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Bike vs. car in the twisties


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5 hours ago, BrianF said:

A reasonably modern sports car will demolish even the fastest bikes on twisty public roads. 

 

I put this theory to the test constantly in the hills above Napa...R1s, 1199s etc are dispatched with absolute ease, especially with the car's electronic nannies turned on. Same went for the MR2 Spyder I used to drive - the safety net is just so much bigger in a car, so you're more willing to push. Bikes only race ahead on the straights.

 

It's about 60 miles for the "loop," and I'd guess I'm 10 minutes slower on a bike (ease of passing aside). It's a route I've ridden and driven hundreds of times and have every corner memorized.

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I think I have been hearing about this car for a year or two, finally a photo!

 

27 minutes ago, RC1237V said:

I'm stuck in the 80's cars too....

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...and Jim shows his hand!

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3 hours ago, RC1237V said:

I'm stuck in the 80's cars too....

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Every time I see one of these I'm reminded of the line from the Tom Cruise movie Risky Business, "Who's the U-Boat commander?"

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18 hours ago, BrianF said:

It's about 60 miles for the "loop," and I'd guess I'm 10 minutes slower on a bike (ease of passing aside). It's a route I've ridden and driven hundreds of times and have every corner memorized.

Beautiful 4C, Brian!!  One of my favorite modern sports cars, not that I'll ever have one, but they are sweet.

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Nice Porsches and MX-5, folks!!  The MX-5 looks like it's been lowered a bit, and looks great.  I've considered coilovers for mine and lowering it maybe 1/2" or so.  But I probably won't.  I am still considering swapping the stock exhaust for a Borla axle-back.  I guess that's if I keep it much longer.  We don't tend to keep our cars more than 2-3 years.  Not because we don't like them, but because we're upgrading every few years.

 

Also, on the Miata, I remember during one of my motorcycle trips to the Dragon several years ago, there must have been a "Miata weekend" organized by an owners club, because a ton of them went through the route a couple times.  Would love to do that in mine someday (again, if I have it long enough).  Until then, the twisty bits in Ohio will have to do.

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Agree with BrianF.  

 

We used to have a Miata and, IMO, they are one of the most under-estimated twisty cars out there.   They will never win a drag race but when you have a 2400 pound car on pretty sticky tires, low center of gravity with a decent driver, it will do pretty well in Western NC.   What I hated about it was the way other drivers tried bullying me around when I was driving it.  Some warped people think they are "girls cars" and I found tailgating and aggressive driving when I was in mine was, for some unknown reason, very common.  I could drive it away from or around anyone in traffic and found myself doing it when I really didn't want to have to drive that way.  Anyway, getting rid of it was one of the bigger mistakes I've made.  They are very fun to drive.  

 

One thing I would do when I had "fasty" cars was to take them out to very large, clean, no light pole, parking lots and find out the "lose grip point".   It's good to know for any car you own. 

 

On the bike vs. car thing, it's always the rider or driver more than the vehicle.    

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20 hours ago, GreginDenver said:

Every time I see one of these I'm reminded of the line from the Tom Cruise movie Risky Business, "Who's the U-Boat commander?"

For me the other memorable  line from that movie  (not as good as the above tho) is when he's at the wheel of the 928, looks in the mirror at the Cadillac land-barge, then over at the girl and says "I think I can take him!".   Hmmm . . . let's see,  Porsche 928 vs 4 ton Cadillac with sofa cushion suspension  . . . ya think???  :comp13:

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The '13 MX5 is my remedy for a deer collision.  It took some drastic convincing for me to swap my VFR800, CB700SC, and DRZ400 for this Miata.  At 60 mph the deer came over the handlebars of my DRZ400.  On my first multi day group ride after a year of recovery I came within inches of striking another deer at 75 mph riding my VFR in Oregon.  This was on the same road that a fellow rider was killed by deer the week after my near fatal deer collision.  After 42 years and over 200,000 miles of riding I decided I could not justify the anguish I was causing my dear wife by continuing.  I reasoned that I had been everywhere and done everything on a bike, it was time to move on.  I still have my old DT175 Yamaha Enduro which I have ridden a few time off pavement. 

 

So I have moved on to the MX5, photography, mountain biking, and chasing around 5 new grandchildren.  In early March I thoroughly enjoyed some twisty mountain roads in NW Oregon on a spirited Miata group drive.  I would like to get out and do that more often.  I have to drive out of the Seattle area for the best empty roads.  I know where they all are from years of motorcycling.  The MX5 handled remarkably well and stayed very much in control as I pushed it.  It was quite close to the thrill of the VFR, I have to drive fast enough to almost scare my self as I did riding.  I do wonder what it would be like to chase some of my riding buddies on our favorite roads.

 

 

 

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And to think that at one time deer were rare in North America until they rebounded for various reasons.  At least in The South it happened..  

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There are two advantages I see in a sports car over a motorcycle in the twisties. Deer collision is the obvious one, the other is sand or debris in a corner. The only sports car I've owned was a 1980 Triumph TR8 (a TR7 with a 3.5L aluminum block V8). Fun to drive and motor with the top down but a pain in the rear to own and maintain - it spent as much time getting r/r as it did on the road. I was very well aquainted with the Prince Of Darkness.

But it was nowhere near as fun or as exciting a my fifth gens are.

(I do love to drive. And my eighth gen 2008 Honda Civic 5 speed is adequate for entertaining driving. But it is only transportation. Being a life-long devotee of "Small Is Beautiful" philosophy, a Mazda MX5 would be a top contending candidate for a sports car if I could afford one and live without the passenger and luggage space.)

 

1 hour ago, Bent said:

And to think that at one time deer were rare in North America until they rebounded for various reasons.  At least in The South it happened..  

Likely because humans, whether with guns or vehicles, are their only main predator. What really pisses me off is when their only natural predator, wolves, is hunted. 

 

HooRay for wolves - boo for deer.  

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The funnest car I have ever owned was the first year Honda CRX. Red, of course. A true go-cart for adults (and for me also). Stock photo below but that is exactly what mine looked like. Check these specs:

 

1488cc inline four

1764 lbs (!!)

5 speed

2 seater

86 inch wheelbase

 

With such light weight, extremely low to the ground, and normal rubber it could generate incredible g-force! Loved that car.

Two years later I was offered a position which came with a company car, so we sold it. Aaaargh. But at least I did buy a VFR that same year...

 

 

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I loved my CRX most fun I ever had on 4 wheels. Should have never sold it. A friends wife took it off my hands after the test ride there was wet spot on the driver's seat, I think she liked it. LOL

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We used to have a CRX, think it was slightly newer than the one in the pic above. The most fun ever on 4 wheels. Ex-wife broke her ankle and I had to drive to the hospital, about 45 miles away, to collect her. Choice was boring family car or CRX, motorway or x-country. Needless to say I chose the CRX and x-country and had a hoot of a time. 

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19 hours ago, MaxSwell said:

There are two advantages I see in a sports car over a motorcycle in the twisties. Deer collision is the obvious one, the other is sand or debris in a corner. The only sports car I've owned was a 1980 Triumph TR8 (a TR7 with a 3.5L aluminum block V8). Fun to drive and motor with the top down but a pain in the rear to own and maintain - it spent as much time getting r/r as it did on the road. I was very well aquainted with the Prince Of Darkness.

But it was nowhere near as fun or as exciting a my fifth gens are.

(I do love to drive. And my eighth gen 2008 Honda Civic 5 speed is adequate for entertaining driving. But it is only transportation. Being a life-long devotee of "Small Is Beautiful" philosophy, a Mazda MX5 would be a top contending candidate for a sports car if I could afford one and live without the passenger and luggage space.)

 

 

Likely because humans, whether with guns or vehicles, are their only main predator. What really pisses me off is when their only natural predator, wolves, is hunted. 

 

 

HooRay for wolves - boo for deer.  

I don't know why "deer hunting" is called hunting, they're so common where I live.  I call it deer shooting.  They wonder around my backyard like they own the place but woe be to me if I shoot one.  They've become pests AFAIC.  A lot of people agree with that.  Our govt. always knows what's best when it comes to "wildlife conservation" though.  Don't know that I agree with the map either.  It's from State Farm.  An insurance company with nothing but increasing rates as their main concern.  Ask me how I know.  

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Did some deer hunting on my bike last year, going abut 70, thanks to the large soft plastic sides of the VFR1200, we both walked away...

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On 5/17/2020 at 10:24 AM, Bent said:

I don't know why "deer hunting" is called hunting, they're so common where I live.  I call it deer shooting.  They wonder around my backyard like they own the place but woe be to me if I shoot one.  They've become pests AFAIC.  A lot of people agree with that.  Our govt. always knows what's best when it comes to "wildlife conservation" though.  Don't know that I agree with the map either.  It's from State Farm.  An insurance company with nothing but increasing rates as their main concern.  Ask me how I know.  

Deer population is bad enough in Ohio that I'm reluctant to ride 2-lane rural highways at dusk and night anymore.  I used to be more willing, but as I've grown a bit older I've become more cautious.  I'm fine on the freeways, but on the 2-lanes I'm hyper-vigilant.

 

Oddly enough, my closest encounter with wildlife on the bike was with a wild turkey on a rural 2-lane road.  It was standing in my lane, and I saw it in plenty of time.  I slowed, it started moving to the left, and I steered right and started to accelerate a bit.  Then it  changed direction and moved to the right!  I barely missed it, and I think I might have grazed it with my left leg.  Stupid bird!!

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On 5/19/2020 at 7:55 AM, TimC said:

Deer population is bad enough in Ohio that I'm reluctant to ride 2-lane rural highways at dusk and night anymore.  I used to be more willing, but as I've grown a bit older I've become more cautious.  I'm fine on the freeways, but on the 2-lanes I'm hyper-vigilant.

 

Oddly enough, my closest encounter with wildlife on the bike was with a wild turkey on a rural 2-lane road.  It was standing in my lane, and I saw it in plenty of time.  I slowed, it started moving to the left, and I steered right and started to accelerate a bit.  Then it  changed direction and moved to the right!  I barely missed it, and I think I might have grazed it with my left leg.  Stupid bird!!

It's a good thing the Stupid Bird stayed on the ground. While driving my car in northern MN one flew over the hood of the car at windshield height. That would have put it right about chest height on a mc. It does not take much imagination to see that taking the rider right off of the machine. Better be ATGATT when that happens. And they are all over the place, in large herds, here in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul urban area. Luckley, never seen them while moving on an mc. (Knock Wood.)

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On 5/15/2020 at 10:50 AM, TimC said:

Nice Porsches and MX-5, folks!!  The MX-5 looks like it's been lowered a bit, and looks great.  I've considered coilovers for mine and lowering it maybe 1/2" or so.  But I probably won't.  I am still considering swapping the stock exhaust for a Borla axle-back.  I guess that's if I keep it much longer.  We don't tend to keep our cars more than 2-3 years.  Not because we don't like them, but because we're upgrading every few years.

 

Also, on the Miata, I remember during one of my motorcycle trips to the Dragon several years ago, there must have been a "Miata weekend" organized by an owners club, because a ton of them went through the route a couple times.  Would love to do that in mine someday (again, if I have it long enough).  Until then, the twisty bits in Ohio will have to do.

That shot was taken on the Dragon a couple of years ago and no, it hasn't been lowered. Just fully loaded and cornering hard. The back end skipped out on me during that run. It's got progressive springs and roll bars and they can spin without much notice once they loose grip with that set-up. It was a chilly day so the tires would have less than optimal grip as well.

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Cars........

 

 

 

What can I say....  :goofy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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