Ok I am sorry but those crotch rockets are very irritating at times, this morning I seen one cutting off a van at high speed and very close, then a mile later I see one getting on the freeway that is doing 35 and hes doing 70 on the on ramp around everyone else. I dont mean to bash them I just think they can give the rest of us a bad name at times. Maybe I am just older I dont know. I will say I love to go fast but within reason and safely. Thanks just had to vent a little. Fifty Yet What I neglected to say was the guy getting on the freeway had pulled a wheelie!!!

I agree! A couple of weeks ago a group of us was out riding our RS* (7 bikes) down some very nice country road here in Southern Oregon. Everything so pieceful and everyone's just enjoying the ride cruising at about 40mph. Then out of nowhere, a group of 5 on crotch rockets came blowing by us as if we were standing still. I can only guess they were going about 75-80mph, easily. Absolutely no concern for their speed and safety of not only them, but us as well.

I was doing 80 mph on the highway, on my way to Nashville, (in the wife's van), and some kid on a crotch-rocket flashed by us like we were standing still, zig-zagging through lanes. He had to be doing 100 mph... I just shook my head and thought, It won't be long until they're scraping him up off the pavement with a spatula and a straw...

Six years as an Army medic: I've scraped up some high-speed motorcycle wrecks... It ain't pretty.

What some riders do effects us all, I think. When the general public sees motorcycle riders doing crazy dangerous stuff on the street, after a while, it effects the way they think about all of us. If a motorcycle cuts a car off in traffic or passes a car in a no passing zone a little respect is lost.

And when it happens enough, respect is lost for all motorcyclists, not just the ones who were riding crazy.

By the same token though, I think the general public knows enough to differentiate between jackass kids on crotch-rockets, and old farts on cruisers and touring bikes.

Its even scarier to think that for most these kids its their first bike. No experience, thinking with their smallest head, and feeling bullit proof. Glad I only had street rods at their age, I'd been dead a long time ago.
papa Bear

I agree with Frank. I think the general public does knows enough to differentiate between jackass kids on sport bikes, and everyone else on cruisers and touring bikes. That being said it POs me pretty bad that I'm lumped in with the likes of them when I'm riding my sport bike. From time to time I get strange looks when taking off my helmet, like they just weren't expecting an older gray haired gentleman (nice way to say old fart) under the helmet.

Moondog

That would surprise me, too. I saw a dude on a big ol' chopper with apes and all raked out when I was on my way to Florida. We both pulled off at the rest stop in Florala, and he took his helmet off. Turned out to be quite a nice looking woman. I was pretty surprised!

I am not so sure about the general public thing... seems like almost every time there is a wreck around here it's one of those crotch rocket idiots and the question always arises about whether or not a helmet was worn, and most often the answer is no with the result being an increase in cries for a helmet law.... IMO these idiots do nothing to keep us under the radar so to speak, but instead, cause the light of scrutiny to shine that much brighter on us all.

Lakecharles has a good point: When government passes laws to try and control the idiot acts of a few, we are all (two-wheeled riders, that is) subject to the law. Someone just reported about a town that was cracking down on loud bikes.

I seriously doubt they are just trying to be mean by doing it. Like everyone else they want some peace in their neighborhoods. There were probably even some folks riding bikes who were asked to keep it down, and being the "bad asses" that we all are, gave 'em the finger and rode off spitting gravel, shooting fire and setting off car alarms.

With the exception of the loudest bikes, a bike can cruise through places without scaring the natives if they just lay off the throttle cracking.

So bottom line, one way or the other it seems we all pay to some extent for the bad acts of others.

M7