Written by Frank Davis:

I know this subject has been talked about many times but I thought I'd share a great story about my ride yesterday.

I decided to ride the wife's 929 and was getting to one of my favorite sections of twisty, relatively-safe-to-go-fast-on roads when an SV650 riding two up made a deliberate effort to get in front of me from a side street. So I think under my helmet "well that was stupid if they think they are faster than me" (as the testasterone started to flow). The section of road we were on continues for another 5-6 miles. I'm not the fastest person but I'm not slow either and to say I was shocked at how they rode this bike is a massive understatement. Really unbelievable. I could have passed them down the straights although it would have been faster than I cared to go on this particular road as he must have been ringing the guts out of the SV. And what would the point have been?

We rode a little further and I followed them into a gas station so I could find out who these people were. Really great couple probably in their mid 50's. The pilot used to race in the late 70's to 80's (did some AMA stuff) and was just really good. He admitted that he wicked it up a bit to see if he could lose me and we rode a little more together at a slightly more relaxed pace. I was actually amazed though at how fast the SV was.

This is a classic example of the skill vs. horsepower thing and I think every rider can take this as a lesson, or reminder for us old folks, that it really is the brain/skill behind the clip-ons that counts.

OK, go ahead I'm ready for the jokes about being beat by an SV650 ridden by an old guy two up with his wife.

No flaming from me, I got my ass kicked way back in my crazy dirt bike days (16 I think) I was on my new KDX200 and got handed my tail :blackeye by a friend riding his wifes foo foo 125 Dirt/Street Yamaha (mostly street) He was an accomplised amateur Mx'er and I was just joe trail rider. I learned that lesson at an early stage in riding. Its good to be humble

[Stoneman]

Heh heh....I remember the first track day I did. My 900 & me got our asses handed to us by some chick on a race-prepped EX 500!!!

There was no 'fast group / slow group' at that first track day, and I remember that chick was fekkin' lappin' me left & right...

Turns out it was Shandra, and she went on that year to become the LRRS Rookie of the Year!!

I guess if you're gonna get your ass handed to ya, that's the way to do it.....