New guy -- I heard of you guys from 1 of your own.

[Steve]

Hey everyone,

Just introducing myself. I thought I'd finally join the forum from hearing about it a few months ago. I grew up riding motocross, but am only 1 year (plus a few rides through the years) new to the street. I ride a Triumph Sprint ST ('03 955).

I heard about this forum from some dude on zx-6r in full race leathers and *German?* accent when I was riding through the Blue Hills reservation. I stopped to talk while he was having a smoke, and we rode through together. In the months since then I've ridden through with a few other sport bike riders (it's on my way home from work) and have found that everyone since then is a squid.

This guy was the only guy I met who could ride, except for one of the sales guys at South Shore Motorsports on a Gixxa, who was wearing a jacket and shorts! with his riding pants in his backpack... He was scaring the crap out of me because I could tell he was trying to keep up on a road he'd only been on a few times and it was getting dark--I was just picturing major road rash--but at least he wasn't slow like everyone else. In fairness on a road I was less familiar with we might have been the same pace. Everyone else on the other hand is in shorts, T-shirts, complete noob, one time I had to shut my bike off while waiting for 4 guys on sport bikes to come out the other side (only 3 miles). Don't get me wrong, I don't drag knees yet (pegs, occasionally, on a road I know well--the Sprint has hero blobs), but I've come to the point where it might be nice to occasionally ride with some guys who can ride, and even learn from some better riders. So that's why I'm here. Sorry for the long post.

[978chris]

Maybe you should go to some trackdays or something.

I don't know, dragging knees on the street seems more dangerous to me than wheelies, considering uncontrolled surfaces (vs. a track).

I'm sure you'll understand where I'm coming from if you spend some more time here.

Welcome!

[Wishbone]

Welcome to the show

I believe you are talking about Ned or nerijusj is his screen name

[Steve]

I already agree about the knee sliding. I agree it's mostly irrelevant to the street (although zx6r (ned?) was getting fairly close and he had pucks on). Although on this particular patch of road which I ride everyday I would feel semi-comfortable occasionally using it for learning technique. I was just trying to say I'm not a highly skilled rider and have more to learn.

[nerijusj]

Hey Steve, what's up?! Yeh, that was me in Blue Hills. Fasterthanu guessed it right! I'm surprised a bit, cause I only met him once on a group ride . Glad you joined the forum. Bunch of good people here and no squids . Check out "Rides & Events" section for group rides.
I remember you were fast on that Triumph Oh and thaks for good words, but I don't really think about myself as a very good/ very fast rider. I have my own pace on the street, which I feel is sometimes fast but safe. However I did my first trackday in September. Man was it fun! Then I had a chance to really open up my bike and see what it can do. Everything was going well, but at the end of a day I lowsided in on of the turns. I came out without a scratch. Bike has mostly cosmetic damage and is ridable. I'm just waiting for a couple parts right now, before I can go on any longer rides. If the weather holds up, we'll ride again sometime!

[nerijusj]

I agree, dragging knees on a street is not really a place to do that. Sometimes you can't help that and coming into a turn that you know well, it sometimes happens. But again, you gotta be aware of surroundings, traffic, road condition etc...I experienced the mishap at the track. Dragging knee and everything, nice pavement....I came into a turn too fast, let off throttle and tried to get more of the wieght of the seat resulting in too much weight transfer on front wheel and causing a lowside.

[Steve]

Hey Ned,
Good to hear from you again. Glad to hear that you and the bike are ok! It's been a good season, not over yet though. I'll look forward to riding with you again. If it sounded like I was describing you riding dangerously fast, it wasn't the case by any means. It was a good pace and you were standing the bike up with good body placement. Definitely not dangerously fast for those roads and safer than leaning the bike over farther than necessary. I learned some things from watching you. From what I know so far, there's a significant speed difference between getting your knee several inches and actual contact. So no worries about perceived recklessness out there.

I'm thinking I may be ready for a track day or two next season. Definitely the place to learn. Sounds like your bike is ridable, but not quite?

[nerijusj]

Yeh, definately do a track day. It's so much fun and a perfect place to learn! Even if you happen to crash, it's 100 times safer on a track. No guardrails or trees to hit, no cars to run you over etc..
My bike is ridable, but it's got some broken mounting tabs on front fairing. I fixed it up a bit until I get a new fairing, but zip ties don't work that well, lol.

[978chris]

I agree, dragging knees on a street is not really a place to do that. Sometimes you can't help that and coming into a turn that you know well, it sometimes happens. But again, you gotta be aware of surroundings, traffic, road condition etc...I experienced the mishap at the track. Dragging knee and everything, nice pavement....I came into a turn too fast, let off throttle and tried to get more of the wieght of the seat resulting in too much weight transfer on front wheel and causing a lowside.

I guess if you know a section of road really well that's one thing...

There's just a ton of crap up here on these roads with the winters and all... I'm not used to it.

ps - I woulda guessed you too and I've only been on 1 ride with you. Accent + cigarette =

[BigShel]

Ned, I have told you a hundred times, Stop meeting people at public reststops.I will not bail you out again.

[Wishbone]

Yeah the butts+636+Russian accent= although I had to look to see what your screen name was I figured there weren't to many riders on NESR with the same MO

[nerijusj]

Ned, I have told you a hundred times, Stop meeting people at public reststops.I will not bail you out again.

WTF?!

LMAO

[Jim]

so you guys ride from the north shore to go through Blue Hills? I didnt think it was that popular

[type911]

I went for a little cruise today over there. It was very nice. I was all alone though.

[nerijusj]

so you guys ride from the north shore to go through Blue Hills? I didnt think it was that popular

North shore!? I didn't think Somerville was part of north shore till now
Anyway, theres nothing else close to me to even try to lean the bike over. So sometimes after work, i'd hit the Blue Hills. Most of the time on weekend group rides I'd go to VT/NH twisties with much less traffic that we have here around the city.

[Jim]

that's cool, I just thought it was just a local thing. I've been wanting to take RT 2 down to North Adams, but my friends are still on their permits, and wont go that far with it getting dark out sooner.

[KillBill]

Welcome to NESR