GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

This weekend is cool with overcast skies. We're not expecting rain until Tuesday. What better weekend for everyone I know to go out of town?  :roll: I rode alone yesterday but I was really hoping to get a nice road trip in, either a long day trip or maybe an overnighter.  :dunno:

doesn't it just suck sometimes when you are ready to ride but are all alone?  :oops:

Riding with other people can be fun, but I find that a good long solo ride once in a while does me good.  Especially with the camera; I can stop at a moment's notice, as many times as I like, and noone will get upset with me for taking so many pictures.  :mrgreen:

But even without the camera, it's easier to reflect on life and do some introspection when I don't have to worry about how close I'm following, and is my lane discipline OK? and do we still have everybody? and things like that.

Like I said - once in a while is good.  You wouldn't want to "introspect" every weekend or anything, right?  ;)

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Come to think of it, I've only done a few group rides.  The biggest one was with about a dozen bikes, in the winter.  Another couple rides were with about 4 other guys.  My most recent one was with davipu and mosesyang (http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10133).  Other than that, I've done 2 week-long rides and several daytrips with one other person.  So overall I'd have to  consider myself a "solo rider".   Maybe it's my age? :dunno:

So I guess I would say: It only takes 1 person and 2 wheels to have a good time.  :thumb:  Anything else is like icing on the cake.

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Having said all that, there is a chance that my bike and I (and my wife) will find ourselves out in Pasadena for a few days in the middle of October.  Anyone want to show me their favorite canyon ride(s)?
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(Maybe I'm so much of a solo rider because most of my riding was done before anyone else in my area had a GS?  :dunno: )

So far I'm just a solo rider too.  My brother sold his bike right when I got mine and none of my firends have bikes yet.  Come to think of it, two of my friends sold their bikes right when i got mine, too. Hopefully that's soon to change though, some of my friends are in the process of getting their own  :) . Can't wait... sometimes I think I'm more excited about their bikes than they are.

Kerry, thanks for the post.

I had decided to pop back onto the forum in order to find this thread and say "I found a destination and I am heading there ON MY OWN." :) YAY! I can't wait. This will be my first solo 'road trip'. Now I just hope my EZPASS can be read through my JR jacket.  8)

don't feel too bad.

I just went out and did 60 miles of backroads by myself.  

It was pretty good, a little too much traffic in some places.

jake

I agree with Kerry.  I like the ability to stop whenever I want, or take a detour if a cross road looks interesting.  Last saturday I did a relaxed 240 miles and the only planning I did was deciding which direction I wanted to go.  I just took the roads I felt like taking and stopped when I got tired or wanted to see something.  Also it was pretty mind cleansing to have just me, the open road, and some scenerey.

Good luck on your solo trip, I'm sure you will enjoy it :thumb:

I commute everyday to work and enjoy every moment of it. I have not really ventured out with others or own my own. However, just today, I was riding home when I saw a biker in my side mirror coming up on me. As I was concentrating on staying in staggered formation this nervousness came over me. I was thinking to myself - try not to look amateurish. As I weaved through traffic he was keeping up with me. We came up upon some bottlenecking traffic and I decided the pass was too risky on my GS. Well, he flew by me and pretty much lane-split those cars. It was a red SV650S. I was thinking to myself if I only had that kind of acceleration I would have followed. Anyways, I worked my way through the congested traffic and was able to catch up to him before he got off. I gave him a exuberant  :thumb:  (nice maneuver kid!) as we departed. Man, was that an adrenaline rush! :cheers:

Quick question:
Why is it guys on their "rice rockets" fly by me doin at least 80-90 and not think they won't get a ticket? I've already gotten a speeding ticket my first 2 months riding (speed trap :x ) and I don't want another one. However, sometimes I wish I was on the Autobahn or somewhere like that (Montana? Idaho?) where I could just let her rip.

There is an art to avoiding speeding tickets.  If you make up your mind almost no one will pass you.   It depends how nuts you want to ride.    In two years on my GS there are only a few times that I was passed by fellow bikers.  Getting passed by cagers is another subject.  I don't take is an insult if someone passes me.  I don't try to make it a point not to get passed but I push it all the time.   That is my style.  Well knowing that there are areas that you just have to go with the flow to avoid tickets.
Don't get hung up by what others do.  The reason you got a bike is because you are an individual.  Just enjoy the ride and stay safe.

Ride Report!!  :mrgreen:

Well I did it! Last night was really cold when I left but it was still a great ride. I think I need one of those squeegy things for my glove though because along the route, there had been rain and the semis were kicking up the schmutz onto my visor.  :nana:

I got to this really great part of the trip (NYers: Rt 6 over Bear Mtn area) and I actually was screaming aloud in my helmet! "I LOVE MY MOTORCYCLE....I LOVE TRAVELING BY BIKE....WEEEEEEEEE!!!!" It was truly exhilerating.

So I spent the night down near Peekskill, NY and when it was time to head back home, I decided to do the same route in reverse since now it would be uphill. It was perfect weather for the ride home: sunny, a cool 65, and dry.

As I started out, I saw TONS of bikes EVERYWHERE! There are 3 traffic circles along the route and more than once I ran into groups of speedy 900s racing around and around the circles.  :?  One circle was swarming with big bad bikes and one of the guys came RIGHT up to me and just started revving his bike. Well, in a 'squid moment', I revved back with my V&H and he nodded and watched me take off to my exit. So many bikes... so MANY BIKES!

I was approaching an intersection and off to the side I saw a nekkid bike...looking like a GS... what could it be? It was an older SV and the guy was staring at me just as hard as I was staring at him - 'love' at first sight. ;)

Back to the highway for the middle of the trip.

Then, tragedy struck.... luckily not for me.  :o  I see lots of cages doing erratic things ahead so I tap my brake light... then BLAM I see a cage spin around and slam into an underpass pylon! :o Everyone is flying off the road as cages come skidding to a halt. I think my eyes actually split duties watching in front and my mirrors for cars back. The van at the pylon catches fire and I am really close! We are at a crawl...even 1st gear is too high so I am 'paddling' the bike with the clutch/1st. People go rushing over to the van - it's filled with a Hasidic Jew family, 6-8 people or so all dressed in what seems like winter attire. Some one rushes over and starts pulling people from the van... I am still paddling my bike up the highway. More flames, more people coming to help. I see at least 5 people on cell phones, apparrently calling for help. I pass the carnage and I can feel the heat scorching off of what used to be a Ford mini-van. There are a few of the victims standing around looking confused and two on the groud, unconscious. I exhale deeply and continue on my way with the rest of the traffic.

I was reflecting on the accident and thinking to myself "and yesterday I was bummed and feeling sorry for myself becasue I was going to have to ride alone."  :oops:

Ok, not much happened for a long time. I just was trying to be safe and enjoy my trip back home. I came to the back country highway I live off of and grinned, knowing it's very twisty at this section. I start out carving turns like an olympic skier and smile all the way. As I exit one of the turns, there is a big Lincoln Towncar putting along well under the speed limit. I stay behind him since it's not safe to pass at the time. I continue for about 2-3 miles, wishing I had the ba11s to just gun it. Finally we get to a passing zone and I downshift and go. HE PULLS INTO MY LANE AS I PASS!!!  :o  :?  :x   It happened so FAST! I had less than 1/2 a lane left when I lay on the horn and rev the GS as hard as I can to complete the pass. I then see the guy in my mirror, crawling up on me! WTF? OK, no upshifting yet, must leave this guy behind first. I just tear into the twisties and finally chill out when I no longer see him around the second or third turn.

Anyway, so the rest of the trip was fabulous! :mrgreen:
I loved it and can't wait to do it again!  :thumb:
Not sure what the mileage was, but being my first solo trip, I am pleased with how far I went. :)

Quote from: ghettorigged...HE PULLS INTO MY LANE AS I PASS!!!  :o  :?  :x   It happened so FAST! I had less than 1/2 a lane left when I lay on the horn and rev the GS as hard as I can to complete the pass. I then see the guy in my mirror, crawling up on me! WTF? OK, no upshifting yet, must leave this guy behind first. I just tear into the twisties and finally chill out when I no longer see him around the second or third turn....

Yes, I've had this happen numerous times on the highway. Sometimes its my own fault for being in their blind spot, but I know they don't even check their mirrors (AT LEAST THROW ME A BONE AND USE YOUR BLINKERS :x) Anyways, I just gun it and get down the road ASAP. I don't know if they were more  :? :?   that I was already occupying the lane in the first place or if they were more  :o  :o  that I was gone in a flash (pun intended :lol: ). This much is true. If I come up on a 18 wheeler (death trap) I accelerate past them like I mean business.  Ticket or not, I'm not taking any chances.

Quote from: Flash
Yes, I've had this happen numerous times on the highway. Sometimes its my own fault for being in their blind spot, but I know they don't even check their mirrors (AT LEAST THROW ME A BONE AND USE YOUR BLINKERS :x) Anyways, I just gun it and get down the road ASAP. I don't know if they were more  :? :?   that I was already occupying the lane in the first place or if they were more  :o  :o  that I was gone in a flash (pun intended :lol: ). This much is true. If I come up on a 18 wheeler (death trap) I accelerate past them like I mean business.  Ticket or not, I'm not taking any chances.

I see now that my post made it sound like a 4 lane highway...it's not. We're talking 1 lane in each direction. This guy had zero business "changing lanes" since there was no one in front of him.  :x  

Either he was changing CDs, looking at wildlife, or attempting to run me off the road.  stupid little f-in *(&#$#*&^&#^$&@#^@#@(*&$(*#&*&^$&*^   :x

:mrgreen:

Cool trip report!

"...screaming aloud in my helmet!"  I know the feeling - there's nothing quite like it, eh?

The only "downer" is that you didn't give enough details for me to trace your route with my Streets & Trips program.   :(  (But it's OK if you don't want to broadcast where you live - I understand.)

Here's to MANY more "truly exhilarating" rides!  :thumb:

Quote from: KerryCool trip report!

"...screaming aloud in my helmet!"  I know the feeling - there's nothing quite like it, eh?

The only "downer" is that you didn't give enough details for me to trace your route with my Streets & Trips program.   :(  (But it's OK if you don't want to broadcast where you live - I understand.)

Here's to MANY more "truly exhilarating" rides!  :thumb:

ok, if you wish.. ;)

Starting at Neversink Reservoir on 55 east to 209 south to 17 east/south to 6 east towards Peekskill to Bear Mtn Parkway north to Cortlandt Manor area (overnight) then back again.  :mrgreen:

some where i read a really good article a guy wrote about why he likes being on a motorcycle.....as any one seen some other neat articles or websites like this......just for something to read on

Quote from: ghettoriggedStarting at Neversink Reservoir on 55 east to 209 south to 17 east/south to 6 east towards Peekskill to Bear Mtn Parkway north to Cortlandt Manor area (overnight) then back again.  :mrgreen:

So, something like THIS?  Looks like a round trip of 165 miles or so.  :thumb:

YEAH! That's it - thanks!  :thumb:

...but, ah, it didn't take me no stinking 1hr 52 minutes to get there.  ;)