Do you have to?

[yellowtrev]

Got a text mid-week from and old mate inviting me for a rideout this morning.
Leathers on and off to the arranged meeting place.
A few old faces turned up, some i never even knew had bikes.
About 15 of us then left for a run, all makes of bikes but all superbikes/race bikes.R1's,Gixxers,Busa,Mille,Blades, an Sp1, etc etc.
Off we go and its obvious from the outset i am in the company of some fast,competent riders. Most i think do regular track days and knee down on public roads is fairly common.
I am well out of my depth so after about 12 miles with everyone else in the distance i decide to pull over, turn round and head back home.If i were to carry on and try and keep up i think it would all end horribly.
I text the bloke who invited me to let him know that the pace and riding is well above me and thanks for the invite, have a good day etc etc.
He hasn't replied yet.
What i want to ask is, just because you have a fast bike do you have to ride it fast? I think not.
We all open it up every now and again but these guys were really going for it, not just a couple of them, all of them apart from me.
Am i just too slow?
Too sensible?
Too inexperienced?
Too naive as to what goes on during rideouts?
Old before my time? Some guys were older, some younger, than my 41.
Are there such things as leisurely, sedate rideouts on superbikes?
Or shall i buy a BMW and try and find 'Last of the summer wine' funny?
No offence to those who do find it funny and are not 60.

Awaiting your views.

[Ians98VTR]

Good on ya mate!! you deffo did the right thing,turning back,i had a similar invite a few years ago,all in distance,strugled to keep up,over cooked it on blind bend,came off, wrecked bike.just not worth it mate.WELL DONE,always ride to your own ability,and stay safe

[Max]

As a fellow 41 year old, at least for another week or so, IMHO you should be riding for your enjoyment not others.
If you don't enjoy hooning around like a loon then its probably a bad thing to be doing it. Try riding with people on naked bikes like Fazer 1000's and speed triples as they tend to keep their top speeds a lot lower than the GSXR's etc but still don't hang about.

[Jason]

Spot on I would have done the same.

[VTRgirl]

Good on you, Yellow T. If more people followed in your footsteps instead of riding beyond their abilities, there'd be far less deaths on the road & probably not so much interest from the lads in light blue.

I just hope the reason he hasn't replied to your text isn't because he's lying in a ditch or an intensive care unit somewhere

Stay safe & ride for years!

[bluesman]

Do not think about it - there is nothing wrong, it's simply you did right thing. As I grew more experienced with bikes I found that what I see on rideouts makes leaves me with just one question. How can somebody be so stupid? Competent sportbike riders tend to get too competent. Overtakes in blind turns, nutty squeezing between opposite direction cars, flying into small roadside villages at tripple speeds - it's not competence, it is riding your luck out.

Last weekend here - great weather, 6 bikers dead. None of them was beginner. That weekend I went riding with my friend, with whom we ride long-distance tours. I left my VTR in garage and took my Suzuki DR800 to test-ride it after some work done. And after watching riders on the road I felt absolutely happy with that slow bike, because I got to see world around me, still enjoying taking tight corners and being sure that I can ride ass off any of those guys if we have to do at least 800 km per day on backroads of France. IMHO there is more to motorcycling life than racing public roads on weekends

[Bondy]

I've lost count of the amount of people ive seen crash tryin to keep up with people(even been the course of one myself).
Good on you mate not worth the risk.

[streetf2]

you were so right dont worry about it.most of my mates on r1s and blades leave me well behind all the time and i dont care well i do if one of them was to get hurt but what can i do. Dont get me wrong i dont ride at snails pace but some of the manouvers they perform belong on a race track.ride at a pace you are happy with.You wil live to enjoy it much longer.

[Seeker 77]

Where is the smug grin smiley!! Mate, i've bought what is supposed to be the fastest bike you can buy. Exactly what you described happened to me today. A bunch of guys on R1s, blades etc really going for it and me tagging on behind. I knew where we were going and got there in my own time and at my own pace. I have heard of too many people dying and crippling themselves trying to 'chase' down fast riders.

Go at your own speed and enjoy it for what it is. Personally i think that i am not going to go in for the rideout thing anymore, everyone i go out with just ends up riding like loons.

You did the right thing and you should be applauded for it. Too many would try and catch up and probably bin it. Good on yer mate

[KarlosVTR]

i would have kept up or died trying

curse my competetive youth

[JonVTR]

Am i just too slow?
Too sensible?
Too inexperienced?
Too naive as to what goes on during rideouts?

Am i just too slow? yes
Too sensible? yes
Too inexperienced? yes
Too naive as to what goes on during rideouts? yes

Dunno if its because im 21 or what?

[bluesman]

Yep, youth...point is - many people on that board already had that (youth) and already did it - kept on trying.

Last time I had one of my long rides with few "proper" track addicts on day one half of them they dropped off halfway to stay in the hotel and then blamed me for pushing it too far (km per day) because I kept on riding until planned destination was reached. And seconf half spent rest of the week sitting next to the swimming pool drinking beer after 1 hour "blast" through few local roads. I was "voted off" for riding every day to see most of that area of France

[Wildfire]

Good on You....As said before...Ride to your limits not others...I had a cracking day today....just one bit where my mates road knowledge had him disappearing through the twisty's - Could have tried to keep up......Chose not too...Always see my wife & kids in my mind and then know I have too much to lose.

He pulled up a few miles up the road and waited...As I do when its the other way around

[KarlosVTR]

turning round would have been stupid because i was the one who noticed someone wasnt in the pack one time and some of the group went searching

found his bike in a hedge

the rest of us waited for him.

if you went off it probably well cheesed people off. if they disappeard, just ride casually and someone will be waiting for you.

i mean, they must be a bunch of c*nts if they didnt

[Seeker 77]

With my old bunch of mates back in Pirbright there was always one bloke bringing up the rear to round up the stragglers, we used to rotate whose turn it was. That way you all knew you were there when you got to your destination - usually Box Hill!