Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

The weather one day last week was beautiful: 80 degrees, low humidity, and clear blue skies. I decided to take an extended lunch break from work and explore some of the back roads in the area on my GSX650F. I found a nice road in a hilly forested area - decent pavement, no houses or traffic around, and lots of nice curves. I was having a blast caving up the road at 2 to 3 times the speed limit and didn't slow down when the pavement suddendly got a litte rougher. I shot up a steep hill and hit a big pothole at the top, upsetting the bike. The rear wheel jumped off the pavement and the bike shuttered sideways more than a a few inches. It took a second to get things under control. However I must have lost situational awareness of the road ahead because I found myself rapidly heading towards a sharp left hander. To make matters worse I momentarily fixated on this looming disaster and didn't hit the brakes or try to set up for the curve until the last split second. I braked as hard as I dared through the curve (not good) and was sure I was going to crash. But somehow I made it through. A nasty jolt of adrenaline stayed with me for the next 10 miles.

Lessons learned - take it easy on an unfamiliar road, slow down when things get bumpy, and be aware that the mind can "lock up" on you when you get in trouble.

I've ridden this road several times since that incident. Now that I know about that pothole, that sharp left hander is a joy.

Anyone else want to share an "exciting" moment?

What's nasty about it?
I live for that shit...

Adrenaline comes in two flavors - the "on-the-edge" but still in control "good" flavor, and the "OMG I'm gonna die" nasty stuff.

SECONDED. I accidently blew by a stop sign a month ago, and that was a very, very nasty jolt. about 80 mph, over a really awesome rollercoaster hump, AAAND 100 feet to a stop sign. I braked to about fourty, realized I wasn't gonna make it, hammered it back down. I did -not- feel good at all about that, even though I was in the middle of nowheresville.

I had a no-adrenaline pucker moment with some wet grass clippings the other day though. I didn't think they were thick enough to lock up on, I was wrong. stalled the engine in 3-rd gear, and sent the bike sideways in a very sketchy, fishy fashion with no way to spin the back tire and get the bike to grab itself back straight. Chased it off the power at like 8mph into someones lawn and back out. WHEW.

Bullshit. It comes in one flavour, and it serves the same purpose every time: to get me off...

Nitekreeper -

May your cup runneth over. Enjoy cheating death but keep both wheels on the ground - most of the time that is.

May be better riding on the road!!!

well my fun time as Mr NIGHTCREEPER says, when in front of me a harley bagger get t boned on the freeway about 60 mph very fun braking and steering around a harley doing aileron rolls 8 feet in the AIR with the rider on the freeway.

Harley recovered 7 K to fix, riders left shoulder still in treatment, after two years. My 650 noooooooooo problems, did wake me up and wished i had a helmet cam oh dam.

I had 2 injections of the good stuff only today! First one woke me up, second one pissed me off...:

1. Just before 7am, turning out of my street onto the main road. There's something about the corner I like, so I take it as hard as my cold tyres will let me... Except this morning, right in the middle of the "crunch", the local council streetsweeper appeared, in the gutter on the WRONG side of the road! I had to pick the thing up out of the lean, then gun it to avoid running wide across the centreline. NK 1, KCC 0! Rode to work with a HUGE buzz on...

2. On the way home, my light turns green so I let the idiot run the red light before I cross. Except there's a SECOND idiot running the red, and he ALMOST tags me as I manage to stop with my front wheel about 3 inches off his! This time I let fly; he's now polishing the boot mark outta his door, and shopping for BOTH wing mirrors... (Yep, I took his driver's mirror, then dropped around behind him, let him pass, before zooming up and taking the passenger side too!)
Got home with a MASSIVE buzz on, still feeling the impacts in both hands...

You're reminding me more and more of my old friend markus from nova scotia. his stories are a real treat like this. lmao.

But that's the thing, right Voided? I'm sitting here thinking about yesterday, and the puncture I picked up today (Grrr), and laughing my arse off too!
It's all great fun, but I live for those moments where the hair on the back of my neck stands up as the adrenaline rushes down my spine...

Speaking of which, I'd completely forgotten about Wednesday morning! It was the closest I've come so far to actually helmet-butting someone...
Almost at work, riding through Harris Park I was cut off by a subcontinental gentleman whilst already in a roundabout. He then stopped abruptly in a No Stopping zone, causing me some mild irritation.
I stopped next to his door and commenced a brief conversation about the road rules and his parentage, when to my disbelief a random pedestrian decided to get involved (of similar origin to the driver, obviously)!
I went from irritated to pissed in about "how fast can I u-turn and park my bike?"
We met in the centre of the road while about 3 other cars stopped to watch. I don't know what he was thinking, me in full armoured gear and helmet!
I delivered a short left to set up the helmet-butt, but he wasn't expecting the jab so ended up sat on his butt in the road, rapidly changing his mind about getting involved.
I rode away and left him alone.

Best part is, and I shit you not, it turns out he's a contractor working IT in my office! I saw him later that day, but he didn't recognise me without the gear, sunnies and helmet

*facepalm*
hahahaha

went to the dragstrip last week, to cut some times, and work on some launch technique.

About my fifth run I have a slip of the hand and head, and at 8-9k rpms my lefthand very nearly pops the clutch with movement on the last yellow light. The front wheel from a standing start just JOLTS into the air. Soars completely through first gear, to the point that I can't max the throttle til it starts coming down. banged second when it Did come down, kept right on hammering. Wonderful little jolt, that one was.

Other than it felt like an entire bucketful of awesome I dismissed the ordeal, until I get a txt from my friend brandi the next day at the cafe she waitresses at. (who you may remember did the camerawork for my wheelie pics).

"Kurk Someoneorother has been in here, hitting on me, and when I mentioned I ride on the back of your bike, he started trash talking, about how last night you nearly crashed your bike at LaRue, and all this crap..."

"I Wheelied completely through first from a standing start. no squirms, no crooked landing, no throttle jockeying with the front wheel jolting up and down at balance, not even a scare on my part. I have no idea how it looked, but it was business as usual for me Brandi..."

Before she replied I channeled my inner kreeper.

"Tell you what, tell that guy that I'm sorry that he's personally scared of wheelies, but I'm doing just fine, thanks for the concern."

10 minutes later, I blast uptown on suzi, and stroll into the cafe where he and her are. I just pop my helmet up on the bar, have a sit a barstool away, order a glass of milk, (LOL) give kurk a friendly, shitty grin and a wink, and say Nothing.

Now kurk's about 6 ft. and maybe 160 pounds, and I'm 5'10 and 200. I'm guessing he did the math, got his check, and hit the road.

voided it probably had nothing to do with your riding at all... some guys dont deserve bikes... they think that every chick should like them because they got a bike, and try to make themselves look better than the other dude with just as cool a bike. Sounds to me he was just wanting to take your friend for a "ride" didnt work out so well for him I'm guessing

I'm positive that when he watched your ordeal at the track that he was saying "man that dudes awesome, I wish I could be him for even just one day"

On second thought does this friend of yours have a number?

She must be pretty hot to be hanging out with all these bikers
or does she ride?