California Riders

Racer 222

The rider formerly known as Howlin_Mad
Donating Member
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Just curious why the California riders are so much faster in the twisties than the rest of the country?

Marc "Howlin Mad"
 
just cause.... its a west coast thing
laugh.gif
 
I don't post often here, but feel a need to on this one.  Yeah, Californians take the twisties faster, but I'm beginning to feel that many of them are idiots.  Last two group rides I went on one of them wrecked their bikes.  One guy had a completely tricked out GXR 1000, must of spent hours cleaning it, etc.  The other went head on into a Lexus.  Went past 2 cycle wipeouts this last weekend and heard about a dozen others.  Guys talk about wrecks they've been in like it's some kind of badge of honor, forgetting that many of us look at them shaking our heads.
I like fast like the next guy, but I get a bad feeling that there's gonna be a crackdown soon here to end the madness.
Jus my two cents.
 
"YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?" from Conan the Barbarian.

"I don't post often here," from busabuddy.

Nice first post. Is this your first bike too? Do you really have a motorcycle? Where do you come from? Not much info about you. Are you for real? Have you ever been to California, or just seen/heard about us on TV? Your post sounds like you are visiting here and riding around to witness all of this carnage but you obviously don't consider yourself a Californian. I take California insults personally and won't take it from a squid that pops up for the first time on the boards. People on this site come from all areas, backgrounds, experiences,etc. and they all respect each other and get along. Attitude like yours will get trashed here. Learn some respect or get lost.

Motorcycle riding is a personal thing, not some consensus among the masses. Most riders don't care what others think. If you don't like something, don't do it. If you are riding with in the law then you have nothing to worry about, do you? The crackdown won't affect you. Are you affraid of what someone will think of you to the point where it causes you to conform? Reminds me of sheep. As with everything, there are some that are riding way above their capabilities/experience and it is a matter of time before they crash and burn. Some of us like to ride technical roads to hone our skills. Skills learned over 20 or 30 years of riding. California gives us plenty of these challenges with all the mountains around here. And we do practice....a lot. That is why we can do the twisties faster.

Practice makes PERFECT.
 
"YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?" from Conan the Barbarian.

"I don't post often here," from busabuddy.

Nice first post. Is this your first bike too? Do you really have a motorcycle? Where do you come from? Not much info about you. Are you for real? Have you ever been to California, or just seen/heard about us on TV? Your post sounds like you are visiting here and riding around to witness all of this carnage but you obviously don't consider yourself a Californian. I take California insults personally and won't take it from a squid that pops up for the first time on the boards. People on this site come from all areas, backgrounds, experiences,etc. and they all respect each other and get along. Attitude like yours will get trashed here. Learn some respect or get lost.

Motorcycle riding is a personal thing, not some consensus among the masses. Most riders don't care what others think. If you don't like something, don't do it. If you are riding with in the law then you have nothing to worry about, do you? The crackdown won't affect you. Are you affraid of what someone will think of you to the point where it causes you to conform? Reminds me of sheep. As with everything, there are some that are riding way above their capabilities/experience and it is a matter of time before they crash and burn. Some of us like to ride technical roads to hone our skills. Skills learned over 20 or 30 years of riding. California gives us plenty of these challenges with all the mountains around here. And we do practice....a lot. That is why we can do the twisties faster.

Practice makes PERFECT.
As a fellow lifelong Californian....DITTO.....
 
"YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?" from Conan the Barbarian.

"I don't post often here," from busabuddy.

Nice first post. Is this your first bike too? Do you really have a motorcycle? Where do you come from? Not much info about you. Are you for real? Have you ever been to California, or just seen/heard about us on TV? Your post sounds like you are visiting here and riding around to witness all of this carnage but you obviously don't consider yourself a Californian. I take California insults personally and won't take it from a squid that pops up for the first time on the boards. People on this site come from all areas, backgrounds, experiences,etc. and they all respect each other and get along. Attitude like yours will get trashed here. Learn some respect or get lost.

Motorcycle riding is a personal thing, not some consensus among the masses. Most riders don't care what others think. If you don't like something, don't do it. If you are riding with in the law then you have nothing to worry about, do you? The crackdown won't affect you. Are you affraid of what someone will think of you to the point where it causes you to conform? Reminds me of sheep. As with everything, there are some that are riding way above their capabilities/experience and it is a matter of time before they crash and burn. Some of us like to ride technical roads to hone our skills. Skills learned over 20 or 30 years of riding. California gives us plenty of these challenges with all the mountains around here. And we do practice....a lot. That is why we can do the twisties faster.

Practice makes PERFECT.
As a fellow lifelong Californian....DITTO.....
here here....

i have been riding bikes since i was 16 years old. i am 32 years old now and have taken a spill on my bike. surving a crash kinda gives a person sometype of bragging rights to talk about their crash. but deep down inside we know that it was one of the scariest thing to go through.

so to talk about other riders out there is disrespectful. you are just juging people by stereotyping them with out even knowing them.

We may be a bit crazier here in Cali. but we get that way by practicing alot at the track and our backyard of twisty roads.
 
Sorry guys, I didn't mean to stir up anything here. I think I am just reacting out of frustration to the guy I saw go head on recently. He survived, but it was a miracle he did. Trashed his bike in the process. It just seemed so senseless, and somehow I feel a little responsible even though I know it was his own doing because I know in his mind he was trying to keep up with the group.
Good points SierraFlyer, after a little soul searching (about 5 minutes worth) I'm a hypocrite here, I see guys, including myself, doing things in groups that push things to dangerous levels. We all have a little ego in us that says keep up, stay ahead, or whatever. I prefer to work on technique, but can't ignore the little devil on my shoulder telling me to go all out, and I KNOW other guys must be thinking the same thing or we wouldn't be seeing and doing some of the crazy things that we do (i.e., passing on the double yellow with barely a scant view, guys exiting turns that barely make the outside edge, etc.). Anyway, I do agree, it's what I do with my own busa that matters, not what someone else does so, sorry for using the term "idiots" against my own brethren.
By the way, I've have a silver/grey 02', 4-2-1 Yosh duplex system, Zero Grav. DB, Gel seat, pro grips and have ridden bikes for the last 25 years here in Cali. I thought I posted in "Geographical Areas" section, but who knows, maybe it was at ImSoRighteous.com or somewhere else. I'm not an internet wiz, so I admittingly lurk here and there at sites more than post (I know, it's a shameful act, but at least I admit it).
 
I'll wade on this one. When you have the opportunity to ride for 12 months out of the year your skills do progress more. When I was stationed in San Diego 20 years ago, you couldn't help but develope better skills. Now back in Ohio 20 years later, sure the reflexes have slowed down a bit but. When the end of Sept. rolls around there is obvious a difference between when the season starts in March and the end of the riding season in Nov. Sure there are going to be the days when the temp. gets in the 40s-50s when you can get out but when March comes around I personally am not where I was in November. Todd in Cincy
 
California rules! Born and raised in L.A., been riding for almost 20 years. Was cutting traffic at the age of 18! We pretty much get to ride all year 'round here, and we've got THE roads. Sometimes I ride fast, sometimes I don't. Rode the 150 in Ojai last night around dusk, but I took a little side road called Old Creek Road...I took it slow, taking in the beauty, and concentrating on perfect lines rather than speed. Sometimes it's fun to not try so hard.
Lately, I've been riding a different twisty road at least every other day. This may have something to do with our scratching abilities. I live in Ventura now, and there's twisties all over this county, not to mention L.A., and Santa Barbara.
 
From Bakersfield and the USMC decided to stick me in Nc. Definately need to get back out to the SoCal area. The roads are without a doubt infinately better (aside from Deal's Gap) and the canyons just about perfect. That might have something to do with it?
 
why?? people all over come to cali, just to ride the roads. Better weather, twisty roads everywhere, tracks everywhere, no trees(so less blind corners), awesome scenes...............P.S. don't make comments generally to everybody. Take action yourself. You seen an idoit doing something at the wrong place or time that endangers others. Walk up to him/her and let them know. Most idoits out there are trying to impress others, they'll go with the flow......................Most of us don't like to be lectured about the acts of others.
 
We're lucky and get to practice year round.  I have 5 good twisty canyons by my house, the closest is 10 min. away.
Ha!Ha! Doc thought "Canyon Country" under my avatar was a joke!...Nope, that's where I live.

I'm not sure about the whole braggin' rights about crashing thing...to me it means you did something wrong.

I would rather brag that my tires are stripless and I haven't been down.
 
belive it or not, I can answer this question.

I have and still do live in the flatest place on the planet (at least to me it is) TEXAS!!!! The best thing to a twistie road we have around hear is an off ramp from the freeway. Ive lived hear all my life (which isnt much "23" years) and made it cali for the first time in my life last year (2002). When I got there it totaly blew my mind. Mountians, twisties, great pavement, great people, great weather. I can tell you when people from Cali can ride better, ITS ALL THAY DO WHEN THAY RIDE, TWISTIES!!!!

The only reason I could think of for moving from my beloved Texas to Cali is for the roads. If I could live in Texas, have the weather Cali has and the roads thay got, I would be a crazy rider also. I would be draggin knee by now and having to replace toe slidders every week. Of course I would be replacing fairings all the time and have to raise the butt and lower the front but you know, the price to pay to play.
 
If it makes you feel any better...finding a road out here that's long enough and straight enough to reach the top end is not easy. There's either traffic, cops, or the freeway turns.
 
hey guys im new here but might as well jump in with both feet... ok we may have more frequent accidents but also consider how monay walk away from them! most of us where full protective gear while riding in the canyons. if not full leathers, at least HELMET, leather jacket (with hard armor), gloves, boots.. where in other states u see them riding in tshirts, shorts, and NO HELMET! tell me their chances of walking away from an equivelant low siding! ive just brought my 1100 out to iowa at my parents so i have a bike to ride out here when visiting (keeping the busa in cali) and when these guys see me in my gear they are gonna be like WTF??!! LOL
 
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