🚀 go-pugleaf

Some poor sot wrote:

> Apart from the obvious skillfull thrashing round various shapes of track
> surfaced with tarmac, dirt, sand, or shale .... or the 5 to 10 second
> blasts in a straight line .... or the bike control exhibited by trails
> and enduro riders ..... when has motorcycling as a mode of transport or
> as a recreational pastime ever been a sport?
> 
> It's Friday and I know I'm being a little pe(n)dantic ... but when riding
> my bike on public roads I am not engaging in a sport!!!! It is
> this sort of attitude that without doubt perpetuates the poor public
> image that modern motorcycling experiences.

If you bend over, I'll insert the chill pill. Don't worry, it only looks 
like an Army boot. 

Fuckin relax.

JW

>American Motorcyclist Assoc. MVP award for its'contribution to the sport!

> Apart from the obvious skillfull thrashing round various shapes of track 
> surfaced with tarmac, dirt, sand, or shale .... or the 5 to 10 second 
> blasts in a straight line .... or the bike control exhibited by trials 
> and enduro riders ..... when has motorcycling as a mode of transport or 
> as a recreational pastime ever been a sport?
 
> It's Friday and I know I'm being a little pe(n)dantic ... but when riding 
> my bike on public roads I am not engaging in a sport!!!! It is 
> this sort of attitude that without doubt perpetuates the poor public 
> image that modern motorcycling experiences.

IMHO it is a question of attitude,accessories,displacement and frame.
Even cars fall into this range of categorization.It ain't the machine per se....
it is the Rider and how they *choose* to allow themselves to be _perceived_.

opinion: mere? transportation requires little more than 250cc ( eg Rebels, etc )
the balance (excess over 250cc) is where the sport or recreation comes into play
with power and frame etc allowing for more/better/purpose built performance.

opinion : Touring is recreation ( eg Wings,Voyagers,some Harleys.etc )
With related goo gaws and storage space for accoutrement, greater power
and a frame designed for carrying this load of *&%$ (and the fatassed
spouse too) 

opinion : Racing is sport ( eg CBR, GSXR, ZX**, etc )
Overwhelming HP to weight ratio on a frame designed for race track use is
sport; and *hopefully* it is with experienced/enhanced rider skill &
safety gear etc   
( competition oriented riding is not safely practiced on public streets btw )

In short motorcycling is all of these things,and all of it is or should be
enjoyable if not down right fun...even commuting while dodging road
hazards etc.

You can (in theory) do any of these 'styles' of riding on any bike.....
........and yes not _all_ sport riding involves high speeds......
it's just that some bikes (and riders) are better suited to any one style. 
 
More importantly to the _perception_ of motorcycling though is that the
'race rep' style has virtually no legal place to use the bike *as it is
designed* on public highways;perhaps the Montana autobahn excepted.*This*
is the real issue.

**disclaimer: I am *not* advocating that these bikes be illegal (as is the
case in some areas) but perhaps a HP/cc/age/experience type graduated
license program is not such a bad idea. It seems to work in Europe. 

The middle weights (+/- 450-1000 cc?) UJM/standard/sport touring/commuter
bikes are where the confusion comes in and _ironically_ where *most* of
all bikes on the road come into the picture.This is where _attitude_ fits
because any and all of these'styles'can easily be practiced on these bikes
and commonly are.

If your attitude ( read:
gear,clothing,preparation,experience,training,etc.) and practice is to
ride your UJM or RR (or even Tour) bike as though you were on a racetrack
while on your way to work in the morning you are doing a disservice to the
**sport** of motorcycling because these practices are clearly a hazard;
with the occassional lane splitting as needed excepted.
 
You are also negatively affecting the _perception_ of motorcycling in
general because of this unsafe example and by extension hurting the next
rider to come down that nice twisty road because of what happened to you
or by you on your last trip through there.

This follows through to the 250 loaded down with 300 pounds of camping
gear and going two up on a cross country jaunt. Though this example would
most likely produce only snickers it still is an example of inappropriate
*attitude* towards the activity because it too is really unsafe ( or at
the least foolish ).

The *problem* in terms of perception by the public is the 'squidly'
behavior of too many inexperienced / poor attitude riders inappropriately
using their bike in ways that are observed and __remembered__ by cagers
and the constabulary.

Reasonably responsible riding habits and practices allow for
_enthusiastic_ riding out in the country in valleys etc with nice twisty
roads. BUT too many doing this don't anticipate the ever changing
conditions that can be in front of them at _any_ time and on _any_ road
when suddenly a hazard appears. The results of these misadventures are
also what contribute to this negative _perception_. 

Perhaps if the _perception_ as promulgated by past experiences of non
riders was better there would be more folks choosing to ride or at least
not getting in the way of their family/friend/spouse choosing to ride.It
is _not_ purely a cultural or economic phenomenon that many parts of the
world have entirely different perceptions than is the case in the USA. It
is an experiential difference. 

My $.02 worth, thanks.

-- 
Bryan in Baltimore

'83 Honda V45 Sabre (Mehitabel) '76 Yamaha XS 650 (D) ( in process)

Moderation in all things....especially moderation.
Guard against impatience.
The examined life is no picnic.

Andy Ettinger wrote:
>  [  ..snipped heartfelt link to kids story..  ] 
> TAKE A RIDE is
> the winner of the American Motorcyclist Association's MVP award for
> its' contribution to the sport!
> Apart from the obvious skillfull thrashing round various shapes of track 
surfaced with tarmac, dirt, sand, or shale .... or the 5 to 10 second 
blasts in a straight line .... or the bike control exhibited by trails 
and enduro riders ..... when has motorcycling as a mode of transport or 
as a recreational pastime ever been a sport?

It's Friday and I know I'm being a little pe(n)dantic ... but when riding 
my bike on public roads I am not engaging in a sport!!!! It is 
this sort of attitude that without doubt perpetuates the poor public 
image that modern motorcycling experiences.
-- 
Sol
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nortel opinions and mine often coincide.. but probably not this time.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 \\||/         MAG#94151    UKMC#501   DoD#50117    RB#01
   ^ ~         Semper in excretum, nil profundum variat.
(` @ @)             Non illigitimum carburundum!
 `  ..                  
  \  ~                simon@spirant.demon.co.uk
    "'

Sol wrote:
>  ..... when has motorcycling as a mode of transport or
> as a recreational pastime ever been a sport?
> 
> It's Friday and I know I'm being a little pe(n)dantic ... but when riding
> my bike on public roads I am not engaging in a sport!!!! It is
> this sort of attitude that without doubt perpetuates the poor public
> image that modern motorcycling experiences.
> --

Sol:

Motorcycling is one of the best sports I know of for the individual, 
friends, or group  (it is not as good as sailing and sailing is better than 
sex).  Motorcycles are not a mode of transportation unless you beleive in 
risk free societies although that is how many get into the sport (thinking 
the risk element is low). 

If it can't kill you, it ain't a sport!!

If I cared about public image I would not have a bike and ride twisties 
until my brain explodes.

It is Monday now.  Did you experience any pleasure (nae - motosex) from your 
sport over the weekend????

Michael Krone

|If it can't kill you, it ain't a sport!!

I just bet you have a No Fear baseball hat.

|If I cared about public image I would not have a bike and ride twisties 
|until my brain explodes.

Or post to rec.motorcycles.