Rick, Sounds like a thin line you're walking. Didn't you crash your beautiful GTS on public roads last year?
Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint out there either sometimes, but 3 weeks ago I had the chance to spend an entire day on the local race track. It was great! And as this was the second time I've had the GTS on a track I came away saying to myself "why does anyone bother pushing the envelope on public roads?" The odds seem so much higher of crashing when you consider all the unknowns out there, especially the crazy drivers and road conditions. As the largest and most unique bike on the track that day my GTS also drew lots of attention, but the best part was when I pushed an RC51 around the track lap after lap, and finally got so tired of following him (I was only allowed to pass on the short straight section - where I didn't have the power to surpass him) that I had to drop back about half the track just to start having fun at my own pace again. BTW...I ran my Battlaxe 020 rear and 010 front tires at around 30-32 PSI, which really helped. I'm glad to hear that the GTS is capable of keeping up with modern superbikes, but don't forget that it always comes back to the rider! And if you forget that, someday you may find yourself pushed beyond your limits by a "loser" on a seemingly weaker bike. I know, because I've seen a buddy of mine ride his stock BMW GS1100 as fast as some squids racing through the twisty interior roads of BC. Take care. GWN Daren > -----Original Message----- > From: GTS-1000 Owners List [mailto:GTS-1000@;LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf > Of Rick Davids > Sent: October 29, 2002 9:33 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Renegade...performance > > > Still haven't done the second dyno but seat of the pants dyno > runs continue > at a furious pace ;-) > Was chasing R1's through the canyons on Sunday and I gotta say they don't > seem to have much on me anymore. Here's a little report of the ride that I > posted to a local list. Sorry for all the road ref's, this was > intended for > a local audience... > > Tales from the darkside > > Joined up with a group from esportbikes and SFV bikenight websites for a > massive squid ride on Sunday. Apx 50 bikes showed up at Coco's on > Sunland bl > for this ride. As we're getting ready to go, guys are doing high speed > wheelies up and down Sunland. One rider cruises by standing on his tank. > Hmmm, this is gonna be interesting. > Jumped in with the first group of 15 or so riders and headed up > Big Tujunga > to Angeles Forest. The last straight section before Palmdale brought the > most disturbing sight of the day. The leader slowed the pace down > considerably and the wheelie antics began. Highspeed wheelies in > the middle > of the wrong lane. The last guy held his wheelie up and over the > crest of a > hill. There's no way this guy can see if someone is coming the other way. > I'm thinking, wtf? is this guy completely insane??? I'll even > admit the evil > thought that this guy deserves to die. That thought was quickly > struck down > because it leads to the thought of the innocent party coming the > other way. > Thank God Danziger wasn't there. The poor guy woulda had a coronary ;-p In > hindsight I'm thinking it was a trick. The lead rider gave him > some sort of > all clear signal. It has to be, right? I mean, nobody's THAT crazy, are > they?? > We waited quite a while for the rest of the crew to show at the end of > Angeles Forest. During which time there was a funny looking hand-rolled > cigarette being passed around between a pickup truck driver and a > couple of > the riders. Mental note, get to front of pack, leave slow stoner dudes in > dust. Having a pickup truck follow them around on a local ride > doesn't bode > well for their confidence of coming through unscathed. Also > noticed "Suicide > Clan" or some such nonsense on the tail of one of the bikes. > We made a gas stop in Palmdale and left almost in mass up > Elizabeth Lake rd. > , over Spunky Cyn to San Francisquito road. 20 plus riders in the first > group, I was somewhere in the middle of the pack. Shortly before > Bouquet we > passed a sheriff parked in a wide shoulder at the exit of a high speed > sweeper(ie, perfect radaring position). By the time I rode by > he'd resorted > to just giving a slow down hand signal out his window. I'm sure we were a > menacing sight, terrorizing the country side. Can't help but wonder what > those poor Harely riders out for a Sunday putt were thinking as they were > passed at high rates of speed by an endless stream of sportbikes. Who'd a > thought? Sportbike gang terrorizes Harley gang, news at 11.. > By the time we reached San Fracisquito I'd worked my way to the front pack > of 4 riders. I think it was a couple of R1's and a TLR. They were pulling > away a bit in the straight stuff but when the going got twisty I > reeled 'em > in. We reached the end of San Fracisquito in short order. Again we > wait....and wait. Meantime, lead R1 rider is scratching his head. What's > wrong with this picture he says, pointing to the mighty GTS. > Remarking about > his numerous mirror checks and trying to figure out what that huge yellow > thing was doing behind him. Undoubtably reevalauating the value of his > carbonfiber this or titanium alloy that. Probably sounds like a boast but > it's not meant to be. Just another example of how far the capabilities of > the modern litre bike outstrip what you can use on the street. I mean it's > only so fast the average guy is willing to go on the street, taking into > account the unknown that lies beyond the next turn. The fact that > a 10 year > old design sport-tourer weighing in a couple hundred pounds more > portly can > match those speeds is usually a quite an eye opener to the proud R1/Gixxer > owner. I must admit, it's kinda fun to watch the reactions. > Turns out that the inevitable crashes all occured on San Francisquito. I > believe that the final reports were that three people crashed. > One decidely > less purdy R1 rolled up while we were waiting. I can't say for > sure, but I'm > thinking it was one of the dudes partaking in the funny > cigarette. At least > there were no serious injuries reported. I bailed to go get some > gas before > the last of the crash victims arrived. > By the time we reached the end of Lake Hughes rd., the herd had thinned to > about 17 riders. Some of the group had bailed and another large chunk had > managed to get seperated somewhere along the way. The rest of the ride was > mucho fun. Elizabeth Lake up to 138 to the 5 to Lockwood Valley > and back on > Hwy. 33. Hmmm, I went on a squid ride and had lots of fun. > There's a certain > poetry to a pack of four riders moving at high rates of speed up hwy 33. > Almost like a squidron(tm) of fighter pilots. Help me, I'm being > pulled into > the dark side. Help me, I'm addicted to speed. You know what they say, > "Speed Thrills". Errr, or something like that. > > > Rick - needs to take it to the track. > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Unlimited Internet access -- and 2 months free! Try MSN. > http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/2monthsfree.asp >
