Big Ride Out This Weekend!

[SonicVenum]

Oh, I see. So those setting on the GoPro only made it "appear" you were completely in the oncoming traffic lane to get past the other mugs. Gotcha.

[jhwalker]

We just arrived at the casa in San Miguel. It was a good 5 days in SoCal, marred ONLY by not having a bike to ride so I could join the fun...

Good vid -- sedate, just a few fly byes. I would have thought that there would have been more craziness...

How did your brother like your bike?

[Tetge]

I am glad that Juan realized that the GoPro was misleading, as I would never cross the double yellow. Of course, the mugs that were passing me did, so perhaps he got confused? It is easy to get fooled by video. And, the speedometer, even when it can be read is also not indicative of anything as it was switched to km/hr., so 88 indicated would be 55 mph. And there is a bit of error as usual, so even 95 might not be speeding, not that I ever saw that.

As for the other question, my brother liked the DR-Z. He did say that it handled really well, and, he rode it through Bouquet as quickly as Brakelate and Mike. He just hung back a bit so he actually went their speed without seeing their lines. I think that he said when everyone were pulled over and being arrested, he'd just cruise by as if he did not know them. He also noted that he is not accustomed to riders who speed all the time since the vintage British bike crowd generally (there are exceptions) take it easy on the old bikes that they ride. So, he was a bit surprised at the pace, and that added to an unfamiliar bike that shifts on the wrong side, would cause most riders to take it a bit easy. But, the DR-Z SM is a very rider friendly machine, as we all know and he enjoyed the riding, particularly since the world famous Brakelate was in attendance.

[xbacksideslider]

Thanks for the videos.

And, thanks too for your admission about how easy it is to fool others with your videos into thinking that you are slow.

Not so, on a long Elizabeth Lake Road straight, as I was out front, redlined in 6th, he comes by, his 696 whomping on my measly 500, leaving me choking, coughing, humiliated, in his dust. That 696 must top out somewhere in the mid to high 120s. And . . . . after Tetge comes around the outside, we close on the end of a long straight and hit a fist turn; on the entry, Tetge's hard on the brakes, doing a Marquez or Rossi front wheel wheelie, levitating the rear wheel, deftly setting it down just as he heels it into that three figure turn.

[Tetge]

Thanks for the videos.

And, thanks too for your admission about how easy it is to fool others with your videos into thinking that you are slow.

Not so, on a long Elizabeth Lake Road straight, as I was out front, redlined in 6th, he comes by, his 696 whomping on my measly 500, leaving me choking, coughing, humiliated, in his dust. That 696 must top out somewhere in the mid to high 120s. And . . . . after Tetge comes around the outside, we close on the end of a long straight and hit a fist turn; on the entry, Tetge's hard on the brakes, doing a Marquez or Rossi front wheel wheelie, levitating the rear wheel, deftly setting it down just as he heels it into that three figure turn.

Does Brakelate ghost write your fictional material, or do you write it yourself? The videos clearly show that you ran off and hid on every segment of the ride. And, the Duke is a 690, not a 696, which makes a lot of difference. It is my impression that it may top out at about 115 indicated, which is about 110 true, with its current shorter than stock gearing, and given enough room to crawl up to top speed from 85 or soi, but, your 525 must go at least that, according to Brakelate's report. I did appreciate you waiting for me at the base of Stumpy and then your running up the hill at reduced speed so that I could sort of hang in, see how its done by a pro, and get some video of you in action. But, there were a couple of places going up Stumpy, that you can clearly see in the video, where your sandbagging slipped and you forgot and accidently gassed your 525 and it jumped away from me. I haven't done any displacement/HP per curb weight with rider comps, but, you had the edge based upon what I saw from way back with zero chance of catching you. Pretty impressive KTM and at least you do not dishonor the ready to race machine with lackluster riding, as I do.

It was hard to get video on all the players other than some shots of when they passed me since they were all too fast for me, and my brother was making a point of lagging back far enough to be able to pretend that he didn't know any of us. But, he ran Bouquet as fast as Brakelate. and mikedbike. and me (ain't video handy?), and that means that he was very capable of running a pretty good pace, off camera.

It was a good ride and it felt good to me to get out and ride, even at my languid pace, but, as usual the video came out sort of boring. I can see you all leaning over and strafing the Bouquet Cyn. corners, but, a combination of lens and distance makes it hard to know how technical Bouquet actually is, and how some of those innocent looking corners can rise up and bite you. I guess if there are no lurid crashes or people backing it in against oncoming traffic, videos are not considered interesting. But, I would think that a knowledgeable person watching the videos would recognize that the fast riders had mad skills. Too bad I couldn't keep the pace to get more of it on video, but I did get mikedbike, and, as usual, he was deceptively smooth, so it looked easy on video. But, blink and he is gone.................

[jhwalker]

where are the shenanigans? Where is Brakelate trying to toe-toss a 3 ft snake on someone without slowing? (am I just imagining that, did we have a vid of that somewhere in the past?) Where are the chorus line wheelies and stoppies? Are there just too many cops?

[xbacksideslider]

Notice, Tetge's misdirection. He does not deny passing me at well over 100 MPH. Further, it is telling isn't it? . . . that there's no video of that pass either, as he slithered it into that corner, hard on the front, light in the rear, heeling it over, and gassing it on the exit. I had the best seat in the house; that hot entry was a thing of skill and beauty.

[Tetge]

Notice, Tetge's misdirection. He does not deny passing me at well over 100 MPH. Further, it is telling isn't it? . . . that there's no video of that pass either, as he slithered it into that corner, hard on the front, light in the rear, heeling it over, and gassing it on the exit. I had the best seat in the house; that hot entry was a thing of skill and beauty.

Sure, as if I have ever gone 100 per, especially on Sunday's ride where the corners were frequent and tight. And, of course, there is no video since I never passed you once all day. But, the video that I linked to showed you passing me many times. Amazing how distorted the truth can get, even when the evidence is right there. As I said, Brakelate fooled me completely as he said that he talked you into bringing your KTM, which he represented as faulted in its handling and not all that fast. Then I find out that it is a 260 pound, 50HP monster that flat scoots to 120 mph (it is estimated) and handled like it was on rails. So, Brakelate cooperated in setting me up for the kill. I'd hoped that I might at least have a chance in a straight line, but my off the shelf stock street model was no match for a modified full race bike. As it turned out, even mikedbike's killer hot rod DR-Z was snapping out of corners pretty darned hard too.

I thought that the Saturday ride crew was difficult to handle and humbling, but the Sunday crew was an even rougher crowd that took no prisoners, and the videos prove that, for, it is said that a video is worth a thousand words. Especially words forged in the imaginations of such as Brakelate and now, xbackslideslider. It is slander, I tell you.

[Brakelate]

No, it is I, who am appreciative that everyone took a nice, smooth, entertaining pace, that didn't set the bar too high above the limitations of me or my machine.


Everyone was very courteous and maintained "special awareness", even while passing me. I also thought that it was very generous of Norton John not to have wicked it up, and closed me out, when he slowed his pace just enough so that I could catch up, and then, even attempt a inside line uphill corkscrew pass made possible only by his slowing, and my own momentum conservation running deep and hot into that corner. He could have quite easily "locked me out" big time, with just a twist of a wrist on that big KTM of his (which much to my surprise, seems very well sorted out, geared correctly and had enough time on it to have grown very comfortable with the odd supermoto machine, with it's wide bars, narrow center, and VERY tall seat height, which usually throws life long clamped down and firmed up road racer suspended machines fits. Especially in the many very quick, "crown over" left-right-left transitions that has one's brain feeling as though they are a steel marble on a string, being swung through it's max arc. He took to it as though he were doing it for years. I suspect someone has been putting MANY miles on that very road on that exact machine, to polish and rough edges or work out any glitches he might have come across mentally or simply in the wildly different dynamics involved when reprogramming one's brain from a "low and tight" RR bike to a "Tall and Springy" Supermoto.

He appeared to have all the confidence (and torque!!!) in the world. Pulling my handily on every corner exit, straight or extended top gear pulls. The little Dizzer got it's work out for sure this weekend. Time to start sharpening my own Katana and focusing on my form to ensure that I am safe and clean, even if I have a very limited chance of maintaining the pace of this crew.

Hmmm. Back to look at that Ducati Multistrada. Just a bit more weight, quite a bit more power and the goodies, like center stand, hard bags and all of that. Perhaps that is just enough to keep me in the hunt, or at least in view of the rear of the pack of the group, now that everyone has "stepped it up" a notch or so.

Kelly is always a pleasure to ride with, and Mike is always right there... ready to lead if you let him, able to follow (and push you along) if you don't, all without worries.

That was the real treat; Just the "right" number of folks for a good "Group Ride", all trusted, experienced and prepared participants that you do not have to worry about, either cruising along , or when everyone hits their own special place, time and mood to "pull the trigger" and leap frog through the pack. All without ego, attitudes or excuses.

Well, a few excuses; I'm on a tiny 400 dual sport, with a big top box, full of fuel, and on old tires and even older riding skills... I haven't blasted an Apex in anger since the last BSA meet at Isabella. So, not too bad for wiping the dust off the saddle, airing up the squared off tires and going at it after literally only two rides to lunch down a straight country road in the last year.

Yup. Time I sharpen my tools. And consider a larger blade, since I seem to have a bad habit of bringing a tiny pocket knife to these Gun Fights on the home turf of others.

[Tetge]

As usual Brakelate is a master writer and there was a lot of truth in what he wrote. But, laced into the truths was one bit of misdirection, since everyone would agree that he was the fastest rider there, when he put his knee down and got serious. Of course, his DR-Z was the second slowest bike on the ride (only my DR-Z was slower) but top speed and acceleration are not required "...in the many very quick, "crown over" left-right-left transitions that has one's brain feeling as though they are a steel marble on a string...", and "...I could catch up, and then, even attempt a inside line uphill corkscrew pass..." Brakelate put his advanced bike handling skills on display both days and it was a privilege to witness them, when he was in sight. Also, those old square, chunky looking, rain, race tires, of his, appeared to work just fine, and, there were zero chicken strips to be seen on them. As I have previously noted, and as a person looking carefully at my videos can see, this entire crew, with the exception of me, were all very skilled riders, and, they rode at a very quick pace. I would not even want to guess at the total combined seat time that they had between them, just this year. And, three of them have collections of multiple bikes including old English iron.

So, from a person who rides at in a lower tier as far as skills and speeds go, it was thrilling to tag along. And, my brother, who hung back, had a good time, although he did comment that he was amazed at the ride's pace since he had to lay out and push the little DR-Z to the end of its speed to even keep the main pack in distant sight when the road straightened out. He said that they went 100 everywhere (Slider says ".....he does not deny passing me at well over 100 MPH...") , but, that was an exaggeration, as they slowed to 60 or so for the tight corners. So, there are some, beside me, that think that there was a hotter than normal pace being set by the ride leaders.

But, of course, after the ride is completed, if one lives, there is that moment when one appreciates life more than usual. So, in some ways, a good brisk ride is therapeutic. And, a good brisk ride by a good group of riders is group therapy. A person should be allowed to deduct the cost of such rides as a medical expenses on their income taxes.