All photos are available in Weekend Update - The Pictures
So here are the highlights from last weekend. For those looking for your pictures, they are uploading into our store at this time.
As mentioned, I made a little upgrade to the Neon. =) This EVO has been a blast to drive. The damp roads made for some good play time for an all-wheel-drive.
I'm starting to really feel the pain of the sportscar guys. I was "blocked" by a rookie (fellow) rider on a sportbike because he "didn't want to be passed by a car"...his words. He had only been riding for a few weeks, none the less for some reason he had this mentality already locked in. I'm not sure where that mindset comes from, but the simple fact is most of the sportscars at Deal's Gap are held up by most of the motorcycles at Deal's Gap. If you don't let them by, you create problems for yourself and all of us. It causes some people to make dangerous passes just to get around you so they can enjoy the road at their own pace. Remember, many car drivers are fellow riders.
There is nothing shameful about showing some respect for a fellow enthusiast and letting them around you. The only thing to be ashamed of his holding up someone to the point they'd rather pull off the road and wait for you to go away than to drive along behind you.
7 comments:
This reminds me of the debate I always have with my driving enthusiast friends: is a fast rider faster than a fast driver through the Gap? I can believe a novice rider would get blown away by a sports car enthusiast, but what about a club racer vs. an autocross guy? I'm only talking about the Dragon, not a track or any other road.
What do you think, Darryl? You could probably judge yourself, with that sweet new EVO you've got vs. your CBR.
I'm quite a bit quicker on my bike than the car, but that is a pretty unusual circumstance. The stock EVO is pretty well setup, and I'm already pretty close to it's limits, but it would need quite a few mods to be at the same level as the bike's capabilities.
The bike is fairly stock, but to actually get close to it's limits takes quite a bit more skill. Club racer vs. club racer would be close as long as the car was very capable, and traffic wasn't a factor.
Realistically, a car is just so much easier to approach the limits, but traffic really takes the wind out of the sails so to speak with cars. So overall they have a hard time making quick run as easily as a bike...people tend to move over and let bikes pass more readily than cars.
The fastest vehicle on the hill has 4 wheels, from what I understand, and it's a local rider who drives it.
One night I was chuggin' along the Gap on my CBR, when I noticed a car's headlights winding toward me going the same direction I was. I thought, "this guy is definitely gaining on me", and when I could see my shadow in the trees, I sat up and waved Greg around in his RX-7. Since there are so many variables, the debate about club-racer, street rider, guy who never drove before, guy with one arm and a thumb throttle, so-on and so-forth, doesn't really mean a lot. Just have some courteousy and let the guy behind you go around, there is a reason he's behind you. But, if you come up behind someone who seems to be getting along pretty quickly and is focused on the road ahead of them, don't be impatient if they don't see you right away- there are plenty of turns on the Gap that allow a rider/driver to see someone trailing them without using the mirrors or looking back.
Where's Buddy and Max ??
Brian
Didn't Motorcyclist magazine do a story on this using a corvette -vs- a GSXR1000 with Kevin Shwantz piloting both? I just don't remember the results.
my understanding: At high performance levels, cars will corner faster due to greater contact patch. At Laguna Seca the go-karts had nowhere near the acceleration nor top speed of the motorcycles, but were only a few seconds slower than the 600 cc Supersport bikes. Corner speed was the equalizer from what I could see. I do remember the article you mentioned, seems like the car had slightly quicker lap times but I am not 100% certain.
Brian
Post a Comment