"I am writing this as an open letter to the sportbike riders who are in the growing trend of riders who I see in the mountains and all over these days:
First, let me tell you that I am no angel. I have been at this game for a number of years, own a lot of bikes, and therefore think I might be somebody who can offer some insight beyond yours. If you read this all the way through, you might see yourself in here.....or not.
I see you have purchased your first new bike. You let Suzuki finance you at 15%, agreed to some VERY steep insurance, and even got the sales guy to add a brand new $500 helmet in the package because you are a "good guy". Congratulations~~~~!!!!
Now the hard part, keeping up with your buddies who have been at this game for years..errrrrrr...no....make that weeks (sorry, your experience in a corn field with a dirt bike does not count today). Inside you are a little tentative, but surely big balls can get you through the learning curve and soon you'll be rich in street cred with your friends. That's when I first see you usually....tooling along with your arms locked, heels on the pegs, and bare handed too --- riding and looking for a straight line speed run or to pull a wheelie. Man are you guys professionals? Can I get an autograph?
Now, I have been riding up in the mountains for years, know that tire grip is key, that you go slow in the straightaways, fast in the corners where you can see through them and are not endangering people, wave at those you pass to say "thanks", keep my machines in top performace - but you are new and a younger so you "roll" it a little different. So now I see you in my mirrors on a long straight-away......here you guys come at full-tilt boogie, all with cut off t-shirts, jeans - bitchen pair of Nike's.
Oh, DUDE.... I see you have a naked lady, a dragon, a machine gun, or a skull on your helmet.....that's impressive! Surely you guys are fast!!!!
By the way, as you come up on me and think you bought yourself everything to bring out the "sport bike world champion" that has always been inside of you - you might want to stop at the drive-thru and see if they got a big bag of experience before you go trying to impress me in the next set of corners. I am not as easily impressed as the pack of mental migets you call your posse. I know you are trying to lose the chicken strips and learn how to do a wheelie. Yep, you are so cool that I am going to go easy on you.
You see, I'm in a good mood and will actually slow my pace so that when you think you can run with me I don't helicopter you and that bank financed rocket into the top branches half way down the mountain......I don't want the guilt. So, even though I don't want you to get hurt - that may not have much to do with the bullet train you boarded. So up the mountain we go......you blowing the centerline a few times but staying within site thinking you just put a notch on your plastics. I saw you all over the road back there, catching up in the straight-aways, pissing your pants in the corners - but we got the top of the mountain at the same time, huh? Whew...what a rush, huh?
So I bite my tongue when we stop at the top of the mountain and you just stare at me sweating in the 100 degree heat in a full set of leathers. If we talk, sorry to say you are not going to hear me say "nice bike" or "killer helmet". I am going to ask you how well that human leather suit you are wearing is going to look after you throw it at the ground at 100mph - or if you have driven through a station wagon full of kids lately. Sure, I'll agree with your answer that it's hot, remember jackass, I am a better rider and am wearing an easy bake oven full suit - but I'll remind you that better riders than you have crashed and that gear lets them walk away. Yes, I am being nice.
If you are dumb enough to stand there I'll ask you about how many weeks you have been riding, tell you that your cornfield skills on a dirtbike don't translate to road skills, that $200 in gear will go further than the $400 you spent on that loud Zhit slip-on you snipped off ebay, and that concrete does a pretty quick number on a cotton t-shirt and will actually grind that tattoo you have right off your body. So now you look at your buddies who say "we're just up for a short ride" and if I am in a good mood I'll laugh at you and say, "aren't we all?"
Remember I was in a good mood. Here's what I wanted to say: Look Newbie, I ride in hot gear on hot days, I wear full gloves over full leathers, my boots that go almost to my knee are over another layer of full leather, my shield stays down at speed so I don't take something in the eye and lose control. I have been doing this for years - and you have learned NOTHING from the stories you have heard, the You Tube video's you watch, or the riders who came across a parking lot to give you some advice that could save your life. Not only that, but don't think the $2,000 you agreed to pay for insurance is going to pay the $500,000 it will take for your insurance company to put you back together, pay off the bike, and buy you another one if you can walk. You know who pays that, me and Medicaid, which I also pay if you ride with minimal or no coverage - yep, guys like me who work hard, and then sweat our asses off as we watch another batch of hornets come up the mountains with their arms locked, shields up, and dealer tags flapping in the wind........
GUYS......members of this board........please take the time to NOT let these guys ride with you. Take the time to pull them aside and tell them that learning to ride is a process that takes years, not a big right hand. Surely there are good riders here that can relate to new riders.
I met a very nice group of young riders yesterday who were on SV650's. All were wearing full gear, and it was not a testosterone ride. My point? Not all riders fit the mold......but I see more and more riders with no gear and more HP than brains or experience.
Rant complete.......fire at will! "
shorts & Tshirt...... He must have known it was going to be boiling today 
