In praise of slow riding

[iYRe]

Hmmm .. Bandits are pretty quick ... will scare the hell out of many riders ... and I love leaving sprots bike riders behind .. most are not as good as they think they are ... but if I'm getting up there in my range and a sprots bike leaves me behind I won't even bother to chase it ...

Big Bandits really come into their own at about 180klicks ... under 100 licks and they are inclined to wallow ... up to about 140 they are OK ... 140 to 180 and they are getting there ... 180+ and they are really singing ... the thing is they handle much better in a higher rev range .. and many Bandit riders don't use the gears ...

I prefer my Kawasaki, it goes slower faster, and faster slower :P

[Grizzo]

Worth a read.. I concur with his sentiments 100%

http://www.odd-bike.com/2013/06/in-praise-of-slow.html

"You see, I’ve always ridden sport bikes, or bikes with sporting pretensions. In the sport bike community, there is a certain level of expectation with regards to your capabilities. This expectation is twofold: you have the dumb, inexperienced squids who expect you to ride at terminal velocity along the highway and wheelie at every opportunity, and then you have the seasoned sport riding veterans who expect you to be able to drag your knee through every switchback. The first group judges your skill (and the quality of a machine) exclusively on its ability to go vertical and how quickly you can achieve multiples of the speed limit. The second group judges based on your ability to keep up with them through a tight set of twisties without dying violently in the process. [...]

I fall into another, seldom mentioned category of rider – seasoned, skilled, and having a strong sense of self-preservation. I am a slow rider. And I am here to proselytize my style of riding, and speak in praise of slow. [..]

That doesn’t mean I pootle along at the speed limit everywhere I go. I don’t ride like a granny, and I hate pig-headed jerkoffs who H.O.G. the lane and clutter up the twisties without letting quicker riders past. When conditions are right and the roads are clear, I’ll drop the hammer and have some fun, and I enjoy a high speed blast as much as the next adrenaline junkie. There is a time and place for such shenanigans, and in my experience they are few and far between while on the street. If you recognize that and respect your machine, your abilities, and the conditions around you, you’ll be a far more comfortable and confident rider. That is my definition of slow - respecting the variables and the conditions and riding with the intent of making it home in one piece. My slow might be far faster than the average rider, but it is within a wide margin of safety and it is well within my comfort zone.

The older I get, the more I understand that surviving the day is far more important than setting a record pace. Fast has its place, and I respect riders who can ride quickly and smoothly without looking like a goddamned high-speed trainwreck in progress. But I’m here to praise slow. I'm here to proclaim the virtues of enjoying the ride and the experience, and riding within your capabilities, without making every ride into a do-or-die misadventure. It's time for a change in sport riding culture; no more dick-waving, no more ego clashing, no more squidly pursuits on public roads. There is a time and a place for fast, and it isn't on the street. I for one am willing to admit: I am a sport bike rider, and I am slow."

(let the dick waving commence).

Well said, totally agree. Time and place for everything.
Nothing wrong with a quick squirt, but I want to savour the moment.

[Drew]

Nothing wrong with a quick squirt, but I want to savour the moment.

Difference between doing the wife, and doing the mistress isn't it?

[jellywrestler]

I'm the dick waving type. Happy to admit it.

Sometimes, I ride my bike too.

that's cause it's never hard enough to measure properly

[duckonin]

Yeah .. but for me the number one point is to have fun ... and as I said above I do have fun at a cruisey speed - I also have fun watching pathed 1%ers disappear in my mirrors because they wouldn't go passed 180 klicks .. (NOT in a built up area - only on the open road ...) ... passing Harley's at 180 klicks and change up a gear when I'm in front so they can hear the change in exhaust noise ... and no, I don't ride a sprots bike ... (my wife won't let me have one unles I sell a currently owned bike ...)

(I used to go passed 200 klicks every day I rode ... I am slowing down ... partly, and I'll admit it, because katman made me think ...)

What a fucked up jerk ! My rooster has more fucken brains than you, go back to your fucken cage.

[Drew]

What a fucked up jerk ! My rooster has more fucken brains than you, go back to your fucken cage.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee Hehehe. This was quick.

[BigAl]

Slow riding....

What a load of rubbish, "last one to the pub buys the beers!"

[neels]

I'm much slower than my bike is (or could be).

When I fuck up a corner I've still got lots left to gather things up and carry on.

I get me and the missus home in one piece.

If you invite me out for a ride, you might have to wait for me to catch up.

Life is good.

[nerrrd]

I am a slow rider...That doesn’t mean I pootle along at the speed limit everywhere I go. I don’t ride like a granny...(let the dick waving commence).

I thought that was what made ME a slow rider...great, now I'm a granny. And who is Richard, why is he waving and what's he about to do?

[Berries]

Choke his chicken and have a heart attack judging by post 20.

[Sable]

(let the dick waving commence).

*waves dick*

[rickstv]

Oh No, not another waving thread.

[unstuck]

This guy is the Dick waving champion, and this is how he trains.

[Banditbandit]

What a fucked up jerk ! My rooster has more fucken brains than you, go back to your fucken cage.

Oh ?? And you are so much of a better human being because ... ???? (See Unstuck's picture above ...)

[Maha]

I consider being more constant to be the better description rather than using the word slow.
Even the writer concedes that he (at times) will ''drop the hammer and have some fun, and I enjoy a high speed blast as much as the next adrenaline junkie''

On our learner rides, the more 'constant speed' group arrives anywhere between 5-10 minutes behind the quicker group/s. Not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Even the quicker riders will attest to that.
Fun can be had at any speed. The best result is seeing the massive grins on everyone's faces at the end of the day.