I guess I myself would consider this sort of a "dick move", but I personally like to "nip at the heels" of guys like that rather than pass em right away. Let's face it, just about any liter plus bike these days when spun up is going to put a pretty good whoopin on MOST vtwin cruisers, American or not, with some exceptions as well. But I like it more when these garbed out road pirates try to actually show their riding prowess.
I've always been one who likes the thrill of the chase, frequently finding "targets" off in the distance to chase down just to see how quickly I can do it. Not really to show THEM so much as it is enjoyable to me and excerise to sharpen my skills. Yes, certainly such things are better done on a track, I know.
But some guys simply **** me off to the point where I actually don't feel bad rattleing their cage so to speak.
At the BC rally last month, there was just such an instance.
On a particularly delicious stretch of road (IN SR450) the group I was leading got stuck behind a couple cars, and a full on stereotypical Harley guy. Bright orange denim shirt with the sleeve cut off by the manufacturer and then frayed to make it look like it was worn, with the slogan "Can You See Me Now Ass Hole?!" printed on the back. Jeans with the ridiculously long chain wallet that looked at any moment like it was going to get caught in the wheel or the belt or something, no helmet, gloves or any such protective gear except boots and sunglasses. The cars in front of him turned off, and he picked up the pace a bit. In the straights he would whack the throttle open, but then slow to a near crawl when the tasty curves came up. Brakin through the corners, body leaning the wrong way etc etc.
But for the love of all that is holy, apparently he was so concerned with us degrading the size of his *****, he would NOT let us pass. There were plenty of places to do so, and we were only a few bikes. But every straight he would hammer the throttle.
Finally I'd had enough, and started to bird dog him. We headed down a hill, with a 90 degree right hand turn at the bottom. Of corse he was all brakes. Out of the turn there was a straight that was over a mile long, with another 90 left hand turn at the end of it (I know this road pretty well, as do many of the BC regulars. It's a MUST RIDE road) So in to the straight we go, he's hammering through the gears, a big black cloud of unburned fuel blasting out of the pipe every time he shifted. I wasn't backing off, right in his hip pocket, the 1.2 liters of Japanese rocket ship wasn't even breathing hard. We passed the ton, ton plus 25. I could have passed him easily enough, but I wasn't sure what he would do, and in the distance I could see the cloud of dust from a truck approaching on the gravel road that intersected this straight away, and wasn't sure HE would stop. I had plenty of HP, plenty of tach in reserve and an entire gear left. But this was more entertaining. Immsure I had a ridiculous smile on my face. Finally we get to the end, he's hard hard hard on the brakes, the left hander is coming up fast. I give a squeeze of the brakes, reign in some speed, and tip the bike into the corner, and watch in amazement as he crosses double yellow in the corner, and "Aussie Apexes" the turn, on the white line of the OTHER lane. I'd given him plenty of room, but he didn't give himself enough room to slow that behemoth down and nearly binned it in the bushes on the other side of the road.
He continued to ride onthe other side of the road for a while, like "I mean to do that". Finally, at the next turn out, I think he'd had enough and pulled off. Perhaps to change his shorts. Likely to go inside the little bar there and brag about how he'd "just kicked some jap bikes ass". I waved, and blasted off with the gang in tow.
Best of all, this was all captured on video on Steve's son Dans gopro.
When he has time I'm hoping he'll edit it down for me as it was quite entertaining
