Why so defensive?

[csmith12]

That guy is gunna crash one day riding like that.

That track would take like forever....... to learn.

[verboten1]

Originally Posted by Hero Danny

Are you saying i'm going to put on weight? lmao!

Weight doesn't matter, bike size doesn't matter. Knowing how to ride in the wind does. I'm a big dude, especially on my ninja, I'm a big sail.

The ninja handles wind way better than my huge KLR650.
My Virago which weighs about half a ton is crap in the wind, but I still know how to ride it, and it's fine.

The Bigger the bike, the bigger sail it becomes, the KLR has a fork mounted high fender, which grabs the wind and turns the forks. no big deal. The virago, you ride with arms up, and make yourself more of a sail, still no problem, it is just harder to relax while looking like a badass biker...lol

The Ninja, tucked behind fairings, being pretty low, and light i feel makes it much easier to ride in the wind. we had 40-50 MPH gusts last time I rode to the office (40 miles, almost all expressway) and while it took work to NOT tense up and fight it, I never left my lane.

[Norway]

Originally Posted by Rudiger

I think alot of us do deal with that. The group of guys in my area that ride bikes tell me to upgrade every time they see me. Or they start with the lawnmower jokes. It gotten to the point I won't ever ride with them and they wonder why.

Couldn't we just say that our reproductive organs are so impressive that we chose to compensate by driving small motorcycles?

[verboten1]

I probably bought mine because I shouldn't have... I'm 300 pounds and nearly 6 feet. But I did, and I'm leaving Friday for a 2000 mile 8 day trip( on the ninja). Should be fun!

[LNasty]

Originally Posted by allanoue

I look forward to your posts about wind in 2 or 3 years.

This is exactly what happened for me. When i first joined and started riding, made a post about not being able to handle 30 to 40 mph winds. I used to check the weather reports daily before heading out to work to see what the wind was going to be like for the day, which I could then add on another 10 to 15 mph for the 200ft tall suspension bridge i go over every day. Almost 3 years later it is not even an issue anymore. Have ridden in gust of 50 to 60 mph, granted i had to lean 25° just to go straight and my butthole was puckered so tight that not even light could escape. I am right around 200 lbs and gear prob adds another 30, so i really don't know what "normal" winds for me would be like for a smaller rider. Really need to invest in a camera so i can post some of the crazy ass storms i have rode in here. The looks on cager's faces is priceless when i pass them in a severe thunderstorm. What helped me art the beginning was just slowing down enough to not get rearended, but be able to handle the winds without breaking my fingers from gripping the bars so tight. Once experience gains it will be a thing of the past. Also trying to get in the smallest tuck you can get in and literally thinking that your feet are pushing your bike so hard into the ground that the tires might blow is a great mind over matter trick.

[corksil]

^^^ we become desensitized to fear.

The first time.... it's always scary. Doesn't matter what it is.

Fear is a healthy instinct that keeps us alive. As time passes and experience grows, fear withers and atrophies and confidence takes it's place.

Relax, brah!

[kdogg2077]

If you look around online or just talk to other bikers plenty of people give Ninja 250 riders crap that it isn't a real bike, can't do the highway and that you need to upgrade.

After a while it becomes a raw nerve and people get defensive about it. I try not to be that way but it's frustrating.

I think the problem is that modern riders have a distorted sense of how much power is really necessary, and how much power they can really handle. I'm not a great rider but at least I understand my limitations. I see all these guys riding 100+ hp and bigger bikes that probably don't use more than 30% of that power. It's just posing.

[verboten1]

I just received word that the Goldwing rider going with us on this trip has offered to tow me through the mountains.

John k has offered to tow you
He is meeting up Friday night
He's towing to Ohio?
I'm good to ride though, it's no problem!
Lol no
If you need more power up mountains
Oh, with his 2 wheeled accord?
Yea he has more displacement per cylinder
And has 6 of them, madness

all in good fun, a few of them actually want to ride the Ninja on the Dragon

[corksil]

Something something... have them follow you through a few turns, only to catch up and tell you that your brake light is broken.

To which you reply -- "Not broken, I didn't use the brakes."