Had my first proper "red mist" moment earlier

[c_dug]

I went and got new tyres and brake pads on the GS today. Got the usual spiel about taking it easy for the first 100 miles, easy on the brakes, blah blah. Being gloriously sunny and having had no usable bike for the last year or so, I figured I'd make the most of it and go for a ride about the local countryside to scrub the tyres in a bit.

I've only had the bike maybe 2 weeks now, and pretty much exclusively used it for city riding so far, so this was very much an opportunity to learn the bike a bit, given it's the best part of 250kg and ridiculously tall it's not really similar at all to the Fazer 600 I had before.

Anyway about 10 miles down the way, I'm behind a sportyish hatchback, that's behind another car which is doing about 35 in a national. There's some sort of sporty bike behind me too. We get to a straightish bit of road and I pull out to overtake both cars in front and am more or less level with the hatchback when the driver decides he wants past the slow car too, without checking mirrors or indicating. I backed off a bit to avoid going into the back of him and followed past the slow car, then when he pulled in I stayed in the right hand lane to pass him too for no reason other than to try and prove a point (no idea what point mind!)

So now I'm basically in a drag race with a fairly nippy hatchback which had continued accelerating flat out, the GS is quicker for sure, but I'm doing triple figures by the time I'm past, still in the wrong lane, approaching a right hand curve which made visibility questionable, and very much going too fast to make the the following sharp left hand bend a few hundred meters further down the road.

I slowed down a fair bit for the tight left but it tightened further halfway round and now I'm going way too fast, on a bike I don't know, on very new tyres, leaning way further than I'm happy with, shitting myself that I'm going to either ground out the engine or lose grip at the front, which feels like it's pushing wide.

More by luck than judgement I made around the bend, looked in my mirrors, cars still there. Fucker.

At this point I'm thinking I should have let him go when he passed the first car, too late now though, best put a gap between us

The mist is still going but it's clear I'm not going to lose the car. Despite this I continue to try pushing my luck for maybe a dozen more corners.

Thankfully I think the sports bike clocked what was going on and put himself in the middle of us and forced a gap. Enough of a gap for me to take stock, realise I'm being a complete bell end, and decide to pull into a pub or something and let the car go. Before I spotted anywhere he turned off into another road.

I waved the bike past, and had the sense not to try and play keepy uppy!

Anyway, first proper dickhead riding moment I can think of.

Brool story co etc...
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Pigeon]

If you've only had 1 dick moment since riding......then you ain't doing it right

No kittens were hurt.

Hatchback driver has a story how he pwned a biker.

Sportbike rider has a story about "typical adventure motorcyclist".

You learnt a bit about the GS's capabilities.

Everyone is a winner

[grr666]

I've been scrubbing in new tyres today too. Nothing like that happened.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Travis Bickle]

You could have been more professional but you were clearly provoked

Hatchback driver sounds like the instigator, sad part is you were farm more likely to end up worse off than they were
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[M.C]

Was Mr Hatchback obviously looking for an overtake? I'm looking more for oncoming traffic than worrying about what's behind when overtaking, unless I don't have the power to go for an overtake I'd find it a bit of a dick move.

[c_dug]

[grr666]

What was the car? Any idea?
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Vracktal]

Clearly the solution is to fit wider tyres and road wheels to the GS so you can make the sharp corners flat out next time
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2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[Bhud]

The problem is corners... Shitbox-mobiles may be slower than your bike, but they don't have to anticipate that patch of gravel/horse/cyclist/broken down car/pedestrian around that left-hander. If they see something that forces them to slow, they just slam on the brakes.
Not worth getting into it. The level of skill needed to handle winding public roads on a bike is so much higher than that needed for a shitbox-mobile. Ultimately you're risking life and limb or paralysis in a race, on a faster machine, and with a better brain and coordination and skill level, against a probably illiterate, uncoordinated, unlicensed tree surgeon in a shitty old 'ricer'. You already knew that, though... I think what made you see red was the fact he blocked your overtake and then hit the gas as you were passing him - a seriously dangerous dick maneuvre that put you at risk.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[c_dug]

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[ThatDippyTwat]

[c_dug]

[Fallout]

Never race the big metal boxes of death, unless you're safely behind them. If anyone is really fast and obviously out for a race, it's too dangerous is my opinion, to be in front of the imbeciles. They'll tail gate, potentially take you out, and at the very least distract you from what's in front of you, and push you to do stupid things as you've discovered.

Let them through, then chase them. The bonus of sticking on their arse is firstly they're not going to kill you, and secondly you'll be sending them home with little saddy eyes, remembering the biker who was right up their chuff for 10 miles, reading a magazine and painting his nails, while they thrashed the pants off their Corsa. Win win.
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Fallout

[P.addy]

You wouldn't have had that problem with a GSXR buddy.



Glad it worked out though... Would be pissed if you dropped that bad boy.

[Kentol750]

Reading what you said, you were almost level with him....he may not have seen you, didn't check blind spot. As he moves, you blast horn and accelerate past him. As he was able to pull out and you had to slow down, maybe you should rethink your road position for the overtake. Had a guy on a fazer 600 do the same to me in my car a few years ago on a40 going towards sennybridge from Brecon. Didn't see him sitting on my rear right and he didnt see my indicator... both of us learnt something that day.
Now, I sit in the view of the mirror before an overtake, it's hard for them to miss the shiny light!
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Some bikes.

[BTTD]

Modern hot hatches are getting quick. The VW Golf R is 300hp, as is the Honda Type R. You'd have to work pretty hard on a GS to lose those, even a lesser hot hatch is going to put up a fight if the driver's bit of a twat.

[Travis Bickle]

[M.C]

[bhinso]

This thread has a rating of Good (boring)

[stevo as b4]

As said it's partly a case of self admittedly poor judgement,but we've all done similar things. I remember riding back from Wales with a group of twats who liked to give it plenty on every bit of straight NSL road. As they kept changing positions I found myself at the front and approaching some cars in front with a good overtaking position after a bend. Having checked my mirrors and life saver I went to overtake sharpish and found a screaming R6 next to me doing me and the two cars in front.

We nearly collided and I didn't know he was there until I'd pulled out. After that I let the lot of them go and rode home enjoying the sunset at 60mph.

In North Wales once I slowed down and moved over to the left after a mile or so to let a Subaru Impreza come past that had been stuck behind me on unfamiliar gravel and sheep shit covered hairpin roads. He was always going to be far quicker than me around there even if he didn't know the road either.

I agree about modern hatchbacks being pretty sharp and capable though, not so much in terms of straight-line speed, but they can unlike 80's and 90's hatchbacks put the performance to the road, and steer handle and especially grip far far better. It was Shaft who explained that to me, and when you look at the big 18/19" wheel cars now with really wide rubber and all the electronics and fancy diffs and other torque steer reducing aids such as fancy steering arms/hubs and geometry it's no wonder they are so good.

It needs no skill for someone in a new hot hatch to go quickly without throwing it into a Hedge.

The old hatchbacks I like are hopeless at steering, gripping, or accelerating at the same time and won't stay within sight of newer heavier more composed and stiffer cars.

[M.C]

Even a 205 GTi? I thought it was still the benchmark.

[Travis Bickle]

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-eSfIc1D9w/Tf49qRjoJpI/AAAAAAAABLk/Dj2Rp4VXIAE/s1600/SDC10444.JPG
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer