhausts, and all of the requisite mods, and they're showroom-clean. They're usually on OE tires, barely worn, even on the 2 and 3 year old bikes. You will see them again in the exact same place the next time you are there.

Head to the street with the expensive restaurants and you're bound to see 3 or 4 HD Sportsters sharing a parking spot. Keep your eyes open for the group (often 2 couples) of middle aged affluent white people who belong to them. They can be identified by their well groomed silver hair, and their crisp, clean attire. Almost everything they are wearing will say Harley Davidson on it somewhere. You will see them again the next time you get dragged antiquing on Mother's Day. They'll be out for brunch.

And then some of us ride. On the way out of town, in the parking lot of some fleabag motel, you'll see a cluster of sport bikes covered in road grime and bug guts. Head in the the bar and you'll see a group of people with helmet hair and sweat stains on their tshirts, usually wearing their leather one-piece at half mast because they didn't have room in their tank bag for a pair of jeans. They'll be sharing a pitcher of beer and intently studying a map, deciding where to head off to at some sickeningly early hour. You'll see them again, but never in the same place. They will be scarfing a box of chips by the roadside, filling up with fuel, passing you when you are driving your family to the cottage. They only stop when they need to.

We all ride for different reasons. The guys in the first group probably get more chicks than I do, but I'm married anyway. I finished chasing girls in college. Now I chase apexes. I show my bike now and then because I'm proud if how I have made it look, but I ride to ride. My tires wear to the edges and there are usually bugs on my headlight. My riding gear smells evil and my gloves are softer than my newborn son's bottom. And I love it!
Click to expand...
That was beautiful. :wav:
 
D

Daemonich

New Member
linkgt

linkgt

Member
bloodypulp said:
Get a room please
Click to expand...


Lamo...

On another note, anyone have any recommendations on what to read or Youtube vids to help them with body positioning or "knee drag" on corners? So far, i've started reading "total control" and I like it so far, but I haven't gotten to the chapter on body positioning yet. I also have twist of the wrist II dvd but I havent gotten a chance to watch that yet.

Been riding for 2 years now and I have improved greatly. I take corners a lot faster than probably every sport bike I've encountered. OP is right in the fact that most of these guys just get bikes for the cool factor...
 
C

cezell09

New Member
linkgt said:
Lamo...

On another note, anyone have any recommendations on what to read or Youtube vids to help them with body positioning or "knee drag" on corners? So far, i've started reading "total control" and I like it so far, but I haven't gotten to the chapter on body positioning yet. I also have twist of the wrist II dvd but I havent gotten a chance to watch that yet.

Been riding for 2 years now and I have improved greatly. I take corners a lot faster than probably every sport bike I've encountered. OP is right in the fact that most of these guys just get bikes for the cool factor...
Click to expand...
Definitely go ahead and pop twist of the wrist in the DVD player. That helped me tremendously and I still watch it again from time to time and learn new things that I didn't retain before.
 
I

Invader Jim

New Member
buzzbomb said:
He's got a pretty bike and it looks pretty. That pretty much covers what he's spent so much money and time on. I've got a pretty bike that I RIDE!
Click to expand...
The day I care more about how my bike looks than how I feel when I ride will be the day I quit riding. :thumbup:
 
D

Detrich

New Member
MCN has 3 really good videos on YouTube. One is how to get ur knee down. One is proper body positioning on cornering. And one is intro to wheelies. Just search on YouTube for MCN I guess
 
linkgt

linkgt

Member
cezell09 said:
Definitely go ahead and pop twist of the wrist in the DVD player. That helped me tremendously and I still watch it again from time to time and learn new things that I didn't retain before.
Click to expand...
Detrich said:
MCN has 3 really good videos on YouTube. One is how to get ur knee down. One is proper body positioning on cornering. And one is intro to wheelies. Just search on YouTube for MCN I guess
Click to expand...
Will do this weekend. Thanks guys! :google:
 
S

Scott_Thomas

Insert title Here
Elite Member
R

RoadTrip

New Member
linkgt said:
Lamo...

On another note, anyone have any recommendations on what to read or Youtube vids to help them with body positioning or "knee drag" on corners? So far, i've started reading "total control" and I like it so far, but I haven't gotten to the chapter on body positioning yet. I also have twist of the wrist II dvd but I havent gotten a chance to watch that yet.

Been riding for 2 years now and I have improved greatly. I take corners a lot faster than probably every sport bike I've encountered. OP is right in the fact that most of these guys just get bikes for the cool factor...
Click to expand...
I really liked Keith Code's recent article in Motorcyclist magazine:

Good Sport-Cornering Form - Motorcyclist Magazine
 
S

SpawnXX

Premium Member
buzzbomb said:
So. My day off. Had an errand in town. Took the backroads all the way. I reminded myself that I can still hang off and lean turns. The Dragon kind of scared me out it. It was good to hang off again.

Anyway, I'm at a gas station, grabbing some beer, and I pull up next to a copper and black Gixxer. I think it had "750" on the side. Didn't know they made one.

Regardless, it was sharp, it was bright, it was stretched. In short, it was beautiful. My wondrous Tora Tanshi looked so worn and tired next to that beast of a machine.

Bwaaahhh Haaaa Haaa! That poor guy can't hardly take a right turn and stay in his lane! That bike doesn't leave his freakin' garage unless the weather is gorgeous.

All the miles, all the twisties, all the left and right and back again. All the riding in all weather. All the joy, all the love of riding. He doesn't get to enjoy any of it.

He's got a pretty bike and it looks pretty. That pretty much covers what he's spent so much money and time on. I've got a pretty bike that I RIDE!

A moment of silence, please for those less fortunate than us. Those that ride a bike just because they think they look cool. Maybe they do look cool. Maybe their bike is really pretty.

I felt sorry for that guy. I couldn't even invite him to run my twisties with me. Even if he wanted to, his bike couldn't do it. Not stretched the way it was. He would have been like an anchor, always holding us back.

Sad.
Click to expand...
Stretched bikes really aren't meant for twisties anyhow Buzz, or even turning for that matter 8P
 
Last edited:

F

Fenixgoon

New Member
linkgt said:
Lamo...

On another note, anyone have any recommendations on what to read or Youtube vids to help them with body positioning or "knee drag" on corners? So far, i've started reading "total control" and I like it so far, but I haven't gotten to the chapter on body positioning yet. I also have twist of the wrist II dvd but I havent gotten a chance to watch that yet.

Been riding for 2 years now and I have improved greatly. I take corners a lot faster than probably every sport bike I've encountered. OP is right in the fact that most of these guys just get bikes for the cool factor...
Click to expand...
just a note that dragging a knee is actually just for indication purposes. it's to let you know how far leaned off and over the bike you are.

the guys at my NESBA track day told me "yeah the first few times you love dragging because you've never done it before. then you realize how expensive it is to replace pucks" :)
 

You must log in or register to reply here.


Top