Wilsons Sandbox

Last weekend I had the trip of a lifetime. My business partner and I flew to San Franciso where we rented 2 shiny new 2002 VFR800's from Cruise America for a two day ride. The bikes are awesome. Huge power, and brakes, and they are suprisingly comfortable. The engine sound after the VTEC kicks in at 7000rpm is sweet music. Take it up to 6000 and snap the throttle, the front end comes up in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Crusing at 100mph and the bike doesn't even break a sweat in 6th gear. Handling is amazing. The engine is increadibly smooth, the smoothest I have ever ridden, no real vibration anywhere. We did several of the roads north of sanfran in Marin county, Hwy 1, Panoramic Highway, Fairfax Road etc. These roads are orgasmic. In my opinion, this is a motorcycle paradise. When you pull up behind a car, they pull over for you to pass. The roads are amazing, the weather is amazing (65F to 85F to 55F in 15 minutes), the people are amazing which brings me to lane splitting. Here in Toronto Canada, if I where to try lane splitting on any of the Queen's highways, I'm sure I would get the finger, run off the road and a hefty fine. It seems in California, lane splitting is not only legal, it's encouraged! On the way back to frisco, we got stuck in traffic. We didn't feel confortable doing this lane splitting thing, but after seeing so many bikes just fly down the middle of the road, we went for it. What a blast, it almost makes riding in traffic fun. Cars don't mind you weaving in and out and they even make room for you to pass! Once you get a rythmn going you can make excellent time. I cannot understand why anybody living there would NOT ride a motorcycle. Taking my KLR for a ride yesterday it felt like an underpowered, underbraked bucket of bolts compared to the VFR. I did notice that I did get the KLR much lower in the turns then before my VFR ride having honed my street riding skills (and my nerve). So I have realized that I have to ride the KLR at what it is good at, dirt backroads and trail exploring. Trying to make it a sport bike or a touring bike doesn't make sense when their are so many bikes out there that do those tasks so much better. Now I gotta figure out how I can move to California.... Bryan K A14

Bryan Yeah lane splitting is a must in CA. The best thing is that you just keep on moving .. traffic jams are almost irrelevant to arrival time. But I've got to say that some people are NUTS .. they blow down the lanes at 30 to 50 mph faster than the traffic and I'd say that is suicide. Fast splitting may be a thrill but it can't be worth it if someone changes lanes erratically with no signal ... barnaby p.s. yeah I think we'd all agree the KLR isn't a sports bike . but it can lane split at 20mph just fine and it won't be the carriage that takes you to a 100mph freeway death scene.

>Now I gotta figure out how I can move to California.... >Bryan K >A14

snip...> So I have realized that I have to ride the KLR at what it is good at, dirt backroads and trail exploring. Trying to make it a sport bike or a touring bike doesn't make sense when their are so many bikes out there that do those tasks so much better... Don't sell your KLR short. I have both VFR 750 and a KLR and I much prefer doing the real tight roads on the KLR, it's just so much more flickable. Of course, those 100mph runs across the desert and fast sweepers are a different story 8~)

> > Now I gotta figure out how I can move to California....

Win the lottery if you want to buy a house. __Arden

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "bkowalca" wrote:

> Last weekend I had the trip of a lifetime.

>These roads are orgasmic. In my > opinion, this is a motorcycle paradise. When you pull up behind a > car, they pull over for you to pass. The roads are amazing, the > weather is amazing (65F to 85F to 55F in 15 minutes), the people

are

> amazing which brings me to lane splitting. > > Here in Toronto Canada, if I where to try lane splitting on any of > the Queen's highways, I'm sure I would get the finger, run off the > road and a hefty fine. It seems in California, lane splitting is

not

> only legal, it's encouraged! On the way back to frisco, we got

stuck

> in traffic. We didn't feel confortable doing this lane splitting > thing, but after seeing so many bikes just fly down the middle of

the

> road, we went for it. What a blast, it almost makes riding in

traffic

> fun. Cars don't mind you weaving in and out and they even make room > for you to pass! Once you get a rythmn going you can make excellent > time. I cannot understand why anybody living there would NOT ride a > motorcycle.

> >Now I gotta figure out how I can move to California.... > > Bryan K > A14

My understanding of the lane splitting issue is that it is neither legal nor illegal in the state of California. It comes down to the fine points of the law. A motor vehicle is allowed to share a lane, as long as that motor vehicle does not leave the normally travelled portion of the roadway (no shoulder riding), and does obey the traffic laws (no erratic lane changes, watch the speed, etc.) A cop can still pull you over for reckless driving, following too close (in California?), or some other infraction if your style gets their attention. At least this is what I have read in several motorcycle magazines. But you are correct. The drivers here, at least around the bay area, are conditioned to lane splitting bikes. Every morning the left lane pulls far left to let us through. I've even had a few CHPs change their lane position to let me pass. Bill A15-splitting 580 most every morning

Sometimes I feel the same way about the KLR. It certainly lacks power. After my trip to Nova Scotia, I will never go two-up on it again over a long distance, it's just too cramped and the seat is poorly padded. In terms of handling, however, I don't believe that the average or slightly above-average rider could go any faster in tight turns on a VFR than they could on the KLR. I went riding last year with two guys who had VFRs and another guy who had a ZX9. When we hit the twisties I smoked all three of them. I was so far ahead at the end of the road that I could scarcely believe it. I think most people would hit their own cornering limit before hitting the KLR's. I also wish we could lane split on the QEW, though. Dare to dream. John in T.O. A11

> > Taking my KLR for a ride yesterday it felt like an underpowered, > underbraked bucket of bolts compared to the VFR. I did notice that

I

> did get the KLR much lower in the turns then before my VFR ride > having honed my street riding skills (and my nerve). > > So I have realized that I have to ride the KLR at what it is good

at,

> dirt backroads and trail exploring. Trying to make it a sport bike

or

> a touring bike doesn't make sense when their are so many bikes out > there that do those tasks so much better. >

99.9% of the time people will let you pass. But there is always that one A-hole who see's you coming in his rearview and pulls as far over as possible so you can't pass. Had this happen last weekend on 680 by fremont. the guy pull half way into the other lane to stop me from passing. If he had his arm along side his door it would have been squished. I just buzzed around the other car and left him in the dust. Another nice ride id over the Sierra's. Like SonoraPass, or Lake Tahoe. Matbe next time you can ride that route.

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "bkowalca" wrote: In my > opinion, this is a motorcycle paradise. When you pull up behind a > car, they pull over for you to pass. The roads are amazing, the > weather is amazing (65F to 85F to 55F in 15 minutes), the people are > amazing which brings me to lane splitting. > > Here in Toronto Canada, if I where to try lane splitting on any of > the Queen's highways, I'm sure I would get the finger, run off the > road and a hefty fine. It seems in California, lane splitting is not > only legal, it's encouraged! On the way back to frisco, we got stuck > in traffic. We didn't feel confortable doing this lane splitting > thing, but after seeing so many bikes just fly down the middle of the > road, we went for it. What a blast, it almost makes riding in traffic > fun. Cars don't mind you weaving in and out and they even make room > for you to pass! Once you get a rythmn going you can make excellent > time. I cannot understand why anybody living there would NOT ride a > motorcycle. > > Bryan K > A14

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, bkowalca wrote:

>fun. Cars don't mind you weaving in and out and they even make room for >you to pass!

This don't happen in LA. Buncha NorCal nice-guys up there, must be. I hear they stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, too.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, klrz4ever wrote:

>Don't sell your KLR short. I have both VFR 750 and a KLR and I much >prefer doing the real tight roads on the KLR, it's just so much more >flickable. Of course, those 100mph runs across the desert and fast >sweepers are a different story 8~)

A ZR-7 doesn't do too bad on the slow/tight twisties, either. Inexpensive, simple, poor resale, cheap to insure. Hmmm, reminds me of a .....

Happens, around LA, just not very often. Lane splitting is a hoot though. First few times I dunnit, my chest was pounding, sweaty white knuckled grip on the bars, feeling light headed from hyperventilating, slipping 39inches of Concours through a 40inch gap, dodging mirrors on SUVs, b-b-b-bumping over the dots, and praying all the while that no jackass was gonna whip over my precious line. With practice though, it gets to be a Zen like thing, not too fast, loose on the controls, watch the gap open and close, running faster or slower, just slipping forward through it all. Mark. A11 86 Concours 84 KX250

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., RM wrote: > > On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, bkowalca wrote: > > >fun. Cars don't mind you weaving in and out and they even make room for > >you to pass! > > This don't happen in LA. Buncha NorCal nice-guys up there, must be. I > hear they stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, too.