Carnage Loop

[SPman]

Imagine losing all that for trying to prove to someone unspecified that I am the racing man around the loop. No one is timing you. There's no podium. Do trackdays to race. Ride and enjoy it. Enjoy all life has to offer

The trouble is, sometimes, the muse just takes you! The most important thing at the time, is to do this, (or that), stretch of road as quickly as you can!
And nothing! is as fulfilling as successfully dispatching a section of twisties, preferably a section you don't know all that well, with all the skill you can muster.
IMHO, beats track time nearly every time!

[jafar]

Woah, i wanna take the zxr down there!

looks frikking kick ass.

you going to assemble the parts before you crash the zxr on some crap road in Bolivia ?

Where is Bolivia anyway?
& do they send ambulances out to idjits

[MVnut]

Where is Bolivia anyway?
& do they send ambulances out to idjits

No, just Banditos !

[90s]

The trouble is, sometimes, the muse just takes you! The most important thing at the time, is to do this, (or that), stretch of road as quickly as you can!
And nothing! is as fulfilling as successfully dispatching a section of twisties, preferably a section you don't know all that well, with all the skill you can muster.
IMHO, beats track time nearly every time!

True - I've wound it up in the Coro to not-sensible speeds at times. I am a motorbiker after all, not a saint - nor would I claim to be! But although the muse takes me too its always the thought of the idiot round the corner that brings me back down to earth.
And then I enjoy the views even more.

[ynot slow]

No, just Banditos !

Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid.

[Titanium]

Still think about Bruce everyday. Knee down all 3 of the crash site corners for the fella. ride in his memory, he was my idol.

I have never done the full loop....only kopu- whangamata and back to kopu.... and kopu - thames- coromandel town and back to kopu.

never arsed off there yet.

but if i go in a bike crash i want it to be down there.

or on the roads from auckland to kaiaua down the coast...between whitford and clevdon- kaiaua.

At least then ya knowi went with a fucking huge grin on my face.

fave road is whagamata road though. always will be.

Sunny day just let her fly ...140 round the 55's tipped right over knee down wrapping around through the cliffs.....blimin heaven i tell ya!

Until you see

then speed increases lol.

SM

You are a complete fcukwit!

Loose Bruce and DSS3 do not want you to ride that corner with your knee down at 155 kmh. To do so you are showing NO respect.

Clearly you were not there that day and did not experience the HORRIFIC aftermath of that crash. You did not have to ID one of the deceased in the back of the ambulance.

Show your respect by riding slow, stop at the memorial or give them a wave and look them in the eyes as you pass by!

You Sir do not deserve to ride those 3 corners!

[yod]

Are you going to put the box of parts in the tuk tuk basket and peddal around the bends with your knee down?

bling awarded

[skidMark]

You are a complete fcukwit!

Loose Bruce and DSS3 do not want you to ride that corner with your knee down at 155 kmh. To do so you are showing NO respect.

Clearly you were not there that day and did not experience the HORRIFIC aftermath of that crash. You did not have to ID one of the deceased in the back of the ambulance.

Show your respect by riding slow, stop at the memorial or give them a wave and look them in the eyes as you pass by!

You Sir do not deserve to ride those 3 corners!

i did not say that exact corner....i go through those corners below the speed limit.....knee down isnt hard.

i know what happened i have read quasi's write up. i ride the corners at slow speed. but stick my knee down, if there was any risk whatsoever of crashing i would not do it.i am going so slow to the point i can knee down the corner coming from the kopu end and pull over and stock in line with the cross without even trying...i always stop for about 20-30 mins...ball my eyes out then continue.

i knew bruce well too.

I used to stand at hell pizza with him for closing time some nights....talk for ages and the time would fly and it was 1am before we knew it. I would give anything to bring him back, but i cant. nobody can.

seriously no bullshit i do not gas it through there.

i know how sacred that site is, to others and myself.

through that part i ride at about 40% of my ability...leaving alot in reserve and at a speed if i come around and there is gravel or something i could save it. i open her up on the rest of the road though, i'm not denying that.

it's my favourite road.

ive said my bit. i obviously gave everybody the wrong impression in the first place, my apologies.

Mark.

[cowboyz]

you could not be more full of shit if you tried.

[McDuck]

you could not be more full of shit if you tried.

I agree....

[90s]

i ride at about 40% of my ability...leaving alot in reserve

Mark you write things like this a lot - you will have noted how many times people mock you for it. There is a reason - it is totally meaningless when you can't control the environment - bike; road; self; other riders; other traffic; cows; landslips; all variables. On a track day on a well-maintained bike you can control as much as is possible. On the road not much.

This way of thinking will get you killed on the road.
You don't want the priest at your funeral to say "and the funny thing was he still had 70% in reserve when that campervan totalled him".

I believe you had a lot of respect for Loose Bruce, and show that in your own way. But next time you pay homage there think about becoming a better rider than him. That means staying alive. And not causing harm. This is the only and ultimate test of being a good road rider.

[swbarnett]

That means staying alive. And not causing harm. This is the only and ultimate test of being a good road rider.

So someone who stays at home most of the time and only rides his 125cc farm bike 200m from paddock to paddock is a good road rider?

Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way trying to defend the way SM appears to ride but there's more to road riding than just staying alive.

[90s]

So someone who stays at home most of the time and only rides his 125cc farm bike 200m from paddock to paddock is a good road rider?

Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way trying to defend the way SM appears to ride but there's more to road riding than just staying alive.

No, there's much more to it than that. 200m paddock to paddock is not a rider in any meaningful sense at all though and is a deliberately poor example. The ultimate test I said - its the one test you can't fail. And if are 30 yrs riding you are still alive and haven't killed anyone else, I would say there is a reasonable argument that you have useful skills - and being able to take a corner on one wheel probably isn't the most important of these. "There are old rider, bold rider ... etc etc"
I do believe though for the road roadcraft over technical skill is what will keep you alive.

[swbarnett]

No, there's much more to it than that. 200m paddock to paddock is not a rider in any meaningful sense at all though and is a deliberately poor example. The ultimate test I said - its the one test you can't fail. And if are 30 yrs riding you are still alive and haven't killed anyone else, I would say there is a reasonable argument that you have useful skills - and being able to take a corner on one wheel probably isn't the most important of these. "There are old rider, bold rider ... etc etc"
I do believe though for the road roadcraft over technical skill is what will keep you alive.

Now that you explain it like that I can see that we are in agreement. A bit of context goes a long way.

I think your last line sums it up quite nicely.

[swbarnett]

I do believe though for the road roadcraft over technical skill is what will keep you alive.

After a bit more thinking I realised that I was thinking about drivers as a whole, including cages. There are plenty of cage drivers that are still alive after decades of driving that could not be said to be good drivers. I think for motorcyclists, however, you are bang on the money. Bikes are definitely less forgiving.