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Last ride of 2021, on the Ninja…vs Harley

2K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  jjscsix 
#1 · (Edited)
Yesterday I took the N1K out. It was a gorgeous day, right at 70 degrees. Some of you are familiar with the “Twisted Sisters” in the Texas Hill Country. They are pretty much in my backyard. I typically ride them a few times a week.

I did a loop out 337 to Leakey, then up 83 and over to 336. 336 is likely the best sport bike road in all of Texas. It’s a great road other than the fact they “Chip Sealed“ it earlier this year and it still can be a bit marbley with loose gravel. But in the past few months I’ve come to trust the surface…to a point 🤔

So I head south on it. The first six miles of it are generally straight. Then you get to about 20 miles of really good curves almost non stop. I was running pretty easy and getting close to the curves when I spot two bikes pretty close behind me. Two Harleys! Where the hell did they come from?

So I decide it’s time to get serious and show them how silly they look trying to sneak up on me. I get into some moderately good curves at a clip that will surely put some distance on them. How hard could this be? I glance in my mirror as I accelerate out of a couple of curves, and one of them is still RIGHT behind me.

Okay, I’ve got a lot more that I left on the table. The asshole right behind me almost looks like he wants to pass me. Sorry dude, it’s not your day. I push the next few curves a little harder. Hoping I did not cause him to ride off the side of the hills, I check my mirror again. One of them is still RIGHT behind me, but at least the other has dropped back. Ever see the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”? I think of the line in that movie “who are those guys”.

At this point I decide to just enjoy the ride and run a pace that is safe, but pushing a lot harder. I’ve put on my game face and really concentrating on my lines and being smooth. I give him hand signals when we are approaching really tight curves that we have to be cautious because I know the road really well, but I don’t know if he does or not. We have totally lost sight of his buddy now. I did put some distance on him a few times, but he always came back up behind me again, but at a comfortable distance behind me.

As we came into Leakey, we all pull off at a little roadside food trailer. We approach each other with our hand out and huge smiles. We immediately compliment each other. I look down for a closer look at his bike. It’s a current version Road Glide CVO. I immediately spot Ohlins reservoirs for the rear shocks! I should point out that his buddy had caught up with us the last couple of miles.

He buys me a soft drink and continues to compliment my riding. I told him “hey, it’s easy on my bike, you are the man!“ They were super nice guys. He and I both moved to the same town at about the same time, about a year ago. In his younger days he was a serious motorcross rider, but he did own a RC51 at one time. I told him I did some amateur road racing back in the day.

We traded contact info and agreed we have not seen the last of each other. It was a great ride!
 
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#4 ·
Thank you for vicariously providing my last ride of the year... :( Almost every year between Christmas & New Year's I manage to get in a ride. Not a great time here weather-wise but there's always some time in between suitable for a ride. But this year starting Christmas Eve...
Snow Automotive tire Water Plant Motor vehicle


Remember that sunrise view?
Sky Snow Building Tree House
 
#6 ·
The concept of "Winterizing" your bike or having a riding season seems so bizarre to me - I mean I get it but just don't think I would live in a climate like that - I mean snow is so hard on all your stuff especially due to road salt etc - and the pain in the arseness of having to clean your car off everyday to drive it - Hats off to you all :)
 
#7 ·
Minlak, no kkiddin, and the answer is "I'm not sure". One month becomes the next month, and here you are, again, in a Utah January.

It's 9 degrees, this morning, and there's quite a bit of snow. I rebuilt my snowblower, last summer, and it was nice to see it working at 120%. Honda has a governor system that's easily defeated.

Even if it gets up into the 40's, it won't stay there for long. If you ride, you have to watch shady, dark areas where the ice never melted
 
#8 ·
It was -14*c this morning with 8" of snow from yesterday (Happy New Year Day!). The neighborhood streets are cover with solid ice and packed snow. But I will be riding by this Thursday, enough time for the streets to clear and the daytime high by them will be about 13*c and lots of sunshine. @jjscsix Thank You for the ride report. Sounds like you had a great day with the Harley chase bike on your tail. Not all Harley guys ride like.....well Harley guys!
 
#11 ·
A good riding friend of mine rides his VTX1800 better than some squids on their litersports I've come across. I've done 3-Sisters trips with him many times and it's always lots of fun. Me and another ST-riding friend used to joke that if and when he ever trades his VTX1800 for a sportier bike, he'd leave us all in the dust. :)

You are right it's the rider that brings the ride alive. Bike is just the tool, and the right tool does make it easier.
 
#12 ·
I had to laugh. The guy on the Harley behind me told me he is thinking of adding a Multi-Stada Pikes Peak to his collection. I told him that on one of those he will probably be in front of me when we get to Leakey!
 
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#13 ·
As we came into Leakey, we all pull off at a little roadside food trailer. We approach each other with our hand out and huge smiles. We immediately compliment each other. I look down for a closer look at his bike. It’s a current version Road Glide CVO. I immediately spot Ohlins reservoirs for the rear shocks! I should point out that his buddy had caught up with us the last couple of miles.

He buys me a soft drink and continues to compliment my riding. I told him “hey, it’s easy on my bike, you are the man!“ They were super nice guys. He and I both moved to the same town at about the same time, about a year ago. In his younger days he was a serious motorcross rider, but he did own a RC51 at one time. I told him I did some amateur road racing back in the day.

We traded contact info and agreed we have not seen the last of each other. It was a great ride!
I think I rode with those guys last Spring. They were super fast, on Harleys. I let them go, but laughed when I saw them resting in Leakey. Thought they wore themselves out.

I kept on going, 83 northbound. They caught up and passed me -- I was doing 90, and let them go again.
Tell 'em I said hi next time you see them.
 
#17 ·
I did not see any Jeff Bridges in him, but Bridges is pretty old and have not seen him in a long time. He had a helmet on with blue tint visor. Nobody on back, no music. He was big as in like a linebacker big. I think he is 50 years old.
 
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