Just wondering how many racers have stoped riding street since they started racing? Before I started I had heard that alot of guys/girls no longer ride street once they started riding the track?
I will admit that street does not come close to the rush and excitement of racing or even track days, but I'm not ready to give up street....just yet....
Stumpy rides his 929 to work and back everyday...it's his summer vehicle. However, he does not enjoy it like he used to before he raced. He doesn't go for rides anymore unless it's with me on my bike. We've got some great twisty roads for day trips around here, so it is fun to go out on a nice day for a cruise--no more shrattin' anymore for Stump on the street. Between deer, trees, giant mosquitos and cars, too scary :o .
It's cute though, he's got the other street guys switching to GP shifting...
The only thing I ride on the street now is my BMW R1200C cruiser. I ride it slow and mellow and don't mind street racers on GSXR 1000's blowing by me doing wheelies and looking at me I am some slow cruiser idiot getting in their way.
Street riding has definitely changed for me... I've pretty much given up "recreational" riding (long-distance touring) because my money and vacation time all go somewhere else (for the second year in a row, I've put on more miles on the track than on the street!). I will always commute (the bagger is great for going to the grocery store and running errands, and seems to get me to/from work a little more quickly than the car)... but something is definitely different.
Getting off the TL and getting on the Harley makes me notice things about the bike that I never felt before (it's suddenly become very heavy, and WALLOWS its way through turns - a really funky oscillating kind of feeling when leaning at anything over 85... dragging hard parts is not at all comfy and I'd really like to upgrade the brakes).
I also have less patience for traffic and find it increasingly difficult to obey posted speed limits. Probably not a good thing. (John says I'm on my own for the next engine rebuild). Maybe it's good that the "other" TL is nowhere near being ready to return to "street trim". Then, there's the gear issue. Suddenly, I'm extremely aware of things like my knees and body parts in general. Think I'd really like to have a 2-piece suit before "streeting" the other TL. And yeah, I'm wearing a helmet a lot more, too.
I haven't ridden on the street at all this year but probably would a little if I had multiple bikes. The main thing I miss is just riding with my buddies.
I haven't ridden a street bike since I quit riding motorcycles in 1994. Now that I race, I just drive my 2002 Ferrari 360 Modena on the street :)
I very rarely will borrow my dad's Bandit 600 to ride, or my buddy Butch's 748, but it just isn't any fun for me on the street. I tend to ride really close to the speed limit and am very aware that I am not wearing leathers, etc. Mainly, my street riding since I started hitting the track consists of a run around the neighborhood to bed in brake pads. ;)
Riding on the street is to dangerous. I'll stick to racing and driving superducks 360 Bri will you be @ BFR this weekend?
I get tooooo many tickets on the street >:(
But the only thing the street is good for is WHEELIES!! ;D ;D
I dont ride on the street much. Sold my R1 to buy the Sv and started racing every once in awhile i will borrow a bike to take my women riding or i jump on my dads Harley dresser and drag the floor boards down some twisties freaking out all the squids on the street. You should see there faces when they get passed by a big old farts dresser dragging the floor boards!!! ;D
When im driving to work or somewhere and i see soem bikes go by,
first thought: Squids ! No helmets, no gloves, T-shirts and jeans.
Second thought:
I miss riding my bike around town and for a few hours on the weekends.
Then While at the Track:
For Instance going into T3 in 4th place in ULSS on the first lap at last weekends races, with just inches between each bike,
THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN RIDING ON THE STREET!!
I have a street bike still but it does not get rode that often.2002 gsxr 1000 with only 1200 miles.I have never rode without a helmet or ride at the level that i ride on the race track..
I always had some kind of want for street riding, but it needed to be different. Bought a 1979 Yamaha XT500 (single cylinder, aluminum tank, dual rear shocks) for the street in the early '90's. Wanted to put 19" wheels on it and all, would have made it like a Supermotard bike before motard racing. Did put street oriented tires on it though. I could drag my toes around clover leafs but it would only go about 90 before really getting wobbly. Oh, and I could shoot dirt and grass all over friends with sport bikes at the ATM... ;D
Sold it about three years ago to a guy that worked for Buell.
I rarely ride on the street anymore, but if I do the most common time for me to do so is in the spring before racing starts to get back in sync with a bike again after a long winters sleep. I do get the desire to ride on the street occasionally, but then I go racing and purge that thought from my head. I have also heard that riding on the street can negatively affect your racing by putting bad street habits in your brain, I don't know how true that is, but I suppose it could be true to an extent?
On a slightly different twist to riding on the street, I read somewhere (I believe it was Cycle News?) that motorcycle riders with 5 years+ experience are statistically far safer drivers on the road of anything they operate. Not to say that they don't mess around, but after a few years it's so ingrained in your brain to always be watching for 'the other guy' that motorcyclists accident rate (in cars, trucks, etc.) is actually lower than non riders. That whole mentality of the average driver thinking ' I am in a vehicle that will probably protect me in most accidents and my insurance will just buy me a new car anyways' is really sad! Too bad they are the ones that often times take out motorcyclists.
I traded my street bike for a kart. I figure the more track time I can get the better. My wife has a 900 monster she rides about 100 miles a year so I just zip tie a light and the tag with a brake light screwed to it to cruse with her. We did get to ride a 999 around Austin this weekend. It was fun but the cars make me nervous and I cant get my self to ride nearly as fast as I used to on the street.
I can't stand being trapped in a car. I'm not quite to 100k street miles in my street riding life, but I can't imagine not street riding.
Nothing compares to racing, but I'd ride a Pacific Coast on the street if that was all I could get my hands on.
QuoteNothing compares to racing, but I'd ride a Pacific Coast on the street if that was all I could get my hands on.
Yeah, I always wanted to ride one of those. The Honda dealer that sponsored me back in 1992/1993 when I did AMA Pro stuff was one of the first Honda dealers. I thought the ST1100 (now they are 1300's?) was cool, but he told me the Pacific Coast was much better. It just seems like a sleeper bike. I think they can be picked up pretty cheap since they just weren't popular.
QuoteI can't stand being trapped in a car. I'm not quite to 100k street miles in my street riding life, but I can't imagine not street riding.
I agree. I have been street riding for 24 years, about 250,000 miles. I mostly commute on my bike (70 miles per day, 200+ days per year). Between racing and owning a 120 year old Victorian, I don't have much time/desire to ride on the weekends.
The street is not the race track, to me streets are for getting from point A to point B. I ride in such a way that I will arrive at point B.