Talented Harley riding

[Don Ro]

He knows that road, that's clear.
He's a skilled rider. Maybe under the influence of dumb guts, also.

[Craig T]

That mid-section has a lot of falling rock. It's a daily occurrence to have softball to bowling ball sized rocks and gravel sitting on the road there. I have to assume he went up first and checked for debris and cops, but the will get him soon.

[911 Rod]

Either way I'm impressed with the skill.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

Either way I'm impressed with the skill.

+1, he knows his bike. I'm pretty certain that I wouldn't be comfortable doing that with apes.

[HardDrive]

Amazed he can flick the Harley like that with his 20lbs brass nuts raising the center of gravity of the bike.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

It's not the arrow, it's the Indian...

Applies to pool cues more than to motorcycles and cars. Meaning, the highest ranked pool player in the USA plays with a Cuetec, one of the cheapest production cues made. No amateur with a $5,000 custom cue can compete with him.

But enter this Harley Rider in a serious motorcycle race, and he wouldn't have a prayer of keeping up with the pack. Equipment used is very important in racing of any kind. Not so much so in pool, where the pros play with whatever cue maker pays the best sponsorship money.

[MT930]

Hardcore

The Tee shirt is a nice touch.

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Amazed he can flick the Harley like that with his 20lbs brass nuts raising the center of gravity of the bike.

hahaha - THIS!

This guy can seriously ride. That bike isn't just giving him all its got, it's giving him about 11/10ths of what it's got.

I envy his skill!

angela

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

It's not the arrow, it's the Indian...

excellent

I find it hard to imagine that guy has not laid down a bike or two, he does have skilz tho

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Applies to pool cues more than to motorcycles and cars. Meaning, the highest ranked pool player in the USA plays with a Cuetec, one of the cheapest production cues made. No amateur with a $5,000 custom cue can compete with him.

But enter this Harley Rider in a serious motorcycle race, and he wouldn't have a prayer of keeping up with the pack. Equipment used is very important in racing of any kind. Not so much so in pool, where the pros play with whatever cue maker pays the best sponsorship money.

Your pool cue analogy equally applies to musicians. You can give me the best guitar in the world and I couldn't come close to Joe Bonamassa playing rubber bands strung over a cardboard box.

Just watched the vid again. The guy filming was easily staying on his tail without taking the risks of the HD guy.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Just watched the vid again. The guy filming was easily staying on his tail without taking the risks of the HD guy.

Well yeah...of course, he's riding a Honda!

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Oh , I am not saying he is not good, < Far from it!
He is a pro !
Anyone that can do that with a HD and ape hangars is outstanding !
However , he is not far from a body bag either.

Close only counts in horseshoes.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

Indeed, and half the weight with tires designed for more than a 20 degree lean angle!

Indeed. And which one grabs our attention? The Honda rider's riding is, well, quite unremarkable. Quite boring, actually.

I think what a lot of guys are seeing here is a "Harley rider" spankin' it pretty damn hard. They are as astonished that a "Harley rider" can ride like that as they are that a Harley can go like that. I see a motorcyclist - and a very skilled one at that - who happens to be on a Harley. Hell, it might not even be his. He almost certainly gained that level of skill on sport bikes, and likely on a racetrack to boot.

I think there are some assumptions being made about the Honda rider as well. Who is to say that is not all he's got? The two of them reeled in that first sport bike mounted rider like a dead fish. Yeah, either bike is far more capable than the Harley, but are the riders? Just like buying a guitar does not one a guitarist make, simply owning a sport bike does not make one a sport bike rider. I've lost track of how many I've quite easily out-run on the Road King, as long as it doesn't turn into purely a horsepower contest. Actually, I'll go out on a limb and say the vast majority of sport bike riders I encounter are scared motherless to even begin to push their bikes- unless it's a simple drag race, in a straight line.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Indeed. And which one grabs our attention? The Honda rider's riding is, well, quite unremarkable. Quite boring, actually.

I think what a lot of guys are seeing here is a "Harley rider" spankin' it pretty damn hard. They are as astonished that a "Harley rider" can ride like that as they are that a Harley can go like that. I see a motorcyclist - and a very skilled one at that - who happens to be on a Harley. Hell, it might not even be his. He almost certainly gained that level of skill on sport bikes, and likely on a racetrack to boot.

I think there are some assumptions being made about the Honda rider as well. Who is to say that is not all he's got? The two of them reeled in that first sport bike mounted rider like a dead fish. Yeah, either bike is far more capable than the Harley, but are the riders? Just like buying a guitar does not one a guitarist make, simply owning a sport bike does not make one a sport bike rider. I've lost track of how many I've quite easily out-run on the Road King, as long as it doesn't turn into purely a horsepower contest. Actually, I'll go out on a limb and say the vast majority of sport bike riders I encounter are scared motherless to even begin to push their bikes- unless it's a simple drag race, in a straight line.

"Actually, I'll go out on a limb and say the vast majority of sport bike riders I encounter are scared motherless to even begin to push their bikes- unless it's a simple drag race, in a straight line."
.
Squid
A young motorcyclist who overestimates his abilities, boasts of his riding skills when in reality he has none. Squid bikes are usually decorated with chrome and various anodized bits. Rear tyres are too wide for their own good. Really slow in the corners, and sudden bursts of acceleration when a straight appears. Squids wear no protection, deeming themselves invincible. This compounds intself with the fact that they engage in 'extreem riding'- performing wheelies and stoppies in public areas.

[flipper35]

Say, didn't Motion ride a factory HD back in the flower shop days...

[aigel]

The camera man would go to court for manslaughter / road racing if the harley dude kills himself. It isn't wise to follow someone that close on a public road and push them to be stupid. Cause / effect may be tough to prove, but the courts aren't going to see it that way. There is a zero tolerance policy being pushed on road racing.

When I lived in SoCal, I was on GMR with track tires (993) and had a MC pull out in front of me at the bottom of the hill seeing me coming. I was easily keeping up with him, losing him in the (few) straights, and catching him in the corners. However, he started to ride like that harley guy, including almost losing his rear. I backed the hell off ASAP and let him go.

G

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Indeed. And which one grabs our attention? The Honda rider's riding is, well, quite unremarkable. Quite boring, actually.

I think what a lot of guys are seeing here is a "Harley rider" spankin' it pretty damn hard. They are as astonished that a "Harley rider" can ride like that as they are that a Harley can go like that. I see a motorcyclist - and a very skilled one at that - who happens to be on a Harley. Hell, it might not even be his. He almost certainly gained that level of skill on sport bikes, and likely on a racetrack to boot.

I think there are some assumptions being made about the Honda rider as well. Who is to say that is not all he's got? The two of them reeled in that first sport bike mounted rider like a dead fish. Yeah, either bike is far more capable than the Harley, but are the riders? Just like buying a guitar does not one a guitarist make, simply owning a sport bike does not make one a sport bike rider. I've lost track of how many I've quite easily out-run on the Road King, as long as it doesn't turn into purely a horsepower contest. Actually, I'll go out on a limb and say the vast majority of sport bike riders I encounter are scared motherless to even begin to push their bikes- unless it's a simple drag race, in a straight line.

But with motorcycles and cars, the debate rages on. How much is skill and how much is equipment?

Not the same in pool or guitars where the cream of the talent rises to the top. A four minute video of talent...the best player in the USA. Born 90% hearing impaired, bullied in school, but he had many friends in the pool hall. Now respected globally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4PCUAkzIc

Very skilled Harley Rider. But like I posted earlier, sooner or later....

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Indeed. And which one grabs our attention? The Honda rider's riding is, well, quite unremarkable. Quite boring, actually.

You do realize that he is the one filming the Harley? I don't think he was trying to impress.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

But with motorcycles and cars, the debate rages on. How much is skill and how much is equipment?

Not the same in pool or guitars where the cream of the talent rises to the top. A four minute video of talent...the best player in the USA. Born 90% hearing impaired, bullied in school, but he had many friends in the pool hall. Now respected globally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4PCUAkzIc

In competitive motorsport, the margins are so slim that any advantage in one can be offset by someone else's advantage in the other. The most skillful does not always win, nor does the best equipment.

This video is different, though. The disparity in capabilities between the two bikes is enormous, thereby serving to highlight the equally large disparity in displayed skill between the two riders. One bike is designed and built for this kind of riding, the other is designed and built for anything but this kind of riding.

It would be like standing on a pool table and hitting the cue ball with a putter.

[pwd72s]

One other big difference. The Harley rider video was taken on a public road. No danger to one's self and others in a pool tournament setting. Well, not that kind of danger...there is a physical risk to pool hustling.

The risk factor was high in that video....and for what? Fine by be if one chooses to put himself in danger. His choice. Not so fine if innocents could get harmed.