another instance that proves fast...

[horsepwr]

Tweetis for the track. Not the public roads.

A friend of mine is wanting to get a bike. He's never rode street, so like a smart person, he's looking at getting a Ninja 250R. The new 2008 models are pretty cool. They look like a real sportbike and are perfect starter bikes.

Well, yesterday 4/24, he asked if I would meet him at the Kawasaki dealer to check them out. They had no 250R's and the owner said she can't keep them on the floor, just as I figured and heard. Those little things go like hot cakes. So he wanted to go to the Honda/Yamaha dealer. So, off we went. He in his Solara, me on my R6. We get to a stop light that has nothing but open highway ahead. The light goes green and just as I figured, he wanted to see the 6 run so he gassed his Toyota. I entertained him and twisted the throttle. Ran thru 1st to 3rd and got into forth gear and this baby blue Celica that was coming the opposite direction decided to do a u-turn. I let off the throttle and the Celica stopped in the median. So, I rolled back on the throttle and the Celica(u-turner), proceeds into my lanes. I'm well into forth gear at this time and seconds are split into thousandths. I grab the brake and quickly realize that there ain't no stopping at that speed and short distance getting shorter very rapidly. My mind ran thru a quick series of options, and hitting the broad side of that Celica wasn't one of them. One of the thoughts were, 'I hope to g-od he sees me and slams his brakes, or does a 3-point so I have more room in front of him', (I was in the right lane)...I had to try and squeeze in front of him because at that speed, there also ain't no cut a quick turn to the left and go around the back of the car. So I picked my line and again found myself hoping, this time it was, 'please don't gas it and whip on around', because he would hit me. My friend that saw the whole thing, said I must've made it passed the front bumper of that car by inches. He said that I was already a good 3-4ft off the asphalt to avoid the nose of the car. I just knew the back of my bike was about to swing out from him hitting it, but I made it passed him. The next obstacles; big ass, pindo palm trees, that need trimmed baddly. I narrowly missed 2 of them with my right shoulder and elbow, and even had to go between a palm boot that had fell on the ground 2 ft from one of the trees. So, amazingly, I've pulled it back onto the asphalt, still on 2 wheels, and I wish I'd have looked at the speedometer, because I'd say I was still on up there...probably around 80-90ish... and had just went a good 200ft on a very ruff, un-manicured shoulder...and my bike ain't no enduro. You can imagine what was going thru my mind right after all that. You'd think that 'absolutely pissed' would be the primary state of mind, but I would say that was the least. I was happy, proud, impressed. I felt d@mn skilled, but looking back at that blue celica kept a tinge of anger in mind as well.

So, we get up to the next red light. I'm turning around watching the Celica pull up behind me, and the guy is yelling out the window. I thought, 'I know he ain't...' I put the kickstand down and was going to drag him out of his window if he even thought he was pissed at me, but half way to his car I could hear him. He was apologizing with extreme sincerity. When I got to his car he said, "sir, I didn't even see you coming." The kid had to be 16-17 with his little friend in the car that looked about 13-14yrs old. Both of them had already puffed down about half their cigs. I just told him that he's gotta watch for us out there. He kept apologizing. I held up 2 fingers (peace), and went on.

High speeds are for controlled environments. If someone blocks your path at 45mph. No problem. You can stop a spotbike real short at that speed. Not to mention make serious cuts and sharp maneuvers to dodge things, but once you get up around 150, your options are slim. And I hope it goes without saying, but you never use your rear brake on a sportbike or you've just lost conrtol because the ass end is coming around. I just had to mention it because I've seen it happen, and heard about it more than too many times. It would've been another crash story if I had hit the rear brake as well yesterday because I would've lost control of the bike.

Safe riding and watch for the dum****es out there that don't watch for us. All it would've took was a glance to the right and that dipshyt would've seen me. I always ride with my high-beams on during the day too. Better visibility.

[Deno]

Tweetnice u and the bike is ok... kids ehh

[horsepwr]

Tweetyep, kids, inexperienced drivers, cell phones, and whatever else that makes people not think about driving is what we have to watch out for. It's like they're out to get us.

[Klash]

Tweetgawd d@mn... glad your o.k. bro.

[FUZO]

TweetYOUR A "SIR" THAT MEANS IN TEEN LANGUAGE= YOUR OLD,LOL

[FUZO]

TweetMY FIRST WEEK EVERYONE SAID TO WATCH OUT FOR OTHER DRIVERS WELL BEING ME I THOUGH EVERYONE EXADREATED-SP WELL I HAD A LADY WHO WASNT PAYING ATTNTION SWIRVE INTO MY LANE DIDNT SEE ME AND PUSHED ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.WELL AFTER I HAD A HEART ATTCK I CAUGHT UP TO HER AT A RED LIGHT AND JUST UNLEASHED THE DEMON OF SWEAR WORDS ON THIS LADY. HER WINDOW WAS UP AND SHE DIDNT EVEN LOOK MY WAY.

[horsepwr]

Tweet

MY FIRST WEEK EVERYONE SAID TO WATCH OUT FOR OTHER DRIVERS WELL BEING ME I THOUGH EVERYONE EXADREATED-SP WELL I HAD A LADY WHO WASNT PAYING ATTNTION SWIRVE INTO MY LANE DIDNT SEE ME AND PUSHED ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.WELL AFTER I HAD A HEART ATTCK I CAUGHT UP TO HER AT A RED LIGHT AND JUST UNLEASHED THE DEMON OF SWEAR WORDS ON THIS LADY. HER WINDOW WAS UP AND SHE DIDNT EVEN LOOK MY WAY.

yeah man, that's no exadreation. Allot of folks don't look for bikes. They're just focused on other cars. It's like we don't even register in their mind. The good thing is that bikes have gotten so trendy. Everybody's a biker now-days. That's a good thing because they're more motorcycle aware. Riders are also usually better drivers because riding a motorcycle makes you a better driver. You drive way ahead and are always on the defensive preparing for any situation.

I bet after that lady ran you off the road, you realized to never ride in a car's blind spot. Always get ahead of them, or fall back, so if they do some stupid shyt like that, you're not pushed into a sticky situation. You just can't prepare for everything though. Just a couple of weeks ago I had a full size Chevy truck do the same shyt. It's kind of another long story, but he runs up in the lane to the right of me that was a [right only] lane, and whips over in front of me which was a left only lane and I had no room, and the other lane to the left of me that was the other left only lane, was full of traffic. The light had just turned green. I had to grab a hand full of brake and almost come to a stop to give him room because he was coming on. He got all kinds of sign language when I got up beside him once we finished the left turn and were going down the highway. That muthafuker knew exactly what he did too. Diks like that are the worst. They know we have to do whatever we have to because it's no competition.

[CEP]

TweetYou know I feel this is with bikes, and fst cars. I have to watch out for idiot drivers everywhere I go. No matter if I'm on my Gxr 600 , or in my vette. It doesn't matter they will hit your a$$. And to rant about 8tennwheelers. Those sons of *****es think they own the hwy's.


I have had one come directly over on me, lucky for me there was the median to the left!! But there was another time I wasn't so lucky, and the fagot ran me off in the median, and my hood flew up, and busted my window in, and dented my front fender, and left me with one flat tire. And the sucky part of it all was. I had just left the body shop getting some custom paint work done.

The lucky part was I didnt have my seat belt on, and I had my top down. So I'm just glad nothing bad happen to me. I know he did that sheet on purpose. Seeing a hot rod car behind him, and he was doing about 65, an wouldn't speed up so I down shifted to 4th, and blew by him, and he waits till I'm about middle ways of his trailer, and jerks it over, not commonly moves over to the left but JERKS it!! What a real tool

Thanks,
ceppppp

[kite]

TweetGlad you're alright man! That kinda shyt gets my adrenaline through the roof!

[2-Swole]

Tweetyea glad ur okay bro...sounds like your a badass on the bike tho LOL and yep people who can't drive really piss me off too!!

[supasaiyan99]

TweetGlad you're alright! I'm thinking about getting one of those new Ninja 250Rs. 70mpg!!!

[Xadrenaline]

TweetHorse... I would love to have bottled that adrenaline to take a sip before every workout for a year!!! You'd get HUGE!
Wow... Nice job keeping your head together. That IS skill! I'm glad that you have that skill!!!
I used to ride a bike... it made me a btter driver. I pay attention WAY more now. I've had a few times where I wasn't paying enough attention and started into the lane of a bike. I always appologize...

Thanks for being on top of it... Glad you are here to tell us the story!

[horsepwr]

Tweetthanks for the replies...I'm still trying to get the scuffs from palm-frauns off my helmet.