Anyone hear enjoy a good blast in the 3 digit range now and again?

[immtbiker]

Hi Tyll!!!!

When I hit a high speed (especially where I live) it's never for more than 3 seconds, then, it's back down to earth. The rest of the time is spent enjoying the ride.

As far as deer is concerned...not too many near the highways within a 30 mile radius where I get to ride.

Now, rats, on the other hand....

[Tyll Hertsens]

I've got deer in my back yard often ... and it's just a neighborhood lot backyard.

You can keep your rats. Really I was just posting pix to make you jealous.

Here, lemme do it again:

Edit: Say is there going to be a CanJam in NY?

Edited November 12, 2010 by Tyll Hertsens

[Wmcmanus]

I've just stumbled across this thread. Tyll, don't tell me that the barmaid who is flipping you the bird was just some stranger you met along the way on your epic journey this summer. That would be way too cool, and way too Tyll.

I've got to admit, my Ducati still scares the crap out of me. I've got a 2008 S4RS monster tricolore. I've yet to put 100 miles on it and I've owned it for nearly a year. I've been up to 4th gear and maybe 80-85 mph. Oh, I'll get there one day, for sure. It just hasn't been a priority yet. The bike was mothballed in my trailer for 6 months last winter/spring while I was in Cayman.

Then I had to do the motorcycle safety course in Florida to get the endorsement on my license. Yet, I did have about 3 months that I could have taken advantage of but never did. My mom was riding along with me for part of last summer, and we took a lot of fun rides in the Atom. I just didn't have the heart for the bike.

At the same time, I have enjoyed the few miles I've put on it to date. It's pretty smooth and effortless, just so overpowered and completely unhappy at less than 4k rpm. At about 5.5k it starts to feel at home and (I'm told) will get up to 11k rpm before it redlines with the aftermarket exhaust and power commander that the previous owner had put on it. So it has got the goods (dyno'ed at over 123 hp). Not so sure that I do. At least not quite yet.

The Atom is a completely different story. I couldn't feel more at home driving it, and in many ways find it easier to drive than ANYTHING I've ever driven. That is, once I got used to the fact that there is absolutely no driver's assistance (no ABS, no power steering, no traction control) and thus you need to drive it yourself!

The Atom just does what a car is supposed to do, so long as you are vigilant about making sure that the steering wheel is as near to 100% straight as possible whenever you're about to brake hard or accelerate hard. Brake, turn in, then begin to unwind as you get back on it. Don't get all the way back on it while still unwinding, and don't brake hard after you've begun turning in. The first hint that the rear end is about to give out is when you see it wrapping around in front of you!

I've been thinking quite seriously about getting a lower powered Ducati for Cayman. That would give me a chance to sort of grow into the art of riding a more serious bike than my 125cc Vespa scooter.

In truth, the Vespa is all I really NEED for Cayman, other than those times when I pull out in front of oncoming traffic and forget that it takes a LONG TIME to get up to speed, even if traffic is only moving at 40 mph. For now, I just need to remember that the Vespa is a totally different beast than the Ducait. It takes almost as much time to get up to 60 mph as my Volvo semi truck does!

The bikes I'm looking are the Ducati M796 (monster) and HM796 (hypermotrad). The hyper is supposedly more fun to ride, especially in town and at low to moderate speeds. The monster fits me better in the sense of offering a more comfortable riding position, and I much prefer it in terms of aesthetics.

Ducati Hypermotard 796 - Ducati

Ducati Monster 796 - Ducati

My plan is to test ride both of them in Tampa at the end of this month and make a decision at that point. I'm leaning kind of strongly toward the monster, but if the ride tells me differently, and if the hyper looks better in person, I might still go that way.

[immtbiker]

I've got deer in my back yard often ... and it's just a neighborhood lot backyard.

You can keep your rats. Really I was just posting pix to make you jealous.

Here, lemme do it again:

OK. I'm officially jealous. We have some really nice roads up in Upper Westchester and Orange County (yes, that's the same one where OCC is). What people who don't come from NY don't know (double negative) is that 20 minutes away from NYC is all mountains (or hills) and go a little farther north and you are in the Catskills and the Adirondacks.

All you have to do, is make it out of the city limits alive, and there's some twisties and scenery that will rival a good percentage of roadways in the country. We do have a lot of one-eyed cops with lasers in their faces all over the place especially at the end of the month. This is why you get your blast (120-170) and then immediately back off until you're back in the mix (around '70), but I swear, at '70, it almost feels as if your standing still.

Nothing rival riding upstate or out west, the only problem is finding an occupation that will afford living there. Unless you are a professional, or own a business, it's tough to sustain a way of life that will afford you the luxury of having a nice bike and a roof that keeps the rain off of your family's head.

The Appalachian Trail runs right near my house and makes it's way up to Maine, so my family does hike it a lot (especially in Bear Mtn., Vermont, and New Hampshire).

I've spent a couple of weeks on a rented Harley Ultra Glide Classic, but there's only so many cornfields and cows on flat land that you can endure.

Track days are fun, and I will do 1 every year until I can't bend any more, then it will be time for a large cruiser.

[livewire]

140 on my 2001 Yammy FZ1 1000.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3969[/ATTACH]

Too chicken to push it further. Hell, I get tunnel vision at 125.

I'm taking a hiatus from riding until my youngest graduates HS in a few years.

Then it's cross-country baby![ATTACH=CONFIG]3968[/ATTACH]

[NoValidTitle]

I plan on going to a Keith Code class this year at NJMP also. Can't wait! I'm supposed to be going to Deals Gap in August this year, should be fun. The fastest I've had my R6 up to was around 140. While I do love hitting the triple digits the corners is what I love.

My current ride:

And my current project ride

[grawk]

I love springers