I can't ride fast on the road anymore
-
- Posts: 11234
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
I should probably add a bit more information, I'm getting more enjoyment from riding a motorcycle now than I have in the last 20 years, it's just that my cornering speed is way down on what it used to be, I'm not brave enough to charge into corners at 100+ mph anymore, there's a corner I used to use on test rides, and I can remember riding an R6 round it at about 130 and not buying the R6 because it ran wide through this corner, I bought a GSXR750K2 instead because it would go round this corner at over 130, I now go round the corner at about 90 maximum, and 80 is more likely (the speed limit on this corner is 60 btw)
I feel like I should be trying harder, but I've no real desire to ride any faster, I'm enjoying riding at a steady pace, it's got so bad that if a bike comes past me I don't try to race it anymore, I just let it go.
I feel like I should be trying harder, but I've no real desire to ride any faster, I'm enjoying riding at a steady pace, it's got so bad that if a bike comes past me I don't try to race it anymore, I just let it go.
Honda Owner
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
Yup, if you're sitting traffic you might as well be in a car in my book, not sure that I'd say I get more fun from carving up lots of traffic than enjoyment from a fast* open road though.MrLongbeard wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 3:08 pmBut but but, that's the fun part, I get a million percent more fun from carving up traffic than going balls out fast
* Fast being a relative term as I've never raced, barely done any track days & never owned a race rep.
-
- Posts: 13960
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:57 pm
- Location: Milton Keynes
- Has thanked: 2552 times
- Been thanked: 6258 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
Well in that case, Ricey pretty much nailed it!Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 3:23 pm I should probably add a bit more information, I'm getting more enjoyment from riding a motorcycle now than I have in the last 20 years, it's just that my cornering speed is way down on what it used to be, I'm not brave enough to charge into corners at 100+ mph anymore, there's a corner I used to use on test rides, and I can remember riding an R6 round it at about 130 and not buying the R6 because it ran wide through this corner, I bought a GSXR750K2 instead because it would go round this corner at over 130, I now go round the corner at about 90 maximum, and 80 is more likely (the speed limit on this corner is 60 btw)
I feel like I should be trying harder, but I've no real desire to ride any faster, I'm enjoying riding at a steady pace, it's got so bad that if a bike comes past me I don't try to race it anymore, I just let it go.
-
- Posts: 1153
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 620 times
- Been thanked: 407 times
- Yorick
- Posts: 16753
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:20 pm
- Location: Paradise
- Has thanked: 10273 times
- Been thanked: 6891 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
On mine I can do 5 or 6 in a breath. 200 gee gees shoves you forward fairly quicklyMrLongbeard wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 3:08 pmBut but but, that's the fun part, I get a million percent more fun from carving up traffic than going balls out fast
- gremlin
- Posts: 5930
- Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:12 pm
- Location: Kent (AKA God's own country)
- Has thanked: 810 times
- Been thanked: 4806 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
Big, comfy, built-in smell of wee. Why not.
I'm lovin' the Tiger.
All aboard the Peckham Pigeon! All aboard!
- wull
- Posts: 3067
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
- Location: Alloa
- Has thanked: 881 times
- Been thanked: 1551 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
I’ve toned it down to this now, getting old these days, it’s not so easy like it was 10 years ago.
- Skub
- Posts: 12175
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
- Location: Norn Iron
- Has thanked: 9835 times
- Been thanked: 10149 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
- KungFooBob
- Posts: 14221
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
- Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
- Has thanked: 539 times
- Been thanked: 7538 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
Try 20 years ago when we had to film everything with a potato.
- Taipan
- Posts: 13959
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:48 pm
- Location: Essex Riviera!
- Has thanked: 15973 times
- Been thanked: 10251 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
Lost a couple of friends who crashed whilst speeding. The fall out from that slowed me down. But it was probably a bit easier for me as I was never fast anyway. My first experience of motorised transport (that I was in control of) was a motorbike. It was amazing not having to pedal to get somewhere. I've never lost that allure and just enjoy pootling about on a bike.
- wull
- Posts: 3067
- Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
- Location: Alloa
- Has thanked: 881 times
- Been thanked: 1551 times
- Tricky
- Posts: 1819
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:46 pm
- Location: Chilterns
- Has thanked: 2568 times
- Been thanked: 2680 times
-
- Posts: 11234
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
Cousin Jack wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 11:32 am I never could. At least you can remember being a hooligan.
Honda Owner
- ZRX61
- Posts: 5167
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:05 pm
- Location: Solar Blight Valley
- Has thanked: 1509 times
- Been thanked: 1415 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
ZX11 saw 130+ on Sunday & there was about 15 miles of 100-110mph cruising
- Yorick
- Posts: 16753
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:20 pm
- Location: Paradise
- Has thanked: 10273 times
- Been thanked: 6891 times
- Yorick
- Posts: 16753
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:20 pm
- Location: Paradise
- Has thanked: 10273 times
- Been thanked: 6891 times
-
- Posts: 1153
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:28 pm
- Has thanked: 620 times
- Been thanked: 407 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
You need to give it plenty of throttle then gan it reet over.
- ZRX61
- Posts: 5167
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:05 pm
- Location: Solar Blight Valley
- Has thanked: 1509 times
- Been thanked: 1415 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
The difference is being held up & dawdling along.. or riding at a speed you're comfortable with. I tend to drive/ride at a speed I'm comfortable with at least 95% of the time, it's most often a bit faster than what's on the signs. Oddly enough I was doing just that last week in the ST & looked down to see I was driving right at the speed limit. Most bizarre.Scotsrich wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 2:34 pm I’ve slowed down a lot in the past few years, even my wife has noticed it. The GS really exacerbated it and getting the R has speeded me back up slightly.
Not so much A roads or motorways, I’ll still sit at 80-90 but it’s the overtakes I can’t be bothered with.
Where’s the point in doing a blast past and cut in if there’s another 15 cars in front of you? So I find myself just dawdling along in a queue of traffic doing 20mph slower than I would be normally.
CHP policy is "motorcyclists are safer when they travel a bit faster than other road users".. of course they don't like that being mentioned when it's just taken Ofc Dibble 4 miles to get you to notice the christmas lights..
-
- Posts: 5003
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 3:39 pm
- Has thanked: 4364 times
- Been thanked: 2853 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
See whilst I was never as fast as you, I did used to ride with fair abandon all the time. Houses etc on country roads would get the same 100+mph as anywhere else, but I've just got old (mentally at least, I'm only 46) I think. Now I think, Nah, I'd get right pissed off if someone was doing 120 passed my house so I knock my speed down passed houses etc. And that's a knock down from the sub 100mph speeds I do anyway cos I'm too paranoid about losing my license.
Don't think it helps that the last time I upped my pace on the GSXS on a nice flowing A road my spidey sense started tingling and I knocked it off about half a mile before I come across 3 coppers with a stopped group of very sheepish looking bikers. Couldn't help thinking I'd had a lucky escape.
I ride down roads I used to do 130- 150 mph on and think yeech. But that's only for me. In the main I go on the basis I did it so if other still do fair one.
Having said that, I think a bit like @Le_Fromage_Grande it's not impacted my enjoyment at all. I've embraced my current pace and really enjoy it. I have Rahhhhhhh moments in brief bursts but generally like riding 'well' as opposed to fast. It's all relative though compared to the cars Sunday I was a rocketship
-
- Posts: 2527
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:37 pm
- Location: Layer-de-la-Haye
- Has thanked: 2248 times
- Been thanked: 1242 times
Re: I can't ride fast on the road anymore
I think since I gave up trackdays I've slowed down massively on the road, maybe because I don't really do many miles either?
Just went to the garage and checked the max recorded speed on my bike, probably last 18 months since a new battery
Just went to the garage and checked the max recorded speed on my bike, probably last 18 months since a new battery