Thanks, thats kinda what I figured. Is an Indy car set up for road course the same as a GP car? Gotta tell two short stories. There is a ridgetop road here in the SF Bay area, highway 35, which is famous among motorcyclists, everything from wannabe racers having a club doing corner videos, Harley cruisers, fast guy club time trials to meet criteria to join up etc. Kinda like the Dragon for reputation. As many squids get killed there as in the Marin County Sundy Ride used to claim. Add to that Alices Restaurant and a large parking lot across the street to meet and pose on Sunday and you get the picture. I was riding with my club, mostly Harleys, one day, minding our own business tooling along when one of the guys riding at the rear with another group passed all of us on a curve then started swerving back and forth in front of us, I assumed he was heating up his tires. and he had slowed down to our speed, about 55 or so. He was on a yellow duc with all kinds of sponsor stickers all over it, some body work taken off and old scuffed up one piece leathers on with ground off knee pucks. I could see all this cause I was riding in front as road captain, next to the President. He looked at me (The Pres) with disgust in his eye and pointed and said "sic em" giving me permission to break formation and chase this guy. There wasn't any other traffic around as it was pretty early so I figured wtf, all the guy can do is leave me in the dust. I don't think he had an idea there was a sport bike in the front. I jumped up to about a foot off his rear wheel and waited. He saw me and took off. I stayed right on him through a few corners, riding to about 90% of my ability but holding back on the straights. Finally I figured I'd gas it on the next straight and pass him. I did and started pulling away through the next few corners and straights, slowed down and let him catch me and pass me, then crowded him again. Then I noticed him going wide coming out of a corner, crossing the line, wobbling a bit on entry and brake light flickering when it shouldn't. I realized then that he was over his head, no matter the bike and how he presented himself, and he was going to crash sooner or later, so I backed off and rejoined my group, feeling kind of uneasy and bad about the whole deal. That kind of unsavory experience is what has led to my name tag on my club vest "Mach1Mike" , well , that and some other stuff that impresses easily impressed Harley riders. The club voted the name and I was stuck with it. The first one they came up with without telling me was "100MPH Mike" I refused to sew it on for obvious reasons. (Imagine trying to talk the man out of a speeding ticket?)
On the other hand, once coming down from 35 on 84 to Woodside on a nice but much tighter road , tooling along about 45 minding my own business, all alone early again, some guy passed me on an old ancient looking BMW with small saddlebags on it, no windshield, sitting up straight like he was at attention, with an old bomber jacket and half helmet on, looked like some old time bike ad. He passed me smooth as silk and naturally I chased after him, again wondering wtf? He steadily pulled away (No straightawys here) no brakes, sitting up like in church. Who knows who he was or where he has been?
Point being, I don't usually ride with other sportbikes cause there is always someone who will go over his head, or I will, can't control myself that well.
