Is this a sign to give up road riding?

**cowboyz** · 29th September 2009, 21:51

one thing I can say about the 9 (if I can brag a little for a bit - and 86gsxr has ridden it a few times so i am sure he will atest) is how quickly the damn thing punches out of corners. even in top going from 100-140 is err.. umm shall we say rapid. I actually thought about this about a year ago and geared it down but that didnt help me out.. all it did was turn it into a wheelie machine.

**DidJit** · 29th September 2009, 21:57

Originally Posted by Thani-B

That does suck. I would hold on to the bike and see how you feel at the end of the 3 months. And then decide.

Ditto. See how you feel in a few months.

**retired motoman** · 29th September 2009, 21:59

You need to get it out the system , ride it at a track once in a while,
and paint it black before your allowed back on the road .

**86GSXR** · 29th September 2009, 22:01

Originally Posted by cowboyz

one thing I can say about the 9 (if I can brag a little for a bit - and 86gsxr has ridden it a few times so i am sure he will atest) is how quickly the damn thing punches out of corners. even in top going from 100-140 is err.. umm shall we say rapid. I actually thought about this about a year ago and geared it down but that didnt help me out.. all it did was turn it into a wheelie machine.

Yes, that thing is unnaturally fast. But it suits you. I can't see you on a tourer. I really think the answer lies in realising the days of tolerance and leniency on the roads are all but over, in this country anyway. You need to stay away from the main highways and when you need to be on them try and enjoy 100. As unpalatable as that may seem.

**Goblin** · 29th September 2009, 22:09

Originally Posted by retired motoman

You need to get it out the system , ride it at a track once in a while,
and paint it black before your allowed back on the road .

Agreed! Sounds like a bit of track time might let you get it out of your system, whatever "it" is.

**p.dath** · 29th September 2009, 22:16

Originally Posted by cowboyz

...
So now demerits have finally caught up with me and its looking like a summer of walking. (which kinda sucks)

So I am thinking that I just dont have the self control required to ride a sportsbike on public roads. And keeping in mind, my bike is 11 years old. It still has some serious go in it but put it next to a late model R1 or ZX10 and it looks very old.
...

Surprising as it may be to some, I also lost my licence once many years ago through too many demerit points because of many speeding tickets.

When I returned I was super cautious. You realise just how valuable your licence really is - once it is gone.

I can tell you that even though that was a really long time ago - I still don't speed. Its ingrained in me. I don't want that experience again. I can also tell you it doesn't affect my car/bike buying selection either.

But I do greatly enjoy going to things like ART days. I get any need for speed out of my system at those events.
Then I can go back to riding on the road, feeling satisfied and happy with the riding experience - without having to speed to get it.

**jafar** · 29th September 2009, 22:34

Originally Posted by cowboyz

one thing I can say about the 9 (if I can brag a little for a bit - and 86gsxr has ridden it a few times so i am sure he will atest) is how quickly the damn thing punches out of corners. even in top going from 100-140 is err.. umm shall we say rapid. I actually thought about this about a year ago and geared it down but that didnt help me out.. all it did was turn it into a wheelie machine.

Sell the bike & get a jet ski, you can piss about on that all day long & not get a single demerit point. Go fishing or take up something away from high powered bikes & just let it go for this summer.
If you still want a bike after a bit of a break then get a naked one, preferably a midsized like the FZ6 or the Honda hornet & play on that.

**The Stranger:Me** · 29th September 2009, 22:47

Buy a motard. Half the speed, twice the fun.

**dhunt** · 29th September 2009, 22:56

Originally Posted by cowboyz

ok. being a fairly serious now....

I have done fuck knows how many ks on the road. I guess most round here would consider me a fast rider but I dont actually ride as quick as people think I do. I clocked up a few demerit points on and off and been playing around the 60-90 points for a few years now.

So the last little while I have tried being vary caucious on the bike. To the point where I spend more time looking at the speedo than the road. I find a moments lack of concentration and I am back cruising at 120-130. A few corners linked together and 150-160 is no out of order.

So now demerits have finally caught up with me and its looking like a summer of walking. (which kinda sucks)

So I am thinking that I just dont have the self control required to ride a sportsbike on public roads. And keeping in mind, my bike is 11 years old. It still has some serious go in it but put it next to a late model R1 or ZX10 and it looks very old.

So time to give it away as a bad idea? Rethink how I ride and what I want to be riding.

Oh.. and in over 20 years of riding I have had 2 accidents.. neither a single bike accident and both deemed to be others fault by insurance companies so its not about a "Im riding too fast and worried about killing myself thread"

My other train of thought.. is this is the first time I have lost my licence. Is this normal thoughts for losing ones licence and will pass after 3 months?

thoughts?

Sell your road bike Lance. And buy a track bike or motoX bike. In my experience both are much more fun than than riding on the road.

**sinfull** · 29th September 2009, 23:35

Originally Posted by dhunt

Sell your road bike Lance. And buy a track bike or motoX bike. In my experience both are much more fun than than riding on the road.

+1 with the track bike comment but no reason you cant use the 9 as a track bike IF you lose ya licence for summer ! But then there is nothing to say that you will lose it for summer, if your carefull and don't roll into a check point or get caught doing over the limit again !! (if you have paid the fine which will add the dreaded points)

Tip for ya !
If ya haven't paid the fine for the ticket that takes you over the demerit limit ? Don't !!!
If your not over the 100 points till you pay this fine (which is when the points are added), then pay it (and any court costs which it will incur) after summer !

When you pay the fine, the points are back dated till the date of the offence (so waiting till old points drop off dont work) and then your licence is tagged for removal ! I repeat "WHEN" you pay the fine ! You can almost choose when to go 3 months without !
But 3 months over winter is easier to cope with than summer dont ya think !

If you are already over the points limit and your licence is already tagged, pay any speeding fines as quick as pos so the points are added before you have ya licence taken (or you could find you get it back with points gone already)

**TOTO** · 30th September 2009, 00:28

If you dump the plastics, or get a naked bike you will get a totally different sence of speed, and you will find how much more satisfying 120 is compared to 160.

The roads one chooses to ride also play a part in ones speeding sence I recon. Let me go nuts on the twisties rather than the sweepers and I got no issue with loosing my licence.

**Gremlin** · 30th September 2009, 01:00

First you have to ask yourself what you want out of riding and why you ride.

Is it the speed? Is it the social aspect? Long distance riding? Feeling of getting close to the limits of the bike for the given situation etc.

Some factors, regardless of bike, cannot be changed. If you're in for the speed and adrenaline that comes with it... nothing much is going to change. If you simply struggle to stick at 100kph, and you really want to, then yes, a bike change could be in order.

I had an 04 ZX10, lost the license for 3 months for collecting too many of those cute point thingies (had a limited license for 10 of the 12 weeks anyway), but realised I would be right back in the same shit unless something changed. I really needed my license, don't drive cars and simply love riding.

Driven mad without wheels, I read up on bikes, drew a short list, and when the govt thought it was safe to let me back on the road, I test rode bikes. Nakeds will give you a better sensation of speed, for sure, and depending on the power delivery of the bike, will be easier to stick to a set speed. Your motivation for staying at a set limit will also be increased (just think of not having the license).

In the end, I traded the zx10 on a KTM 990 SM. Same capacity, but vtwin and vastly different. Yes, it was like coming off an addiction trying to change my evil speeding ways (well, thats what the courts thought of me) and took several months, but its been well worth it. My perception of "speeding" is much more normal (140kph instead of 200kph) and *touch wood* I haven't collected any of those damn points in 1.5 years. Still not a quick easy mental change to stop speeding tho.

Advantage of the larger capacity is that it still tackles the likes of the GC (2nd this year for me) fine, just more exposed than a tourer.

So, what type of fun do you get out of riding?

**jonbuoy** · 30th September 2009, 02:00

Go naked/semi naked, I made a deal to myself that I wouldn't ride like a twat on my new bike and so far so good. I've stopped thinking what other people think about chicken strips, peg scraping and being "quick". Sometimes just gotta bite your lip and let other riders go. I still enjoy riding, maybe even more so.

**cowboyz** · 30th September 2009, 03:32

Originally Posted by dhunt

Sell your road bike Lance. And buy a track bike or motoX bike. In my experience both are much more fun than than riding on the road.

Dont think my knees could handle another MX bike. I did my time for 10 years or so. and yep.. Its fun but I fall off alot! As for the trackbike. I am seriously considering it but with the cost of trackdays, let alone racing I am unsure if I will ever get to ride it.

Originally Posted by sinfull

+1 with the track bike comment but no reason you cant use the 9 as a track bike IF you lose ya licence for summer ! But then there is nothing to say that you will lose it for summer, if your carefull and don't roll into a check point or get caught doing over the limit again !! (if you have paid the fine which will add the dreaded points)

Tip for ya !
If ya haven't paid the fine for the ticket that takes you over the demerit limit ? Don't !!!
If your not over the 100 points till you pay this fine (which is when the points are added), then pay it (and any court costs which it will incur) after summer !

When you pay the fine, the points are back dated till the date of the offence (so waiting till old points drop off dont work) and then your licence is tagged for removal ! I repeat "WHEN" you pay the fine ! You can almost choose when to go 3 months without !
But 3 months over winter is easier to cope with than summer dont ya think !

If you are already over the points limit and your licence is already tagged, pay any speeding fines as quick as pos so the points are added before you have ya licence taken (or you could find you get it back with points gone already)

I got booked yesterday, so picking I can stretch this out another couple of months. Need to stretch it out 10 months to avoid losing my licence. So thinking its gonna hit me around Jan. sucky suck suck.

Originally Posted by Gremlin

First you have to ask yourself what you want out of riding and why you ride.

So, what type of fun do you get out of riding?

I ride because I love the freedom it brings. I love the scenery and the feeling of the bike being on its side. Every now and then I got nato on the twisties for the rush, but never been booked doing so. Its always when I going slow that police show up. Man I got some bad luck me thinks!