Faster...
The weather was nice today -- OK, really nice -- 75 degrees, low humidity, and sunny. But, what the heck!? 35 mph felt like 25, 55 felt like 35, and 75 felt like 50 (or would have, if I'd been that fast). And, ranging from 8,000 to 11,000 RPM, acceleration still seemed "slow."I have a theory....On Saturday, I watched Faster. It wasn't the first time, I'd watched it the weekend before, and held onto the DVD (before returning to NetFlix today). Something about the music, the filming, the history, the rivalry, the bikes... and the speed. I had to do it again; watching high-sides frame by frame to see where it all went wrong. Ouch. And the music...
2 comments:
I like velocity and I like distance, but if I had to sum motorcycling sensations up, I'd have to include the descriptives of "aroma" and "temperature".
Not just talking about the smell of the oils and exhause from a hot runner at the end of a twisty section, but also about passing a field and smelling new mown hay, of going into a little dip in the summer and finding it 5 degrees cooler from a little stream at the bottom.
Speed is magnificent, but for those of us without factory sponsorship, crashing REALLY sucks. I watched a police training course a couple of months ago with an eye towards measuring it out and learning some of those tight handling methods they use. Yeah, right. Many crashes. Who cared? The bikes were govt property and someone in the city/county/state shop would fix the damages. A little different for me practicing stunts on my V-Strom. I drop it and guess who pays for all the repairs? Fiscal cowardice? Maybe. I have enjoyed Deal's Gap and moreso Cherokee Mountain, on my 84 BMW K100JD but there was always that hedge that kept me from pushing the envelope too far. It's a long walk home.
> I like velocity and I like distance, but if I had to sum motorcycling sensations up, I'd have to include the descriptives of "aroma" and "temperature".
I totally agree with "aroma." A couple of streets around our area are bordered by flowers that have the most extraordinary aroma ever. I've driven by repeatedly trying to capture their scent, but smell nothing. On the bike, it's like the scent of heaven.
The other sensation for me is acceleration. I'm actually not a huge fan of speed / velocity. Over 100 mph just makes me nervous. But, 0 to 100 mph in six seconds... what a rush! (Not that I ever ride like this on the road!)
Crashes, I don't worry about repairing the bike so much... I worry about repairing me!
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