Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Changing perspective . . .

So today I had a perspective changer. I was at school and I needed to run up to Best Buy, but my bike was at home with electrical issues (even my bike hates the cold - I am taking it as a sign). A friend named Brooks told me a while back that I could ride his 2007 Yamaha R6S sometime. I figured today was as good as any, so I called and requisitioned his ride for a brief trip. He acquiesced, and I promised no wheelies or stoppies. I thought I had gone fast before. 

The R6S is essentially the continued 2003-6 R6 but overshadowed by the newer, updated R6. His has an exhaust and frame sliders, and is in beautiful Yamaha Team Blue. Getting that screamer above 10000 RPM is INSANE! I have ridden some relatively fast bike before, but this thing was a different class. Looking ahead in traffic, I could pick a spot and teleport there. It was uncanny. I only zinged it twice, and each time giggled in sporadic fits for minutes afterward like a little girl. I thought to myself: I want to tell Carrie that I love the thing, but she should never let me buy one. As I got home, she told me I looked much cooler on that bike than on my little putter. 

"Dang it! I was just about to tell you to never let me buy one!"

I still want a Triumph Street Triple 675 R or a Speed Triple 1050, and today's experience confirmed that riding a Japanese 4C is a bad idea. All the power is at speeds you should not really see in daily around-town riding. A good twin or triple has torque which you can actually use at sane/safe speeds. I have long thought that the law and safety don't necessarily coincide, but a bike like that is begging for trouble. I just hope I always have friends who have bikes like that who will let me borrow them . . .


3 comments:

Carrie said...

Well, you did look cooler! Come on!

Morgan said...

Brai -- good to see you posting again. Sorry to hear about the cool weather. We're enjoying the summer here in Africa (snicker, snicker).

Some day you'll teach me to ride one of those...it'll be just after I up my life insurance.

- Morgan

Morgan said...

By the way...in South Africa B-R-A-I is pronounced Brrr with a long i. It means to BBQ.