Posted on 02/19/2021 7:46:50 AM PST by martin_fierro
This kind of stuff was Shep Smith's Stock in Trade
Definitely stable. I took a 2001 Honda RC51 (aka RVT1000R in other markets) to 145 mph twice and I found that it only wanted to go straight and no amount of rough surface and bumps upset it. If you're on the throttle that hard, the bike just wanted to stay upright and go straight.
When the highway curved gently, I was surprised how much I had to lean at that speed to get the bike to follow the road and stay in my lane. Major respect to those GP racers who go around twisty tracks at that speed by hanging off the side of their bike and quickly flipping over to hang off the other side to negotiate those turns.
Ping...
That’s a longer fork rake angle on high speed flyers to give you that straight line stability. Twisty bikes have that angle set lower.
I got to ride my 1979 Yamaha RD400 Daytona Special on Oak Hill Raceway in East Texas when my college motorcycle club would have a meetup there back in the 80s.
I remember my footpegs bumping the ground on some of the tight turns.
The trip was 925 miles one-way. Lots of vibration on the pegs (mid pegs, not forward) caused some foot numbness. Traversing the desert around Barstow to Baker was very dry and necessitated a break for water. On a bike, you experience all the odors in the air that rarely work their way inside a closed car or truck cab. Some are nice, many are not. The temperature swings are significant too. 116 degrees coming through Baker. 42 degrees entering southern Idaho.
My Kawasaki Versys is rated to top out at 128 MPH. The Yamaha Roadliner is rated for 142 MPH. Track speeds. I would never do that on a public road.
In 1990 I rode an 81 Shovelhead Fatbob to Calif and back from Utah. It was 106F most of the way from Victorville to Mesquite on the way back. I drank a whole gallon of Gatorade and never needed a pee stop. I did stop a couple of times and drenched my levis on the way. That was when gas stations still provided air and water. They dried out in about 10 minutes. Lol.
...Or until you've seen the far side of 180 before hammering on the brakes and backing it into turn 5 at Road America
“PS. I am an Widowed old lady now. Been riding for 49 years.”
We have 2 SIL’s who were/are avid bike riders, and they are approaching 80 age wise.
Both had their own Harley Hogs and rode with their husbands, on single bikes and sometimes on 2 bikes. They took vacations with other bikers in the spring and fall.
About 10 years ago the SIL and her hubby were riding his bike near their town at a night. About a half mile out of town a huge buck deer jumped onto the road ahead of them.
The hubby missed the deer and put his wife, him and their hog into a ditch. He and she do not remember going into the ditch.
Fortunately for them the owner of the one gasoline station had waved at them as they zoomed by him. When he stopped hearing their bike and some muffled noises, he got on his bike and went toward the last sound. Their Bike was a mess, the hubby had a broken collar bone and a fractured helmet.
The bike fell on her and broke her hip. It took a couple of surgeries and a couple of years recovery.
Now, they ride an adult trike. That was a promise to their grown daughters and grand kids.
They still don’t remember crashing, just trying avoid the deer.
The deer was not hit and apparently went into a cornfield on the other side of the road.
I use one of those quilted type vests when doing very hot long distance summer riding. You soak it in water and then get a nice evap cooling effect for a while. That type of riding is not fun because once it gets past 9 am or so you constantly are getting hit with big gusty thermals.
Sounds interesting. But at 72 and with my wife’s physical problems we can’t do those week long cross country motorcycle tours any more. Oh well.
Bambi’s Mom can be a Killer!
My late hubby and I used to go to DC from Boston every year for Rolling Thunder. Often, we would ride in the Parade, attend the rally, and ten go riding to some nearby Civil War Battlefields or even out to West Virginia or the Blue Ridge Parkway. He had a big FLH Ultra which was comfortable, but unable to keep up with my scooter. I always had to ride lead anyway, because I inherited my sense of direction from my First Nation Ancesters, and he inherited his from Moses. (That was a running joke with us, as Moses took 40 years to do a journey that could have taken a few weeks at most.) :-)
I loved that man. RIP.
That triple is an engine like no other. Love the torque curve.
This is so funny:
“I inherited my sense of direction from my First Nation Ancesters, and he inherited his from Moses. (That was a running joke with us, as Moses took 40 years to do a journey that could have taken a few weeks at most.) :-)
Yes, you must mean Shemp’s hands on the controls — the stick shift.
His mistake was, he kept slowing down to save fuel. Must’ve been a Democrat.
I think it had more to do with the gyroscopic effect of the big 1000cc V-twin engine because the RC51 was built by Honda to take on the Ducati 996 in the Superbike World Championship. It’s definitely a bike for the twisties. It’s a crotch rocket. I just don’t have the skills for a racing machine like that, especially at license-revoking, bike-impounding speeds.
Now my Harley FXSTC, that has a rake! I drive that sucker, not so much ride it. It’s the worst handling motorcycle I’ve ever owned, but still my favorite bike. The RC51 was fantastic for about 30 minutes, and then the riding position that felt like you’re taking a dump in the woods and the ball cooking heat from the rear cylinder being practically in your crotch takes its toll. I took the Harley from NYC to New Orleans to Las Vegas and back to NYC and that’s where that type of bike shines. Long wheelbase, big rake, fat seat, soft suspension, and that sound!!! It’s my favorite.
People say "Wow you must be be able to get from A to B really, really fast on the type of bike.". And my reponse is "Uh no, since you can only ride it fast for an hour and then have to let your back take a 20 minute break while you watch the mommy van with the 4 kids that you passed an hour ago fly by..." LOL
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