Knowing your limits

[fotomoto]

After watching the latest SuperBikes episode about Deals Gap (BTDT) and the R1/R6 convention going on there, I went to their forum to see what they had to say about the show (one of the better ones I've seen BTW).

I've never surfed a large m/c site like this (60,000+ members!) and found it quite eye opening. Anyhoo, I came across one thread that started like this:

"Hey guys, I'm here at the gap and I'm afraid I have bad news. K_flexx was killed today when he collided with a tree on the gap. StreetJester was in a bad accident on Monday and he is in the hospital. He underwent surgery today. Please pray for the families and StreetJester. Southern118 wrecked his new R6 today but he is fine. Kevap also went down with minor damage and he too is okay. Another rider went down too but I don't recall his screen name but I am sure he is okay. So far the dragon and Cherahola have done more bitting than anything else. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.................."

[BobFV1]

Not my idea of fun - always good to come home on two wheels, just like you left....

[Bones]

As my riding buddy Perry says "Ride today with plans to ride tomorrow." He can certainly hustle a bike along, but he has also been riding all over the country since the early 1970's without any major mishaps.

Having ridden Deal's Gap in June, I was a litte bit puzzled about why that place is so mythical. Indeed, it has a lot of tight turns strung together in a short distance, but I didn't find the place very satisfying. Many if not most of the turns were blind, most were too tight to even get the engine revved in second gear, there was the constant worry about someone approaching you and crossing the center line and trees line the edges very closely. Had I come upon Deal's Gap on my own with no knowledge of what it was, it most definately would not have been a place that I would have decided to try to go fast.

On the other hand, there were hundreds and hundreds of miles of what I would consider much better quality riding through West Virginia, Eastern Tennesee, Kentucky and Southeastern Ohio on the way to and from there.

Perhaps it was the overhyped "mythical" nature of Deal's Gap that had me arrive with expectations that were too high. Or perhaps some modicum of maturity has finally crept into me, as I thought "Gee, I sure would never even consider this as a destination ride and would never come here on a weekend."

I didn't even stop at the place near the tree of fame, nor did I buy a Tshirt saying I had been there.

I hate to hear of anyone's crashes, ever. But there are times when you have to scratch your head and say " what were they thinking?"


Thanks for the post.

Jeff

[Deans BMW]

Two different groups of riders always make me nervous up here, especially when they go down 191, the old hwy 666, are the Harley group with their DOT approved do rags on their new HD's with obviously new riders and the crotch rocket groups from Phoenix and Tuscon. Lots of helicopter rides out.

[DarthRider]

The Dragon has never really appealed to me, for all the reasons Bones said.
I see enough of that goofy chit over here on our Hwy 4.

[supermotoC]

But there are times when you have to scratch your head and say " what were they thinking?"

Usually, NOT. Thinking.

I think the big draw is because it's a popular place (much ado about nothing [special]), and the opportunity to "show off" (i.e. = eat it) and be "seen" is irresistable to most cephalopods (squids).
Darwin has a way of dealing with them.

[Road Dog]

http://www.twistedlimit.com/cbr/Twistedlimit317.WMV

:eusa_clap:

[MilesAway]

I loved the gap and would gladly drive the 1000+miles it takes me to get there if I could string together 6-7 free days. However, for me it was not so much the speed element but trying to do it top to bottom flawlessly that was fun, got my pegs grinding a couple time but never really went that fast. I think I did it 9 times over the 2-3 days that I was there, amazing spot!!!

[MilesAway]

great clip RD! Appart from being amazing at how stupid some people are, it's amazing how fast you can just disapear off the road - if the rider had been alone could easily have been stuck there for days un-noticed if he couldn't haul himslef out.

[supermotoC]

First of all, H-Ds cannot make a L-R-L turn, L-R maybe, but...

I believe by passing on a dbl yellow stripe, the idiot managed to give up any rights of having a good outcome - especially on the Gap. He's lucky he didn't get pounded by some motard or sportbike rider coming the other way. By breaking the law (X dbl yellow stripe), he announced his idiocy, and confirmed it by riding WAY over his head, and his wonder-boy Robin managed to blindly follow him into (near) disaster, obediantly so. I don't enjoy watching people wreck their own sh*t, but this guy earned it, fair 'n square. Low (or NO) skills, bad choices, illegal moves.... all the makings of a Darwin Award. The persons recording this video were witnesses, no more, to this accident. What should they have done differently?
Stopped, asked if they should call 911, and wait for an answer from one of the "victim's" pals. They could've also called the police later to report they had video of the accident (possibly a bigger can of worms for the "pilot").

Whatever, man. Who knows - maybe they went back and stole all his fringe & the chrome air cleaner cover after everybody had left.......


The Gap would be a great place to ride, if it were closed to cages & made a one-way ride. Otherwise, it's like Daytona & major airports - a great place to watch, but not ride.

[slipknot]

It isn't just Deals Gap where the stupidity repeats every week. There are a lot of riders coming from areas where they do not ride twisty roads on a daily (or even weekly) basis. They try to get in 110% fulfillment and the bragging rights for riding the Gap in less time than some other idiot. The other roads in that area has many crashes every year and usually a couple or more deaths. Because of the much higher odds of being hit by one of these fools I avoid these roads. And the Gap is not very fun anyway. Too tight, too short between apexes, too much gravel on the surface and too many out of control riders.

[kocook]

I have crossed the double yellow line on numerous occasions to pass extremely slow vehicles while in the curves, when I had a clear view ahead of the enough road to get the job done. None resulted in me running off the road. The various state highway departments seem to have taken up painting the DY on everything but the interstate.

Have watched this video several times. Still cannot figure out why the first bike wrecked (the second bike could have been guilty of target fixation on the lead idiot) other than panic.

[Deans BMW]

Kent, your K1200S only takes a nanosecond to pass anything.............

[DarthRider]

Kent, your K1200S only takes a nanosecond to pass anything.............


Yeah, and you ought to see the gravel barrage he sends up doing it!
My little titties are still sore...