Triumphrat

saphena

I started riding three years ago, from scratch. UK rules, so 125s capable of 65mph (with a little effort). Having obtained my full licence (with 33bhp limit) I bought my Bonneville, joined an advanced riding club and worked hard at improving my skills.

Every now and then throughout this adventure I've gone riding with a mate who's been riding for 30+ years. He has always complained that I'm not fast enough (even when he's surprised that I've somehow managed to keep up) and gets quite upset that I stick to posted limits.

On Saturday, he and I went out for a ride, about 120 miles, fast dual carriageway down to single track country lane and everything in between.

I really didn't mind having to wait at junctions and he seems to have stopped complaining about how slowly I ride.

What's given you cause for smug satisfaction in your riding career?

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Bob - Ringer, Iron Butt, not dead yet
Switch to reserve ~120 miles, fuel panic ~150

"Just because you're offended doesn't make you right" Ricky Gervais

HiDesert

When I moved from Kentucky to Maryland, I was still riding my CB650, which I very much wanted to accessorize with a sportbike. Pretty much any sportbike would have been fine. So when I noticed my neighbor had a current 600 Ninja, I made a point of introducing myself post haste. I was, truth be told, rather jealous. Not too long after we moved in, we went for a ride. I figured I'd be lucky to stay within a mile of him, at best.

I actually knew the area better, having lived there before, so he asked me to pick a route. Naturally, I chose the curviest roads within a 20 mile radius. And left him in the dust. I actually had to lug it a bit, or I'd have lost him.

When we got back to the house(s), we talked a bit. He was amazed at what my old bike could do. Turns out, he actually bought the bike to ride into downtown () and blast from stoplight to stoplight (). He said he'd never ridden like that before.

I may have felt a tiny bit smug. An slightly less jealous.

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I won't stop riding because you tell me about someone who died in an accident, just as I won't stop eating because someone died of e.coli.

HiDesert's ride photos

wenzel850

I know this is wrong, but there are only Harley's and crotch rockets where I live.

One day on my favorite piece of road, a Harley rider was styling for his female passenger, he tried to out run me going up a hill and around a corner. Well when I went by him I shifted into 5th gear and kept on rolling.

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Quentin

SlowPocono

Don’t feel too bad. You can’t help it. It’s like those mechanical rabbits that the greyhounds chase. You see one of those tail lights and you have to chase it. The main difference is you are always rewarded by catching the prey. The same condition afflicts me. Off to the hunt I say!

Oh, by the way, there's also a 750 Bonneville where you live.

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LittleJoe

I love passing newer, lighter and higher HP bikes at the racetrack.

I'm usually on my 98 ZX-7R, which weighs about 450 pounds, and puts out 115 hp at the rear wheel. My last two track days have been on the 02 Ducati 748s I picked up last Christmas. It weighs in around 445 pounds and only puts out 100 hp at the rear wheel.

Since I only have "old technology" to rely on with my bikes, I love having the skills to catch, pass and stay in front of brand new bikes with better brakes, suspension, and a ton more HP.

Sal Paradise

"What's given you cause for smug satisfaction in your riding career?"

Prides comes before a fall. I would avoid smug satisfaction like a speeding garbage truck. To a fellow rider - stay humble and focused. If you must ride fast, stay a little scared.

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Drunk on the wind in my mouth,
Wringing the handlebar for speed,
Wild to be wreckage forever.

Nickwiz

I'm faster than everyone I ride with in our group whatever I'm riding on(excluding vintage bikes and mopeds!)! And though there others out there in other groups faster than me, they are suicidal accident magnets.

I can be ready to ride in a few minutes and always have to wait for the paranoid armour clad masses to finish suiting up every time we go out.

I can identify a bike at a thousand paces, just by some detail or sound.

I can fix em when I break em too.

I am Ogri incarnate.

My ego and head is much bigger than everyone elses!

(I leave it up to you whether you believe my unadulterated bragging or not)

Sal Paradise

Nick,

If I were you, I would be pretty smugly satisfied with that avatar.

Pretty cool.

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Drunk on the wind in my mouth,
Wringing the handlebar for speed,
Wild to be wreckage forever.

SlowPocono

ULTRA cool!

MrsNickwiz

All of what MrNickwiz says is true, and it's me he has to wait for as I get kitted up, he might be waiting even longer now

My smuggest moment was overtaking MrNickwiz on my SV650S on a hairpin bend when we were riding up the Passo Pordoi in the Dolomite mountains in Italy. Usually he way out rides me, but this time I outrode him and beat him to the top.

Sal, you are right about pride coming before a fall though. On the way back down the same pass we both got overtaken by two Italian teenagers on mopeds! Ah well