sandm

forgot to pay for boat parking on friday so I rode up monday to pay my $3 and decided to make a quick i/c run. not much traffic at all going up, but ran into a couple on a big full-dress harley around 1/2 way up. do you think that they would wave me around?? NO... really pissed me off as I followed them for 3 miles and passed 2 areas that had paved pullout lanes and the a$$tard riding that bike with his woman did NOTHING to let me by. they were running the entire road at 5mph under the posted speeds. ended up with a nissan titan on my ass, so I ended up passing him on a small straight that was double yellow. not a good thing, but I was hot.
same thing happened earlier this year coming out of smiths ferry going toward mccall with 2 harley riders that let me pass finally with 2 corners to go...

I'm not bashing on harley riders, but when I have ridden with others, I have no issues waving bikes that have way more skills than me around and want to run at a different pace than me.. wrong?? I don't think so.. but I guess some think they need to own the road and frustrate everyone....

ok, end of rant

ran into a guy at i/c on a red kawasaki semi-naked bike that he called his frankenstein dressed in a full black tracksuit heading up to lowman. not sure if he's on here, but if he is thanks for the conversation and hope you had a safe and officer-free ride

Grumbler

I caught-up with 3 HD Electra-Glide riders sans helmets from WA
as they turned left onto SH-21 from Banks-Lowman Rd. The 3rd
rider was a bit slower than the first 2 which enabled me to pass
him, but oncoming traffic and no passing lanes gave me the op
observe how pathetic they were in the curves.

By that, am referring to their wandering all over the road rather
than holding crisp lines through the apex and all that rot. They
knew I was behind them and I did keep my distance for their
safety as well as mine, but they didn't give a flip.

Eventually passed them, but they then decided to increase their
speed to match mine on the straights only to fall further behind
as the curves piled-up. Cagers masquerading as bikers comes to
mind. There are plenty of bikers indulging in that stoopid COU
(Center Of Universe) crap with little, if any, regard for any other
riders, especially faster ones.

Remember those license plate frames with "I might be slow, but
I'm ahead of you"?

theduckllr

I used to get worked up about this very situation. But, somehow old age took hold and now I just don't worry about it. 5 mph under? Great. I'm not in a hurry anyway. If I get the chance to do a legal, safe pass, then my chance will come when it comes. Until then? 45 in a 50 just isn't worth getting annoyed, much less a reckless ticket when I find out that the Harley I just passed on the Double Yellow was an off duty cop..

sandm

don't disagree with ya duc, but how about 25-30 around most of the corners I had to follow them thru when they're marked 40-45 and riding 40 on the straights? it's a bit frustrating.. I understand that they are out enjoying the ride as well, but I guess the few rides that I have been on with guys on here, you wave the faster riders along, or at least that's what I have observed/followed..

Grumbler

How does an off duty cop on a Harley go about issuing you a
reckless driving ticket - does he chase you down and flash his
badge?

whitedevil

He calls his on duty buddy.

theduckllr

I absolutely hear and relate to your frustration. Perhaps as an experiment, you should try a completely legal pace loop ride, even if for the first time. You might be suprised at the scenery you have been missing all this time.

Emotions are are second only to survival instinct as a prime motivator. Consider that anger motivated you to risk a doosy of a ticket/potential arrest to pass that bike. No big deal if nothing comes of it, but imagine saying that in the middle of a body cavity search when it goes the wrong way.

A few years ago, my buddy Dave did a double yellow pass by a Harley that was cruising under the speed limit on HWY 21. I waited for the passing lane. As we sat at the Chalet eating an ice cream, the Bulls rolled up and he got busted. That Sheriff died later that year, on that bike, near Lowman. I will never forget thinking how lucky I was for opting not to pass. When my dad was a cop there, I learned that lots of folks up in 6B have scanners and radios. They LOVE calling in bikers who do an illegal pass or speed. This is why I always do a pretty reasonable PACE ride on the Banks/Lowman loop. No tickets in the past 50k+ miles has been a tangible reward.

Given the choice, we can learn from the experiences of others, or find out for ourselves. The former is usually less painful and much cheaper. You are an adult, so go with what works best for you.

As for outrunning a fulldress Harley on Hwy21... there are not too many roads off it, so guessing where you went doesn't take much in the way of deductive reasoning. The favorite place for Boise County to hand out wall paper is at the GV Chevron fuel pump or Trudy's parking lot.

Mikey

You know the only frustrating thing about some of the Hardley riders is lately they seem to think that because I hold my side of the lane, be it right or left side, that they can just pass me in my lane. Guy did this just last night, pulled up next to me in my lane (On Meridian Rd with an empty lane next to me) Then proceeds to blast off like it's suddenly a race. I just watched him "race" away shaking my head.

Grumbler

No cell signal on SH-21 although it works in Stanley. I don't
pass slower vehicles unless it's a legal passing lane or they
wave me by. Don't tailgate, either, as common courtesy
beats being d-bag.

sandm

again, not disagreeing with ya, probably was not the smartest of moves(and I have seen some real dumb passing on that road over the years), and yes, frustration was part of the decision, but to the original point, how much of a courtesy is it to just wave faster bikers on??

I've waved other bikers by on almost every ride I've ever been on organized by this forum, as most on here are far more skilled than me and shouldn't be held up.. harley or not, there's a user that posts up rides on here that lists a harley xr1200 in his siggy. he might be a much better rider than me(chances are yes), and I'd have NO issues waving him past me on a road like that if he came up on me very quickly.. seems like a courtesy to me..
how hard is it to ride the right side for a few yards and wave someone by? especially at the speeds that they were travelling??

that's the original post and the focus of my rant!!

I get what you are saying and know what I did was illegal, although based on the area I passed and the machinery involved, I do not AT ALL feel that I proposed a threat to anyone's safety, or I would not have admitted/posted that I passed him.. and as to tickets, remember that if the cop doesn't see you do it, you're going to court against another private citizen. I'll take my chances with them anyday.

Grumbler

No tickets for me, either, since 1996 after getting two performance
awards a week apart.

sandm

I can't say that I completely agree with this statement either as I was the guy that rode with you up to the top of horseshoe bend hill last year after we lost the other 3 at 120+. I will give you credit that you didn't follow them, but our speeds for that day on that road and the back way out of that other subdivision were in excess of the basic $80 ticket not to mention the wheelies that were ridden out of the slow vehicle turnout by the guy on the ducati

theduckllr

Ah yes, THAT DAY. I clearly remember thinking: "I'm going 70 mph and that azzhat on the ZX10R just made me look like I'm in reverse. I'm going home" The only way that could have been better is if he had also been doing a wheelie between us on a GSXR.

You are refering to Cartwright road, (which isn't the Lowman loop), and I do not consider it to be a public road. It is my personal racetrack, and all you police officers reading this, can quote me.

Memorize and repeat after me: "I have no recollection of any Ducati doing a wheelie, at anytime, on any road, Mr. Officer, sir".


Again, I think I clearly understand the point of your rant, but listen to what you seem to be saying: You are waiting for polite riding etiquette from a Harley rider and getting mad when you do not find it. Really!??! Helloooooo!?!? C'mon! These guys just spent $40,000 on 1940's technology (and enough fringe to be mistaken for a car wash) in an attempt to look like a badass for the weekend. The last thing they want to do is let a snot nosed punk on a jap bike make them look slow. In the future: Be SURPRIZED when a HOG rider is polite. (Sharff doesn't count because we still see him as a FZR pilot and he doesn't have fringe (yet))

e11charlie

Its not that you dont worry about it its that you just cant remember it. Its ok it happens with old age. Just remember when tying your shoes that the rabbit runs around the tree and goes through the hole and you will be alright.

theduckllr

Pssst.. they are called "loafers" for a reason.

Slider

Lol Well everyone has made some good points but I think the point should be made that most HD riders just hate cafe bikes and they make it a point to piss us off its like they just need to have something to do instead of looking for nuts and bolts falling off there very exspensive scooter. I have ran into them as well and I agree with Duc just wait till you can pass with as much room as possible because not only do you need to pass the bike but the riders ego as well.

Bluesrider1

In the words of my muse, Elvis Costello, "I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused".

I've ridden with plenty of Harley riders who definitely know how to keep out of their own way, and a few who do not posess that skill.
And it's not a brand specific affliction, either.

Every sport, whether it's riding, football, basketball, scuba diving, mountain biking, has it's share of hosers, posers, strokers, and jokers.
That's life!

And I've hugged the right side of my lane on my bike (or in my car) and waved other riders by so they aren't passing on the double yellow, and I make it a point to make passes on ID 21 on the dubba yella myself if the need arises and the coast is clear.

IMHO it is just taking advantage of a situation that presents itself so I can continue with my selfish expression of fossil fueled joy.

Once again, and this is only my opinion, I only recognize three specific riding styles, lead, follow, or get oughta the way.

And I guess to a certain point I relate those to everyone sharing the road with me, especially in the twisties and mountains.

I have never found it neccessary to try and educate everyone I come in contact with about common sense and courtesy on the road. I'm more into maintaining my focus and attitude as it relates to the task at hand.

And if my chosen riding style results in the occasional opportunity to help fund some doughnut soakers retirement, well then that's just the price of participating in victimless civil disobedience, and the random ticket is the price I pay for exercising my right to choice.

Riding safely, quickly, and within my limits and the limits of my bike is always my main focus. I consider rolling traffic blocks, either 2 wheeled or 4 wheeled, to be unsafe and my choice is to avoid them by whatever means is safely possible.

Ride safe, ride quick, and know your limitations.

The kids are alright.

Grumbler

The slowest ride that I've ever been on from Boise to Idaho City was with
two BRN folks leading the way. After we arrived at Trudy's, the lead guy
said it was out of respect for me. Guess they never thought about taking
a look at my tires to see if there was a forest of chicken strips on them.

Fortunately, the pace was far more enjoyable on the way back.

sandm

that's funny. I've only been on one ride with a couple of harleys. those of us on sportbikes did lowman at our pace, pulling out every so often to wait and they were not the least bit put out, matter of fact, they really weren't that far behind and kept a killer pace from lowman to gv..

bluesrider1 pretty much puts it into perspective..

theduckllr

except that he doesn't rely upon stereotypes and rampant generalizations to make a funny.