It's all about size...

[MustGoFaster]

So I stopped to grab a Redbull and a couple of brews fer tonight at a local gas station. I walk out to my bike and there's a kid who looks about 18ish walking up to the doorway. He says nice bike as he's walking by, then stops and starts asking questions as he's interested in maybe getting a bike.

First question out of his mouth, and this happens at work a lot too, "What engine size ya got?"

We then go on to have an amiable conversation. I mention MSF courses, he mentions his friend teaching him to ride on a liter bike. He claims his friends advice when he got on was, "Just give it gas and pop the clutch, bra!"

The kid wheelied it, fell off, and the bike flew forward and hit the wall.

Ah, stupids trying to teach. Anyways, I found it amusing that nearly every conversation that starts when someone walks up is about engine size, not, "Hey, you any good at riding??? Take on any cool twisties lately???" Like speed is that big a deal on the street.

Anywho, just a story I'd thought I'd share.

 

[wtnotch]

How fast will that thing go ?

Russ

 

[JT]

So I stopped to grab a Redbull and a couple of brews fer tonight at a local gas station. I walk out to my bike and there's a kid who looks about 18ish walking up to the doorway. He says nice bike as he's walking by, then stops and starts asking questions as he's interested in maybe getting a bike.

First question out of his mouth, and this happens at work a lot too, "What engine size ya got?"

We then go on to have an amiable conversation. I mention MSF courses, he mentions his friend teaching him to ride on a liter bike. He claims his friends advice when he got on was, "Just give it gas and pop the clutch, bra!"

The kid wheelied it, fell off, and the bike flew forward and hit the wall.

Ah, stupids trying to teach. Anyways, I found it amusing that nearly every conversation that starts when someone walks up is about engine size, not, "Hey, you any good at riding??? Take on any cool twisties lately???" Like speed is that big a deal on the street.

Anywho, just a story I'd thought I'd share.

same here.

first words out of there mouth: Nice bike!

Second set of words: what size is it?

I dont think that will ever change

 

[6R Blackout]

it's unfortunate cause that kid will probably end up as a statistic and not level headed responsible rider! thanks for sharing that story cause it makes you think.

 

[buzzbomb]

I get that a lot. "Hot looking bike, how fast will it go?" My usual answer is "Faster than I wanna go!" Truth be told, how fast do we need to go? 130 mph top end. Zero to sixty in about four seconds. That's super car speed. That's top end Lamborghini or Ferrari type acceleration.

The litre bikes shave that acceleration off, by a second. A friggin' second. The look on my face when I get that question must be pretty priceless. The raised eyebrow with a slightly off center, ironic smile.

Yep, it's ONLY 130mph top end, which you'll get to, WOT way quicker than you'd think was possible. And yep, it only out accelerates nearly any four wheeled vehicle ever created. Oh, and it does it while being totally awesome, in any situation.

Yep, the raised eyebrow and the ironic smile. Sort of says it all, for me. To the guy who asked the question? I feel pretty safe in saying that he has absolutely no clue whatsover, concerning the question he just asked.

 

[Detrich]

Kids have no fear at all... If they learned to respect the machine & the dangers of riding first, then they wouldn't be learning to pop wheelies into parking lot walls. LOL

Oh well.

 

[meganiimarie]

It will go faster than 130 mph, but I do agree that there are rarely situations where that is appropriate.

Yep, it's ONLY 130mph top end, which you'll get to...

 

[RooKie]

LOL... funny thing is I used to ask the same questions to any motorcycle rider before I started riding. Now I can tell 90% of the time just by looking what engine size a SS bike is and how fast they usually go... so my questions are more along the lines of "so how long you been riding? What other bikes have you had? How do you like your SS?"... but these are all questions that I guess come with being a regular on two wheels.

 

[Deathdiesel]

Had a guy at a gas station talk to me today. Said " thats a 600 right?" not hey nice bike, nothing, then proceeded to tell me how he had a hayabusa, laid it down hard with only a helmet and gloves...proceeded to show me scars of the rash, one a lil too high up the leg for my preference. Which I told him was the reasoning for my going ATGATT, and yet he told me it wont save me...I know it may not save my life, but I wouldnt have road rash scars now would I?

Also I find it amusing how easy it is to just cruise at 85-90 on this bike(straight deserted highways). Cant imagine a liter SS.

 

[MustGoFaster]

Had a guy at a gas station talk to me today. Said " thats a 600 right?" not hey nice bike, nothing, then proceeded to tell me how he had a hayabusa, laid it down hard with only a helmet and gloves...proceeded to show me scars of the rash, one a lil too high up the leg for my preference. Which I told him was the reasoning for my going ATGATT, and yet he told me it wont save me...I know it may not save my life, but I wouldnt have road rash scars now would I?

Also I find it amusing how easy it is to just cruise at 85-90 on this bike(straight deserted highways). Cant imagine a liter SS.

I swear, some people ride just to be posers. What an idiot. :disapprove:

 

[MNGreg]

I get that a lot. "Hot looking bike, how fast will it go?" My usual answer is "Faster than I wanna go!" Truth be told, how fast do we need to go? 130 mph top end. Zero to sixty in about four seconds. That's super car speed. That's top end Lamborghini or Ferrari type acceleration.

The litre bikes shave that acceleration off, by a second. A friggin' second. The look on my face when I get that question must be pretty priceless. The raised eyebrow with a slightly off center, ironic smile.

Yep, it's ONLY 130mph top end, which you'll get to, WOT way quicker than you'd think was possible. And yep, it only out accelerates nearly any four wheeled vehicle ever created. Oh, and it does it while being totally awesome, in any situation.

Yep, the raised eyebrow and the ironic smile. Sort of says it all, for me. To the guy who asked the question? I feel pretty safe in saying that he has absolutely no clue whatsover, concerning the question he just asked.

I like this answer.. Its really ingenious! Nice thinking reply! LOL

 

[Michael Wilson]

When people ask me if my bike is fast I simply reply "how fast is fast"

 

[Nastybutler]

When I get the "how fast is it?" question, my stock answer is, "fast enough to get me in trouble if I let it."

 

[Brock Kickass]

How fast will that thing go ?

Russ

*shrug "Not as fast as it looks" used to be my standard answer. Now it's "I don't know" because there's nowhere safe to top out my bike.

 

[Lonewolf]

When I was a kid and wasn't yet riding, I asked the same like "how fast is it?", if I saw a nice motorcycle. But now where I ride myself the top end speed is not really interesting to me anymore, anything over 200 kp/h is enough...