A legend in our own minds? or Admired by our peers?
 

Our perception of our own riding skills can be very subjective and relative I would say. Perhaps we are victims of our environments, riding groups or what opportunities have been presented to us?? Kinda like that big fish in a small pond until someone releases us into that ocean.

Have you met up with other forum members, co-workers, or even riders at the local fill up, who talked a good game but could not ride for shit? Or perhaps he/she was so modest about their riding skills and left you feeling inadequate as a rider after that ride through the twisties?

I'm definitely biased towards tight twisty mountainous type roads for riding, I'm addicted to them. We go over to the drag strip every now and then, we invited some guys to ride up in the mountains with us who tend to just drag their bikes, they are now addicted to curves as it presents a whole new set of challenges. I know curves is only one aspect of riding but in my humble opinion they separate the fast from those of us who think we are fast.


Oh well just thinking out loud, I've always been very modest, to a fault even, but I will not lose sight of the fact that no matter how fast I think I am there's plenty of folks out there who are faster!

I have met pretty much every type. Those who talk a big game and ride a big game. I have met the modest type. I have met the ones who know they suck and do suck. I have met the posers who do suck but think they are fast.

I try to be one of those type of people who doesn't like to talk about skills in general. I rather talk about improvement and what's wrong.

There's a dude we ride with that everyone calls Racer Dave. He does race but still rides quite a bit on the street. Dude is so fast it's not even funny. Seriously NUTS but with a whole whackload of skill to back it up.

He's also one of the most modest people I know!

Lots of people I meet that talk a big game....but unless they're dangerous I don't pay too much attention to them. :idk:

I'm the type that wants to replay the segment of road in my mind at the next stop with the fast guys, looking to always get better and picking their minds about lines and anything else I can get out of them and having them give me their honest evaluation of my riding.

I'm constantly asking for feedback from guys I trust. I'd prefer to hear how they do something or how they gained a particular skill rather than talk shit about how fast I may or may not be. :idk:

I've met all sorts... I've never been big on talk... even if you can back it up... I don't like hearing about it...

I myself... suck... I'll never be fast... as 1. I don't have the intrest to spend that much money at the track... and 2. lost the interest/balls/whatever you wanna call it... to ride fast on the street.

most of the people I've met from the forum... don't talk about how they ride... which I like...

I usually ride by myself, and enjoy the pace I ride. I'm not really interested in going faster (and I wouldn't call myself fast at all). But if I did I have a friend who has a Saturday morning group ride, and most of them race and are track instructors.

I guess for me, I always rode to have fun. :shrug: I couldn't really care less if I was faster or slower or smoother than anyone else. I suppose that is why I loved the baby Ninja so much was because it was just plain fun and nothing else.

So I never bothered to compare myself to other people. That doesn't mean I didn't take advice or watch others on the rare occassions that I rode with others. But if I wasn't as fast or smooth as them...oh well. At least I had fun.

I'm not even close to fast. I don't even pretend.

I also don't let anybody talk a big game. My favourite saying, "stop telling me how good you are and show me.."

Me too! Other riders just make me nervous now, so I avoid them like the plague! Even when I do concede to ride with other guys it's usually for my own purposes. Like when I shot that video which was the 2nd time I rode with someone else this year btw. Other than the rally. Even there I had the tendency to avoid "group riding" at the Gap. It's nothing personal. I've just had my fill of picking guys up off the ground.:idk:

As the people from the rally can attest, my self imposed exile from other riders has done nothing to help me improve my riding skills.:lol: As far as being "admired by my peers", well it all depends on what you define as "peers".:lol: For every person that thought I was cool, there were two that thought I was reckless. :idk: I think that I am solidly mediocre!:lol:

Skills are like Penis size - if you really have some you don't feel the need to brag about it.

I think I am mediocre, also. Not keeping up with the fast guys, but ahead of the slow guys. I'm also not the guy who goes balls to the wall trying to keep up. I've seen/heard about that happening way too many times. Anymore, for group rides, we will just get ahold of each other via PM or phone calls to set up group rides.

Sometimes.

One of the most naturally talented riders I know is a big mouth.

He won't necessarily brag about his "skills" perse but he is definitely not short on confidence and doesn't mind tell you that he'll teach you a thing or two. :lol:

I'll be the first to admit...I'm a car guy that also happens to like bikes.

I drive better than I ride. :idk:

I am a good all around street rider...I have quite a bit of experience BUT I'm only so so in the twisties and I admit it.

When it comes to cars I've had training and have done track days...I even drive for a living. I've driven supercharged Vettes... Mustangs...Vipers...Porsche 911 Turbos and non turbos...Mercedes AMG this and that top of the line BMW's...Aston Martin's...and the list goes on.

I've never done a track day on a bike.

I've ridden enough that I have NO problem riding or controlling my R1 but again when it gets twisty....I'm mid pack or a little further back usually.

I actually like riding near the rear of groups because I know I've got common sense and know how to survive but I don't trust other riders unless I know them.

Ok I'm selling my bikes and sticking with fast cars and boats. :whatwhat: BS !!!!

:rofl:


I know I'm not a fast rider. I have a "fast" bike, but I know I will never be good enough to use it to it's full potential, and I'm ok with that. I don't ride to be fast.. I ride because riding makes me happy.

Although I will admit it's nice when people have complimented me.. but I'm also happy to hear constructive criticism so that I can improve.

My ultimate goal when riding is to have fun and enjoy the road, but a close second is to continue to become a better rider.

When I think about it, my riding skills are about the only thing i'm not cocky about.

Not true, if I had a 14" penis, trust me you'd hear about it!!!:lol:

What do you do?

He drives. :wtfru:

Drives WHAT?! :plzdie:

(I'm secretly hoping his job is my dream job....professional driver, closed course.)

And you have Pete, Jerry and Brad to thank. :D

And Frank. Let's not forget about Frank. :bonk:

It's almost always the smallest dogs that bark the loudest. I rarely meet anyone that can ride as well as they say they do....

Then there's the riders that talk a big game & DO ride faster than I do... on the street... not because of their skill but because of their lack of common sense.

Well said. With cagers trying to kill me every day, just getting from A to B seems like an accomplishment. :hitfan:

Instead, we just get to hear about you going after 14" dongs.

I don't really think much about skill. My priorities are:
1. Don't crash
2. Have fun
3. Don't make a fool of myself

Everything else is a means to an end.

I'm a decent rider, but I only get to ride twisties a couple times a year if I'm lucky... when I go up to the mountains, the locals absolutely leave me for dead. 99% of my riding is commuting, so as i approach a turn, I'm not thinking about what line will let me carry the most speed- i'm thinking about what line will give me the best visibility and the most options if something stupid happens.

And people who go on about how great they are, whether they actually are or not (usually not), annoy all hell out of me. Be fast, be slow, whatever... Just spare me the :blah::blah::blah:

I am all about riding your own ride as well. I have my good days on my bike and I also have days where I feel uneasy riding and can't seem to look through turns and that brings my speed way down. I have wrecked twice on days like that so I have learned to head for the house if my nerves are up on the bike. I dont think a big ego and a motorcycle make a good combination. If you feel that way, take it to the track.

I ride with Pete pretty much every time I ride. He's fast as shit, for an old guy. Only ridden with Jerry once, he's even faster, for an even older guy. Brad normally doesn't ride hard at all. Frank hasn't seen the street in 3-4 years and doesn't hardly ride track anymore even.

I spent most of the Gap trip feeling that way. Part of it was the suspension being f-ed up, part of it was being with people I didn't know but a lot of it was just general unease... I was happy to have made it home in one piece! :lol:

I never was farther up than mid pack but after the last crash I'm even farther back. pretty much everyone I ride with is faster than I am. either they will wait at the next stop/turn for me or i'll turn around and go home or continue on my own route.

I'm gonna tell Pete you said he was old. :bonk:

I respect Pete and Jerry for their smoothness more than their speed. I've seen fast riders that are herky jerky, they scare the hell outta me. Watching a rider than can carve with smooth lines, that gets the panties wet. :D

are you hinting that your next handbag will be a nice green shade of envy?

I don't think there is anyone more smooth/fast than CNI. That guy is a machine.

I notice this quite a bit. Some guys are fast because of a complete lack of common sense....and they just haven't crashed yet.

In my area, some of them have crashed and they just don't care. Their bikes are trashed, but they are ungodly fast.

That is exactly my excuse too!!! When we got back from our first Gap run and Trip, Shane and Riceaholic were WAY faster than me... I just figured that they were stupid and that made me feel much better! :lol:

No way...I WISH !! :yes:

No I work in executive protection/executive support and am the driver for the Chairman/CEO of a very large corporation.

Now having said this...I work for some high rollers and get to drive their cars and at times am asked to take a car out that they are thinking about purchasing and "test it" and give them my feedback. Rough job (the car testing part) but somebody has to do it. :lol:

It's true, I always feel absolutely retarded after I make a gap run, but it's fun at the time. :lol:

my perception of myself as a rider: nothing spectacular, fairly conservative, has made mistakes and learned from them

:shrug:

Yea it's kinda like fucking some chick you barely know bareback...:lol:

I can talk trash with the best of them, but I think most people know better than to take it seriously. Spending some time on a track with true professionals will put things into perspective really quick. I'll still beat all your asses through the gap, though.

five cents and a yahoo says he speaks the truth

I'm fortunate, I have alot of twisty roads starting at the end of my street. But the only reason anyone might think I was close to fast is because I know the roads pretty well.

I consider myself to be a good rider. Not great. I love the chance to ride with better riders and or bikes. The last few years I've been riding with a group that's choppers and harley's and cannot not keep up with me even in cruise mode. I enjoyed the hell out of riding with all the sportbike riders at the rally and seeing just what I could do to keep up. Especially on the Cherrycola I was trying to hang with Kerry and Kathy as much as I could and I think I improved by hanging off more than I ever have before and picked up some speed. I never felt like I was passing my limits or comfort zone so I was having a blast! But put me on a different bike (even a sportbike) and I'll be slow, I'm so used to mine I know what I can do with it.

That is badass. How do you get into a job like that?

High Fucking five