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I was finishing up a 250 mile ride home from the coast of Washington yesturday. This was a birthday trip out to the coast where I knew I had to endure rain the whole way out. However, the following day called for sun which I got.
The ride was incredible, 75 miles of convulted pavement with another 55 into the Olympic Range. The Katana was doing its thing, working exceptionally well through many 2nd-4th gear turns.
20 miles from home we have a windy stretch of road called Chuckanut Drive. As I'm approaching the twisty section I see a car up a head. I speed up to pass it before the curves starts, but he's speeding up too. The car allows me to close in a bit, but then starts pulling away.
Evenso, I want to get ahead of this car so it doesn't spoil the curves. Its dark, 10:15 at night, a few damp patches, and many blind corners. I can't help myself, and start trying to hang with this guy or pass him. I just turned 41, but I guess my ego still needs stroking or something.
Anyway, were clipping along, approaching a 20 mph hairpin doing about 80, and I notice damp patches. I brake hard while still upright, getting slowed to about 20 and ease through the corner. The car is gone at this point as I approach the next decreasing radius blind uphill right. More damp patches and water weeping out of the road in places.
Since I know this road well I'm kinda riding by brail, I see tailights a ways up. This guy was pushing hard probably using the whole road and sliding through corners.
During this time, not one car when by the other way. Then a section of road that is cut in the side of cliff of sandstone goes relatively straight, but has a few chicanes you can straighten out while still in your lane.
I'm probably approaching 100 mph with my headlight on the inbetween hi-lo setting. I see tail lights three turns up, then the windy section gives way to a state park and then homes.
The car backs down, I back down to a sedate speed, we stay seperated about 75 yards. After a straight section the road get windy again, he tears through a super tight right hander and by the time I'm through it he's gone again. The road up ahead Y's and I just catch a glimpse of him tearing off to the right, actually the way I was going anyway.
I catch up and sneak up right on his tail and he turns left, sliding uphill under hard acceleration, then he chills over the rise and the next half a mile, we approach a stop light.
I get close enough to see what type of car it is. I don't know the model, but it was a 2005-6 Nissan Coupe.
We both get on the freeway onramp, me following, he's sliding and accelerating again, a semi is coming in the slow lane as the onramp pinches onto the freeway.
The car goes for it driving on the shoulder to get in front. I wait for semi to pass. We cruise at freeway speed and happen to exit on the same offramp.
He waited at the light to turn left while I swept to the right and headed home.
I rarely ride with anyone, nor do I ever see other people on bikes going the same way I'm going. Rarely has a car or a bike ever given me the business, aside from a stoplight holeshot, that I wasn't aware of with a Mustang 5.0.
I try to avoid riding at night after a harrowing journey from San Jose to Springfeild Oregon. I thought I could do Eureka through Happy Camp (hwy 96) to I-5 starting a 6:00 pm in April to get there before dark. 175 miles, in 2 1/2 hrs. I was so wrong.
I can't say I felt over my limits, but I was not at all use to that pace at night.
Would you have let him go or taken up the battle? I guess it coulda been a she.
The ride was incredible, 75 miles of convulted pavement with another 55 into the Olympic Range. The Katana was doing its thing, working exceptionally well through many 2nd-4th gear turns.
20 miles from home we have a windy stretch of road called Chuckanut Drive. As I'm approaching the twisty section I see a car up a head. I speed up to pass it before the curves starts, but he's speeding up too. The car allows me to close in a bit, but then starts pulling away.
Evenso, I want to get ahead of this car so it doesn't spoil the curves. Its dark, 10:15 at night, a few damp patches, and many blind corners. I can't help myself, and start trying to hang with this guy or pass him. I just turned 41, but I guess my ego still needs stroking or something.
Anyway, were clipping along, approaching a 20 mph hairpin doing about 80, and I notice damp patches. I brake hard while still upright, getting slowed to about 20 and ease through the corner. The car is gone at this point as I approach the next decreasing radius blind uphill right. More damp patches and water weeping out of the road in places.
Since I know this road well I'm kinda riding by brail, I see tailights a ways up. This guy was pushing hard probably using the whole road and sliding through corners.
During this time, not one car when by the other way. Then a section of road that is cut in the side of cliff of sandstone goes relatively straight, but has a few chicanes you can straighten out while still in your lane.
I'm probably approaching 100 mph with my headlight on the inbetween hi-lo setting. I see tail lights three turns up, then the windy section gives way to a state park and then homes.
The car backs down, I back down to a sedate speed, we stay seperated about 75 yards. After a straight section the road get windy again, he tears through a super tight right hander and by the time I'm through it he's gone again. The road up ahead Y's and I just catch a glimpse of him tearing off to the right, actually the way I was going anyway.
I catch up and sneak up right on his tail and he turns left, sliding uphill under hard acceleration, then he chills over the rise and the next half a mile, we approach a stop light.
I get close enough to see what type of car it is. I don't know the model, but it was a 2005-6 Nissan Coupe.
We both get on the freeway onramp, me following, he's sliding and accelerating again, a semi is coming in the slow lane as the onramp pinches onto the freeway.
The car goes for it driving on the shoulder to get in front. I wait for semi to pass. We cruise at freeway speed and happen to exit on the same offramp.
He waited at the light to turn left while I swept to the right and headed home.
I rarely ride with anyone, nor do I ever see other people on bikes going the same way I'm going. Rarely has a car or a bike ever given me the business, aside from a stoplight holeshot, that I wasn't aware of with a Mustang 5.0.
I try to avoid riding at night after a harrowing journey from San Jose to Springfeild Oregon. I thought I could do Eureka through Happy Camp (hwy 96) to I-5 starting a 6:00 pm in April to get there before dark. 175 miles, in 2 1/2 hrs. I was so wrong.
I can't say I felt over my limits, but I was not at all use to that pace at night.
Would you have let him go or taken up the battle? I guess it coulda been a she.
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