Riding with Choppers...

[-The Stig-]

So, yesterday my buddy from work calls me up and says "What's up Junior... you bored as shit? Lets go for a ride."

I tell him I've got some shit to take care of, but I'd call him later. Later eventually came... as it tends to do. And I called him and I head over to his house on the TriHump. He's getting his Harley ready, a '99 standard Softail with Ape hanger bars and some loud pipes. Can't have a Harley with quiet exhaust... I think there's an unwritten rule about that.

Anyways, we get to cruising down through the local beach cities on the famous Pacific Coast Highway here in SoCal. Unfortunately it's roughly 4pm and we're stuck in work traffic. Being the nice guy, I stay with him in traffic rather than cutting up to the front. Which I don't really do all that often, I'm just never in that much of a hurry.

Half way down to our destination, we're sitting at a light and I guess he'd had enough of traffic, but made mention that he can't get through traffic as easy with the Apes as he could before with drag bars on the bike.

He said to me "Man, lets get ahead of these damn cars." I simply nodded, slapped the visor down on my helmet and when the light went green I made for the "biker lane" between cars and shot out ahead of the pack. Needless to say, he got stuck for a few moments while he elbowed his way through, after that I had to continously slow down for him because he couldn't keep up as I'd pick my way through the slow moving traffic.


I'm not sure how guys can do it, on the big Harley's... with the Apes and forward controls. It must be do able, I see plenty of guys doing it. It must be a royal bitch doing slow speed manuevers though.

Must of been a weird sight though, a 'full blown' chopper and a 'hardcore' street bike cruising together like it's the thing to do.


Soon, my Brother-in-law with his Yamaha R6, his two buddies with Harleys (one Roadking, one Softail) and I might make a ride up the coast to Salvang. About a 150 mile ride north of us, it's a bitchin ride up... and they have a Motorcycle museum!

I'm stoked... gah sorry for the long rant about nothing much at all. I'm just happy to have my new toy. I've already spied my first mod for it too...



Ride on brothers!

[richtazz]

I've never understood ape hangers either, and I have a Harley (Fatboy). The only use I see for them is to help dry your gel deodorant (switch to a solid stick guys, sheesh!) and make you look stupid (do they think they look cool with their hands above their head?). You Sportbike guys like loud pipes too, so don't go there. At least a Harley with pipes doesn't sound like a BIG nest of pissed-off hornets. I think a good mix of bikes is good for the hobby, it shows people that the Harley/riceburner bullshit is almost over (sans for a few radicals on both sides), and makes for an interesting dynamic. I appreciate all bikes, big and small, foreign or American. Ride with respect and you'll always get a wave from me, regardless of your mount. Be a squid (or a hoodlum on a cruiser), and I'll call you on it.

[-The Stig-]

Ha, true there are plenty of Rice grinders that have the angry hornets nest exhaust.

Luckily the TriHump doesn't sound like that... more raspy. Very european sounding. Sorta like a Ferrari... dare I say.

Anywho, I wave to everybody on the road. I don't get a ton of replys. A lot of 'hardcore' chopper guys give me an odd look when I give them a wave.

Riding is fun, it's too bad I can't ride to work. I use my truck for work, so I'm stuck in my cage for most the day. Something I try to tell all my friends who don't ride is to give bikers as much room as possible. I keep reminding them that Bikes don't have crumple zones, airbags or seat belts.

[richtazz]

A guy I pass occasionally has a newer Triumph triple with a pipe and it does have a mean sound. Many of the new v-twin sport bikes have a raspy, almost visceral sound to them as well. I also appreciate the sound of a full-on Inline-4 sportbike when they're getting on it, but the drone they produce at cruising speeds gets annoying. Don't get me started on Ricer cagers and their big fart can mufflers!!!

[motorcycle_psycho]

Originally Posted by richtazz

A guy I pass occasionally has a newer Triumph triple with a pipe and it does have a mean sound. Many of the new v-twin sport bikes have a raspy, almost visceral sound to them as well. I also appreciate the sound of a full-on Inline-4 sportbike when they're getting on it, but the drone they produce at cruising speeds gets annoying. Don't get me started on Ricer cagers and their big fart can mufflers!!!

My bike confuses people alot, it's a "sportbike" but has a mean rumble at low rpms with the M4 exhaust. I can't wait to save some money and pick myself up a literbike, the gixxer 1-k with the two tone orange and black is looking sick. The SV is a twisty killer but has a rough time on the highway. I can keep up with my buddies 2005 636 Ninja but I think it's the rider, not the bike.