Total Motorcycle Community Forums

on the highway...and monkey can go 100+mph....they must want to be organ donors. Hey...ride within your comfort zone....stay alive to enjoy the ride.

KingRobb wrote:

The Crimson Rider® wrote:just ride at your own pace. they're not gonna pay for damages if you mess up trying to keep up w/ them.

if they're good riding buddies... they'll wait for you at some point and not put pressure on you.

if they pressure you on going faster than what you're comfortable with... then stop riding w/ them.

An amazingly responsible and mature post from sir squid.

so +1

Actually, I'm gonna have to disagree with that being a good response. The right response is the the OP shouldn't be riding with these guys at all. If they're not going to ride responsibly with a new rider (and supposed friend) following, then they need to ride alone. They are just going to make you push yourself harder than you want, you are not going to enjoy yourself, and one of these days you are going to do something stupid. Doing 110 as a new rider isn't exactly the smartest thing either. I got up that high on my triumph bonneville early on but it was just for a second or two. I wasn't comfortable at that speed either. And like someone else said, that's what... 40-50mph OVER the posted speed limit? Do you really want to risk having your license revoked (not to mention hurting yourself) just to keep up with your "friends"?
Honestly, i think you need to A) ride alone, at your own pace or B) find ONE riding buddy who is either new like you or with less hormones racing through his body and willing to ride at legal speeds and maybe even help you become a better safer rider.

Can't offer advice, except that I hope you and your friends are caught and your bikes impounded and your licenses revoked.

Post some pics of your bikes so we can read the plates and send a tip to your local police.

Why all the bs about go the speed limit. Sounds like a bunch of babies. Honestly, speed limits are TOO LOW. Should I go 55 on the parkway when everyone else is going 65-70, no. Speed doesn't cause accidents, but vast differences in speed causes accidents. Notice I'm only talking about highways.

Back on topic. OP, I think you shouldn't ride with them if they won't let you ride at your own pace. You need to learn at your own pace. Do they go about 140 all the time, or only when there is mild to no traffic? If they do it all the time, I wouldn't ride at all with them. Things even out and eventually they might be caught or mistake and that won't be fun.

There is a thing called the basic speed law. I think that the speed limit on most freeways, at least in cali is, 70mph. I you are staying with the flow of traffic in a car you are doing the same speed as just about everyone else its the ones doing the 90+ that get pulled over usually.

I agree with everyone else if they are doing such high speeds you should either just ride your own ride and let them wait for you or find new friends to ride with. Going that speed and being new to riding is about as smart as beating your head into a brick wall. I am a ne rider and i an tell you I would not go those speeds with the limited experience I have because i don't have the skills needed to avoid nasty situations and because I have a hubby and kids at home I want to see again.

Just play it smart and tone it down. You'll be glad ya did and you will enjoy the ride more.

Have a great one and ride safe
Deedee

Don't ride with them if they make you uncomfortable, that simple. I rode with a group one time who insisted on going 80+ (at the time I thought it was 70+, but I recently found out that my speedometer is way off, while I was thinking I was going 45mph through a backroad, and my girlfriend said I was going 60+) throught downtown Atlanta traffic, so I stopped riding with them.

And to the above post. There is a big difference between going 10-15 over to keep up with traffic, and 45-55 over blowing by traffic like the cars are parked.

Been there! Just determine the route, let them go, and you will meet at the next stop. If they push you, avoid them. Eventually, you will either catch up and ride like them, or find a different style and new riding buddies. Pushing your limit can really ruin you day in so may ways!

"basic speed law"

Well, I guess there is. It probably reads something like this:

Laws of Basic Speed
"The basic speed of any moving object is the slowest an object must move. Any other motion above this speed would be called Basic Plus. Then anything above and beyond the Basic Plus, we call Warp."

Just a note to anyone who doesn't know, the Posted Speed Limit is the same as the Maximum Speed allowed in OPTIMUM driving conditions. Optimum driving conditions translate into the following.
Clear daylight skies, no wind, no obstacles in your way, dry road surface and no interruptions or breaks in the road surface.

I also would like to say that I do about 10MPH above the Posted speed limit and stay in the slowest lane. If people want to go past me, then that's their option either they use one of the other numerous lanes or wait for a safe opportunity to pass in a passing lane.

I've read here that most people go faster, so why not keep up? Besides the "Keeping up with the rest of the pack" syndrome, or "If Joe Blow jumps off the bridge" syndrome, or "If he/she can do it, then so can I" syndrome, I don't think there is a reason. Also, if you go faster and are involved in an accident, your insurance company has the right to deny payment because you were driving in excess of the Posted Speed limit. Surprise to you. Read your policies, people. If you are breaking the law, the insurance has absolutely NO OBLIGATION to make any payment.

Now, for all you people out there thinking, "Well, he's going slow and causing accidents'> And I'll bet there are more than one or a dozen of you, I have the simple reply.

If you were following the rules, I would not be a danger. So, don't blame me if someone comes screaming up behind me, suddenly realizes that I am going "TOO SLOW" and either slams on his brakes or veers into another lane and causes someone else to crash, etc., etc.

So, moral of the story.

Do the speed limit, or reasonably close to it.

when we ride on the highway they take off going like 140mph and up....and i stay around 110 tops becuase i am still nervous

Why? I don't imagine dumping your bike at 140 to be any worse than dumping it at 110.

I'm going to side with everyone else with the fact that you need to SLOW DOWN and get more comfortable with the bike. Your friends are playing Russian Roulette, it's just a matter of time before that hammer drops.

Later,
WVUChrome...

WVUChrome wrote:

when we ride on the highway they take off going like 140mph and up....and i stay around 110 tops becuase i am still nervous

Why? I don't imagine dumping your bike at 140 to be any worse than dumping it at 110.

I'm going to side with everyone else with the fact that you need to SLOW DOWN and get more comfortable with the bike. Your friends are playing Russian Roulette, it's just a matter of time before that hammer drops.

Later,
WVUChrome...

This is perfectly true, but nobody (I think) has yet mentioned the consequences to other road users of a crash at these speeds. If Kmac is in any way socialised, that thought might merit some consideration in his (I guess) young brain.

I'f he's nervous at these speeds, it means he's not fully in control. If he's not fully in control then he won't react well in an unexpected situation and he will put himself and other people at risk. And, further, if he rides in an out-of-control manner he will never learn the skills needed to manage a bike.

I do understand the issue of 'keeping up,' though. When you are riding behind people who are better than you, you can get mesmerised and obsessed by the idea. But if keeping up is what is in your mind, once again, it means that you are not in full control of your bike or your body or your reactions, and you are not fully aware of the traffic situation around you. I think that should answer your question about whether you should ride with these guys (If it is a serious question).

Kmac, slow down. Ride your own ride. Develop you skills in the only way possible, by riding at a speed and in a style that is controlled and comfortable for YOU! Then in a couple of years, or however long it takes, you will be able to choose how to ride safely and well. You can then enjoy your ride instead of spraying anxiety all over the highway.