R3d Ryd3r
Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2007
- Messages
- 13
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Yesterday was beautiful. mid 80's and the sun was taking it's time heading for the horizon. I got home in time to get a few outside chores done, and fire up the FJR for a little romp. No big deal, it's like going for run, clearing my head of all the crap I have to deal with on daily basis. I yell "back in 40 min hun!" to my wife around the corner who is watering some new plant. I head off to one of my favorite stretches’ of road, its a little country road not 500 ft from my house that winds its way to Horse and wine country just outside Middleburg VA.
I lead rides for another sport bike oriented site in the area and have been setting max speeds for roads and entire rides. I feel that doing 120mph down the straight, and breaking off the lever so your cornering speed is 45mph is just silly and dangerous for a group ride, trying to maintain your entry speed down the straights and entering the corner with little or no adjustment to speed is what makes a group ride more enjoyable. Exit speeds for this particular road is between 65 and 70mph for me, and I was maintaining 70mph on the straights. Perfectly in control, good sight lines, make this a spirited pace without flogging the brakes, and endangering the on coming traffic, if there was any.
I looked down and saw my corner exit speed, right at 70mph
HOLY SH!T!!!!!!!!
There was a little deer, grazing on the grass on the roadside, I spooked her and she jumped into my lane.
Hard on the lever, brakes clamp down, moderating the effort, the little fawn decides to run TOWARDS ME. stupid deer.
I grab a fistful of brakes, and I feel the anti-lock kick in, small pulses, and very effective.
Did I mention I was leaned over at 70mph? The bike did stand up a little, my line did go a little wide, but never into the other lane of traffic, never did the front end want to slip out, in-fact, the rear end was grabbing and I did get a little crossed up, the back just came out a little.
The little deer just wrinkled her nose at me as a went by, at about 20mph.
Whew! I readjusted and just pulled in the clutch for a moment, and just coasted.....
I thought "on my old VFR without the anti-locks, that would have been more involved" and I realized that had i been on my buddies CBR1000RR that I covet, I might have been in one of two places.
Low sided because the front tire went out from under me under hard breaking in the turn.
Or
the back of the bike would have come over and completed the turn without me, in a stoppie, throw me off the bike thingy.
Thanks to my choice of the stable, touring, AKA "old man" bike. I am coasting down the road clutch in, wondering why that deer decided to eat grass on my road.
R3d
I lead rides for another sport bike oriented site in the area and have been setting max speeds for roads and entire rides. I feel that doing 120mph down the straight, and breaking off the lever so your cornering speed is 45mph is just silly and dangerous for a group ride, trying to maintain your entry speed down the straights and entering the corner with little or no adjustment to speed is what makes a group ride more enjoyable. Exit speeds for this particular road is between 65 and 70mph for me, and I was maintaining 70mph on the straights. Perfectly in control, good sight lines, make this a spirited pace without flogging the brakes, and endangering the on coming traffic, if there was any.
I looked down and saw my corner exit speed, right at 70mph
HOLY SH!T!!!!!!!!
There was a little deer, grazing on the grass on the roadside, I spooked her and she jumped into my lane.
Hard on the lever, brakes clamp down, moderating the effort, the little fawn decides to run TOWARDS ME. stupid deer.
I grab a fistful of brakes, and I feel the anti-lock kick in, small pulses, and very effective.
Did I mention I was leaned over at 70mph? The bike did stand up a little, my line did go a little wide, but never into the other lane of traffic, never did the front end want to slip out, in-fact, the rear end was grabbing and I did get a little crossed up, the back just came out a little.
The little deer just wrinkled her nose at me as a went by, at about 20mph.
Whew! I readjusted and just pulled in the clutch for a moment, and just coasted.....
I thought "on my old VFR without the anti-locks, that would have been more involved" and I realized that had i been on my buddies CBR1000RR that I covet, I might have been in one of two places.
Low sided because the front tire went out from under me under hard breaking in the turn.
Or
the back of the bike would have come over and completed the turn without me, in a stoppie, throw me off the bike thingy.
Thanks to my choice of the stable, touring, AKA "old man" bike. I am coasting down the road clutch in, wondering why that deer decided to eat grass on my road.
R3d