(no subject)
Aug. 13th, 2002 01:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tugrikThere are things that I cannot do on a motorcycle. Some are due to my skill level -- I'm no Bostrom. Some are due to my choice of bikes -- I don't have a superbike racer, for instance. Others are due to my physical stature -- this puts limits on the suspension and things the bike can do. It's like travelling with the thing 100% cargo loaded all the time. These things include stuff like catching major air (that's for dirtbikes), doing 170+mph (that's for supersports), super-high-performance cornering (takes more m4d sk11lz and less bodyweight), and the usual squidly stunts of wheelies and stoppies. Or at least I thought.
The suite next to my office has the Amerimac Mortgage company. They hired a new admin last month. Not only is he a pretty cool guy, he rides a Honda CBR600... and in a decidedly unsquidly way... full armor even. We'd chatted on and off, and done lunch a few times, since his arrival. We're currently comparing notes about the upcoming move -- my company is taking over his company's spot, and they're taking over a company downstairs that's getting evicted. Neither of us are supposed to know anything, of course -- but we're the IT guys. We tend to get told about these things before the veeps do. During one of our 'offsite plotting sessions' (aka Lunch) he groused about how all his tools were still in San Diego so he couldn't re-tension his chain. I happily offered him the use of my workshop, and we headed over there after work.
We got the job done in record time (and a big thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
reality_fox for lending us his pit-bull stand!), and then goofed around on the bikes a little. He tried both of mine -- the goldwing just plain scared him with the amount of power. He was giddy. I tried his, just careful-like around the block so I wouldn't hurt his suspension. Afterwards we went for a spirited run through the Hicks Loop and then over Cherry Hill into Los Gatos -- a wonderful little 2 mile test-track just behind my house. I surprised him with how well I could keep ahead of his little sportbike, and he got me right back with his ability to take the last hairpin at a speed I could never hope to. It was grand fun. One thing I noticed... I was going a lot faster than I usually was. Also, the bike was riding higher, and I could hold on to the frame with my legs better. It suddenly dawned on me that I'd not really hunkered down and pushed the GS-bike around since my March trip with Dusty. The realization of what was going on made me feel pure elation: I'd lost weight. Enough weight that the bike behaved notably different... notably better! Wow. I'm still smiling about that.
On the way back, we drove right by Reality_fox's house, past what I call the "micro-hooligan-zone". There's this patch of dirt leading to a utility station that one can hop a curb and climb into, then goof around on a bit before leaping off another ledge back onto the main road. The dualsport bike loves this -- and sportbikes hate it. To tease my buddy I zipped ahead and climbed up into the dirt, and started to roost around a little like some wannabe-anarchist. He stopped and watched, laughing. I aimed back for the main road, and turned to look at him and nod... and when I turned my head back I saw I was approaching the curbline at a pretty ugly angle.
The 'obstacle training' I'd received had sunk in enough that I knew the best way to get past this was to get the front tire up. I know I can't wheelie; I'm too heavy... so just whack that throttle to lighten up the front end, then clearing the lump of cement wouldn't hurt as much.
Well... I guess I _have_ lost weight indeed. The front wheel came right up, rising into a grand high-ball wheelie. I cleared the hump with the rear tire, and went off the 8" dropoff on only my rear wheel. I had just enough balance-instinct to stand up on the pegs and lean forwards into the bike... and NOT let go of the throttle. Wheelies must be rode out and set down, not slammed down by turning off the gas. I rode the stunt for about 30 feet, settling back down on the seat as I let the throttle smoothly back down, just in time to have two wheels to make the corner onto my block. My automatic systems handled it surprisingly well, and I was simply thinking about the turn. It took about two minutes later, when I was back at the house and off the bike, for me to realize just what happened. The sudden realization that I'd just done a hindwheel-jump and a 4-second wheelie caused a delayed adrenaline rush to kick me in the teeth. Legwobbly. Whee!
My new buddy pulled in and got off his bike. He came over to slap me a good one on the shoulder, laughing... "Wish I had a video camera... that was a wicked jump! I didn't think a huge dualsport like that could do it. " I simply played along and grinned back, then waved as he headed off home.
I don't think I'll do another one on purpose just yet. For now, I'll just bask in this artifical feeling of 'cool' for getting lucky enough to pull this one off. :)
The suite next to my office has the Amerimac Mortgage company. They hired a new admin last month. Not only is he a pretty cool guy, he rides a Honda CBR600... and in a decidedly unsquidly way... full armor even. We'd chatted on and off, and done lunch a few times, since his arrival. We're currently comparing notes about the upcoming move -- my company is taking over his company's spot, and they're taking over a company downstairs that's getting evicted. Neither of us are supposed to know anything, of course -- but we're the IT guys. We tend to get told about these things before the veeps do. During one of our 'offsite plotting sessions' (aka Lunch) he groused about how all his tools were still in San Diego so he couldn't re-tension his chain. I happily offered him the use of my workshop, and we headed over there after work.
We got the job done in record time (and a big thanks to
reality_fox for lending us his pit-bull stand!), and then goofed around on the bikes a little. He tried both of mine -- the goldwing just plain scared him with the amount of power. He was giddy. I tried his, just careful-like around the block so I wouldn't hurt his suspension. Afterwards we went for a spirited run through the Hicks Loop and then over Cherry Hill into Los Gatos -- a wonderful little 2 mile test-track just behind my house. I surprised him with how well I could keep ahead of his little sportbike, and he got me right back with his ability to take the last hairpin at a speed I could never hope to. It was grand fun. One thing I noticed... I was going a lot faster than I usually was. Also, the bike was riding higher, and I could hold on to the frame with my legs better. It suddenly dawned on me that I'd not really hunkered down and pushed the GS-bike around since my March trip with Dusty. The realization of what was going on made me feel pure elation: I'd lost weight. Enough weight that the bike behaved notably different... notably better! Wow. I'm still smiling about that.On the way back, we drove right by Reality_fox's house, past what I call the "micro-hooligan-zone". There's this patch of dirt leading to a utility station that one can hop a curb and climb into, then goof around on a bit before leaping off another ledge back onto the main road. The dualsport bike loves this -- and sportbikes hate it. To tease my buddy I zipped ahead and climbed up into the dirt, and started to roost around a little like some wannabe-anarchist. He stopped and watched, laughing. I aimed back for the main road, and turned to look at him and nod... and when I turned my head back I saw I was approaching the curbline at a pretty ugly angle.
The 'obstacle training' I'd received had sunk in enough that I knew the best way to get past this was to get the front tire up. I know I can't wheelie; I'm too heavy... so just whack that throttle to lighten up the front end, then clearing the lump of cement wouldn't hurt as much.
Well... I guess I _have_ lost weight indeed. The front wheel came right up, rising into a grand high-ball wheelie. I cleared the hump with the rear tire, and went off the 8" dropoff on only my rear wheel. I had just enough balance-instinct to stand up on the pegs and lean forwards into the bike... and NOT let go of the throttle. Wheelies must be rode out and set down, not slammed down by turning off the gas. I rode the stunt for about 30 feet, settling back down on the seat as I let the throttle smoothly back down, just in time to have two wheels to make the corner onto my block. My automatic systems handled it surprisingly well, and I was simply thinking about the turn. It took about two minutes later, when I was back at the house and off the bike, for me to realize just what happened. The sudden realization that I'd just done a hindwheel-jump and a 4-second wheelie caused a delayed adrenaline rush to kick me in the teeth. Legwobbly. Whee!
My new buddy pulled in and got off his bike. He came over to slap me a good one on the shoulder, laughing... "Wish I had a video camera... that was a wicked jump! I didn't think a huge dualsport like that could do it. " I simply played along and grinned back, then waved as he headed off home.
I don't think I'll do another one on purpose just yet. For now, I'll just bask in this artifical feeling of 'cool' for getting lucky enough to pull this one off. :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Woo hoo!
Date: 2002-08-14 08:34 am (UTC)