Topic: Does this happen to you? What do you do?

[sparty]

It seems that almost every time I am out for a ride on my bike (pretty much every bike I have ever owned) some yahoo in a sports car wants to drag race me.  Today I was going through down town and a Nissan 300ZX twinturbo pulled along side me and blipped his throttle a few times.  We came to a red light and I looked over at him.  He hit the throttle again and again.  When the light went green he mashed it and then slowed down to egg me on.  We came to another red light and he did it again.

Now I know my Hot Rod would leave him in the rear view pretty quickly and I am not shy to a good old fashion drag race, but I do have the smarts that racing in pedestrian covered streets is not wise.  I am easily tempted to put him in his place at the next light, but I am also patient.   I am guessing by the sound of his Borla exhaust that he has a pretty nice tuner engine under that bonnet, but there is no way that his 0 to 60 time is faster than mine (maybe close, but not faster).  So I figure what the heck, I'll wait until we get to the highway and blow his doors off.  I am thinking: I'll beat him off the light and run it up to 65 (the speed limit) and then shut it down to show this Z what the Hot Rod is made of.

We come to the last light before the highway opens up and there is no traffic in front of us.  I flip open my lid, look over, wink, and close my lid.  I look ahead, watch the yellow light in the opposite lane, scan for traffic (none), get the rpms up for a proper launch and then hit the light like I was off the tree.  He never got close to my bike until I shut it down at 65.  He also shut it down at 65 and the run was over.  He gave me a friendly wave (like thanks for the fun) and then when ahead. 

BTW, don't watch Formula 1 racing on tv and then go for a ride.  That Abu Dhabi race was sick.

Sparty

[Industrial Cafe]

happens to me all the time.

[Retro Rocket]

I actually had a cop on a bike do that to me at a set of lights on the way into Brisbane about 15 years ago, don't know what he was thinking but i am definitely not that stupid......i hope....

Mick

[BobbyR]

Harleys but rarely cars

[sparty]

Harleys but rarely cars

I now know most of the Harley guys in town, they don't try that with me anymore. 

[mystic_1]

In some places they can seize your vehicle for "street racing", just something to consider.

mystic_1

[Inigo Montoya]

Never a car but a few rockets. I know I can never beat them but they still look surprised when they see me close behind them.

[754]

If you cant make em look bad in 4 seconds or less, they got more power than you expected.

 If you run quiet exhaust, you got way less to worry about.. just say you were driving normal and the guy passed you.. just dont do it with cops around..

[Industrial Cafe]

In some places they can seize your vehicle for "street racing", just something to consider.

mystic_1

they do that here if you do a wheelie

[bucky katt]

i raced a guy on a new nightster last winter, pissed him off when i told him how much i had into my "bitsa" bike lol

[rbtconsultants]

I like to let them get a good ways ahead of me, then hammer it and blow by them. 

Bob

[Gordon]

Never happens to me, but then all of my bikes look pretty much stock.  I'm guessing this is a more common occurence  when your bike looks "racy".

[paulages]

i get this from time to time, usually by teenagers in places i wouldn't even consider going fast. i have had similar satisfaction though, in almost the same situation... onramps to the freeway are a good place to give it a quick blast.

[Steve F]

I "raced" a Corvette once, albeit an older de-tuned Corvette, and he couldn't get around me no matter how high he reved it.  Once we settled back down to the speed limit, he gets up next to me and gives me the "thumbs up", I wave back and that was one I'll never forget.  That being said, I think that racing on the highway is really a dumb thing to do.  Things go wrong in the blink of an eye.

[fishhead]

That being said, I think that racing on the highway is really a dumb thing to do.  Things go wrong in the blink of an eye.

When I had my KZ 900 Turbo, it happened to me all the time and it got old real quick. Some people just won't give up and realize that I just want to ride, not race. Race at the track, not the road.
  Even when riding with other cycles, there always seems to be someone with something to prove.
  I really enjoy riding my CL 175. Riding is more enjoyable when your riding something that can be timed in the 1/4 mile with a calender instead of a stop watch.

[rhos1355]

Sparty, I wonder how much 'cojones' he would have if you said "race ya for the car ownership papers?"

[sangyo soichiro]

It happened to me once.  I did the exact same thing... play it cool until the next light, play it cool again, maybe one more light (can't remember), then blasted the kid.  Until I got to 45 that is... the speed limit.   

It's not worth getting a ticket over.

[Industrial Cafe]

you guys can't be serious? only taking it up to the speed limit, it doesn't even get you out of first gear.
why even try? it makes you look like you gave up.
I'm up to the speed limit before I get thru the intersection. at least take it up to 65-70 and hit the brakes  
I guess I'm just an adrenaline junkie.


er... I mean street racing is bad. take it to the track... that doesn't exist within 100 miles of you.

[sparty]

you guys can't be serious? only taking it up to the speed limit, it doesn't even get you out of first gear.
why even try? it makes you look like you gave up.
I'm up to the speed limit before I get thru the intersection. at least take it up to 65-70 and hit the brakes  
I guess I'm just an adrenaline junkie.


er... I mean street racing is bad. take it to the track... that doesn't exist within 100 miles of you.

Most guys just want to race off the start.  Just to see who is quicker.  I never raced to any top speed off the track.  Like most have said, the street isn't the place for that.  When I had my GSXR 750 (which was not stock), I could see ridiculous speeds, but I was younger and stupid.  I sold it because it became a habit to open it up or ride a wheel for 100 yards.  I love to race, that is why I had the Hot Rod built for the drag strip.  Like 754 said, you can make them look bad in about 4 seconds and not risk a ticket.  To me the most fun is the first 60 feet wide open.  With my drag race gearing, I have to shift into second to see 65.  That is why my bike launches so hard.  I am at around 4500 - 5000 RPMs when I  release the clutch.  If my rear tire hooks up I am golden, if not I leave a long black patch and I go nowhere fast.   Every time I am on a lonely country road I practice my drag launch.  I went through a rear tire in about 2000 miles trying to get it right.

Sparty

[Sam Green Racing]

It seems that almost every time I am out for a ride on my bike (pretty much every bike I have ever owned) some yahoo in a sports car wants to drag race me.  Today I was going through down town and a Nissan 300ZX twinturbo pulled along side me and blipped his throttle a few times.  We came to a red light and I looked over at him.  He hit the throttle again and again.  When the light went green he mashed it and then slowed down to egg me on.  We came to another red light and he did it again.

Now I know my Hot Rod would leave him in the rear view pretty quickly and I am not shy to a good old fashion drag race, but I do have the smarts that racing in pedestrian covered streets is not wise.  I am easily tempted to put him in his place at the next light, but I am also patient.   I am guessing by the sound of his Borla exhaust that he has a pretty nice tuner engine under that bonnet, but there is no way that his 0 to 60 time is faster than mine (maybe close, but not faster).  So I figure what the heck, I'll wait until we get to the highway and blow his doors off.  I am thinking: I'll beat him off the light and run it up to 65 (the speed limit) and then shut it down to show this Z what the Hot Rod is made of.

We come to the last light before the highway opens up and there is no traffic in front of us.  I flip open my lid, look over, wink, and close my lid.  I look ahead, watch the yellow light in the opposite lane, scan for traffic (none), get the rpms up for a proper launch and then hit the light like I was off the tree.  He never got close to my bike until I shut it down at 65.  He also shut it down at 65 and the run was over.  He gave me a friendly wave (like thanks for the fun) and then when ahead. 

BTW, don't watch Formula 1 racing on tv and then go for a ride.  That Abu Dhabi race was sick.

Sparty

 It's to be hoped your wife is a good lawyer

Leave it for the strip Arty

Sam.

[Industrial Cafe]

eh... um... I'll let my 7 page driving record speak for itself. 

[vanillagorilla]

One night coming home from school on the R6, a guy pulled up next to me. He rolled down the window and yelled Yamahas suck! I looked at him, closed the visor... When that light went green, I was on the back tire and gettin it. I looked back as I got into 3rd and they were just leaving the light. Guess I got their attention.

That bike was a bad influence on me. Its so easy to ride fast. It was nothing for me to ride through traffic at 125+. There were some close calls, for sure, but I always tried to leave myself an out. I eventually had to sell the bike to pay for tickets(go figure), but it was a lot of fun while I had it! My top speed on it was 165mph coming down from Prescott into Phoenix. One day I will buy a 90s 900rr or something like that. But never anything like they have out there today. Cant afford a payment AND tickets!!!

[Zaipai]

Around here take it to the track has real meaning as Great Lakes Dragway is just 5min from here and they have neighbor race night alot. Basically you just show up and pay the fee and your on the track. That easy.. That said, I can't say its ever happened to me with any bike I had.. perhaps its because I live in farm ville usa.. Most bikes are faster then most farm equipment.   

[Industrial Cafe]

I wish we had a track here.

[vanillagorilla]

They were supposed to be building an F1 track south of here near my Dad's place. But I am sure that was all scrapped since the economy tanked. I was looking forward to riding that track too... There is a drag strip about 45 min from here, but I love the twisties!! Draggin is fun, but for some reason, hangin my 250lb ass off the side of a bike is the most fun thing I have ever done!