I appreciate the pep talk folks, been really down since I got nailed. Really bad part was I was having one of those memorable rides that day where I was right in "The Zone"

Ahhhh luv dem days. Give them up ,,,, Naaa,,,, You & bean just heard the record skip. It will play on nicely now.

I won't be test riding anything till Feb or March...too dangerous on two wheels here until then.Just gonna wax er....install those Yoshis...add a few little deals here and there...and wait.Been waiting this long...couple more months...be good to go.

'Unforgiven'...way awesome flick right there...probably my favorite from Clint.Sudden Impact was the shit also.

Dealer told my work buddy his 3oo Ninja would be here in January....most likely...mine will be in that shipment.I'm in no rush....

So ya had some fun on yer 14?Good....very good.Few times of that...you'll be ready to...well....'ride' again!

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 12/17/2012 @ 9:56 PM *

You & bean

One ticket and thinking about selling all 4 bikes. How bout sell one bike to pay for tickets? Are radar detectors legal in your parts? If so, get one. I have escort redline and very happy with it, other than speaker dying but replaced under warranty. Cops are just another thing to look out for. You learn to ride with that in mind. It's part of good street riding, IMO. Here are my strategies: Think like a cop. If you were a cop, where would you hang out with radar? Probably where people make complaints about and where riding fast is actually dangerous or where lots of women and children about. Or on a straight, where speeding is most likely. Luckily they tend not hang out in corners or after because that makes their presence more dangerous. Tends to be most cops on nice days. Trust your instincts. If it feels like there is a cop around, there is a much higher chance there is, so be sensitive to that feeling and observation. If the area or street feels like a good cop hangout, it is. If you're blasting around getting tickets all over the place, you aren't observant or wise enough yet. Watch for cops on overpasses. It sucks how hard the law is on motorcycles as they are almost never dangerous to anyone else but that's the way it is now. Use the right wrist smartly. Best thing about the 14 is that you don't need to make effort winding it up. Twist and whatever velocity desired can be accurately accomplished quickly. So in that way, for me, it's easier to control speeding. With relatively smaller displacement, I find it takes longer to get up to speed so proportionately more time is accelerating whereas on the 14 I'm off the gas, feathering or braking already. Yeah, you could go crazy and get into more trouble with a 14's torque and power but I find there is also a benefit to avoid tickets. Also when really clear, can juice her up and blow all the needs for a speed fix out of mind.

There's so much to street riding enjoyment than just going fast. Being good at riding safe. Avoiding situations including cops. Getting bike to handle effortlessly. And putting on miles without incident, not running wide or having the bike honestly do exactly what intending.

Fast on the street means nothing. Anyone who thinks they are a good rider cause they go fast on the street has no idea what fast is and all they actually are is an accident/incident/oh shit moment waiting to happen. That's not skill being applied. It's luck. I can keep up to a much faster pace on the street. But I don't. There's no runoff except trees and other solid objects. Also, road conditions vary. Take going off into account and reality should sink in. Sure, sometimes upping the pace is super fun and almost need-like but I don't see it as all that much skill being applied. I see slowing at those times is more about skill. Often I find myself slowing because I sensed something. And sometimes it really pays off. And sometimes I didn't back off and was lucky. The trick is not how fast but how long you can ride on the street is the way I look at it.

Try to ride unknown and a variety of roads. There's skill in reading road conditions, environment and ambiance. Including are the risk of animals, decreasing radius, poor surfaces, sand, rocks, wet areas, leaves. Do you ride in the wet or damp conditions? That's always fun to ride on a drying road. Never know for certain where the wet areas are. Or riding in rain. I don't particularly like it but on multi day or full day rides it's part of it. Gotta be super careful in wet. Must consider how long raining, oil, visibility, other vehicles with crappy drivers, etc, etc.

I'm a bit paranoid as a rider. But to me, that's what makes it fun. It's super intense. All the time. Cops are just one factor. I don't like riding with others cause most are not as observant. Sure, it's easier to ride ignorant. And I probably overdo it. But I also intend not to crash or get hurt. I don't accept that as part of riding. Maybe that's also unrealistic. There's the saying, " there are two kinds of riders, those that have crashed and those that will". But I also believe that there is a third who believe that they won't. Or won't again. And are willing to learn, be open minded and intense to make sure that that's true.

But I also intend not to crash or get hurt. I don't accept that as part of riding. Maybe that's also unrealistic.

* Last updated by: bean07 on 12/18/2012 @ 3:16 AM *

@Bean: Wow... I don't think I've ever seen so much titanium in one femur... short of an artificial joint that is.

@kruz
hey bud, getting a ticket is a pain no matter where u are and whatever ur driving. actually i find it most annoying when im doddling along in the car doing 57 in a 50 zone on a dual carriageway where theres no danger and with the result my attention is 50% on driving, 10% on work, 10% on other sh*t and 30% on dreaming where id like to be riding my bike at that moment!
ive gone from having 9 points on my licence (none of them on the bike) to having no points and now im creeping back up again (4 points again!). it is what it is!
the moment will pass! get out an ride!

alterntively, i'll look after your bikes for you!

Hey Jafo, been too long since I've heard from you mate, how's life been treating you? I remember when you came to visit us down in San Antonio on your new ZX-14 back in January '07, you were planning to pickup an '08 Fireblade the next year and ride coast to coast, Miami to LA. Whatever happened to that encore trip?

If I remember, you got pulled over in Mississippi or maybe it was Northern Florida in torrential rain on the 14, took a good picture of your bike with LEO in tow on the side of the road.

Yea, LEO's are part of the riding expereience but I hate when it happens none-the-less.

hi kruz, sorry havent been posting, check in regularly to make sure youre behaving tho! lol
good memory, i was pulled in north florida doing 95mph, luckily i had slowed down to look at my map as i was trying to find my exit....
...needless to say i didnt mention that to the nice officer!
i also got another ticket on the florida keys for riding up to the top of a line of cars at a draw bridge, apparently doing this to take a photograph for my mates back home is not a valid excuse!
havent been back state side since, the currency hasnt been as favourable and ive crammed other trips such as the cannonball bike run to morrocco! i wouldnt mind a trip and picking up something nice but i already have 2 brilliant bikes so not sure whats next?!
also moved house and had a baby this year so all bike funds have been diverted for milk and nappies (diapers in american!) but never fear, as one of your well known countrymen once said, 'I'll be back!'

happy christmas to you and all your family kruz!
and off course the same to everyone on the forum!

That's the picture I remember, runs chills up and down my spine to see that LEO...lol, also I remember you're bike was filthy and took many quarters at the local car wash to make presentable...lol!

Tommy (Hellfire) is still in the Federal Pen, get's out in April 2013. Good guy, just made a bad choice in life and had to pay dearly for it.

How many bikes do you have now? I had only the 14 and the VTX back then in '07, added four more since then but unfortunately crashed one ('08 ZX-10R) and pretty much totaled it.

Congrats on the new baby, mine are all grown now but they'll always be your babies, the girls anyway!

The IOM TT is still on my bucketlist, hotel is the problem. Could you ride the ferry each day to the Isle and then return to stay in Dublin for the night? I seriously doubt it runs that often but thought I'd put that out there anyway.

Merry Christmas to you and family!

I know the feeling brother. After every ticket I have gotten I go through a period of depression. The old " Why can't those assholes just leave me ALONE!" What has helped has been to back off the pace just a LITTLE and I do NOT hang off at all on the street anymore. I ride pretty fast, often faster than the local hot shits, but by not being off the side of the bike like a deranged monkey I seem to attract less attention from the cops. My friends and I ride " The Pace" and so far, no tickets in 4 years, ( knocking on wood like a crazy person...)
Hang in there!

Mad

The last ticket I got on a bike was 110 in a 65.He dropped it to 80 so it wasn't 30 over.I was doing 155 and was slowing down.That was in 2000 on a ZRX 1100 that was modified.I keep on getting them in my Mustang GT.I just dropped my theft on my Ninja.Have Geico on my car and home.Just liability on the bike.Went from 420 Progressive to 99 Geico.
Craig

@kruz, you're right bro, by the time i got to san antonio my bike was filthy, but then i did ride through some pretty shitty weather !

it didn't cost me any money to clean it, i had a couple of good pitstop guys lol
sorry to hear about hellfire, he was a very likeable guy, give him my regards if you're talking to him thanks.

i still have my 14, running well with over 50,000miles, plenty of big trips in her yet! my only other bike is the fantastic multistrada 1200s. i havent been doing big miles this year due to house move and baby off course but i hope to get back to riding more next year!

IOM TT is doable if you dont mind camping? the ferries only travel a couple of times a week but could just do 4-5 nights if you leave via dublin and come back via belfast? the risk is the weather, camping is ok if the weather is good!
i'll look into it again if you are interested for 2013?

have a happy and healthy christmas and new year to you and to all your family kruz!

Ahh...that picture brings back fond memories, how'd you get us to drop everything and clean up your bike like that? Lol! I was amazed you road from Miami to San Antonio in non-stop rain but it was an adventure you can share with your kids someday. I still have that same 14 in the pic, Tommy's is long since gone though, I think he traded it in on a 2008 Hayabusa.

IOM is definitely on my to do list but the coming year may not be the best year for it.

Merry Christmas and may you have a blessed year in 2013!

know the feeling brother. After every ticket I have gotten I go through a period of depression.

That's the part I hate, it steals your joy in riding. It wasn't the ticket that bothered me so much but being told I could have been arrested and lost my bike that scared me. I've been riding 30 over everywhere and had no idea this law had been passed. I drove my truck back up there Thursday and paid the fine, $300 for 30 days deferred adjudication. It's probably as good a deal as an attorney could have gotten for me, so I'm thankful for that at least. Anyway, they say time heals all wounds.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 12/22/2012 @ 3:50 PM *