Learning to Ride (Track vs Street)

[smileyman]

Relax, dont do it.
When you want to step to it.
Relax, dont do it. When you wann pass....

Rae's tantric riding philosphy is very sexy...

[Trip]

Originally Posted by the chi

Right. Even as a rider myself, when I see someone riding like a douche in traffic I secretly hope they learn a lesson sometime, someplace. Douchebaggery like that gives the rest of us a bad image. I dont appreciate being run off the road because someone had a bad experience with some other rider.

If you want to ride like its your own personal track, take it to the track, and keep it off the roads where other people have the right to some common road courtesy.

No thanks, if you got a problem with that, tough shit.

It's totally awesome that you wish other riders to wreck.

[the chi]

Why be a douche trip? Because I dont agree? Poor you.

What goes around comes around.

You're the one who mentioned that you were interested in what made a better street rider and the skills involved that you apparently dont have, then turned a 180 and bragged about what a douche you like to be on the street. Make up your mind already. I just participated in the conversation and shared what works for me. If you dont like it, dont read it.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by the chi

Why be a douche trip? Because I dont agree? Poor you.

What goes around comes around.

You're the one who mentioned that you were interested in what made a better street rider and the skills involved that you apparently dont have, then turned a 180 and bragged about what a douche you like to be on the street. Make up your mind already. I just participated in the conversation and shared what works for me. If you dont like it, dont read it.

Me be a douche? I am not the one hoping ill will falls on a fellow rider. It's a douchetastic thing to say, no matter what they do.

I can choose to have an opinion that a better street rider doesn't do the things I do and then not follow that opinion. Riding the way I do is fun for me, but I am not going to make silly excuses to say it's ok or a good way to ride. It's harmful and dangerous. I like it. I just believe a better street rider will obey the rules of the road.

I am not bragging about what I do and don't suggest anyone should ride that way.

I can read it and argue my opinion, that's what makes this a discussion.

[Captain Morgan]

I don't have time to read through the whole thread. I think the track is good for teaching you the limits of your bike and how to handle things when you think you're coming in too hot for a turn. I can say with absolute certainty that if I had not had track time, I would have gone down on the way from your house to the rally. I came in way too hot for a couple turns, but because I've ridden on the track (even without the strom) I knew that I could hold the turn if I just looked through and trusted the tires. I only knew that because of track experience, even though that experience was on an R6 and not the strom.

Knowing how to ride and how to operate a motorcycle is one thing, but the track gave me the confidence to handle turns I wouldn't have handled well at all. Was I riding over my head on that trip? Yeah, because I hadn't been riding for 5 years, except for the past couple months. But, I was still able to handle my mistake without going down, solely because of track experience.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Captain Morgan

I don't have time to read through the whole thread. I think the track is good for teaching you the limits of your bike and how to handle things when you think you're coming in too hot for a turn. I can say with absolute certainty that if I had not had track time, I would have gone down on the way from your house to the rally. I came in way too hot for a couple turns, but because I've ridden on the track (even without the strom) I knew that I could hold the turn if I just looked through and trusted the tires. I only knew that because of track experience, even though that experience was on an R6 and not the strom.

Knowing how to ride and how to operate a motorcycle is one thing, but the track gave me the confidence to handle turns I wouldn't have handled well at all. Was I riding over my head on that trip? Yeah, because I hadn't been riding for 5 years, except for the past couple months. But, I was still able to handle my mistake without going down, solely because of track experience.

HA HA, yeah that was fun, but we were also well over the rules of the road as well. So we were being douches.

[OTB]

You are talking about two entirely different things; skill and judgment.

There is a difference between technical "skill"; the ability to use the motorcycle to it's performance limits, and judgment; which is the ability to use the proper skill at the proper or appropriate time.

A technically competent rider can be scary to ride with on the street, because he or she uses poor judgment and puts others at risk. I know a fellow who lives a few miles from the Gap....he's a whiz and will leave anybody I know and ride with in the dust.

He's also a prick to ride with in a group; he gets impatient and buzzes up the middle, he shows off constantly, ect. ect. ect.

When he shows up for a ride now, I "remember a business appointment and have to leave". I know I'm no peach to be around, but his antics are both scary and annoying.

He's far more skilled than I'll ever be, but his riding scares the crap out of me because he rides like nobody else is around; either other bikers, cagers or the locals who have to put up with his shenanigans.

For what it's worth.

[the chi]

Great post!

[Mudpuppy]

yep i think that sums it up