Today while driving to work, I was doing roughly 60-65mph in my van, when these guys come up from behind me driving these crotch rockets, and zoomed past me so fast that it seemed as if they were all going back the other way. What was so wild about it, was that each one that zoomed by had a female passenger riding on the back :eek:

I can remember back when I was in my 20's, I was probably just as crazy back then that these guys are now, so I guess I can't complain. I just hope that they don't kill themselves (or anyone else for that matter) out there tonight. :(

Real kamakaze riders I tell ya :sad:

:sad: Seen one last night that ran into the back of a small p/up. The tailgate and one bed side was missing and the bike was buried in where the bed side should have been. Looked like the bike ran into the truck at a very high rate of speed (rear ended). Not a good sight to see on way home at 11pm, looked like cops just got there 5 minutes before I came by.

We saw an idiot merging onto the interstate from a ramp in full wheelie, and into a pack of cars going 70mph. He brought it down only when he was in the pack of cars, and then began laying it over in an attempt to work his way thru the pack and get out front. He had to be doing 100+ when he got to the front.

A few weeks ago on the same interstate. I saw a guy with his standing tall in full wheelie as well. He was riding along with 5 or so cars in a pack, and he had been going long enough that his front wheel had stopped spinning.

We'll read about these guys soon enough when they crash and burn. I just hope they don't hurt anyone besides their own dumb asses.

Rut

Garfield and Rut;
I had the same thing happen when I was in Nebraska on on a two lane country black top. Five of these crotch rockets literally blew by my brother and I (passed us) at 75+ MPH on a hill with no passing! The kicker is, they ALL were doing wheelies the entire time we saw them! If they would have been traveling a little slower, they would have had to contend with two deer that came out of a corn field just after they had passed them! Fortunately, none had passengers on their bikes.

This brings to mind the old adage: There are old bikers and there are bold bikers, but there are no old, bold bikers.

Touchee' Scott!

Rut

they drive like that, and they STILL get dirt cheap insurance rates..

Well as a former (not all that long ago) "sport biker" I have pulled some of these same stunts (loved to ride wheelies). While it is VERY stupid and a matter of time before they bite it (I was down 3 times). The newer bikes are so fast, smooth, and easy to ride, it makes these "squids" try things they couldn't have done years ago. The bike really make you feel "untouchable". It is very hard to control yourself and ride sensible on those bikes. When you are doing 85-90mph it is so smooth and effortless you don't even realize it.

With that said this is why I started riding Harleys and will not own another sport bike. I sold my last sport bike probably 1 1/2 - 2 years ago. (I bought the last sport bike at the same time as I had my Harley thinking I had matured enough to ride safely). The reason I sold it was because I was taking chances that were stupid, since I could not control myself I sold it. The day I took it to the guy I sold it to I found myself getting on the freeway with the front wheel high. I'm just glad I never killed myself on those things (rode them off and on wince I was a kid). I'm 37 now and I just shake my head when I see the "squids" zipping around on them. There are some guys that can ride and there are those that "think" they can ride. The ones that "think" they can ride are the ones that end up gettng hurt bad (or killed). No decent rider would ever take chances with a passenger on back, the bike handles and brakes totally different with a passenger, not to mention if you hurt/kill someones daughter while performing some silly stunt.

It's really simple the bikes are made for one thing, too go FAST. They do that very well. They handle great, and stop on a dime. They are feather lite and make big power. Add a young man/boy and the need for speed (or show offs) and you have what you see out there now. The bikes are not all that expensive (used ones are cheap), young girls love them so that means more young guys buy them.

You don't need any special license or class to walk in and buy a bike that is capapble of VERY high speeds. I see so many rookie rider these days and it really scares me.

Derrik look into the insurance rates, they are NOT cheap at all for a young guy on a sport bike. As a matter of fact most of the larger companies won't even insure them and if they do it is FAR from cheap. It is like that for a good reason.

Scott, there are several sayings like that. "There are two kind of bikers, those that have been down and those that are going down" "You don't know how to ride until you have been down", etc.. All have some truth to them.

I still do stupid things on motorcycles like riding wheelies and getting airborne and going way too fast. I couldn't have fun doing that stuff on a Harley so I'll never own one of them, nope, I'll just stick to my good old YZ426 (which is, of course a dirt bike).

And - things like this can happen... :sad:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/counties/alameda_county/11822967.htm

Scott I agree, that's what makes riding dirt bikes so much fun. No cars to watch out for and you can ride wheelies and junp all you want. In the dirt you are pretty much going to bite it on every outing but, you will usually hop right up and go at it again. I have always believed and still do) that everyone should learn how to ride in the dirt, you can make mistakes and walk away (learn from them) on the street if you make a mistake it can cost you your life.

I used to think Harley were slow and boring too. That's actually not the case it's a whole different feeling (still dangerous). It's like comparing a muscle car to a Ferrari (the Harley being the muscle car and Ferrari being the sport bike).

I see it a lot.... people on their crotch rockets riding them to their limits. While it is crazy and stupid to do on residential streets and in traffic, I have to agree that the bikes are made for it. I can't really fault the morons for taking advantage of their machines abilities.

What I can fault them for is playing chicken with cars in traffic by doing wheelies down the center lines, laying them down at full speed around corners through neighborhoods, and racing each other. It's hard for a person with a hot rodded car to keep his foot out of it.... and motorcycle riders are no different. We denounce street racing for performance cars.... is there the same cry in the street bike crowd? I see lots of street cars at the drag races.... but only a handful of bikes.

In the dirt you are pretty much going to bite it on every outing but, you will usually hop right up and go at it again.

Yep, that about sums it up. If I come home without going down a couple of times I feel like I wasn't having enough fun. I gave up street riding after the very first time I went down. It's funny how two broken legs can make you shy away from a hobby.

Joe,
Yes, the sport bike crowd does not like the "squids". Squids is a term used by "experienced" riders and the more responsible riders to describe the "wanna be" knuckle heads. The guys that ride around in shorts, sandals and a tank top (thinking they look cool). Those are the guys that have not tasted the pavement. I wouldn't ride my sport bike to the store without full leathers and helmet on. In the recent years the sport bike crowd has taken on more of the "ricer" attitude.

Maybe I am just getting old as well and used to be a punk kid blasting around on a sport bike. I do remember getting a few head shakes and fist pumps while blowing passed Harleys and cruiser bikes on the twisty roads.

Hmmm, kinda like we used to do in the old days, put a Hemi into a T-bucket. What did you have? A tin can with 500+ horsepower. Squirrely? Yes. Impossible to control when revved to the max and dumping the clutch at a stoplight in town at midnight? You bet. And we didn't need "special" licenses to buy/build one either, back then. And people (young girls on dates also) were needlessly killed. When you're young you just dig speed, noise and the adrenalin rush. And each generation does it, in it's own way. And they're all stupid. And some of us live through it, and sadly, some of us don't. But that's life. Before the auto, people were killed racing and jumping horses. Young, hung, and full of ...... vinegar.