How do you control your street riding limits??

[beet]

Originally posted by FireNutzRR
You haven't a clue as to who you are talking to. This ain't ODFU!

Wayne-o

you tell um wayne
stunods
i could never undestand how the track going 2 slow me down on the street

[R7]

Originally posted by sandman
80 in a 30 is the same on the tard, dirtbike or sportbike.

I've only been 80 or above on the tard a couple times and both were on the highway.
Most dirt and minimum maintenace roads have a 25-35mph speed limit around here (i've seen 50 posted on some dirt roads in Maine though) and you can keep it within 10-15mph over the limit and still have a load of fun, that's the point I was trying to make. It's a totally different riding style

Also there's nothing quite as fun as riding bumpy dirt roads at 30-40mph

[RandyO]

Mike... you have to go riding with the attidude you are relaxing and get your adrenalin rushes somwhere else, I know, easier for me to say up here in the stix, I don't have to contend with the traffic. dual sport & trail riding is fun too

[a13x]

HEH.

I ALWAYS laugh at those 'this is how much it costs to go racing' things people write. They just crack me up. You can get out there, run lots of races, have good gear, buy tires, and spend less than $6000 (including start up cost).

[WOTEugene]

"There's a time and a place". I'll go tearing ass through VT/NH twisties which are in the middle of nowhere. At least that illiminates the "car pulling out" risk, and if I eat it in a corner, well, that'll be my own stupid fault. I try not to ride balls-to-the-wall when I'm just commuting, because that's just asking for trouble & tickets. So, the moral of the story is, just be more selective about the roads where you choose to push it.

[MissTwisties]

How do I control my limits....easy...I got myself the 250....lol

[TTD]

Originally posted by Half Squid

BUT ? How do I keep myself in check and still ride the street??? Mentally I know I should take it down a notch, but cant control it....

Crash!

Seriously, my crashes (on the track) have made me realize just how crappy it feels to be off your bike... and still moving at 50mph!

And even if you have a nice low side at the track, keep in mind that same lowside that caused no problems at the track ... could have had you sliding under a truck/car... or getting cut in half by a guardrail or wire or tree.

So, I guess my answer is to go to a track day and crash hard... but live. That will slow you down on the street.




PS. I suggest NESBA's track day for this.

[Half Squid]

Oh sure you don't want me crashing at your track day....

I have been down twice and seem to get back out and go again.

The first time down was 12 hours after picking up my first bike off the show room floor. Locked up my rear tire in a corner out of in-experience over 8 years ago?

The other was down at Deals gap 2 years ago, I choose to go off road and try to save myself and not take out a few fellow riders in front of me that were parked in a corner... Managed to get the bike to 5mph, as soon as the front hit the gravel the front buckled under me. Minimal cosmetic damage to the bike, and no damage to me! Got up and rode away clean!

I preffer not to crash ever again, although I am sure it will happen eventually. I just hope I will be as lucky as I have with my previous get offs.

[TTD]

You need to crash harder.

Sounds like your crashes were positive reinforcement...

you need a good tumbling, ass over elbows, ring your bell, take a ride with the red flashing lights type of crash.

Come on!

Get out there and crash dammit!

I'm trying to save your life here.

[Half Squid]

Thanks for looking out for me Tony..

I'll be sure to crash on your track day next time just so you can see it first hand and say I told ya so...

Oh and if you see the 600RR missing during a session be prepaired, that will be my demonstration vehicle!

Mike

[SVixxer]

Here is my .02c

Two things go through my mind when I ride on the street.
One, is the image I project to the public. They already think that I am a reckless speed junkie just because of what I chose to ride. If I ride like an ass in front of them then I prove them right and piss them off.
Two, is the Driving to Endanger ticket I got last year for doing 96 in a 30 zone. I was lucky to have a good lawyer. He got me off with just $500 in fine and it never hit my record. I could have lost my license and tripled my future insurance.
Pick and choose were you plan to speed. I still rip it up in certain areas but I have greatly slowed down compared to last year. I even removed my full aftermarket exhaust and went back to the stock header and slip-on. That dropped 10HP and gave me less to speed with.

[Nazo]

Originally posted by 35racer
You need to crash harder.

Sounds like your crashes were positive reinforcement...

you need a good tumbling, ass over elbows, ring your bell, take a ride with the red flashing lights type of crash.

Come on!

Get out there and crash dammit!

I'm trying to save your life here.

I gotta say that I agree with Tony.
I didn't realize you never took a good hard fall Mike, no wonder your willing to continue to ride hard and fast and not worry so much.....at your age
Crashing hard puts you in check.....especially on the street.
I hope you never go down again, but it will slow you down a bit on the road.

[Ken C]

This is a terrific thread that most riders shy away from. I was in the same boat 5 or so years back when I was blasting around the Berkshire hill towns on SRNE group rides. I would end up at home later that day asking myself what the hell I was thinking. I rode well and all, but there's no way to control the unseen problems that occur on the street.

I knew I couldn't control my adrenaline so the solution for me was to stop riding with groups of sportriders. I also started racing (again).

Now, riding on the street is for pleasure, not to get my corner carving fix. I'm lucky to ride all of Tony's track days as well as as many LRRS weekends as I choose, so I get about three days of track time per month. To be honest, that can get to be a bit much.

I suggest getting a different bike if you choose to stay riding on the street. The RC is frustrated with sane street speeds. My VFR800 has its mments when it wants to stretch its legs, but has a more relaxed attitude and is happy enough riding in traffic and at +15 on the backroads.

If you want to race (which I might recommend to someone like you), it can be done for under $3000.00 a season. Here's a quick list of my expenses (including my race bike):

2000 MZ Scorpion Tour -stock except slip-on and jetting- $2200.00
Tires- $250.00
Shorter dogbones to raise rear end- $30.00
Leathers- Vanson used - $500.00
Pit bull race stand- $120.00
* with this set up I was winning novice races doing 1:27s

Other "nice to haves:
Tire warmers- $400.00
Front stand- $60.00
Lap timer- $200.00

I spent about $250.00 per race weekend, including 2 sprint races, gas, food, entry fee. I camp at the track.

Dirt riding is great fun and is something I'm getting more into, but it doesn't really substitute pavement riding for me.

You choose, but do something, soon. Your concerns are real and will eventually land you in either the hospital or jail if you don't heed your warnings

[richw]

I do have an arsenal of bikes now...

But

I adopted 2 boys.

I made a commitment to give them time to be their Dad.

Between that and work and some illness and the weather its been 5 weeks sinse I have been out.

Believe me it will be like the first time and 70 to 85 will be fine to keep the interest up.

To the ones hanging it up.
God Bless and go in good health

If the sport bike fad dies a little then maybe the spot light on the remainder of us won't be so bright.


I might suggest to you racers that maybe between the 3 local forums you guys could come up with a whole standard class of econo bikes like Suzi or Kawi 500 's

Limit mods to pipes, tires, rear shock and have at.
If your serious winner motor claim

Between new and used you could race your brains out for a 3 to 4000 per year and have a competition.

[Ken C]

Originally posted by richw


I might suggest to you racers that maybe between the 3 local forums you guys could come up with a whole standard class of econo bikes like Suzi or Kawi 500 's

Limit mods to pipes, tires, rear shock and have at.
If your serious winner motor claim

Between new and used you could race your brains out for a 3 to 4000 per year and have a competition.

It already exists. It's called Production twins where it's mostly EX500s. There's also LW SPortsman where Ex's race against motards. That's cheap racing and it's quite thrilling.

[a13x]

Originally posted by Ken C
It already exists. It's called Production twins where it's mostly EX500s. There's also LW SPortsman where Ex's race against motards. That's cheap racing and it's quite thrilling.

Yup. Protwins has some hot racing.
Motards and EX's aren't even close to comparable thou.. don't even get me started on motards..

[Nazo]

Originally posted by a13x
.. don't even get me started on motards..

+1
I hear ya Alex

[Paul_E_D]

I can only echo what others have said. Go racing, but not on your RC51 please! Keep it simple and have fun. For me it surely replaces the need to go fast on the street. I have no itch to crank the bike over in a turn with trees, guardrails, and other deadly objects nearby...

I still like to cruise on my Duc, but just to enjoy the sights, sounds, etc. Not to rip asphalt...

Teaching MSF also has a sobering effect on my street riding.

[richw]

To flesh out econo pro twin racing

Is there an active "chapter" in NH raceway

How often could you econo race at nh

[Paul_E_D]

It's part of every CCS race series. Loudon Roadrace series is included in that. We have a 9 weekend schedule this year April-Oct. It's 1-2 race weekends per month. 250-? dollars per weekend depending. The level of competition in the lightweight classes ranges from people out joyriding, to professional racers having fun flogging smaller bikes.

[Ken C]

Every race weekend, which is at least one weekend per month, 8 or 9 per season.

www.lrrsracing.com

[OreoGaborio]

I can't wait to get out there & start racing.... Mike, get an EX500 & race w/ us! I'm sure you'd be able to keep up w/ me, I only have what, a 50lb weight advantage on a bike w/ about
50hp?

[TC]

Take the bike apart clean and adjust everything over again. If this still doesn't get it I punish myself, and I just take a break. My style of riding has changed to one more of finese over my years.

If speeds ever get to high in regards on saftey or the law, just take it to the track and go racing.

Todd

[R7]

Originally posted by a13x
Yup. Protwins has some hot racing.
Motards and EX's aren't even close to comparable thou.. don't even get me started on motards..

Yeah but if you get a Motahd, you can pretty much run as many races as you can afford all weekend Plus you can run odd lines, make most corners into multi apex corners with no bad effects, drag your foot in corners... oh and some people can run 15s and 16s on them at Loudon wish I could

IMO a motard is by far the best bang for the buck racers. It could be your dirty toy on non race weekends, racebike on the LRRS weekends and best of all, a fucken blast on the ice in the winter
A good used MXer (thumper) can be had for about $3k, about $1k for the wheels, $500 for a braking system and add you're choice of tires (about $300) and you're good to go on the pavement....in the dirt... and with $30 worth of ice screws you're good to go in the winter

And look at This I just found you a bike