[stevewz]

Some basic facts that may pertain to the case ... I took the Lee Parks Total Control course in Olympia, Washington back in May ... my 2007 DL650 (non-ABS) has a stock engine and exhaust ... it has Shinko 705 shoes with 3,000 miles of wear on them

So, here's the fun part ... on a recent trip to northwest California, I was on Highway 199 heading southwest from Cave Junction and came up behind a man and woman on sport bikes. I didn't get a good enough look at them to tell make/model, but they appeared to be 600's. Anyway, they were in full leathers and no luggage, knee pucks, the whole "I think I'm Valentino Rossi" get-up. I'm in my Aerostich and my bike is fully loaded with multi-day trip luggage. We stop at a construction zone and I ask if I can tag along behind them. They grin and say, "Sure!"

The flagger lets us move forward and they shoot ahead, and I lose sight of them around the first corner. After about two miles I catch up (never going more than 10+ over the speed limit). The guy is leading and his girlfriend/wife is right behind him. They are both leaning into the corners, and the guy is acting like he wants to drag his knee.

At this point, I'm having to hold back to keep from going right up her tail pipe (uh hum!) corner after corner. After about a dozen of these, she waves me forward. Then I'm trailing the lead guy, impatiently waiting for him to show me his stuff. No dice. He flinches first and waves me past as well, zoom zoom I fly by him and proceed to carve up the turns leaving them in the dust, literally (I can see him shaking his head as he trails behind in my mirror).

I think a rider with a flickable bike like the V-Strom, a grippy tire, and a sense of smoothness that comes from proper training and practice, can really give a less-experienced rider on an arguably more capable bike (sport bike, super bike, etc.) a lesson or two. It was fun and really boosted my ego. Carving up those delicious twisties, without getting a ticket, was gravy.

 

[juddspaintballs]

I had a similar experience on my ST this past May. I was off of the side of the road up in the Smokey Mountains taking a leak and 4 liter+ sport bikes went zooming past on their way up the mountain towards the BRP. I hopped on real quick and proceeded to catch up to the group and pass the two in the rear. The two in front wouldn't let me by, but I pushed them all the way up to the top of the mountain on my 20 year old touring bike :thumbup: They were all locals too.

 

[DougInKY]

I had a similar experience on my ST this past May. I was off of the side of the road up in the Smokey Mountains taking a leak and 4 liter+ sport bikes went zooming past on their way up the mountain towards the BRP. I hopped on real quick and proceeded to catch up to the group and pass the two in the rear. The two in front wouldn't let me by, but I pushed them all the way up to the top of the mountain on my 20 year old touring bike :thumbup: They were all locals too.

A friend of mine who lived at the top of the Gap (he lived in the house at Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort which is where the restaurant is now) used to regularly spank guys on sport bikes when he was riding up and down the mountain (US129). Now this in itself wouldn't be interesting except that he was riding an old Honda Pacific Coast while doing so. He was and is one hell of a rider.

 

[mad dingo]

Maybe the guy was capable of blowing your doors off but he was trying to teach his gf. Maybe she is a beginner. Maybe the full leather suits are the best riding gear they own and wore it to protect themselves. Maybe they don't like racing around on roads where construction zones can pop up anywhere.

You make a lot of assumptions about them and their intentions. Doesn't sound like they were interested in your lessons or taking your bait to race. Maybe him shaking his head wasn't in amazement of your skills.

 

[stevewz]

Maybe the guy was capable of blowing your doors off but he was trying to teach his gf. Maybe she is a beginner. Maybe the full leather suits are the best riding gear they own and wore it to protect themselves. Maybe they don't like racing around on roads where construction zones can pop up anywhere.

You make a lot of assumptions about them and their intentions. Doesn't sound like they were interested in your lessons or taking your bait to race. Maybe him shaking his head wasn't in amazement of your skills.

Maybe he was constipated and she was on her period. How the hell do I know?

I understand your point, about making assumptions about other people without really knowing the full situation, and you're absolutely right. The book cover doesn't always accurately describe what is written within, but you can usually get a pretty good idea what the plot is about. ;-)

Two more notes ... the gal had a sticker on the back of her helmet that said, "You just got passed by a girl". Furthermore, they rode _really_ fast in the straights, giving me even more of an impression that they thought they were hot stuff. I still may have been wrong, but all the signs pointed to Rossi-wanna-bes.

Regardless, as Janice points out below, I enjoyed the experience and was posting more about things from my perspective than from theirs. They were polite but I think their impression about me was the incorrect one in this scenario, not the other way around.

 

[Valentine]

Who really knows

Well, you would have passed me also and probably with much less effort. I tend to drive conservatively and SAFELY. After 42 years of driving several bikes, I have never had an accident.

 

[janiceclanfield]

Maybe the guy was capable of blowing your doors off but he was trying to teach his gf. Maybe she is a beginner. Maybe the full leather suits are the best riding gear they own and wore it to protect themselves. Maybe they don't like racing around on roads where construction zones can pop up anywhere.

You make a lot of assumptions about them and their intentions. Doesn't sound like they were interested in your lessons or taking your bait to race. Maybe him shaking his head wasn't in amazement of your skills.

Did you have a bad breakfast this morning?

The guy goes for a ride, has a nice time, writes it up, and you have to piss on it.

Think about how your post really sounds...

 

[mad dingo]

I know it sounds pretty close to flaming, that wasn't my intention. I didn't even get breakfast this morning. It has been a rough day.

Steve, see, if you added the part about the helmet sticker and the racing 'between' curves, then I could've avoided my whole post and just tell you nice job.

I'm the ones that always gets passed so I was forced to see it from their perspective. I always used to ride with my wife trailing and she is quite slow and wouldn't appreciate me taking off because someone else got my testosterone flowing.

Neither of us give out any signals that we think we are fast though, that is what makes all the difference.

 

[stevewz]

I know it sounds pretty close to flaming, that wasn't my intention. I didn't even get breakfast this morning. It has been a rough day.

Steve, see, if you added the part about the helmet sticker and the racing 'between' curves, then I could've avoided my whole post and just tell you nice job.

I'm the ones that always gets passed so I was forced to see it from their perspective. I always used to ride with my wife trailing and she is quite slow and wouldn't appreciate me taking off because someone else got my testosterone flowing.

Neither of us give out any signals that we think we are fast though, that is what makes all the difference.

Your point is still valid about pre-judging, and I appreciate your perspective on it. To make the counter-point, "A good craftsman never blames his tools." Example: I had an el-cheapo guitar that I bought for $99 from a music store. I sounded like crap when I played it and thought the guitar was unplayable. A saxophone-playing friend of mine asked to check it out. He picked it up and sounded like Buddy Guy on it. I felt like the axe had betrayed me. It wasn't the guitar's fault I sounded like crap when I played it. It was my fault.

Take two people who ride very capable bikes but don't have the skills to do so and you get the same scenario. To make matters worse, they gave all the signs that they possessed the contemptible attitude that they WERE up to snuff. I've been in their shoes ('cept with a guitar).

 

[Dino M]

I took a weekend trip with a friend to West Virginia. He was on his Aprilia dual sport (like 900cc/ 1000cc or something) and I was on my DL 650. When we hit some very technical roads he unexpectedly took off at break neck speed. It took me a few minutes to catch up but once there I stuck with him the whole run through the mountains. When we took a break he came over and looked at my bike and said " I can't believe you can keep up with me on that". :thumbup: Go weestrom.

 

[mad dingo]

Your point is still valid about pre-judging, and I appreciate your perspective on it. To make the counter-point, "A good craftsman never blames his tools." Example: I had an el-cheapo guitar that I bought for $99 from a music store. I sounded like crap when I played it and thought the guitar was unplayable. A saxophone-playing friend of mine asked to check it out. He picked it up and sounded like Buddy Guy on it. I felt like the axe had betrayed me. It wasn't the guitar's fault I sounded like crap when I played it. It was my fault.

Take two people who ride very capable bikes but don't have the skills to do so and you get the same scenario. To make matters worse, they gave all the signs that they possessed the contemptible attitude that they WERE up to snuff. I've been in their shoes ('cept with a guitar).

Very good then, and I agree with you about the attitudes. If they are acting like they are all that, then there is nothing better than proving them wrong. Sorry to hear that you can't blame your guitar, although I don't agree with you completely. I suck at golf because of my clubs. My bowling ball pretty much blows too. Don't get me started on my softball bat. ;-)

 

[Yak]

I just completed an 8400 Km ride with a Concours 14, Speed Triple 1050, K1200S, FJR 1300. All are competent riders but they also maintain that I just rebadged a V Strom 1000 wtih 650 decals because they can't believe a "mere 650" could spank them the way that I did in the twisties (safely). Feels good.

 

[Stromin'Nroman]

I just completed an 8400 Km ride with a Concours 14, Speed Triple 1050, K1200S, FJR 1300. All are competent riders but they also maintain that I just rebadged a V Strom 1000 wtih 650 decals because they can't believe a "mere 650" could spank them the way that I did in the twisties (safely). Feels good.

Spent a weekend riding here in the NC mountains with a good friend from Florida, he with his FJR1300. He commented on how fast my bike was, especially for a 650. Apparently, riding on twisty mountain roads, it accelerates from 30-60 mph close enough to his to have made that impression.

 

[stevewz]

Flickability of a Wee Strom vs. sport bikes?

I just completed an 8400 Km ride with a Concours 14, Speed Triple 1050, K1200S, FJR 1300. All are competent riders but they also maintain that I just rebadged a V Strom 1000 wtih 650 decals because they can't believe a "mere 650" could spank them the way that I did in the twisties (safely). Feels good.

During my big trip, a buddy let me ride his 2003 Kawasaki ZZR 600. It was the first 'sport' (sport-touring, more accurately) bike I have ever ridden. The acceleration was intoxicating, smooth and exciting. But to get that thing to turn was like convincing a pig to take a bath. I was expecting this small, relatively light bike to be flickable. Not. Maybe I'm just not used to how sport bikes feel, but by comparison I only have to think 'left' and my DL650 turns left. I had to use quite a lot of body English and handle-bar effort to get that little ZZR to make a turn, and then it would quickly snap back to vertical. The contrast was substantial. Is that normal?

 

[Yak]

I rode a friend's SV 650 and found it required a lot more rider input than my DL 650 to turn. There may be a different technique required that I am not aware of but it surprised me.

 

[mad dingo]

Sounds normal to me. Sport bikes are a whole different ballgame. That is the reason to ride a wee.

 

[aldntn]

When I am going faster than someone in front of me, I pass them. Motorcycle, taxicab, log truck, whatever. I always try to ease up and wave around bikes that want to go faster than I am going. If there are cars that want to go faster, (they are getting kinda crazy) I ease up and let em around. No big deal. There are a few drivers and riders who never like to get passed but if I can do it cleanly, I pass em. Everybody in the OP did the right thing. Kudos.

The Wee surprises people. Up to 100 it can run with the sane. The insane I don't run with.

 

[stevewz]

When I am going faster than someone in front of me, I pass them. Motorcycle, taxicab, log truck, whatever. I always try to ease up and wave around bikes that want to go faster than I am going. If there are cars that want to go faster, (they are getting kinda crazy) I ease up and let em around. No big deal. There are a few drivers and riders who never like to get passed but if I can do it cleanly, I pass em. Everybody in the OP did the right thing. Kudos.

The Wee surprises people. Up to 100 it can run with the sane. The insane I don't run with.

A day earlier I got passed by a Subaru WRX on California's Hwy 3 between Hayfork and Weaverville that was doing at least 110 mph -- in a series of curves marked between 35 - 45 mph.

 

[deuce]

Last summer I was riding to Shaver Lake on California SH 168 on my Wee. I thought I was riding at a pretty good clip when I was passed on a turn by a guy riding 2 up on a Harley bagger.

 

[juddspaintballs]

Spent a weekend riding here in the NC mountains with a good friend from Florida, he with his FJR1300. He commented on how fast my bike was, especially for a 650. Apparently, riding on twisty mountain roads, it accelerates from 30-60 mph close enough to his to have made that impression.

Don't let him fool you; the FJR1300 is nothing but rocket ship on wheels. Either he wasn't twisting his wrist very hard or downshifting from a high gear. That, or you're a better rider than he :thumbup: