Suddenly there was a whoosh and a pressue envelope...followed by two more. We were passed by 3 guys on rice rockets doing AT LEAST 120. It scared the hell out of us...we never saw them approach and they were nearly silent.
About 20 miles up the road we saw two bikes pulled over...frantic. One of the riders apparently blew a rear tire and went off the road. It wasn't pretty.
I love all motorcycles, always have. I've written often about Harleys. One of the main things in their favor, according to riders, is that they're LOUD and BIG so automobiles can both hear and see them. The true Harley guys I know, the ones who seem to enjoy tinkering on the bikes as much as riding them, are usually very cautious drivers, perhaps in part because they completetly understand the physical workings of the machines they drive and respect them all that much more.
As a long-time city driver, I can attest to how dangerous the quiet rice-rockets are. They're on you before you know it and God help both of you if you've chosen the split-second to change lanes at the same moment some small, quiet, hard-to-spot rice-rocketer who's riding at high speed between lanes of sluggish traffic has caught up to you. I know it's legal for them to do this, but it's also ridiculously dangerous at the speeds so many of them take.
Have never owned a motorcycle myself (someday, maybe!!), but have a brother who is a true Harley guy (has built countless ones from scratch) and an uncle and a cousin who are also both Harley guys -- uncle is one of those genius mechanics with an IQ way, way up there. The guy can fix anything with two or more wheels.