Don't worry, it was under the most adverse conditions and it was more a test of foolhardiness than man or machine. I lost but I'm not a fool. The challenger was on a 600 and playing the only game one could play on that bike on that road on this particular occassion.

As is my usual custom, I came roaring up to the expressway on a nice long ramp. I slowed down to blend with traffic which was heavy. It wasn't 3 seconds and I hear this ungodly, blood curdling scream over my left shoulder. It was as fearsome of a sound as you ever will hear. Glancing down, I see a blur flash through my mirror and then steak past me on the left. It was a kid on a skinny wheeled 600 with an under seat exhaust. His calf skin coat was all ballooned up. At least he had on a helmet. I dropped to 5th and had no problem catching him but then we came up on traffic. I stayed behind him waiting for some open road. This has been my only challenge this season and I was hoping to see a little action. I figured we might do some lane changing chase and then I'd finish him off when we got into light traffic. He waited a while with me tailing him and then he made a break for it between cars. He made a few zigs and zags and was gone. No way do I play that game. I am always concerned that some cager is going to panic and swerve into me or something. I let him go. I don't go snaking through traffic 10 feet apart, ever.

I was hoping to find an open spot and catch him again but after a minute or two went by, I knew I didn't have much hope. I couldn't see him up ahead any more at all. I came to an exit onto 94 West and decided to try it. I guessed right. There was a bike way ahead and it looked like it could be him. I spent the next 25 miles trying to catch up to him but just as I was close, there he goes up an exit and I'm still down on the highway. It was him. I would have just loved to see his face if I could have pulled up to him at the end of the exit ramp.

Oh well. The kid had balls, I'll give him that. Hope he lives long enough to use them for what god intended.

Rook

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You did good by letting him be the total fool. Pick your places to play where you stand a better chance to make it home in 1 pc.

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Yeah, I know, pick your spots, don't be a fool, play it safe, etc
The truth is that you feel owned when something like what was described above happens. One can sugarcoat it all he wants but it still hurts. And nobody can deny it.

Yup. I agree with the above folks.

I wouldn't say you got spanked by any means...just that you chose not to increase the risk yourself & your bike in that situation. Not worth giving a second thought.

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That was no spanking, the kid was taking a foolhardy risk, let 'em go. I play with some of these kids sometimes, I stay glued to their wheel but when they cut between two cars with inches to spare I back off. Discretion is the better part of valor.

Kruz

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As long as each one is on a sportbike regardless of size, 600, 750, 1000, GT's it doesnt matter. The better rider or the one willing to take the most risk will always win while racing on the street unless its just strait up drag racing.
Nothing to be ashamed of though. You did the right thing for your situation. It may have been open enough for him but not for you. I tell my riding beginners that the fastest way of getting yourself killed is by following others. Be your own rider and take your own paths.

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you bunch of wussies ..picking on smaller bikes .. and you deserved the azz kicking you got rook .. OH YES theres winners and losers and you lost ..

* Last updated by: Badzx14r on 7/20/2009 @ 8:02 AM *

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Guy's like the one you encountered are the type of guy that gives safe riders a bad Rep.worse gived higher ins. rates I guess most riders of fast bikes are all ways fighting the urge to rip it but guys rip it where it's safe for other motorist too .When I am in a car and I guy on a bike rips by me with total disregards for everyone else on the road. I think what an AHOLE its just wrong. If we pick ur spots wisely we can have our rush in a safe way without risking the lives of others. There are just to many rodes out there that are isolated and begging to to be ripped up. Be safe and not another statistic...xxx's

thats not racing.

wee

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you bunch of wussies ..picking on smaller bikes .. and you deserved the azz kicking you got rook .. OH YES theres winners and losers and you lost ..

1bad's right here Rook, you should gone through them two cars even if you got yerself killed just to prove.......uhhh.......that yer uhhh....stupid?

Kruz

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Yeah, you did the right thing.

Your (our) bike might be fast like a rocket on wheels, but you don't have anything to prove.

Trying to "prove" something is the fastest way to raise your risk level to unacceptable levels.

This weekend I had two cars get ahead of me because they were more willing to ride like idiots. Well I like to go fast and I'll pass where I think it's safe but I won't put myself or other cars in jeapordy.

Live to ride another day,
-Dennis

Badzx wrote

you bunch of wussies ..picking on smaller bikes .. and you deserved the azz kicking you got rook .. OH YES theres winners and losers and you lost ..

He started it!

and ended it.

It might have ended a lot differently if I would have seen him taking that final exit onto a county road...or maybe he would have given me another shellacking in the twisties, I don't care. It's all in fun for me. I just would have loved to see him mess his drawers when I came rolling up to him at the stop sign after he thought he lost me a half hour ago. Oh yes, he would have recognized my bike.

hoopie wrote:

....You did the right thing for your situation. It may have been open enough for him but not for you. I tell my riding beginners that the fastest way of getting yourself killed is by following others. Be your own rider and take your own paths.

I could have followed him through but just because you can, that doesn't mean you should. It seemed like he scared the b'jeebers out of the cars around him enough that they froze into a holding pattern. You never can tell when a motorist will react to fear by doing something deadly unpredictable like swerve or jump on the brakes instead of freeze. You know, they don't usually even know you're there and when they hear the scream of a motor behind them or on the side, they could easily make the wrong move thinking they were avoiding danger.

I really did enjoy the high pitched scream of that bike. It reminded me of tifighters from Starwars - remember those? I would have followed that bike just to listen to it.

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thats not racing.

wee

thats as close as it get on this here forum ..

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Guy on a Gixxer "tried"to outrun me in the canyons here.No helmet(had it locked on his bike).I come up on him-two lane canyon roads-"pretty clear" of traffic.He sees me in his 6 o'clock.Punches it.Ya-I'm on him.He's rollin pretty good.But I aint lettin him get away.He ups the ante-Ya-I'm with him.I can tell He's gettin worried-he's startin to "make mistakes" ya.My big ninja's on his azz.Big ole curve comin up-we're rollin hard.He can't shake me-goes wide-into the oncoming lane.Now he's blowin it.Up ahead there,double yellow line-couple a cars there.He hits it hard again-passes over the double yellow-around the cars.Me,I back off-he's gone alright.Friggin just disappeared.Well,it was fun while it lasted!Cruisin along a bit further,maybe five minutes along,there he is-pulled over into a turnout.Got his helmet on now.I go on by-give him a wave.Couple of minutes later,look in my 6 o'clock,THERE HE IS.I'm feelin like Khan when he found the Enterprise.So.round two-come on up now-that's right,geez-he aint bitin.Got a broken yellow line now,car up ahead.Yep-I'm throwin down the gauntlet.Downshift,Once,twice...around and out-plenty of clear road ahead.Look back-JR.'s still followin the tourist.Win some,lose some BTW-my buddy on his 08 BUSA wouldn't have any part of it LOL!!!(he's Powercommandered and Alienheaded).

* Last updated by: blue07 on 7/21/2009 @ 1:08 PM *

Funny thing is these guys don't realize that the 14 will smoke any 600 in 4th gear and some without leaving 3rd.

Couple of weeks ago went to hooters bike night with some friends, we went out for a late ride afterwards. friend on a black gsxr600 wanted to try everyone out. I tooled along behind just hanging with them. He finally rolled up beside me and goosed it a couple of times, I waved him on and he got on it. I gave her just enough throttle to stay neck and neck with him till the 600 ran out of steam, the wife waved bye to him I grabbed another gear and ran off into the sunset. All he could say when we stopped to shoot the shit was "Damn those things are wicked fast".

* Last updated by: heathun on 7/21/2009 @ 11:13 AM *

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Yea Blue, I'm waiting for someone to start flaming "Because you had your wife on back". Pfft she would have kicked my ass if I had let him run off from us.

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Yeah, last summer I had a guy on a 600 sail past me WOT, head turned looking straight over at me as I was taking off from a stop light. I nailed it and past him in about 3 seconds. I don't think I even hit 4th before I caught him. I suppose he gave up and made a U-turn. That was the last I saw of him.

One thing about those 600s, they have the sweetest, most brutal, howling exhaust note I've ever heard. If that's not just like the scream of a cat paralyzing it's quarry with fear, i don't know what is. I've been noticing the smaller bikes look more racy too. There are more open spots that you can see right through the bikes and they usually have some kind of coil spring as part of the rear suspension which is clearly visible on the side of the bike. It wouldn't be my first pick for a street bike but I'd love to have one of those little screamers to ride on occasion.

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My 01'6r track bike sounds mean when it's strung out on the track it has a muzzy race titanium with light packing. On the street it would surely get me pulled over.

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Of course you were spanked, by BETTER JUDGEMENT! I'll take that any day.

+1
He who gets spanked by better judgment and rides away
lives to race another day.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/21/2009 @ 1:17 PM *

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"Have you hugged your Ninja today?"-

"It's 8 o'clock. Do you know where your Ninja is?"

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Yep-I do Bro-she's right here just waitin for my next day off...WOOHOOOO!!