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Thread: Riding Up and Down 7

  1. #1
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Riding Up and Down 7

    So I changed my oil and filter, changed the brake and clutch fluid, and changed out my worn grips. After I decided to take the bike on a spin up into the mountains on Rt 7.

    So I'm about half way up and I come upon a couple of riders with ladies on the back. Shortly the guy in front pulls over to the right side and gestures. The rear guy pulls up next to him and from the gestures, the first guy indicates they should pull over and let me by as I pass and I wave.

    About two thirds of the way up, I come upon a cruiser rider who is hauling butt, not as fast as me or I wouldn't have caught him . Anyway, I follow looking for a passing lane as he either doesn't see me or doesn't want me to pass. In watching him, he's clearly not thinking as he's riding the white line on right hand curves and the double yellow on left hand curves. With the number of bicyclists on the road, it's only a matter of time before he encounters one. Sure enough, coming around a corner he almost face plants some stretch pants. He swerves left, looking to be in trouble and he overshoots on the recovery riding on the shoulder, almost in the dirt before he recovers and is back on the asphalt. I back off even further hoping I'm not pushing him to ride beyond his skills.

    Finally in a passing area I pass but pull in right behind a Goldwing, two cars, and a pack of cruisers toddling along at 5 to 10 under. In a passing zone, I pass the 'wing and both cars getting behind the tail end charlie of the cruiser pack. He slows and speeds up making noise a couple of times. In another passing area, I zip past the rear pack of three. There's another bike oncoming followed by a pickup so I slip into the pack passing the next guy in his lane as I slow down. Not wanting to stick around, at the next wide spot, I passed the next guy, who was second in the pack and the number one guy at the next wide spot.

    Whew, out of the pack. I take the next four or five curves a bit better then reach Peak to Peak. There is a pack of sport bikes (Ducati 1198, an R6 I think, and one other) and one GS. I pull around, shut off the bike, remove helmet, get off, and we start chatting. A couple of minutes later the pack arrives. I wave at them as they make the turn on Peak to Peak. Most are friendly enough with a couple of frowns.

    We chat a couple of more minutes. Looks like the GS is missing the right front wheel spacer. There's one on the left but not on the right. He got it recently from Foothills so I expect he'll be taking it back for a check, or checking his Service Guide at minimum.

    Anyway, I got geared up, waved and headed back down the mountain. After a few curves, I came upon a group of three; Ducati and two similar bikes. One is riding race fuel, you can smell it in the exhaust There's a car in front of them. But when they have a chance to pass, they decline (maybe to keep it in a group). After several minutes, the car finally turns in to let us by and we continue on. There's no apparent effort to go faster or move over, so at the next passing zone I quickly pass the Ducati as he's been trailing the other two and at the next pass, I go by with a wave and head on down through the next couple of curves. I check my mirror because I always do that and the guy with the race fuel is big in my mirrors. I pull over and wave him by. He seemed reluctant so I slowed and gestured harder and he went by. He really was pushing it to me until we got to a row of cars. With a wave, he pulled over to wait for his friends. I waved of course.

    At the next passing zone, I passed the cars but 10 seconds later we were in town, so I slowed to 40, then 25 and headed home.

    Dealing with other riders was mostly ok. The first guys had it right. I of course should have been a tad more patient and not passed on the double yellow but I was in the middle of the pack and felt I needed to get the heck out. I didn't let the rider who came up on me on the way down push me beyond how I wanted to ride. I paid attention to my mirrors and moved over to let him pass once I saw him, unlike the cruiser rider from earlier. I was riding well within my limits, partly because I'd replaced oil, fluids, and grips so I was feeling out the bike handling and partly because I hadn't put on my overpants so was feeling vulnerable. The new right grip felt larger though, likely due to the newness Glad I replaced them.

    Ride Safe.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  2. #2
    Senior Member daemon's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    I'm sure the duck was just looking for a pace to keep.
    As well i'm sure your pace is fair enough even when you are in slow mode!
    mayo....

    Fear is the mind-killer.
    Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
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    And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
    Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member Cornfed's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    You get what you give. Good on you rider.
    Its not how fast you go, its how little you slow down.

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    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    No complaints about anyone's pace really. I guess I'm most appreciative of someone paying attention to the rear and waving folks through or at least not getting butt hurt when someone wants to pass or does pass

    The 5 to 10 under cruiser convoy was a tad annoying but I got around them easily enough.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  5. #5
    Senior Member bodhizafa's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    My GS has only 1 front spacer I think. The axle serves as a spacer on the other side, it has a ridge on it.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by bodhizafa View Post
    My GS has only 1 front spacer I think. The axle serves as a spacer on the other side, it has a ridge on it.
    Ah. We couldn't see any ridge and it just looked bare. I imagine he'll get it straightened out.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Hey that was my GS and my potential lack of spacer! I am going to head over to Foothills tomorrow and look at the bikes on the floor just to make sure. If it does indeed need a spacer, that would scare me away from having Foothills touch my bike again.

  8. #8
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by rossko View Post
    Hey that was my GS and my potential lack of spacer! I am going to head over to Foothills tomorrow and look at the bikes on the floor just to make sure. If it does indeed need a spacer, that would scare me away from having Foothills touch my bike again.
    Sounds good then. Best to check and be sure than have the wheel move to the right and cause a front end problem. It would be odd that it was missed but sillier things have happened. The Harley guys forgot to tighten my front forks once I found out when the right turn signal kept turning to the right

    And welcome to the site

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  9. #9
    Senior Member mdub's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Nice write up. U have waaaay mo partience than I on a bike.

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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by dm_gsxr View Post
    Sounds good then. Best to check and be sure than have the wheel move to the right and cause a front end problem. It would be odd that it was missed but sillier things have happened. The Harley guys forgot to tighten my front forks once I found out when the right turn signal kept turning to the right

    And welcome to the site

    Carl
    Thanks!

    Back when I worked at a Yamaha shop a tech changed the oil of a VMAX and forgot to put the drain plug for the drive shaft back in. This shit happens, and hopefully whenever it does it ends ok for bike + rider.

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    Member mauser72's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Back when I worked at a Yamaha shop a tech changed the oil of a VMAX and forgot to put the drain plug for the drive shaft back in. This shit happens, and hopefully whenever it does it ends ok for bike + rider.
    Yea the only techs you can trust are those independent BMW car techs all the rest are HORRIBLE

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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by mauser72 View Post
    Yea the only techs you can trust are those independent BMW car techs all the rest are HORRIBLE
    I hate using emoticons but I can't help it here.

  13. #13
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    It's the lack of experience on riders’ part that leads to the Non - Wave through. The culture of riding in Colorado is deep. New comers to the sport or Riders from other states seem to have missed some Key etiquette. It's simple stuff like packs of cruisers moving over and waving you through and or making room for you in the event that you have to piggy back that can make or brake a ride. On a narrow road like Stove Prairie or Devils Gulch it has a huge impact on how other riders on the road are feeling. The attitude that 10 under is what everyone should be doing is outrageous.


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    Jenny's Pet Monkey Ghost's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    What I can't tolerate are the self righteous & self appointed "pace police" who not only go 10 under the limit, but also take it upon themselves to "enforce" their speed limit by intentionally blocking you when you try to pass them and/or follow you and decide to lecture you when you're getting gas or have pulled over to take a break.
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  15. #15
    Senior Member daemon's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    What I can't tolerate are the self righteous & self appointed "pace police" who not only go 10 under the limit, but also take it upon themselves to "enforce" their speed limit by intentionally blocking you when you try to pass them and/or follow you and decide to lecture you when you're getting gas or have pulled over to take a break.
    Pace police are pissers
    mayo....

    Fear is the mind-killer.
    Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
    I will face my fear.
    I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
    And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
    Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
    Only I will remain."

    .........a crotch rocket going 85 to 90 down the highway looking like a power ranger on a mission...

  16. #16
    Business in the front, party in the back! CYCLE_MONKEY's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    What I can't tolerate are the self righteous & self appointed "pace police" who not only go 10 under the limit, but also take it upon themselves to "enforce" their speed limit by intentionally blocking you when you try to pass them and/or follow you and decide to lecture you when you're getting gas or have pulled over to take a break.
    ....in other words, generally, the Hardley-Ableson a-holes......
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  17. #17
    Senior Member BC14's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by daemon View Post
    Pace police are pissers
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  18. #18
    Senior Member bodhizafa's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by rossko View Post
    Hey that was my GS and my potential lack of spacer! I am going to head over to Foothills tomorrow and look at the bikes on the floor just to make sure. If it does indeed need a spacer, that would scare me away from having Foothills touch my bike again.
    If its the throttle side, you should be fine. The axle is the spacer, it is on my 09 F800Gs. I've removed the front wheel about 20 times so far (tire changes, tubes etc.) If your near Louisville drop by and check it out. Its a real simple set up.
    To those dead souls inching along the freeways in their metal coffins,... ..we show them that the human spirit is still alive

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  19. #19
    Senior Member FZRguy's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Was your ride on Monday? We had zero traffic in Lefthand today.
    John
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  20. #20
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Riding Up and Down 7

    Quote Originally Posted by FZRguy View Post
    Was your ride on Monday? We had zero traffic in Lefthand today.
    Nah, Sunday. And traffic wasn't really all that bad. Just interesting encounters

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

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