Uncle Punk

What's wrong can't you handle 30 bikes at a time? The planned Coshocton rides always draw a big crowd. (I will help out if needed but you always seem to have a lot of good help.) Don't forget to have popsicles ready.

That crazy guy was funny as hell. I can't say I was sorry to see him drop out of the ride even though he was entertaining. I can't imagine a female version of him. Did I hear you are planning a Coshocton ride?

I get that feeling all the time after I eat a big meal.

Budell, I bet Tony can help you with suspension setting to fix your problems. That bike can do the things you don't currently like about it well; I have seen it done with more than one XB.

The guy that left out early? I bet her life isn't boring.

You see absolute proof Tod(d)s are awesome. Guys, I bought my riding ability by doing track days just like any of you can. I had way too many oh shit moments to remember and was fortunate enough not to get bitten by them. Luckily for me I did some track days before I started doing group rides or I would have probably been one of the guys wrecking. Track days taught me what the bike and I were capable of; they also gave me the experience to not get sucked in over my head with the faster guys. They taught me not to give up and a whole bunch of other skills. Riding faster was a byproduct of track days but the real value came from the safety margin I now ride in. Check my tires sometime if I'm at a group ride you will still see chicken strips yet I ride at a fairly quick street pace. I don't have any oh shit moments and can ride relaxed around faster riders. It makes group riding more enjoyable for me having these skills that track riding gave me. Track riding sounds expensive up front but if it keeps you from going down just once it's well worth it.

That's because Tod(D)s are awesome!

I wasn't hurt at all just kind of laid down on the track and slid; the bike didn't do so well and was beyond my funds and skill level to fix. Thanks for asking. I did two track days with Fasttraxx one year and three with STT the next year then decided to try racing the following year never making it out of the intermediate group. I didn't do so well racing but I did think I could run in the advanced group at a track day event, that's why it was my first time in the advanced group. I went to the AMA racing event in September and tried to race at Mid-Ohio after only doing intermediate track days there the year prior. I was running 1:39s all weekend at that event but felt I could do better with some help. I was hoping to improve on that time with some coaching the following year but that accident ended my ability to make those improvements. Your staff knew of my situation, was willing and eager to help, I fucked up and went down before they had the chance to assist me. What I wanted to get out of a track day having the groups mixed didn’t work. Nothing wrong with the format, I just went in with the wrong attitude.

After the entertainment portion of our ride is over and we are just commuting back home he doesn't like to be left behind by the 1Ks like he is riding a scooter. The guys also now know why I made this post about that crazy 15 mph decreasing radius curve on 536. http://www.ohio-riders.com/showthread.php?t=29234

Budell can thank John for us not leaving his ass. He got there at 10:02 and we had already discussed leaving without him. We were talking to and saying goodbye to John or we would have been gone. Most know that if they miss us at the meeting place they can catch us going down 83, I usually keep the pace around 70 mph so if you're willing to speed for a while you can catch us. Running things like a military operation seems to make for less drama. Everyone knows what to expect from me and what I expect from them. With five or ten guys with different skill levels and agendas a ride would never get finished unless the format is somewhat regimented. I still like to have fun and will help anyone with questions but we need to keep moving. It is important that the group is spread out by faster riders to slower riders unless there is a sweeper. I like to ask the guys at stops if they are happy with their position in the conga line. Some won’t pass others but should be in front of them, the larger the group the greater the chance of this taking place especially if they haven’t ridden with us before. Tony, I'm lucky with not having that conversation. My girlfriend still shows and trains dogs so there are times when she isn't available all day on the weekends. Win-win.

What? What? What?

I was not blaming the format just suggested it contributed to a series of poor judgments on my part that led to my accident which was completely my fault. It was the first time for me in the advanced group and I was looking forward to getting some time with faster guys in hopes of improving my time. I was running with another guy down the back straight when suddenly there were five guys across the track braking or slowing down for the right hand turn at the end of it. I hadn't seen them in front of us through the keyhole so I didn't expect any traffic in front of us. The guy I was running with went to the inside of them all and cut a few off I'm sure. I could have split a few of them and made it but it would have been tight and aggressive. I chose to go outside them all to keep from freaking them out and coming too close to them. This caused me to change my braking marker and I had too much trail braking happening going on trying to ride around them all on the outside, I tucked my front. Stupid mistake on my part and totally my fault for not paying attention to what was in front of me. I should have expected the situation and I didn't leave enough in reserve to avoid it. I should have changed my expectations of what I wanted out of the track time as soon as I knew both groups were going to be running together. I understand you and Lizard have more experience and these situations don't come up for you and now so do I so this same thing won't be happening to me again.

You don't mind, that's funny. You know we have rules for riding in groups? It looks like all the twins have to ride in back from today’s ride. Last man to the river buys lunch for everyone. No cry babies. Tony has his own rules, you must start before daylight and ride over 400 miles. I miss some of his rides because I’m a cry baby.

Oh no a Monster edition ZX6R that's a shame. I hope it's not the start of a Coshocton curse for them like the established one for the Katanas. I would like to own one of them ZX6Rs one day but not if I can't ride it through Coshocton.

An hour difference from your text and mine but you were probably coming back up from WV. John came out just to say "hi" but couldn't ride because he had to work. I'm starting to get a complex, people keep coming out to our meeting place but they won't ride with us. We play nice with others, really.

Back home safe and sound, three bikes out three bikes back no issues. 338 miles, 6:45 all the way to the river. Quote of the day by Budell. "Get me the fuck off this road!" 536 wasn't his favorite. I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I love 255.

My bike was still strapped up and packed in the trailer at work this morning. It is still dirty from being caught in the rain at the gap too. I lubed the chain right away when I got out of the rain so it's good to go. I will be riding a dirty, dirty bike though.

The preventive measures were in place but they failed, shit happens. That rig has been awarded safety awards for being one of the safest in use by the people who write and enforce safety measures, again shit happens. Way more oil than that gets leaked into the waters everyday, it is spread out more but that's the way the oceans work. I do think it's a shame all the oil went to waste when we had it in the supply line. I see nothing criminal here to warrant jail time for anyone. Everything that could be done was done, why would BP risk losing all that oil just to cut some corners?

You just need to ride faster. Where is Justin this fine morning? I think he is going to make me wake him up.

I would do 255 both ways instead of 536. I love 255. 536 is something you have to do but I could not do it again and be happy. 255 is where its at.

Don't you already have a ride planned? You are welcome to ride with us, I think first gas will be New Philadelphia.

Tony's rides a pretty cool mostly roads we haven't been on but that 8:00 AM start time 1-1/2 hours from home kills me. WV 7 is worth riding and I hope to make it out there with him sometime this year. Justin and Budell haven't been on 536 or 255 so my route gets us there today but the boring way. We can add 50 miles to eliminate some of the boring on the way out but that gets us home about 6:00 PM we can decide that at 10:00.

The port of New Orleans is very important and the cost to protect it is worth it. The homes that were destroyed not so much. We could have given everyone of them a 300K home in a safe area and saved money. Boycotting BP will not hurt them for the reasons Justin mentioned. Why would anyone wish harm to a company that pays taxes and employs people, especially in a time where they are losing so much money from this oil leak? I just don't get how some people think.

Last one to the river buys lunch. (Not really no luch stop is planned, grab and go at gas stops.)

82 & 83 10:00 AM gassed up and ready to go 326 miles, the first and last 70 will be boring. Expect to do about 15MPH over the limit between curves. 83, 250, 77, 800, 78, 536, 7, 255, 800, 77, 250, 83