Random Thoughts - Part III The Search for Spark (No Politics)

[Boomerang]

Originally Posted by x808drifter

I'd recommend one of these!

Eddie’s looked mighty fine the other day, what do you call 15 foot head(e.g 30 foot wave height) Just wondering coz that’s how I’ve always known it?

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by spike021

Another successful Bay Area meet today. It's always kinda stressful as the organizer because of worrying

A) nobody will come
B) stupid kids will come and ruin the location / get us kicked out

Fortunately things went smoothly and we had a pretty solid turnout. About 25 twins, and then a handful of other makes (Miata's, couple wrx's @Clipdat, Porsche gt4, GTR R35).

It's always cool to see and welcome newcomers into the community. Plus see the mix of how people style / mod their cars. Yes even the IMO ugly wide body ones lol.

Sounds like a bunch of people would like to do a group drive as well, which I haven't personally organized since a 2019 July 4th one. So that should be fun to do. After all, my first event in the community as a newcomer was a group drive and that really plugged me in the last six years.

I’d like to find a meetup in the Deep South Texas area. I was never big on group rides/drives. In my bike days 4 was my preferred max for a ride. But standing around bullshitting is a lot of fun. I enjoyed it so much
I did it for a living.

[bcj]

Originally Posted by Kittykate

Particular bike is not decided yet,

Did the fast bike thing and it's not all that for me. Had to go back and get a smaller bike too.

Lately the Kaw Z400 has been most interesting. I've gone off tupperware. Extra weight.
First new bike was a 74 XS400 that was mostly perfect. Just enough for one rider.
Thought I'd be hauling a passenger, so a larger bike would be needed, but that hardly ever happens in reality.
The 400 breakpoint is just right and I'm glad to see they're coming back. Sort of like the AE86.

[spike021]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

I’d like to find a meetup in the Deep South Texas area. I was never big on group rides/drives. In my bike days 4 was my preferred max for a ride. But standing around bullshitting is a lot of fun. I enjoyed it so much
I did it for a living.

I've been flip floppy with group drives. A few years back there were one or two people who showed up every time and drove very unsafely. It's more difficult in larger groups to make sure everyone keeps a safe pace.

Standing around bullshitting for hours is great. It just means ending the day with achy legs lol.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by spike021

I've been flip floppy with group drives. A few years back there were one or two people who showed up every time and drove very unsafely. It's more difficult in larger groups to make sure everyone keeps a safe pace.

Standing around bullshitting for hours is great. It just means ending the day with achy legs lol.

And sometimes sunburn.

[Clipdat]

There's always this problem that seems to happen on large group drives where the cars get bunched up and people start tailgating. That leads to the person who's got the other car on their ass feeling like they are getting "pushed" and makes them start driving faster, possibly unsafely for road conditions or beyond their personal means/comfort zone, let alone the capabilities of the car/tires.

For a number of the group drives we did early on, almost everyone would have those frs radios which allowed for instant communication. This could mitigate things like the tailgating from happening to some degree but not completely prevent it.

I'm honestly not sure what the best approach is for avoiding this clumping up/tailgating thing. Even when we would have pre-drive safety meetings about expectations and appropriate behaviors, it seems like it would just go in one ear and right out the other for some people.

For example, not sure why it's so hard for some people not to cross over the center double line to try to get a better "apex" for the turn or whatever. Come on people, it's not a private racetrack or even a closed road, it's still a public road.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

There's always this problem that seems to happen on large group drives where the cars get bunched up and people start tailgating. That leads to the person who's got the other car on their ass feeling like they are getting "pushed" and makes them start driving faster, possibly unsafely for road conditions or beyond their personal means/comfort zone, let alone the capabilities of the car/tires.

For a number of the group drives we did early on, almost everyone would have those frs radios which allowed for instant communication. This could mitigate things like the tailgating from happening to some degree but not completely prevent it.

I'm honestly not sure what the best approach is for avoiding this clumping up/tailgating thing. Even when we would have pre-drive safety meetings about expectations and appropriate behaviors, it seems like it would just go in one ear and right out the other for some people.

For example, not sure why it's so hard for some people not to cross over the center double line to try to get a better "apex" for the turn or whatever. Come on people, it's not a private racetrack or even a closed road, it's still a public road.

it's a mindset thing. people want to have fun and get tunnel vision on the process of having fun, and stop thinking about long term effects/other people. need to break the mindset/switch gears.

it's not just sports cars. happens in the offroad community all the time too. level-headed, hardworking people that normally do a better job at OSHA safety than OSHA does suddenly are "hold my beer, i'll give ya a tug!"

this is just a recent example that sticks out to me, but there's a thousand examples everywhere where a death didn't occur.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by x808drifter

I'd recommend one of these!

I'd ride it.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I'd ride it.

I'll ride it solo. Not riding on the back.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I'll ride it solo. Not riding on the back.

If Ultra is riding that NOBODY is riding on the back!

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I'd ride it.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by spike021

I've been flip floppy with group drives. A few years back there were one or two people who showed up every time and drove very unsafely. It's more difficult in larger groups to make sure everyone keeps a safe pace.

Standing around bullshitting for hours is great. It just means ending the day with achy legs lol.

Last time we did one, Ultra lead and I brought up the rear with a couple NA Miata's and a motorcycle. You could tell a couple guys wanted to go harder but we tried to make it clear from the get go, this is just a cruise.

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

Last time we did one, Ultra lead and I brought up the rear with a couple NA Miata's and a motorcycle. You could tell a couple guys wanted to go harder but we tried to make it clear from the get go, this is just a cruise.

And several people dropped out during the drive because we were going too fast.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

And several people dropped out during the drive because we were going too fast.

Was that why? I never really heard, I just remember seeing a few cars peel off at that intersection.